Earthquakes and animals

Across Southern California, the 5.4 earthquake rattled furry nerves and ruffled feathers--literally.

"My birds felt it first," reported one reader. "They were all fluffy and upset a few seconds before it happened."

In Chino Hills, the epicenter of the quake, Alissa Sissung's 10-year-old daughter, Delaney, was spending the day at a horse camp not far from her home. Just before the ground began to quiver, her daughter watched the horses and dogs stir nervously, Sissung told Times reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske.

Another reader e-mailed: "I was feeding my horse when all of a sudden, he took off running. Seconds later is when the earthquake hit."

And word filtered in to us from Garden Grove about a greyhound at a rescue shelter who  rarely gets up, but who suddenly stood up and looked around, to the surprise of the humans there. Then the earthquake hit.

Whether they really could sense the earthquake a'coming--as fabled--or were as jolted into surprise as their people, the area's animals seem to have withstood the temblor as well as humans did.

Although, like people, they did their share of freaking out. "My cats went running through the room scared to death," Michael Gelfond, an attorney working out of his Beverlywood home office, told Times reporter Tami Abdollah.

Elizabeth Gonzales suffered one of the day's few quake-related injuries--a dog bite. The veterinarian was examining a mixed-breed terrier when the walls of Chino Hills Small Animal Hospital began to rattle. The frightened dog promptly sunk its teeth into Gonzales' hand.

"They are pretty deep punctures," Gozales told L.A. Times reporter Paul Pringle. But "he's always been a good doggie."

Gonzales says that reaction is not unusual. Dogs, cats, and other animals often become terrified when the ground moves. "They don't know what's going on," she said. "They don't feel secure in their surroundings." Gonzales advises keeping dogs and cats away from windows during and immediately after a quake, lest they jump out in panic. "Their first instinct is, 'Where can I go hide?'"

The Los Angeles county shelter system reported that all its animals and buildings weathered the quake just fine.  Same report from the Los Angeles city shelters. "No damage," said L.A. Animal Services general manager Ed Boks.  "And, no, the animals did not give us any warning of the earthquake--like they're supposed to," he deadpanned.

Even in Pomona, just seven miles from the epicenter, the Inland Valley Humane Society survived undamaged, and the animals were well, according to Jim Edward, operations manager of the shelter. "You hear so many stories about how they're intuitive and seem to know it's coming,"  Edward said. "No. It was just another day for them. Maybe it's the soft music we play in the kennels."

--Carla Hall

More background on Riley the greyhound

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound named Riley that used to race at the Caliente track in Tijuana. She periodically posts updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed.

Adopting a greyhound is a little like getting married. You don't just get a dog -- in my case Riley, my beautiful 4-year-old retired racer -- you get an extended family as well.

And soon after I started writing about my journey to adopt Riley (at left in the photo), the family started checking in. There was Theresa Padilla, who is Greyhound Pets of America-CA's foster coordinator for L.A. and Orange County. She filled in some of the blanks about the day Riley arrived from Mexico: "I was processing the dogs the day Monty (a.k.a. Riley) came off the track," she wrote. "When we saw Monty both Beverly (my adoption coordinator) and I were quite taken with him. When I was assigning dogs to the fosters I asked Beverly if she had someone in mind for Monty and she said yes. So I swapped him out for the dog I had originally assigned to Beverly for fostering. I truly believe everything happens for a reason."

So my first gift from the family was courtesy of Theresa, who just had a feeling about Riley's future.

Then there was the note from Carey Theil, who's the executive director of a national greyhound protection group, Grey2K-USA , based in Massachusetts. Because of Grey2K's efforts there is a remarkable amount of documentation available on greys who race in the state.

Riley the greyhound enjoys the superstar life

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound named Riley that used to race at the Caliente racing track in Tijuana. She periodically posts updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed.

I've been lucky when it comes to my canine companions; they've all been the sorts of dogs that draw attention. Rosie, my Neapolitan mastiff, was 128 pounds of silver sheen, a wonderfully wrinkled face and soulful green eyes. She moved with a fluid grace that was more lion than dog and never lived a moment of her 12 years under the radar.

My English setter puppy Max, with a big black patch over his left eye and the personality of a renegade pirate to match, has been attracting crowds since the day in November when he landed at LAX straight from Havelock Setters in North Dakota when he was 2 months old.

