Winter 2009 - Greyhound Pets of America

Greyhound Tails
From the Ozarks
Greyhound Pets of America - Springfield, MO
www.gpamo.org
Winter 2009
cruse dog park is open
The wait is over! The Cruse Dog Park, a fenced-in off-leash “play
land” for pooches officially opened in November to much
barking and wagging of tails. It promises to provide
an opportunity for dogs to socialize with other
dogs as well as with their owners. Moreover, it
will give them space to RUN!
The park is located just off Kansas
Expressway between Grand and Catalpa in
an area formerly known as Loren Park.
Here are the specifics:
• All dogs, large and small, are welcome but must be registered.
• Registration fee is $25.00 for a year or
$10.00 for a one-day pass. Vaccination
records are required at the time of registration
and registration is limited to two dogs per
person.
• Upon registering Pet owners will then receive a Park Board Pass Tag and an access fob that will allow entry.
• Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Children
under the age of 8 are not allowed in the “off leash” area.
• Owners must clean up after their dogs.
• No food, drinks or dog treats are allowed in the dog park.
• Smoking is not allowed.
• A water station and basic amenities are provided.
cruse dog park reviewed
Cheryl Jamison recently joined the Cruse Dog
park and gave us this review:
Jodie and Tally are doing wonderful! Happy
and healthy. We have joined the new Cruse
Dog Park and take them regularly for their
playtime and run. Boy, can they run! Tally
actually is the fastest. She is amazing to watch.
The two of them do synchronized running
together in a pair and the other people out
there are amazed at how beautiful they
are to watch. Poor Buddy tries so hard
to keep up with them, but finally gives
up and comes pouting back to us,
dejected. LOL!
With our small backyard situation and
no room for them to stretch their legs
daily, this has proven to be so great for
us! All 3 of our babies love it and have made
special “doggie” friends they enjoy playing with
out there. The regular people that come out are very
nice and have very well behaved dogs. We have all gotten to know
each other and love to watch our dog babies playing together and
exercising.
I sure wish I would see more of our “greyhound” friends coming
out there.
For more information call the Dog Park Hotline at 864-1404 or log
on to the Springfield-Greene County Park Board website at
www.parkboard.org.
GPA “Pup”dates • Health “Paw”ticulars • “Arf ”icial News
What's Inside?
Tail Waggin’ Info • "Roo" Should Know • Calendar
“Arf”fully Good • Special Treats • Canine Community
GPA
“Pup”dates
GPA President
Alane Shultz
Phone
417-883-8156
E-mail
[email protected]
Vice President
Danita Rafferty
Secretary
Kelli Fleck
Treasurer
Vicki Phanco
Website
www.gpamo.org
Editorial Director
Alane Shultz
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Dainta Baldwin
[email protected]
Graphic Design
Nicole Peters
[email protected]
2009 looks like it will be a challenging year in greyhound adoption. We are going to have
to work harder to achieve probably fewer than our average total number of annual adoptions.
We will do more Show & Tells at more new locations. We welcome any ideas from all of our
adopters to promote greyhound adoption and for fundraising. If you live outside of Springfield
you too can help the hounds by attending new events or thinking of a new promotion in your
area.
• Our total number of adoptions for 2008 was 42 which is our 2nd lowest year in 16 years. In
July we were at 25 and have gone to 17 for the 2nd half of 2008. The state of our economy
is not helping anyone, dogs or people! We hope all our adopters are secure in your jobs and
survive this difficult time. If you find yourself financially strapped please don’t hesitate to ask
GPA – Spfd. MO for some help with your greyhound. Speaking of money, our 2008 Form 990
will soon be posted on our website too.
• We’re happy to welcome Dainta Baldwin (Albert’s mom) as our new Newsletter Editor. She
has charged right in to get our Winter 09 newsletter together. She’ll be a greyt asset and help to
us! Thanks Dainta!
