#2 A few years ago an airline baggage handler dropped the crate of a gorgeous Best in Show Whippet at JFK, in February, coming back from the Westminster show. Door opened, dog spooked and raced across the runways, disappearing into the marshes at the edge of the airport. Volunteers searched for weeks and search dogs found traces of scent in the marshes but she was never found. Either she was taken by someone who kept her or, more likely, she died from the winter weather.
All the people associated with her - breeders, owner, fans - were devestated. At a practical level the loss of her joint bloodlines (she hadn't been bred yet) was a loss to the breed as a whole. But at a personal level she was a much beloved pet. |