Key Points
- Hundreds of people and dogs are protesting across the UK and Europe on 31 January and 1 February 2026 to demand an end to hunting with dogs in Spain.
- The demonstrations coincide with the end of Spain’s hunting season on 1 February, when up to 100,000 Galgos and Podencos face abandonment or cruel euthanasia each year.
- Spain’s 2023 animal welfare law excluded hunting dogs, classifying them as tools rather than protected animals.
- UK protests in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Exeter form part of coordinated actions in 45 Spanish cities and 35 others across Europe.
- Free Spanish Hounds, founded in 2023, leads UK efforts alongside Spain’s Plataforma NAC.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) January 31, 2026 – Campaigners marched through Glasgow and other UK cities today, joining Europe-wide protests urging Spain to ban hunting with dogs and protect breeds like Galgos and Podencos from seasonal abandonment and cruelty.
According to reports from Dogs Today Magazine and Perspective Media, the peaceful demonstrations highlight the fate of approximately 100,000 hunting dogs discarded annually at the close of Spain’s hunting season. Organisers from Free Spanish Hounds emphasise that these animals suffer inhumane treatment, often prolonged unnecessarily, due to their legal status as tools.
Why Are Campaigners Protesting Spain’s Hunting Dog Practices?
Protests erupted across the UK in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Exeter on Saturday 31 January, with further marches planned for London on Sunday 1 February, as detailed by Euro Weekly News and the Free Spanish Hounds website. These events coincide precisely with the Spanish hunting season’s end, a period when dogs deemed unfit are routinely abandoned or killed, according to European Interest.
As reported by Dogs Today Magazine, Free Spanish Hounds, a UK volunteer group established in summer 2023, coordinates the actions to raise awareness and support Plataforma NAC in Spain. The group collaborates internationally to push for legal reforms.
What Did Protest Leaders Say?
Teresa Rodriguez, who organises Plataforma NAC’s international protests, stated to Dogs Today Magazine:
“Every February, tens of thousands of dogs are treated as disposable. Our message is simple: these dogs are not ‘tools’, they are living beings who deserve protection under the law.”
Adva Shimshy, a founder of Free Spanish Hounds, told European Interest:
“Now in their third year, our peaceful protests are expanding as we continue raising awareness of the suffering of Spanish hunting dogs which continues in plain sight. We will stand with campaigners in Spain for as long as it takes until Galgos and Podencos are finally given the legal protection they deserve and desperately need.”
How Did Spanish Law Enable This Issue?
In 2023, Spain’s Parliament overhauled its animal welfare legislation but excluded hunting dogs, categorising them as tools without protection, as covered by Perspective Media and European Interest. Campaigners argue this decision sanctions mistreatment despite the law’s progressive elements for other animals.
What Happens Next in the Campaign?
The protests aim to generate diplomatic pressure on Spain and encourage UK politicians to address the issue, with calls for British tourists and expats to support rescues, per Euro Weekly News. Free Spanish Hounds urges ongoing solidarity to close legal loopholes and enforce welfare standards.
These international demonstrations mark the third year of such actions, building momentum to reform Spanish practices and protect Galgos and Podencos as sentient beings rather than disposable tools.