• We are excited too about our 1st Wine Tasting Fundraiser. Get out your Grey’s best collar and
join us for a wine tasting and ‘Yappy’ hour to benefit Greyhound Pets of America/Springfield,
MO! This 4-Paw event will be held Tuesday, February 10 from 6:00 - 8:00pm at Three Dog
Bakery in the Battlefield Marketplace, 900 E. Battlefield. Tickets are $20 each and will
include wine tasting, light appetizers from The Grotto Restaurant and Candy House & Godiva
chocolates, and “yappetizers” for your dogs from the Three Dog Bakery.
100% of the proceeds of ticket sales go to GPA. Since space is limited, there will be a tasting
from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and another tasting from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Each tasting is limited to 25
people!
Call the store at 889-3647 to order your tickets with a credit card or stop by the store. Tickets
go on sale to the general public on January 28, so to be sure you can be there with your fellow
greyhound lovers, order your tickets now!
Three Dog Bakery will also be offering 10% off total purchases made that evening.
• We’re also thrilled that Kelli Fleck will again host a garage sale in April to benefit GPA –
Springfield, MO. The GREYT GONZO GREYHOUND GARAGE SALE 2009 will be Friday
April 24 and Saturday April 25. Last year’s garage sale was a big success and raised over
$2000 to help GPA - SPFD MO. Like last year, volunteers are needed to help set up and run the
fundraising garage sale. Due to the large quantity of donations last year, setting up this year will
start the weekend before the actual sale. The garage sale will be held in Ozark in Kelli’s garage
during the subdivision garage sale that will be going on at the same time, as well as the Fremont
Hills neighborhood garage sale. This should attract a lot of traffic. We will need your help to
set up and on the garage sale days. We’ll start scheduling that time very soon. You don’t have to
stay all day, even a few hours help will be much appreciated.
Please call or email Kelli Fleck at 425-3993 or [email protected] to volunteer. Her address is:
2728 N. 24th St. in Ozarks Heights Subdivision in Ozark, MO. You can also call or email Patti
Wingert at 882-1333 or [email protected]
Bless all of you and your hounds in 2009! Hang in there!
Pa g e 2
Health “Paw”ticulars
dental care: what to include in a complete program
Our dogs are living longer now than in the past. Today, we have better preventive medicine (e.g., vaccinations and heartworm
preventives) and better ways to diagnose and treat many diseases. Now we are seeing more animals whose most severe medical
problems are dental problems. To prevent oral disease, which is the number one health problem diagnosed in pets, it is essential to
provide our pets with good dental care, both professionally and at home.
Dental disease in dogs
Plaque: Dogs rarely get cavities, but are much more prone to gum disease and excess tartar build-up on the teeth. Food particles and
bacteria collect along the gumline forming plaque. Routine home care can remove this plaque.
Tartar: If plaque is not removed, minerals in the saliva combine with the plaque and form tartar (or calculus) which adheres
strongly to the teeth. Plaque starts to mineralize 3-5 days after it forms. The tartar is irritating to the gums and causes an
inflammation called gingivitis. This can be seen as reddening of the gums adjacent to the teeth. It also causes bad breath. At this
point it is necessary to remove the tartar with special instruments called scalers, and then polish the teeth.
Periodontal Disease: If the tartar is not removed, it builds up under the gums. It separates the gums from the teeth to form
“pockets” and encourages even more bacterial growth. At this point the damage is irreversible, and called “periodontal” disease. It
can be very painful and can lead to loose teeth, abscesses, and bone loss or infection. As bacterial growth continues to increase, the
bacteria may enter the bloodstream. This can cause infection of the heart valves (endocarditis), liver, and kidneys. If treated by your
veterinarian with special instruments and procedures, periodontal disease can be slowed or stopped.
What is included in a good dental care program?
A good dental care program includes: Regular visits to your veterinarian, which include an oral exam; Veterinary dental cleaning
as advised; Daily home dental care.
Oral Exams by Your Veterinarian: A thorough dental exam can identify potential problems such as plaque and tartar build-up,
gingivitis, periodontal disease, and fractured or abscessed teeth.
