Mark Your Calendars

Sammy, the rare Zebrahound
Originally uploaded by Skip Hansen.

Coming the end of February: The West Coast Greyhound Gathering in the quaint little Danish town of Solvang.

Not only do I live with a rescued retired racer, I am of Danish decent. So...gotta go!

We will be there with Sammy along with about 500 other greys from around the western U.S.

If you have ever thought about adopting/rescuing a greyhound, this would be the place to be for an "up close and personal" introduction to the breed.

One of the interesting things about greys is that they are supposedly one of the only breeds that recognize their own kind. They are the most ancient breed. The pharoahs owned greyhounds and were entombed along with their dogs (sometimes owning large packs of 100 or more). When a greyhound gave birth to a litter the event was celebrated as enthusiastically as the birth of a pharoahs' son.

When they get together today, they are a very mellow group. They mill around (on a leash of course) and don't seem very concerned that there are other dogs closeby. For the most part, they always stand...greyhounds rarely sit...ever...even at home. It is just not a comfortable position for their structure. They will lay down however, I think that is truly their favorite pose. For feeding time, their bowls must be elevated to afford them easy access...it is a long way to the floor.

As far as the running goes...they are, afterall, retired. Sometimes the preception is that a bunch of grehounds getting together means large, lanky, hyper dogs tearing ass around. That is far from the case. There won't be any mechanical rabbits in attendance and I am pretty sure there won't be any wagering going on (except at the Chumash Indian Casino a few miles up the road).

Hope to see you there. If you would like any more information about the event just click on the link above. If you would like any more information about adoption, there are links to your area's adoption groups on our site...Amazing Greys Retired Racers.