Kenya, saved by Isabelle

After 13 years of uninterrupted happiness with Tara, my Labrador cross, who died of a horrible form of liver cancer, I swore I'd never have another dog because I didn't want to go through so much pain again. But the days went by and I began to miss the joy of having a dog (thankfully, the sad moments faded and were replaced by wonderful memories).

I wanted to adopt an unfortunate dog, but little did I know that a few days later I'd come across a TV programme about the horrific fate of Spanish hunting greyhounds.

My mind was made up: it would be a Galgo, or rather a Galga!

I phoned several SPAs and was finally given the telephone number of Mireille Broders of Greyhounds in Nood (Belgium).

I immediately phoned her, and she answered my questions kindly, and also asked me a few to make sure I'd made up my mind, and told me she was in Spain and could bring me back a Galga the following Friday!

Mireille, when she goes to pick up greyhounds, already has a list of adopters and only brings back the exact number of pre-adopted dogs so that they don't have to stay in a shelter for more than 24 hours.

They arrive on Friday, are tattooed with a microchip and examined by a vet to see if they've stood the 2,000 km journey.

Finally, Saturday August 18 arrives and I head off to Mechelen to the SPA where the little survivors are housed and where the adoption day takes place.

A large enclosure had been set aside for them, and as I approached, I saw some magnificent dogs, but skinny, full of scars and with dull coats.

Immediately a small dark brindle female approached me, wearing a collar with a number on it: 3!

It was her, she looked like a shy gazelle but so cute and in a second I decided to name her KENYA.

With the formalities completed and lots of advice from Mireille, I took Kenya off to her new life...

She was very shy, and when we arrived at the house where we were now going to live together, she ran into my bedroom and curled up into a ball, making herself as small as possible.

I left her, talking to her but not touching her for fear of frightening her.

Little by little she got out, started to follow me but never wagged her tail (it took 15 days), didn't know what a toy was, didn't know what a ball was and wouldn't take any dog cookies from my hand.

It took more or less 3 months of tenderness, patience and gentleness for her to become a cheerful dog again, and I'd say 6 months for her to become what she is today: a superb dog, with a shiny coat, a dog who's happy to live, cheerful and loves to play, a dog full of confidence despite what she'd been through before, a dog who's all kindness in the world...

Meet Kenya and her little sister Zazie, adopted on June 12, 2004!

She's also a rescued Spanish Galga. She was caught in a trap (right front leg) and had to have her leg amputated, poor little thing, she's 16 months old and has adapted very well to Kenya and me!