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GPA Communique The Bulletin of Greyhound Pets of America--Vol 9, No 3, Fall, 2000 |
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(Below: pages 1-6) Spotlight on Joan Dillon By Carol Osborne, GPA/AZ Who is Joan Dillon? You might ask this question if you are new to the Greyhound adoption movement. Joan's never-ending efforts began in the early 1980's when Joan and a group of folks from Massachusetts began the New England Retired Greyhounds as Pets (REGAP) adoption program.At that time, next thing to nothing was known about the ex-racing Greyhound as a pet. There was very little, if any, literature designed to educate the public; most veterinarians had little or no experience with the ex-racers and of course, there was no Internet. Joan was one of the pioneers who spear headed the efforts for public awareness. In early 1987, Joan and the New England REGAP folks invited some adoption groups across the country to join in the formation of a national Greyhound placement organization and on April 4, 1987 Greyhound Pets of America was formed. The first GPA National meeting was held in Abilene, Kansas on October 18, 1987 and of course Joan was there to represent GPA/Massachusetts. While a member of GPA, Joan was the only member who attended every GPA national meeting. By mid 1988, Joan had started a new GPA chapter known as Belmont Lakes Region (later renamed as GPA/Central New Hampshire.) It was common for Joan to travel more than 200 miles round trip every weekend while starting and nurturing the GPA/Central New Hampshire chapter. Joan was also the force behind working with the Belmont Lakes Region Greyhound Park for Greyhound adoptions. In late 1990 she became the GPA 800# operator for New England and the eastern portion of Canada. The national GPA's newsletter, ( GPA Communiqué ) began in January 1992 and Joan contributed many articles to it. She is well known for her writing abilities and was nominated for an award from the Dog Writers Association of America for a fundraising cookbook produced by GPA/Central New Hampshire. In 1994, Joan became
the GPA National Corresponding Secretary and doubled her duties by taking
on the responsibilities of the Executive Secretary who had, unfortunately,
become very ill.
In 1996, Joan resigned from GPA and became a member of The Greyhound Project under the leadership of Joan Belle Isle. (Is there a tie-in between Greyhounds and women named Joan?) All of us know the good works of The Greyhound Project. Joan Dillon was a copy editor, subscription and advertising manager, as well as a regular article contributor for the Project's Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine. Following are statements made by a few of Joan's friends and colleagues: Audrey Schneider, GPA/Central New Hampshire Joan takes neutrality very seriously and taught me a lot about what it meant, in the purest sense of the word. She would insist that we see and understand that the racing Greyhound came out of an environment that ran the gamut from excellent care to abuse. Joan never made any bones about either end of the spectrum. I will always remember her going nose to nose (I was there) with the owner of a track when the condition of the Greyhounds was such that it passed, in her mind, from reasonable to unreasonable. She made no bones about her disappointment. She would not hesitate to go to the State Vet as well as the humane organization if the situation was not rectified, sooner rather than later. Because of her neutrality she had the credibility to pull this off and the lot of dogs at this track was vastly improved over the next number of years. In my heart of hearts, I hope that every placement rep in every Greyhound placement organization has the opportunity to work with the likes of Joan Dillon . She epitomizes the best one could ever wish for as a leader in the ongoing endeavor to move retired Greyhounds into responsible loving homes upon their retirement. Lou Batdorf, GPA/Wheeling Downs.
Anyone who knows Joan Dillon would have to agree with this one-word assessment of her. DEDICATED . Joan has been one of the stalwarts of Greyhound adoption, and she's certainly one of the "pioneers." Years ago, when we were part of REGAP, and were a tiny group of people, still learning the "do's and don'ts" of placing Greyhounds, Joan was always willing to give her help and advice to anyone who requested it. Back in those days (mid 80's), just about everyone who was involved with Greyhound adoption knew everyone else, at least by telephone, since there were so few of us! Joan's dedication and commitment to Greyhound placement have been inspirations as well as sources of wonder to those of us who are fortunate enough to know her. I cite "source of wonder" because her energy and her willingness to go almost any distance, at almost any time, to help further Greyhound placement has many times left lesser mortals gasping for breath! Those of us who have had the privilege of working with her, first in REGAP, then in GPA, treasure her for her brains, know-how, generosity and her way with words, not to mention her near-photographic memory for details. We've shared some sticky situations and some aggravating ones, but, MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, we've shared some hearty laughs. It is my pleasure to know this dynamo of a lady. Gloria Sanders, GPA/Midwest
Joan Dillon has been a friend of mine since I first met her at the formation of GPA in Massachusetts on April 4, 1987. Joan was GPA's first resource librarian. She did a terrific job as librarian and made Greyhound information available to GPA members. If you wanted to know something or needed some specific information about Greyhound adoption, Joan had it or would make the effort to get it. She worked with all aspects of the Greyhound
industry and contributed a great deal to educating them about the ex-racing
Greyhound as a family pet. Because of Joan's efforts,
many Greyhounds now have a better life in all phases of their lives.
