The good, the bad, and the incredibly frustrating parts of rescue are all often taking place behind the scenes. At SHUG we try very hard to share the first and to protect you from the other two. In our twelve years it has been our policy to never show the truly sad, painful, and horrifying images of dog rescue. We show the recovery, but hide the wounds. And that is true not just for the pain of our dogs, but for our volunteers, too.

Anyone who has volunteered with an animal rescue for any length of time has horror stories to tell. We don't share stories of our dogs' pain for two reasons. Firstly, we want SHUG's public presence (on the website, facebook, and instagram) to be a safe place for our supporters emotionally. Social media is full of painful images, day in and day out, and it takes a toll on our mental health. You won't find that here. The second reason is that it is part of SHUG's mission to help potential adopters understand that these dogs are not victims, they are survivors. We want you to accept a dog into your life as a member of your family. They are not a charity case and we do not want you to adopt out of pity. We want you to adopt one of our dogs because they will make your life better, and you can't imagine living without them.

But while we do not share the extent of our dogs' pain publicly, we're totally willing to expose our volunteers' angst! This has been a week of wild ups and downs behind the scenes at SHUG and I just wanted to take a moment to give thanks for the work of our volunteers--especially when a lot of that work is thankless and frustrating. But make no mistake, there was joy, too!

The good news is that we've had four (yes FOUR!) pups reserved to go to their forever homes this week. We are especially happy that our little IG couple Mark and Pandora have found a home. Their new family is traveling to get them in a few days and we are all so excited that they get to stay together.

We had several adopters apply for Mark or Pandora separately but as we got to know these two little dogs, we began to understand how important it was for them to stay together. We received a handful of applications from potential adopters interested in both pups. Some of those applications were "dead on arrival" and never made it past the first stage. Another was lovely--but not a good fit for these particular pups. There was one app that looked perfect and passed all of our checks...and then ghosted us. Then, finally, we found their family! After about 100 man hours of labor, but like childbirth, it's easy to forget about all of the work when you've got a happy baby in front of you.

Sometimes, though, all of that work results in empty arms.

SHUG receives calls and emails on a regular basis from dog owners who need to surrender their pets. One of the worst feelings is when we have to say no for whatever reason. Sometimes it's because we don't have a foster home available or sometimes it's a dog that we just aren't equipped to take. (So many beagles! Why??) But sometimes we move heaven and earth to be able to take a dog...and the owner has a change of heart at the 11th hour.

One of the most dangerous situations for any volunteer organization is when people try their hardest and still can't help a dog in need. When volunteers have changed their plans, cleared their schedule, and rearranged their lives to help a dog...and it all ends up being for nothing. It's a dangerous situation because that frustration poisons the fragile hope that every dog rescuer holds in their heart.

Next time, will they put in that much effort?

Hope is a fragile thing. Volunteers put literal blood, sweat, and tears into their work. They are the backbone of any rescue organization and I am constantly amazed at what they can accomplish. But when their hard work comes to nothing, it is hard.

So, to end this rambling post, let me just say that I see you. I see the work you put in for the dogs--even the dogs you may never get to meet in person. And I am so grateful.

Back in 2012, when SHUG was young (and so were we!) we made our supporters a promise. SHUG is a NO DRAMA ZONE. We're all about happy endings. We don't throw shade or post shocking pictures to manufacture outrage. Yes, some of our dogs may have seen rough days in the past, but each and every one of them is going to have the happiest ending we can possibly give them. Our volunteers literally travel across the planet to make that happen for each pup.

Along the way to that happy ending, we try to treat each person we encounter with respect. Volunteers and adopters make up the core of our community. Volunteers who transport and foster pups are literally the backbone of rescue. Dogs don't get saved without them. The same goes for adopters. If you've been through our adoption process, you know it's not fast nor easy--but we try to be transparent and keep everyone up to date along the way. We have a new application system that lets applicants see where they are in the process and we're up front about our requirements and about our dogs' needs.

There is a third group of people we interact with every day who--whether we want it to be true or not--are also an integral part of our community. The dogs we place are not wild animals. They (or their parents in some cases) were owned by someone. When they come to us it means that relationship didn't work out. Sometimes the causes are very clear. We have received dogs whose loving owners passed away or who were very, very sick and unable to care for their pets through no fault of their own. On the other end of the spectrum, we have received dogs who were seized by the police and their owners were judged unfit.

