needlenosenews
a publication of Greyhound Adoption of Greater Cincinnati
www.cincigreyhounds.org
april 2015 | vol. 57
Find us on:
From the president ...
Greyhound Adoption of
Greater Cincinnati, Inc.
P.O. Box 54578
Cincinnati, OH 45254-0578
(513) 624-7040
Formed in 2002, GAGC’s mission is to strive for the best
quality placements. We focus
on being small and doing
things right. We recognize
that we cannot save all the
greyhounds in the world, but
we can make a difference to
the ones we touch.
needlenosenews staff:
GAGC President:
Brenda Pennix
Editor: Kathy Evans
Designer: Gail Burt
GAGC officers:
Brenda Pennix, President
Rob Johnson, Vice President
Kathy Evans, Secretary
Mary Schrecker, Treasurer
Adoption Representatives
Brenda Pennix
Kathy Evans
Heather Gilstrap
GAGC Webmaster:
Mike Knellinger
Adopting a
retired racer:
$225 ...
Having a
friend for life:
Priceless!
Brenda with pups (from back to front) Bernie, Crissy and Bella
GAGC Family and Friends,
FINALLY spring is here, and 27 retired racing greyhounds are in their forever homes
already this year, thanks to all of your
efforts. Our M & G reps are so faithful and
project such a positive image of greyhounds and GAGC, that families want to
adopt from a group with a good attitude.
Did you know we are now doing PETCO
Meet & Greets every other Saturday at
two different locations? Dates are listed
on our website. Our reps love to have
you and your hounds join them anytime,
anyplace!
Our event season is starting so please
make an effort to attend. Your hounds
enjoy seeing their old racing buddies and
we appreciate your support.
I want to thank Dr. Nicole Moore for her
support in vetting all our new dogs from
West Virginia. She has the same compassion for the greyhounds as so many of
us do. Her information is on our website
under Support Us/Friends of GAGC.
Thanks to all the families who have
stepped up to foster; your feedback
on your foster dogs really helps Kathy,
Heather and me find them the best home
possible that fits their needs. We can’t get
greyhounds out of cages and onto couches without our GREYT foster families!
Again thanks for allowing me to be a part
of such a greyt organization; you are why
we are so successful.
In this issue ...
Greyt Health & Safety . . . . . . . . 3
From Our Members . . . . . . . . . 7
Greyt Goods & Services . . . . . . 8
GAGC News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Recent Events & Outreach . . . 12
Dog Runs, Fosters & Adoptions 15
Condolences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Tributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Support GAGC . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Upcoming events . . . . . . . . . . 22
Support Our Supporters . . . . 25
On the cover: Julianne and Andrea with Auggie and
Jax
Greyt Health & Safety
Care Center Animal Blood Bank
Hello Fellow Greyhound Lovers!
My name is Amanda and I am a veterinary
technician at the CARE Center, where we
have an in-house non-profit Animal Blood
Bank. Through this service we hope to
make life-saving blood and plasma products easily accessible to our local veterinary community. This will allow for rapid
and easier treatment of any condition
causing blood or protein loss (trauma,
immune-mediated diseases, rodenticide
toxicity and many more!) as well as to
treat animals that have conditions preventing normal blood clotting (a problem
many greyhounds have encountered
after undergoing surgery).
Where Do You Come In?!?
As many of you may already know, greyhounds aren’t just amazing pets; they’re
also the perfect blood donor! Just a few
of the reasons are as follows:
• they have a calm and agreeable tem-
perament allowing for easy collection of blood
• they naturally have more red blood cells compared to the average dog so we can acquire more cells with each donation
• their thin body condition makes the blood collection process easier than the average dog
• a large number of greyhounds are uni-
versal blood donors, meaning their blood is compatible with nearly all other dogs!
For all of these reasons, we’re hoping to
recruit local greyhound owners to volunteer their dogs to become part of our
Blood Bank team! We invite all interested
owners to read on to find out if your dogs
April 2015
qualify for the program and to learn a
little bit about what to expect.
Qualifications for Potential Donors
• Donors must be between 1-5 years old and have an agreeable personality around strangers (What greyhound doesn’t?)
• Must weigh at least 50 pounds
• No major or chronic medical conditions
• Expected to make 3-4 scheduled blood donations per calendar year
• Must stay up to date on routine vaccina tions through your family veterinarian and take heartworm prevention monthly
• Greyhounds are of course desired, but any dog that meets the above require-
ments can be entered into the program!
What You Can Expect
All interested owners can contact me at
the CARE Center for additional information and to set up a time for the initial
screening process. Here is an overview:
• First visit: each dog will be blood-typed to determine if they are a universal
donor and have a full CBC and chemis try panel performed at no cost to the owner, as well as a heartworm test and tick profile
• Blood donations and screening will
typically be performed at the Cincinnati hospital, but may occasionally be per formed in Dayton as well
• Blood donors will need to be fasted the morning of their donations but they will 3
be fed a yummy meal immediately fol-
lowing each donation
• Our donors will have a soft, cushioned bed to lay on during their donations,
which typically only take about 10 minutes
Benefits
• FREE 35# bag of Hill’s dog food with each donation!!
• FREE annual lab work (including heart
worm test)
• FREE blood products if your pet ever becomes ill and requires a transfusion
Please call with any questions or to
schedule an initial visit! You can also visit
April 2015
www.carecenterbloodbank.com and LIKE
us on Facebook!! Remember, our program
is 100% volunteer! (no sedation). I hope to
hear from you soon!
Thank you!
