Back in the day, my preferred hound mobile was a 1970 Volkswagon bus. I loved the bus, but I missed my automatic transmission and most importantly air conditioning.
The hounds were styling in that old bus.
I remember the day I picked up Crystal. This little girl was sugar with a pound of extra spice. All 47 lbs of her were total joy. My heart was a goner almost immediately.
As much as we loved her, she loved the acre. That girl loved to run and would run with anyone that take on her challenge. Note in the picture above that as Danny was closing in, she wapped him with her tail. (I never said she played fair).
We affectionately called her our little pocket rocket.
It was really important to the president of the group that Crystal be with another greyhound because she loved to play so much.
One of the beauties of greyhound adoption is that if a dog can't stay with it's family for whatever reason, the hound comes back to the group. It's good for the family, it's good for the next family and it is best for the hound.
While Crystal was with us, a family with four greyhounds was getting a divorce. Fandango, the shyest of the four came to Greyhound Gardens. Crystal immediately to a liking to this boy.
We had an adoption event up at the track in Portland and I was to bring Crystal and Fandango to the event. With a heavy heart, I loaded up the old bus and off we went.
Sure enough, the two found a home together. My heart was broken. I hated handing over her leash, she was my little pocket rocket. With giant crocodile tears I kissed her good-bye and wished she and Fandango a wonderful life.
My bus was not to go empty though. While one hand was letting go of Crystal's leash, the other hand was grabbing two leashes, both white and red brindle boys, just like Crystal. Eureka!
One boy was named Star. He was part of the divorced four pack. He was little older and oh so gentle. We had screened the home of a woman who had recently retired, she needed a gentle dog and I knew Star would be perfect. He went home the next day and lived happily ever after.
The other boy had bounced twice, he had a few house breaking issues we were hoping to eliminate by bringing him home and working with him. His name was Bold One and I thought that was weird, so I renamed him Barney.
Here's the unexpected fork in the road. Two and a half years ago, a friend of mine that watches for greyhounds to show up where they don't belong found Crystal on Craigslist. Crystal had been in her home for four years.
When I got wind that she was on Craigslist, I jumped, hopped and screamed at the chance to get her back. My pocket rocket was coming back to the gardens. She's still my tiny little 47 lb girlie and she still tears up the back yard as she races to and fro.
And she's home.
Stay tuned for the riveting conclusion tomorrow.
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