June 2014

NEWS & NOTES

A monthly newsletter to keep you informed.

Adoption Results for May

We had 7 adoptions in May and brought 9 dogs in from Alabama that have entered the TGIE Program. This brings our year-to-date totals to 37 adopted and 37 rescued!

Corvette Auction

Leaving Tracks, Inc, the folks who held the "Canines on the Catwalk" benefit for American Greyhound last fall, have pulled out all the stops and have arranged for the raffle of a 1995 Corvette, with all proceeds benefiting American Greyhound!

The Corvette has 71,000 miles and a 300HP 6 speed transmission. The interior is red with black leather. The car is in excellent condition; all it needs is a driver!

Tickets for the raffle are $100 and a maximum of 250 tickets will be sold. You can purchase your tickets here: http://www.leavingtracks.org/default.html. The drawing will be the second weekend in August, location to be announced.

Activities for Active Greys

I became the proud foster of a formerly stray, 5 month old Grey (potential mix) back in mid-winter 2012. I had been working with American Greyhound to find a Grey that would fit in with my family prior to the call to step up as a foster, but as Callen worked his way into my heart, there was no way I could say goodbye to him, so he joined the family. I soon realized that young Greys are quite the handful - as they are NOT 45 mph couch potatoes as young dogs! I am so extremely thankful for several sighthound enthusiast friends introducing us to the Greater Chicago Whippet Club straight track race practice! I am not much of a traveler per se and still bemoan the distance a bit but driving 1.5 hours is very much a worthwhile trip as Callen absolutely LOVES to run. We fell in love with the fun from the onset of our introduction! I still have a lot to learn about Greyhounds and various events we can participate in together but to me, there is nothing more awesome than soaking in the scene of dogs that absolutely adore running, tapping into their natural born abilities and having so much fun in the process!

Cullen and I worked to graduate from a Home Companion class with the added bonus of earning his CGC and applied for a Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) number with the AKC so we would be prepared for any events that may come up that we want to compete in. Kensi, another stray Grey, and recent foster adoptee from American Greyhound is in the process of receiving her PAL registration as well. We still have yet to compete, as unfortunately, many events require quite a bit of travel, but the race practice schedule has been set and we are looking forward to the upcoming summer and fall dates to get

together with fellow dog lovers and create awesome memories!

Additionally, for photography enthusiasts, there is an added bonus of capturing dogs in motion via digital pics!! If you are interested in checking out the fun, feel free to visit the Greater Chicago Whippet Club Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/105787659464143/ . The race practice schedule and how it works is posted there! Looking forward to possibly seeing some of you there! They are hosting a LGRA event June 14-15 at River Road Park in Kankakee, too, so you can sign up for that as well! -Tammy Foss

Foster Stories

My name is Sharon Larson, and I have been a foster mom for just a little over a year now. It is absolutely one of the best things I've ever done in my life!! I adopted a greyhound named Ticket from AG 3 years ago, and I remember watching his foster mom crying as we left with him. I knew then it was a difficult, yet very wonderful thing to foster, because they were happy tears, not sad tears. She had grown so attached to him, but knew he was going to his forever home, and let him go as tears streamed down all our faces. That silly boy has been the best thing to happen to us! And had he not been fostered, who knows where he would be today. That is the best part of fostering, we are saving these dogs.

I became involved in fostering very unexpectedly. One day I participated in the TGIE prison program and there was a little brindle girl that needed a foster home, and boom, I opened my mouth and offered to take her, and that was it. I brought her home that day. I fell in love with fostering, and have been doing it since.

What I love about it is that I get to see these beautiful, gracious animals come off the track, come out of the prison or sometimes even from another rescue group. I love that I get to see them learn what it's all about to be in a family, with love and affection and food and water, and know they will always have someone to love them for the rest of their life. I have gotten to witness my fosters learning how to maneuver up and down the stairs, how to stay away from a winter cover of a swimming pool, learn their inside manners, etc. The first prison dog I fostered almost jumped out of her skin the first time the phone rang. That was something she was not familiar with, but as time went on and we comforted her to let her know it was normal, it became just another household noise for her. I love seeing them grow and learn new things, letting them relax and be retired. Just knowing they will always have a full tummy and a warm bed is something most greyhounds are unsure of at some time in their lives. This is why I love fostering. I can teach them that they are going to be okay now, they will always be safe, and they will always be protected and loved. That is the best part ever! Plus, I'm saving another life. That's why I foster.

Do I get attached to my fosters? Definitely!!! Do I cry when they leave me? Most certainly! But do I know that I am doing the absolute best thing for them? Yes, I do. It is the most heartwarming thing I've ever done and I cannot imagine my house or my life without them. I strongly encourage and recommend everyone give it a try. It will be the best thing you ever did.

Sharon Larson - Tinley Park, IL

Are you interested in fostering? To volunteer or to learn more, contact Nicole at [email protected] or call her at 219-395-4432.

Do You Have a Story?

Do you have a story to share about your own experiences with greyhounds? Do you have something you want to see in n upcoming newsletter? Do you have a picture to share? Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]!

Stay Connected