When people come into Cassidy’s Woodcrafts in Fithian, they marvel over the artwork and the hand-carved pieces.

Then, they spot the two whippets watching from behind a gate, and they gush over the beauty of the dogs.

“It’s like the weather,” Judy Cassidy said. “You can start a conversation with anyone by talking about the dogs.”

Judy and Mike Cassidy own both the shop and the dogs, who can watch customers from a back room, separated by a child’s gate. The dogs — Maddy May, 11, and Buster, 5 — are free to come and go through a back doggy door, and they also have free run of a huge backyard.

Whippets have characteristics of greyhounds — rose ears (which curl back), a deep chest for their big lungs, a concave stomach and slender build — but they’re smaller.

Like greyhounds, whippets are sight hounds — they’re bred to run down prey and kill it. Squirrels that get into the yard are in great danger.

And, of course, they run like the wind.

When Mike threw a ball across the yard, Buster took off and snatched it out of the air.

“He’d make a good shortstop,” Mike said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Maddy watched from a distance, wary of the visitors.

“She has no conception of play,” Judy said. Something traumatic happened in her past, but the couple doesn’t know what.

The Cassidys’ love affair with whippets started in the 1980s, when someone gave them a puppy for Christmas. They thought Missy was aloof, but it turned out she was deaf.

When Missy died, Judy got on the Internet and found a whippet breeder in Indiana. The breeder said she had a grown female who had been in a home, but was returned. The dog was 4 years old.

“She looked just like Missy,” Judy said, and the couple filled out the adoption papers.

They don’t know what happened to Maddy when she was in her first home, but Judy said, “We immediately knew there were issues.”

Maddy stayed in the yard all day — away from any human contact — but at night, she jumped into bed with them. The next day, she followed the same routine — staying as far away from them during the day, and jumping into bed at night.

She also was afraid of men, and it was three weeks before she’d let Michael touch her during the day. She’s also afraid of diesel trucks.

The Cassidys suspect Maddy was kept caged for hours and hours at a time in her past life. She doesn’t know how to play, and she’s standoffish around strangers. However, she’s fine in the shop.

“She’s never gotten over whatever happened to her,” Judy said. “She has a horrible fear of being locked up again and left alone. Those kinds of things never go away with dogs.”

With a rescue dog, Judy said, the issues don’t go away, but the dog gets better with kindness. An owner has to be willing to be patient and do whatever it takes to help the dog get over his past trauma.

Five years ago, the couple got Buster as a puppy from Dr. Connie Brunkow, a veterinarian who breeds and shows whippets. “He’s a lover,” Judy said. “He doesn’t know a stranger. He thinks he should be the center of attention.”

Judy described him as demanding, destructive and demonstrative. His destructiveness comes from his desire to “make beds” in the carpet and blankets, ruining both.

Whippets are very affectionate, Judy said; males tend to show that affection more, while the females are more reserved.

The Cassidys are big fans of the whippet breed. “I think they’re a wonderful animal,” Judy said. They shed very little and have no odor, she said.

They’re quiet, gentle, loyal to their owners and friendly to visitors.

However, Judy believes in leaving the breeding up to people who know what they’re doing — those who are responsibly trying to improve the bloodline. It upsets her to see people breeding dogs for the wrong reasons.

“It’s irresponsible to bring animals into this world you can’t take care of,” she said.

“We’ve been negligent — what we’ve done to dogs and cats,” she said, noting that domesticated animals can’t take care of themselves.

The Cassidys are strong believers in rescuing dogs. Even people who like a certain breed, such as whippets, can find rescue groups for that breed.

When she’s not catering to her whippets’ needs, Judy is a teller supervisor at United Community Bank in Oakwood. Mike is retired from the University of Illinois.

The couple has the right idea — more people should rescue, rather than breed, dogs and cats. So many dogs have survived trauma or a lack of love in their lives, and they’re just waiting for the right people — someone like the Cassidys — to come along and share their love.

FYI

Cassidy’s Woodcrafts is at 402 W. Washington St. in Fithian. Its number is 493-7625. The business specializes in decoys, boxes, clocks and other creations.

YARD SALES

Members of the Vermilion County Animal Shelter Foundation are seeking nice clean items for garage sales this year. The sales will be at the homes of foundation board members.

There will be a sale once a month, with the first one on May 30 at 2807 Countryway.

The next one will be June 27 at 41 E. Liberty Lane.

Proceeds go to help the foundation with its rescue programs.

To donate items for the rummage sales, call Laura Page at 442-3914 or Cindy Nygren at 446-5597. Leave message if necessary. They will arrange for pickup or drop off.

If you would like to have your pet featured in this column, contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.