But Riley? Well, he's just turning out to be superstar material. All greyhounds are blessed with beautiful lines -- deep chests that sweep up into an amazingly trim body, sleek heads that look aerodynamically perfect, ears that are as expressive as their eyes, slender prancing legs and a tail that makes a long graceful "J" to cap it all off.

Even there, Riley is extraordinary -- at certain angles he looks like a pen-and-ink drawing, with precise rivers of black coursing through an underlying palette of reddish brown. But it's more than that. Riley has presence.

When people come up to him, and they do in droves, it's as if he radiates a sort of magnanimity that just encircles them, draws them in. They don't talk to him exactly -- they talk about him, around him, in reverent tones.

A brief history of Riley the greyhound

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound named Riley that used to race at the Caliente racing track in Tijuana. She periodically posts updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about Riley's racing stats.

His racing name was Collegiate. His dad, Craigie Whistler, was a one-time derby champion. In a course 5/16th of a mile, Collegiate's fastest win was 30.78 seconds.

How does that rank in the world of racing greys? According to D. Caroline Coile's book, "Greyhounds: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual," one of the record setters was Be My Bubba, who ran 5/16 of a mile in 29.33 seconds, but the book's a decade old so I'm sure that number is dated.

These days Collegiate, the 4-year-old greyhound I recently adopted, is living life as Riley and the fastest move he makes is to the bowl at feeding time.

In his racing life, Riley was a Class A racer, the top of the sport's A to D rating system. He raced 73 times, won 6, and came in 2nd place in another 14.

Thus far, Riley's dad, Craigie Whistler, has sired 4,504 pups; 457 have run in major races.

Despite his handful of wins, Riley didn't make it into the best of the litters list. Ironically, the dog among Craigie's offspring with the most wins is one named Will Ferrell. I kid you not.

Activists push greyhound protection measure in Arizona

Those who are following the saga of Riley the greyhound on L.A. Unleashed may be interested to learn that officials at the Tuscon Greyhound Park are unhappy about a grassroots ballot measure.

The measure, called the Tucson Dog Protection Act, was drafted by a group called Tucson Dog Protection and is spearheaded by retired Assistant U.S. Atty. Susan Via. To reach the ballot, the measure needs 70 signatures.

The measure would amend the existing animal cruelty section of the South Tucson City Code. (South Tucson is a 1-square-mile community surrounded by Tucson.) The proposed measure contains three provisions that address steroids, confinement and feeding dogs tainted raw meat.

Tucson Greyhound Park would be affected enough by the measure that it could eventually be pushed out of business, said Tom Taylor, the park's chief executive.

Photo: Kevin P. Casey / Los Angeles Times

Riley the greyhound experiences sibling rivalry

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound named Riley that used to race at the Caliente racing track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about sibling rivalry.

Score one for the greyhound. Max, my English setter puppy, who for the first five months of his life with me was an only dog, has gone from thrilled -- "It's a dog! I love dogs! Pant, pant, pant," to uncertain -- "You mean he's going to stay?" -- as we head into Week Two of life with Riley, the 4-year-old retired racing greyhound I adopted from Greyhound Pets of America.

Here's how the day unfolds. Alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m. Max, unfortunately goes off about 5:45, and that means he's walked over and occasionally on top of a snoozing Riley and bounced onto the bed, all smiles, kisses and dog breath. I'm desperately fending off the attention. Meanwhile Riley, who I'm convinced studied with Gandhi, is largely unfazed.

Max bounds, bounces, boings, basically spending as much time as he can airborne. Riley unfolds -- slowly and with great grace. He could be a yoga instructor, his downward-facing dog is a masterpiece in perfect lines.

To keep the peace (I'm following Riley's lead here) and order in the pack, Max gets the first round of ear scratches, fur ruffles and toy-tugging time. Riley hangs back for a few minutes before walking over to say good morning. And that's when it begins.

Riley the greyhound digs 'American Idol'

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound named Riley that used to race at the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about how Riley's personality is starting to emerge.

I think in another life Riley must have been a cat burglar, or a spy, or maybe he's more spirit than flesh and bone. All I know is that at 73 pounds and climbing, he can slip into a room without making a sound. You just suddenly feel him there.

