I can’t speak for Ruby, but I’m totally psyched to present this guest post from our very good friend and even better dog lover, Carla Boucher. Take it away Carla!

What could possibly be better than a cook-out on a gorgeous summer day? A cook-out where at least half of the guests are greyhounds, of course!

I have been a greyhound foster mom for over 3 years now. Our grey, Boca, was our very first foster and in a way we failed miserably. He never left, as we adopted him 8 weeks after he came to us. Since then, we have fostered 8 greyhounds, with all of them going on to loving forever homes. My husband wanted “nothing to do with a dog.” He said if I wanted to foster, fine, but he “would not walk them, feed them or clean up after them!” Now he calls Boca “the best greyhound, ever.”

Boca came to us from an adoption group called Greyhound Welfare. Their New England chapter has since dissolved, but they are still very active in the DC/Maryland area. We are now a part of Greyhound Options which was started out in the town of Ware in Western Massachusetts. The group is growing in this area and there are adopters in Chelmsford, Methuen, Lowell, Haverhill, and around the Boston area. We try to have “meet and greets” about once a month at the North Andover Petco so that folks can touch a greyhound and learn how they make great pets once their racing career is over. Some of the dogs that are available for adoption have never raced, for a variety of reasons.

Recently we had a “Greyhound Summer Gathering” at the home of 2 greyhound adopters/foster parents. Everyone in attendance brought at least one grey; some brought 2 or 3, and I think there may have even been someone with 4, when you count their fosters. At one point we were able to count 19 greyhounds in the fenced backyard. They were in and out of the house too; as the slate floor in the kitchen was just so cool and inviting!

It is really amazing to see greyhounds together with other greys. As puppies, they stay with their litters for much longer than most dogs do and then are with other greys in training and at the track. Consequently, they are very well-socialized and always seem genuinely happy to see one another. They are generally great with other dogs, too and many are “cat-trainable.”

I don’t know what it is about these dogs, but they have a way of sneaking into your heart. Once you look into those eyes, you are hooked.