But after placing nearly 1000 dogs, it is clear that the vast majority of situations fall somewhere in the middle. The most important thing is always the safety of the dogs, but we also prioritize treating people who are surrendering--under any circumstances--with dignity. There are two reasons for that. First of all, from a practical point of view it doesn't make sense to shame people for accepting the help we are offering. If they can't take care of their dog, we want them to let us help. That is what we're here for. Shaming them just makes it harder for dog owners to reach out to us. That's how dogs end up on craigslist or dropped off at kill shelters.

And yes, this applies to breeders as well.

SHUG has accepted dogs from many breeders over the years. Often the dogs they ask us to take are mixed breed "oops" litters. Sometimes they're embarrassed to admit they had an unplanned pregnancy, or sometimes they just don't have the network or knowledge to place mixed breed pups. We're also very happy to accept special needs pups that, again, a breeder may not know how to place. In some cases the breeder might make a business decision to euthanize a special needs dog and we are more than happy to step in and take over that dog's care and find them the perfect home.

The bottom line is that we're not going to second guess an owner's decisions or try to shame them for asking for our help. SHUG exists to help these dogs and we are grateful when owners entrust them to our care. We realize that this is not necessarily a common philosophy among rescues.

That brings us to the second reason that we always strive to treat those surrendering their dogs to us with dignity...we love these dogs. And no matter what has happened along the way, we know that they wouldn't be with us if they weren't with their original owner first, especially if they were a breeder.

Many of SHUG's core volunteers were originally Greyhound adopters and our group was very much based on the racing Greyhound adoption model. In that network, dogs were bred and trained to be racers. When their careers came to an end, they were smoothly transitioned by their owners or kennel managers to adoption groups, where they found homes. It wasn't always a perfect system, and there was tension between the pro- and anti-racing activists. But everyone's goal was an orderly handoff between breeders and adoption groups to keep the dogs safe.

SHUG has always been neutral when it comes to Greyhound racing. By the time we were founded in 2012, the industry was already shrinking rapidly. The vitriol and drama and the millions of dollars that went into the pockets of lobbyists who pushed through the 2018 Florida legislation were all unnecessary. The resulting chaos--further exacerbated by the pandemic--made everyone's jobs a little harder but in the end all of the dogs ended up where they needed to go.

The same is true for the Galgos and Podencos of Spain. Hunting with dogs, just like bullfighting, has been on the decline in Spain for well over a decade. After a long, bitter struggle, the ambitious new animal welfare laws at the national level were finally passed earlier this year with hotly contested exemptions for hunting and bullfighting. Within days Valencia, the fourth most populous region of Spain, passed their own version of the law without the exemptions. Even before the passage of these new laws, the rate of surrender for dogs in Spain was less than half that of the US.

The bottom line is that we can't love pure-bred dogs and hate breeders. Whether these are dogs bred to race or hunt, all of the things we love about them come from the same place. We can't love racing Greyhounds and hate Greyhound racing. The two literally can't exist without each other, as adopters are coming to find out. If you think it's hard to find adoptable Greyhounds today, just wait a few years.

Likewise, we can't love Spanish dogs and hate Spain. Bred to run through the fields hunting wild hare, the Galgos and Podencos are a fixture of the Spanish countryside that many Spaniards now recognize as a symbol of their country and culture. 50-60% of Spaniards support applying the new animal welfare laws to all dogs--even if it means the end of hunting.

Yes, there are bad breeders. Breeders are human and there will always be bad humans. The undeniable fact is that there are humans who hurt dogs, by design or by neglect. Whether they're breeders or football players or unsupervised children. Our goal is to stand for the dogs and be ready to help them find new homes when their current ones fail, for any reason. There are groups who ban adopters with kids. We aren't going to do that, and we aren't going to hate all breeders, either.

At SHUG we're all about love for dogs--and hate for no one.

Last month Spain passed a law that has been in the works since 2017. This new law defines animals as sentient beings and declares that their needs must be considered when it comes to civil disputes like divorces. Things move slowly here, but they do move.

