Through my passion for greyhounds and Spanish galgos, I have learnt about other more unusual breeds of sighthounds, where I have been asked if I can help find new homes. Last year it was the Azawakh, this year it is the Sloughi.
Caroline Mathews of Sloughi Rescue in the UK explains how she got involved with the breed.
'My first rescue Sloughi, Oscar, came to me from a shelter in the UK in 1999. I didnt know about Sloughis at that time and thought that I had a rather unique and beautiful looking Lurcher. A couple of years later I was introduced to the breed and a true love affair was started.
I could never understand what made Oscar so different from my other Lurcher and many other Lurchers I had known over the years. He had been very badly treated and so showed great fear with most people. However he trusted me from the off and it created a very unique bond between us. Sloughis have a great sense of humour when they are around 'their people'.
One of my favourite things about Oscar was that his true personality only really came out when we were alone. He only wanted to give me that great gift, his loyalty was second to none and he made me laugh all the time. And his beauty was simply breathtaking.
As I have gotten to know other rescue Sloughis through my work with the Rescue Sloughi Group in the UK, they all have very quirky personalities, I see glimpses of their true selves on occasion but like Oscar they reserve their true personalities for their owners and I delight on hearing stories of all the things they get up to at home!
Given their loyalty to their owner it is hard to imagine how they bond with new owners. However it can be achieved with patience and understanding. The dogs in the UK that were neglected so badly bonded much more easily with their new owners as they had never experienced a bond in their former lives. Some were very shut down so it took a little more time but slowly they came around to living life again.
I love all of my dogs, who are all Lurchers, however my experience with Oscar stays very close to my heart. There is something hugely rewarding about gaining the trust of these noble hounds. They will delight and entertain you, their loyalty is never in question.
For more personal experiences with rescue Sloughis visit Sloughi Rescue website.
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