AUTHOR RUNS WITH TRUE TALE
A GREYHOUND, who made national headlines for running away from his new home after being spooked by the family cat, is now the star of a children’s book.
Albert, The Greyhound Who Loves to Run, recounts the real-life adventure of a newly adopted greyhound who spent nine weeks on the run after jumping the fence at his Gippsland Lakes home.
The heartwarming story came to light in 2018, inspiring Albert’s adopted owner and author Kylie Miller to chronicle the nine-week journey to bring her beloved greyhound home.
Kylie remembers seeing Albert for the first time – big, brown, sad eyes, prominent ribs and scars marring his lean greyhound frame – and said it was love at first sight.
The two-year-old pooch was rescued from a pound in regional NSW by foster carer Rhonda Helman of Country Kats and K9 Rescue, who nursed Albert back to health before he was adopted by Kylie and her husband Brett.
The day they brought Albert home, he was spooked by their cat, Cleo, causing him to jump their 1.5m high fence and run away.
Kylie’s book tells the moving tale of how, across nine long weeks, the Gippsland community rallied to help find Albert and bring him home safely.
While the book is a fictionalised account of the dramatic ordeal, the characters – including Cleo the cat, Albert’s brother Teddy and rescuer Rhonda – are real.
And while Kylie considers Albert to be a special canine, she said his story was not uncommon.
“It equally applies to the thousands of dogs seeking happy, forever homes each year. I hope Albert’s story will encourage people to adopt rather than shop for their pets,” Kylie said. “People see the racing but they don’t see that greyhounds are really gentle, loveable couch potatoes.”
Albert, The Greyhound who Loves to Run, features pictures by Karen Erasmus and is the first in a series of greyhound picture books written by Kylie Miller.