The Greyhound Railroad

We went on another Hound Haul last week.  We met the man who brings the retired hounds from the tracks on the first leg of their journey.  He and his wife have been hauling hounds out of Florida for as long as I've been associated with SEGA.  I like to think of these wonderful people as Conductors on the "Greyhound Railroad."  The Greyhound Railroad transports hounds over the road to the safety and security of their Forever Homes - with a stop or two along the way.

The Conductor came rolling in to Perry, GA exactly on time.  There were seven hounds - three boys and four girls.  

The Greyhound Railroad Car.

Two big boys can't wait to get out.  It's time for a potty break!

The Conductor unloads the hounds one at a time.

The were a total of three additional Greyhound Railroad cars waiting for the Conductor in Perry.
These volunteers take the hounds on the second leg of their journey, from Perry to the SEGA kennel in Ackworth. 

Each hound gets a dose of Capstar to kill fleas and ticks.  They don't like it.

Then each gets a SEGA collar, leash and muzzle.
They get muzzles because they won't be riding in crates and no one wants any boo-boos along the way.

Here comes her muzzle.

Then each one gets a long walk.  This boy pulled Sawyer around the entire field.

She's being a good girl.

Hounds and their volunteers in the Potty Field.

Awww!

Tim and Sawyer.

Potty breaks are over.  Time to load up for the next leg of the journey!  Next stop:  SEGA kennel.

We took two girls that happen to be sisters.  This is Rowdy Ringo.

This is Rowdy Ruffles.

Ruffles lives up to the Rowdy part of her name.  It took her a while to relax.  She was so excited.

Ringo was a little less exuberant than her sister.  She was happy to lay down for most of the ride.

Ruffles and Ringo had a number of conversations with each other.
They were worried about what was happening to them.  

"It's o.k., girls.  Everything is going to be all right."

"Ringo, I promise you everything is going to be fine.  You will end up in your Forever Home with your Forever Family."

I told them stories of what their Forever Homes would be like.

They loved hearing about their Forever Families, too.

After a couple hours, we arrived at the SEGA kennel.  More volunteers were waiting to give them baths.
Then a volunteer will take "glamour shots" of each hound for the SEGA adoption web page.

The very next trip these hounds take will be to their individual Forever Homes.  No more track, no more racing, no more Greyhound Railroad, no more kennel.

The Southeastern Greyhound Association (SEGA) is a volunteer organization.  They are an amazing group of people.  Everybody has his/her own part to play and they play their parts with diligence and good will for each other and for the hounds.  Just recently, the members celebrated the adoption of the 2,000th hound.  2,000 greyhounds found their Forever Homes through SEGA.  Wow!