Questionable Choices

Blog Hopping Again!

It's that time again! Saturday, I mean. Drive is a little busy with something, but I'm sure he's happy to welcome you to our little blog. We hope you'll find a picture or two that makes you smile. And don't forget, if you haven't heard already, about the charity auction happening now to benefit rescued greyhounds in Texas. (Information is here.)

We're so pleased to meet you!

And we'll say a proper hello as soon as we've cleaned out this jar.

Please help. You can make a difference.

Fundraising Auction

Five years post-retirement, this is what Drive's muscles look like. He does pretty well, for a spoiled boy who loves food and remains horizontal as much as possible. That's a greyhound "secret," that ability to sleep for 30 hours a day.

A friend once remarked to me, "I never knew dogs could have buttocks."

I need you to think about something else this morning, something aside from the glorious lump that is Drive. Drive is safe and loved, as are so many retirees and rescues all over the country. But there are some dogs that aren't safe, aren't loved. There are some greyhounds that were recently saved from unthinkable circumstances in Texas, and I need you to help them.

I am squeamish. I don't advertise that fact, being tough and whatnot, but I do not have the ability to look at graphic photographs of abused animals, so I will post none here. I will not link to any, either, in case you are the same. These dogs were starving, terribly ill, and infested with thousands of parasites, inside and out. One dog received an emergency transfusion while over 1,500 ticks were removed from his body.

“Fort Worth Animal Control Cruelty Investigation Officers took 28 dogs into custody Thursday night, July 8, 2010. GALT was contacted as greyhounds were included in the seize. At GALT’s request, Greyhounds Unlimited (GU) joined in this effort, as GALT and GU are the only adoption groups in the DFW/north Texas area to help stray and shelter greyhounds. Friday morning, representatives from GALT and GU met with Diane Whiteley, the Executive Director of the Texas Greyhound Association, to assess the dogs. Eight were taken by each group. Wednesday, July 14, GALT took one more female and with that now all 28 dogs are with adoption groups."

Additionally, a 29th dog was recovered later as a stray. He was two years old, and the best thing that I can tell you is that he was let go from a terrible, brief life while cradled in kind and loving arms. Kiowa Braden is at peace now and his suffering is ended.

So will you help the survivors? There's a link under the picture to a fund-raising auction for these dogs, and here are links for more information. I promise that as of this writing none of these links contain graphic images to upset us sensitive types, but the pictures I have seen of the "lesser" cases are heart-wrenching and nauseating.

Life With Dogs: Going Flat Out

GALT (Greyhound Adoption League of Texas)

Greyhounds Unlimited

And once again, the link to the fund-raising auction is here.

Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Heat Wave, Baby

How hot is it here? It only looks like Drive is taking a dip. Really, he's being boiled.

No, not really. The water was perfectly, well, tepid. But not boiling. It was hot enough after our brief walk today that Drive willingly and with very little prompting overcame his natural distrust of this false body of water, and sat his bum down with intent. He didn't budge when the two-year-old boy got in and started dumping buckets of water over his back, either. He seemed to appreciate it.

A Decade of Drive

July 3, 2010, was Drive's tenth birthday, so we decided some humiliation was in order.

I do not understand the thing on my head.

Is this a permanent new fixture? And what that you have there?

Yes! But... why have you set it on fire?

Mmmm! Not sure why Mumma kept yelling, "You ate the candle!" though. Was that the crunchy bit?

Lanie appreciated none of this.

Bullie has no idea what's going on or why he got a bit of meat, but he went along with it.