Dental Cleaning by Your Veterinarian: To prevent dental disease, your dog needs routine dental care at home. But to perform
good home care, you need to start with clean teeth. Brushing will remove plaque but not tartar. So if your dog’s teeth have tartar,
it is necessary for your veterinarian to remove it and polish the teeth. This professional veterinary dental cleaning is often called a
prophylaxis or “prophy.”
Daily Home Oral Care: Home oral care includes routine examinations of your dog’s mouth and brushing her teeth.
Home oral exam: As you care for your dog’s mouth, look for warning signs of gum disease such as bad breath, red and swollen
gums, a yellow-brown crust of tartar around the gumline, and pain or bleeding when you touch the gums or mouth. You should
also watch for discolored, fractured, or missing teeth. Any bumps or masses within the mouth should also be checked by your
veterinarian.
How long would you go without brushing your teeth?
Daily brushing: Regular brushing of your dog’s teeth is a very important preventive for
oral and other diseases.
Mechanical removal of plaque: Studies show that hard kibbles are slightly better than
canned food at keeping plaque from accumulating on the teeth. There are veterinary
dentist-approved foods and treats on the market that have shown that dogs eating these
foods have less plaque and tartar build-up. Mechanical removal of plaque can also be
accomplished by using toys such as Plaque Attacker dental toys, rope toys, or rawhide
chips. Do not use toys that are abrasive and can wear down the teeth. If your dog is an
aggressive chewer and likes to bite down, trying to crack the toy, you probably should
not let the dog chew on that toy. For especially aggressive chewers, look for toys they
cannot get their mouths around. Rawhide or other chews that soften as the dog chews are
another option.
What is ahead in the future?
Veterinary dentistry is becoming more common and more sophisticated. Pets can have the same procedures as people: root canals,
crowns, and even braces. Some veterinarians specialize in dentistry and are board-certified. New products are continually becoming
available to help veterinarians and owners provide the best possible oral care for pets. February of each year is designated as Pet
Dental Health Month as a way to remind owners of the importance of proper dental care. Make sure good dental care is part of your
pet’s present and future!
Portions of this article reprinted as a courtesy and with permission from DrsFosterSmith.com.
Complete article can be viewed on website.
Page
3
Tail Waggin’ Info
oral flea treatment
Having fun in the sun holds one major drawback for both dogs and people: fleas. Lurking just about
anywhere, these blood-sucking parasites cause not only scratching and discomfort, but also flea allergy
dermatitis and anemia. They may even transmit tapeworm.
And they spread quickly. Upon finding a host, one flea can lay eggs within one to two days at a rate of 40
to 50 per day, causing an infestationin the home that can take months to eliminate.
But a new oral flea treatment can save the day. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration,
Comfortis from Eli Lilly and Co. (Indianapolis) is the first chewable, beef-flavored tablet to kill fleas and
prevent flea infestations on dogs for a full month.
Because it is administered orally instead of topically, the treatment is safe for usc in homes with multiple
pets and children, and it need not be reapplied afrer dogs swim or bathe. Available by veterinary
prescription, it comes in weight-specific doses for all dogs, including puppies at least 14 weeks old.
“For pet owners with children and with other pets in the household, or those who want to avoid the
mess and inconvenience of topical treatments, Comfortis is a great option to discuss with your
veterinarian,” said Dr. Steve Connell, manager of technical, academic and consumer services for
companion animal health at Lilly.
collar safety tips
We all love our Greyhounds, and want to keep them safe. We lock our gates,
put springs on them so they won’t open and have safety barriers in our cars
and vans. But did you ever think your dog’s collar could be unsafe?
At the time of your adoption, it was probably explained to you that a
Greyhound needs to be walked in a “martingale” or “controlled slip” collar.
This is because the Greyhound’s head is smaller than it’s neck. The martingale
does need to be adjusted correctly in order to be an effective tool.
