Tag Archives: GPA

Greyhound Stories

Posted on May 19, 2015 | Leave a comment

Years ago I was a leader in a volunteer organization and I began and led a weekly project with my volunteers guided by their own leader. The organization is Greyhound Pets of America. They take “retired” racing and other hounds from racetracks mostly, fix them up, and take great care adopting them to good homes. It keeps them from being shot when they lose a race or can’t make any more puppies.

I met a gal today at a specialty pet store where we get Zoe’s food. She’s currently volunteering for a local GPA, has a Grey from there and is fostering another, a Greyhound/Coonhound mix. The Coon people wanted a Grey to make faster hunters. He saw a raccoon and ran away so they wanted to shoot the dog. This brave lady intervened. The guys just wanted faster hunters and out here, y’all shoot the ones who don’t make the cut.

While I was volunteer leader at a GPA weekly “turnout” when they take the dogs out to exercise and socialize and eliminate, they had 32 dogs in individual crates. The track dogs felt comfortable there as it was their experience as they’d known no other. They were turned out three times per day.

One came in that was an AKC (show) dog and the dogs didn’t like him for that. Also, he’d been raised with show Rottweilers so thought he was, you get it, a Rottie. I had to take him alone, across the street to a fenced yard and let him go. Man, it was a treat to see that dog run. As a joke I suggested subliminal tapes at night that said “I am a Greyhound, not a Rottweiler.”

The lady and I have five things in common. Of course we love dogs and volunteer. We save/adopt/foster orphans and strays. We appreciate the Greyhound for all its glory. We feed our pets best quality food. We abhor animal cruelty.

Here’s another. Martingale collars that were born to fit dogs like Greys, Silken Windhounds, Collies, anyone who can slip a collar easily. I have two from this great company, all Asian silk and hand-sewn. A Martingale is a two-looped collar with no buckle that offers added control. They have them in the store and can order. Now that is a specialty store. Write in if you want more info.

I put one of my two with a 3/4″ braided leather collar. I’ve arthritis since 25 and often there’s ice on the sidewalks so between the 1.5″ collar and flexible 6′ leash it gives me control. Their shop has a relationship with this growing company and our conversation began with her admiring Zoe’s unique collar, asian silk, emerald green with dogwood flowers and brass trim. I love Greyhound stories!

Must go. Dog went to the vet today for a heartworm test and she’s lethargic. Ate dinner but needs to go “you know where.” Cheers! Here’s to GPA and Greyhound Rescue. Dee

 

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Volunteer

Posted on October 6, 2014 | 1 comment

There may be a volunteer center or group in your city that allows people, perhaps with the family, to volunteer for a few hours on a weekend. Consider it time to bond with your family or reach out to others.

I ran such programs years ago and created 14 projects per month (most leaders had 2-3) for the organization. I created Animal Projects and we “turned out” rescued Greyhounds on Sundays, socialized abandoned cats on Saturdays, helped with animals in domestic violence situations, and I helped spay/neuter over 2,000 feral cats.

Training and supervising volunteers and keeping the project alive were my goals. One of the gods of pet-dom is the SFSPCA and they even taped my training in a video with Snowflake the Wonder Cat (a bean bag cat so the volunteers knew how much muscle control an anesthetized cat has).

Plant trees. Clean up a park. Read books to kids at the local library. Show what you know about math and science at a local school. Teach an adult how to read. Build a home for a needy family. It’ll make you feel better about you.

It’s not just about writing a check. It’s getting your hands dirty and feeling you and your family have accomplished something at the end of the day. Start out, then become a volunteer leader and multiply your results. You’ll still be on the job but have a willing and eager team as well. Try it. Dee

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Business As Unusual

Posted on May 15, 2014 | 2 comments

We’ve lived here for over two years and pay a good deal of dineros to do so. For the third time living here our dog was attacked. It was in the elevator so she had nowhere to go.

Zoe’s a rescue dog who has been with us since she turned six weeks of age, for over ten years now and while I wish she could hurt a fly (here it’s mosquitoes) she will not do so.

We are now being “investigated” because the foster mom of the two rescues who joined in on the attack by barking like crazy and telling the big dog to go for my hipless wonder-dog said that Zoe barked once. An incident report was filed. The woman said they were fosters and that she would get off the elevator when we entered. I said that’s not good enough ma’am.

I’ve had four animals in my life, all rescues. When I moved here I knew I could not run a foster program given our lease and look forward to retiring to the country so I can help rescued dogs and cats and even designed a mud room/laundry room with four kennels with doors that open in between if there are litter mates. I’d have a list of low-cost vets for spay/neuter as that is a priority of mine, also shots and check-ups.

At least five times a day Zoe and I go through the lobby and she’s offered petting and treats and does tricks for the kiddos. Today, no-one in the lobby will raise their head to greet us or say hello. I’d like to withhold $150 per day rent every day they all do this. Not for me, but because Zoe loves them and thinks that she is in trouble because they won’t look at her or talk to her.

I’ve worked with shelter dogs for over 20 years and owned two for more than that. Nearly every dog can be rehabilitated unless they’ve been bred and trained to fight. They need an owner or foster family to give them a lot of care and training to be able to go to a new home with a (gulp, I hate to say this), forever family. Having two unstable dogs on an elevator is a recipe for disaster.

The rule I learned at GPA (Greyhound Pets of America) is that two dogs is a discussion, three is a fight. I was let into the unneutered male section many times on turnouts but only with the shift supervisor. We watched every movement to prevent a fight before they were well enough, after coming off the track, for surgery. I had to take one out by himself because he was AKC, not a racer, and the racers hated him because he was raised with Dobermans and thought he was one.

That was a good time for me. I suggested we get him subliminal tapes that said “I am a Greyhound” but in the meantime got to take him across the way to a fenced yard and watch him run. What a beautiful sight.

I do not like my old girl being threatened. Today I took her on the elevator and for walks three times so far just so she’s not frightened of attack. While the “investigation” continues I’ll look for a new place to live because if the woman whose dogs attacked mine pays more than we do, she’ll win. That’s the way it is and will always be. Dee

 

 

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