GALT's Fifth Family Katie Anne & Her Puppies - Whelped Around 4/1/2009

Katie Anne and her Magnificent 7 pups
by Officer Garlanda Hempstead

Last summer I was notified by a co-worker that a stray greyhound was running around in east Ft. Worth and needed to be my next project pup. He advised me that she was located in the area of 1900 Ash Crescent. I drove around the area and did locate her. She was very shy and did appear to have an injury to her hip. I began bringing food with me, but she disappeared for several months and I wasn't able to locate her again.

Approximately 3 months ago, I observed that she had returned to the area. I began taking dog food and some table scraps with me each morning. I would drive through the neighborhood until I located her. I would walk toward her without looking at her. Each day, when I got as close as she wanted me to get, she would stand up. I would then lay the food down and return to my car. On my days off, Officer LA Jones would try to locate her and feed her. Between the two of us, we had the week pretty well covered. There were days in which we could not locate her. On those days, the wonderful people that lived across the street from Katie's favorite alley would keep the food and give it to her later in the day when she returned to the area.

Each day she would allow me a little closer. As we became somewhat familiar with each other, I decided that she needed a name. I asked my daughter what a good name for a greyhound would be. She told me Katie, because she had long legs like a katydid. I began trying to get her familiar with the name Katie and continued to try to feed her daily. When I was able to get within approximately 2 feet of her without her trying to leave, I decided it was time to locate a home or rescue group for her. I contacted a friend with Ft. Worth Animal Control and asked if they could send me in the right direction.

I almost immediately got a call back from David Cole with the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. I told him Katie's story and he met me in the area to get an idea of Katie's habits. By this time, we knew that Katie was pregnant and due pretty soon.

Then she disappeared again! We determined that she had probably gone off and hidden to have her pups. I figured that David probably thought she was a figment of my imagination. We continued searching with no luck.

Last week, as I was leaving a call, I observed a dog crossing E Allen. I turned my lights on to slow down traffic, and then it hit me. It was Katie. I had never seen her in this area before, but it was definitely her. She saw me, but kept right on traveling across the street and down the sidewalk. I began to follow her. She led me straight to an empty residence on E Myrtle. She ran into the back yard, then disappeared. I immediately called Officer Jones over and contacted David.

We had animal control make the scene. We soon determined that Katie had given birth to her puppies underneath the house. We determined that the best action at that time was to secure the fence and provide her with plenty of food and water. I returned later that day and fed Katie again, and determined that she was still in the back yard.

The following day, David and I went out there again, with animal control. David crawled under the house and brought out Mom and 7 pretty little babies. It was an amazing sight!