With the collar sitting right behind your dog’s ears, pull the leash straight up so it closes. The two rings
should be at least 1.5 to 2 inches apart at the tightest. If the rings touch, then your martingale is essentially useless and your pup could easily
slip his head out of it. Check the adjustment EVERY TIME you put it on your dog. Fancy martingales made with slick materials like jacquard
and satin are more prone to loosen over time, so if you make a habit of checking and adjusting each time the dog wears the collar, you are
preventing a tragedy.
The D-ring on the collar is where you attach the leash. Do NOT put your dogs tags on this ring!! Should the tags get caught in the couch
fabric, the crate or a floor register, when your dog pulls back, the martingale will tighten, choking your pup. The results of this can be fatal
as the dog panics and pulls harder. If your Greyhound wears his martingale all the time, put the tags on one of the other metal pieces of
the collar, where it won’t tighten if pulled on. A better solution is to keep identification on a tag collar, not a slip collar like a martingale, at
all times and only use the martingale for walking. A soft tag collar will not rub the hair on your pup’s neck and does not pose the threat of
accidental strangulation in the event of entanglement. A note about tags‚ your GPA Greyhound should always have his GPA assigned tag with
our toll-free number on it attached to the collar. Be sure that GPA has your current contact information if you move, so we can let you know
where your dog is if found. Also, if you want to put a tag with your contact information, be sure the numbers you list are reachable. If you
take your dog out of town, put a piece of masking or medical tape on the tag with a local phone number you can be reached at.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and we all know that our Greyhounds are PRICELESS. Please don’t tempt fate by letting
your pup go without identification.
Pa ge 4
upcoming promotional events
By Danita Rafferty, Public Relations Director
“Arf “ficial
News
Greyt
Adoptions
July 8, 2008
to present
Abe
Albert
Dixie
Fenton
Noah
Kelly
Seek
Dana
Darla
Goody
Temper
Kaylee
Simone
Pressus
Knox
Tux
Happy
We are kicking off 2009 with several ways to get more people in our area interested in adopting a
greyhound. First, I am doing radio interviews (along with a greyhound in the studio) on 92.9 and
105.1 on the following Fridays: January 16, January 23, and January 30. The interviews air at 8:20
a.m. on Bass Country 92.9 and 11:30 on Star 105.1.
In addition, we are working with KY3 and KSPR33 to run a PSA about adopting a greyhound. This
PSA is provided to us free-of-charge by another GPA group, Keystone Greyhounds. The PSA will
run at various times during 2009 and will include information about how to contact our group.
In February, an article about our local GPA group will run in the Springfield Pets Guide. This is a
free, monthly publication that can be found at most of the pet supply stores, veterinarian’s offices,
and at places like Dillon’s and Harter House. Be sure to pick up a copy!
The Springfield Pets Guide features photos of dogs and cats that are available for adoption for
the various rescue groups in our area. We are working with the publisher to feature a half-page
of photos of greyhounds that are waiting for their forever homes. I am currently trying to find a
sponsor for the page.
Meet and Greets are being scheduled for 2009 at the following locations:
Bass Pro
Three Dog Bakery
Petco in Branson
Reigning Cats and Dogs - Branson Landing
Also, don’t forget to sign-up to volunteer and/or mark your calendars for the
following events:
HBA Show
Friday-Sunday, February 6-8
Wine Tasting
Tuesday, February 10 (see pg. 2 for details)
NEW Meet and Greet location
All About Cats and Dogs
Saturday, March 7
Watch the website and future newsletters for dates and times.
paul newman saves the day!
From GPA Wisconsin‚“Couch Potato Press”, December 2008
By Katie Traxel
In the early days of GPA-Wisconsin the kennel was located at Dr. Becky McCracken’s
home in Racine. Money was tight and the group barely had enough cash to pay the bills.
One cold wintry day, the furnace went out in the kennel, and there was no heat. Even
worse, there was no money for a new furnace! One of GPA’s adopters and supporters was
Marcia Myers who happened to work for the Newman/Haas racing team. She had gotten
some memorabilia and racing items donated in the past, so she contacted Mr. Newman and asked if he’d consider
making a donation to the cost of a new furnace (about $1,500). Within a few days, GPA-WI received a check for
$2,000, signed by Mr. Newman himself! When Marcia called Newman to thank him, he asked (with a smile in
his voice) if we had at least bought some beer for ourselves with the extra funds! (No, it all went to the hounds!)
