Buen Camino, Rio! The True Adventures of Rio the Podenco
From abandonment to the Camino
Rio was thrown away. The words are blunt, and they should be. A Podenco had been discarded; the story could easily have ended there.
Instead, Rio was found. Then, in the company of Jennifer Vandersmissen and fellow travellers, he began a 33-day journey from the Pyrenees towards the sea on the Camino de Santiago.
That unlikely passage is the heart of Buen Camino, Rio! The True Adventures of Rio the Podenco. It is not simply a tale about a dog on a long route. It is about the life that becomes possible after abandonment is no longer the final chapter.
The distance matters, but so does the pace. Thirty-three days gives a dog and the people around him time to find a rhythm: the next stretch of road, the next rest, the next morning. For a dog whose beginning was defined by being left behind, that steady movement has real force.
A journey that asks a larger question
Rio is a Podenco. For people involved in rescue, that word carries a wider story: dogs with extraordinary sensitivity and energy, yet too often treated as expendable once they are no longer wanted.
Rescue work is often described through its most visible moment — the dog being brought to safety. The harder work begins afterwards. It means veterinary care, food, a calm space, patient handling and, eventually, the right home. It also means refusing to look away when the next dog arrives.
Rio cannot stand in for every Podenco. No dog can. But his story gives a face to the issue and a reason to stay with it. That is what makes it worth sharing.
At 112 Carlota Galgos, we see the same truth in a different setting. A safe place does not erase a dog’s past, but it creates the conditions for trust to return. The smallest changes can matter: a dog choosing to rest, seeking contact, or beginning to understand that it will not be left again.
If Rio’s journey has made you think about offering that chance to a rescue dog, please read about adopting a galgo.
The book, and the work behind it
Buen Camino, Rio! is available as a digital book in English, Spanish and French through Rio the Podenco. The book gives readers a way into Rio’s story; Jennifer’s website places it within her wider work for Podencos and other Spanish hunting dogs.
Her mission page also explains how voluntary contributions may support that work, including food for street dogs, book expenses and medical bills. We are sharing the information for readers who want to know more, rather than making a fundraising appeal. The current terms are set out on Jennifer’s mission page.
Buen Camino is the greeting exchanged by people travelling the route: a simple wish for a good journey. In Rio’s case, it lands with particular weight. It is a wish for the road ahead, but also a reminder that every dog deserves someone willing to walk beside them.
Help 112 Carlota Galgos
Rio’s story is a reminder that rescue only works when people choose to get involved. If you are considering adoption, would like to make a donation, or want to sponsor a dog at the sanctuary, 112 Carlota Galgos would be glad to hear from you.
For adoption enquiries or to contact the sanctuary directly, visit Contact us.
To give a dog ongoing support, find out how to become a Life Line Parent.
For donations and other ways to support the work, visit How to help.
Editorial note: This post was prepared with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a person.