Amanda Peterson
513-530-0911
Heartworm Testing
This link is from our new vet Dr. Nicole
Moore; who feels strongly about a heartworm test yearly.
https://www.heartwormsociety.org/petowner-resources/heartworm-basics
4
Caring for a Senior Dog: What
You Need to Know
–from Cesar’s Way, January 28, 2015
By Juliana Weiss-Roessler
Senior dogs are often overlooked at
rescues and shelters in favor of the next
generation of bouncy, yappy puppies.
But if you’re a pack leader to a pup in his
golden years, you know that’s a shame,
because older dogs still have a lot of love
to give — and they can still have lots of
personality and spunk even if they don’t
have as much energy as they did in their
younger years.
Senior dogs also typically require less exercise, suffer from fewer behavioral issues,
and come to you already potty trained.
For these reasons, they are a particularly
good choice for those adopting their first
dog.
But just because senior dogs are easier in
many ways doesn’t mean that they don’t
also have some special care requirements
that younger dogs don’t. Here are a few
senior dog care tips if you’re a first-timer at
adopting or fostering one of these old-timers.
Rule out medical causes for behavioral
problems
Senior dogs are less likely to suffer from
many issues caused by pent-up energy
since they have less to expend. But that
doesn’t mean they never experience behavioral issues. The first place to start with
a behavior issue, though, especially if it
has a sudden onset, is at the vet. It may
be an early sign of a medical issue, and
catching it faster can make a big difference for your pup.
Step up the vet visits to twice a year
It’s also in your senior dog’s best interest
to visit the vet semi-annually since they
are more likely to suffer from medical
problems. Remember, dogs age faster
than humans, so even six months is a
long time. Vet appointments include
many of the same routine checks as for
younger dogs but may also include additional bloodwork, dental care, and
other examinations for symptoms
of issues commonly encountered
by seniors.
Stay on top of parasite
control
As dogs age, their immune
systems become weaker, so that
means the potential health risks
caused by ticks, fleas, worms,
and other pests are greater.
Talk to your vet about the safest preventative measures.
Watch your pup eat
Is she having trouble
chewing that kibble?
Many senior dogs
struggle with dental
issues and may need
to switch to different foods. Another
common issue
associated
with canine
aging is
problems
with digestion. Foods
designed
specifically
for senior
dogs often
include ingredients that
are easier to
April 2015
5
digest and may even include supplements
that help alleviate symptoms associated
with aging.
Monitor physical activity more closely
Just because he could handle an hour-long
walk a year ago doesn’t mean he can
today. Regular exercise can help keep
your dog mobile longer and also prevent
him from becoming overweight, which is
a common issue for senior dogs, but you
also don’t want to push your pup too far.
Watch for signs that he’s had enough.
Senior-proof your home
As your dog ages, you may need to make
adjustments to the regular routine. For
example, climbing the stairs can become
very difficult, so keep food and water as
well as sleeping areas downstairs if possible.
down or only done when monitored since
your dog may be more susceptible to
changes in temperature and less able to
fend off possible threats.
And if your dog suffers from a disability,
such as blindness, hearing loss, or an
inability to walk, talk to your vet about
any special accommodations you should
make to ease his experience.
Embrace every day
No one wants to think about their dog
passing, but those caring for an older dog
know that they have even fewer days to
enjoy the companionship. Instead of letting it worry you or deter you from adopting a senior dog, use it as a reminder to
live in the moment. Snuggle up. Take a
walk together. Appreciate every moment
your pup has to give.
Also, time outdoors may need to be cut
Zoey at 13years old
April 2015
6
Pet Food Recalls
The FDA periodically updates their web
site with new pet food recalls. Don’t take
a chance with your pet’s health. Please go
to the following site to check the safety
of your pet’s food, please : http://www.
fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/
RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm
Pet International Inc.
Pet International Inc. Recalls 6” Beef Trachea
Pet Treat Because of Possible Salmonella
Health Risk–02/11/2015 03:25 PM EST
Pet International of Miami, Florida is
recalling 1500 units of 6” Beef Trachea Pet
Treat because it has the potential to be
contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals (i.e. dogs) eating
the products and there is risk to humans
from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having
contact with the products or any surfaces
exposed to these products.
Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc.
Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of a Limited Quantity of Nutrisca Dry
Dog Food Because of Possible Health Risk
–02/11/2015 04:42 PM EST
Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Inc. of Perham, MN is
voluntarily recalling specific lots of 4 lb.
bags of Nutrisca Chicken and Chick Pea
Recipe Dry Dog Food because they have
the potential to be contaminated with
Salmonella. Tuffy’s manufactured the
product for Nutrisca.
For detailed information pertaining to
this Recalls, Market Withdrawals and
Safety Alerts message, please click the
link at the beginning of this bulletin.
Recalled product images provided from
FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Website
From our members
Stories from our members
We received the following heartwarming
story from Rachel on March 3rd about
her greyhound Abbey: “About a month
ago, the vets office called us and needed
a blood donor for an emergency. I took
Abbey and they told me it was for a dog
that was having internal bleeding and
they couldn’t do surgery until that was
stopped. Abbey was a champ and did her
part and of course I worried the rest of the
April 2015
day if the other dog survived. Over this
past weekend, Brandon and I got a card in
the mail from the family of the other dog.
Abbey helped an Old English Sheepdog
named Ozzie that was able to have a surgery to remove most of his cancer...while
he isn’t cured from the disease he does
have a little more time to spend with his
family. :) It certainly brought a smile to my
face knowing that she was able to help
extend his life.”
7
Greyt goods & services
Items for Sale
Pet-friendly lodging
Looking for pet-friendly
lodging when you go on
vacation? The following
website lists lodgings that
accept both you and your
dogs:
www.petswelcome.com.