There is hope for the Galgos in Spain.

Gin and Tonic

On the first Sunday in December, two Galgos were found in southern Spain with their microchips cut from their necks. Named Gin and Tonic by the (very British) volunteers at the shelter, their story is not unique--but it is becoming rarer. As is often the case, when laws are passed they don't always have the results their authors intended. Spain requires that all dogs be microchipped so that they can be identified...which can result in further injury for dogs who are deliberately abandoned.

But this story has a happy ending. Not only were the police immediately involved in Gin and Tonic's case, but the ever growing network of dog rescuers in Spain jumped into action. SHUG was contacted and we were able to bring Gin and Tonic to The Ugly House, where they have learned about couches and soft beds. Later this month they will be flying to the west coast where Gin has a home waiting in Canada and Tonic is heading to a foster (with intent??) in Oregon.

Wally and Tigger

When we moved into our property here in the Alicante region, we quickly realized that one of our neighbors had Galgos. This is a rural area, surrounded by farmland and these Galgos were not living the life of pampered pets. In fact, they were often seen running down the road without collars, dodging cars and harassing the neighborhood cats. When we asked about them, the owners offered to sell them to us...for 1000 euros.

It was a campaign that took several months and involved enlisting the help of the other neighbors on our road, but eventually the two galgos were surrendered to SHUG. Wally and Tigger, as we've named them, are now getting the treatment that they need to be healthy, happy boys and will soon be looking for their own forever homes.

There are happy endings for the Galgos in Spain.

The Galgos are Spain

We know there are still tragedies here. There are dogs who are not treated well, who are hurt and in need--but there are people here working to solve these problems. There are small shelters and large shelters and fosters and transporters. There are people who volunteer and there are people who donate.

I have seen people online commenting about "hating Spain" because of the plight of the galgos here. That is not the message we want you to take away. Yes, there are dogs in need here. There are people in need here too. Spain as a whole has gone through rough times. When we started working with the dogs here, the unemployment rate in Spain was 25%. It's now down to 15% but it's still one of the highest rates in Europe.

Spain was in turmoil for most of the 20th century, including a civil war and the reign of a fascist dictator who was friends with Mussolini and Hitler. The amount of progress that Spain has made just in my lifetime is astounding. And that progress has included strides toward protecting the welfare of Spain's dogs.

We are all moving forward together.

On this day--the Day of the Galgo--please don't hate Spain and love Spanish dogs. The Galgos are Spain. The very best part.

906 to be exact.

Our last dog of 2021 arrived early this morning at O'Hare airport in Chicago. Jasmine's journey to SHUG was not easy. This sweet saluki girl was rescued by one of our partners overseas, Team Inch based in South Korea. Like many dogs rescued by Team Inch, Jasmine was suffering from Heartworm and required months of treatment and recovery. While the volunteers in Korea worked to get Jasmine healthy, the team in the US worked to find her a foster home to come to when she was ready.

These days, flights are harder than ever to find. Just this week we've had three dogs miss their flights because of weather and airline changes and cancellations. While no one wanted to be at the airport on New Year's Eve, Jasmine had been waiting since August and this was the only flight available. It was only after her flight was booked that we found out that her customs clearance fees would be doubled because of the holiday.

Jasmine's expenses so far have totaled $3137. Those break down to $2007 in vet bills and $1130 in transport fees and kenneling costs in Korea before her flight. (SHUG reimburses Team Inch for all of Jasmine's expenses so that they can continue to help dogs in South Korea.)

Our original estimate for Jasmine's costs was just under $1500. When we realized we were going to go over that number (by a lot) we posted about Jasmine on facebook.

Sometimes people are the worst part of dog rescue. And sometimes they are the best.

You guys came through.

The post about Jasmine's flight raised $1407 and another $675 was donated directly through paypal.

When Jasmine is adopted, her adoption fee of $650 will mean that it only cost SHUG $405 to help this sweet girl find her forever home and get the life she deserves. We'll cover that amount through application fees and the money we make from the SHUG shop.

This is how rescue works. Volunteers with SHUG and our awesome partner organizations around the world do the hard work of nursing dogs back to health and getting them ready for their forever homes. Your donations and support provide the funds to pay for their expenses (mostly transport costs and vet bills). And together we provide better lives for these wonderful dogs.

