By Natalie Knox
“I’m trim, I’m slim,
I’m built for speed.
I’ll dash and flash,
when off the lead.”
On Fireworks night all the neighbourhood dogs are terrified. Bonito, the Spanish greyhound, doesn’t mind the loud bangs. They remind him of his old life with the hunters. When a puppy bolts in fright, Bonito springs to the rescue.
Can his speed and bravery save the day?
ISBN: 978-1-9993499-6-7
“Puedo ser muy veloz, con mi figura esbelta. Y saldré volando si Pedro me suelta.”
Spanish
edition
Spanish edition
Our story
Bonito the Hero is really a story based on Benji, our handsome Spanish greyhound (Galgo). He was a hunting dog but somehow ended up wandering around the streets all on his own. He was young, healthy and strong with a shiny black coat, and a long whippy tail. A wonderful charity, SOSGalgos, took care of him until his forever family could give him a safe and loving home. That family ended up being us, and he’s been part of our clan for over a decade. He’s rather old now but he still loves his walks and is quite fearless of loud bangs, even on fireworks night.
Bringing change for the galgo
“Every year in Spain, tens of thousands of galgos are used, abused and discarded as hunting waste. At SOS Galgos, through our rescue, recovery and adoption efforts, we have given a new life to over 3 000 galgos in over two decades since the charity was founded, rehoming an average of a hundred galgos a year.
We know that whilst it is really important to help individual galgos find loving families, it is also essential to change societal attitudes towards animals welfare and, specifically, hunting and hare coursing. With this in mind, we use our new Rescue and Education centre in Barcelona as a school for schools, where children can learn about caring for dogs. We believe that the only way to stop cruelty to galgos is to educate the next generation.”
Author and illustrator
Natalie Knox is an award winning children’s author who loves living in Spain. If she’s not at her desk, she’s probably with her rather handsome Spanish greyhound pottering in their garden or exploring the countryside. Natalie wishes greyhounds had a safer life in Spain and joins the many voices calling for change in Spanish legislation.
