Happy Endings - "On the Right Track"
“Sammie's my heart dog,” says Joan James, of her seven-and-a-half year old Brindle and white Greyhound. It was love at first sight at a Meet and Greet hosted by Greyhound Rescue and Rehab at James' local PetSmart in New York State.
“I had never seen a Greyhound up close before,” says James, who had previously owned a Whippet.
Like many Greyhounds up for adoption, Sammie was a racing dog. Trained from an early age to chase an artificial lure, she began racing at eighteen months, and earned the racing name “Live Recital.” Sammie raced in Connecticut and Florida, competing every third day in a race that lasted between thirty-one and thirty-four seconds. She ran in approximately ninety races and raced until she was three years old. After retirement Sammie needed, and found, a new home.
“So few people realize that these dogs make such great pets,” says Christine Johnson of Greyhound Rescue and Rehab. “There is a misconception that you need a big house and a big yard.” Greyhounds are just as happy to get their exercise at the end of a leash.
Today, Sammie still races around, but it's with Shotzie and Scrappie, two other Greyhounds, an Italian Greyhound, named Spike, and a Labrador Retreiver named Kodi. “She likes to hang out and relax in the yard,” says James. She's gone for the occasional rabbit, but has she ever caught one? “She hasn't caught a rabbit,” says James. “But she's caught three skunks!”
Aside from the occasional skunk smell, Sammie's a great pet. “She's sweet, sensitive and playful, and she loves to play with her toys,” says James.
First published in Dog Fancy, September 2005
For more information on rescued greyhounds, please visit www.greyhoundrescuerehab.com
A version of this piece originally published in Dog Fancy, September 2005
• AVAILABLE FOR REPRINT •