vagreys
02-06-2007, 03:22 PM
Seeker of Gems arrived at our house, one December night, off a trailer load of Greyhounds from a kennel that had been closed because of abuse. All the hounds were going into retirement, and up for adoption.
This particular kennel had been housing three and four hounds to a crate, when the crates were meant for one. Seeker of Gems was emaciated. His tail had a bare spot over every bone. At first, I thought he had a racoon tail, but then I realized I was seeing bare skin. He had large bare patches on each thigh, and an open sore where his thigh constantly rubbed the wire crate. His fur stuck up, where the skin was pulled tight over several vertebrae, and on the points of his pelvis. Most of his ribs were clearly defined, instead of just the last three or four.
Seeker of Gems would not make eye contact. We opened the door and he stood on the front deck, staring into the house. His head hung down, and he took his first, tentative steps into the house. I went through our normal process of introducing the hounds, but Seeker of Gems turned his head down and to the side, and suffered their curiousity, tail tucked.
I took him into the living room and he picked a bed and curled up facing away from everyone. He made no contact. He wanted nothing, except to be. And so, he was. I sat there, quietly, careful not to look directly at him. He wouldn't move his head, but every now and then his eyes would shift to check me out. After awhile, he sat up, looking down at his front paws, carefully avoiding eye contact, and flopped over on his side. He let out a big Greyhound sigh, and stretched out his legs. I wondered how long it had been, since he had been able to do that?
I think he just enjoyed being able to spread out. He didn't interact with the other hounds. He didn't interact with the humans in the house. He paid no attention to the cats. Being was enough. He wouldn't eat on the first day, but they sometimes don't. He didn't need to go out. I finally got him to eat something the following day. A few, tentative bites, and he decided he had an appetite. We went for a short walk. He seemed resigned to it, but went willingly. We came back into the house, and he went to his spot and collapsed, as Greyhounds do. Big sigh.
I went about my business in the house, and found myself looking out at the back deck. I heard the quiet tap of nails on the kitchen floor. And then, ever so gently, I felt light pressure against the back of my leg, and then more pressure and the Seeker of Gems was leaning into me. He didn't look at me. Didn't want me to touch him. We stood there, in contact, and that was enough. Seeker of Gems was on his way home.
This particular kennel had been housing three and four hounds to a crate, when the crates were meant for one. Seeker of Gems was emaciated. His tail had a bare spot over every bone. At first, I thought he had a racoon tail, but then I realized I was seeing bare skin. He had large bare patches on each thigh, and an open sore where his thigh constantly rubbed the wire crate. His fur stuck up, where the skin was pulled tight over several vertebrae, and on the points of his pelvis. Most of his ribs were clearly defined, instead of just the last three or four.
Seeker of Gems would not make eye contact. We opened the door and he stood on the front deck, staring into the house. His head hung down, and he took his first, tentative steps into the house. I went through our normal process of introducing the hounds, but Seeker of Gems turned his head down and to the side, and suffered their curiousity, tail tucked.
I took him into the living room and he picked a bed and curled up facing away from everyone. He made no contact. He wanted nothing, except to be. And so, he was. I sat there, quietly, careful not to look directly at him. He wouldn't move his head, but every now and then his eyes would shift to check me out. After awhile, he sat up, looking down at his front paws, carefully avoiding eye contact, and flopped over on his side. He let out a big Greyhound sigh, and stretched out his legs. I wondered how long it had been, since he had been able to do that?
I think he just enjoyed being able to spread out. He didn't interact with the other hounds. He didn't interact with the humans in the house. He paid no attention to the cats. Being was enough. He wouldn't eat on the first day, but they sometimes don't. He didn't need to go out. I finally got him to eat something the following day. A few, tentative bites, and he decided he had an appetite. We went for a short walk. He seemed resigned to it, but went willingly. We came back into the house, and he went to his spot and collapsed, as Greyhounds do. Big sigh.
I went about my business in the house, and found myself looking out at the back deck. I heard the quiet tap of nails on the kitchen floor. And then, ever so gently, I felt light pressure against the back of my leg, and then more pressure and the Seeker of Gems was leaning into me. He didn't look at me. Didn't want me to touch him. We stood there, in contact, and that was enough. Seeker of Gems was on his way home.