Bravo's Travel Tails by Roz Wenrich Sure dogs travel all the time when they race, everyone knows that.  They regularly go from track to track, but as they say, “the view never changes.”  Dogs experience the hauler, a crate and an oval track.  Little did “B’s Co Mo Shun” aka Bravo aka Commotion, know that his world of travel was about to expand ten fold.  Less than one full week after he came to live with me in Pennsylvania this April as a foster, I got permission to bring him to that great Mecca for greyhounds and their people called Dewey Beach, Delaware.  Dewey Spring is reminiscent of the old time Dewey phenomenon when attendance was much smaller and things were more intimate.  An even more amazing thing about our little excursion is that no one calls the Animal Police. You see as our circus act begins to unfold we stuff not only our foster, but our other greyhound, our Borzoi and our full bodied Great Pyrenees into a Saturn wagon for our traveling circus act.  (An interesting picture if you let yourself go there mentally).

   Everyone did just greyt on the four-hour journey and Bravo was catching on to the “GO LAY DOWN” command, out of necessity I think.  Once we got there Bravo settled in nicely to hotel life and vacationing at the beach.  He shopped at vendors, won a contest for the largest feet at Dewey, enjoyed all the sights and sounds of the long walks on the beach, perused the shops in Rehoboth, slept through educational seminars, and carefully studied a performance by the talented Gilley Greyhounds.  Bravo had the company of hundreds of unfamiliar dogs, and took treats from strangers young and old, wheelchair bound and able who petted and marveled at him.  Our boy Bravo was a trooper, eliciting actual cries of “Bravo!” from people who were amazed at this newbie and all the new adventures he embraced.  He reveled in the filling of his senses that had been deprived for four years in his sensory depleted environment at the track.  Bravo may have looked amazed at times, but he quickly adjusted and had that look of “what else can we do?”

    Monday must have proved disappointing because we remained home, but Saturday we were off again in the car for a two and a half hour ride to a big family party in yet another strange setting.  Bravo accompanied us and spent his day calmly while family sounds continued to escalate around him.  Again he embraced the unknown, walked with several family members and explored all this new place had to offer. 

    True to form, the weekdays are boring but Friday morning we packed up the family and off we went to GIG, in laymen’s terms that would be Greyhounds in Gettysburg.  Bravo, now accumulating his Frequent Saturn Miles, stayed in yet another hotel, pleasantly greeted and sniffed almost a thousand dog parts and descended on the vendor tents like he had MY Visa card with no credit limit.  Again, more seminars, more walking and picnics and people.  If I went, Bravo happily went.  We all had a wonderful three day weekend and came home happy, tired and poorer from all the shopping!  I too am so awestruck by this beautiful dark brindle and white boy who takes everything in his stride and has the confidence to meet whatever comes his way.

    As I write this, wondering whether to keep this foster my one question is not could I love him (because I do), its not does he fit in with my family (he does) and its not is he a good dog in the house (he isn’t perfect, but he is pretty close).  My question is do I have enough vacation time to keep him in the life to which he is growing accustomed?  After all, none of us wants to let down the people or pups we love, now do we?  But I have a new baby granddaughter I haven’t seen and we are going to New Orleans for a month to see her this summer.  As I make my plans Bravo comes to me and puts his big contest winning feet on the map and I can’t help but think that I have his approval.

Jay's Days                                                   Janet Selman                      Jay is a pup who has had an eventful life so far...and he still has a long way to go! Jay (WW's Jawbreaker) had a relatively short race career of 52 races, but in that short time, he raced all the way up to stakes races...the moneymakers.  But in his last four races, he was never a factor...and it was soon determined that he was trying valiantly to run on an injured leg. Jay came to our attention when his trainer called looking for a group to take him.  Ligament damage, we were told...he'd been in a splint, it might need surgery, but it should heal up fine.  The owner had told him just to destroy this prize-winning pup...couldn't be bothered...but the trainer knew he was too good to discard.  Steve Cuzner and John Selman made the journey to eastern Maryland to pick up Jay, who immediately proved himself to be bouncy, affectionate, and happy, despite a gimpy gait!

The nice folks at Cloister Car & Petwash, Shillington, had donated tokens to their Pet Wash to FSGR, so that was Jay's first stop in Pennsylvania, to get freshened up...and then of course and good shake after a bath feels so good! Jay didn't have much time to settle in, because the next morning, he was up early to head to Dr. Lindsay Schreiber's Phoenixville office, to have his vetting, some xrays, and to have some...um...non-essential parts removed.  The news from Dr. Schreiber was not as good as we had hoped...Jay had an old fracture in his right leg, and it wasn't healing.  It required surgery all right...but surgery with an orthopedic specialist.  So Jay got to go on yet another journey...up to Dr. Hassinger in Wilkes Barre.  Dr. Hassinger agreed...it was time to fix this leg up right.  So Jay had surgery to have a bone graft and steel plates used to stabilize his leg.  But the post-operative news was good...once this fuses, in 3 months or so, Jay should be able to have nearly full activity...really anything short of lure-coursing or other high-speed running! The trip home became something of an event as well.  Due to emergencies, poor Jay's surgery was quite late in the day, so he was a bit under the weather when picked up.  And it didn't help that Desi was along for the ride...he'd been evaluated, but didn't need surgery, so he was wide awake & bouncy!  And then a car fire blocked off the highway...well, it was a long drive home for Deb Detterline and me, but all came home safe & sound. We thought Jay was done travelling for at least a couple of weeks, but unfortunately, 1 week later, he got an infection in his toes under his cast.  So off he goes...not as far this time...to Wyomissing Animal Hospital, for a splint change.  It's a fairly complicated procedure, so he had to be anesthetized again, and once again, came home a bit drunk!

So where do Jay's travels take him next?   Well, next up is another major splint change next week.   We've lectured Jay about this habit of his of getting drunk once a week!  But after that, he'll be able to go to a soft splint, which will not require him to be sedated.  Xrays in 6 weeks will tell us how his healing is progressing.  And hopefully soon after that, he'll be ready to take up a place on someone else's overstuffed chair! I'm happy to report that Jay's trainer was entirely correct, by the way.  Jay is so sweet...he's a kisser, and a lover, and hasn't found anyone yet that he doesn't love (including the cat, who is learning to tolerate having his ears washed).  He's enthusiastic and lively, and he is completely certain that furniture was made for greyhounds!  He's patient and uncomplaining, even when a bit uncomfortable or even a bit intoxicated! Jay's story is one of the many that make greyhound rescue so rewarding.  The thought of this lovely & loving boy being destroyed just because he could no longer turn a profit is nauseating.  Cost of rescuing Jay & setting him right? More than we expected.  But the value of finding him the right couch to retire to?  Priceless.

This newsletter is a publication of First State Greyhound Rescue & unless otherwise noted, is copyrighted by FSGR, 2008. Any products or services advertised are listed as a courtesy to our readers, and no guarantee is made by FSGR regarding them.

To be removed from this list, please send an email to firststatenews@comcast.net  with "Remove" in the subject line. Please feel free to email me with ideas for future newsletters! Janet Selman, Editor, Forever Home Flyer, the FSGR Newsletter.