GPA Communique

The Bulletin of Greyhound Pets of America--Vol 8, No 3, Winter 1999

President's Message Thanks to GPA/Greater Orlando for hosting our 1999 Convention. It was a great meeting and we had a lot of fun (even though I never did get to see an alligator!) The Conventions are important for everyone to get together and be able to exchange ideas, make one feel as though they are not alone with their problems, and it is always good to be able to put a face to a name! I was very pleased that people felt "pumped up" and rejuvenated when they went home. I know I sure did. One very important issue was decided at the Convention; the passing of the GPA National Review Committee's report. That committee, led by Jim Jeffers GPA/OC-GLA and Gloria Sanders, GPA/Midwest, did a tremendous amount of work putting this together AND making it work. Thanks very much to the entire committee! All the revisions, additions, and deletions are in the current P&P Manual which each chapter should have received by now (and hopefully will read.) With a new Executive Board, comes new committees with new members. Some committees have been retired, some changed and some dusted off and put back into action. This year we need to make a concerted effort in locating new areas for adoption. There are some places that have too many greys and others that can't get them. This will be corrected with the new Placement/Subchapter committee.Fundraising/Grants is another area we need to dig into. We need ongoing monies in order to help our chapters. Chapters helping chapters and National being there to be of assistance when needed. These are our goals. In order to succeed we need everyone's help. COMMUNICATION is the key and we are seeing it start to happen. For quite awhile, I know chapters have felt they have been left out on their own, but no longer. We are a big organization and we have to work together. If you don't feel that you can work with us, then it is time to reevaluate your own situations. If you need help, ASK FOR IT! (No, we aren't going to come to your doggy bath day because you are short a few people, but if you are having a specific issue, whether financial, a particular medical problem, or whatever, let us know! None of us can read minds and we don't know your particular chapters' problems. A questionnaire was sent out with the minutes and by taking a few minutes to fill it out and return to me, it will give us a better idea what you are facing. The newly formed GPA E-Mail list is a wonderful way to make quick contact with your fellow chapters. Please make sure your chapter is a part of it and then USE IT! We appreciate very much all that you do for the wonderful greys and we understand what a toll it can take. Please remember you are not alone. Happy Holidays to you all and easy on the turkey for the furry kids! Pat Toman   Committee Report At the recent General Meeting in Orlando, Lisa Nolet, the president of the Orlando chapter, expressed her concern about the numbers of Greyhounds available for adoption in Florida, and the lack of places for them to go. Formal and informal discussions followed, and the overall problem, country wide, began to take shape. Out here in California, a non-racing state, we actually have adoption groups in the mid and northern locations, who have problems getting dogs. We, on the other hand, in the southern part of the state, have a similar problem to Florida's; too few groups, too many dogs. There are sparsely populated areas where few Greyhounds are placed, if any at all. There are heavily populated areas with no adoptions groups. Good heavens! This committee has been given the mandate to research the problem further, and attempt to find a solution to it. No small task. Louise Truber, has volunteered to help me. How about you? Perhaps you don't have the time to join the committee full time, but I'll bet you have some ideas that will help. GPA is going to be taking a more proactive position nationally. What is more important than finding more kind, loving homes for these wonderful dogs? Call me at: (562) 694-3519 Write me at: Joyce McRorie, 1210 N. Cypress Street, La Habra Heights, CA 90631 E-mail me at: GPA@pacbell.net Cheers, Symposium The 16th Annual International Canine Sports Medicine Symposium will be held in Orlando, Florida, on January 15-16, 2000. This symposium is mostly on racing Greyhounds and is held in conjunction with the North American Veterinarian Conference. This is a conference where approximately 4000 vets attend from all over the world. Although it is a week long, two days, Saturday and Sunday, January 15 & 16, will deal with Working Dogs--mostly on racing Greyhounds. The registration fee is $75.00 To register, contact Ms Linda Lee at 352-392-4700, Ext. 5714. E-Mail: Lee@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu On the agenda there will be talks by the world class Greyhound vet, Dr. Larry Dee, on Fractures in the racing Greyhound, as well as other lectures on vitamin supplements, tendon disorders, muscle injuries and several other topics. The two day Greyhound seminar is to be held at the Caribe Royale, (407)238-8000, in Orlando, Florida. If you can not attend, talk to your vets about attending the Greyhound