The new life of Alia, an adopted greyhound

Today we want to bring you a story that we were able to discover recently thanks to your comments on the networks in relation to the solidarity bandana project.

They are those kinds of stories that brighten your day and help you see that fighting for a better environment for our pets makes sense, when our next protagonist, Alia, can find a new life and a home.

So today we start the interview with Sara, the owner of Alia, a greyhound rescued in 2022 and with a very particular story.

Hello friends! Well, Alia is a 4-year-old Spanish greyhound, discarded from hunting.

It came to our family a year ago right now, when we decided to give another puppy a chance to have a decent life.

As a good greyhound, she loves sofas and eating whenever there is an opportunity, to order which she has a whole repertoire of sounds, gestures and adorable faces. But she also loves to go for a walk in the countryside with her tits and go crazy with the smells.

And sunbathing. You never have enough sun ☺️

A hunting fan from our province gave her up for adoption because she didn't run with the other dogs (because she was losing her sight, although we didn't know that at the time). Fortunately, this person considered the option of giving it up before throwing it out on the street or giving it any other less dignified ending, like that of so many others.

A few weeks ago my partner and I had decided to help another greyhound, either by adopting or fostering, so as soon as they contacted us we went to look for her and make the assignment and change of owner.

All our furry companions have always been adopted, since we do not look for the characteristics of a specific breed (which can sometimes be necessary, although always coming from professional, serious and controlled breeders).

But there are already so many dogs and cats that need a chance and a home, and in the case of greyhounds, podencos and crossbreeds, even more, so we were pretty sure our next companion would be a greyhound.

In fact, our first approach was to take in a greyhound and see how it was going, because having other dogs that are also older, you can never ensure that the adaptation between them will be favourable. But we have already welcomed them on other occasions and the truth is that we bonded a lot with them, so when we went for Alia, the truth is that we were already quite clear that, if everything went well, she would stay with us ☺️

As I was already counting, yes. Alia has two furry little brothers, our life partners for almost 13 years: Hugh, a 10 kg half-breed, and Bruma, a greyhound mix, both adopted.

In our specific case, we were very careful with the integration at home with our grandparents, because we wanted everything to go well, so little by little and with great vigilance to avoid conflicts in the first weeks, which could have conditioned their relationship forever. .

We are lucky to have training in canine ethology , so we did the adaptation process in the best possible way and so far it has gone great.

I cannot stop recommending to any family that, when it comes to introducing a new furry member, they invest in having some consultation sessions with a good canine specialist to help them direct things in the best possible way, especially if they are first-timers.

On the other hand, we found ourselves at a good time to adopt due to our situation (available time, space, tranquility) which is why we decided to open the door to Alia at that moment in our lives. This is quite important for the success of the adoption: be aware that it will require mountains of patience, some sacrifices and a lot of dedication, so before adopting any animal we must be sure that we can offer all of this.

From what I said before, think about it and value it very well. That they take into account what sacrifices they will be willing to make and also take into account all the family members that may be involved before taking the step, because lately we have found many cases of dogs that have to return to the shelter because their circumstances change. the owners or because the responsibility is simply too great for them and that is very sad, for both parties.

But I also tell them that, once the decision has been made with all its consequences, adopting a dog (or cat) and enjoying its adaptation, seeing how its character changes by having security and confidence, and how little by little it goes away. forming that wonderful bond with us, is an incredible experience and worth all the patience and effort ♥️

Alia came to us directly from the farm where she had lived until then and although she is a brave and curious dog, who does not have serious fears or blocks herself from bad things that happen to her, there were many things she had never faced and that we had to work. I didn't know what a stoneware or wooden floor was and I didn't want to step on it. The first night he slept on the floor, because he did not want to step on the bed or the blankets we put on him. He did not know how to go up or down stairs. To all this was added his lack of vision, which he ended up losing completely.

But she quickly overcame all these little things, and she is a dog who works wonderfully on her own despite her blindness, but of course, it is true that she needs our collaboration. For example, always make it easier for him to pass through areas, not have too much furniture or things in the way and never move things around without showing him the changes. With our help, every day she is a more confident, calm and happy dog, and she continues to amaze us.

Most of the problems or complications that we can find when adopting a dog can be solved if we are adaptable and have enough patience. Any dog, whether adopted or purchased as a puppy, can and will have its own particular complications, and for this reason I once again recommend getting well informed and consulting a good educator or ethologist in any situation that we do not know exactly how to manage.

In relation to the above, I would like to emphasize that adult dogs are just as adaptable or more adaptable than puppies, which is why many people prefer to buy a dog over adopt.

We all like puppies, but the education of a puppy usually requires much more effort and sacrifice than that of an adult dog, whose character we already know and, in general, will require less attention. And this is not why the animal is going to adapt less, our bond is going to be less or we are going to enjoy the experience of having a dog less. It may even be the opposite, because puppies can be exhausting too 😅

So we want to encourage everyone considering adopting not to discard dogs because they are already two, three or five years old. There is still a lot to enjoy their company and they will surely surprise you. And it is that a happy dog ​​is practically an eternal puppy, or even better 😉

All the best!

Thank you very much to Sara for discovering your story with Alia and for the positive message that it leaves us. Highlighting the part of the interview in which the consequences of adopting are discussed, since it is important that each of us understand what personal and family situation we have to see if it can benefit and be an improvement in the life of this new adopted pet.

Remember that you can continue supporting the rescue of the greyhounds with our solidarity Bandana in which we donate 100% of the profits and that we donate 1% of our profits from all your orders to charitable causes.

We hope you liked this interview, and if you have a similar story or want to shed light on activism projects that Cafide can support, send us an email to hello@cafidepets.com or leave us a message on the networks.

Warm hug from the team