When we think about Greyhounds, what normally comes to mind are thin dogs that are powerful runners. These dogs are normally used in hunting but have become widely popular in dog racing. People spend a lot of money by betting on these dogs at the racetrack.
Unfortunately, racing dogs spend all their lives racing that they don’t know anything else. Although they have great nutrition and are exercised regularly and kept healthy, these dogs don’t actually have a family that they can love and find comfort with. All they know is racing and training,
So, what happens when Greyhounds retire? Usually, winners are kept for breeding more racing dogs. However, some Greyhounds retire prematurely because of injuries sustained from being raced frequently. These dogs are often euthanized. It’s sad to think that these amazing dogs have such sad lives that they are put to sleep without ever feeling the love of a family.
A racing Greyhound named Salem was retired and was pulled from the world of racing. The Greyhound tracks in Florida were shutting down and Salem was one of the many dogs that needed a home. So, Caleb volunteered to foster Salem and he knew that it was going to be challenging for him to help Salem. As expected, Salem was so frightened when she first arrived in Caleb’s home that she stayed in the cage the entire day even when it was left open.
Salem didn’t know what to make of her new world. However, the next day, Salem got out of her cage and started exploring Caleb’s home. Caleb was still quite shy and didn’t know what to do. Salem was a little shaky when Caleb first took her out on a walk. Salem ran 159 races, which was her entire life.
Salem also had severe separation anxiety. Wherever Caleb went, Salem wanted to follow. However, Caleb slowly worked on Salem’s separation anxiety and helped her become more independent. After two weeks of fostering Salem, Salem realized that her new world is amazing and her personality started to come out.
Salem loved going to cafe’s to get treats and she also got to go inside a pet store. Caleb also took Salem to the beach and she loved walking on sand and water. After a few weeks with Caleb, Salem was more relaxed and she’s definitely loving what her new world has to offer.
Caleb also developed a bond with Salem that he knew it was going to be hard to give her up. However, Caleb knew that Salem needed a stable family that will give her plenty of love and attention. When Caleb heard about his friend who had a Greyhound named Diver was looking for another Greyhound, Caleb knew that this was going to be Salem’s forever home.
Salem and Diver got along really well when they met and Caleb is happy that Salem finally has a great home that will give her plenty of love. Caleb is happy to be part of Salem’s life and helped her feel what it’s like to be loved. Here’s a video showing how Caleb helped Salem learn about how amazing the world outside dog racing can be.
Video Source The Dodo via YouTube