Bambi, SC, CGC
Delta Society Pet Therapy Partner
(Bon Chance Mr. Sandman x Bon Chance Moonshadow)
For Bambi's pedigree, click here.
Life Lessons
Bambi was my first Whippet and has taught me so many things about this lovely and loving breed, but the first was in how NOT to buy a dog. She is the product of a backyard breeder, combined with a whole lot of ignorance on my part. Not that I would trade her for the world. I wouldn't, but I would never purchase a dog that way again.
I'm honest about where Bambi came from because I hope others will learn from my mistakes. I knew I wanted a Whippet puppy and suddenly, an advertisement appeared in the Washington Post. I was on the phone immediately and drove to West Virginia to pick up my girl. The breeder didn't screen me to see whether I had an appropriate home or ask if I even knew anything about the breed. I handed over my check and that was the last contact I had with Bambi's breeder.
How did I choose her? Well, she wasn't the prettiest of the bunch. There were actually two litters from which to choose from, and I thought the other litter was prettier, but those pups weren't much interested in me. I sat in the middle of a big pen with all of those puppies and Bambi -- this scrawny little thing with a black face -- was absolutely relentless. She wouldn't let me play with any of the other puppies and claimed me as her own. After a while, I just said, "It looks like this one has picked me," and that was that.
Despite our inauspicious beginnings, Bambi and I have traveled quite a path together. I changed the entire trajectory of my career because of this sweet girl. When she was just a wee pup, I was a reporter traveling across the country to follow political campaigns. Some people would think I had a dream job, but spending so much time on the road left me feeling miserable and yearning to be with my adorable puppy. She was everything I wanted and was the very essence of unconditional love. She still is to this day.
Today, I'm an editor rather than a traveling reporter and get to come home every day to my Whippets. Maybe the job isn't as glamorous, but I'm a whole lot happier for the change.
Bambi has done a little lure coursing, some obedience and racing, but her true talent lies in her loving nature. She wants nothing more than to love and be loved, and that is why I'm now sharing her gifts with others as a certified therapy dog. Bambi is a pet partner with the Delta Society and together, we are members of National Capital Therapy Dogs Inc.
Bambi is currently a "Reading Education Assistance Dog,'' helping schoolchildren learn to read at the Rockville Public Library.
For more information on the Delta Society, please visit www.deltasociety.org and the National Capital Therapy Dogs at www.nctdinc.org. For more information on how to purchase a Whippet puppy from a reputable breeder, please contact Mary Downing of the American Whippet Club at whimsy@gte.net or visit
www.whippet-rescue.com or contact me directly. I'm always happy to help people adopt a Rescue or find a reputable breeder.
Contact Brigitte Greenberg