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A monthly newsletter to keep you informed.
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In May we had 18 adoptions and 27 arrivals - 23 for AG and 4 went to other groups. These dogs all came from Mobile, AL
This makes our year to date totals 67 arrivals and 52 adoptions.
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| Record Breaking Haul from Mobile, AL |
Last month, we were contacted by the lady who runs the adoption kennel in Mobile, AL, about an excess of dogs created by the closing of one of the racing kennels. She said she was up to her ears in dogs and asked if there was any way we could help out.
Well, as is typical, we got the word out via our website, Facebook, and email. And, as we typically see when promoting a situation like this, our supporters really stepped it up. Some of our newer volunteers, Zac and Stephanie Jones, spread our word through an online newsletter, which created a huge response. By the time the haul was ready to pull out, we had enlisted almost two dozen foster homes, with many of those new homes coming from the Warsaw, Indiana area, a direct result of Zac and Stephanie's work.
The hauler pulled out of Valparaiso around
5:30 pm on Friday, May 20th, headed south, with Robert Larson and Evan Croft, who had previous experience running hauls, and two newcomers to hauling, Diane Hubka and Kevin Zurek.
They almost immediately encountered road construction and later began to encounter rain and fog. By the time they arrived in Mobile, they had already lost over two hours through no fault of their own.
But, once there, they began loading and quickly had the hauler filled with 27 dogs heading to their new lives. Of this total, 4 were slated for GEM-Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan and the remaining 23 would be entering American Greyhound's adoption program-the largest single intake of dogs in our organizations history!
Loaded and locked, our merry band began their trip north. Again, they encountered the same bridge construction that plagued them on the trip south. By the time they arrived in Angola, Indiana to meet the GEM reps and drop their dogs it was past
4 AM in the morning.
A quick 1-hour drive and they were dropping 9 dogs in Elkhart, Indiana, with the final 14 dogs arriving in Valparaiso, Indiana at around
7:00 AM. The total elapsed time for the trip ended up over 36 hours.
All four haulers, Robert, Diane, Kevin and Evan, exited the van bone tired, yet smiling from ear to ear. And, each one expressed the same emotion- elation at having been a part of job well done and full hearts in the knowledge that they had made a difference in the lives of 27 greyhounds.
Good job to our haulers, Robert, Diane, Kevin and Evan, to those who arranged the foster homes, Christina, Sharon, Ashley, Nicole, Stephanie, to those who came out to help process the new dogs and to all those who volunteered to foster a dog and make this haul all it could be.
As always, this haul was successful because of all the amazing volunteers that stepped up to help out. This haul was special because of the number of dogs we could help, but it also was just another example of how amazing our volunteers are.
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Three weeks ago, American Greyhound headed out of Northwest Indiana, bound for Mobile,
Alabama to pick up a load of hounds left in the lurch by a kennel closing. As is usual, we put out an email to those folks who had expressed interest in partaking of these hauls. We had a full load of four drivers for the haul, and two of them were hauling greenhorns (having never been on a haul before).
One of those newbies, Diane Hubka, contacted us about a week later to express her feelings about her participation. We asked her if she would be willing to put those feelings down on paper (or at least in an email) so we could pass along to the rest of our membership her experiences and the good feeling she felt in her heart upon completion of the journey. Here is how Diane felt about taking part in what ended up being a very special haul for American Greyhound:
I have been owned by greyhounds for the past 18 years and became part of American Greyhound in July, 2015. I've loved doing meet & greets over the years, showing how these hounds make wonderful pets as the majority of people think they are the opposite of what we know to be the 40 MPH couch potato. That being said, I must say that I have just had the most life-changing experience. For the first time, I was given the opportunity to go on a haul to bring hounds to foster & forever homes.
Leaving Valparaiso Friday evening at 6:30, not having a clue on what to expect, it was a 2000 mile round trip to Mobile, AL returning via Angola, IN where GEM (Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan) met our hauler at a truck stop to take part of the rescue, then on to Elkhart where fosters were waiting for their share, lastly pulling into Valparaiso 36 hrs later with the balance of hounds on Sunday morning. My first time in many years towing anything behind, driving the van with hauler in tow was amazing. Been told, but hard to believe, didn't feel that trailer ... kept looking in the rear view to make sure it was still there!!
Returning home, a nice shower felt good, change of clothes and then off to monthly meet & greet in Orland Park -- - why not, the adrenaline would not stop. Knowing that 27 hounds, finished with their racing career, were brought north (and I assisted) is the best feeling in the world.
Thank you Jeff and AG for your dedication, working with other rescue organizations, and lastly, the opportunity to participate. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat!! I'd encourage anyone to give it a go at least once - the experience is indescribable.