Did you know that GAGC keeps a variety
of greyhound items available for sale? We
usually have an assortment of dog coats,
fancy collars and leads, tag bags, muzzles
in assorted colors, and “stool covers” if your
greyhound likes to graze when he’s outside,
as well as some sweatshirts and t-shirts in
several designs for our dogs’ humans. Contact Brenda or Kathy about the availability of
colors and sizes for any of these items.
Collars, food tubs, belly bands
and books
Thanks to all of you who have returned
your unwanted collar sets to GAGC to
reuse for future adoptions. Recycling
these collar sets helps GAGC save money.
If you no longer need yours, please return it
to Brenda, Kathy or Heather, or take it to any
M&G and the rep will turn them in for reuse.
If you still have a foster food tub, please
get it back to Brenda or Kathy. We refill
them with foster food for the new dogs
coming to town. Our supply of tubs is
dwindling, so please check your garage or
wherever you may have left the tubs and
return them soon.
Did we loan you a belly band when you
adopted your male greyhound? If you
still have it, please wash it if needed and
return it to Brenda, Kathy or Heather. We
like to keep a supply on hand so that we’ll
have some available for future loans.
Photos for 2016
GAGC Calendars
We are now taking submissions of greyhound photos for the 2016 calendar,
which will be our 7th issue. If you have
favorite candid shots of your hound(s),
submit them by no later than May 15th.
Each family can submit up to
five photos, or if you have more
than five and would like Angie
to choose, please say that in
your email. The pictures will be
voted on at the annual GAGC
picnic in May. After the winners are determined, they go to
the printers and the calendars
should be ready by our fall
event. We usually start taking
advance orders around June.
We also need your ideas for the
name of the calendar - one suggestion per household please.
We also have a Memory page
for all of those greyt friends
who have crossed over the
Rainbow Bridge. If you have
April 2015
8
a grey you would like to include, please
send me their name and memorial date
(and a picture if you like, just follow the
submission guidelines below). We will
take submissions for those who crossed
starting in June 2014 through May 2015.
Photo Submission Rquirements
1 - Picture size is important. We can do
some shrinking or expanding of pictures;
but if the picture is quite small or large,
it may be difficult to get a good quality
resolution from the picture. Please set
your camera on the HIGHEST resolution
possible when snapping shots of your
greyhounds.
2 - Candid, everyday shots are preferred.
We avoid professional pictures for two
reasons – 1) we don’t want to get into
problems with copyright or artistic
infringement, and 2) we want an even
playing field for the pooches. Below are
some suggestions that have done well
over the years.
a. Holidays – Any holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Valentine’s, Birthday, etc.) is great for the calendar
b. Seasonal – If you have a great shot of the beach, the snow, autumn leaves, throw it in.
c. Quirky shots – Cockroaching, weird expressions, funny ears, etc.
d. Cuteness – so cute you can’t stand it (big eyes, cuddling, the type of shots that made you adopt the dog(s) in the first place).
and
f. the print is a copy, not an original. (In the case of print submissions, we will endeavor to get them back to you. However, to be safe, we would rather be responsible for only a copy.)
g. NEW THIS YEAR – Landscape (wide) photos are more likely to make a month page (bigger shot) based on the calendar design. If you can, please take the shot from side to side, not up and down. We can take up and down (portrait-style) pictures, but they are not as easy to place in the calendar design.
Newsletter photos or
articles needed
If you have good photos of
your hounds, send them in
as we might use them for
the newsletter. Send them to
Kathy at [email protected] or
Brenda at
[email protected].
4 - If you submitted pictures last year and
your picture was selected for the calendar, please do not resubmit those pictures. If you submitted pictures which did
not make the calendar, please feel free to
resubmit those pictures for voting.
5 - Submissions may be sent to:
Angie Blume,
109 Hunters Trace
Frankfort, KY 40601
Email: [email protected]
Please note: Angie typically checks this
email box once or twice a week and will
send out a confirmation email once she
has an opportunity to log in the pictures.
Please contact Angie at the address above
or (513) 292-3367 if you have any questions or suggestions.
3 - Picture formats: Electronic formats
(.jpg or other similar format) are preferred. However, we will gladly take print
submissions
e. if the quality of the photo is good (because we will have to scan in later)
April 2015
9
GAGC News
Congratulations
“My humans are getting married!! (and
I helped!)” - Joey (see attached picture).
Greyhound Joey helped announce that
his humans Ryan and Lauren will be getting married, probably in spring of 2016.
Congratulations to all!
We send heartfelt congratulations to
Megan Bushman and Tim Meyer (Fisher’s
humans) who are getting married in
June. They also indicated they would like
to foster after the wedding, so we thank
them for that!
Congratulations to Althea and Rob and
daughter Alice on the addition of two
new babies! The two girls arrived on
February 19th. Margaret Aurelia was 6
pounds, 6 ounces, and Eleanor Augusta
was 7 pounds even. They were both 20.5”
long. Everyone’s doing great and the
pups Viola and Max are adjusting nicely
too. From Althea: Max comes to us when
one of the babies cries as if to say “Your
thing is crying, is it okay?”.
Greyhound Joey helping Ryan ask Lauren to marry him
The new babies Margaret Aurelia and
Eleanor Augusta
April 2015
10
GAGC FAMILY PICNIC
Mark your calendars for our annual GAGC
Family Picnic on May 23rd at Keehner
Park in West Chester from 11:00 to 4:00.
We’ll have the following going on:
• Ida Claire Photography will be schedul ing photo sessions for you and your hounds; 1 8x10 and 3 digital images
($50 and she’ll donate 20% back to GAGC-more info coming soon)
• Melissa will have a table set up with her new IT WORKS products.
