In praise of animal rescues

I am about to become a grandmother of a greyhound! My daughter and her boyfriend are waiting to get an appointment to view the dogs at Greyhound Pets of Atlantic Canada. This is one of the most well-organized animal rescues I have ever come across: so far over 3000 dogs have been adopted, and according to the woman who did Rose's initial interview, fewer than 200 were returned. Most of those returned dogs were because of lack of fit between dog and home; all the dogs found new suitable homes, and most of the people were matched with more appropriate dogs also. They really care who you adopt!

Here's the guy I'm hoping they end up with, because EYEBROWS!!

I've always been resistant to the idea of a greyhound, because they are not reliable off-leash. One of the big reasons in my mind for having a dog is being able to go for long rambles in the woods, and in the kind of bush-whacking, off-trail hiking we do, dragging a dog on a leash is pure torture. 

However, the 2 rescue dogs of previous posts are both unreliable off-leash, too; one because he will just up and wander off, the other because he might kill another dog if we come across one unexpectedly. So there I am in the same boat anyway. Maybe there is a greyhound in my future, maybe not, but as Grandma, I will be knitting a bunch of dog sweaters soon!

Side button greyhound sweater by Terri Lee Royea, available on Ravelry.com