This is the heartbreaking moment multiple hunting dogs were discovered drowned in a river in Spain.

The disturbing footage shows how at least three ‘galgos’ were stuffed inside old sacks of dog food before being dumped in a stream.

The video was shared by animal rights political party PACMA, who has called for nationwide protests on Sunday, October 18.

Campaigners will take to the streets to demand that hunting dogs receive the same legal protections as other pets.

PACMA has called demonstrations in 12 cities, after accusing the Government of creating a two-tier system that leaves some dogs with fewer protections than others.

The protests will begin at 12pm in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, Malaga, Valladolid, Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Zaragoza, Leon, San Sebastian and A Coruña.

Exact meeting points will be announced closer to the date.

In an exclusive interview with the Spanish Eye in June this year, PACMA warned that despite growing awareness of animal welfare issues, a ‘culture of impunity’ continues to surround the abuse of hunting dogs such as galgos and podencos.

The party’s comments came after two hunters in Malaga province were recently convicted over the death of a podenco known as ‘Acollarado’, which was hanged and thrown down a ravine.

While PACMA says hangings appear less common than in previous decades, the group believes many cases continue to go undetected.

‘When these dogs are found dead, it is often very difficult to determine whether they were deliberately killed or died in an accident during a hunt,’ a PACMA spokesperson told the Spanish Eye.

‘For a hunter, it can be relatively easy to get rid of an animal they no longer want without attracting attention.

‘They can abandon it in an inaccessible area, throw it from a cliff, or dump it in a reservoir, river or pond.

‘If they are caught, they can simply claim it was an accident.’

In its latest announcement, PACMA said that ‘a law that only protects a few is trash.’

It added: ‘Dogs used for hunting remain excluded from the Animal Welfare Law.

‘We are returning to the streets to demand their inclusion and an end to the exceptions that leave some dogs with less protection than others.’

Why are hunting dogs excluded?

Spain’s national Animal Welfare Law came into force in September 2023 and introduced new obligations for pet owners alongside stronger penalties for mistreatment and abandonment.

However, hunting dogs, packs known as rehalas and other animals used in hunting activities were expressly excluded from its scope.

The legislation states that they are instead covered by the existing European, national and regional rules applying to hunting and working animals.

The exception was introduced following pressure from hunting organisations and generated significant controversy during the law’s passage through Congress.

Animal rights groups argue that the activity for which a dog is used should not determine the level of protection it receives.

Hunting groups maintain that their animals are already governed by separate legislation and that applying rules designed for domestic pets could interfere with legitimate working and sporting activities.

Demands for equal protection

PACMA wants the law amended to include hunting dogs and remove what it describes as unjustified exceptions.

The party has repeatedly highlighted cases involving abandoned or mistreated greyhounds and other hunting breeds, particularly at the end of hunting seasons.