Dusty and me

Charlie and Shawn give a talk about his role in the department. ---------- Charlie knocked it out of the park in his first official task with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Shawn dropped an email and a few photos to tell us that Charlie was a big hit in a presentation to the department's Critical Incident Stress Management team. Team leader Mario designated Charlie as the group's official therapy dog and told Shawn that he will be featured on the cover of its new brochure. Charlie is kicking off a department pilot program for therapy dogs. Shawn promised to keep the updates coming. The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue CISM team

Shawn and Charlie show off his new service vest. Shawn said people generally ignore the "Do Not Pet" warning. Charlie, as a matter of fact, apparently thinks it says, "Please pet me." ---------- Friends of Greyhounds alum Charlie has earned his vest as a service dog. The 5-year-old, who lives in Davie with mom Shawn and older sister Dee Dee, recently graduated from a six-month course in PTSD and mobility service. One handsome devil ... ---------- Shawn, a captain in the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, said Charlie is the first service dog in a department pilot program. "Many departments are using therapy dogs to manage PTSD and other issues," Shawn explained in an email. "Charlie is being used on debriefings and more. He's touched many of my co-workers in touching ways, and more are now interested in the program." Shawn said the department is employing Charlie "on critical stress-team callouts and for firefighters in cri...

Luna with Dawn and Rosie at Ruby Falls in Tennessee ---------- Luna just got home from a winter vacation to points north. Mom Dawn sent along some photos to share with everyone. It's never too cold to have fun with sisters Rosie and Lily. ---------- Dawn, Lily and Rosie took their hound on a four-state expedition over the holidays. Dawn said Luna (known as Lulu when she was in the Friends of Greyhounds kennels) was a great travel companion. Luna got to visit dog parks in four different states -- Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky -- and went everywhere with Dawn and the girls. She had no problem with the frigid weather, Dawn said. Luna's faux sheepskin coat and hound tee helped her cope with temperatures in the single digits. Dawn said Luna got a bit spoiled on the trip. "Re-entry has been a little tough for her," Dawn wrote. "Each time I reach for the car keys, she is halfway in the car -- and I have to break it to her gently that she can...

Logan and Darrell just after adoption papers were signed in Cracker Barrel parking lot ---------- Logan has found his way home. Friends of Greyhounds VP Michelle and I drove with him Saturday afternoon to Fort Myers, where we hooked up with Darrell, handed off the big boy and sent the two new best buds on their way north to New Port Richey. The 6-year-old Logan met his three greyhound sisters later in the afternoon, and Darrell reported that everyone got along just fine. Sisters Briggs and Allie watch Logan enjoy a celebratory rawhide shortly after arriving at his new home. ---------- It was a long time coming for Logan. He landed at the FoG kennels for the second time nearly 6 months ago after spending more than three years in a home that became a stressful situation for him. Darrell came along, found Logan through some Internet research, read about his plight and decided to adopt him sight-unseen. It took some fortuitous timing and a couple of humans to go an extr...

Waiting for Logan: From left are Betty, 2 years old; Briggs, 6; and Allie, 3. ---------- Congratulations to our old friend Logan. The 6-year-old fawn fella has found a new home in New Port Richey, over on the other coast north of Tampa Bay. Logan will celebrate the new year with his new daddy, Darrell, and three greyhound sisters in a nice big house with two adjacent fenced yards. Logan ---------- I will ride with Michelle on Saturday afternoon to Fort Myers, where Darrell will meet us to say hello to Logan for the first time and welcome him into his family. Darrell, who works full-time at home, found Logan online a few days ago while searching for a male hound to fit into his family. In particular, Darrell was looking to welcome a grey who was having a tough time finding a home. He found the Friends of Greyhounds website  and eventually this blog and read all about Logan, who has been in the Sunrise kennels for nearly six months. Darrell also became inter...

Dusty and I have heard from a couple friends in the past few days, and we want to share their greetings. Kango is enjoying a game of tug of war. That's Officer Rick of Cutler Bay on the other end. ---------- Doc appears ready for the holidays. John dropped this photo from Wilton Manors. ---------- Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. Dusty and I as well as our faithful readers love hearing from old friends. Drop us an email at houndblog@dustyandme.com .

"What kind of a rabbit is that?" ---------- It was a wondrously beautiful South Florida November day, the kind of day that puts Dusty in a mood to frolic. So frolic she did. We started the day with a mid-morning walk along the Cypress Park Greenway at Tamarac Veterans Park. We didn't stay too long, as the bright sun in the cloudless sky got a little intense. But we were there long enough for a barking, jumping Dusty to chase off a couple of iguanas sunning on a rock bed alongside Stranahan River. She loves doing that. Later in the day, Dusty and I drove to Sunrise to help Michelle with her 5 p.m turnouts and feeding. Having had a few hours to rest up from her morning adventure, Dusty was primed for some hound play with Mitzi, Yahtzee, Chumlee and Joy in the Friends of Greyhounds yard, where they sometimes encounter a couple of playmates on the other side of the fence. Watch : We left FoG to drive over to Plantation for another visit with Joy's ho...

