Another emergency foster.

[65furyIII]

This is Leroy, scheduled to be euthed just because he had been at the shelter since July. They weren't even out of room. So he is with us until his rescue has room for him.

[katiem]

What a handsome dude! Thanks for helping save him!

I echo that!

[Sequeena]

He is gorgeous. Thank god for people like yourself!

[CKelly976]

aw, he looks like such a sweetie, thank god for people like you!

[Wiztherewoz]

He is a stunner. He'd be snapped up in a jif if he found himself at the rescue shelter here. Such a shame for him that he's unlucky enough to find himself in a place where even the pretty ones have trouble finding a home in time. But he's so lucky you had it in your heart to take him in. Thank you for stepping in and saving his life. I wish every poor unwanted dog had such a guardian angel to watch out for them.

Good luck finding him his forever home. x

[e1beth1]

What a pretty boy. Thank you for taking him in!

Wiztherewoz-Here in my part of Virginia (which boarders West Va where 65furyIII is from) we have so many types of hounds, beagles and other hunting dogs (plus mixes) that they rarely get adopted. I know at one of the local shelters here they will often euth those types of puppies after the mandatory hold when they are full.

[squashynose]

It's a shame we can't have an international exchange program with the dogs. You could send us all your hounds and labs etc., and you could have our greyhounds, lurchers and staffies

[e1beth1]

Originally Posted by squashynose

It's a shame we can't have an international exchange program with the dogs. You could send us all your hounds and labs etc., and you could have our greyhounds, lurchers and staffies

Plenty of staffies/pitties here too but greyhounds and lurchers would do well. Actually there are a lot of greyhounds in rescue because of all the dog racing tracks around the country but you don't often see them in shelters in my area.

What a minute, what's a lurcher??? Sorry it's early.

[squashynose]

First off there's SIGHTHOUNDS.

Sighthounds are any breed who depends on sight and speed to hunt, e.g. greyhound, whippet, saluki, wolfhound, deerhound etc.

A sighthound crossed with anything else is a LURCHER.
Typical lurchers round here are greyhound/bully breed, or greyhound/collie. These are popular mixes because the bully in them give a fast and strong dog. The collie makes them fast and intelligent.

A sighthound crossed with another sighthound is a LONGDOG.
Typical longdogs are greyhound/saluki.

ETA: This is a good history if you're interested...

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The lurcher was bred in Ireland and Great Britain by the Irish Gypsies and travellers in the 17th century. They were used for poaching rabbits, hares and other small creatures. The name lurcher is derived from the Romani language word lur, which means thief. The travellers considered the short-haired lurcher the most prized. The lurcher is rarely seen outside of Ireland or Great Britain, but is still common in its native lands. The collie crosses were often not large enough to do the work the lurcher was intended for.

Irish Gypsies were instrumental in developing the breed, and traditionally sneered at any lurcher that was not predominantly genetically greyhound, since these "lesser" lurchers were not as good at hunting and could not stand a full day's work of the hunt. The stringent training methods of the Gypsies are looked down upon in some lurcher circles, since the pups began working at six months old. Only the top-producing pups were kept; the rest were sold at traditional bargain rates. Today some breeding is carried out in a more systematic manner, with lurchers bred to lurchers to perpetuate the "breed's" prowess at rabbit and hare coursing.

Generally, the aim of the cross is to produce a sighthound with more intelligence, a canny animal suitable for the original purpose of the lurcher, poaching. Developed in the Middle Ages, the lurcher was created because only nobility were allowed to have purebred sighthounds. like Irish Wolfhounds, Scottish Deerhounds, and greyhounds, whereas crosses, or curs, had no such perceived value. Similarly, nobility owned most land and commoners were not allowed to hunt game on crown land or other noble estates.

It was important that the lurcher did not resemble too closely a sighthound, as the penalties for owning a sighthound were high, particularly given that if you owned one then by default you were considered a poacher. The original lurchers therefore were generally heavier-coated dogs who could herd sheep as well as bring home a rabbit or hare for the pot.

[pipsie71]

What a beautiful dog, how nice of you to foster him til he finds a permanent home, Pip

[65furyIII]

Leroy in his new home with his new brothers and sisters. He is on the left end up on the couch.

[e1beth1]

Congratulations on the adoption!

[MaloreyAnima]

Glad you took him in! He's very cute!

What a sweetheart! The dog and you both, for saving him. Glad that he's been adopted into a good home!