Open Writing

The first time I saw Magnum I was shocked by his blackness. “Shocked” is not too strong a word. I had never seen such totality. Not a part of his body, except for his eyes, reflected any light, so that from a distance he looked like a silhouette. Though he is superbly muscled, not a ripple was visible as he moved. His blackness was made all the more dramatic by the stark white of Fred, his companion. Fred is in his eighties and doesn’t get much sun. His shock of white hair merges into the pale skin of his face. Most of his clothes are white or close to it.

Magnum is a greyhound, and Fred is his loving owner. Fred adopted him when he could not race competitively any more. Over 16,000 are adopted every year in the USA when they are no longer able to perform or fail to show promise. Greyhounds race from about eighteen months of age until they are around five years old, then they are discarded. Most are “retired” at three years old. A spent dog faces three possible fates: adoption, being used for medical and scientific research, or being put down. The Greyhound Protection League and the Adopt a Greyhound organization are working hard to change that.

They are also trying to put an end to greyhound racing for gambling purposes. They propose that there is little justification for this cruel and callous sport now that there are so many alternative outlets for people with the gambling bug. Greyhounds love to race, but to be bred for such a purpose and then to be so callously discarded is unsupportable in this day and age.

There are many misconceptions about the breed. It is the only one mentioned in the Bible, and the ancient Egyptians valued them highly as hunters. They are unusual in that they hunt by sight rather than by scent, unlike other hunting dogs. They are credited with being able to see small movements at up to a mile and a half distance. Their appearance belies their true nature. Greyhounds are docile, make good house pets and neither want nor need a lot of exercise beyond two or three daily walks on a leash.

That being said, greyhound adoption has its special demands. The predominant one is for rehabilitation. Having been bred only for racing, all other considerations are subordinated. These dogs are born in a “crate” and live in one for the duration of their racing lives. Once adopted, they prefer to sleep in a crate in their owner’s house. They need to be house trained. Strangely, they also have to be taught to climb and descend stairs, never having been required to do so in their former lives.

Greyhounds often sleep with their eyes open. Being approached by someone who is ignorant of this can result in a startled dog snapping and growling at a would-be petter. Since they love to run and race, they must always be leashed when being walked, otherwise they are likely to take off after anything that moves rapidly, even a paper bag blown by the wind. Reaching top speeds of around forty-five miles per hour, they are soon out of sight and hearing.

Magnum had only recently been adopted by Fred when I first saw him. Out walking, he was the perfect portrayal of the expression “hang dog.” Head down, tail between his legs, ears laid back to his head, seemingly resigned, paying no attention to anything going on around him. Fred, on the other hand, was a picture of love and concern. His eyes were fixed constantly on the dog, watching for signs of distress, or recovery.

In the ensuing months, the results of Fred’s care and concern are plain. Magnum has a spring in his step, his head is up more than down, and his ears pop up at any sudden noise. It would be a close call to say who has benefited most from the relationship.