Adopting our first Galgo
The big things in life aren't meant to be convenient.
Meeting Sierra
About two years after moving to Spain and visiting Galgos del Sol, it finally felt like the right time to adopt. The first time I saw a video of Sierra (then called GDS Swirl), something in me just clicked. I knew she was meant to be with us. We had been thinking about adoption for a while, but when I saw her, it felt like she found us.
I'm not the type to overshare, especially online, so writing this feels vulnerable. But also cathartic. And maybe helpful because I know so many people have walked this path, or might one day.
We knew from the beginning that Sierra wouldn't be an easy case. GDS does a brilliant job trying to match each dog with the right home, and it was clear she would need another dog in the home. We already had our confident five-year-old whippet, Sidney, and lived just a couple of hours from GDS in rural Spain. We thought we could give her the quiet life and the canine companion she needed.
A Difficult Beginning
Sierra had been living on the streets. She was a very worried girl. But we picked her up in June 2024, hopeful, armed with love, patience, and optimism. Unfortunately, reality had other plans.
You often hear about the 3-3-3 rule when adopting: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to adjust, 3 months to settle in. Our journey turned to be very different.…
She came into our home and settled in a hallway corner. She didn't get up. Not for three months.
We tried everything. Vet visits. Nutritionists. All the patience in the world. But she wouldn't eat or drink properly. She was too afraid to pee, which led to infection after infection. Our vet was amazing and did every test under the sun, but she kept getting worse. Eventually, she became so dehydrated she needed IV fluids. We were so worried.
Honestly, these were the hardest months of our lives. We stayed in touch with GDS throughout, and in the end, we made the heartbreaking decision to bring her back. We were devastated. But once she was back at GDS, she improved almost immediately.
Finding Her Place
It was clear she hadn't bonded with Sidney, and staying with us might have been too much for her. Her symptoms were caused entirely by stress. No underlying health issue. Just fear.
She moved into the GDS retirement home, where even among other Galgos and Podencos, it took her another 9 months to find her strength and a sense of calm. Today, she's living a version of the sweet life that actually suits her. I think about her often and still miss her. But I know we made the right decision.
Enter Fénix
After that experience, we weren't sure we'd try again. I spoke to so many people who reassured me we didn't do anything wrong. But I still felt like we failed. Still, I wanted to help. A few months later, I returned to GDS as a volunteer. That's when I met Fénix. An older gentleman with leishmania, and zero interest in pretending to be anything but a chill guy with soft ears. He stole my heart.
We brought him home. We knew we couldn't bring Sierra back. We had to fully shift our focus. And Fénix needed us.
A New Chapter
Fénix has been with us for a little over a year now. And I wish I could say it was all smooth sailing. It wasn't. But it's been full of little victories. His leishmania is under control, and he's embraced the art of deep napping. He's curled up next to me on the couch as I write this.
We already knew we were moving back to the Netherlands soon after adopting him, into a more urban environment, which was rough for him. Understandably. He's a country boy. But we started slow: nature walks, working with an amazing trainer, slowly building trust in this new, noisy world. Turns out, old dogs can learn new tricks.
We worked with a nutritionist to get weight on him. Discovered he likely had an old, untreated hip injury, so we also started physio to help him rebuild muscle. These days, he can even stroll through Amsterdam on a Sunday with Sidney and his best friend Zadie, something I could not have imagined a year ago. He even started playing with toys. On his own. It's the cutest thing in the world.
Fénix is also a surprisingly great travel buddy. He settles quickly and adjusts well to new places. Sidney and Fénix are slowly growing closer. Not besties yet, but they coexist beautifully. Maybe that's enough. Maybe that's all we need.
What I've Learned
Raising a dog is never easy. Sidney came to us as a puppy, and those early years were hard in a very different way. But he's never known trauma. He was born into the sweet life. Back then, we had no idea about Galgos or the pain they endure in Spain.
Adopting a traumatized or otherwise anxious dog is not easy. It is not convenient. It adds stress, worry, guilt. But the big things in life aren't meant to be convenient. I've been very fortunate, and this was our conscious decision: to take a life shaped by fear and give it a shot at peace, safety, and love.
Fénix may never be as confident as Sidney. He doesn't have to be. Being himself is plenty.
There was no master plan. Just a choice to step out of our comfort zone and try something big. Those who know me are aware that I'm pretty risk-averse by nature. But if you really know me, you know I'll do anything for my little family.