Approaching the western edge of Cypress Creek Greenway at Tephford Park on Saturday. ---------- Dusty and I are enjoying a relaxing day at home today, taking the occasional long walk around the neighborhood between her greyhound naps and my Abbott and Costello movies on the Roku. We had a fairly busy week. We spent several hours in Sunrise helping with Friends of Greyhounds business and were able to get to the two Tamarac parks a couple or three times. Dusty also got over to Joy's new house in western Broward a few times to run with David, Honey and Turtle while their mom was away with long shifts at the hospital. I got this short video of the four of them: There's another video of those guys along with all of Dusty's videos at my YouTube page . LET'S HAVE SOME BBQ: Michelle at Friends of Greyhounds has organized another outing for us hound lovers at One Last Cast BBQ. We're set for this Saturday, Nov. 11, on the grounds of Flamingo Road Nursery ...

Andy at a meet-and-greet earlier this year ---------- Prayers, please, for Andy, the 6-year-old boy who went home to Margate with old friend Mike on Thanksgiving Day last year. Andy, whose racing name was Just Fast, is recovering at Coral Springs Animal Hospital after suffering a heat stroke Saturday morning. He was in bad shape for most of the day and into the evening Saturday. Mike reported on Facebook Saturday afternoon that Andy only had about a 50 percent chance. But Sunday morning, Mike posted that Andy is heading in the right direction. Mike took the boy out for some lure coursing Saturday morning -- an organized run with other dogs involving a mechanical lure like is used at the dog tracks. Andy completed one run, and Mike let him rest for about an hour. But Andy went down shortly into his second run, and Mike rushed him to Dr. Willie at VCA Animal Hospital in Lauderhill. Dr. Willie sent Andy to Coral Springs a short time later. Andy probably will be in the hospital ...

Casey has perked up a bit since we last saw him, but it continues to be a slow process. ---------- Casey's back. The shy young boy spent about four months in his Coconut Creek townhouse with his greyhound-experienced adoptive mom and his feline sibling. But he wasn't happy, and he's back at Friends of Greyhounds looking for a more suitable home. Casey, whose registered name is Killer KC, was afraid of everything when he came to the FoG kennels in April for the first time. He would cower at the back of his kennel if anyone so much as looked at him. He slowly began peeking out of his shell fairly quickly. He would come up to the front of his kennel for a hand nuzzle through the closed gate, and I eventually got him to venture out of his kennel a few steps to take a cookie out of my hand. Within a couple of months, I got to a point where Casey would venture out into the backyard with me as long as one or two other dogs were with us. But he wouldn't want to stay...

Bullet (left) and Kango seem to be getting along quite nicely. ---------- Dusty and I heard from Kango and Hawk yesterday. They didn't have much to say but sent us a couple of photos. Mom Amy said it took a day for the girl to overcome her fear of Hawk.

Dusty and I heard from a couple of friends today. Both Kango and Lia (formerly Fufu) touched base to let us know they're doing great. Tia dropped us a photo to show us that Lia is feeling at home already in her new apartment. She's got no worries. Tia said she's Lia is struggling with the external stairway that leads to the second-floor apartment. But we all know she'll figure that out pretty soon. Lia feeling very much at home on her first full day in her new apartment ---------- Kango, meanwhile, is doing great as he enters his second month with his new family. Rick sent this video of the boy blowing off some steam in his wonderful new backyard:

Lia (formerly Fufu) poses in the summer sun with Leon and Tia ---------- It was a day of new beginnings for Fufu, the cute little black female grey who had been in the Friends of Greyhounds kennels for several weeks. I left Dusty at her second home with Uncle Jerry and her Sunrise buddies for a couple hours Saturday afternoon to ride along with Michelle and deliver Fufu to her new family. Leon and Tia live on the second floor in a Coconut Creek apartment complex. They greeted Fufu, Michelle and I in the parking lot outside their building and led us to a long, steep concrete stairway that would take us to their front door. Lia with her new toy ---------- Fufu, of course, was confused as Michelle guided humans into position to coax the girl up the steps. But she took to the stairway surprisingly well. Michelle pushed her from behind and I guided Fufu's leash to get her up the first few steps. But Fufu caught on and essentially climbed the last half of the steps on he...

Bullet (left) and Kango back home after their active beach vacation.

