Wednesday, May 30, 2012

For the love of a greyhound

Growing up it seemed like my family always had pets of some sort. There were cats, lots of dogs, several birds, some rabbits and even an ill-fated rat.  The one consistent pet was most definitely dogs, although the type of dog varied wildly. Most of our family dogs were probably mutts, but it was not too long before I left for college that my family was introduced to greyhounds. Greyhounds are bred for racing, but once they stop winning, they need a new home, which is thankfully provided to them through rescue greyhound adoption agencies. Kimba was our family's first greyhound and she lived with us for nearly ten years before she died. We loved her so much (my mom especially) that they have adopted several more since. 
This is Rainy, my family's youngest greyhound. She was pretty young when they adopted her, probably only 3, which means she probably didn't win too many races! She's sweet, friendly and super affectionate. We joke that greyhounds can go from 0 to couch potato in 40 seconds. 

Greyhounds make great pets because they are intelligent, very sociable and love people. To let them off leash (only in a fenced area because they are sight dogs and will give chase a squirrel or other rodent if the opportunity arises) and watch them run is really quite amazing. They are really loving dogs. We sometimes call them my "sisters" because they are truly part of the family.


This is Gidget (the brindle) and Rainy again. We adopted Gidget when she was older, she won like 99% of her races but now that she's older she isn't very quick. Her hips bother her and stairs are a real hardship. I'm afraid she'll probably leave us fairly soon. :( 

I would love a greyhound of my own, but we can't because of Erik's allergies and he's not too big on inside animals. (Greyhounds pretty much live inside all the time, they have almost no body fat to keep them warm in a Montana winter!) So, I am content to go over to my folks' house once in a while and love up on their greyhounds.

3 comments:

  1. Its wonderful that these beautiful dogs have been adopted.

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  2. Kendra, Thank you for this beautiful article, and for letting people know what wonderful pets Greyhounds make. It is heartwarming to know that your family cherishes their greyhounds so very much. I wish that all greyhounds were so lucky.

    Greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane. Greyhounds endure lives of nearly constant confinement, kept in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around. While racing, many dogs suffer and die from injuries including broken legs, paralysis, and cardiac arrest. And many greyhounds are euthanized every year, as the number retired from racing exceeds the number of adoptive homes.

    At racetracks across the country, greyhounds endure lives of confinement. According to industry statements, greyhounds are generally confined in their cages for approximately 20 hours per day. They live inside warehouse-style kennels in stacked cages that are barely large enough to stand up or turn around. Generally, shredded paper or carpet remnants are used as bedding.

    An undercover video recently released by GREY2K USA shows the conditions in which these gentle dogs are forced to live: http://www.grey2kusa.org/azVideo.html

    For more information on injuries these dogs suffer, please view:


    http://www.grey2kusa.org/azInjuries.html

    http://www.grey2kusa.org/eNEWS/G2K-022811Email.html

    Dogs play an important role in our lives and deserve to be protected from industries and individuals that do them harm.

    VWolf Board Member, GREY2K USA

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  3. I to share a love for rescue Greyhounds, adopted 2 in the last 4 yrs. & currently fostering a third. Sadly, I think I am going to fail @ fostering, lol! Anyway, thank you for sharing your story, always love to hear about other people's experiences with these beautiful, special creatures. As for allergies...I have yet to have any problems with our Greyts. Even friends who are allergic to dogs have no complaints when visiting our home. Guess you just never know. :)
    In any case, glad you are able to get to your GH fix @ your parents!

    Best,
    Maria (w/ Greyts Neo, Helen & Major)
    Oneida, NY

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