Although I have never had one myself, I have always loved Greyhounds. They are such sweet, quiet animals. The thousands of Greyhounds rescued from tracks each year seem to know how fortunate they are to be placed in comfortable, loving homes and show their appreciation by offering gentle affection to young and old. It is their wonderful temperament that makes them great candidates for therapy dog work.
I was thrilled to receive an invitation from Greyhound Options for Bright Spot Therapy Dogs to attend the organization’s Octoberfest held annually at Dufresne Park in Granby, Massachusetts. I jumped at the opportunity to attend this event in hopes of recruiting some wonderful greyhounds for Bright Spot.
Yesterday afternoon, under sunny blue skies, Bright Spot Board member Diane Houston and I mingled amongst a bevy of very special greyhounds proudly standing next to their beloved owners. Most people had two Greyhounds, one just wasn’t enough. There had to be about 150 Greyhounds in attendance. All were quietly interacting. All displaying wonderful manners. There were fawns, blues, brindles, blacks, and whites. Some white with large black spots, some black with white tipped paws. Many wore fleece coats for warmth. Due to very little body fat and very short, close fur, the fleece coats are a necessary part of a Greyhound’s gear when venturing outside in cooler months.
Diane and I had a great time talking with people. They were a very caring group of individuals working together to help these special dogs. They loved talking about their Greyhounds – how gentle they are with children; what great pets they make. One man told us that he and his wife had just taken their two Greyhounds with them on a 27,000 mile road trip to visit relatives, staying at different houses along the way. Our Greyhounds were well-behaved everywhere we went and so easy to take care of, he told us. Everyone we talked with had a special story to tell about their dogs.
Many folks approached us saying they would love to get their Greyhound certified as a Bright Spot therapy dog. We handed out numerous Bright Spot business cards and copies of the latest issue of our Bright Spot newsletter. Hopefully, we’ll be very lucky and get some of these caring people and their wonderful dogs to become members of Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc.