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GPA Communique The Bulletin of Greyhound Pets of America--Vol 9, No 4, Winter, 2000 |
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(Below: pages 1-6) Clashes inevitable; learn
to manage them I received this weekly issue of our Springfield Business Journal, Oct. 2 - 8, on Saturday in our mail at home. I flipped through it and came to this article. I immediately read it and thought it was very relevant to communicating and working with people in your own adoption group, other adoption groups, personalities, adopters, racing industry people, etc. You name it and it applies. I hope you get something that improves your communication skills out of this as I hope I have. Alane Shultz Taking the initiative to begin resolving
the clash is the first step ¨ Remain alert toward behaviors that might signal discord. Once you notice them you should feel a since of urgency to straighten out the problem before it snowballs. Take the initiative to begin resolution no matter how small the contention or who is at fault. Forgive the other person so he or she has no power over you, especially the power to rule your decisions. ¨ Stay focused on corporate goals. Embrace problems as an opportunity to improve that area in the company. ¨ Be positive. Always look for the best and strive for a conclusion that leaves everyone a winner. Mistakes are correctable. Properly handled friction leads to team building. In the end, the answer may be to agree to disagree, but employees will still be holding hands. ¨ Before you approach someone, ask yourself three questions. Is the person under an inordinate amount of stress that is causing the offensive behavior? If so, overlook his verbal assault. Second, are you overreacting? Your emotion might be tainting your perception. Third, is the situation changeable? If it is, systematically work toward a reformation. If it is not, have the grace to accept the condition. However, if you have done everything in your power to clear up the discord but he refuses to cooperate, consider terminating the relationship. ¨ Put understandable negative emotions on hold. Do not be arrogant and assume you are completely right and the other person is completely wrong. Do not stoop to her level either. On the other hand, do not falsely internalize cutting remarks she makes. Do not fear undeserved comments. Keep doing what is right. ¨ Do not be a doormat, or you will never be a success in your company. Stand up for yourself. You have personal worth and dignity. If you are challenged in this area, obtain assertiveness training . ¨ Stop wishing the other person were different. This wastes your energy and makes you less able to cope. Let it go. You have rights but so does he. Remain non-judgmental of his character. Do not focus on who is to blame. Instead, be considerate of him and treat him the way you want to be treated. He still deserves your respect. Remember, not everyone thinks and acts like you. Differences are healthy and allow room for growth.¨ Determine any positive biases you have, such as friendship. Do not allow any partiality to keep you from approaching her. Determine negative predisposition's, also. Be sure to not use the upcoming confrontation to punish, dominate or take revenge. ¨ Be motivated by concern for the other person and tell the truth because you value the business relationship. Do not be motivated by fear. Fear is disabling. You will not hurt his feelings by stating accurate facts; you will upset him if you keep the truth from him. It does not matter is you are not perfect in other areas of your life; the issue at this moment is his behavior. You will not suffer shame and humiliation; the truth always wins in the end. If you are afraid because you feel insecure, obtain professional help in the area of conflict management. Learn what to do and what to say. Do not assume
conflict management will come easily, but know that the results are
well worth the effort Make a firm commitment to start settling conflicts
today and maintain your zeal from this point forward. The result will
be decreased stress and increased peace of mind, self-esteem and respect
from others. You will never regret the decision. Lynne Haggerman is president/owner of Haggerman & Associates, an employment, management training, human resources consulting, and outplacement firm. She is author/presenter of the seminar "Conflict Management in Companies." New Greyhound Video Ever wish you could share the joy of rescuing greyhounds? Would you like to share those experiences with friends and relatives? Would you like to show these activities to a group or community TV? Now you can. This new video takes you to the Caliente Track to pick up a bunch of retired racers and follows them through the day into foster care. It highlights the process of finding them forever homes and the many activities that they and their adopters share together after adoption. Contrast this to how is was in the beginning by checking http://www.abap.org/12less.htm. This is a celebration of these greyhounds and the people that love them, It will leave you smiling. This is not an expose' and is not about greyhound racing. It is about racing greyhounds and the joy they bring when their racing days are done. This video is professionally produced and is suitable for TV broadcasting. Your purchase of the video allows you to use it as you wish, other than unauthorized reproduction. Its production was a donation and the proceeds go to medical care of sick and injured greyhounds. It is hoped that this video will be used at Meet & Greets and other greyhound related activities to promote their value as pets and companions. If a group would like to order larger quantities check with Nancy for any available discount offers. Send check or money order for $20 + $3 S&H to: Nancy Madigan,
5727 Pickering Ave., Whittier, CA 90601,
562-693-3450, Nansgreys@aol.com
Questions may also come to me. Yes, I
do have an interest in this group and video as one of the unpaid volunteers
that work hard to make it all come together. The video is careful to
show things as you would see them if you were there and not to push
any hidden agenda. Its initial introduction won rave reviews. Cheers, Tom McRorie Tom McRorie, Greyhound Pets of America, Orange County & Greater Los Angeles, 1210 N. Cypress Street, LaHabra, CA 90631, 562-694-3519, 800-298-5743, Fx: 562-694-0719, Web: http://www.fastfriends.org BREAD RISING
RAISES $ Montana based Great Harvest Bread Co. encourages
its franchisees to let your group run their store for the day and lets
you keep all the proceeds from bread sales for that day. This promotes
community goodwill and leads to increased business as well. If you have
a Great Harvest Bread Co. near you read all about it at www.greatharvest.com/winharts.htm From the November 2000 Greyhound Review Editor Gary Guccione corrected an error: "Oops!
Please excuse the error in August's Review where we incorrectly reported
a 20 percent increase in breedings this year. In the first eight months
of the year, breedings are actually down 5 percent--compared with a
3 percent decline from 1998 to '99..." 2001 National GPA Meeting Set Atlanta, GA The Westin Atlanta North at Perimeter Is the location of our next National GPA Meeting. This is Fri. - Sun., Aug. 10, 11 & 12, 2001 Reservations can be made now by calling 770-395-3900 Tell them you are part of the National GPA Meeting $79 per night for a King or Double $100 refundable pet deposit MORE DETAILS LATER. The Path We Have Chosen by Lisa Nolet, President of GPA/Orlando as printed in Go Greyhounds Almost every time we are out in public with these glorious hounds, we hear comments such as: "Aren't they abused?" "The way they force those poor dogs to run fast just makes me sick." "Why don't they just outlaw greyhound racing?" "It's a crime the way they're kept caged (or muzzled) all the time." When we do, we smile non-committal to the speaker, hug our hounds, and tell them what wonderful pets these retired racers make, purposefully side-stepping their comments and refocusing the direction of the conversation to the dogs, not greyhound racing. Sometimes it's easier said than done, especially when the four-legged sweetheart at the end of the leash is so shy, she's trying to hide between the bags of dog food on the shelves. Wouldn't it be easier to just agree? We could play upon the sympathies of these possible adopters. Perhaps they would feel so sorry for the poor creature that they would fill out that application and beg to take her home. They would be greyhound's heroes and the greyhound would be forever grateful that she was rescued. Wouldn't she? And, while we're at it, why shouldn't we take a stand against an industry that breeds greyhounds to use only until they are 2 to 5 years old? Oh, these are hard questions, and ones we're faced with all of the time. Many groups that have chosen to speak out against the greyhound industry criticize us, accusing us of "sleeping with the industry" or "promoting the industry" because we have chosen to work with the greyhound racetracks and kennel personnel to find homes for their retired greyhounds. Why do we do this? As most of you know, there are two greyhound racetracks in the Orlando area - Sanford Orlando Kennel Club, where we are using kennel space, and Seminole Greyhound Park, where we have an adoption office. We have a close relationship with both tracks which we have worked very hard to achieve. Both tracks have helped our organization achieve goals we could never otherwise have reached. The kennel owners and trainers are just as anxious as we are to see their retired greyhounds placed in our program where they will find their permanent homes. Many greyhound breeders have sent donations to us when notified that we placed one of their dogs. Perhaps we don't get financial help that some of the larger tracks are able to give their adoption programs but we certainly wouldn't be getting the help and cooperation we do if we were in the picket lines or distributing petitions. Also, because of our neutrality, the NGA is granting us funds towards a permanent adoption facility for GPA/Greater Orlando. Many times, Wendy and I have spoken about the misconceptions we had about the racing kennels before we came to know so many of the people who work in them. We've seen many of them in tears when they've given up a beloved member of their kennel to be adopted. The abuse that so many people talk about is something we've never seen. (However, I can assure you that if we ever do, we will immediately go through the proper channels to see that it is stopped and that proper care is given to an injured animal.) And, now that we own greyhounds we know that you don't have to "force" a greyhound to race. They'll pass up a meal and a nap for a chance to run! We want our greyhounds adopted by people who come to understand and love the breed and their unique characteristics, not because they feel sorry for them. Our experience has shown us that sympathy adoptions are not usually life-long homes for the greyhounds. Many people who adopt because they pity these animals expect them to be forever grateful and are not as flexible or forgiving when the dogs don't live up to their expectations. Greyhound Pets of America, in the national Policy and Procedure Manual, states that … "GPA is politically neutral and is neither pro- nor anti-racing." And "Greyhound Pets of America is primarily interested in the welfare of the greyhound. We are not animal activists .. We do not lobby, march or picket against anything … We would also consider time spent in lobbying, marching or picketing to be counter productive to our stated purposes." GPA is the largest greyhound adoption organization in the world. Many of you may not know that greyhound breeders who wanted to ensure a better future for their retired racers originally founded GPA. Last year, 32 chapters and 8 subchapters of GPA helped find homes for more than 3,500 greyhounds across the United States. Greyhound Pets of America works with the American Greyhound Council and the National Greyhound Association to man toll free adoption lines across the country. The phone number, 1-800-366-1472 , will put anyone in touch with his and her nearest greyhound adoption organization, even if it's not GPA. Greyhound Pets of America has a reputation that all of us can be proud of. It also has the potential of making even a greater impact on the future of retired racing greyhounds than it is doing now. Last week, I was speaking to a member of an anti-racing organization in another state - one where greyhound racing is illegal. GPA is a real problem for her because we are not anti-racing. She feared she just couldn't deal with us. This was a very emotional issue for her but apparently a much safer one in a state where there was no industry to contend with. She said that if we had to remain neutral in order to work with the local racing industry, we should "just let the dogs die! They're going to be killed anyway!" I was really taken aback. Surely she didn't mean that we should sacrifice all of the dogs that we're finding homes for? Did she have a clue about what we are doing here? She wasn't prepared to continue the conversation when I said that the 1,500 or so dogs we've taken out of the racing kennels in the last three years did not die but were placed in responsible and loving homes. Thirty minutes later, she called back. After giving it some time and thought, she agreed that we were all in it for the dogs and should set aside political differences. So, that's the answer - we do it for the dogs - not for any political agenda. Our personal convictions are just that, personal. We have chosen this path because we feel that we are able to help more greyhounds find their permanent homes by remaining neutral rather than working against the industry. It's very simple when you understand that we can help more greyhounds by keeping open lines of communication between the tracks where these greyhounds live and those of us who want to help them. Political issues have a way of clouding everyone's objectives. Anything that gets in the way of adopting greyhounds is counter-productive to our goals and we don't have time for it. I hope the day comes when all groups can work together and not hamper each other's efforts by bickering and competition. After all, we're all in this for the dogs. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Congratulations Rory Goree' (AZ) for formally being elected Vice President. We are fortunate to have an officer of Rory's talent, and with lots of work ahead, it's good we now have a full team eager to continue to make things happen. Warm welcomes also go to GPA/Largo for obtaining chapter status after five years being a sub, and to our newest subchapter, GPA/Indianapolis, sponsored by Daytona Beach. Thanks to everyone for uniting with the Best Adoption Organization Ever! I am still looking for a couple of enthusiastic volunteers to be on the FINANCE COMMITTEE. So many ideas were presented and discussed at the convention and we need to roll with them. This will be a very active committee and will take a lot of commitment. I would particularly like to have a convention attendee volunteer that heard all the suggestions and will be familiar with Nancy Madigan's "butcher paper" notes. Please contact me at greyhnd@open.org or Nancy at nansgreys@aol.com It is almost time for a New Year with New Resolutions. This year mine will be to find more homes for all the greyhounds, more education of the public about greyhounds, and somehow, try to work with those breeders that need to take more responsibility for their too many litters and too little outlets. Happy Holidays and a Peaceful 2001!Pat Toman An Interview with Kim Parkhurst - Creator of the "TURBOSPUD" Comic Communiqué: How many greyhounds do you have as pets?Kim: I have one greyhound, Trooper, formerly WR's Z-Sam (sounds like a license plate, doesn't it?). We would like to have more, but we're in an apartment (& live above our building managers!). Trooper shares his home with three cats. He much prefers cats to non-greyhoundish dogs. We plan on moving to Long Island by the end of this year, and hopefully we'll rent a house with a yard. When we get another dog, we'd like to provide a home to a shy and spooky little girl. Troop seems like he'd be a good big brother. No telling when this will be though; we've got to move first! We'll know when the time is right. Till then, it's really hard to read about "hard to place" dogs! Communiqué: Where did you get him? Kim: Trooper came to me from GPA's Orange County/LA County chapter. Most of their dogs came from Caliente track in Tijuana Mexico and Troop was no different. He originally came from Phoenix, AZ and raced there and in Corpus Christi, TX before ending up in Caliente. We've had him since Feb. 1993. Communiqué: What do you do for a living? Kim: I'm an illustrator. I've done magazine illustration, web site design and graphics, lots of private commissions, murals galore, built sculptural elements as decorations for businesses and am currently working on a children's book project and building out a fantasy-art portfolio. TURBOSPUD is a for fun project for me and serves as good practice for stuff I don't get much chance to do very often otherwise. Communiqué: Give us your background. Kim: I'm 26 and from Buffalo, NY. I've been with my sweetie Andy for almost 8 years; we met in freshman year of college at R.I.T. in Rochester, NY. We moved out here to LA together after graduation. I majored in illustration and Andy managed in Film Animation (though he's a very happy web designer now). We'll be getting married "one of these days". We don't have kids and consider ourselves "childfree". Having never wanted a baby at all, much less "nearly" as much as wanting a dog or a cat, it seems like a good idea to stick with critters and borrow nieces/nephews when the mood strikes. The role of eccentric Auntie appeals to me greatly! I've always drawn and painted and feel very fortunate to be one of those people who ALWAYS knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. Communiqué: Have you done other artwork for greyhound adoption groups for fundraising? Kim: I have donated prints and done logos for some groups, though I've regretfully been increasingly busy lately and not as able to do so much as I'd like. Communiqué: Would you do the above? Kim: Yes indeed…. though I have to work on being a more organized person before I can add more obligations to my life. Communiqué: How long have you had the TURBOSPUD strip? Kim: I've done SPUD since May 2000, though I haven't been very faithful to him in regards to putting a new strip up every week. It takes about 2-3 days to do a strip. I make the strips with a Wacom tablet in Painter, entirely digital. Communiqué: How did it develop, how long had you had the ideas, etc.? Kim: Soon after adopting Trooper, I'd wanted to do a storybook about the process of greyhound placement, but beyond explaining the process, there just wasn't very much story TO it! But I wanted to do SOMEthing about greyhound daily-life. Meanwhile I'd been enjoying web comics and had been doing increasingly more and more digital and web design work. A lot of my friends are comics artists and enthusiasts and their influence was nibbling at me as well. My skill in comics, inking and lettering is rusty and I needed an excuse to practice it. Andy and I have so many private little jokes about what Trooper's thinking and why he does things, it occurred to me one day that I had a whole bunch of comic strips in my head without even realizing it. Thus was born SPUD! Communique: What is your long term plan for TURBOSPUD? Kim: SPUD has a lot of new pals he'll be meeting in the coming weeks and months. His human, Molly, will be having her "punk rawk" little brother Sean visiting from college and there will be a new friend for SPUD. a "Rockwilder" named Glock.
IVORY'S ACUPUNCTURE Lee Edgington GPA/Houston Acupuncture is just one part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is usually used in combination with herbs, heat, or lasers. Chinese medicine differs from "Conventional" Western veterinary medicine in that it looks at the whole animal, not just the symptom. The Dr. may ask questions that seem to be unrelated to the problem (does the animal like to lie on the carpet or on tile). The treatment may also not seem to be related to the ailment from a western perspective. Most veterinary acupuncturist only get
to see dogs after "every thing else has failed". Even with that against
them they are able to treat and improve many chronic disease states
such as allergic skin problems, kidney disease, and upper respiratory
infections. Acupuncture is also used to treat musculoskeletal problems. When we adopted Ivory in 1996 she was 8 years old and had been used for breeding for about 5 years. Her right rear hock had been broken while racing and hadn't been set and the right hip & leg muscles had atrophied to the point she could only use the foot for balance, not for traction . After about a year we noticed open sores around the beds of her toenails. Our primary vet and a dermatology specialist ran a number of tests and were only able to determine what the problem wasn't. They both treated her based on best guess of the symptoms and what had been ruled out but there wasn't any marked improvement. In October of 1998 we met Dr. Cory Stiles
while GPA/Houston was providing demonstration dogs for the International
Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) course in Houston. Dr. Stiles
has been a Veterinarian since 1978 and has practiced TCM since 1989.
Dr. Stiles treated Ivory for circulation disorders, as well as points
for arthritis and immune stimmulation. One almost immediate benefit,
Ivory had been shaved for an ultrasound exam and the hair hadn't started
to grow back after almost 6 months. About 3 weeks after the treatments
started the hair growth was noticeable and for the first time since
she had been with us, she was shedding. She is a white dog and we sometimes
wonder why we were so excited that she was starting to shed. For the past 2 years Ivory has been getting
treatment every 2 to 3 weeks depending on her condition. Her feet have
improved but will probably never be completely healed. She has also
been treated for arthritis and seems to get around as well as she did
3 years ago, even with only three 12 and ½ year old legs. Many times
when a dog goes to the vet on a regular basis they seem to dread going
and have behavior problems associated with the visits. Ivory gets excited
when we pull up to Dr. Stiles' clinic and runs (o.k. she hops) to get
inside. She also seems to feel better and have more energy for the first
few days after her treatments. If your pet has a chronic problem that your primary vet just can't seem to get under control, consider Traditional Chinese Medicine as an alternative.
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(Below: pages 7-14) OFFERING AN
ALTERNATIVE... It seems strange to call a 3000 year old form of medicine a "new" treatment option, but that's exactly what acupuncture has become. Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into specific energetic points, to bring about a desired physiological change, and thus healing. Although it is not a cure all, acupuncture works well when indicated According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), disease is due to an imbalance in the bodies life force or Qi (Chi). This energy becomes blocked from its normal flow through the bodies fourteen meridians, or energetic pathways. By way of the application of needles, acupressure, electrical stimulation, moxibustion (heating) or various other methods, the "stagnation" in energy is relieved. From a western point of view, acupuncture is thought to help by; increasing blood supply to affected areas, stimulating nerves, relieving muscle spasms, and causing the release of endorphins, the bodies natural pain killers Acupuncture, as a form of TCM, can be used to treat almost any imbalance, except those requiring surgery. It's most often used to treat musculoskeletal problems such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, and intervertebral disk disease. Neurologic problems, such as some forms of paralysis and seizures, can be improved through the use of acupuncture. In addition, chronic disease states like, allergic skin problems, respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic upper respiratory infections, kidney disease and gastrointestinal diseases leading to vomiting and diarrhea, can all be improved with acupuncture treatments. Finally, improved quality of life for immune compromised patients, such as those with feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency disease (FIV) has been seen In a world where everyone wants quick fixes, the biggest draw back of acupuncture is that it requires time and repetition to produce the desired effects. Most veterinary acupuncturists recommend a commitment of no less than four to eight treatments. The severity and duration of the animals' illness will determine the length and frequency of treatments. On average, patients are seen once a week for six to eight weeks, with the needles being in place from ten to thirty minutes. Once the desired affect is reached, treatments are tapered off and the owners are told to return at the first signs of relapse. Most animals then will be seen two to four times a year to keep the imbalance under control When administered by a properly trained veterinarian, acupuncture is one of the safest forms of medicine for animals. The actual insertion of needles is generally well tolerated. Once in place there should be no pain from the needles and a deep state of relaxation may occur. Side effects include, temporary worsening of the animals condition or lethargy for twenty-four to forty-eight hours after therapy. This response indicates changes taking place within the body that most often are followed by improvements in the patient's condition. Some animals actually show improvement and increased energy from the very first treatment Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese
Medicine work by recognizing patterns of imbalances in the body's
normal energy. A skilled practitioner can correct the bodies' excesses
and deficiencies by using appropriately placed needles. If recognized,
these imbalances can be treated prior to a disease state arising,
in effect acting as prevention. Although acupuncture does not replace
conventional, western medicine, it does complement it and should
be offered as an alternative for our animal companions. Dr. Christy Wilkerson is a 1994 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her acupuncture training and certification through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) in 1999. Dr Wilkerson currently practices acupuncture through Healing Paws Veterinary Acupuncture and Eagle Animal Hospital; both located in Kansas City, Missouri. She can be reached at (816) 830-2477 or (816) 741-2345 17th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CANINE SPORTS MEDICAL SYMPOSIUM Hi All, Once again the University of Florida Veterinary Medicine is sponsoring the 17th Annual International Canine Sports Symposium in Orlando Florida on Jan 13-14 at the Caribe Royale Hotel. This is a two day medical Symposium that is "mostly" about greyhounds and vets that know them. It is conducted each year as a part of the "North American Veterinary Conference" which lasts about two weeks. The cost is $80.00 per participant. We have been going for years to learn something new about greyhounds each session. You can also pick the brains of the vets that talk to delve further into specific problems. Lectures this session include (but not limited to) Effects of Testosterone on Racing Greyhounds Internal and External parasites and the racing greyhound Elbow Dysplasia-- what do we know Physical Therapy and rehabilitation of dogs Diagnosis and medical management of infectious respiratory diseases in dogs The effect of Intensive exercise on the immune function of Canine athletes If you are interested------------- contact Ms. Linda Lee (352)392-4700 Ext. 5714 or e-mail her at LeeL@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu If you want me to fax the whole letter and full agenda just let me know! Hope to see some of you there! Dennis Tyler GPA Central Florida Chapter CALLING ALL GREYS... YOUR CHANCE TO BE A COVER DOG... YIKES! 2002? Already? You bet! We want your greyhounds best photos :) Please send your photos to: The Greyhound Project PO Box 358 Marblehead
MA 01945-0358 Be SURE to include your name, address, the greyhound's name and where you adopted your greyhound. Photos will not be returned to you so please make copies of those that you want back before sending them. Under no circumstances will The Greyhound Project be responsible for returning photos. Have
fun, we look forward to the time-consuming task of looking at all
those greyhounds, well, somebody's gotta do it :-)) MARYLAND CHAPTER PROFILE Greyhound Pets of America/Maryland was founded
in 1985 by Betty Rosen. With help and support from her husband,
Herb, Betty began building a core of volunteers. Her determination
to educate the public about these wonderful ex-racing greyhounds
needing loving homes was not so easy 15 years ago. Store owners
were wary of her request to bring in a few greyhounds for the
public to meet and fall in love with. "Suppose they bite someone,"
was the usual response. Betty's gentle persuasion gradually began
to work. Doors began to open. Today, we have standing invitations
to many annual events and continue to have Meet & Greets at
Petsmart and other pet stores on a regular basis. By the way, Ethel,
Congratulations on your recent election as President of GPA Maryland! UPDATES · New sections at National Web Site, www.greyhoundpets.org: Go to Links and see Products & Services. To help you locate that collar company that you can't remember anymore. + other helps. Also Form Samples Section Coming Soon. Generic samples for use or to modify to meet your needs such as surrender, volunteer, adoption agreement, pledge, etc. Thanks to Deanna Lutz of GPA N. VA, Bob Vesely of Fastdogs.com and Jim Jeffers for their help in putting this together. · If you need web space for free and unlimited email, we now own our very own server co-located at an ISP. Details at www.gpahouston.org/thank_you.htm · Ever wonder where you can get new ink refills for that greyhound roller ball pen? We have them at Office Max here, Write Tec Refills. · Dupont SpillNet: New product that is installed between the carpet and the pad and stops liquids but lets air pass through so cleanup is easier and more effective. It keeps pet accidents from soaking through the carpet to the pad and floor beneath, where odors an d spots can linger and resurface. It's about 30 cents per square foot. 1-800-438-7668 for more information. · We recently listed Sean Gerson as a source for Frontline, Interceptor, other vet supplies. I have had one of my adopters have trouble receiving their order from him and I've seen on list posts that others have had the same problem. Be careful when ordering online! · Free Canine Craft Patterns: go to www.greyhoundmanor.com and see the link about free patterns. It will download a 34 page booklet for greyhound crafts and patterns. · www.i-love-dogs.com has a FREE listing for your dog rescue website · www.greyhoundlist.org : on this site
you will find links to different greyhound history sites and you
can download the GH.INFO file where you'll find ideas on how to
discover your hound's past life. Take 10: go to www.renewedlife.org/study/htm and fill out the online survey or download the questionnaire and mail it. Print out the survey and give to your adopters at Meet N Greets, reunions, other events. This is for greyhounds living and deceased and not just greys that have had cancer. DEWEY 2000! Dewey 2000 turned out to be just that, when 2000 glorious greyhounds showed up to walk the beaches at Dewey Beach in Delaware on the 6 th 7 th and 8 th of October. There were hounds of all colors including
two chocolate greyhounds and a black greyhound from Spain with white
spots. Their ages ranged from 7 months to 16 years and all their
owners were just glad to be a part of THEIR celebration.
For those who have not yet experienced
the "Dewey Beach" event the history is relatively short. It started
about 6 years ago when several greyhound owners and adopters got
together in the first week in October and were able to find ONE
greyhound friendly hotel to accommodate the gathering. Dewey
Beach itself is pet friendly and has allowed dogs on the
beach for years, so this made a perfect place to meet.
Over the years several other hotels
were told by word of mouth that greyhounds are quiet, clean visitors,
and the "pet friendly" hotel numbers increased gradually to become
the majority. In fact this year we heard of a non pet friendly hotel
telling some greyhounders that they "do not allow dogs" in their
hotel "but they do allow greyhounds"
Now it is hard to secure reservations
in Dewey Beach itself, but Rehoboth Beach still
has openings and that is just down the road about 5 minutes.
Last year there were 1200 people
registered and this year registrations topped 1700 (people). There
were also many, who came to visit but did not register.
There were tons of vendors with everything
from tee shirts to bronze statues of greyhounds. Many vendors offered
proceeds toward adoption groups or were adoption groups raising
their own money. If you go to Dewey take plenty
of money as you will surely want some of the goodies offered in
the vendor tents.
At the Friday night reception participants
were invited to hear speeches by Irish Concerns over breeders sending
greyhounds to Spain and the consequences of Spanish racing! There
were also representatives from the NGA and a racing kennel made
a presentation on "a day in the life of a racing greyhound".