And next year we'll do it all again.

Thank you for supporting SHUG's mission. Have a wonderful New Year and we'll see you back here in 2022.

This week SHUG had two events planned. We cancelled one and are going ahead with the other. As the director, the final call was mine.

The event still happening on Saturday is our Indianapolis Meet & Greet. This is the event's third anniversary and the volunteers who run it have it down to a science. All interactions are socially distanced and our volunteers are vaccinated.

Perhaps even more importantly, the volunteers who run that event and the members of the public who come to see the dogs are all local and members of the community. The same people tend to come month after month. Our volunteers recognize them and have confidence that they know (and will abide by) the rules in place to keep everyone safe. If you're in Indy, come out and say hi!

The second event scheduled for today and tomorrow is Greyhounds in Gettysburg. GIG was cancelled last year and like many sighthound people, I was really excited to finally get to see everyone. I was also scheduled to be one of the speakers tomorrow.

The decision not to attend GIG was a personal one for me. I have a young daughter who would have been traveling with me and at the end of the day, that was the deciding factor. For those of you who are attending, I hope everyone has a great time! You can buy the SHUG 2022 Calendar at the booth for the Senior Sighthound Sanctuary.

It's been a weird couple of years and we've had to make a lot of these decisions. The bottom line is that SHUG is a volunteer organization and the volunteers have the final call. Today I'm sitting at home while a lot of my friends are having a blast. I miss you guys! But we'll see you next year.

Because at SHUG, we're here for the long haul.

This week a potential adopter withdrew their application because they thought that flights were "on hold indefinitely". Dogs flew last month. Dogs flew last week. Dogs will fly next month.

We cancel events that are fun and exciting, but the real work--finding homes for dogs--has never stopped. When COVID first hit and the tracks started closing, SHUG's volunteers braved eerily empty roads to move 30 Greyhounds in a day. During the course of COVID we've fostered four--or is it five now?--litters of puppies. Dogs are getting spays, neuters, vaccinations, surgeries for broken legs. Dogs are going to foster homes and dogs are going to forever homes.

SHUG doesn't stop.

We make the hard decisions--and hope they're the right ones--because we're in it to win it. The dogs depend on us, so we have to make sure that we're making good decisions not just for this weekend and this event, but for the dogs who will need SHUG to be there for them five years from now.

This month is SHUG's official 9 year anniversary. As we approach our 900th dog, we've learned a thing or two. The last two years have been weird, but we're still kicking.

So no matter what you chose to do tomorrow, please be safe. We're sticking around and we hope you do too.

For your dog, 18 months can be (literally) a lifetime. The old adage about one human year being equal to seven dog years holds true in pandemic time too. As far as your furry family members are concerned, you've been together almost 24/7 for a decade! Now, you're heading back to work or school...and they're not.

For much of the last year and a half, many of us have been stuck in our houses. In the sea of scary headlines and the "new normal", being able to stay home with your dog has actually been a bright spot for many people. Now, as businesses and schools begin to open back up, we're all getting used to human interaction again. And our furry family members are going to have to get used to life without it.

Hello, separation anxiety.

If you adopted a "pandemic puppy" you may have prepared yourself for the "back to school" shock, but even older dogs can have a hard time adjusting back to their pre-pandemic lifestyles.

The most important thing that we ask you to keep in mind during this transition period is that your dog is NOT mad at you for leaving. If your dog has accidents, barks, or destroys things, it's because they are experiencing anxiety and fear. They don't understand what's going on or where you are or if you're okay or they're going to be okay. PLEASE don't yell at them. Knowing that you're angry or upset will just convince them even more that something is terribly wrong.

When dealing with separation anxiety, you have two goals. First, to convince your dog that everything is okay to alleviate their stress and fear. Second, to keep them (and your stuff) safe while you work on number one.

When it comes to keeping your dog safe during this process, crates are awesome. Yes, we know not everyone agrees with that, but we've worked with a lot of sighthounds and for the vast majority of them, crates can make them feel safe and protected. If you're introducing (or re-introducing) a crate to your dog, start from scratch. Make the crate their happy place. All meals should be fed in the crate and every good experience your dog has should begin and end there.

