Your Neighbor: Vonnie Moody

A quick conversation with any passionate dog owner results in an unquestionable takeaway: Fido isn’t just a pet; he’s part of the family. One such owner, Vonnie Moody, found her furry companion in the last place she thought she would: on a late-night TV commercial.

“This never, never happens to me,” Moody said. “But I woke up at about 4 o’clock in the morning and turned the television on, which I never do. There was a commercial on with Beverly Sebastian, of the National Greyhound Foundation. I wrote down the 800 number at the bottom of the screen ... and kept it for two months without calling. Then, one day, I thought, ‘I think I better call her.’”

That was 10 years ago, and Moody has been rescuing greyhounds ever since.

“I was emailed a picture of Ki,” said Moody of her first greyhound. “I sent it to my son and daughter and asked what they thought of me adopting her. All they said was, ‘What’s to think about? Do it.’ So I did.”

Ki was on the Miami racing track for five-and-a-half years, which took its toll on her health. She developed kidney failure from the poor treatment during her racing years and had to be put to sleep.

“I only had her for two years, but I became extremely attached,” Moody said.

After that experience, Moody didn’t think she could adopt again.

But, much like the first time, Moody couldn’t resist when she received a fateful email with a picture.
Moody adopted DeeCe, and the two soon became inseparable. DeeCe was once a much-loved prison therapy dog in Pennsylvania; the inmates named her DC.

“I kept the name, but I thought she needed a more sophisticated way of spelling it,” Moody joked.

DeeCe has been in Moody’s life for seven years, and it’s clear the two find a quiet companionship in one another. A story about a trip to the groomer best describes their relationship.

Moody and DeeCe walked to the shop to get DeeCe’s nails clipped, but, when they arrived, DeeCe was frightened by a small dog’s high-pitched bark and slipped out of her collar. The retired racing dog started running — with Moody and the groomer in tow.

“I knew if she went out on Gulf of Mexico Drive, she’d be gone,” said Moody.

But DeeCe knew better.

“I kept running, and when I came flying up to my door, she was just sitting there, looking at me with her big black eyes, like, ‘What took you so long?’” said Moody, laughing. “She knew she was home.”

Neighborhood: Pelican Harbour
Your neighbor since: 1974
 

Contact Kelsey Grau at [email protected]