Today George and I took off work, loaded up Falco, and headed to northeast Philadelphia and NGAP (National Greyhound Adoption Program) to have his teeth and ears cleaned and his nails clipped. It was damp, cold, and raining, and maneuvering through the morning rush was awful. We made it there in one piece, however, and the staff made us feel welcome -- and of course they all remembered Falco. He was on his best behavior as they poked and prodded and coaxed him onto the scale (78.4 pounds, right where he needs to be). Then they led him away, giving us a couple of hours to ourselves. We spent about forty-five minutes hiking through the woods behind the facility in search of a lost Italian greyhound that had run away the day before. Unfortunately, we saw no signs of her and decided to head to the closest Starbucks to get out of the rain and do some work (free wi-fi). While we were gulping down the last of our skinny lattes, the vet called saying that all had gone well and Falco was recuperating.
Falco was none the worse for wear, although he was somewhat unsteady on his feet from the anesthesia and acted like he was drunk! The vet said that his teeth were in very good shape and to continue brushing them every day (yes, I have a doggie toothbrush and chicken-flavored doggie toothpaste that I use diligently on his choppers every day). His ears were so clean that she didn't need to do anything at all. And his manicure was the best I'd ever seen on him. They gave him a clean bill of health, and we headed back to Galena in the rain.
The return trip was uneventful, and we were happy to pull into our driveway. Falco went straight to his bed. We're all happy to be home.
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| Greyhound Racing Starting Gates |
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| A sleepy Falco with his pearly whites |
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| National Greyhound Adoption Program, Philadelphia |