Though Mr. Newman passed away a few months ago, his legacy of generosity and
love of animals lives on. Currently, NEWMAN’S OWN® ORGANICS Premium
Pet Food donate all of the charity money generated by the sale of the pet food to
organizations that support animals’ well-being.
Page
5
warning to all dog owners - xylitol in sugar-free gum
Canine Community
Reprinted from NGAP Newsletter
One day, I arrived home from work, fed Chloe, our 24 Lb. dachshund, just as I normally do. Ten minutes later I walked into the
den just in time to see her head inside the pocket of Katie’s friend’s purse. She had a guilty look on her face so I looked closer
and saw a small package of sugar-free gum. It contained xylitol. I remembered that I had recently read that sugar-free gum can
be deadly for dogs so I jumped on line and looked to see if xylitol was the ingredient. I found the first website below and it was
the one.
Next, I called our vet. She said to bring Chloe in immediately. Unfortunately, it was still rush hour and it took me almost 1/2
hour to get there. Meanwhile, since this was her first case, our vet found another website to figure out the treatment. She took
Chloe and said they would induce her to vomit, give her a charcoal drink to absorb the toxin (even though they don’t think it
works) then they would start an IV with dextrose. The xylitol causes dogs to secrete insulin so their blood sugar drops very
quickly. The second thing that happens is liver failure. If that happens, even with aggressive treatment, it can be difficult to save
them. The vet told us she would call us.
Almost two hours later, the vet called and said that the contents of her stomach contained 2-3 gum wrappers and that her blood
sugar had dropped from 90 to 59 in 30 minutes. She wanted us to take Chloe to another hospital that has a critical care unit
operating around the clock. We picked her up and took her there. They had us call the ASPCA poison control for a case number
and for a donation, their doctors would direct Chloe’s doctor on treatment. They would continue the IV, monitor her blood every
other hour and then in 2 days test her liver function. She ended up with a central line in her jugular vein since the one in her leg
collapsed, just as our regular vet had feared.
Chloe spent almost the entire weekend in the critical care hospital. After her blood sugar was stabilized, she came home
yesterday. They ran all the tests again before they released her and so far, no sign of liver damage. Had I not seen her head in the
purse, she probably would have died and we wouldn’t even have known why.
vacuuming sucks for fleas
Reprinted from Veterinary Practice News/February 2008
Vacuuming fleas kills the parasites in all stages of their lives, researchers at Ohio State University say.
Researchers studied the cat flea, the most common type of flea to latch onto family pets and plague pet
owners. The study revealed that 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas are detroyed after
passing through a vacuum. After such definitive results, scientists repeated the experiment several times to
ensure that the numbers were accurate; further trials mimicked the initial results. “No matter what vacuum a
flea gets sucked into, it’s probably a one-way trip” said Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at
the university and co-author of the study. Needham theorized that a vacuum’s brushes damage the waxy outer
layer of the fleas, the layer that allows the bugs to remain hydrated. Without it, fleas most likely dry up and die, he said.
“We didn’t do a post-mortem, so we don’t know for sure” he said. “But it appears that the physical abuse they took caused them to perish. To
further test which portion of the vacuuming process kills fleas, researchers placed fleas in a vacuum bag to test for toxicity; but only 5 percent
of adult fleas died. And when simply placed in circulating air, just 3 percent of adult fleas perished. Each round of experiments tested 100 adult
fleas as well as 50 in the pupae stage and 50 in the larvae stage on tightly woven carpet. Researchers conducted the experiments on adult fleas
six times, three times on the pupae stage fleas and once on the larvae stage fleas, which resulted in an average of 96 percent of adult fleas killed
and 100 percent younger fleas. “For a while, fleas owned us, but now they are on the run” Needham said. There are all kinds of ways to manage
the problem, but how people feel about insecticides and how much money they want to spend factors into what they are going to do for flea
control. Vacuuming is a great strategy because it involves no chemicals and physically removes the problem.
