Our latest greyhound rescue is quite an amazing success story. These dogs are usually picked up from the track by various organizations and found suitable homes or foster homes.
In this case though, just finding the dogs was a challenge. On the island of Guam racing stopped in December 2008 when a failed racetrack closed.
The kennels turned the 156 dogs loose in the dense forest thinking, if they cared at all, that the dogs could fend for themselves. These dogs had no idea how to hunt, find water or stay safe, but amazingly all but one survived. Their lives had been only running a race, standing in cages with muzzles. No survival skills learned there.
A group called Guam Animals in Need began the search. Networking all over the USA, and some other countries, began in earnest. How the 156 dogs would be found, let alone how it would all be paid for was totally unknown. We just knew it had to be done ? or at least attempted. Each greyhound that was found, nursed back to health, and boarded onto an airplane, represented a huge victory.
Forty-four trips to the airport, on both sides of the ocean, and nine months later, a total of 155 greyhounds had been flown out. Only one had top be euthanized as she was too far gone. The airlines donated all their flight time.
Amazing to me is the fact that with all this mistreatment, illness and injuries the dogs sustained; they still wagged their tails when found, looked up with their big brown eyes, thanking the rescuer for another chance at life.
Many of the dogs have yet to find their permanent homes.
If you are thinking of adopting a quiet, well-behaved, sensitive, intelligent friend, a greyhound should be seriously considered. For more information on this, please call Nora Star at 277-9167.
Nora Star
Kelseyville