Basket muzzles are awesome, too. Hard plastic basket muzzles are used in Greyhound racing to prevent dogs from nipping at each other while running but they work for all sighthounds and come in sizes to fit any dog. They do NOT prevent your dog from opening his mouth. (PLEASE do NOT use any kind of muzzle that prevents your dog from opening their mouth or drinking water!) Basket muzzles will keep your dog from injuring themselves and may limit their ability to damage items in your house.

Our final piece of advice: don't be afraid to ask for help! Separation anxiety is complex and no two dogs are exactly the same. We've written about some tips and tricks but you may need to consult your vet or a veterinary behaviorist. They may recommend that your dog take anti-anxiety medication. That is okay. We absolutely support #BetterLivingThroughChemistry.

We know everything is weird right now and your dog's separation anxiety isn't helping your own stress. Take a deep breath and try to imagine how you'd feel if the pandemic lasted a decade. Imagine how much harder it would be to go back to your old life. That's what your dog is feeling right now.

It won't be easy, but you can get through it together.

People ask me all the time if adoption fees are tax deductible. For that you have to ask an accountant. What I can tell you is that the dog you have adopted is not an asset. You didn't get something for your adoption fee that will ever make you rich. You've signed a contract that you won't race them for money, sell them for profit, or breed them.

What you have taken on is--in all practical terms--a liability. You've signed a contract that you will pay for your dog's vet care, monthly heartworm prevention, nutritious food, and whatever vaccinations and registrations your area requires. You have to keep them in collars (it isn't spelled out in the contract but let's face it, they need some fancy damn collars) and you've taken on the responsibility for whatever they destroy or eat.

When you adopt a dog you are taking on a burden. Not just to provide for them financially, but also their physical and emotional needs as well.

And that brings us to this week in American history.

I know that the doctors and nurses and sanitation workers and food delivery folks don't have the option to sit on their couches. But for everyone else...

Stay the fuck home.

Seriously. There's a raging pandemic out there and the political climate is uncertain to say the least. There are "events" planned in all 50 states between today and January 21st. Don't be there.

Please go to the store today and get food for yourself and your dog for the next week and then go home. Snuggle your dog. Binge Bridgerton and the Queen's Gambit. Eat all of the ice cream you bought by Sunday. Order Chinese. But please, stay home.

Your dog needs you.

I would love to close the door on this year and never look back. Can we just pretend 2020 was all a horrible dream?

Sadly, no. We can't pretend the last 12 months didn't happen because we will have to live with the changes it has wrought for many years to come. As Greyhound racing officially comes to an end in Florida today, the fate of the adoption groups dedicated to placing retired racers remains uncertain. Some have already shut down and more will do so--but many will transition to help other sighthounds in need.

2019 was the Year of the Greyhound. Groups and adopters from all over the US and Canada rallied around racers in the wake of Florida's decision. For SHUG, 2020 was supposed to be the Year of the Galgo. We knew that many Greyhound lovers would begin looking to Galgos for adoption. Our goal was to streamline our transports and work on making international adoptions easier and less expensive. On March 5th SHUG submitted an offer on a property to create an adoption center in the south of Spain. One week later the world came to a grinding halt.

When COVID hit, international transports were abruptly canceled and Greyhound groups scrambled to place dogs from tracks suddenly closed down, months ahead of schedule. On March 26th, SHUG accepted 30 Greyhounds, the largest group of dogs we've ever received in one day. Thanks to an awesome team of volunteers, we made it work. The volunteers who came out that night to meet the truck and over the next several days to help walk, wash, and transport dogs were absolutely amazing.

Over the course of the year we received another 12 dogs, for a total of 42 Greyhounds in 2020. Since our inception in 2012, Greyhounds have never been SHUG's sole focus. In addition to those 42 Greyhounds, this year SHUG also brought in:

17 Galgos
15 Staghounds
10 Salukis
8 Borzoi
6 Afghans
4 Podencos
1 Irish Wolfhound
1 Silken Windhound
1 Whippet

These dogs arrived directly from their owners, from municipal shelters in the US, and from private shelters and rescue groups overseas. SHUG doesn't rescue dogs off the streets and we are grateful for the staff and volunteers at our partners who do the hard work of those intakes. They nurse dogs back to health, give them vaccinations and prepare their paperwork, and help them take the first steps to their new lives. We are honored to be entrusted with taking the next step and finding these dogs their forever homes.

