Dusty and me

Lily with Dusty and Luna as the hounds cool down from a couple of open runs ---------- We enjoyed our first taste of gorgeous Florida non-summer today, and Dusty took advantage. She and I drove to Coral Gables this morning to hook up with Dawn and her girls for a romp at Chapman Field Park. Dusty had a blast. Dawn, Lily and Rosie led Dusty, Luna and I to the off-leash dog park, and found one of the two enclosures unused. The two hounds took advantage of the open space and took off for three or four runs together. It was a beautiful sight watching those two running free. But that wasn't the highlight for Dusty. On the walk back to the cars, Lily grabbed Luna and Dusty and took them for a wade in the nearby river. Luna owned that little cove. She's been there before, and she loves it. She went for a dip in the cool water with no hesitation. But it was a first for Dusty. She's never been in a body of water, so she was a little hesitant. She dipped her toes in a...

Deb and Kim confirmed what I observed Saturday night, that Reasey really has come out of her shell in the past several months. Savvy, meanwhile, is the same big hunk of fawn lover boy. ---------- Dusty and I joined several regulars and a couple of new faces and hounds Saturday night for the first Friends of Greyhounds gathering of the new season. Michelle got us a new spot, the Panera Bread patio at the Plantation Promenade shopping center. I always love seeing Rosie and Luna. ---------- It was the culmination of an eventful few days for Dusty. Except for a couple of short bathroom breaks, she has been curled up nearly unconscious for about 14 hours now after a few days of visits from grandparents Ma and Pa Sharp, a distressing rescue of a family of ducklings Saturday morning and her meetup with old and new friends Saturday night. A couple of wounded warriors were among the group in Plantation. It was the first time we saw Mike since he went down several months ago wi...

Michelle over at Friends of Greyhounds got an email today from Starsky, the senior she and I delivered recently to Deb in Vero Beach. Deb also sent along a few photos. I've got nothing to add, so I'll just pass on Starsky's message in full: Starsky goes after the peanut butter. ---------- My first week with my New Mom and “siblings” has been GREYT!!  Thanks for bringing me to them! New Mom made me all kinds of soft treats from scratch, and while she was baking them, I got to lick a peanut butter jar totally clean! Yum!! I finish every meal, which makes me and New Mom happy! I’ve now got a bounce in my rickety step and even play with toys!! I have a tag collar and tag just like my siblings.  I love to take very long naps on the shaded porch with the fan going! New Mom says she has to check me often to be sure I’m still breathing when I do this! I’ve gotten a hang on the schedule around here and can give New Mom the “Look” like my siblings do!  New Mo...

Kristi, Lola, Tony, Handsome and Anthony, soon to follow his father into service with the Navy ---------- Another longish van trip, another successful FoG adoption. For the second day in a row, Michelle and I took a long drive in the Friends of Greyhounds van to introduce a hound to a new family. And just like Friday's journey to Vero Beach with Starsky, Saturday's turned into a successfully productive trip. This time it was Handsome's turn. The 3-year-old brindle boy with the gimpy leg went with us to Fort Myers to audition for a family who found him through a Google search. Lifelong dog owners Kristi, Tony and Anthony were looking for a greyhound to live with their 3-year-old English bulldog, Lola. Lola checking out Handsome checking out a stuffy toy ---------- Kristi contacted Michelle a couple of weeks ago to start the process and spent several days asking questions via email and doing some research into the greyhound breed. It was a little touch and g...

Starsky meets his new family -- mom Debbie, brother Heff and sister Tara ---------- Dusty got to spend the day Friday with her buddies in Sunrise while I made the drive with Michelle to Vero Beach to deliver Starsky to his new family. Starsky is the 13-year-old white greyhound who landed at Friends of Greyhounds a couple of weeks ago via a Palm Beach County vet and animal shelter. He put a couple of pounds on his skinny frame while in Sunrise and got a clean bill of health from Dr. Ansara a couple of days ago. Dusty, Luna and the FoG dogs: 'Can we go to Vero with you?' ---------- His new mom, Debbie, is a retired nurse who adopted a greyhound from FoG several years ago. She loves taking in special-needs greys and is dedicated to providing them a great home and the day-to-day care they need. Debbie's friend Laurie, another greyhound lover, helped greet Starsky, Michelle and I when we arrived at Debbie's home in early afternoon. And all of us got to meet S...

Dusty and Rosie taking a breather ---------- A stroll in the park with greyhounds and girls to start a summer Sunday -- that's as good as life gets. Luna resting with Dawn and Lily ---------- Dawn reached out to me on Facebook and told me she would love to give 5-year-old Luna some social time with Dusty at one of the parks I have raved about here in western Broward County. So I invited Dawn and the family for a morning stroll at Plantation Heritage Park, which has plenty of acreage and shade. Dawn loaded Luna and the two human girls, Lily and Rosie, into her SUV this morning and made the trip up from South Miami-Dade County. And we had a fabulous time. Dusty and Luna spent a few seconds checking each other out, they both approved of each other, and the bunch of us started on a short walk under the not-unpleasant morning sun. Lily had Luna's leash in her left hand, I gave her Dusty's leash to fill her right hand, and a great stroll was had by all. At some...

Starsky shortly after his arrival at Friends of Greyhounds ---------- The kennel population at Friends of Greyhounds has doubled with the arrival of 13-year-old Starsky, who arrived Wednesday by way of Delray Beach. Handsome (right) with FoG residents Yahtzee (left) and Mitzi ---------- The way I understand the story, Starsky was given up by his adoptive mom to a vet's office in Palm Beach County. The vet sent the boy to a nearby animal shelter, which then contacted FoG. Michelle agreed to take in Starsky, who was driven to Sunrise by a representative of the Delray shelter. Starsky is pretty skinny and has some dental issues. His back legs are shaky, and he's slow in standing up and walking. But he appears to be in good spirits, happy to interact with his kennel mate, Handsome, and his human friends. Michelle gave him a standard FoG meal of kibble, rice and canned food, and he happily ate it up. He tried to eat a Milk Bone biscuit but couldn't break it up. So...