From: dgm@garnet.berkeley.edu (D.G. Meads)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: How do you fight a race track?
Date: 11 Nov 1992 22:09:35 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: world,na
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Nov11.154930.1@stsci.edu> toolan@stsci.edu writes:
>In artic[Ale <8273.83.uupcb@cutting.hou.tx.us>, 
>(Kathleen Brewer)  writes:
>
>
>	I have two Greyhounds, one that must have been an excellent racer 
>(since she retired at age 4.5) and one that was not.  Both my dogs had been 
>abused, to different degrees.  And incidentally, both arrived "racing fit," 
>which apparently means skin and bones.  If they'd been fed prime food during 
>their career, it sure didn't show.
>
>	Amber, speedster that she was on the track, fled in total blind terror 
>when my husband picked up a stick in the back yard.  He was going to put it in 
>the trash can; Amber obviously thought he had other intentions, so she hid 
>behind trees, shaking like a leaf.  Since we've never struck her, obviously 
>something had to have happened in her past to have her react that way.  
>
>	Sharon Toolan		*	My opinions are my own;
>	toolan@stsci.edu	*	no one else would want them!
>				*
>		*	*	*	*	*
>
 
Sharon,

Have you had Amber for 3.5 years?  I'm just asking because you said she was
retired at 4.5 years and now she is 8.

A friend of mine, Sue, has 3 rescued greyhounds (she likes to joke and say that
eventually I'll add another just to keep up with her!  yea right!) anyway,
one of her babies, Jake, sounds alot like Topaz.  The shaking thing was
almost constant also the cowering look all the time.  But
luckily after being loved for 1.5 years...he seems to have gained some
confidence and rarely shakes!  The other sob story is Sue's old girl (older
than Amber!) Jenny.  Jenny was to be destroyed at 9 years old had it not
been for the rescue group and Sue.  Jenny must have been quite quick in her
day since she was used for breeding.  Now here is the kicker.  When Jenny had
her first visit to the vet she had to have HER ONLY TWO TEETH REMOVED due to
serve decay.  After having so many litters Jenny must have been so deficient
in calcium that she lost her teeth!  Oh Jenny's gums also had TWO LARGE HOLES
in them.(the holes have been left alone by the vet since the way Jenny eats
doesn't cause food to become lodged in there)  And the list of gross things
goes on and on.

Luckily my two were not tooooo bad when I received them.  Since I was 
so anxious to get them I told the rescue people that I would clean them up
and take them to the vet myself...what a sight.  My boys are white with fawn
markings (and black polka-dots on the underside!) and when I first got them
the white was YELLOW.  So their whole back was this bright yellow then
changing to white!!! I guess we all know from what.  It took months of
regular washing for the fur to return to the original white!  And skinny?
If you think greyhounds look thin normally, well I thought they wouldn't
be able to walk they looked so bad.  You could see every rib (pretty normal)
and then all the bumps of the spine!  Their tails had sores all along them
(like someone closed the door on it, over and over again) and they were
absolutely bald on their hind quarters!

Now, I'm happy to report that Sue's kids are doing well,
even the old girl Jenny and so are my boys.  After over a year, we still
don't have alot of hair on the hind quarters, but there is some fuzz!

So, I guess I'm just adding to Sharon's stories...alot of dogs MAYBE NOT ALL
OF THEM are mistreated and we have the proof in our homes, curled up on
the softest item to be found!

I'll post the Reader's Digest article later today Sharon (I have it hear at
work.)

Debbie Meads
Tyre & Sidon