popular science skunk deodorizing recipe
Pa ge
Popular Science (Aug ‚1995) published a scientific study they did comparing various home remedies to alleviate the noxious
scent of skunk. Tomato juice baths are worthless and will dye your animal pink; and while Massengil as a home remedy is a bit
more effective (it uses hydrogen peroxide), it doesn’t have the strength to do the job right and poor Rover will still spend several
nights exiled to the back yard while the scent wears off. The following recipe won, hands down and according to testimonials, is
effective within 20 minutes. In a bucket, mix:-1 quart of FRESH hydrogen peroxide (available at your local drugstore or grocery
store in the health care aisle)-1/4 cup of baking soda-1 teaspoon liquid soap, the mixture will bubble. Thoroughly wet the victim
in this mixture, taking care to keep it out of the eyes. Wash the dog with the mixture as if it were shampoo while it is bubbling.
Rinse the dog and repeat. Be careful not to contaminate the rinse water.The soap breaks down the oil in which the odor
is suspended, and the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda neutralize the scent. Do not premix the solution or store this
potion in a bottle (the bubbling would cause it to explode). This is also safe for use on carpets.
6
Mark Your
Calendars
search & rescue crew
If you lose your Greyhound,
contact Ann Waitley 887-4285 or
cell 343-4285 ASAP so that a quick
search by available volunteers might
find them quicker. We have the
following volunteers assigned to our
search and rescue crew:
North Central Springfield
Julie Payne
864-7660
Northern Greene County
Matt & Sue Drury
417-759-9137
Nixa
Lynn Oyama
725-0297
NW Springfield
Anisa Dawn
496-9553
West Springfield
Mel & Carlene Mitchell
862-7561
SE Springfield
Alane Shultz
883-8156
SW Springfield
Paula McVann
883-5757
Jonathan Sproule
823-7414
Patti Wingert
882-1333
SSW Springfield
Ann Waitley
887-4285
february
april
6-8 Friday-Sunday
Home Builders Assn.
Home Show
Expo Center - Springfield
Fri: Noon-8 PM, Sat: 10 AM-8
PM, Sun: 10 AM - 4 PM
24 & 25 April
The GPA - Springfield, MO MultiFamily Garage Sale
Kelli Fleck’s home
2728 N. 24th, Ozark, MO.
7 Saturday
Meet and Greet
Petco, Fayetteville, AR
10:00 Am - 12 Noon
15 Sunday
Meet and Greet
All Pet Supply- W. Republic Rd.,
Springfield, MO
1:00 - 3:00 PM
PLEASE save your garage sale
items for us! 100% goes to hounds
waiting for homes. PLEASE price
your items, garments should be
clean and some on hangers depending on what it is. Drop off or
pick up available a month before
the sale. Details later!
dates to remember
15 Sunday
Meet and Greet
Petsmart, Joplin, MO
1:00 - 3:00 PM
March 12-15, 2009
Sandy Paws Greyhound Gathering,
Jekyll Oceanfront Resort
Jekyll Island, Georgia
www.sandypaws.org
21 Saturday
Meet and Greet
Petco, Rogers, AR
10:00 Am - 12 Noon
April 24 - 26, 2009
GIG Greyhounds in Gettysburg
Gettysburg, PA
http://trianglegreyhound.org/gig/
march
May 15 - 17, 2009
Kanab Greyhound Gathering
Kanab, UT
www.greyhoundgang.org/
events-overview.php
7 Saturday
Meet and Greet
Petco, Fayetteville, AR
10:00 Am - 12 Noon
15 Sunday
Meet and Greet
All Pet Supply- W. Republic Rd.,
Springfield, MO
1:00 - 3:00 PM
15 Sunday
Meet and Greet
Petsmart, Joplin, MO
1:00 - 3:00 PM
....also
Greyhounds Make Great Pets
Radio Broadcasts all archived
and latest production at
greyhoundsmakegreatpets.org
can be heard anytime 24 hours
a day.