• Alan will be there with Nature’s Select samples; feel free to ask him food
questions.
• Dr. Nicole Moore and her tech will be there part of the day trimming dog nails; feel free to ask her any greyhound health questions.
• Dr. Cohen will be there doing nail trims for $10.00
• Mary is working on goody bags to pass out (one per family please)
• Laura has already collected several nice items for our raffle and silent auction
• Mandy’s Dog-O-Mat will have a booth with sellables
• All our GAGC sellables will be available, many at reduced prices.
• We have doggie steps and a couple crates for sale
• We’ll have free pizza slices available
• Free dessert and drinks (water/soft drinks)
• Free Frosty Paws for every greyhound that attends
• Bring a blanket and spend the day!
Thank You
Thank you to Ian for making the oval
GAGC logos for our new family folders
and for re-sale. Your efforts are certainly
appreciated.
Web Master
We have placed a lot of dogs so far this
year, which means Mike gets bombarded
with adoption photos and stories to post
on the site. Since we keep placing dogs,
we have to get new dogs to be available
for adoption, so their photos and details
need to be posted as well. We appreciate
all Mike’s hard work to keep up with the
craziness.
Keehner Park. Photo by: YvesSch
April 2015
11
Recent events & outreach
Giselle - the Rest of the Story
Valentine’s Day Meet and Greet at
Fiehrer Motors in Hamilton
Giselle dancers with greyhounds Jax
and Auggie
In our February issue of Needlenose
News, we shared that several GAGC
members and their greyhounds would
be participating in the stage production
of Giselle in February. Andrea and her girl
Jax and Julianne and Auggie all participated. Andrea shared her feelings with us:
“Giselle has been one of the best experiences in my life. Even though my Jax is
only two, she did amazing! She was such
a greyt advocate for the breed. Julianne
and Auggie were also in Giselle. We were
part of the Court. De La Dance Company,
who put on Giselle, was simply amazing.
They welcomed us with open arms and
hearts. The dancers loved on the pups
and treated them like stars. The Aronoff
let us go out into the lobby at intermission
to greet people and the dogs were a hit!”
Fiehrer Motors
Valentine’s Day M&G
From Brenda: Thanks to everyone who
attended the Valentine’s Day Event.
Thanks especially to Bob and Cora for
hosting and providing so many treats to
our families. It was a huge success. Thanks
to Heather and many more who helped
with set up. Thanks to the foster families
for bringing their foster dogs to show off!
Because of this event, we got two applications and future homes for our available
dogs! Thank you also to our families who
donated raffle/silent auction items for this
special day!
The best news of the day was that we had
three adoptions! Steel was a valentine
surprise for Mylynda. Steven had contacted me over a week earlier to make this
adoption a surprise! Then our new vet, Dr.
Nicole Moore, got to know the five dogs
from West Virginia that she vetted and
cared for a couple days. She fell in love
with Aladdin, took him home to meet her
husband Josh who liked him too, and his
adoption was final at the event on
February 14. Sandee and Steve were waiting
for a sign before they adopted again and
when Sandee helped me pick up the dogs
from the vet’s office, Shipman walked
out. Sandee exclaimed SHIPMAN (this
was the sign she was looking for, since
their son just enlisted in the Navy). After
spending the evening with him, the deal
was final and he was adopted on the 14th
too! What a greyt day!
Basket & Silent Auction Winners
• Starbucks coffee, mug and glass basket - Marianne Shelton
• Skyline basket - Brenda Pennix
April 2015
12
• Avon basket - Bob Fiehrer
• OSU basket - Jason Ballard
• Wine basket - Sparky Stallings
• The Meeting of the Two Racers photo Leslie Schrager
Congratulations to everyone!
and learning about retired racing greyhounds. After detailed information was
given, the girls had great questions about
the dogs. Brenda passed out flyers and
business cards to each girl. Who knows?
When they are old enough, they might
adopt a greyhound.
Heart Mini-Marathon Expo
Red’s Opening Day Parade
Here’s Brenda’s description of this terrific
event: “The heart mini expo on March 14
was awesome! We made a greyt impression with tons of visitors at the expo. Our
hounds were a huge hit and we got some
greyt pictures we placed on our Facebook
page. Bob and Laura helped me set up
and Angie, Debbie and Jami helped me
pack it up. Bernie, Crissy and Bella were
in attendance from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. It
was Bella’s first real event and all three did
greyt; they will sleep now for three days!
Thanks to Bob and Laura who brought
Ed, Mark and Lauren who brought
Chancy, Dan who brought Rymer, Mo
and Tag who were look’n good in their
Saint Patrick day collars and bling, Suzanne with her hubby brought Daisy and
Dolly, Angie and Susan brought Jet and
Bodie, Debbie and Jami brought Soul
and Ringo, Robin brought her girl Dorsey
with her and Dennis had Shay with him.
Ed brought Jiminee for a short visit and
Keith brought newly adopted Gator with
him who went and greeted EVERY person
that came through the door. He is such
a natural!! Good job to all the pups that
were there! I’m confident we will get several adoptions from our efforts today!”
April 6 was a greyt day for a parade! The
weather was in the low 60s making it a
nice walk. Thanks to Ed for registering
GAGC in the parade. We had 18 greyhounds and their families participate.
Special thanks to Karen’s daughter and
her friend for carrying the banner. Representing GAGC were Brenda; Doug,
Sara and Emily; Debbie and Jami; Kris
and her friend; Peggy and Jason; Megan
and Garion, and Ron and his son. The
greyhound stars of the day were Jazper,
Vicki, Mikey, Wally, Rumble, Mazey,
Lola, Rosie, Sunny, Blink, Furby, Dora,
Crissy and Bella. Not shown in the photo
were Robin and Dorsey, and Nicholas, Jessica and children with Starter. Thank you
all for attending and representing GAGC
in a greyt way!