Although we heard concerns of several
people about racing...neutral...and anti racing groups being together,
there were no obvious conflicts and harmony prevailed at the " Dewey
Celebration".
The Saturday morning walk on the
beach brought most of the estimated 2000 greyhounds out in spite
of the chilly temperatures and 8 AM time frame. The Blessing of
the greyhounds took place about 10 AM With howls from the audience
and barks of "Amens" sprinkled through the presentation.
Saturday night's memorial bonfire
was presented by Cynthia Branigan as many bid farewell to greyhounds
that have crossed the rainbow bridge. This event was well attended
in spite of the cool winds on the beach. Several people paid personal
homage to their greyhounds, that passed over the bridge, with hopes
of seeing them in the next life. Many of us found this event to
overwhelming to attend, with the personal knowledge of too many
of our four legged friends that never made it into adoption.
The Sunday brunch brought a lecture
on the hopes for cancer cures in greyhounds with new studies being
made and thousands of dollars of prizes were raffled off with fund
raisers for greyhound adoption groups.
We were able to meet, in person,
many of the adoption group leaders that we have been talking to
and sending dogs for years. It was a great event for "networking"
and expanding possibilities for moving future greyhounds. In meeting
with several groups we reconfirmed, that most groups encounter the
same problems nationwide. Whether it is shortness of money and volunteers
or lack of foster homes and places to put "just one more greyhound"
the challenges are universal to all groups.
Dewey was a great
event to get greyhound people together and most came away overwhelmed
with the numbers of greyhounds and people. Our hats are off to all
the members of The Greyhound Project from Joan Belle Isle to the
wonderful staff of volunteers and also Judy Dillon, Pat Tyson and
Martha Sherman for creating this wonderful event. Kathy Bentzoi
also created the Greyhound Reach the Beach Logo.
Soooo If you want to spend a couple
of days with a couple of thousand greyhounds be sure to start planning
now to attend Dewey 2001. ...and if you plan to
attend the Sunday Brunch be sure to register and pay early as attendance
is limited and many were left out in the cold. We felt that Dewey
was a great experience and would definitely do it again!
Dennis & Claire Tyler, GPA Central Florida Photo Page
UPDATES · New sections at National Web Site, www.greyhoundpets.org: Go to Links and see Products & Services. To help you locate that collar company that you can't remember anymore. + other helps. Also Form Samples Section Coming Soon. Generic samples for use or to modify to meet your needs such as surrender, volunteer, adoption agreement, pledge, etc. Thanks to Deanna Lutz of GPA N. VA, Bob Vesely of Fastdogs.com and Jim Jeffers for their help in putting this together. · If you need web space for free and unlimited email, we now own our very own server co-located at an ISP. Details at www.gpahouston.org/thank_you.htm · Ever wonder where you can get new ink refills for that greyhound roller ball pen? We have them at Office Max here, Write Tec Refills. · Dupont SpillNet: New product that is installed between the carpet and the pad and stops liquids but lets air pass through so cleanup is easier and more effective. It keeps pet accidents from soaking through the carpet to the pad and floor beneath, where odors an d spots can linger and resurface. It's about 30 cents per square foot. 1-800-438-7668 for more information. · We recently listed Sean Gerson as a source for Frontline, Interceptor, other vet supplies. I have had one of my adopters have trouble receiving their order from him and I've seen on list posts that others have had the same problem. Be careful when ordering online! · Free Canine Craft Patterns: go to www.greyhoundmanor.com and see the link about free patterns. It will download a 34 page booklet for greyhound crafts and patterns. · www.i-love-dogs.com has a FREE listing for your dog rescue website · www.greyhoundlist.org : on this site
you will find links to different greyhound history sites and you
can download the GH.INFO file where you'll find ideas on how to
discover your hound's past life. Take 10: go to www.renewedlife.org/study/htm and fill out the online survey or download the questionnaire and mail it. Print out the survey and give to your adopters at Meet N Greets, reunions, other events. This is for greyhounds living and deceased and not just greys that have had cancer.
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