Running For His Life

August 11, 2005, a red-fawn Greyhound, HMS Brimstone, not yet two years old, ran and won his first race at the Flagler Stadium in Florida.

Two years later, HMS Brimstone would be shipped to Arizona where he would be sold to a compulsive gambler who thought that owning his own string of racing Greyhounds would make him rich. Of course, the gambler went broke.

When authorities caught up with the gambler, only three of his five Greyhounds were alive. HMS Brimstone was one of the survivors. He and his two lucky buddies were rescued by Greyhound Adoption Center in October, 2007. Just a week before devastating fires blazed in San Diego County. HMS Brimstone had cheated death a second time.

In honor of the season, HMS Brimstone was given the kennel name of Harvest by Greyhound Adoption Center. Kennel volunteers called him Harvey for short. He was evacuated to safety along with the other kennel dogs when fires threatened the GAC kennel.

Today, HMS Brimstone, Harvest, Harvey, is known to friends and family as Bingley and is presently munching down breakfast in the kitchen.

But he still runs. Every night, he runs circuits in the living room. He likes to be cheered. I wonder if he is reliving his glory days or if he thinks he must run or something bad will happen to him. Or maybe he's just like a lot of professional athletes who like to keep a hand in the game.

We'll never know. But we are happy beyond words that he survived to be our dog.