HOW AN AUCTION OF DESIGNER SCARVES IS SUPPORTING A TEXAS-BASED ADOPTION GROUP’S MISSION TO FIND FOREVER HOMES FOR RETIRED RACING GREYHOUNDS
By Barbara Tunick
It all started with an Angel. The dark brindle greyhound was about 5 years old, emaciated and suffering with gangrene from an old tail injury when retired Dallas attorney John McQuade and his wife, Susie, adopted her. A faded ear tattoo told of Angel’s former life as a racing dog.
“After quite a bit of medical treatment and a decent diet, she recovered, prospered and became a noble lady,” McQuade recalls. “Our love for her not only helped her heal, but it was the impetus for us to start Greyhound Adoption League of Texas.”
A collection of Hermès scarves, including this light pink Les Lévriers scarf by Xavier de Poret, which features a series of greyhounds at rest, will be offered in a September 12 Heritage auction, with all proceeds benefiting the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas.
Years earlier, McQuade had witnessed a barbaric slaying of greyhounds after a race in Juarez, Mexico. While the memory haunted him, it wasn’t until after he adopted Angel that he realized he could help rehabilitate and rehome other retired greyhounds. In the past 23 years he has done just that – for more than 4,000 greyhounds and sight hounds.
“In addition to rehoming our dogs as pets or companion animals, a number have been trained to become emotional support dogs,” McQuade says. “That’s because greyhounds have a calm demeanor. They’re very intelligent, easily housebroken and are quite affable with people. They crave socialization but will do fine in urban situations as long as they spend time with their family and get regular activity. They’re such loyal and beautiful beings.”
On average, GALT rehomes 150 greyhounds every year, and that can get very expensive, especially since the organization is financed entirely by donations, fundraisers and grants. In addition to the cost of transporting, housing and feeding the pups, many of the greyhounds that come to GALT are sick or injured and in need of medical care. About a third of those need extensive treatment. “We will never turn away a grey in need,” McQuade says. “We’ve brought them back from broken legs, parasites, heartworm, tickborne illnesses and cancer.”
Heritage’s September 12 auction includes this sought-after Hermès purple and multicolor Special Issue Madison Avenue scarf by American artist Kermit Oliver.
In addition to rehoming dogs from American breeders, shelters and families in need, GALT helps rehome international retired racing greyhounds here in the U.S. “While there are only two greyhound racing tracks left in this country, greyhound racing is still active throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and parts of Europe,” he says.
Over the years, McQuade became quite an adept and creative fundraiser, but selling calendars and hosting golf tournaments and wine tastings only go so far. “I was constantly looking for an additional source of revenue for GALT,” he says. Then, about 10 years ago, he came across an Hermès silk scarf for sale on eBay. “When I saw it, something clicked. My lovely wife, Susie, has a framed Hermès Les Lévriers scarf by Xavier de Poret depicting greyhounds hanging in her office. I decided to buy the scarf and use it as a fundraiser. It was such a happy accident.”
Even though the retired marine knew little about Hermès scarves, he began acquiring and reselling them a year later. “I was going to estate sales and searching online. I met resellers from Tokyo and Edinburgh,” he says. “I learned about the different designers and the importance of a scarf’s provenance and condition. I bought and sold scarves and amassed quite a collection.” To date, McQuade’s happy accident has helped cover the costs of caring for and rehoming at least 1,344 greyhounds.
This Bali Barret-designed scarf is one of the many pieces in GALT’s Hermès collection that nods to the brand’s equestrian roots.
On September 12, he hopes his dogged perseverance will continue to pay off when Heritage Auctions holds The Greyhound Adoption League of Texas Collection Luxury Accessories Auction featuring silk and cashmere scarves and accessories.
“It’s an outstanding collection of vintage, new and incredibly rare pieces,” says Diane D’Amato, Heritage’s Director of Luxury Accessories, Private Sales & The Boutique. “I was immediately drawn to it because it combines two of my most favorite things: dogs and Hermès silk. I love that 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit GALT. One of my favorite pieces is Kermit Oliver’s Madison Avenue. It’s extraordinarily rare and highly sought after by collectors. It’s also very unusual to see it on the secondary market.”
Oliver is the only American artist to design scarves for Hermès. When Madison Avenue was originally released in 2000 as a Special Issue to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the opening of the Hermès Madison Avenue boutique in New York City, the design immediately sold out.
One of the rarest pieces in GALT’s Hermès collection is this red and cream Fiacres scarf designed by Philippe Ledoux in 1965.
“Hermès silk collectors will also be thrilled with the opportunity to win the extremely rare and beautiful Fiacres by Philippe Ledoux,” D’Amato says. “It was originally released in 1965 and was never reissued.”
Undoubtedly, however, one of the most coveted designs in the collection is Les Lévriers by Xavier de Poret. “We are auctioning different colorways of the famous greyhound scarf,” McQuade says. “It will always remind me of Angel. We shared our life with her for 10 years, but her legacy lives on in every GALT greyhound. I just want to ensure that her breed lives on as well.”
BARBARA TUNICK is a contributor to Intelligent Collector.