Diane Hubka
Thanks, Diane, not only for sharing your experience, but also for helping 27 greyhounds begin their life after the racetrack.
I think Diane has done a wonderful job, of expressing in words, just what it feels like to
participate in an endeavor like this. And, helping with dog hauls is just one of many volunteering opportunities within this organization. And, each one will give you that same warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart when you see how you have helped make a difference.
If taking a ride to some exotic, far-flung locale like Mobile, Alabama, or West Memphis,
Arkansas, or Keysville, Florida, sounds like something that is up your alley, give me a ring at (219)771-0892 or email me at [email protected] . I'll put you on the distribution for our emails announcing our hauls.
Or, if you'd like to hear about other volunteering opportunities within American Greyhound,
give Annette Martin a call at (219)771-1054 or email her at [email protected] .
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| One American Greyhound adoptive family is making a difference for the lives of our foster hounds in a very warm and generous way. Sydney Rosinia-Cowan started a campaign at school to collect blankets for the hounds looking for their forever homes. Nothing says "welcome to retirement" like a nice warm blanket! She titled her campaign "Retirement is better Under a Blanket". All of our foster hounds are very thankful for Sydney's generosity! |
| 10 Months, 4 Weeks, 3 Days |
In May 2015, the little broodie I had fostered, Piper, was adopted. I wanted to take a little break from fostering so I told Nicole Graves, our Foster Coordinator that I would foster a dog that would be coming out of the TGIE program in early July 2015. During my break, I did volunteer to babysit a foster dog for a week while his foster family went on vacation.
On June 18, 2015, American Greyhound received a call from the TGIE program. One of our
dogs in the program had some medical issues. Some volunteers went to Coldwater, Michigan to pick up the dog and then he was taken to McAfee Animal Hospital. It was thought that the dog had a stroke and needed a foster home that had no stairs and carpeting to help with his footing and stability. On June 19, 2015 as well as his 5 th birthday, M&M entered my world and became my next foster.
After about a week and a half and following a treatment plan for a stroke, M&M was not improving so he went back to McAfee Animal Hospital and spent a few days with the doctors and staff. The doctors observed M&M and determined that the issue was with his back, possibly a bulging or slipped disc. His treatment plan changed and he was put on strict 'kennel rest'. He could only come out of his kennel to eat and go outside to relieve himself. When outside, he was not allowed to run so my smaller yard was perfect for him.
During August 2015, while M&M was resting, I was making several trips to the St. Joseph, Michigan area to assist in looking for a missing greyhound. One Saturday while searching in St Joe, I stopped at a house where a gentleman was outside mowing his yard. I wanted to give him some information on the missing greyhound. He showed me around his property and the adjoining nursery, pointing out potential places a missing dog could hide. He mentioned that his son, Andrew, was considering getting a dog and I mentioned that if he would be interested in a greyhound to please get in contact with American Greyhound.
In September 2015, Andrew adopted Suzy from American Greyhound. On Suzy's adoption day, I had taken M&M to the event, Andrew met M&M and a connection was made. Andrew knew that he would eventually adopt another dog but he would have to wait awhile for that to happen.
After our outing to this event, M&M had a setback and was again put on kennel rest. This time the doctors wanted him to recover at a very slow pace. M&M was on 'kennel rest" from October until March and then was slowly allowed to have increase his activity level. In May, M&M was release from medical hold and was able to be adopted. As fate would have it, Andrew was contacting American Greyhound about adopting another greyhound.
On May 14 , 2016, our greyhound story comes full circle and M&M was adopted by Andrew and his fiancée, Rachel. M&M was my foster for 10 months, 3 weeks and 4 days. |
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Several years ago, American Greyhound rolled out a new program that we called "Greyhound Guardians." It is a monthly giving program that we knew that we needed to assure the sustainability of the organization long after we are gone. And, a large part of that sustainability is the foundation we are building today.
In the past few years, we have transformed from a group that was operating hand to mouth, rescuing dogs from a local track, and just getting by, to a group that has the capability and resources to load up and travel half-way across the country to pick up dogs and bring them back to the Midwest, to enter American Greyhound's adoption program, or possibly the program of one of our partner groups.
And that transformation has happened because of YOU. YOU funded the hauler that has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of greyhounds. YOU funded a van to pull that hauler and we now even more capacity to transport dogs to a new life. And, YOU have now put us in a position to purchase land, on which we will put up a building that will expand our ability to help even more hounds. It will be a place to process new dogs into our program, a place to kennel the overflow, and most importantly, it will be our home.
