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Podenco rescue is an activity devoted to saving the Podenco breed from extinction and saving unwanted Podenco dogs.
What is a Podenco Dog?
The Podenco breed is a native of the Iberian Peninsula. The breed was once common in Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar. It has now become rare as only a few hundred dogs remain. Podencos are very similar to Spanish Pointers and Mountain Dogs but are only about a foot shorter when fully grown than these large breeds. Podencos have short hair which allows them to live in hot weather. They are very friendly dogs and make good pets as long as they are given enough exercise.
The Podenco Breed is disappearing
The Podenco breed is at high risk of disappearing because of breeders who do not care about bloodline. Breeders who want to produce puppies often mate a Podenco mom with a Pointer dad, and a Mountain Dog dad, and maybe even a few other breeds. The puppies that come from these matings have 3 different fathers.
Podenco dog Health
This is why there is a high rate of inherited diseases, such as Legg-Calve-Perthes syndrome. This syndrome causes the hip joints to die and makes it painful for the dog to walk. There is also Hip Dysplasia which could cause dogs to be paralyzed for life. With so much inbreeding in the Podenco breed, it’s inevitable that these two diseases will soon dominate the entire breed.
Podenco Breeders
There are Podenco breeders who breed purebred dogs but because of the high rate of genetic diseases in the Podenco breed, these dogs do not live long. There are only two genetic purity rescue centers in Europe for Podenco dogs. Both located in Spain, one in Alicante and another is Andorra la Vella.
The sad thing is that there are no laws about dog ownership in Spain as long as the dogs are registered with an association. There is no DNA test run to prove that these breeds are purebred. The association does this on their own, without any help from dogs or government authorities.
Where to get a Podenco Rescue Dog
If you want a healthy Podenco dog, you should adopt one from the few rescues who want to save the breed from extinction. If you want to be the person who makes a difference by helping preserve these magnificent dogs, here are two reputable breeders that will help Podencos on their way to survival.
Igualada Animal Shelter http://www.asilpodencoigualada.com/index_ingl.html Casa De Los Perros http://www.casadelospadres.
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