Could that have been a tear in the eye of council ranger Mark Cooper when he bid farewell to Davis the greyhound at the pound after the pooch’s six-week stay?
The long-legged lovely wormed his way into the hearts of Tenterfield Shire Council staff after an extraordinary set of circumstances led to his long stay at their convenience. When you start feeling a little pessimistic about the state of the world, this story demonstrates that there are still good people out there happy to help out a stranger in need, and his dog.
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It all started around six weeks ago when Hamish Creaser was travelling along Bruxner Way before experiencing a health episode which found him taken to Tenterfield Hospital in circumstances that are a bit unclear, and then transferred to a Taree mental health facility for treatment.
What is for sure is that his faithful four-legged friend Davis was left in Hamish’s abandoned station wagon on Bruxner Way. Council was alerted and ranger Leah Osborne came to Davis’s rescue, retrieving him from the vehicle with the assistance of Tenterfield Police and giving him a temporary home at the pound.
There followed a week of investigation on Leah’s behalf, trying to track down Davis’s owner after his microchip traced him back to the Victorian Greyhound Society. (The car also had Victorian plates.)
I’m just gobsmacked by the kindness and generosity of so many people.
- Hamish Creaser
She persevered around multiple obstacles including a reluctance to disclose information due to privacy concerns, but was able to trace Hamish to Taree. Realising the predicament the rangers decided to give Davis a comfortable home until Hamish was well enough to collect him.
Mark said it was lucky that Davis had the pound to himself for the stay, but it was probably due to more than luck that he received lots of visits from council staff and enjoyed lots of treats such as big juicy bones.
Meanwhile a concerned citizen farther along Bruxner Way passed the abandoned vehicle and feared that it may be set alight, triggering a dangerous fire in the dry conditions. He opted to tow the vehicle back to his place for safekeeping (the keys were still in the ignition) and also had his dramas trying to track down the owner.
He also eventually got on to Hamish and treated him to a fine lunch at his home when Hamish came to collect the car, on his way to being reunited with Davis at the pound.
Hamish had adopted Davis – or Tearaway Davis, to use his racing name – eight years ago, after a career which included a few wins. Hamish said Davis is one of the lucky ones, with adoption fees now built into the racing licence cost.
The rangers had taken Davis down to the Tenterfield Veterinary Clinic for a bath the morning the pair were reunited, so he would look his best. Leah admitted that he’d been ‘a bit spoilt’ during his stay, and had become a favourite with council staff.
Hamish was very happy to see Davis again. He’s still an inpatient at Taree (where he enjoys catching up with the therapy dog on ward), but a social worker has secured accommodation for Davis nearby until Hamish is discharged.
“I’m just gobsmacked by the kindness and generosity of so many people,” Hamish said.
