A Spanish Greyhound, known as one of the fastest breeds in the world, is home safe after running loose in the Lumsden, Sask., area for nearly three weeks. On Aug. 30, the greyhound named “La Gracia” escaped the TM’z Veterinary Clinic in Lumsden. “There were sightings of her in Craven, about 10 kilometres away. She was up on the Lumsden hill. She was at the Co-op,” Garson Hunter, La Gracia’s owner, said. Ryan Beston from Queen City Drone Production & Training was called out to try to find the dog. He helped narrow the search down. “Bulyea is the farthest we went. I just had a gut feeling it didn’t go that far,” he said. “I was suggested by all search and rescue teams I deal with, they said it’s going to be close.” The staff at Lincoln Gardens saw the greyhound a number of times on the farm, located north-east of Lumsden. The farm contacted the dog’s owner and remained quiet about the dog’s location. “We wanted to keep her location safe and allow the owner to have the time to make a routine with her,” said Chelsea Snow, a manager at Lincoln Gardens. Hunter camped out many nights where his dog was staying. Different tactics were used to try to get her to return, but nothing worked. Isabelle Fournier, a dog trapper from Montreal, was flown in to complete the task. Fournier built the contraption which allowed the dog to walk in. A sensor picked up when the dog entered, which closed the door. Beforehand, the dog was baited to the area, returning again later on. “You don’t know the dog is going to go into the trap. This is something we were fully aware of. It was this or she wouldn’t survive,” said Tania Schmitt, the president of Extraordinary Galgos & Podencos. La Gracia is now at home in Regina and recovering. Hunter said the experience had been tough but is thankful for all the support he has received. “It took us one week from that excellent sight to catch her,” Hunter said. “I felt bad telling people, ‘I don’t know where she is.’ Because they all wanted to help.”