In the week since I brought home Riley, the 4-year-old greyhound I adopted through Greyhound Pets of America, he's eased into our days and nights as soundlessly, as softly as a cloud. No thunder or lightning with this one.

It's an amazing thing to see his personality emerging as he adjusts to life beyond the regimen of the track with its endless hours in a crate, broken up by little more than feeding, exercise, training, and a race on occasion.

At a nearby dog park the other day, Riley tried out his legs -- probably the first time he's run just for the fun of it since he was a puppy. Seeing a greyhound running, for the sheer joy of it, is truly poetry in motion.

Betsy brings Riley the greyhound home

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound, Riley, at right, that used to race at the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about bringing Riley home.

Riley: The real world. This is where the fantasy stops. Riley's coming home.

It was one of those precision military affairs. I would pick him up Friday afternoon at 1:30 so that by the time I got back to the house, the gardeners would be gone -- critical since the backyard was the first stop he would need to make to begin learning the rules of the house, and more specifically, what you couldn't do in the house. Besides, I didn't want him to enter his new life to the sound of leaf blowers.

I'm not sure what I expected, but it was a pretty quick transfer. His paperwork, racing stats, a flannel blanket Beverly had made for him, a new toy, a toothbrushing demo, an info packet that included Greyhound 101, all the basics you need to know about your retired racer, and a greyhound rescue decal for the car.

All were handed over while Riley nuzzled up against me and Max raced and tumbled around with Beverly's dogs. Within minutes, she was on her way to an emergency pickup of the next greyhound she would foster and I was on my way to life with Riley.

One thing Max absolutely excels at is getting into the car, so despite a dozen distractions, he hopped in like perfection. Riley loves car rides, but is not so keen on the getting in part -- a dog treat and some pleading finally convinced him. Soon we were home and suddenly I was faced with the prospect of getting two dogs from the car into the house.

Betsy meets Monty the greyhound -- soon to be renamed Riley

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound, Riley, at right, that used to race at the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about meeting Riley.

"I think I've found the perfect dog for you." It was Beverly from Greyhound Pets of America calling about another greyhound for me to consider adopting.

It had been about a week since the wrenching meeting with Bobby, the wily white and red greyhound that I had walked away from. Just too much energy to combine with my English Setter puppy, Max. Perfect was good. But still I hesitated.

After Bobby, I'd decided to hold off any adoption until Max finished another 5 weeks of puppy obedience school. At 8, this grey, Beverly assured me, was much much calmer than Bobby. We could meet at her house then drive over to La Habra Heights, where this dog was in foster care.

And so, late on a Sunday afternoon, I started the journey to find my perfect greyhound again. I hadn't even asked the dog's name -- not a good sign.

As Max and I pulled up to the house, Beverly walked into the front yard with a handsome red and black brindle greyhound who'd just come from the track the day before. Greyhound rescue groups call it "Retirement Day," and they turn it into a celebration of dog washes and naming and placing the new greyhounds into foster homes. Beverly had taken this one.

All the GPA greyhounds who retired on April 19 from Caliente were named in some way after "The Simpsons." This beautiful boy was dubbed Monty, I'm guessing he was named after the classic "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" episode. At least that's the "Simpsons" memory it conjured up for me...

Another greyhound tale

If you've been following the saga of Riley, the greyhound that's in the process of being adopted by Times entertainment editor Betsy Sharkey, you may recall the moment when Betsy fell in love with greyhounds. It was during a visit to her veterinarian, with her 7-month-old English setter Max, when she first met George, a "black & white greyhound, dignified, elegant and calm."

"George," Betsy recalls, "was a newly adopted retired racer, with elegant tuxedo markings. He was there with a volunteer from GreySave, a Pasadena-based greyhound rescue group."

Well, it turns out that George has a new home, and L.A. Unleashed has heard from his new owners, Art and Dee Rinaman:

We saw the story about George [that] Betsy Sharkey had written on your Web site L.A. Unleashed and wanted to let you know what has happened to George.

As you can see by the picture, George has found a permanent home. He is now living in La Crescenta with his new sister Koda, a 10-year-old dalmatian.