No matter what happens in 2021, we will continue to fulfill our mission of finding forever homes for sighthounds. There has been so much speculation, but the truth is that things are still completely up in the air in regards to COVID, travel restrictions, and racing. Yes, there are still Greyhounds racing. Will more tracks close? Will more tracks open, or reopen? The only thing I can tell you is that I don't believe that racing Greyhounds will ever return to the numbers that adopters have been used to seeing. There will never again be 30,000 or 10,000 or even 5,000 Greyhounds born every year. But there are that many and more Galgos and Podencos and Salukis who need homes.

SHUG will continue to support sighthounds wherever they are in need, and bring them to the US and Canada to find forever homes. In 2021 SHUG will prioritize setting up a center in Spain to help coordinate the care and transport of adoptable sighthounds to homes in North America. This will be our largest undertaking to date and we hope that we will have your support. Please stay tuned in the coming months for more news about our plans and progress.

2020 may be over (finally!) but our adventure is just beginning.

Let me start off our traditional "end of year" post by thanking everyone who has supported SHUG this year. Whether you adopted, fostered, volunteered, or donated, you are part of the SHUG team and we couldn't do this without you. And what exactly is it that we all did together this year?

Well, we had some fun and saved some dogs and along the way we broke some hearts.

Here are the numbers...SHUG brought in 111 dogs in 2019. Among those were:

36 Galgos
26 Greyhounds
20 Podencos
16 Salukis
5 Lurchers
4 Borzoi
2 Italian Greyhounds
2 Whippets

We are ending the year with 18 dogs in fostercare: 3 Greyhounds, 2 Podencos, 1 IG, 1 Saluki, 1 Borzoi, and 10 Galgos. (Check some of them out here!)

Those were the good parts of the year. Lots of adoptions and memories of dogs running for the first time in their lives in the grass and the snow.

There were not so good times too.

We have flown hundreds of dogs as cargo across the US and the world but earlier this month SHUG flew our first dog in cabin. This was part of a calculated risk. Nonna was a senior Maneto (lovely referred to as "shorties" around here). We knew Nonna had some health issues and combined with her age, that was enough to give us pause about flying her. The team here at SHUG and the team at Casa de Postas in Spain went back and forth. Nonna's caregivers at CdP spoke to her vet there. In the end, we came up with a plan.

I literally carried Nonna in my arms from Madrid to New York. At the airport in Madrid Nonna curled up in my lap. For the flight she rested in the carrier we had bought especially for her--meticulously researched by her soon-to-be-mom--and Nonna was comfortable and spent most of the flight sleeping either on my lap or snuggled between my feet. The flight couldn't have gone any better from Nonna's perspective. We pulled up to my house in the wee hours of the morning on December 4th and Nonna's new mom was there waiting for her, ready to give her a home and her heart.
On December 11th, Nonna passed. Her kidneys shut down and nothing we did seemed to help. Nonna was never alone. She was loved.

At the end of the year we look back on what we've done right and what we've done wrong. We look at the mistakes we've made and try to figure out how to avoid them (and make all new ones!) next year. Many years ago I worked with a rescue that wanted to add a "businessman" to their board to help them make "better" financial decisions. What would a "businessman" think of spending over $2000 on a senior dog with health issues, transporting them thousands of miles on the slim chance they would have a few good years to enjoy in their forever home, to end up with only a week before having to say goodbye? Would they count that as one of our mistakes?

Well, fuck them. I've said this before and I will say it again. SHUG is not a business. We suck at customer service because we don't have customers. Not human ones, at least. SHUG is a group of people who have no sense of self-preservation and who risk their hearts every day to try to make the lives of dogs better, safer, and happier. Yes, sometimes we fail. But trying is never a mistake.

So on this last day of 2019 I thank everyone who supported our mission. To those who donated, know that we did not always spend your money "wisely"...but we hope you agree that we spent it well.

Happy New Year,

Michael, The Director