Loved Hound

Your hound can be featured as a Loved Hound, too. Just bid in Greyhound Gang's on-line auction (during the first two weeks of every month) for your chance to be spotlighted. Once you've won, you'll email me pictures, and the story. The following month, this is where you and your hound will be. Loved Hound. Our wish - love for them all.

Old Fella - written by Cheryl & Scott King

Old Fella

Old Fella was “reborn” on September 13, 2003.

Heart of Texas Greyhound Adoption got a call about a Greyhound dumped in a mobile home park. Not just dumped, but put in a black garbage bag, and thrown in a drainage ditch. Kids playing in the ditch, saw the bag moving, and found some adults who opened the bag.

Grossly underweight, filthy and flea infested, with sores over much of his body and rotted teeth, he was in sorry shape. Immediately upon arriving at our home, he was bathed four times, before the water ran clear. He fell asleep during the bath, enjoying the attention and warm water. After a small meal, he settled on a soft dog bed for the rest of the night. Tattoos were unreadable, so we called him "Old Fella".

Physically, Old Fella was in very bad shape. On our vet's scale of body condition with 10 the best and 1 the worst, Old Fella was given a 1. Weighing only 54.6 pounds, he was infested with intestinal worms, but was heartworm and TBD free.

Old Fella

Old Fella blossomed under the care of H.O.T., spending the majority of his time sleeping on a soft bed in front of a fan in the warm months and the fireplace in the cooler months. Old Fella “ran” around the yard with his tongue hanging out, a lopping gait, a wagging tail, sniffing butts, and barking at shadows and birds.

Old Fella’s first outing was at the PETCO 2003 Tree of Hope Bake Sale hosted by H.O.T. Old Fella sported the beautiful martingale collar from his Auntie Diane “Burpdog” Jackson.

Greyhound lovers wrote daily asking about his health and welfare. He received more mail than all of us. We gave him his own page on our website.

On 02/10/05, in honor of Old Fella’s 15th birthday, The Greyhound Angel Network created The Old Fella Senior Fund, which benefits Greyhounds 10 years of age and older who are otherwise healthy but whose medical needs are excessive. Old Fella, one of the first recipients of this fund, began weekly acupuncture treatments and chiropractic adjustments. He still woofed for help getting up or down, but he definitely became more self sufficient after the first week of treatment. He also received his white powder, those Get Up & Go supplements donated by Greyhound Gang.

Old Fella

Unfortunately, on 03/29/05 at 1:45 p.m., Old Fella became the newest angel at the Rainbow Bridge. He suffered a stroke and with his head in my lap, he gently left us for the Rainbow Bridge.

It has been four years since Old Fella’s passing; we still miss him dearly. Although we were Old Fella’s caretakers and he lived with us, we never considered him “our” Greyhound. Old Fella was truly adopted by the entire Greyhound community. His story touched so many people around the world and he stands for the resiliency of the Greyhound spirit. Rest well handsome boy, until we meet again.

OLD FELLA
Waycross Country
02/02/90 - 03/29/05

Diane Jackson, who provided this Loved Hound opportunity to honor Old Fella, emailed me this.

Claudia: Old Fella is how I met Cheryl & Scott. I (and probably 200 other people) asked to adopt him. Cheryl was like "who are you?" :) After negotiations, I adopted Magic (who was 15 1/2) in November of 2003 from H.O.T.

Old Fella solidified the greyhound experience for me. When I went in November to pick up Magic, I got to meet him. He worked the room, going from person to person accepting all the love one could give him. How any animal could forgive the way he forgave, and love a human the way he loved, is beyond my comprehension.

When he attended Magic's 16th birthday party, I watched him once again work the room. Turns out he loved shrimp and enjoyed a "few" that day.

I have seen the resilience, the desire to live and love in quite a few greys since. It's something I admire and treasure. Never underestimate the desire and love of a greyhound!