George has been living with us for almost two months now. One day about a month and half ago on one of their walks, my wife, Dee, and George were discussing his name, and they both decided he would like to be called Hank. So George is now Hank.

He is a very lovable dog, and I world like to thank Greysave for helping us find the right greyhound to fit into our family.

-- Art and Dee Rinaman

The (greyhound) adoption process continues: Betsy and Max meet Bobby

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound, Riley, at right, that used to race at the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about meeting her first possible match, a greyhound named Bobby.

Seven nail-biting days after clearing all the hurdles to adopt a greyhound, the call finally came. Beverly of Greyhound Pets of America thought she'd found a possible match for me.

His name was Bobby, a big white boy with red patches, who had a reputation for loving puppies. Four years old, but still playful enough to take on my crazy 7-month-old English Setter, Max.

Bobby had been in a foster home since January, so would come with all the social graces -- understands basic commands, walks well on a leash, housebroken and used to the daily decorum of sharing indoor space with humans. Sounded ideal.

And so, with a growing sense of excitement (I was really going to do this...) and fear (would two dogs be too much to handle?), I headed out with Beverly, Pattie, another GPA volunteer, and Max to meet Bobby.

After an hour drive, most of it with me locked in an intense debate with Max over why he had been relegated to the back of the van, we were there.

Bobby was a beauty -- a sweet face making the classic greyhound smile, which I learned involves showing a lot of teeth. There were two other greyhounds in the home, so we took Bobby and Max out back for a kind of speed dating for dogs.

Here's how it went -- they raced around at breakneck speed, jumped, played, rolled in the dirt. For the first time ever, Max was actually the quieter one sensing, it seemed, a power greater than his. On they went ... racing, rolling, panting, then starting all over again. It looked like a version of dog heaven.

Me? I was agonizing. Here was a lovely dog that needed a home. How could I reject him? But the energy and intensity of Bobby combined with Max seemed potentially combustible. I had visions of the 5K that I was witnessing here taking place in my house.

I vacillated, I equivocated, I talked myself in and out of taking Bobby a dozen times. In the end, ambivalence won over guilt. I just didn't think Bobby was right for me. I told Beverly I needed time to think about it.

And, as usual, I did nothing but think about it: I was making a huge mistake. Max needed more time to mature. Bobby needed a different environment. Or maybe, I just wasn't cut out to handle more than one dog in my life.

It's a long-term commitment and not one to be taken lightly. And I couldn't imagine what I would do if it didn't work out. Take Bobby back? That seemed unthinkable.

In general, rescue groups will have you meet and consider two or three greyhounds before making a placement, so Bobby wasn't the only option. But for now, I had decided to put my search for one on indefinite hold.

Next up: Then along came Riley.

Home evaluation for a potential greyhound owner

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound, Riley, at right, that used to race at the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family here on L.A. Unleashed. Today she writes about her home evaluation:

I knew I was in trouble when I rushed out at the last minute to buy fresh flowers for just about every room in the house. One of those strangely obsessive moments that you're pretty sure you'll be discussing in a therapist's office one day.

Beverly from Greyhound Pets of America was coming to interview me and check out my home to make sure we were greyhound compatible. Somehow I had decided that fresh flowers would make the difference in getting my application to adopt approved.

Or maybe I was subconsciously hoping the flowers would distract from the coiled energy that is Max. I went out again with Max in tow, hoping that a quick run would suddenly turn him into the docile, mellow breed that English Setters are known to be.

I'm seven months into life with Max, a three-walk-a day puppy who never seems to tire, so clearly I'd completely lost touch with reality.

Back from the walk, I'm flagging, Max is bouncing and there is Beverly waiting with a beautiful, calm (there's that zen quality again) black and white greyhound that she'd named Patches. Beverly, I learn, has a minimum of four dogs at home -- two greyhounds and two collies that are hers, and the greyhounds she takes in to foster. I think she must be a saint.

We talked for a couple of hours about why I want a greyhound, the pros and cons of adopting this breed, my background as a pet owner (very good, by the way). All the while, Max is in perpetual motion, Patches is unfazed and Beverly doesn't blink an eye. This is good. I'm breathing easier. Maybe the flowers are working.