specific parts of this symposium as many vets go to the main symposium but are unaware of the two days dedicated to working dogs. Dennis Tyler GPA Central Florida   Greyhounds reach the beach - 1999 In the world of Greyhounds, Columbus Day weekend means you pack up your hounds and head to the Beach. Specifically--Dewey Beach, Delaware where for the last 5 years, a growing number of Greyhound fans have gathered to socialize, shop, learn, shop, walk on the beach, shop, network and shop. I attended the first two Dewey Beach gatherings. The first years attendance was 54 people and 100 dogs. Year two: 100 or so people and approximately 160 dogs. This year, I knew something was different. As my travelling companion and I drove from Philadelphia International into Delaware, we noticed signs 50 miles outside of Dewey advertising, "Pet Rooms Available". Our reputation, it seems, preceded us. Closer into town the excitement grew as vans and SUVs with Greyhound license plates, decals, stickers,banners, and assorted Greyhound heads sticking out the windows, formed a steady line of traffic--all headed to Dewey! Hotel signs offered, Welcome Greyhounds! and Greyhounds Reach the Beach. What fun! This year's Dewey events were organized by the Greyhound Project Inc. with the help of Dewey's original founders--and a small army of volunteers. Martha Sherman, Judy Dillon and Pat Tyson turned over the reins to the Greyhound Project after realizing they had created a very wonderful monster! The once humble anniversary celebration of 54 slightly obsessed Greyhound owners had turned into a gathering of well over 1,000 people and upwards of 1,200 greyhounds. There were a variety of educational workshops to attend. A Medical Issues panel moderated by Lann Forrister, and including Dr. James Radcliffe, DVM, a noted veterinary orthopedic specialist, was informative and entertaining. The Reiki demonstration, conducted by Laurie Rhodes, certified Reiki practitioner (and owner of verry Best Pet Bakery) was well attended and highly praised. There was also a panel discussion/brainstorming session on adoption group fundraising and networking, as well as a working session on obedience and behavior, run by Jacque Schultz. In addition to administering the ASPCA Greyhound Rescue Fund, Jacque is a dog trainer and behavior consultant! The traditional walks on the beach, of course, were the highlight for many and not only because Dewey has wonderful beaches and the Ocean is beautiful, but because it is one of the few places you get to see hundreds and hundreds of Greyhounds in one spot. There were Greyhounds wearing cowboy hats, Greyhounds in coats, Greyhounds adorned in fringed and beaded T-shirts, Greyhounds sporting Halloween costumes, Greyhounds in sunglasses, and also just Greyhounds in regular collars and leads. All shapes, all sized, all personalities of Greys. In other words: Heaven!!! Other beach events included a blessing of the Greyhounds led by The Rev. Mary Tiebolt and a bonfire and memorial service in memory of hounds gone to Rainbow Bridge, conducted by Cynthia Branigan. Other events included an ice cream social (for the hounds of course), hosted by Nittany Gh Adoption, a fun run at a local field and a reception for Greyhounds in Need, hosted by Greyhound Friends, dinner at several area restaurants, and of course the Sunday Brunch. The keynote speaker at brunch was Lynda Adame. Her informative and humorous talk about her involvement with Greyhounds, GPA and the Greyhound-L, was a hit with the very large crowd! Of course, Dewey wouldn't be Dewey without Shopping. A wide wide range of vendors set up shop in their hotel rooms and on Sunday under the tent, for what can best be described as a shopping frenzy. Any possible Greyhound item you wanted--it was there! Shirts, jewelry, decals, collars, beds, treats, artwork, etc--it was mind boggling!!! The vendors worked their tails off--and frankly, so did the shoppers!! One of the highlights of this years gathering for me was meeting Ann Finch, Dai Lawrence, Marion Fitzgibbons and Fermin Perez. These three dedicated volunteers flew in from England, Spain and Ireland to discuss and educate us about the plight of the racing Greyhounds in Spain. This wonderful group of folks are doing so much with so few resources. Truly, they are an inspiration! Dewey sure has grown over the past five years and everybody involved deserves a huge congratulations for a job extremely well done! All events were organized beautifully. If you haven't been to Dewey before, try to get there--but call now--rooms are already filling up! Ellen Schneiderman GPA-Wisconsin   San Antonio Chapter Profile The San Antonio, Texas, Chapter of Greyhound Pets of America was started in October, 1992. At first it was just me, my black greyhound "Winchester", a card table, chair, and very little paperwork. That same day I got four applications, but had no dogs. Margo Gilliland, President of the Austin Chapter, said not to worry. She got the word out to some of her breeder friends, and within a couple of days five greyhounds were available from the Harlingen Race Track. That was eight years ago, and the rest is history--over 600 adoptions and still going strong. My chapter is a very close-knit group of people--I call them my other family. All of the dogs are in foster care in homes with other dogs, cats, fish, and even rabbits, because we like to study them and take our time in placing them. This way we can tell the adoptive parents what that animal is like and its reaction to the different animals. I am very careful where I place my Greys. We do not adopt to people with children under five years of age, and have learned that not every family is Greyhound material. I have about five veterinarians working with me and am always looking for more. When we find a prospective foster home, that person has to fill out some paperwork, be interviewed, home visited, and informed as to what is expected of them. If their application is approved, they will have to attend two adoption clinics of four hours each. There they meet other foster parents, as well as some chapter members, and learn what a Greyhound is all about. We will then provide them with a crate, muzzle, food, Bio Spot, and their first heartworm prevention. After that, they provide it themselves. When we have adoption applications, that person gets a personal meeting, two telephone interviews, a house check and a backyard check. We require a lock on their gates. Backyard fences are my Number One concern. I get dogs from my breeder friends, backyards, the pound, Animal Defense League, Humane Society, etc., plus I recycle Greyhounds from other organizations that do not take a hound back in case it doesn't work. We do not refuse a Greyhound in need or in trouble. Our group participates in parades, at school openings, libraries, nursing homes, bank openings, etc. Our biggest parade is the famous Fiesta Flambeau, the biggest light parade in the USA. The first Wednesday of each month we have our Chew-A-Bone get-together where we exchange pictures, brag about our babies, plan future events, and share some good laughs and good food--no dogs are allowed at that affair. They get to have playtime every other Sunday morning from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. We've even had people from as far away as Houston come to our playtime. Kari Young designed our website. We've had many people tell us how impressed they were by it. Kari recently moved to Arizona, but she continues to manage the site for us. I couldn't do without this support. I have my own kennels here on three fenced-in acres, where I can easily house 14 greyhounds. We have custom made doghouses, but in the summer and winter I do not house them here as long as I have fosters. There is a boarding/grooming kennel here in Helotes called Best Friends (our greyhound hotel). They have been very kind to me and have offered as many as 25 runs when needed during track closures at Harlingen, Alabama, and Mexico. When the dogs come in the winter, we go over there to bathe them, clean them, etc. My foster coordinator gets the runs ready with blankets, water, food and toys. The fosters are all waiting for us, we do our work, and I have dinner and drinks for everybody. After a three to four day stressing out period, the dogs will go to the Vet for spay, neuter, teeth cleaning, nail clipping, all the shots and bloodwork. They will not get on the floor before being altered and no dogs are ever adopted from the floor. I can't think of any specific weaknesses in my chapter. We have the usual volunteer burn-out, but they are always replaced. We have a strong chapter and it gets stronger every day. My volunteers are requested to smile when they are with the dogs on the floor, and inform prospective adopters of all the good points these animals have, besides being wonderful pets. Even in their last race they came out as winners. Elsy Bless   MONEY MATTERS Just a reminder from your new National Treasurer: I will be mailing out forms in January for the 1999 Greyhound Survey so we will have the GPA Greyhound placement totals by the end of January. The 1999 GPA dues need to be mailed in by February 15, 2000 and finally the Consent Form to be filled out and returned by 3/1/00 if you wish to be included in the GPA National return. If you are filing your own return with the IRS then the Consent Form must be returned by 3/1/00 and a copy of your Form 990 must be sent to me by 5/15/00. This will help both the National Organization and your local chapter retain the exempt status with the IRS. Thanks in advance for your cooperation, have a wonderful holiday season and pet your dogs for me. Lee Edgington   Our beloved Maggie Sue My husband, Dave, and I will always remember January 9, 1999. That's the day Maggie Sue, a 41/2-year- old black brindle female, joined our family. We adopted Maggie through Lou Batdorf at Wheeling Downs (Ohio). We had previously adopted a 21/2-year-old Lab-Beagle mix from our local Humane Society named Tiffie Marie, who became so spoiled we thought it was time she got a sister and playmate. When Maggie came along, she charmed her way into Tiffie's heart. Maggie seemed to realize that Tiffie was there first and gave her all the space she needed to get used to a new dog in her world. We gave very serious thought to adopting Maggie. Lou understood that we did not want to bring a dog into our home that would upset our present dog or upset the Greyhound. Lou stated she was impressed that we took the decision to adopt our Greyhound so seriously. When we finally asked Lou to show us the Greyhounds up for adoption, we selected our beloved Maggie Sue--we were impressed with her shyness, and she acted like such a lady. On December 20, 1998, Maggie was spayed, and we hoped to pick her up a week later. However, bad weather came to the Tri-State area and we were unable to get Maggie home as planned. Lou Batdorf was wonderful. She kept in constant contact, advising us of the weather in Wheeling. We finally got the call from Lou on January 9, 1999. All clear! We could come pick up Maggie. Dave was on his way while Tiffie and I scurried around the house getting Maggie's Snoopy water bowl, food dish, toys and other necessities ready. Lou had suggested we take Tiffie outside and let Maggie and her sniff each other before bringing Maggie inside on Tiffie's turf. That's what we did, and it worked to some degree. Tiffie literally tried throwing her weight around, shoving Maggie, etc. Maggie, being the lady she is, was laid back and realized she was the new kid on the block. Finally, after about three weeks, Maggie and Tiffie were laying on the floor side by side. Tiffie even relinquished her place on our couch to Maggie--and Maggie has been there ever since. Today they are best buddies. When one gets scolded, the other kisses the one being disciplined. Maggie is coming out of her shyness and has become a real part of our family. She loves to go for rides in our dog van, and eat pizza and cookies. Maggie was only kenneled at our home for three weeks. She cried every time we put her in. Finally, we tried leaving her out for longer periods of time and she has done beautifully. The only place Maggie is not allowed is in the master bedroom. She likes to play with my shoes and get into my make-up. One time we came home from work and Maggie had my lipstick, eye shadow and blush all over the floor. Maggie had also given Tiffie a make-up job. Tiffie had lipstick, blush and eye shadow all over her face. Maggie also loves to carry baskets around the house with my husband's socks and my cellular phone case in them. Please let me be clear that we don't object to kenneling. However, with Maggie it just didn't work. Once she got a taste of freedom, she loved it and has since proven to us she is a very good girl who only wants to be a couch potato. If I have learned nothing else about Greyhounds, I now know they all have their own personality. Maggie had the patience of Job with our other dog, giving Tiffie the space she needed. Also, let me share one other thing. I took one week off from work to devote to Maggie and Tiffie. I lived in our family room until--after three days--Maggie learned to master the two flights of steps in our home. I played with our dogs and talked to them constantly. This one week's bonding really paid off, and if a new adopter can manage this, I strongly urge them to do so. I feel that through the GPA Newsletter, we Greyhound families can share so much valuable information. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful Lou Batdorf was through our adoption process. She encouraged us to read books on Greyhounds to understand what we could look forward to. The books were so beneficial. We are now getting ready to adopt our second Greyhound who recently retired. She is a small Greyhound and a real charmer, and once again, I will take the week to spend with my family. Let me close by saying, "Hats off to all of you who have adopted these beloved Greyhounds." Also, a special thanks to you, Maggie Sue, for making our lives and family so full and complete--we love you, our beautiful retired racer. You have worked so hard, and now we want you to be our couch potato forever--you have earned it. Darlene Crowl 130 Rauch Dr., Marietta, OH 45750 740-374-4533Greyhounds on TV Some months ago Sandy Johnson from Recycled Racers in Denver taped a segment at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital for the Emergency Vets show. It is supposed to follow a racer from her last race through being turned over to Recycled Racers, being sent to Alameda East for her medical, then adopted. The segment is to air on Friday, December 10, 1999, on Home & Garden Television (HGTV).   National Directory goes electronic! As you well know, the task of keeping our National Directory up to date is impossible. Just as soon as it is published, a sub-chapter is formed, a new chapter appears, and several chapters have elections. Within the next month, I will be adding our national directory to the national web site. With the help of Linda Adame, we will be setting things up so that each chapter has the capability and responsibility of keeping their information current in the directory. For those of you who are not hooked up, you can contact me and I will update the information for you and print out a hard copy for you as well. With any luck, this innovation will help us communicate with one another more efficiently. Cheers, Joyce McRorie   Liability Coverage To receive a Commercial Liability Coverage quote for your GPA chapter contact an independent agent and ask them to contact American States Ins., A SAFECO Co. Their address is 500 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46204-1275. You can purchase as little as $100,000 general aggregate limit or more. Coverage costs will vary from state to state. In Missouri, our annual premium is $166 for $500,000 general aggregate limit. This will help protect your volunteers that are representing your GPA chapter at your events and promos in case something happens where your chapter might be held liable. Quotes are free!

GPA Member Publishes Greyhound Children's Book Tara Tisopulos, a member of GPA/CA & GLA, has written a book about her loving retired Greyhound Buddi. The Adventures of Buddi the Greyhound--Finding a Family, is a 24-page color book for readers six years old and up. Although it is a children's book, it is literally intended for anyone who loves their Greyhound and supports Greyhound Adoption. The book sells for $14.95. Buddi T-shirts are also available in both children and adult sizes. These items are available for purchase for $12 for adult sizes--M, L and XL--and $10 for children's sizes--XS, S M, L and XL. They are available for purchase through Buddi's website--www.buddionline.com-- or by calling toll-free (877) GO-BUDDI. Payment methods at the moment are via check or money order only, although you can check the website or call since Tara is in the process of obtaining Visa and MasterCard authorization. Please do not send cash. If you would like a book gift wrapped for the holidays, please include an additional $1.50 and specify your personal message. Visit Buddi's website to view the book and the T-Shirt. Please help support Tara in this labor of love endeavor. A portion of each T-Shirt and book sale goes directly to Greyhound Pets of America.   Vendors speak out Some more favorite vendors shared their story of how they first came into contact with Greyhounds and what it has done for their lives. Becky Redmond, of The Voyagers, tells her Greyhound story: "Now that is the strangest-looking dog I've ever seen" was what went through my mind at the adoption center when we picked up our first adopted Greyhound. And today, over 9 years later, I love being surrounded by these absolutely beautiful creatures. We adopted our first Greyhound, Farran, sight unseen, as the local adoption group preferred to place the dogs. But it was still love at first sight--I think he only looked goofy for about the first 10 minutes. Farran died earlier this year at the age of 12. We owe a great deal to him, introducing us to this gentle, elegant breed. Greyhounds are included in our home life, as well as our work environment. Farran was the model for the first of our Greyhound jewelry creations. The Voyagers jewelry group currently includes six Greyhounds--our four (out of seven we've adopted over the years) and two adopted by a co-worker. Our retail store is a great place for a daily meet & greet. We love having a couple come in to have wedding rings designed, and then leave with wedding rings and Greyhound adoption information. Originally I felt everyone should have a Greyhound. But one of the biggest things I've learned about having a Greyhound, is that it is not a dog for everyone--as most Greyhound families will probably agree. We receive so much enjoyment from these wonderful dogs. They continually make us laugh and give us so much love and companionship. I truly feel the bonding with a Greyhound is different than with other breeds. And I feel this bonding with our Greyhounds has given us an opportunity to have a special relationship with our families, friends and other greyhound people. Dogs have always been a part of my life, but I cannot imagine life now without Greyhounds in it. Sue Ross of Silk Road Collars tells her Greyhound story: When he looks into my eyes, I am lost. My heart and soul are his for all time. I hold him close to me, trying my best to breathe in all that is him--his grace and beauty, dignity and charm, but most of all this undying love that he gives so freely. All he asks in return is to be mine for all time, to be loved as he loves me. This is my first Greyhound love. This is My Guy, my heart-and-soul hound. He gave himself to me two years ago and my life was changed forever. I never really intended to have a Greyhound--I am not a dog person. The first time I saw a Greyhound was as a child. A man was walking his odd-looking pair of dogs down the street near the fairgrounds here in Puyallup, WA. I wanted Dad to stop the car so we could get a better look, but the moment passed and so did they. Many years passed, and along came my cousin with her new dog, a very petite Greyhound named Easy. (I should have paid closer attention to fate then, but again continued on my merry way.) Easy was a member of the family more than any other animal in the history of our family. She was allowed inside my Grandmother's home--she was even invited to sleep on her bed. She attended all family gatherings on holidays and all the rest. Eventually my cousin came to a point in her life when she was ready to move out into the world on her own. Easy wasn't able to join her and stayed behind with my aunt and uncle. This was about four years ago--right about the time my sister decided that she, too, needed a Greyhound and along came Krafty Betty. Another couple of years went by (me still not quite getting it), and then it happened, completely out of nowhere, putting my dear husband into what will likely be a lifelong state of shock. As a rule, I try to stay out of the stores on Sunday, doing my shopping throughout the rest of the week. So for me to be walking into a Petsmart on a Sunday was pretty much a miracle in itself, but the fish needed food and I had forgotten to pick it up the day before. The very first thing I saw upon entering the store was this incredible, huge Greyhound, the biggest I had ever seen. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was asking how to get one of these wonderful creatures. I had completely lost my mind--that is what my husband said later when I discussed it with him--and I was sure of it when my first foster came two days later. Yes, I had decided to foster. It was October and finances were a bit tight with the holidays quickly approaching, so an adoption fee was doing to be difficult for me to come up with. But I figured if the right dog came along I would find a way, and started putting a bit aside every week until that time came. Most was my first foster, a big beautiful blue fawn with all the personality of a rug--and the energy level to match. He was wonderful, and about the time I had decided to keep him, so had someone else. I kicked myself repeatedly and then begged for another foster. Welcome into our lives Cliff, a red fawn with a definite fear of men--my husband terrified him. Poor Don would reach out to pet him as he was running by, just so he could go to work and tell the guys he got to pet his dog today. Cliff was with us through Christmas, and thankfully managed to learn to be loved. By the time he was placed he had a much better outlook on life, and I had many new pairs of shoes and a brand new calculator--somehow the cord had been damaged on the old one. Shortly after Cliff had been adopted, I was asked to take a boy who had been returned twice--the first time due to a divorce, and the second due to his family having to relocate and being unable to take him. Into our lives walked Guy, the most stunningly handsome dark brindle I had seen yet. The representative from the group stood with him at the bottom of my stairs. Guy looked up at me these incredible eyes, staring straight into my soul, and happily proclaiming "I am here at last, my forever home!". Who could resist? Not me, and, surprisingly, not my husband. I knew he was ours when that night Don invited him up onto our bed, without any prompting from me. I guess at that point Don realized that this was going to be so much more than a passing fancy for me, and that likely I would be crazy for the rest of my life, so it was just easier for him to give in and let things happen the way they were so obviously meant to happen. Needless to say, Greyhounds have entirely changed my life--a change that I am thankful for on a daily basis. All I have to do is look into their eyes, and things look just a little bit better, days go just a tiny bit smoother and life has new meaning. Somehow, I have become a dog person, and then some! I am still not quite sure how that happened, but I am glad that it did. Greyhounds will always be a part of my life. We now have three Greyhounds. Libby came home last Christmas, and Easy came to us after my aunt and uncle separated this past summer. I currently volunteer what time I can to Royal Hound Adoption in Puyallup, Washington. Melissa X of Greyhounds Galore tells her story: I am probably the only person who can actually say that I never got myself into Greyhounds. My husband is a project manager for Belz Construction (they build a lot of outlet malls and hotels all over the country). He was in Orlando, FL, as project manager on the Peabody Hotel. One of the suppliers to the hotel construction had just been to a Greyhound puppy farm and had bought a puppy as an investment. He talked my husband into purchasing a pup for himself. That pup was raised and trained in Florida, but when the pup was ready to race, he was leased out to a man at Southland Greyhound Park about 40 miles from our home. We watched him race a couple of times. He was injured as a two year old, and when he did not come back from the injury, the trainer asked my husband what he wanted to do with the pup. My daughters and I wanted to bring him home, and we did. That one investment never did pay back what my husband put into him, but Jasmine's Spirit became my sole mate. The reason I found Greyhounds as a breed. The reason for starting my business Greyhounds Galore. The reason I do GUR's. And the reason my pack now numbers five (two of whom just happen to be Spirit's brothers--but that is another story entirely).   The process of becoming a Chapter & a Sub-Chapter Sub-Chapter applications: I play a very small part in this procedure. The sponsoring Chapter should send me a copy of the Sub-Chapter's Letter of Request for my files and then I notify the Executive Board and Board of Directors as to the names of the sponsoring Chapter and new Sub-Chapter. Chapter applications: When a sponsoring Chapter recommends that the Sub-Chapter be considered for full Chapter status, the Sub-Chapter's Letter of Request, Application for Chapter Status and the Sub-Chapter Evaluation Form should be sent to the Executive Secretary. The ballot, Sub-Chapter Evaluation Form, Application for Chapter Status and a stamped, self addressed aenvelope is then mailed to the National GPA Board of Directors. An Information Copy of the ballot and all supporting documents will be sent to each National Officer. As you can see, I need copies of all pertinent correspondence betweewen the Sub & Full Chapter in order to process the ballot, and keep permanent records. *For more details see the Sub-Chapter Requirements section in the Policy & Procedures Manual. Joyce McRorie   Fundraiser ideas Suggestions from GPA Chapters 1. Contact the United Way Charity in your area and get your group on the list so your supporters can designate donations to your GPA Chapter. 2. Sell Tootsie Roll Pops at your Meet 'n' Greets for 50 cents. Many donate a dollar and it can add up quickly. You can buy 100 pops at Sam's for less than $7.00. 3. Make a Beanie Baby basket. Ask owners to donate Good Current Beanies. Sell tickets for $1.00 each and take the basket around to about three events before pulling the winning ticket. It's easy- and it works! 4. Make your Christmas Parade earn $$! Charge participants $10.00. Make up special T-shirts and encourage everyone to buy them. Take penny candy and attach a card to it with adoption information to toss to the crowds. Walkers and dogs are to dress with their T-shirts and other festive Christmas wear. 5. Petco Santa Pictures can make you money. Petco provides the Santa outfit and Polaroid camera, we furnish the Santa and the film. This is done on two Saturdays before Christmas from 12 to 4, and we charge $5.00 per photo. 6. Barnes & Noble Wrap Sessions. From Thanksgiving to Christmas Barnes & Noble Book Stores allow charities to wrap customers purchases for free. They provide a place to do it and all the materials. You provide 2 to 3 people there wrapping from 9 to 9. You put a donation bucket out and give out information about your adoption group. You can make $400 in one day! Be sure to sign up with Amazon.com and Petsmart.com thru their web sites to make money for your group and orders generated from your site. Christmas shopping on the Internet? See: www.greatergood.com When you order from their site they will donate a portion of your sale to GPA National. H Let us know your favorite, easiest or most successful fundraising activity. Contact Alane Shultz (see contact info in this issue).   GPA Officers Pat Toman President 4070 32nd Place NE Salem, OR 97303 Phone & Fax (Fax-call first) 503 363-4566 greyhnd@open.org Susan Arruda Vice President 119 Londonderry Lane Williamsburg, VA 23185 757-221-8332 basilarruda@aol.com Joyce McRorie Executive Secretary 1210 N Cypress St. La Habra Heights, CA 90631 562-694 3519 Fax: 562-694-0719 gpa@pacbell.net Alane Shultz Corresponding Secretary 2016 S Arlington Ter. Springfield, MO 65804 417-883 8156 Fax: 417-887-5853 gryhound@dialnet.net Lee Edgington Treasurer 6315 Greenvale Lane Houston, TX 77066 281-537-8298 Fax: 281-537 0833 (call first) gunfighter@ev1.net   Sandy's Journal For many years my knowledge of Greyhounds was limited to a childhood trip to the racetrack in Mexico. Since then, I have read and seen much about the outstanding work the various Greyhound rescue groups do to keep ex-racers from being killed. The first Greyhound I sculpted was an AKC Champion. For my adult life-size sculpture (see photo) I wanted to use rescued racers as my models. I went to Greyhound Pets of America in San Diego where I played with 23 beautiful Greys" of various sizes I took plenty of photos and fell in love with these gorgeous couch potatoes. Sculpting a Greyhound proved to be a real challenge. I started with a rod mounted on a wide base and added 80 pounds of clay. One morning I discovered that my sculpture had fallen over when the rod broke. After a restart I awoke another morning to find the clay melting in the heat of the failed air conditioner. The third time was a charm--and I was on a roll. Usually I travel to my models, but the adult sculptures are so heavy I can't put them in the car and go. The dogs must come to me. Fortunately, Gina Caputo and her three beautiful rescues, Vincent, Mia and Georgie are my neighbors. Vincent was my main man who spent many hours in my studio just being himself. I hated to give him back! To learn more about Greyhounds, contact one of the many rescue groups by calling the GPA at 1 800-366-1472. Sandicast is proud to be a part of many of these organizations.   Welcome During the past year, the Sub-Chapter Evaluation Committee has dealt with one piece of business, the submission and approval of establishment of a new Sub-Chapter. The Sub-Chapter is GPA/Atlanta - Southeastern Greyhound Adoption. Its formation was announced on February 6, 1999. Sponsoring Chapter is GPA/North Alabama. This Sub-Chapter is headed by John Parker, 205 Wing Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30350   Greyt Sites to See Here are some neat Websites to check out, as well as a brief description of each site: www.access-one.com/greygift/index.htm Greyhound Hall of Fame Gift Shop www.dogcoats.com Overcoats for dogs, including Greyhounds. Will donate a percent of sales to your organization if you link this page to your Website. Questions? Call Nancy Schaff, 414-548 3979 www.vetinfo.com Information on just about any subject pertaining to any pet. You can ask questions, too. www.geocities/petsburgh/8332 Dancing Greyhounds (Gilley Girls) ever-changing web site. E-mail address: ghdance@aol.com www.dog-art.com Original Greyhound art--very affordable. www.cosequin.com Info on arthritis & joint disease medicine. Check with your vet before starting any new medication. www.mygreyhound.com You can submit a picture of your Greyhound, either electronically or through regular mail, or a short bio, and it will be posted for free. Links to other Greyhound websites, including GPA Richmond. www.petswelcome.com List of hotels & motels that allow pets. www.dentalvet.com A site for dental info and you can ask questions. www.caninebehavior.com We know all Greyhounds are perfect, but just in case, this site can help. www.petwhse.com Good prices on beds, chewies, etc. www.petpro.com/dogstuff/bybreed/greyhd.htm More Greyhound goodies and collectibles. www.greyhound.org/greycat.html Still more Greyhound gifts. www.abap.org/sponsors/greytoptions/index.htm And yet more www.dogoftheday.com/ You send info on your hound. A different dog is chosen each day. Entry info is on site. www.angelfire.com/biz2/silkroadcollars Quality products for your pet. http://fly.to/greystuff Greyhounds Galore, an on-line catalog. Greyhound T-shirts for Christmas giving GPA/Orlando is selling a sports grey polo shirt in M, L, XL & XXL, $20 ea. + $3 shipping (add 7% tax if in Florida). In the pocket area it has The Breed of The Millenniums. GPA/Houston, TX, is selling a Grey T-shirt, dark red 2000, black Grey Logo, white letters with black/Grey highlights: New Century, New Lives, Love a Greyhound. It is $12 + SH. Contact Lisa Wilkerson at: LisaWilkerson@compaq.com for sizes, total costs, availability. Nature's Halo Adopt A Little Heaven on Earth T-shirts will donate $2 to your group for each shirt ordered. They come in natural and white, are six-color screen printed on heavy-weight Hanes Beefy-Ts, short or long-sleeved, M, L, XL and XXL. Cost is $17 to $22. Andrew Prebles gorgeous boy Oscar is the model for this shirt. Andrew is with GPA/Northwest. To order, or for more info, contact Nature's Halo, 1-800-240-9667 or E-Mail Andrew at: natures.halo@xann.com PetStuffDirect.com has two, neat new, Greyhound T-shirts, or you can contact them at P.O. Box 30037, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420, for ordering information. One has a big, beautiful Grey nose as the focus on the shirt. One says: Single, retired Greyhound - looking for long relationship with a loving companion, likes long walks on the beach, a scratch behind the ears, and a warm bed at night! Cute! Graphic Garb has several Greyhound T-shirts and sweatshirts I've never seen. Call for their brochure and cost info at 800-404-GARB or E-Mail: VLCHEKA@mailbag.net If your GPA Chapter has a T-shirt for sale, or you know of other Greyt shirts, we'd love to hear about them! See Alane Shultz's contact info in this newsletter.   Help! Thanks to all that have responded and are willing to join a committee. Most chapters have had a board meeting and had time to enlist their people. We still have some vacancies and I am asking for more volunteers. I do understand that your time and effort are at a premium, but in order for the National GPA to succeed, we need your help. Please reconsider or even make a recommendation of a person that you think would be willing to serve and we will contact them. 1) Bylaws/Policy & Procedure Committee 2) Rules Committee (formerly Grievance Committee). This is an elected 2-year position. We have a South East Coast and a South West Coast person and need another a different part of country. Contact Pat Toman/NW greyhnd@open.org 503-363-4566 3) Grants/Fundraising Committee Contact Susan Arruda/Richmond basilarruda@aol.com 804 757-221-83324. 4) 800-Number Committee Contact Lee Edgington/Houston edgington@accesscomm.net 281 537-8298 5) Placement Committee (to include Sub-Chapter Evaluation Committee.) This committee will look for new areas and locations for adoption or referral contacts. Contact Joyce McRorie/OC-GLA gpa@pacbell.net 562-694-3519 Committees: By-Laws/P&P Committee Members - Nancy Madigan/CA-OC&LA nansgreys@aol.com 562-693-3450 - Need two more. Rules - Dale Gunther/Central Florida, Joyce McRorie/CA-OC&LA - Need 1 more. Fundraising - Wally Griffin/Florida SE Coast. Samantha Pray/NW samprayAcyberis.net 503-364-7284. Need 1 more. 800 Number - Tom McRorie/CA OC&GLA, Andrew Preble/NW, Robin Krautbauer/MN. Comm^û` e­ Bonk/FL-GO,]ûp Jeffers/CA-OC&GLA, Lynda Adame/CA-OC&GLA, Carolyn Flajnic/N.VA - Div/Wheeling Downs (W.VA/OH). The Communications Committee is currently full. Placement/Subchapter - Louise Truber/NW ARK, Brigid Grinnell/NW brigron@juno.com 360-260-7423 Pat Toman   Reminder If you need to add information or make changes to any information about your chapter on the National GPA Web Site, contact Jim Jeffers. Jim maintains the web site. He is on the E-Mail list. His e-mail is: jjeffers@CSUDH.EDU.