The present invention provides isolated mammalian GalR3 receptors, isolated or recombinant nucleic acids and recombinant vectors encoding the same, host cells comprising the nucleic acids and vectors, and methods for making the receptors using the host cells. This invention further provides antibodies and antigen binding fragments thereof which specifically bind to the receptors and are useful for treating medical conditions caused or mediated by galanin. Also provided are screening methods for identifying specific agonists and antagonists of the mammalian GalR3 receptors.