On to the yard evaluation. My backyard, with its 6-foot-high fences and dog path, gets an A. The pool, my favorite thing about the house, is not a plus. There's a myth that greyhounds can't swim, that their body design and muscle-to-fat ratio makes them sink. Not true, it turns out, so the pool can stay. Whew!

All of the greyhound adoption groups I looked at have a fairly detailed application process, including a list of about 30 different behavioral problems that might lead you to return a dog (most groups require that if for any reason you can no longer provide for your greyhound, you return it to them).

It was hard to admit that there were things that would cause me to give up a dog, but I tried to be brutally honest, checking things like aggression, uncontrolled urges to pee in the house, plays Metallica at midnight. ... Thankfully, no one held that against me.

I went through a similar process with GreySave, being interviewed by Judy, who it turns out had been the volunteer at my veterinarian's office with the handsome tuxedo greyhound, George. Judy fosters both dogs and cats and pretty much makes herself available 24/7 to greyhounds in need.

In the end, I was approved by GPA, but put on hold by GreySave until Max matures a little more. (All the reading I've done on greyhounds, English setters, puppies, rescue adoptions, etc. has taught me is that if your dog is a problem, the problem is most likely you. Sorry Max, but thanks for taking the fall.)

Now I'm just waiting for a call from Beverly to see if they've found a greyhound match.

Next up: Why not Bobby

An update on the adoption of Riley, a greyhound

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is in the process of adopting a greyhound, Riley, at right, that used to race at the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family at L.A. Unleashed. This is her second report:

It all began with George. An unexpected encounter that became life changing.

OK, it was 8:30 in the morning. I was at the vet's office with my 6-month-old English Setter, Max, who falls madly, deeply in love with every dog he meets, when in walks George, a black & white greyhound, dignified, elegant and calm.

When you're with the wild one (that would be Max), it's easy for observation to turn to envy ... I wanted one of those! George was a newly adopted retired racer, with elegant tuxedo markings. He was there with a volunteer from GreySave, a Pasadena-based greyhound rescue group.

Max immediately loved this dog and I have to say, I did too. The zen of George just filled the room. And besides, I told myself, dogs are pack animals and Max and I aren't exactly a pack.

The prospect of adopting a greyhound was seductive, but I wasn't quite ready to commit.

Thank God for Google -- I could read, explore, imagine and learn long before I made the first move toward commitment.

Greyhounds are lucky; they seem to have one of the most active and nationwide communities of rescue organizations. All have websites are filled with amazing dogs who've survived the grueling world of racing and now are just waiting to find a home.

There are the back stories, some heartbreaking, told by the foster families, who are helping them make the transition from track to a 3 bedroom, 2 bath life in the burbs.

But deciding to adopt a greyhound is just the beginning. The next step is to find out whether your home, your lifestyle and, most important, whether you will measure up. With so many dogs available, it had never occurred to me that rejection was a possibility.

Next up: The home evaluation.

Seeking a greyhound, and remembering Eight Belles

Los Angeles Times Entertainment Editor Betsy Sharkey is going to adopt a racing greyhound from the Caliente Racing Track in Tijuana. She will periodically post updates on his assimilation into her family at L.A. Unleashed. This is her first report:

Meet Riley. He's a 4-year-old racing greyhound just days off the track -- 17, to be exact. I'm in the process of adopting him from a local rescue operation, Greyhound Pets of America, and maybe that's why the death of filly Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby over the weekend hit me especially hard.

Riley, like all racers whether horse or canine, was at constant risk not only of career-ending injuries, but also of life-ending ones. And so it was for Eight Belles -- fractured ankles at the end of a race that she literally gave everything for. No happy ending.

Racing greyhounds, even injured ones, stand a much better chance of survival; a broken leg can be set, and most greys manage to hobble around in a cast during recovery. And because of the aggressive efforts of various greyhound rescue groups, who pick up the medical costs for many injured greys, the tracks don't automatically euthanize them anymore.

I'm still waiting for Riley's racing stats, which will come when I pick him up Friday, after shots, neutering, teeth cleaning and my foster care training. The rescue group thinks he must have been a pretty consistent winner for the track to have kept him racing that long. But success, as we saw this weekend, can exact a high price. I'm just glad the race is over for Riley and that in just a few days he'll be coming home forever.

Next: How I found Riley

-- Betsy Sharkey