GAGC members at the Red’s Opening Day
Parade
Greyhounds Meet the Brownies
Bernie and Crissy went with Brenda on
March 16 to do a talk with a group of
Brownies in Cincinnati. Eight seven and
eight year olds loved hugging, petting
April 2015
13
Adopt a Greyhound Month
Did you know that April is Adopt a
Greyhound month? There’s an ongoing
effort by Project Greyhound to get more
greyhounds into homes, especially in
April each year. Thanks to all the social
media and advertisement across the US
promoting this effort. Our own Kathy
and her greyhounds Dave and Zack did
a short live broadcast on Fox 45 in the
Morning TV broadcast about greyhounds
on April 22. Here’s the link to their appearance: http://fox45now.com/shared/news/
features/morning/stories/wrgt_vid_1541.
shtml
Flying Pig Expo Sign Up
For those of you new to GAGC, this is a
fun day and a huge opportunity for us to
earn $700 if we get 50 volunteers to work
9:00 to 1:00 PM on May 2nd inside at the
Duke Energy Center. Sorry - no dogs this
time; we just need your help to pass out
t-shirts, register runners, etc. It’s an easy,
fun day!
1) Follow the direct link to our online volunteer registration site: http://volunteer.
getmeregistered.com/events/open_opportunities.php?id=89
OR you may visit our website to access
the registration site: http://flyingpigmarathon.com/get-involved-2/volunteers/
2) Find and select Greyhound Adoption of
Greater Cincinnati from the Group list
3) Complete Volunteer Information
4) Use greyhound as the group password
when asked near the end of the form.
GAGC Facebook page
GAGC families: Have you checked out the
GAGC Facebook page? Go to it by clicking
at the bottom of our home page on our
website www.cincigreyhounds.org. Our
foster families have been adding some
cute photos and comments about their
new foster dogs, proving fostering can be
very rewarding and fun! If you have some
cute stories about your hounds, please
post them. We do monitor comments before posting and will not include negative
or inappropriate items. Thanks!
Righty livin’ the good life
Pet Sitters
Do you need a pet sitter for your
greys while you’re out of town?
Brenda has a list of GAGC members
willing to pet sit, but we’re also
looking for more willing folks, in the
Dayton and
Cincinnati
areas. Let
Brenda or
Kathy know
if you’re
interested.
April 2015
14
Dog runs, fosters & adoptions
Dog Runs
March 11 dog run. Wild Busy Brenda is
helping Ron drive.
CTW River Dancer and Rico’s Teague
nearing the end of their ride from West
Virginia
February 12 was another dog run to
West Virginia. Ron and Marianne were in
one vehicle and Karen and Anne were in
another to pick up eight dogs. We got
four girls: Deco Bye Lite, E’s Barnum, E’s
Holly, and E’s Sarafina; and four boys:
CTW Workmanship, Rico’s Vane, E’s
Aladdin, and TDS Miguel. Marianne and
Anne were so nice to ride along as the copilot and crowd controller. Several inches
of snow were predicted making the ride
out of West Virginia a bit stressful with
such precious cargo. The ride back with
the males was mostly uneventful; one
boy grumbled when someone stepped
on him. Marianne controlled the crowd
very well. The ride back with the females
we’re told was a different story. All four
girls tried desperately to help Karen drive;
Anne had her hands full, and even got in
the back with the dogs. Sarafina and Bar-
April 2015
num still wanted to drive! When Anne got
out of the car she was totally worn out!
The two vehicles met Kathy and Brenda at
Dr. Moore’s office where five of the eight
were vetted. Dr. Moore is a member of
GAGC and is giving us a reduced rate on
the surgeries.
Ron and Brenda went to the track adoption kennel in West Virginia on February 26 and spent some time with Anita
picking out some females for our next
dog run. We already had four nice boys
selected to take back to Ohio that day:
Wiki Magic Mike, Coach Pierre, SE’s
Tyler Tan, and TS Swampy. From Brenda:
“The four boys were perfect on the ride
home; Mike and Pierre were so good even
when the younger boys walked on them.
When we first got on the highway, it was
so funny; one of the dogs barked at a car
approaching us! They never saw anything
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like that before! I can’t even imagine what
they are thinking with all the new experiences they will have soon.” After vetting
at Custis Veterinary Hospital in Lebanon,
the boys moved into foster care until their
forever homes are found.
Ron and Doug met our West Virginia
kennel source on March 11 and picked up
four very sweet females: Rico’s Jackson,
Wild Busy Brenda, E’s Crown Jewel, and
Nad Cool Runnin. Ron and Brenda had
gone to the kennel earlier in the month
and handpicked these girls out! Doug
took great pictures on the return trip
and posted them to our Facebook page;
thanks, Doug. The girls were dropped off
with our new vet, Dr. Nicole Moore at Custis Animal Hospital in Lebanon. Nicole is
a member of GAGC and loves vetting the
newbies off the track. In fact, she adopted
one from the first group we sent to her!
On March 25, Brenda and Kathy made the
drive to Jackson, OH to meet one of our
West Virginia sources with three wonderful boys: Deco Early Lite (Earl), Rico’s
Teague (Teague) , and CTW River Dancer (Dancer). This was another dog run
where the dogs were quiet and mellow all
the way home. Earl is so tall he touched
the top of Brenda’s car ceiling. Next stop
was Custis Vet Hospital in Lebanon where
we got photos of the boys for the web
site and they stayed for vetting. Dr. Nicole
Moore and the rest of the staff promptly
fell in love with the new arrivals. Thank
you to Christa who helped with handling
the dogs during the check-in process. It
made things much easier to have an extra
set of hands.