We have all learned from Joan's unselfish time and
dedication to the Greyhounds. Joan Headland, GPA/AZ Joan taught me about
Greyhounds, about volunteers, about placing dogs, about volunteers,
about other groups, about volunteers, about tracks, about volunteers.
Well, you get the picture. She is a wealth of information. Her contributions
in helping with our first set of GPA National by-laws and any other
written material which she was asked to critique were invaluable. As time went on, after many marathon conversations, I came to expect how our phone calls would go. We would talk about what was happening in the organization, exchange ideas, and then when I thought it was about over, Joan would say, "Incidentally ...." Uh oh! That meant that I was going to hear about a situation or a suggestion that Joan thought I, as president, should handle. She saw the whole picture better than most and her suggestions were right on. On October 18, 1987, in Abilene, Kansas, I finally met Joan Dillon in person at the first National GPA meeting. The smile was what I expected and the laugh was familiar, but I was somewhat surprised that she was not 6 feet tall. I had always imagined that Joan would be head and shoulders above everyone else because in my mind, she is. Joan Belle Isle, The Greyhound
Project
Before the Internet, before groups were coordinating to handle the surplus dogs from every track closing, Joan was the first adoption person I found who truly believed in working with all the adoption groups regardless of politics. In actively building communications with groups inside and outside of GPA, she did more for the long-term welfare of the dogs than anyone I know. Marcia Herman, The Greyhound
Project Joan is a long-time
member of the Dog Writers Association of America
and has been a free-lance writer for many years. While working full-time
in a Boston law firm, for more than three years she did a tremendous
amount of work for Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine. Joan
wrote pro bono articles and fiction, handled subscriptions and advertising
and helped me proofread the drafts of the magazine before they went
to press. I know we couldn't have accomplished as much as we did without
you, Joan . Many thanks from the editor and please
keep on writing! Joan was extremely
supportive of my early efforts to place Greyhounds in the mid-Atlantic
states, was generous with advice and suggestions, and was free of the
jealousy and competitiveness that, sadly, sometimes accompanies this
work. From the start, Joan has been involved for
the love of the breed; her contributions to me personally, and to the
dogs, have been enormous. Thank you, Joan! Being one of the founding chapters of GPA, but at the same time a relative newcomer to greyhound adoption back in the 80's, I heard "incidentally" a lot. And with it I got an extraordinary amount of helpful information and valuable ideas from Joan . Not only a dedicated and workaholic greyhound advocate, Joan has always been a testament to team playing. She's moved throughout the greyhound advocacy spectrum, always looking for a way to help and improve, always sharing, always caring for our exceptional dogs - and the special people who care for our dogs. The greyhounds have been lucky for Joan's determination and unyielding work ethic. We, the other players in the national picture, have been blessed with Joan as a mentor. Incidentally... thanks, Joan!! (Editors Note: We are hoping that this personal spotlight column will become a regular feature in the GPA Communiqué. Who would you like to see profiled, next issue? It is not a requirement that the individual be a GPA member, but rather someone who has been influential within the Greyhound adoption movement. GPA/ROCKY MOUNTAIN GPA/Rocky Mountain Chapter
is a small, far-flung group dedicated
to placing greyhounds in caring, responsible homes. We are scattered
across the state of Montana and do most of our placements here, although
we have placed dogs in neighboring states and Canada. Our Chapter
is challenged by low population density, expansive geography, and
a thousand mile separation from the nearest
track/breeder operations.
