Here, Pretty Girl
I posted a lost Greyhound on the national Greyhound Amber Alert in July of 08. Sabrina, a dog I got from Gulf Greyhound in July of '07, had slipped her collar when startled on a walk with her new owner. We and some east Texas volunteers searched, but only had one verified sighting, a week after she bolted. I installed a security camera outside the ownerÂs apartment, and he bought a hunterÂs camera for an abandoned house where he thought she might be hiding, but never saw her, dead or alive. We continued searching and following up on leads, but none proved fruitful.
Since then weÂve had an occasional call about her, usually when I had updated a Craigslist posting or taken out another ad in the paper. Last September the ACO in Longview contacted my adoption group, as they had a sighting of a Greyhound in Longview and knew we had lost one. The folks actually reported her as a "Great Dane or Greyhound," and couldn't say what color the dog they saw was. There were no repeat sightings, and the adoption group had folks driving the area and even had friends who live in that area looking. No dice.
Fast forward to this past Wednesday  the adoption group received a call from a former all-breed rescuer who said that she saw a brindle Greyhound in Longview, near where she was supposedly sighted last September. This sighting was very credible since the woman was assumed to be somewhat breed-savvy. The neighbor there had been feeding the dog, so it looked like we had a spot to set a trap (something weÂve not had before). So I made arrangements to borrow the GALT trap and started asking folks on the rescue lists for volunteers to help check it  but I guess I asked for help too soon. After arranging to get the live trap, I did not get permission to set it up.
The rescuer gave me the contact info for Bobbie, the woman at whose house the dog was spotted. Thursday night I talked with Bobbie, and found out she'd been feeding Sabrina for eight months!!! Bobbie didnÂt want us to trap Sabrina  she thought Sabrina would be scared by the trap - she wanted to try to put a leash on her. She had been able to pet her (and even took a tick off of her), and felt that she could put her scarf around her neck and bring her in.
I thought it would be best to let Bobbie try, since sheÂd worked at gaining SabrinaÂs trust (thereÂd always be time for trapping if a finesse capture didnÂt work). I told Bobbie SabrinaÂs story, and how weÂve been tracking down every lead for the last year and a half. Bobbie promised to call me when she got her, or let me know if she needed help capturing her.
I again spoke with Bobbie Friday morning, and she said that she saw Sabrina waiting to be fed and Sabrina was soaked as it was raining. Her plan was to try to bring her in the house Friday night when she fed her again. Well, she succeeded! She hid the leash in her sleeve and slipped it over SabinaÂs head. She sent me some phone pictures, and I was pretty sure it was Sabrina (by the swirl in her brindling).
Here is the photo Bobbie sent me:
Sabrina spent the night resting comfortably in her bathroom, scared but at least now safe. Bobbie pulled a bunch of ticks off of her, fed her, and kept her comfortable.
I left home Saturday morning at 4am to drive to Longview and get the dog I was sure was Sabrina and bring her back here before my meet-and-greet (Saturdays are busy for me). She seemed to respond to her name, and gave me kisses on the way home.
Here is Sabrina on the way home:
When I got home I checked her tattoos to be sure, and it really is Sabrina! Here she is at home, again:
Bobbie told me she had been calling the Greyhound "Pretty Girl". Well, that just sent shivers down my spine. There's a book that's well-known in Greyhound circles called "Here, Pretty Girl" that's the true story of a Greyhound named Sabrina who ran away from her adoptive home and was on the run for 167 days before she was captured.
SheÂll go to the vet early next week, as with all the ticks sheÂll need bloodwork to see what tick-borne diseases she has, as well as a heartworm test. Her right rear leg muscle appears atrophied, but I donÂt think itÂs an injury.
So anyway, from July of 2008 till February of 2010 - no one knows where this girl was, but I do now. SheÂs asleep on a dog bed upstairs with me.
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