Stormy Memorial

'Stormy Waters' Padden

Stormy chose us for his forever home on February 15, 1997. He immediately bonded to Noel. He played fetch with him when we went to see him for the first time. Once he was home with us, he didn't bother to play fetch again for about three years! He was the beginning of our passion for greyhounds. I've attached an excerpt below from the original news article that caught Noel's eye and led to our adopting him.

While we are very sad at his death, Stormy had a most excellent retirement. He lived in the best crate he ever had (although he quit using the second floor of his expansive crate a couple of years ago), loved his walks, and captured and chewed many a shoe (strategically dropping the chewed up mess in Thunder's lap just as someone arrived home). We believe that Stormy was probably trained on live lures. He never lost his prey instinct and terrorized anything that dared to come into our back yard. Always the Alpha, he taught Thunder, Nokie and Tillie and the many fosters who have passed through, the tricks of properly training the humans.

We'll miss him dearly.

Noel, Teddy and Lexi
Thunder and Tillie

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From The Hartford Courant, January 15, 1997
Hartford, Connecticut

GREYHOUNDS' MISTREATMENT PROBED

A group of emaciated greyhounds, one near death, was taken to a New Fairfield veterinarian for treatment this week, prompting state gaming regulators to launch an investigation Friday.

Though some of the dogs were reported to have raced recently at Plainfield Greyhound Park, the track's general manager, Karen Keelan, said Friday she did not know where they came from. "I need some more details myself," she said. "You should not assume they were taken from this track."

George F. Wandrak, deputy director of the State Division of Special Revenue, which regulates gambling, said officials are "trying to retrace the activity that would have allowed this to occur."

Wandrak said his staff determined Friday that the dogs were underweight and had suffered from malnutrition and lack of appropriate care.

In the 20 years that Plainfield Greyhound Park has operated, Wandrak said, there had never been a similar situation.

"I had heard of things like this, but I had never seen it," said Dr. John Robb, the New Fairfield veterinarian. "It's horrendous."

He said he treated eight greyhounds this week, beginning Monday, and seven remained in his hospital Friday. "They were all basically starving," he said.

He estimated some had not been fed in at least a week. He said four of them were emaciated, has sores and appeared to have lost 20 to 25 pounds. One, he said, was "at death's door," suffering renal failure, and would not have made it through the night without treatment. The dog was comatose and had to be carried into the office, he said, but was doing much better on Friday.

Robb said the dogs were brought to him by members of a group called We Adopt Greyhounds which tries to find homes for dogs retired from racing. He said he was told the dogs were among 16 that were turned over to the group by a licensed trainer at Plainfield Greyhound Park. The Marquee Kennel where he worked shut down operations on Dec. 31.

AND WHAT BECAME OF THE DOGS KNOWN AS THE MARQUEE 16?

From the WAG Tales, Spring 1997 Edition

. . . "Stormy Waters" who had been living outdoors at the New England Training Center now resides with Greenwich's Fire Chief Noel Padden (move over dalmations!) and his wife Teddy. . . . .