In meeting these challenges Rocky Mountain has developed an organizational response that is probably unique with GPA. The bulk of our communication is via the Internet, supplemented with the occasional telephone call. We have board meetings in a chat room and some of our board members have yet to shake hands. Our placement representatives have virtually complete autonomy and operate with considerable authority within their geographical areas. We have one annual meeting and social event, Wag Tails. Last year, Wag Tails was attended by approximately thirty members and forty dogs. Our largest turn out. Our chapter began in 1994 as a sub-chapter under the leadership of Fred Coppola. In 1997 we achieved full chapter status. Our chapter officers are Sheri Glaspy, President; (currently open) VP; Judy Pfaff-Schlappy, Treasurer; Cindy House, Secretary. Our placement representatives are scattered around the state: Cindy in Billings is 340 miles from Judy in Missoula, who is 60 miles from Jean in Ronan, who is 27 miles from Lou in Polson, who is 60 miles from Sheri in Whitefish. Like most chapters, we send out applications and follow up with a phone interview. If all goes well, a home visit follows and the applicant is given a copy of 'Adopting the Racing Greyhound.' If we have foster dogs, we determine if one may be a good match for the applicant. If not, we place our "order" with Rocky Mountain Greyhound Park in Colorado Springs. The support from the management at Rocky Mountain Greyhound Park and the owners associated with the Track has been out standing. With their enthusiastic cooperation we are able to exercise considerable discretion in the selection of individual dogs for specific homes. The generosity of the RMGP folk extends even further to include transportation. They make routine hauls to Idaho for another adoption group, stopping in Billings and Missoula along the way to drop off dogs for Rocky Mountain. Once the dogs arrive, they are immediately shuttled to one of our veterinarians for medical processing. After processing, the placement representative delivers the dog to the new family. With this system we are able to place between 20 and 30 dogs each year on a semi custom basis. "'Tis as small thing, but our own." We reach out to potential adopters through participation in community events like the Winter Carnival Parade in Whitefish, newspaper advertisements and "Show and Tells". PetsMart outlets in Missoula and Billings have been especially supportive and are happy to us any time we arrive with greyhounds for a session. Last year we had a successful "Santa Paws" photo operation in Missoula. This had been our best fundraiser until we were selected as Group of the Month for May by the Greyhound List on the Internet. The outpouring of generosity and support was amazing. This was the most confirming experience our organization has ever experienced and our gratitude is beyond words. Through the efforts of John Moore, our wily Web Master, we recently established our own web site.We received several inquiries on opening day. Our hope is that this will become another effective means of acquiring potential adopters and friends. Check us out at: http://www.gparockymountain.homestead.com/index.html Do You Have A Medical Professional On Your Couch? Laura Marshall, volunteer, GPA/Houston & Caring
Critters If you are not familiar with the term, Animal-Assisted Therapy is the interaction between animals and people in a positive setting which ultimately results in being mutually beneficial to both. It is based on the belief that animals can bring unique rewards to humans. A major distinction between animals for entertainment and animals for therapy is the human/animal bond. That bond is defined by the inter-relationship between humans and animals, the strong attachment of a person to the animal and the animal's responsiveness to that person's needs. As early as 1860, Florence Nightingale believed animals had an impact on patients, so much so that she carried a pet owl in her pocket. Examples of Animal-Assisted Therapy can be found throughout history but it wasn't until the 1980's that pet therapy, as we know it today, originated. The San Francisco SPCA started a program of bringing puppies to a local nursing home and the outpouring of support was overwhelming. Volunteers were lining up and facilities all over the San Francisco area were clamoring for this new service. In time, AAT developed into 3 categories: social, educational and clinical. As a greyhound owner, you have probably focused mainly on the care and love of your canine, family member. But if you stop to consider: greyhounds are the perfect height to stand next to a wheelchair to be brushed by a patient trying to strengthen coordination. They can also hover by a sofa while the subject of conversation is the greyhound's amazing history. Drop a few names like Cleopatra and General George Custer, who were greyhound owners, and you will have anyone's attention diverted from a painful injury to your fascinating dog. With it's calm, gentle demeanor, the greyhound's temperament is perfect for any area of AAT. Because there are no dominance issues, they accept everyone into their realm. They are predictable in a positive way- no aggression, no surprises, no wild cards; just the way a therapy pet should be. And colors... have we got colors, all within the same breed! Now that's a conversation starter for a social visit if I've ever heard of one. The tattoos are fascinating to children but offer a sure-fire "in" for opening lines of communication with harder to reach young adults, sometimes