Foster Homes Needed
Our biggest challenge in finding homes
for the retired racing greyhounds is finding foster families to help with the dogs’
transition into their forever homes. Would
you like to be a part of the process? We
provide food, medications, and guidance.
Can we add you to the list?
West Virginia hauler
April 2015
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Foster a greyhound, get in the
drawing for a bag of Nature’s
Select!
Doug and Ron picking up four WV girls:
E’s Crown Jewel, Wild Busy Brenda,
Nad Cool Runnin, and Rico’s Jackson
Foster families
We are so appreciative of our foster
families. They give us the option of having
Alan and Leslie, our Nature’s Select dismultiple dogs readily available for new
tributors, are donating a 30 pound bag of applicants to meet and adopt. Thanks to:
Nature’s Select every month to support
• Amanda and Joe - MRK River Only
our fostering program. Everyone who has • Becky and Matt - Deco Bye Lite
• Debbie - Easi Decameron
fostered for at least a week in that month
• Heather and Jason - CTW River Dancer
will be in contention to win the bag of
• Jess and Tim - TDS Miguel
food. Here are our most recent winners:
• Karen and Jason – Pat C Sid, Coach Pierre
February Winner
Mylynda and Steven, foster family to • Kim - Rico’s Jackson
Steel (Thanks to Mylynda and Steven for • Megan and Garion – E’s Holly, Limitless,
donating their winning bag of dog food Deco Early Lite
back to GAGC for our foster dogs. We • Meghan and Kevin - E’s Sarafina
really appreciate it.)
• Michele C. - Braska Shirley, E’s Crown Jewel
March Winner
• Mylynda and Steven - SH Blue Steel
Michelle C., foster mom to Braska
• Peggy and Jason - SE’s Tyler Tan, Nad Shirley and E’s Crown Jewel
Cool Runnin
• PJ - Hallo Gatorbryan, TS Swampy, Rico’s Teague
• Robin and Chris - DKC Righty, Wild Busy Brenda
• Sarah and Doug - Rico’s Vane, Wiki Magic Mike
• Stephanie and Charles - E’s Barnum
• Tracy - Deco Bye Lite
Current foster dogs
Are you ready for another greyhound? We
have the following dogs available:
• Coach Pierre - 4 year old black male
• Rico’s Jackson - 2 year old black female
• Wild Busy Brenda - 3 year old brindle female
• E’s Crown Jewel- 2 year old red female
• Easi Decameron - 5 year old white and red male
• Aurora Hazel - 1.5 year old black female (coming in late April/early May)
• Circular Quay - 4 year old fawn male April 2015
17
•
•
(coming in late April/ early May)
Braska Carly - 3 year old blue brindle female (coming in late April/early May)
Arkan Angel - 2 year old black and white male (coming in mid May)
Please contact your local placement representative (Brenda, Kathy or Heather) if
you are interested in adding one of these
foster dogs to your family.
Briley and Argus are home
Sid and Righty on adoption day
Sarafina in her foster home
April 2015
Recent Adoptions
• SH Blue Steel - February 14 - Mylynda and Steven of Franklin
• E’s Aladdin (Giovani) - February 14 - Nicole and Josh of Pleasant Plain
• CTW Workmanship (Shipman) February 14 - Sandee and Steve of Liberty Township
• TDS Miguel (Leo) and E’s Holly
(Annabelle) - February 15 - Kim and Christa of Lebanon
• Rico’s Vane (Argus) and E’s Barnum (Briley) - February 15 - Rob, Trisha and Jeffrey of Lebanon
• Sarafina (Fiona) - February 27 - Katie and Lyle of Bellevue
• Pat C Sid (Sid) and DKC Righty (Righty) - March 1 - Jenna and Chris of Fairborn
• Wiki Magic Mike (Mikey) - March 4 - Sarah, Doug and Emily of West Chester
• SE’s Tyler Tan - March 5 - Jeanne of Oakley
• Deco Bye Lite (Luna) - March 5 - Todd and Ben of Hamilton
• Braska Shirley (Scout) - March 13 - Joe and Mary Kate of Fort Wright, Kentucky
• TS Swampy (Zephyr) - March 20 - Robert, Jonah and Doug of Mt. Washington
• SH Limitless (Luka) - March 21 - Sarah and Chris of Dayton
• MRK River Only (River) - March 26 - Leah and Mike of Centerville
• Nad Cool Runnin (Chloe) - March 29 - Sheri and Rowan of Liberty Township
• Deco Early Lite (Deco) - April 1 - Melissa, Shannon and Thor of Miamisburg
• Rico’s Teague (Leo) - April 4 - Renee and Alan of Beavercreek
• CTW River Dancer (Odin) - April 23 - Larry and Linda of Anderson
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Our Condolences
Illustration courtesy of Elspeth Rose /
www.barkerandpaws.com.
Editor’s Note: Every time we lose one of our
greyhounds, GAGC makes a donation in that
dog’s name to one of several organizations
supporting greyhound health: the Department
of Veterinary Clinical Services at Ohio State
University’s College of Veterinary Medicine,
Dr. Couto’s new Pennsylvania-based program
called “The Greyhound Health Initiative,” or
Greyhound Hope Rehabilitation and Adoption
which supports broken leg racers.
We send our sincere condolences to Dan
and Julie. We were notified that their girl
Phoebe died on February 14.
Johnny B (red) and Reda (brindle).
