Ghost Dog

Capturing Ghost Dog

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Capturing Ghost Dog

Ghost Dog is a large Cane Corso Mastiff. This is a breed of dog that is very muscular and often weighs more than 100 pounds. Ghost Dog weighs 109 pounds! In 2012, Ghost Dog didn’t have a home or owners. He didn’t have a leash, a dinner bowl, and he certainly didn’t have a dog bed. Instead, Ghost Dog lived alone in a large park in the middle of Brooklyn.

Capturing Ghost Dog

Of course he used to have owners. He has clipped ears and a docked tail, which are telltale signs that at one time he lived with humans. But when he was one or two years old, he began living in the park with no one to take care of him.

Capturing Ghost Dog

The weird thing was that people did take care of him. In fact, he was a well-known animal in the park, almost a celebrity. In the mornings, one man regularly fed him breakfast. Then Ghost Dog wandered to the dog beach and begged for scraps from dog owners. He spent the rest of the day relaxing in an open field in the park, or playing with other dogs. Other runners and walkers in the park fed him small treats. Sometimes he found scraps of food in the trashcans of nearby restaurants. He didn’t like to be touched, and he didn’t like when people he didn’t know tried to come near him. After a long day of playing in the park, Ghost Dog went to sleep in the hollowed trunk of a fallen tree.

Capturing Ghost Dog

You might be wondering how anyone can know the details of Ghost Dog’s daily routine. And that’s where Sean Casey becomes part of the story. Sean owns an Animal Rescue shelter and has spent much of his life helping animals in need. He first heard about Ghost Dog in 2008. He received complaints that a large, wild dog was roaming the park without a leash. The dog didn’t seem dangerous or mean, but Sean wanted to make sure. He sent one of his workers into the park overnight. The worker followed Ghost Dog for 24 hours and learned what the dog did and how he survived.

Capturing Ghost Dog

Sean soon realized that Ghost Dog was very happy in the park, and that Ghost Dog wasn’t mean or aggressive or dangerous. Ghost Dog was just a very big dog leading a very happy life in the middle of a very busy city.

Capturing Ghost Dog

But Sean was worried. A dog living alone in the park without a leash might cause problems in the future, especially if he became injured or sick. “We tried to capture him using ropes, but he was too smart. We could never get close enough,” Sean says. So instead, Sean decided to monitor the dog’s activities and wait until the right moment presented itself.

Capturing Ghost Dog

In May 2012, Sean began receiving reports that Ghost Dog was “haunting” the park and acting aggressively toward people. He says these reports were ridiculous. “He’s a sweetheart,” Sean said. But he noticed something else too: Ghost Dog was injured. He was limping and he moved slowly around the park. He seemed less scared of being captured. Sean knew Ghost Dog needed help. After four years in the park, maybe Ghost Dog was ready for a different home.

Capturing Ghost Dog

And so he unleashed a plan. One morning, Sean, his workers, and the man who regularly fed Ghost Dog captured the wild dog using ropes. They began by feeding him treats and circling him until they could get close enough to loop a rope around his neck. They brought another dog with them. This helped distract Ghost Dog who loved the company of other animals. Ghost Dog tried to fight, but eventually gave up and followed Sean into the Animal Rescue van.

Capturing Ghost Dog

Sean took Ghost Dog to a veterinarian. Ghost Dog had Lyme’s Disease and an injured knee that required surgery. Sean kept him at a shelter until he was healed. For a dog that lived on his own for so long, Ghost Dog was surprisingly friendly and affectionate. He nuzzled Sean’s leg and welcomed his touch.

Sean has spent a lot of time rehabilitating Ghost Dog. He hoped that someone would adopt him, even if he is “a bit of a handful.”

Multiple Choice

Who is Ghost Dog?

• a pet who belonged to Sean Casey

• a wild dog that lived in a park in Brooklyn

• the ghost of a dead dog who haunts a park

• the dog of a famous celebrity

Multiple Choice

Which of the following shows the sequence of events described in the text in the correct order?

• Sean Casey receives complaints about Ghost Dog. Ghost Dog is injured. A worker follows Ghost Dog to learn how he survives. Sean Casey captures Ghost Dog and rehabilitates him.

• Ghost Dog is injured. Sean Casey receives complaints about Ghost Dog. A worker follows Ghost Dog to learn how he survives. Sean Casey captures Ghost Dog and rehabilitates him.

• Sean Casey receives complaints about Ghost Dog. A worker follows Ghost Dog to learn how he survives. Ghost Dog is injured. Sean Casey captures Ghost Dog and rehabilitates him

Multiple Choice

Ghost Dog has clipped ears and a docked tail. Based on this evidence, what conclusion can be made?

• Ghost Dog used to live with humans.

• Ghost Dog often fights with other dogs.

• Ghost Dog cannot hear very well.

• Ghost Dog has always lived in the park.

Multiple Choice

Based on the text, why might some people have complained about Ghost Dog in 2008?

• Ghost Dog was trying to play with people in the park.

• People were tired of feeding Ghost Dog scraps and treats.

• People were scared of Ghost Dog because he was wild and large.

• Ghost Dog was sick and people wanted to help him.

Multiple Choice

What is this text mostly about?

• the daily routine and eventual capture of a wild dog called Ghost Dog

• the people affected by the presence of a wild dog in the park

• the reasons why Ghost Dog first started living in the park

• the life and career of animal rescuer Sean Casey