3 minute read
ENMU Now Has Live Mascots
By ENMU Communication Services
Eastern New Mexico University has been given the exciting opportunity to adopt two former racing greyhounds as official mascots. These two hounds come from the New Mexico Greyhound Connection (NMGC) via the Greyhound Pets of America— Arizona Chapter (GPA-AZ). Both are tax exempt 501(c)3 organizations dedicated to the placement of ex-racing greyhounds in ideal situations. Together, NMGC and GPA-AZ, along with the ENMU greyhound committee, have selected a male and female greyhound which are cared for by the ENMU Pre-Vet Club and the ENMU Department of Agriculture and handled by a select group of six Hound Handlers under the direction of Dr. Darron Smith, associate professor of agriculture and technology.
ENMU followed the same guidelines for adoption as any other adoptive person or family to insure proper care and handling of the dogs. The dogs will live on campus and will be well loved, walked several times a day and will have a regular training schedule. The animals must be good with people, and their student handlers are expected to be trained to work with them in crowds. Smith said people will be allowed to interact with them.
One of the adoptees is a 75-pound, 2-year-old male, brindle in color. He was not interested in chasing the lure around the track and was, therefore, “retired” as a racing dog. He is happy around groups of people and wants to visit with anyone who will give him attention. The second adoptee is a 65-pound, 4-year-old black female with a white chest. She is very outgoing and loves people. The pair arrived on campus on Dec. 1 with an official debut on Jan. 23, 2010 at an ENMU men’s basketball game.
The university accepted suggestions for naming the dogs with a committee picking the top five names and the community voting for the final choices ($1 per vote) as donations for the dogs’ upkeep. The dogs received the names that brought in the most money, Vic and Tory, to represent “victory.”
Greyhounds date back to the 5th and 6th centuries where they were used for hunting due to their keen eyesight. Greyhounds can easily form attachments to their owners and show extreme loyalty. The word “hound” is actually a derivative of the Old English word “hund” which also meant dog. Greyhounds can reach speeds of 43 miles per hour. No other dog breed can beat their speed. Unfortunately, their quickness means that they are also used for dog racing. This, within itself, wouldn’t be bad, but on occasion the dogs are mistreated and abused once they can no longer race. Luckily, there are many greyhound rescue companies out there who are trying to help the lovable dogs find good homes once they have retired from the business.
