On the Third Day of Christmas... Malfoy

I wish I could say that every Greyhound that comes off the track has a clean bill of health. Unfortunately that isn’t always true. Racing is hard on the body and injuries suffered by Greyhounds while racing are extremely common. It is a sad and difficult truth, but when a Greyhound suffers an injury that hinders their ability to ever return to their original racing form, their career as a racer is over.

Each and every Greyhound deserves the opportunity to retire from their careers as racers into a “forever home” where they have the opportunity to experience the joys of life as a pet and as a family member. It of course has become the work of REGAPCT to find loving homes for all retired Greyhounds.

But there is a soft spot in the hearts of all members of the Greyhound community for those dogs who are forced into early retirement by a career ending injury. Even more so than other Greyhounds, injured dogs need a little extra love and care to physically recover from their injuries, while they get back to feeling like themselves. It is also no secret that inhumane means for retiring injured Greyhounds were practiced in the not so distance past, and many a Greyhound rescue organization has been spawned from the mere learning of such practices.     

Malfoy is an example of a boy whose days on the track ended as a result of a racing injury. The light Brindle was not yet three years old when he arrived at REGAPCT. He had been a very impressive racer in his short career, having posted seven first place finishes and even winning his last race in impressive fashion. But a rather serious break in one of his back legs sidelined Malfoy, and, after being given time to rest up, his retirement began.

Even with the time to rest up, it was clear that Malfoy was not fully recovered from his injury as he continued to favor his good leg. It was obvious that he would need to be paired with an adopter that would be able to take extra good care of him as his leg continued to heal.  

The exact match came in the form of a family that included a Great Dane named Gus and a dog-savvy owner who works at a Veterinary Emergency Hospital. They saw Malfoy on TV with me when he starred on WTNH's "Connecticut Style". It was love at first sight.

Malfoy’s new owners took it slow in introducing him to his new home and have continued to monitor the progress of his recovery. His injured leg continues to improve and he becomes increasingly nimble with each day. He has officially fallen in love with his daily walk and can barely contain his excitement when he sees his owners going for the leashes.

Despite suffering a racing injury, Malfoy is able to happily transition into his new life thanks to the support of his new family. In addition to his walks, he busies himself with learning to walk up and down stairs and hoarding shoes, blankets, and gloves in a pile on his bed. He and his new Great Dane buddy are getting along quite well and Malfoy is described by his new owners as “an altogether excellent addition to the household.”