#greyhound mix
GALTx eNews: GALT Welcomes A Special Hound To The Family!
On January 22nd, we welcomed a special boy to the GALT family, Darrell! Darrell is a one year old staghound from Oklahoma. He weighs about 83 pounds.
Darrell’s prior owner witnessed him in a head on-collision with another dog and took him to the vet for assessment. The vet determined Darrell is completely blind but found no retinal detachment. They tried some treatment which proved unsuccessful. Darrell’s owner asked the vet for assistance with placing Darrell in a new home because Darrell could not hunt as a blind dog. Word reached our Oklahoma connection and our volunteers were on the road to get him. Our vets took a look at Darrell’s eyes and didn’t find any damage explaining his blindness. His pupils are, however, fixed and dilated. He will soon visit an ophthalmologist to see if any treatment is available.
Darrell settled right into a foster home in the Dallas area with blind dog experience. Within three days, he learned to navigate around the house and backyard. Darrell found the doggie toy box on his own and loves to pick out different toys to chew on. Click here to watch him play with dog friends he met on his journey to GALT. He is trying to learn his best boy polite manners around the kitties (but it isn’t clear yet he should live with them long term), knows how to “leave it,” ignores the family’s small dog, and gets along with the family’s Greyhound. Darrell is definitely a fan of kisses and hugs and sticks to his people like velcro. He is content just to sleep at his foster mommy’s feet. He has not had a single accident in the house since his arrival and, for whatever reason, he likes to eat lying down!
Watch for Darrell to be available to our approved applicants after he is neutered and we get to know him a bit better. Blind dogs adapt well but adopters should be prepared not to rearrange their furniture often and to pick up obstacles regularly. He will likely prefer to live with another dog to play with and to help him find his way. Thanks to all who helped him reach us!
1/27/2021
GALTx eNews: Team GALT Gets The Hounds Home!
Several of our recent arrivals came from difficult situations, including Shelly and Jackson discussed in our new arrivals section below. Getting a hound from a tough spot, such as abandoned or stray, to safety takes a lot of team work and dedication. First off, a Good Samaritan will often take responsibility for a sick, injured, or behaviorally challenged dog until they can reach out to us for more assistance. We can’t thank these hound helpers enough for stepping up and taking on the risks and expenses that come with getting involved.
The hard work doesn’t stop there, of course. GALT volunteers often have to drive their personal vehicles many miles, often to other states, to pick up the hound and drive them back to Dallas or Albuquerque. Sometimes, our volunteers find themselves transporting a scared dog much in need of a bath and potty training. Their clothes and cars can sometimes pay the price.
Once the hound arrives, even more volunteers get involved to help the hound visit our veterinarians and get comfortable in our boarding kennel. Our extensive TLC team visits and cares for the hounds while they are in boarding and our foster team works hard to find the right foster home. After a hound moves to foster, the foster parents help the hound with basic training needed for home life, sometimes while also addressing medical concerns such as parasites, tick borne disease, or serious injuries like broken legs. Eventually, our kitty and small dog volunteers join in to help determine whether the hound can live with cats and small dogs.
When a hound is ready for adoption, our adoption team works with our foster families and our adopters to determine who is a good fit in which forever home. No corners are cut in this process! All adopters are thoroughly checked out and many even attend our new adopter training class! In the end, when we see the adoption announcements posted, we know all of the hard work was worth it! Thanks to all who support the hounds on their journeys!
12/16/21
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GALTx eNews: Please Give Remi A Huge Welcome!
Cher Oliver of Kansas City REGP called last week about a brindle and white female Greyhound mix running stray for several weeks in Kansas. Her owner had been charged with animal cruelty due to her abuse and abandonment. However, he moved away before being convicted. The hound would come up to a lady and her dog, but could not be secured. Cher and her colleagues had a plan to capture the dog by drugging her. They just needed a long term plan to help the hound find a forever home. Of course, we agreed to welcome the hound to our program as soon as she could be caught.
On Sunday, the team successfully sedated and captured the hound, now known as Remi. They transported her to Norman, Oklahoma, where our volunteer, Charles met them to take Remi to our boarding kennel in Dallas. Thanks to everyone who helped Remi reach safety and take the first step on her journey home forever.
Remi is a big girl and we’re looking forward to getting to know her. At first, she seemed scared and timid at the kennel, but she warmed up to a soft bed in the lounge quickly! She will visit our vets to see if she has any health conditions requiring treatment and will stay in our boarding kennel until a foster home can be secured. Watch a slideshow of her journey to us here. We anticipate that she will need some time to learn how to be a pet again. Once she is in good health and settled, we will test her with cats and small dogs. Watch for her to then be adoptable!
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