Nimby in the sun
We were sorry to hear that Kim M. had to
say goodbye to her 15 1/2 year old black lab
mix Midnight on February 28. He had been
diagnosed with a sarcoma that eventually
entered his brain. From Kim: “He became
confused and scared, not wanting to go
outside. This was not like him at all. He loved
running in the snow, getting covered in it. I
did get to spend the last two months of his
life with him which was very special. He will
always be in my heart.”
Angie and Ron have been with GAGC for
many years and recently faced the loss of
their beloved Johnny B on March 10. In his
old age, Johnny developed spinal issues
that pinched or severed a nerve causing paralysis in his hind legs. Despite trying several
treatments, they were not able to save him.
We are so sorry for their loss.
Our condolences go to Alice and KC who
had to put their greyhound Indy down on
March 15. From Alice: “His pain and immobility were increasing.” They considered laser
treatments but opted against them because
of the stress it would have caused him.
On March 22, Becky and Matt had to say
goodbye to their girl Nimby who had been
fighting cancer for some time. Nimby
struggled valiantly but she finally lost the
battle. We send them our deepest sympathy.
Long-time GAGC members Cindy and Brad
recently faced the loss of Brad’s dad, Neil
Carr, who was a Korean vet. Cindy said: “He
always pet our pups, even though he would
say he could take them or leave them.” We
all know how greyhounds can captivate. We
are so sorry for their loss.
We were very sorry to hear the sad news in
March that Melanie and Terry lost Melanie’s
mother Anna Mae. From Melanie: “She would
have wanted people to celebrate. She came
to visit when we had Mercedes...love at first
sight. He used to dance with her. Stand on
his hind legs, paws on her shoulders. Just for
a minute, but so cute. We are at peace now
knowing that she is.”
We received the sad news from Darryl and
Carol that their greyhound Kimmy lost her
battle with osteosarcoma on April 3. She
showed all the classic signs of swelling and
limping. Drugs could not control her pain
so they made the difficult decision to let her
go. We are so sorry about their loss.
Angie and Ron dealt with yet another loss
April 2015
19
on April 8 when they had to say goodbye to
their girl Reda. Per Angie: “Her kidneys had
essentially shut down so she couldn’t drink
enough water to keep going (she’d have to
be on almost permanent fluids). We brought
her home with us last night so we could be
with her and took her back this morning.”
Reda was 15 years old. We send Angie and
Ron our sincere sympathy.
Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Stephanie
who lost her girl Lucy to bone cancer on
April 8. Lucy’s osteosarcoma was very aggressive and very painful so Stephanie made
the difficult decision to end her pain. She
wrote to Brenda: “The house feels so empty.
But, there was a peace in Lucy’s eyes.... I
know she was ready. My heart is broken...
she is the sweetest girl ever. I didn’t think
I’d find another greyhound as sweet as my
Elvis, but she proved me wrong. I’ve had
four wonderful years with her. I’m sure she’s
playing with Elvis now at The Bridge.”
GAGC extends our sincere condolences to
our president Brenda and her husband Ron
on the loss of Edele Peron, Brenda’s aunt and
our decal maker’s mother. Edele passed away
in her home in Arkansas from congestive heart
failure at the age of 87. She will be missed.
SPECIAL NOTE: If your beloved greyhound goes to Rainbow Bridge and you would like to share a
tribute about him or her, please forward a picture if desired and your memorial statement to us
and we’ll enter it in an upcoming newsletter. High-resolution photos are best.
Lucy Mae: 7/5/05 - 4/8/15
Sweet Lucy
Adopted: 3/28/11
– From Stephanie
Lucy blessed our home for 4 years, which
to some may not seem like a long time, but
she quickly became a staple in our family
and it seemed like she had been with us from
day one of her almost 10 year life. She did
not know a stranger and was always a
happy girl. I’ve never owned a sweeter dog.
Lucy never had any health issues up until
around Christmas, when I noticed she started
with a mild limp in her front leg. It slowly
became worse and we made three trips
to the vet within a month. By the third
appointment, Lucy had not been weightbearing for 3 weeks and had lost all muscle
mass in her shoulder, and had started to lose
weight quickly. We made a trip to MedVet
to get an oncology consult, which confirmed that she had a very aggressive canApril 2015
cerous bone tumor. She declined quickly,
in less than 24 hours, and we knew we
couldn’t let her suffer any longer. We made
the painful decision to send her on to
Rainbow Bridge where she would be
pain-free and able to run again. Me and my
boys were with her as she took her final
breaths, and I could tell in her eyes that
she was at peace with our decision. Right
before the vet started the injections, Lucy
raised her head and perked her ears up
one last time, as if to tell us she was ready.
I miss her the most when I come home
from work. She always greeted me at the
door as soon as I walked in. Always. I also
miss her at bedtime. Her preferred spot
to sleep was on the floor at the foot of my
bed. She always kept me in her sight, yet
was never demanding of my attention.
She was just always “there”. My constant,
no matter what. RIP, my sweet girl.
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Support GAGC!
How can YOU support GAGC?
GAGC can always use your support. Here’s
how you can help!
Go Krogering!
Do you shop at Kroger? The Kroger
Reward program is one of GAGC’s most
reliable fundraisers. Our rewards are
based on your use of your Kroger Plus
card instead of a gift card. We receive a
$200 donation from Kroger each time our
group achieves $5,000 in total purchases.
We use these donations primarily to cover
vetting expenses for new or rehomed
greyhounds. Be sure to link your Kroger
Plus card to GAGC and always use it at
check-out. Thanks to all of you who are
active in using your rewards cards. Our
last reward was for $1216.68.
Re-Enroll in the Kroger Community
Rewards Program!