past gang members. Although big in size, greyhounds convey friendliness with their eyes, the movement of their ears, and how about those dogs that actually smile? When it comes right down to it, greyhounds, Animal-Assisted Therapy and healthcare facilities are a match made in heaven. With no "doggie" smell and very little shedding, greyhounds are a welcome addition to any hospital's volunteer list. In the politically correct vernacular, greyhounds are "hygienically-gifted". So maybe I used the term "medical professional" a bit loosely but it has been shown that greyhounds make exceptional therapy pets. Since so much of Animal-Assisted Therapy is done in hospitals and healthcare facilities, the term seems to fit even if the professional in this case has four legs instead of two. You know the joy you feel when you touch your greyhound, when you hug them, when they bestow their wet kisses on you, or, just a certain look in their eyes. That is your first-hand experience with AAT, even if you didn't know there was a name for it. By asking your dog to accompany you, you not only share a little of yourselves, your time and your knock-out example of dogdom, but you also share a taste of that joy to individuals who have a need. Consider joining a pet therapy group in your area and take a little of the "couch" out of your couch potato. For information regarding all options in Animal-Assisted Therapy groups in your area, contact Delta Society OR, your local Humane Society Photos courtesy of S. Downing Photography GPA/WHEELING DOWNS CHAPTER by Lou Batdorf In 1984, (yes, we've been placing dogs for almost 16 years) after learning of Ron Walsek's efforts to place Greyhounds as pets in Florida, we asked him for permission to start a chapter of REGAP (Retired Greyhounds as Pets) in Wheeling, West Virginia. We felt the need for an organized adoption program at the track was great. Cooperation from the track management was minimal in the early years, totaling roughly $500 per year. In all honesty, at the time, we looked upon that small sum as a fortune, since we had no operating budget, and all our expenses were met by donations from a small handful of people. The mistakes in judgement during that first year were many, but with the help of people like Joan Dillon and John Furbush, we muddled through. In 1986, yours truly became a kennel helper in the Welch racing kennel. This was a profound education, since, approaching the dogs with a "pet owner" mentality meant that everything I knew about Greyhounds, their habits, and their care would have fit into a thimble, with room left over for the Encyclopedia Brittanica! There is no learning like the learning one does with working with SIXTY of these dogs every day, from 6:30 A.M. until 10:00 P.M., six days a week. The Welch's were patient with me, I stayed in that particular kennel through four changes of trainers. (Donna Welch, incidentally, was one of the earliest members of GPA, from Alabama.) After working for the Welch's for eight or nine months, I took the trainer's test (Yes, there actually used to BE one., with a written and hands-on section. In order to become a trainer in those distant days, one had to have been a kennel helper for at least six months, have permission to take the test from the trainer, then pass the test in order to obtain a trainer's license.) In spring of 1987, we joined with most of the existing REGAP chapters in becoming founding members of the new entity, GPA. New owners acquired Wheeling Downs, and Delaware North Companies, Inc. and seemed to value our GPA efforts much more than the previous owners had. We had finally acquired some "legitimacy". We were still boarding our dogs at a farm, paying for their care, however. In 1991 (by now, I was working for Dick Andrews, Inc. as backup trainer) management of the track put me on the payroll. At this time, since track management seemed to have embraced our goals, we voted to change the name of our chapter from "GPA/Upper Ohio Valley" to "GPA/Wheeling Downs". I gave up full time kennel work, since it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain both a six day a week job and the GPA telephone interviews, home visits, mailings, showing dogs, and numerous other volunteer duties those in Greyhound placement know all too well. In 1994, if memory serves, track management agreed to give us our own kennel building which eliminated the need for traveling twenty five miles or so to the boarding farm. We had to rely on volunteer help in the kennel, which was, at best, an "iffy" proposition, given the fact that we had so few volunteers willing to do the hard, dirty work involved, and so few members who had any knowledge about dealing with large groups of dogs. In 1996 track management agreed to put a full time GPA kennel worker on the payroll. We have been fortunate in having people work our kennel who have a strong background in Greyhounds. Our current kennel worker, Kanette Allen, has, literally, grown up "in greyhounds." She has been a trainer, as has everyone in her immediate family. (Ironically, we first met back in 1985 when she was working with Donna Welch.) Her "fill-in" on her days off is Chris Andes, a kennel helper in Cardinal Kennel. He is always willing to help us with the heavy lifting and toting, and has been a Godsend. The advantages in having a kennel at a racing facility are obvious. We can show dogs to prospective adopters at almost any time. All our dogs are under one roof, and we get to know them intimately. The disadvantage is that, since we have no foster homes, we cannot make a precise prediction