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The Elusive and Legendary
Grainger County Tomato Dog!
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Grainger County is famous for tomatoes no matter how you look at it. Is
it a fruit or a vegetable? Is it spelled tomatoe or tomato? Is it
something in the soil or the air that makes Grainger County Tomatoes
famous? No one really knows, but Grainger County Tomatoes are famous
nonetheless; and that brings us to the famous (or more likely infamous) Grainger
County Tomato Dog.
New "breeds" are developed every day. Most of these are mixed
breed dogs that someone decides to give a cute name (like cock-a-poos or
schnoodles); but not the Grainger County Tomato Dog. This breed has been
present in Grainger County for as long as anyone can remember. It has long
been believed that this breed originated from a lone hunting dog that went
astray. Being a young dog, it wasn't very adept at hunting and the only
food it could catch were Grainger County Tomatoes. The tomatoes were
always plentiful and the young dog grew into a strong and resilient adult (some
believe it's the high antioxidant content of the tomatoes that make this dog so
strong and long lived). Alas, the first sightings were by tomato farmers
and migrant workers. The sightings always described a strong "mixed
breed" male that could move in and out of tomato fields effortlessly and
without sound. Most reported seeing the dog actually eating tomatoes or
carrying a tomato around in its mouth. No one can recall the first
sighting but reports come in year after year. Some have even tried to
photograph this dog, but just like Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, it always
seems to avoid the camera. Although no one has been able to catch it or
trap it or even photograph it, we know it's here. We know because it
leaves undeniable evidence each year of it's existence. And that evidence
is in the form of puppies. Yes, you read correctly- Grainger County Tomato
Dog PUPPIES.
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| Each year the humane society in Grainger County is bombarded by calls of
residents with puppies. The puppies appear almost magically to any
household owning a female dog that hasn't been spayed (or
"fixed"). It's always the same story too. Residents claim
that they didn't even know their female dog was pregnant. Some that have
breeding animals didn't see another male dog around but somehow ended up with
Grainger County Tomato Dog puppies instead of shelties, labs, terriers, poodles
or anything else they were breeding. The evidence is in the puppy.
Something about the Tomato Dog genetics makes each pup resemble the father....
usually a tri-colored, medium sized pup resembling a unique cross of lab,
beagle, rotti, and various hunting hounds. Through the years, different
generations of Tomato Dog pups have produced puppies that can be a single color
(usually tan or black) or have markings similar to black and tan hound pups, as
well as the classic tri-colored variety. Pups also come in short and long
haired varieties, although most believe this trait comes from the mother |
| So what happens to this plethora of puppies? Unfortunately, the
offspring aren't as resilient as the original Tomato Dog. We believe it's
because the pups don't usually consume tomatoes like the father. Some will
succumb to infectious diseases like Parvo, others will be given away at flea
markets and through ads in the paper and be lost, and some lucky ones will find
homes through the humane society. Still others will remain hidden in
Grainger County. Not having a home, these pups wander the county dodging
wild predators and automobiles. Some believe the pups are searching for
their father, but many believe they are just trying to survive the overpopulated
world they were born into. Since the Grainger County Tomato Dog isn't
officially recognized as a breed, the pups are categorized as "mixes"
and most spend their first few months of life being passed over for adoption
because there's always a cuter or more "pure bred" pup waiting to be
adopted. Many will die lonely in a shelter, never finding a loving
home. Still others will survive the summer and fall only to succumb to the
elements during a hard winter. |
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So what can you do to help? Many have tried to catch the elusive
Grainger County Tomato Dog. Hunters have even been so bold to claim they
shot it, only to find a tomato lying where they thought they saw the dog.
Years of fruitless attempts at capturing the Tomato Dog has left only one
conclusion, you can't catch a legend. Our focus must be on preventing more
unwanted puppies from being born. That has to start with spaying the
female dogs, and then finding responsible homes for any remaining puppies.
It continues with humane education and laws designed to protect our beloved
pets. Then the Grainger County
Tomato Dog can live on forever as just legend and folklore.
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The
End
©2005
TMB/GCHS
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