As we remember another Rescue Dog Day on 20 May, I want to highlight some of the people who help to give dogs a second chance. This is a series of stories about Second Chance Givers – to honour and highlight their work. And how to get in touch if you are interested in finding more about them.
Meet Elena of Pawtiqe, fine art black and white photographer of dogs who has recently highlighted the plight of the Galgos through the publication of her book “Greyhounds and Galgos: Echoes of London” in support of the charity Project Galgo.
This is her story:
I started the book project “Greyhounds and Galgos: Echoes of London” because, over time and due to personal experience, I became increasingly aware of the contrast between how Greyhounds and Galgos were once seen, and how they are perceived today.
For thousands of years, these dogs appeared throughout art, literature and history as symbols of elegance, status and nobility. They were painted beside kings, saints, heros and gods. Yet today, most imagery surrounding them is tied either to performance or abuse. We see them racing, hunting, injured or abandoned, but rarely simply existing as themselves.
I first became aware of how strongly these perceptions still exist when I looked into adopting a Greyhound and began talking about them with people who knew very little about the breed. I was surprised by how often they were misunderstood or reduced to assumptions shaped by racing, despite their gentle nature and long cultural history.
When I first learned about Project Galgo, I had never heard of Spanish Galgos before. As I began researching, I was met with deeply distressing images of suffering, abuse and the horrors many of these dogs endure in Spain, and those images stayed with me. I found myself wanting to talk about what I had seen with friends, family and strangers, hoping to make more people aware of their situation. But most people told me they did not want to look because it was too upsetting.
That response made me think differently about awareness and visibility. I began to wonder if there was another way to help people engage with these dogs without immediately turning away. The more I learned about Greyhounds and Galgos, the more I felt the need for a different way of seeing them. Not to replace the work of advocacy or the difficult images that raise awareness, because those are deeply important, but to create space for attention to linger a little longer. I wanted to photograph these dogs beyond abuse and beyond function, and to show them with the dignity, grace and individuality they have always deserved. Through art and imagery that invite the viewer to look closer rather than look away, I hoped to create a different kind of connection.
That is what led to Greyhounds & Galgos: Echoes of London. Through black and white portraiture set within London’s architecture, the book explores visibility, history and the relationship between humans and these dogs across time.
Supporting charities and shelters became a natural extension of that work. Organisations such as Project Galgo are doing vital work for dogs that are too often unseen, overlooked or discarded once they are no longer considered useful. What matters to me is not only helping individual dogs find safety, but also helping challenge the perceptions that shape how these breeds are treated in the first place.
I believe art can play a role in that. Art cannot undo suffering, but it can change how a subject is percevied and how we look at it. And sometimes, learning to look differently is where care and change begin.
What is Project Galgo?
Project Galgo is a small, UK based, volunteer led rescue charity focused primarily on Galgos, Podencos and other sighthounds in need of care, rehabilitation and protection. Their work centres on rescuing dogs from situations of neglect, abandonment and mistreatment, particularly in Spain, before supporting them through foster care, rehabilitation and carefully considered rehoming.
How do people get in touch with you and the charity?
Project Galgo: https://projectgalgo.com/
Elena Marchi (Pawtiqe): https://www.pawtiqe.com