PLEASE take a moment and re-enroll in
the Kroger Community Rewards Program
today. The new cycle begins May 1 so
you must re-enroll in April. The GAGC
Code Number is #80372. GAGC receives
around $1400 quarterly from this program and we really need your support. A
percentage of every purchase goes back
to GAGC through this program. Ask your
family and friends to register GAGC as
their favorite charity. It is easy money for
our hounds and doesn’t affect your fuel
points! :) Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com, click on “sign in”, go to Account, click on Re-enroll, and find GAGC
on the list, then just follow the remaining
directions. If you have never registered
your Kroger card, click on “Create an Account” and follow the instructions - you
will need to provide your email address, a
password, and pick a “favorite store” (but
you do not have shop at only that store).
On the next screen you will provide your
Kroger Plus card and last name. On the
next screen you’ll pick a Community Rewards group - GAGC’s number is 80372.
Do a Meet & Greet
Bring your greyhounds to a GAGC Meet
& Greet to introduce others to this wonderful breed. They are on Sundays at the
following Petsmart locations (times are
on our website):
• 1st Sunday of the month: Milford
• 2nd Sunday: Beavercreek (Dayton)
and Tri-County
• 3rd Sunday: West Chester and
Centerville (Dayton)
• 4th Sunday: Mason
Special M&G: The AMC Theatre in West
Chester is allowing GAGC to hold a special M&G once a month. If you would like
to participate, contact Brenda who will
schedule a time for you to attend.
April 2015
21
Thanks for Your Support!
Foster Dog Sponsors
One of the reasons GAGC has experienced so much success is due to the
support we receive from our families and
friends. Month after month, you help us
out in many ways, and we so appreciate
all of our donors. Thank you!
Our program encouraging GAGC members to sponsor one of our foster dogs
for $20 has been very successful. The
sponsorship fees go toward the cost of
food and monthly medications for these
greyhounds. The sponsors have their
names on the website on the listing for
the dog, plus we’ll include it here. This is
a nice way to support our foster program
without actually bringing a grey into your
home. Thanks to all of you! Our latest
sponsors are:
Matt and Jingle - E’s Holly (Jingle’s
littermate), Rico’s Vane
General gifts to GAGC
- Jason G.
- Lauren R.
- William and Pat H.
- Amazon Smile Foundation
- PetSmart
- Jon R.
- Holly G.
- Susan J.
- Kroger Community Rewards
- Sandy K.
- David H.
Marianne, James, Connie, Nat, and Dan - Deco Bye Lite, TS Swampy, Decameron, River Dancer
Dave in KY - TDS Miguel
Gifts in memory of ...
Logan
- Virgil and Rebecca
Ripley
- Andrew and Lydia H.
Johhny B
-Mary S.
Reda
- Mary S.
Storm
- Julia W.
Gifts in honor of ...
Queenie
- Paul K.
Dr. Nicole Moore
- Stephen J.
Gifts in-kind
- Mike W.
Sandy, Mo and Ferris - SH Limitless
Amanda, Scarlet, Kaladin and the
Barrett family - Wild Busy Brenda
Mel, Jon, Odin and Lilly - Sarafina
Susan G - E’s Crown Jewel
Nemo, Dory, Wes, Patti, Minnie, Odin, Carolyn and Kenny - Coach Pierre, Rico’s Jackson
Yankee Candle Fund Raiser
Our Yankee Candle sale was a huge success! Heather had a total sale amount of
$1831.00 giving GAGC around $700 in
proceeds. Your orders have arrived - thank
you for your support!
Image courtesy www.yankeecandle.com.
April 2015
22
Mark your calendars
Local Events
May
Flying Pig Marathon Expo
Saturday, May 2 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Expo is at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. We need 50 workers
for this. Sorry — we can’t take our dogs to the Expo! More details to follow.
Young’s Jersey Dairy Meet & Greet
Saturday, May 9 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
This is the second year for this fun event in Yellow Springs. Come join us to see greyhounds and barnyard critters.
GAGC Family Picnic
Saturday, May 23 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Mark your calendar for our big event in Keehner Park, West Chester. Lots more details
will follow via email.
Image courtesy Young’s Dairy
June
PRIDE Festival
Saturday, June 27 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This event will be at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove, address 705 East Pete Rose Way
45202
West Chester Farmers’ Market
Saturday, June 13 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
August
West Chester Farmers’ Market
Saturday, August 15 | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Mandy’s Dog-O-Mat Meet & Greet
Saturday, August 22 | Noon – 4 p.m.
Mandy’s is located in West Chester at the corner of Cincinnati Dayton Rd and Tylersville
Road. Come join us!
September
GAGC Fall Fun Day
Sunday, September 13 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
April 2015
23
Mark your calendars
Iron’s Fruit Farm
October
Liberty Township Fall Festival
October TBD
Iron’s Fruit Farm
Saturday, October TBD
Iron’s Fruit Farm
Sunday, October TBD
Paw Joggers Rescue Run
Sunday, October 18 | 7 a.m. – Noon
Out-of-State Events
Greys and Grapes
May 15-17, Virginia
www.greysandgrapes.com
Mountain Hounds
May 28-June 1, Gatlinburg, TN
www.gfncmountainhounds.com
Grapehound Wine Tour
July 23-26, Watkins Glen, NY
The Grapehound Wine Tour® is a wine-tasting celebration of greyhound adoption held
at Seneca Lake, New York, near Watkins Glen.
Beach Bound Hounds
September 24-27
www.greyhoundsreachthebeach.com
April 2015
24
Support our supporters!
‘Bye for now! Look for the next NeedleNoseNews in June. Ahhh roo roo roo!
April 2015
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