as to the behavior a given dog may manifest when confronted with living in a "real" home. Most of the members of our group are employed by Wheeling Downs, and do not wish to spend their days off at the track. This is understandable, but it means that, as in the past, a very small group of people is actually involved with the placements, care of the dogs, etc. Another item deserves mention; we have very few dogs in homes in our immediate area. The reason for this is a mystery. The number of adoptions in the northern section of West Virginia is very small. There simply doesn't seem to be any interest. Part of this may be explained by the fact that the public seems to feel we should simply give away the dogs, instead of having an application process and asking the adopters to pay the medical expense. We recently agreed to sponsor a sub-chapter, in northern Virginia, and this group of dedicated, energetic people will prove to be an asset to GPA. We, like every adoption group headquartered at a racetrack, rely to a degree on other adoption groups with whose philosophies we agree. There are groups who are not near a constant supply of Greyhounds, and they ask us to provide for them. It has been a pleasure working with these groups, and we have met many very fine people over the years - people whose love for our magical greyhound matches our own. |
(Below: pages 7-14) PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: PAT TOMAN Many thanks to those big-hearted Texans (GPA Chapters, San Antonio, Houston and Central Texas) for making the National Convention a success. The speakers were educational and interesting, the barge ride and dinner was great, everything was extremely organized and we all left the meeting full of new ideas, eager to share with our own chapters and all looking forward to next year's get-together. I was very pleased to see so many new people and new chapters represented this year. More members attended this year's convention than ever before. This, to me, says our chapters want to stay connected; to be a united front, and want to work to make us better. A lot of business was accomplished and
more was generated. A Nominations Committee for next years elections
was established with Lisa Nolet (Orlando,) Lee Minardi (Las Vegas,)
Greg Dague (Richmond,) and Cheryl Holmberg (Oklahoma.) New wordings/criteria
will be sent out on ballots. Finance Committee represented by Nancy Madigan (OC/GLA,) got quite the list of what chapters would like done with National monies. This committee consists of Carol Osborne (AZ,) Joan Holley (NY) and Ellen Schneiderman (WI.) Excellent ideas were expressed and this committee has its work cut out. Expansion of the national website to include useful resources for our chapters such as grant-writing templates was discussed and the Communications Committee will act on making this happen. National advertising, public relations and more inter-action with NGA is something everyone felt should be escalated. This will also happen. Discussion on length of the convention led to changes for next year. That meeting will start at 10:00 on a Friday and will finish Sunday. There is just too much to do with any less time. On a sad note, our Vice President, Susan Arruda (Richmond) had to resign due to personal and health problems. I thank Susan for her work on the Board this past year and hope this next year is easier for her. Rory Goree' (AZ) has been appointed interim VP and will chair the Grants/Fundraising Committee which also consists of Jim Meyer (MI.) Rory and Jim have good backgrounds with money issues and we fully expect the money to start rolling in so fast, that we won't be able to get it to the chapters quick enough! Only kidding guys (well kinda.) And last, a sincere Thank You to our Executive Board for a year of hard work. Joyce, Alane and Lee, we make a good team and I appreciate and admire each of you very much. It takes a huge commitment to do what you have been doing and still take charge of your own chapters. You are tops in my book! A very full year is ahead of us and, we can always use more volunteers and ideas. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question, concern, problem or just want to say "hey!" Hope to see you all again next year, in Atlanta. Greyhounds
& Pre-Operative blood work
By Melissa Turnbull, DV Often times, when a pet is brought to a veterinary clinic for surgery or procedure requiring anesthesia, the owner is asked if they would like pre-operative blood work done. Owners, often, are not clear as to the reasons this is recommended. The hope is to dispel the mystery involved and explain why this is a warranted procedure. There are several reason to consider pre-operative blood work. First, it will give your veterinarian baseline values for your pet - this helps establish a trend. In other words, it can help with early detection of diseases such as liver or kidney disease. Second, it can help your veterinarian decide on the type of anesthesia to use on your pet, especially if a disease or condition is diagnosed prior to the surgery or procedure. Different anesthesia's are metabolized by different organ systems in the body, such as liver, kidneys or lungs, and if one of these organ systems is compromised, it can lead to a life-threatening situation for your pet. Pre-operative blood work can also alert your veterinarian to other concerns such as improper blood clotting, etc. As most of you know, greyhounds are especially sensitive to anesthesia - this is due to their lack of body fat. Normally, certain injectable anesthesia's go directly to an animal's fat