A recent video on TikTok of a rescue dog named Steven overcome with fear huddled in the corner of a kennel brought viewers to tears.
Steven, a 6-year-old Galgo Español, was rescued from a dog pound about two weeks ago and was brought to the Galgos del Sol rescue organization in Spain. Founded in 2007 by Tina Solera, Galgos del Sol works on rescuing and rehabilitating dogs, specifically the Galgo, or Spanish Greyhound, breed.
Newsweek previously reported that this breed has historically been used for hunting hares in the Spanish countryside. However, when the hunting season ends, many Galgos are abandoned or disposed of. They are also subjected to inhumane treatment, which can include living in poor conditions or being fed inadequately. They are the most abused dog breed in Spain with estimates of 45,000 to 100,000 Galgos killed or abandoned each year.
In the October 27 TikTok clip by user @galgosdelsol, Steven huddled in the corner of his kennel. Leaning against the wall, he kept his stuffed animal toy next to him as comfort. But even with Galgos del Sol workers trying to show him love and attention, he shook uncontrollably because he was “so scared” of people. He hesitantly looked at the person filming, but that’s as far as the interaction would go.
The video’s caption reads: “Shakin Stevens is safe now.”
Solera told Newsweek that Steven’s leg is injured, but she is unsure how it happened. He will be going to the vet on Wednesday to get examined.
“Galgos are abandoned in the tens of thousands every year by hunters so many get run over and are rescued with bad injuries,” she said.
Screenshots from an October 27 TikTok video of a rescue dog huddled in the corner of his kennel snuggling a toy. He is “so scared” of people that he shakes with fear.
@galgosdelsol/TikTok
With over 747,100 views and 38,200 likes, TikTok users were brought to tears, saying the clip was “painful to watch.” But, looking for the positive, many shared their hopes that Steven’s future would be bright soon enough.
“This is awful hope you get all the love you deserve little sweetheart,” one user wrote.
A second added: “Hoping You will be Loved SOON.”
Another commented: “Looking forward to see him grow in confidence.”
The good news is the rescue group is already seeing a night-and-day difference in Steven’s confidence.
“He’s been doing better with a friend and likes to cuddle his teddy,” Solera told Newsweek. “Now he’s started walking on a lead outside and he definitely has stopped shaking so much. In fact, sometimes he approaches for contact which is great.”
Steven is still available for adoption through Galgos del Sol. According to the rescue organization’s website, they only rescue out to certain countries where they have an established supervision, transport and backup system in place. These countries include Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Southern Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, certain states in the United States and in Quebec, Canada.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
