Operations News
You made a difference!
Your overwhelming support on Arizona Gives Day 2025 allows us to keep doing what we do best — welcoming and caring for these fabulous retired hounds. Thank you for your trust and support.
Last month, I told you about Tiger, our 2-year-old male from Kansas, who suffered a track injury. A neurologist has since seen him and given the all-clear. The only thing that lingers is the occasional slip, which may or may not persist due to his age and ability to compensate. It doesn’t slow him down at all. He has been nicknamed the “Zoomie King.”
Tiger has been in a wonderful foster home, for which we are incredibly grateful. Tiger is available and would do best with another hound or medium to large dog. Did I mention that he is a snuggle bug?
Email me at nancy@sagreys.org, and let’s talk about this sweet guy.
What fear looks like
On Thursday, April 3, we brought in four hounds from Ireland — Boris, Maxy, Davy and Shauna. Maxy, Davy and Shauna were excited and happy to be off the plane and out of their crates. However, Boris was a different story.
Boris was down! He laid in the crate, unable to move, eyes as big as saucers, but his pulse was good, and his gums were pink. We were able to get him out of the crate, but he was unable to stand. We carried him to the van, still assessing his condition. 
Should we take him to an emergency vet in Phoenix or wait until we get to Tucson? Because his pulse was good and his gums pink, the decision was made to drop off the remaining three hounds and then take him to the emergency vet. We arrived at the first drop-off point, and guess what? Mr. Boris pops up and shakes his head. Jeanne took him for a little walk, and although a bit wobbly, he appeared to be improving. Boris spent the night with Jeanne and headed to our vet first thing that Friday morning. After several tests, it was determined that Boris was physically OK.
Have you ever heard the term “frozen in fear”? That’s a dog (or human) response triggered by perceived threats or unfamiliar situations. When dogs freeze in fear, they become completely still, hoping to go unnoticed, and this is a natural survival response. Boris was frozen in fear. By removing Boris from the crate and loud noises and placing him in the van where it was quiet, his fear subsided, and he felt reassured.
It reminds me that no matter how much the hounds are assessed, both physically and mentally, before travel, we must never forget, first and foremost, that they are individual beings and must be treated as such.
I’m happy to report that Boris is doing just fine and is happy that his flying days are over. Boris is pictured on the left next to his new sister, Astrid.