layer and then over a certain time period (minutes to hours), the anesthesia is released into the bloodstream leading eventually to the metabolism of the anesthesia. Because greyhounds lack that fat layer, the anesthesia has nowhere to go and stays in the bloodstream therefore keeping the greyhound anesthetized longer. A common assumptions that a young animal equals a healthy animal - this is true in most instances. Ideally, pre-operative blood work should be performed prior to all surgical/anesthetic procedures, but even more so in the "middle aged" to "senior" animals. In most veterinary clinics, these are any animals seven years or older. The type of pre-operative blood work performed is usually based on the age of seven years. Greyhounds younger than seven years should have a complete blood count (CBC) and a mini-panel and thyroid function test performed at the minimum. Greyhounds older than seven years should have a CBC, full panel and thyroid function performed. A complete blood count, or CBC, can alert your veterinarian to a number of concerns such as anemia, infection, leukemia, parasites, decreased oxygen carrying capabilities of red blood cells, or loss of platelets (which are responsible for helping the blood to clot properly). A panel, also known as a chemistry panel, evaluates certain organ systems in the body. It can alert your veterinarian to liver or kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, certain endocrine diseases such as Cushing's or Addison's, protein-losing diseases, or dehydration. Please ask your veterinarian for a more in-depth explanation of these diseases. While anesthesia has become safer, it is good medicine to have "all your cards on the table" when having to put your pet under anesthesia. Your veterinarian wants what is best for your pet and supplying him or her with all the knowledge available is the best for your pet. Your pet will thank you with unconditional love. NEWS FROM THE GREYHOUND REVIEW Official Monthly Publication of the NGA Articles with information that might be of interest to adoption groups and owners of adopted greyhounds will be reprinted from time to time. Gary Guccione is the Executive Editor. It is published 12 times per year and the subscription rate is $30. Their address is P.O. Box 543, Abilene, KS 67410. From the July 2000 Issue Track Talk: Greyhound Database The Seventh Edition (2000) of the International Greyhound Research Database is now available from the American Greyhound Council. The Database is an on-going, decade-long project involving the collection of papers worldwide, with respect to studies pertinent to the racing Greyhounds. Many new citations have been added to these that were listed in the last edition, published in 1998. The International Greyhound Research Database, complied by Drs. Linda L. Blythe and A. Morrie Craig of Oregon State University, is available both on the World Wide Web and on CD-Rom. The entire Database can be searched, viewed and printed on the American Greyhound Council web page at www.agcouncil.com. Also, the Database is available on CD-Rom for a fee of $10. Write International Greyhound Research Database, P.O. Box 543, Abilene, KS 67410 and include $10. From the August 2000 Issue Footnotes:After nearly a decade of sharp declines, the number of
breeding and NGA-registered pups whelped has leveled off. True, there
was another decline in the number of pups whelped in 1999 (contributing
to a 36% drop since 1990--much of which was welcomed with respect to the
humane issues; in fact, NGA had encouraged members to cut back breeding
in the early 1990s for that reason). But in 1998 the number of breeding
and pups whelped leveled off; and in 2000 thus far, NGA is showing a 20%
increase in breeding through the first five months of the year--an indication
of renewed optimism and confidence in the sport's future. We certainly
don't need a return to the days when the breeding pace created a situation
where supply far outweighed demand. But it's nice finally seeing, at least
for now, an end to the sharp declines. From the August 2000 Issue Track Talk: Registrations drop Total number of pups whelped fell from 35,801 in 1998 to 33,256 in 1999-renewing a decade-long slide in breeding that briefly leveled off in 1998. The decline came despite no additional closing of pari-mutuel Greyhounds in the last few years. During the first six years of the decade, 14 tracks had closed their doors. Part of the reason for the declines can also be attributed to a call by the NGA and the AGC to reduce the number of Greyhounds bred and to concentrate on quality, not quantity. Total number of pups whelped has declined by more than a third--about 36 %--since the beginning of the 1990s. The number of Greyhound adoptions remains at about 18,000 each year. This estimate is based on previous estimates ago by an independent agency, the steadiness in the number of adoption agencies in existence since that time (still at about 240), and adoption data received from numerous adoption groups. The latest statistics indicate that a higher percentage of Greyhounds than ever before are being placed in homes as pets. More than 80% of all Greyhounds whelped are ultimately being retired back to farms for breeding purposes or are being placed in homes as pets upon retiring from racing. NGA statistics also show that 27,059 pups, also more than 80% of the total pups whelped, were individually registered last year--a registration procedure that generally occurs when pups have reached "track-age", or about 14-17 months old. Credit for the current trends, according to Gary