Wendy Galietta

Assistant Systems Editor, Photography
The Washington Post
   
Biography: Health and Science photo editor for The Washington Post.
News
Thousands of Spanish hunting dogs are put down each winter. A new book looks at the ones who were spared.
wendy galietta
Jun 12, 2015

Elegant, regal, and admired for their intense speeds, dogs in the 18th century " primarily greyhounds " were often used as hunting dogs in rural Spain during the winter. But over the centuries and in recent years it has been estimated that over 50,000 dogs have been put down or abandoned in open fields left to die at the end of the hunting season because they are considered too old or slow to hunt again, or too expensive to care for.

Photographer and longtime animal activist Martin Usborne reached his Kickstarter goal toward publishing the forthcoming book "Where Hunting Dogs Rest" (U.S release scheduled for September) on June 4.  In the book, Uborne captures achingly beautiful portraits of hunting dogs rescued from an unfortunate end. He documents their lives in light inspired by the Spanish painter Diego Velasquez, who painted at a time when these hunting dogs were revered and ubiquitous. Many of the dogs appear now with thinner frames, seeming almost fearful and timid. In his landscape photographs, Usborne also documents the resting places of dogs whose lives were not saved over the years.

For more, visit https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2015/06/09/thousands-of-spanish-hunting-dogs-are-put-down-each-winter-a-new-book-looks-at-the-ones-who-were-spared/

 

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