Jim Kjelgaard 
Desert Dog 

This is a gripping tale of the fastest dog of them all. Tawny gave promise of being a great racing greyhound but, instead, he found his freedom in the heat and danger of the desert. His speed and courage helped him in a terrible struggle for survival. He could cope with the most feared of desert dwellers but then a deadly rattlesnake laid him low. He needed a great partner but where would he find one?