Kango and Rick having a moment during their vacation ---------- Sorry you haven't heard from Dusty and I in a few days. It's been more than a week, the longest dry spell we've had since we started this blog. Part of it are the dog days of summer. We're not getting out into the world much these days -- four or five quick walks to take care of business is our speed on this run of sun-drenched, humidity-soaked, 100-degree-real-feel days. Dusty and I did have a couple of house guests of the grandparents variety -- Ma and Pa Sharp stopped in to visit the grand-hound and break a lot of bread with the son for a few days last week. I spent this weekend with my new next-door neighbor washing and painting some concrete. Early-morning beach walk ---------- I'm filling in the rest of the time tinkering with my new obsession to make this townhouse and the entertainment electronics smarter. But I do long for the days coming soon when Dusty and I can get back...

Maggie, left, and Zoe enjoying some midday downtime ---------- Maggie, the senior greyhound who lost her home several weeks ago after her caretaker passed away, hasn't been shy about taking charge in her new home. Cassie serves as Maggie's personal footrest. ---------- Joan, the Delray Beach resident who adopted the 7-year-old last month, dropped us an email to tell us that Maggie has become quite the matriarch, especially at mealtime. "Maggie is really channeling her inner self," Joan wrote. "She keeps everyone in line at food time -- no barking allowed from anyone. Of course, to achieve this, she has to growl and bark at the rest of the gang." Four-year-old greyhound Zoe and chihuahuas Cassie and Smidgen "are not allowed to follow me into the room where the food bin is kept," Joan said. "She stands guard. I guess she is the self-appointed matriarch. "Zoe allows her antics until Maggie decides she wants to share...

Pharoah taking in the sunset ---------- Pharoah, the young white greyhound formerly known as Taylor, hasn't allowed his gimpy leg to slow him down. The boy has mastered the long, steep stairwell in his new Coconut Creek townhouse and is settling in perfectly, Crystal told me in an email. To review, Pharoah landed in the Friends of Greyhounds kennels in the spring with a badly injured right hind that wasn't treated properly. The injury healed, but because it wasn't properly set, the ankle/foot area became malformed to the point where it can't bear weight. Pharoah can use the leg for balance, but he essentially walks and does most things with only three legs. Michelle's orthopedic vet examined the leg -- she said Pharoah feels no pain from the injury and has adjusted perfectly. The vet said he will have no short- or long-term problems with the leg and that expensive surgery would only fix the appearance of the leg. That said, when Michelle and I delivered P...

Dee Dee feeling at home ---------- Shawn sent along a couple more photos of Dee Dee in her new home. Shawn said in an email that she's not the only one in the household thrilled to have Dee Dee. Since Shawn's hound Zen passed a couple of weeks ago, Charlie had been suffering some separation anxiety when Shawn would leave the house, she said. But Dee Dee's presence already has gone a long way to ease Charlie's pain, she said. "She's the sweetest, easiest thing to care for," Shawn wrote about Dee Dee. "She does everything you tell her, literally. She is so affectionate but sometimes looks sad. I'm sure she misses her other family, but I just cuddle her hoping it comforts her. "She moves slowly and has the signs of an elderly dog. And she deserves much better than that in her final years. Charlie loves her, and his anxiety is much better, especially when I leave the house. I can't help but stop and pet her instead of just walk b...

Dee Dee relaxing in one of her new beds ---------- Dee Dee relaxing in another one of her new beds ---------- Shawn dropped an email this morning with a couple of photos to let us know that Dee Dee seems to be settling into her new home. Shawn said Dee Dee's new brother, Charlie, seems happy to have another greyhound in the house once again. "Charlie didn't cry when I left the house," Shawn wrote. "I got back, and both were laying down and got up with smiles, walked a nice walk together. And it seems Charlie is OK now, not as anxious. Still early, but looking good! "Small issue with the cat," Shawn said. "But I think we'll work through it." Thanks for the update, Shawn. Keep us posted. Dee Dee and Charlie chilling out together

Dee Dee, the 11-year-old brindle who landed in the Friends of Greyhounds kennels for the third time, didn't have to wait long for a new home. Shawn with Charlie (left) and new family member Dee Dee ---------- She was at FoG for only about 10 days before she found herself a new home. Michelle and I delivered her today to Shawn, a Miami-Dade County firefighter who lives in Davie. Dee Dee is at least the third greyhound Shawn has adopted from FoG. Shawn lost her older hound a couple weeks ago and had decided she needed to fill the empty space in her home with another. She called Michelle on Sunday, and they quickly agreed that Dee Dee would be a good fit in Shawn's home. Dee Dee had been spending her days in the FoG permanent residence with Michelle and Jerry D.'s house dogs, sleeping overnights in the guest kennels. Michelle had planned to get Dee Dee's vet work done this week but decided to get her Shawn immediately. Dee Dee will get a few days to get accus...