Why I Foster Greyhounds

Today's post is the first in a random (no-schedule) series "Why I ___." The first-edition feature?

Why I foster greyhounds.

Yep. Usually you hear about foster kids- children without a legal guardian who have to move between families and homes while looking for adoptive parents. It's the same basic concept with the dogs- racing retirees in need of a forever home. My family's job is to help train these racers to be home-friendly pets when they've never even been inside a house before.

So why do I do it? Here are two good reasons:
Meet Boo (left) and Brody (right), my two current retired greyhounds. Brody is about 7 y/o and Boo is about 4 y/o. Both dogs raced, but neither was very good and both retired early without being bred.

"Fly Bye Brody" was my family's second foster dog, arriving while I was in 6th grade. He fit in with the female grey we had at the time and was such a goofball we couldn't bear to let him leave. Boo was one of our first fosters after my 8th grade year- two of our dogs had passed away that spring. "Sweet Crunch" was her racing name (how do you shorten that?) and had the adorable habit of perking up her ears like the little girl in Disney-Pixar's Monsters Inc.

The dogs that come through our home naturally a bit confused- not only are they in an actual house, but they've been transported from the Florida kennels to stay with complete strangers. One foster was terrified of hardwood floors and hopped from the carpeted floors to the rugs. We've had others that were terrified of the cats, the stairs, or both. Each dog is different, but every single one just wants to make people happy.

The dogs on the track are fed the worst sort of meat on an irregular basis. The beef that's deemed unsuitable for humans and that isn't even used in commercial dog food. Most of them have bald spots on the backs of their hips from the kennels and others have scars from scrapes and fights with other dogs.

And yet, the greyhounds still enjoy life and human attention. They still run in circles- often leaving tracks in their owner's backyards. They beg for attention, treats, and a good scratch. These dogs have a resiliency that few humans possess. While the laws in Florida are changing so that the dogs don't have such a long career, they still need people who (with great patience) can teach them how to live off the track. And if I can help place these dogs in a loving, permanent home, then that's something I want to be doing.

I work with the Greyhound Pets of America Charleston chapter. For information on greyhounds and racing stats, go to Greyhound-Data.

Look and see some cool pics/stats/pedigrees of greyhounds I have owned/do own: Faithful Message (Faith), Levi Rider (Levi), Fly Bye Brody (Brody), and Sweet Crunch (Boo) are a few.

Did you know that while they are called greyhounds, breeders and trainers believe grey, or blue, colored greyhounds are unlucky?

Furry Friday

Prepare to meet Matt's scaly friend: Smaug!

A real bearded dragon!

(Photos from Scott Kinmartin's flickr site)

Age: 2.5 years

Gender: Male

Length: 22 inches (most of it tail)

Weight: ? Smaug hates the bathroom scale- he hisses uncontrollably whenever it's in sight.

Origins: Smaug is the result of much begging and pleading on Matt's part. Just after his 14th birthday, Matt began his campaign for a pet of his own- one that could be kept in a controlled environment. And voila! A few months later, Matt successfully converted his mother to buying Smaug!

Favorite Game(s): Smaug and Matt are often found on the floor with Matt pretending to be another lizard. This allows Smaug to "fight" Matt as he would another member of his species- no one harmed, its the same in the wild. Smaug also enjoys riding on Tolkien's back whenever the german shepherd comes to visit.

More info: You may have noticed that Smaug is the name of the dragon in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Sam's dog is also named Tolkien. Coincidience? Sort of, but not really. First of all, Tolkien's works are favorites of Sam and Matt. In eighth grade, they both re-read his books as part of a school project. They got pets within a few months- and the names just kinda happened.

Come next week to meet Alex's furry friend!

Furry Friday

Thanks for visiting this most recent Furry Friday! This week features Alan's Maine coon cat, Artemis!

Age: 14 weeks

Gender: Female

Length: 8 inches, not including the tail- Artemis will keep growing until she is close to 5 years old!

Height: 6 inches at the shoulder

Weight: 2 lbs.

Origins: For Christmas, Alan was told that he could choose a kitten from one of the litters at the local animal shelter. As he walked by Artemis's enclosure, she reached out, snagged his jeans, and refused to let go. He has been hers ever since. Her name is a by-product of Alan being required to read Edith Hamilton's Mythology for his English class. Her coloring and attitude put him in mind of the Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt.

Favorite Game(s): Artemis loves to wrestle and teeth on Alan. She is also fond of chasing the fish-shaped laser pointer he bought for her. Recently, Artemis has discovered her power of intimidation- and enjoys employing it against Tolkien whenever he comes for a visit. She is very proud of her canine mind-control powers.

More info: Artemis is an indoor-only cat, but whenever Alan is home they are attached at the hip. It often seems that Artemis is just a very small puppy the way she trails after her person. While she is suspicious of strangers, she will warm to them if they are patient and friendly to Alan.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Alan's fluffy companion. Next week, prepare to meet Matt's animal counter-part!

Furry Friday!

Welcome back to Furry Friday. Today we will travel to Colby Ryan's bedroom to meet his not-so-furry companion Firecracker

Age: 1 year

Gender: Male

Length: 2 1/2 inches

Weight: ??? how do you weigh a fish?

Origins: Firecracker the fish is of humble origins... Colby picked him out at the local pet store after heavy negotiations with his mother. (Seems Mrs. Ryans isn't too fond of pet mess.) Luckily, Colby convinced his mother that fish just don't make a mess.

Favorite Game(s): None. He's a fish.

Habits: Firecracker has a habit of flaring out his tail in warning whenever Colby's door opens, someone taps the glass, or Tolkien gets too nosy. As Colby is fond of saying, he makes an excellent silent alarm system.

Thank you for tuning in to our second Furry Friday. Next week, meet Alan's beastly buddy. And don't forget the next Who's Who Wednesday, featuring Alan himself!

Furry Friday!

It's time to introduce another weekly feature: Furry Friday! Once a week you will have the chance to meet the pets owned by the characters from Just One of the Guys. Today's feature: Tolkien, Sam's German Shepherd.

Age: 2 years old

Gender: Male

Height: 25 in. at the shoulders

Weight: 85 lbs

Origins: Sam received Tolkien as a puppy from her father on her 13th birthday. Tolkien came from Germany with nineteen other dogs to be trained as a police canine unit. However, when it became apparent early on that Tolkien suffered from mild asthma, he was retired from the program. Mr. Lansey was given Tolkien by a friend on the local police force.

Favorite Game(s): Tolkien never grows tired of tug-of-war with a rope, stick, rawhide, shirt, etc. He also enjoys playing fetch with his vast collection of tennis balls in various states of destruction. Tolkien has been known to compose entire symphonies by attacking his assortment of squeaky toys.

Habits: Tolkien and Sam have been inseparable since they were "introduced" two years ago. Tolkien goes everywhere with Sam-aside from school, shopping centers, and band functions- an invitation to Sam is an invitation to Tolkien as well. He has a particular fondness for finding the largest stick in the vicinity and dragging it with him to Sam's destination.

Next week we'll visit the creature Colby keeps stashed in his room!