The likely reason why a litter of mixed Saluki / Greyhounds were bred and then abandoned, is that the breeders’ plans to sell them for illegal coursing didn’t work out. The brutal sport pushes these champion hunters to chase down rabbits and tear them apart. Sadly, this is where Gigi was born.
It was a tough start for her and her litter mates. They were all in bad shape. The non-profit volunteer rescue, “Greyhound Friends for Life” worked tirelessly to save them all. Once the filth was cleaned off and the wounds tended, they were fed and vaccinated. The healing had begun. Next, the challenge of finding her a forever home. This challenge however, proved to be golden. An amazing family in San Francisco stepped up. Their dedication, commitment and knowledge of animal care completed the healing, literally loving her to wellness.
Gigi’s strength to endure this kind of hardship at such a young age spilled up from her ancestors. She is classified as a “sighthound.” For thousands of years this breed was used for hunting game by sight rather than smell. These are working dogs with gazelle-like swiftness and a hard-wired instinct to survive.
The Saluki’s ancestors were born in the mountains and valley regions of the Middle East called “The Fertile Crescent.” While Greyhounds have European roots. Both lines are valued for their keen hunting abilities and speed. To look at her, she appears the perfect mix of these two regions with all the mystery and magic of the ancient East and the grace and style of a modern Parisian.
She doesn’t walk, she glides. Her deep eyes top a long face hypnotizing anyone who dares stare back. Her graceful long neck rivals Audrey Hepburn’s in stature. And, amidst all this stunning beauty are the unfathomable reminders of her puppyhood with scars on both sides of her torso. The scars are now covered over with healthy glowing fur…a nod to her loving family and their ferocious dedication to her well-being.
For this, she is forever grateful.
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About the piece: Gigi side-stares at us from a collaged background meant to suggest the distant mountains of her Saluki ancestors with an Easterly tilting arrow toward her Greyhound European roots. Audrey Hepburn pinks, black and white dominate the color palette. Collage papers include scraps of posters torn from the walls of an old building in Paris. Pastel oil crayons shadow her outline with slight neon blue enhancing those piercing eyes.