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"Scratch
a dog and you'll find a permanent job."
Franklin
P. Jones
ROME (Italy) — Out of the frying
pan and into the fur. Italy's last dog track, the Cinodromo, has
just closed
down, eliciting thunderous applause from Greyhound lovers and
animal welfare advocates around the world (too see why, visit some of the
related articles listed at right). But while generations of future Greyhounds
in Italy will have cause to celebrate, the immediate concern
is for the 371 out-of-work racing dogs who are left homeless.
But you'll never guess who has come to the rescue...
"Say brother, can you spare a wag?"
Two ex-racetrack employees, "El Diablo" (left)
and Gherardo Moretti (right), stand at the abandoned Cinodromo dog
race track in Rome, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002.
(Photos: Beatrice Larco / AP)
Despite being out of work themselves, the Cinodromo's 37 unemployed
workers—trainers, exercisers and
caretakers—have volunteered to look
after their canine compatriots while permanent homes are sought. A
few international Greyhound rescues are trying their best to publicize the
plight of these dogs in an effort to enlist the help of dog-lovers in
Europe and around the world.
Late last month, Anne Finch, founder of  Greyhounds
in Need, spoke of the seriousness of the situation but praised:
"However, for a track to have harbored hundreds of its retired dogs
for years, something unheard of in the greyhound industry, must tell us
something about the commitment of the current management towards their
dogs." Greyhounds
in Need (UK & USA) and Greyhound
Adopt Center (Italy) are just a few of the groups involved in the
rescue operation.
Put my money on the one with 4 legs.
"Bilbao" runs for exercise with volunteer Piero
Pressanti around the abandoned Cinodromo track. Aug. 15, 2002.
(Photo: Beatrice Larco / AP)
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...and Have You Heard the
Joke About the Unemployed Dog? |
| A local business was looking for
office help. They put a sign in the window, stating the following:
HELP WANTED.
Must be able to type, must be good with a
computer and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity
Employer.
A short time afterwards, a dog trotted up to the window, saw the
sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his
tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it and whined.
Getting the idea, the receptionist got the office manager. The
office manager looked at the dog and was surprised, to say the
least. However, the dog looked determined, so she led him into the
office. Inside, the dog jumped up on the chair and stared at the
manager.
The manager said, "I can't hire you. The sign says you have
to be able to type." The dog jumped down, went to the
typewriter and proceeded to type out a perfect letter. He took out
the page and trotted over to the manager and gave it to her, then
jumped back on the chair. The manager was stunned but then told the
dog, "The sign says you have to be good with a computer."
The dog jumped down again and went to the computer. The dog
proceeded to demonstrate his expertise with various programs and
produced a sample spreadsheet and database and presented them to the
manager. By this time the manager was totally dumbfounded.
She looked
at the dog and said, "I realize that you are a very intelligent
dog and have some interesting abilities. However, I still can't give
you the job."
The dog jumped down and went to a copy of the sign and put his
paw on the sentences that told about being an Equal Opportunity
Employer. The manager said, "Yes, but the sign also says that
you have to be bilingual."
The dog looked her straight in the face and said,
"Meow." |
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