Guccione, NGA Exec. Dir. and AGC Coor., goes to the many placement agencies who give countless hours, working with personnel in racing-owners, breeders, trainers and track officials to facilitate the huge number of pet adoptions. Since 1990, it's estimated that more than 134,000 Greyhounds have been adopted as pets into homes. The current Greyhound pet population in the United States and Canada likely exceeds 90,000, according to Guccione, making the Greyhound pet an increasingly popular and recognizable phenomenon on the American social scene. The AGC makes a direct contribution to the number of Greyhounds placed, annually allocating *$40,000 for grants to qualifying pet adoption groups. A sizeable portion of the fund has been provided by the AGTOA through its Night of Starts racing program. Racetracks, in addition to their financial support of the Council, contribute $1.7 million annually to local Greyhound adoption efforts. More than $10.5 million has been spent by the tracks in the last seven years to support local adoption programs. The 1999 statistics were complied from NGA registration information (including the official number of pups whelped, litter-registered and individually registered with NGA registry each year). Factored in also were natural attrition rates and retirement of racers back to farms for breeding purposes. NGA statistics show litter size in 1998 to have been 6.52, consistent with litter size average of recent years. *Here's a source for grant money. EASY AND TESTED FUNDRAISER IDEA Lisa Nolet of GPA Orlando included a form letter to owners/breeders in her form information she left to share with all the chapters at the national meeting. It states that the letter is being sent to inform you that your greyhound Bob has been adopted to Alane Shultz of Springfield, MO. It tells them of the adoption process, etc. etc. It tells them of all the misc. expenses the group has in detail and includes a self addressed stamped envelope for a donation and suggests a minimum of $25 per dog.I asked Lisa how successful this had been or not. She said "we just started doing this a couple of months ago. I was absolutely amazed at the results we are getting! I would estimate that somewhere around 60% of the requests we send out are returned with a check for $25.00. When we opened our office, we were looking for more revenue sources to help pay rent, utilities, etc. so we started sending the letters out. Now I could kick myself for all the years we didn't do this. I think we've made around $1000 over the past three months because of these letters. " This is little effort for the return and worth a try. It also is a one to one more personal way to contact the former owners and they will feel more in the loop of knowing what's going on and will feel more included in the adoption process. They'll feel good about themselves for helping and we'll feel better about them because they did! FREE PSA OFFER
made by GPA National
And GREYHOUNDS IN THE MEDIA More and more greyhounds are being seen
in the media and that in turn helps promote adoption and continues to
convey to the public what wonderful pets greyhounds make. Recently Greyhound
Bus Lines have released a new advertising campaign from TV spots to
radio spots. They have a somewhat humorous talking greyhound pushing
the bus lines. I'm occasionally seeing greyhounds in mass advertising
such as Big K or Target ads. A new RC Steele Pet Supply catalog arrived
a week ago and there was a pair of greyhounds demonstrating the No Tangle
Two-Dog Leash for sale. For this catalog contact 1-800-872-3773 or see
www.rcsteele.com. The
August Issue of House and Garden has a gorgeous white male greyhound
shown lying on his couch. He belongs to the interior designer Bobby
McAlpine of Montgomery, AL who is featured in the story. And Hallmark's
Dog and Cat cards have a greyt looking brindle greyhound on the front
of a cute birthday card.
You can add to this media list by requesting your chapter's free copy of the greyhound PSA Showoff and getting it played on a local TV station. Contact your ABC, CBS or NBC affiliate in your local viewing area to get this aired. It's really neat! Some of the chapters attending the National GPA Conference in San Antonio received theirs at the meeting. Contact me, Alane Shultz, for your copy. MEDIA EXPOSURE WILL DEFINITELY INCREASE YOUR ADOPTION INQUIRIES! Request Deadline is Sept. 30! Fatty Tumors and Cysts by Robert L. Gillette, DVM, MSE Two common skin problems seen in Greyhounds and all dogs are, what Veterinarians frequently describe as, "fatty tumors" and skin "cysts". These words should not scare an owner when the veterinarian diagnoses these in your pet. They are two different problems that have a very good prognosis. The skin cyst is a hard nodular mass that is in the skin or lies just beneath the skin. Sometimes they will ooze a serous fluid that collects dirt and hair around the site. A lot of times they are not noticed until this occurs. They are usually related to one of the various glands that are in the skin. When you feel them they will feel like a large "BB" in the skin. The decision to treat them depends on the owner. If they are present but are not oozing they can be left alone. Once they start oozing they can leave marks on furniture and carpeting. At this point they are more susceptible to infection and should probably be presented to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will probably prescribe some antibiotics and some special shampoo. Another treatment option is surgical removal.A fatty tumor is a benign mass that consists of fat tissue.
