Bobbing For Hot Dogs

Today we suited up and took our surviving two Greyhounds to the Greyhound Friends For Life Reunion in Point Richmond.  Truthfully, Point Richmond and Miller-Knox Regional Park was a bit of a blah location near the lovely Chevron refinery that recently spewed toxic smoke across that community.  We went to try to break the grief and darkness we all feel about Ginger's death three weeks ago.  The dogs lost their most whiny companion, the third in their pack, and we lost a most soft, scamp of a dog who did lots of bad things and who we miss terribly.  Greyhounds are not like other dogs, especially ex-racers.

And so we went, driving almost 50 minutes towards San Francisco with a left turn across the bay to a flat place where dozens of other ex-racers came to gather, sniff, stand around and play games.  Greyhounds lure us to them with their elegant grace and outright mighty ability to run almost 40 M.P.H. Dog racers are grossly mistreated at the tracks and it is unfortunate that almost two dozen states still allow dog racing.  That is slowly changing yet not quickly enough for these awesome dogs.

Today, it helped my girl to see so many other Greyhounds and a few looked like Ginger.  It helps us though Jade and Omi really just sniffed their kin and probably wondered why all those sight hounds were there at the park.  G.F.F.L. staff created games for the dogs and Omi participated in the Hot Dog Bobbing.  Though it took a bit to get the knack of sticking her snout into the bowl of water, she got it quickly and seemed thrilled to be eating meat, something she gets little of living with Vegetarians. 

Greyhound Friends For Life creates a method to offset the horrendous eventuality of dog racers being put to death because they didn't win a race or simply outlived their usefulness to owners.  Breeders and racers don't get pets and they don't get to live life free of the constraints of track life.

I saw one new adoptee today and he had a thick four inch incision on his flank which was all ribcage and skin.  A beautiful black dog starved at the track is now on his way to becoming a dog loved by a human, fed enough and loved more than he can even comprehend right now. 

Thank you G.F.F.L. for all that you do for our ex-racer friends and for a lovely afternoon in Point Richmond. 

http://greyhoundfriendsforlife.org/home.htm