Organisers say the demonstrations coincide with the end of the Spanish hunting season, when large numbers of dogs - mainly Galgos (greyhounds) and Podencos - are abandoned or killed each year. The protests follow a decision by the Spanish Parliament in 2023 to exclude hunting dogs from Spain’s new animal welfare law. Carly Nairn, one of the organisers of the Exeter march, said: “All three organisers have Spanish rescue dogs and have seen first-hand the cruelty hunting dogs face when we volunteered at a rescue centre in Spain. "We believe animal cruelty is a global issue, and in Spain, the exclusion of hunting dogs from animal welfare laws has enabled large-scale abuse. “Awareness is growing among Spanish citizens, but many politicians still put tradition and business interests ahead of animal welfare.