They can be of various sizes. When you feel them they are usually soft,
the consistency of a rubber ball. Sometimes they appear and stay the same
size, other times they will increase in size. Usually they aren't a medical
problem. Treatment is surgical removal and the decision to have this done
is based upon what problems the mass is creating. If it is in a location
that it is constantly being rubbed or causing trauma, it should be removed.
If it's size becomes large enough that it is pendulous or causing other
problems removal is again the option.Your veterinarian may suggest removing
the masses for histological diagnosis. They are doing this as a precaution,
because sometimes bad tumors will look like a cyst or a fatty tumor in
their early stages. SAN ANTONIO HIGHLIGHTS Jacque Shultz handles the ASPCA Greyhound Rescue Fund. They have $80,000 available in grants to greyhound adoption groups. You must be a 501C group and the money use is FLEXIBLE from buying crates to a trailer or Frontline. Contact her at ASPCA, 424 E. 92nd St., NY, NY 10128, 212-876-7700, X 4421, Fax: 212-860-3435 or Jacque_Schultz/Aspca@aspca.org. The winner of the Brass N More white ceramic life size greyhound was Tracy Richard. She bought her ticket from GPA, S. OH Valley. Congrats to both of you!Library, what's a library? And the internet of course will be your main sources to start searching for the right foundation to apply for a GRANT.
SEE YOU IN ATLANTA IN 2001 Quotes
from First Time National Meeting Attendees From Tim Heller, Web Master for GPA Houston Well, let's see....I had a great time, getting to listen to some other groups ways of doing things...attending the various discussions and programs. My only wish was that there were more time allotted for the programs so that more exchange could take place. (I think this was a common comment---which I think would indicate that the programs were interesting and had value.) I spent too much money, but I did get some neat things. I discovered several new links to put on our website. Am definitely hoping to attend next year's program in Atlanta--and this time I hope to take one of my dogs. Congrats to those who planned and pulled off the program in San Antonio! From Nancy Madigan,
VP, GPA/CA-OC&GLA A well presented convention
with an impressive array of greyhound knowledge all in one place. Surely
having left everyone with something to think about. A first for me but
not my last. TIDBITS AND MISHMASH Dollar General Stores have vanilla wafers for $1 per box. They also have Children's Compound W bandaids for wart removal. Give that a try if you haven't. They're $2.For coat improvement & to boost immune system give one 400 mg. Vitamin E capsule per day. KETCHUM TAG contact info: P.O. Box 10, 11 Town Shed Rd., Lake Luzerne, NY 12846, phone is 518-696-3331 NATIONAL BAND & TAG CO. 721 York St., P.O. Box 72430, Newport, KY 41072. FUNDRAISER IDEA: Tulsa, OK Sonic Drive Ins let non profit groups work as car hops on Saturday. You get all the tips but no wages. They work from 11 to 5 and literally car hop the food out. Set your banner, stuff for sale and volunteers up at an outside table and the attending greys will get people in and lots of attention. Add to your greyhound book list: Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies. Christmas Fundraiser: Set up at a groomer salon or Doggie Day Care a Living Memorial Christmas Tree. Use a live tree donated by someone in memory of a past greyhound and decorate the tree with SOLD memorial ornaments for greys and other pets. Charge a min. donation and proceeds go to your group. Dedicate and plant the tree later at sponsor's yard. Magnetic Bumper Stickers: Buy magnet vent cover material at a home improvement store & stick bumper stickers to the magnet, cut out; you have a magnetic car sign. This works greyt! Then sell for a profit. Greyhound Socks in white or grey with greyhounds sold by GPA, N. VA, $13+SH For Picnics/Gatherings buy a battery operated Bullhorn at Radio Shack for $40, has hundreds of songs on it as well, projects to 300' outdoors. BELLY BANDS. For male greys having marking problems in the home. Try these. See www.eleganthound.com. $15 ea. Adoption groups ordering 6 or more $12 ea.
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