21 Saturday
Meet and Greet
Petco, Rogers, AR
10:00 Am - 12 Noon
Page
7
"Roo" Should Know
ginger
7-3-93 to 6-18-08
by Kelli Fleck
Ginger was welped on 7/3/93 and registered under the racing name of Fino Vino, Italian for fine
wine. I find it to be a little bit of irony since I work for a company that sells very fine wine, and
Gabe and I like to drink it. For you diehard racing folks, her Sire was Hello Higsbee and her Dam
was Manatee Mary Bet. Anyhow, for those of you who have done the math by now, yes Ginger would
have been fifteen years of age last July. I can say that there are no two people more shocked that she lived
to be one week shy of fifteen years than Gabe and I, because we knew some of her history and what she had been
through. I’m not going to mention every single episode, injury, vet visit, etc. but I am going to touch on some of the highlights.
Let me start from when we received Ginger in March ’01. Gabe and I drove straight from Nashville, TN where we had been all week, to
Peoria, IL to pick her up. We were so excited, yet very tired from the long week and drive. She was to be our second greyhound since he had
decided that Indy (our first greyhound) needed some company. We picked “Coco” up at a Home Builders Show where the local paper was
waiting for us because they wanted to do a story on a greyhound that had been adopted and was going home. She was all pretty with a little
white bow on her. Gabe quickly decided he didn’t like the name CoCo and renamed her Ginger.
Ginger has been a mixture of emotions her entire life. By the time she came to us, she had been abused and was somewhat timid of people,
especially women. Her previous owner was an older couple, but Ginger was supposedly the woman’s dog. Ginger was returned to the Peoria
Greyhound Adoption group by the couple when the lady became upset with Ginger and called the group and told them to either come pick her
up immediately or she was going to have the dog put down.
So Ginger ended up with us and soon became Gabe’s dog. She absolutely loved Gabe and I am certain if it wasn’t for him, she would not
have lived as long as she did. She molded into our current family, Indy and Sylvester (our cat), quite nicely. As her personality developed, we
learned that she loved kids and other dogs. She would get so excited on walks when we would encounter either of the two. She really was a
sweet little girl.
Even though Ginger already had one broken hock and was almost eight years of age by the time we got her, she still had a lot of get up and go
in her. She used to do these hairpin turns at full speed in our small backyard that would just make me cringe and close my eyes. I knew that
one day something was going to happen….and it did. In November ’01, Ginger broke her other leg while performing some of her high-speed
turns in the backyard. Of course, as has unfortunately been the case with all of Ginger’s injuries,
Gabe was out of town. So I think Ginger started to associate me with pain and the vet. But one
important thing about Ginger is that she had an EXTREMELY high pain tolerance. The boys
were complete sissies compared to her. Not once during any of her injuries did she yelp
or cry or anything. Ginger didn’t even seem to notice that her leg was swollen up three
times its normal size. All she seemed to care about was that she couldn’t use it like she
normally did. Four weeks, a couple of casts, some pins in the joint, and one thousand
dollars later, Ginger was good to go. She lived to be run into a brick wall at full
speed by one of our other dogs, lose a dysfunctional toenail several times, lose all
her teeth due to periodontal disease, and have a large chunk of her tongue bit off
by one of the other dogs. But with every injury, she just bounced back like it never
happened. She was pretty amazing.
The point to Ginger’s story is two fold. First of all, don’t discount adopting a
greyhound because he/she is “older”. Ginger went on to live with us for seven
wonderful years after we adopted her. Second, don’t discount adopting a greyhound
because they have been “returned”. We have adopted four retired racing greyhounds,
and every single one of them had been “returned” for one reason or another. Honestly,
I can say that 9 times out of 10 it is human error, not the dogs. Every single one of our
greyhounds has been the best companion that a human could ask for. I wouldn’t give up a minute
of the time that we got to spend with them for anything.
Pa ge 8
solo motorized electronic automatic pet door
Special
Treats
Works With Indoor & Outdoor Pets
Keeps indoor cats safely inside if desired and lets the dog out using a small door
activation sensor attached to the collar.
Feel Safe & Secure
SOLO doors are locked in the closed position for added security and can be connected
to your home security system
Keep Unwanted Intruders Outside
Only your pet can activate the door. Strays, raccoons, possums and other unwanted visitors are left out in the cold.
Why Cause A Flap?
Forget those clunky, flapping pet doors. The grooved, sliding door feature provides excellent weather protection not
offered by flapping doors. Eliminates drafts which prevents air conditioning and heat loss. Even a hurricane force
wind cannot blow the door open, guaranteed.
How Does It Work?
The vertically sliding motorized door is electronically activated by a small sensor which is easily and comfortably
attached to your pet’s collar. the distance sensitivity and the door’s opening time can be adjusted at your discretion
as the pet becomes familiar with the door. The door is also compatible with electronic fences.
Pet doors can give your dog more freedom and improve their quality of life! Visit solomotorizedpetdoors.com
for ordering information.
submit your photos for the 2010 celebrating greyhounds calendar
The Greyhound Project collects photographs for the Celebrating Greyhounds Calendars all year long. Photos for the 2010 calendar will be
selected in early April, 2009. Prints of any size are acceptable. Generally, it is better not to try to enlarge a smaller print. The original is usually
clearer and easier tn work with. And the calendar staff will have greater success at producing the enlargement than you will.
Please put a label on the back of each photograph you send. The label should include
your name and address, the names of the dogs, and the name of the adoption group or
other source of the dog. If you got your dog directly from the racing owner or trainer,
that’s great; they are just as eligible for the calendar as dogs that are placed by an
adoption group.
Please label everything. There is nothing more frustrating than sorting through all the
photos we want to use only to find that one of them is anonymous. It’s usually one
of the really great pictures we want to use, too. If you have digital images, they must
have been taken at the highest resolution your camera will produce to be acceptable for
printing. Please send us a print of the image as well as a copy of the image on a CD.
Note on the label on the back of the print that the picture is also on a CD, and include
the file name.
If you are submitting photos that were taken by someone else, please obtain their written permission for us to use the photos. If the photo was
taken at a nursing home or therapy program or some sort, please obtain permission from the program.The photographs for the calendar are
selected by a group of Greyhound adopters. The members or the group change from year to year, depending on who is around and wants to
come play on the weekend that we gather around a big table and go through the photos. The people looking at the photos generally won’t know
the people or the dogs in the pictures. They are looking at the images that “speak” to them.
Send your calendar photos to:
The Greyhound Project
Attn: Celebrating Greyhounds Calendar
PO Box 5239
Framingham, MA 01701
Page
9
“Arf “fully Good
did you know?
Doug Knopp, executive chef at Chateau on the Lake in Branson is a Greyhound
lover! He and his wife, Joey share their lives with 5 rescued Greyhounds:
Savannah, Scooby Doo, Corn Dog, Lizzy and Charles. Welcome back to the
Ozarks Doug!
cell phones and ink cartridges
We still want your old cell phones and ink cartridges. However, we don’t want refillable kinds of cartridges. They will no
longer take those. Also Cartridge World in Springfield is printing coupon flyers for us to pass out anywhere. The coupon allows
the customer to come into the store and save 10% on their purchase and for every cartridge purchase made with one of these coupons, Cartridge World will donate $2.00 to GPA - Spfd. MO!
trick for removing dog hair from your car
To remove pet hair from your car’s carpet, put on a pair of latex gloves (readily available in boxes of 100 from
pharmacies and hardware/ home improvement stores) and then rub your hand over the carpet. The static electricity
caused by the latex glove will help bring the pet hair up to the surface of the carpet for easy removal by hand or
vacuum. A curry brush (the kind used for horses), dog/cat wire-rake type brush, or rubber brush can all be used for
getting the loosened hair up without a vacuum cleaner.
Greyhound Pets of America
P.O. Box 3693
Springfield, MO 65808
ADDRESS CORRECTION
REQUESTED