And, because of that transformation and foundation building, there is no better time than right now to become a member of American Greyhound's "Greyhound Guardians." With the ownership of a building come additional financial liabilities....gas bills, electricity bills, building maintenance, etc, etc. But, to make that next step and help more and more dogs, a building is exactly what is necessary.
And, besides the warm feeling in your heart that comes from supporting American Greyhound's rescue efforts, Greyhound Guardians has a number of perks for you as well:
* Your name listed on every American Greyhound event program
* Discount tickets to "Winning Hearts, Not Races" annual auction
* Custom designed Greyhound Guardians t-shirt
* $25 discount on any American Greyhound adoption
In Addition, anyone joining at $100 or more per month will receive:
* Up to 4 complimentary tickets to "Winning Hearts, Not Races" annual auction
In addition anyone joining at $250 or more per month will receive:
* Up to $500 in "Auction Bucks" for use at "Winning Hearts, Not Races" annual auction
Now, how do you beat that? The satisfaction of knowing that you have made a financial difference in the efforts of an organization like American Greyhound, plus these wonderful bonuses. If that isn't win-win, nothing is!
You can join Greyhound Guardians on a monthly basis of $10 or more. And, you can start the process by accessing the "Greyhound Guardians" tab on our website or by contacting me at (219)771-0892 or in person.
If you have questions about this program, our financial reports, or how together, we can make a difference for more and more greyhounds, please give me a ring, I'd love to speak with you.
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Carry your hound's medical records when you travel.
When Mesa Concho, my 11-year-old diva, decided to jump on the sofa while on vacation at my daughter's house, I was glad that I had brought along her medical records and the "Gregyhounds are not regular dogs" card. Normally, a five-foot jump across a coffee table and onto the couch is an easy distance for this amazing greyt girl. Unfortunately, she lost her footing on tile shiny tile floor and came down hard on the end of the coffee table, breaking a dish, putting a gash in her inner thigh and spurting blood all over the place.
Emergency surgery under full anesthesia to dig out the glass, close the wound (no muscle dammage, thanks goodness), 12 stitches and $780 dollars later, and we were back home and she was jumping around the next day. The good news is that the emergency vet, who had only treated a couple of greyhounds before, was able to accurately evaluate Concho's health and adjust her anesthesia to match her unique blood chemistry -- because I had a copy of her complete medical history, including the results of a complete blood panel done three weeks earlier, and the "card."
In addition to their medical records, I also take along a first aid kit, anti-nausea medication (one of my girls gets car sick), water, healthy treats, a large bag of their favorite brand of dog food (to avoid upset tummys and diarrhea), and baby wipes for fast clean-ups.
Roadtrips with greys are always fun but they are far less stressful if you are fully prepared. So, when you are getting ready for that summer vacation don't forget to pack their medical records.
-Celestina Policastro
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Years ago, when American Greyhound was just spreading it's wings and getting off the ground, our numbers were small and almost everyone involved at the time got their hands in every single task.
Fast forward ten years and we are off the ground and the number of volunteers actively participating has more than tripled (However, we are always in great need of more and more volunteers who want to get involved) and now we have the luxury of dividing the tasks and assigning a person or persons who will be responsible for completing that task.
And, that's where we need your help. Often, those who need to contact us may be familiar with the folks who fostered the dog they adopted, or maybe they know the person who processed their adoption application. So, that ends up being the person they contact.
But, spreading the load only works if we are actually able to spread the load. So, we'd like to ask a favor. When you contact American Greyhound about a particular issue, we'd like to ask you to contact the person responsible for that issue. And, I will be the first to admit we've done a poor job of getting out the info about who is responsible for what in the past. But, that all changes here and now. Here is a list of who is responsible for what, along with their contact info.
Fostering- Nicole Graves (219)395-4432 [email protected]
Adoption
Auction
Facebook- Melissa Pearman (219)916-4986 [email protected]
Grants- Annette Martin (219)771-1054 [email protected]
Website- Tony Neetz (708)351-8084 [email protected]
Newsletter- Corrie Golando (808)346-0454 [email protected]
Behavioral Issues
Area Lead
Membership- Christina Robbins (219)730-1356 [email protected]
Events- Melissa Pearman (219)916-4986 [email protected]
Adopted Dog Documents- Julie Certa (708)297-1366 [email protected]
Volunteering- Annette Martin (219)771-1054 [email protected]
American Greyhound Store
In all likelihood, I've missed a person or two on this list, so I'll apologize up front. There was no slight intended.
Now maybe, you aren't exactly sure who you need to contact. Or maybe, you've contacted the person, but nothing is getting done. That's probably a good time to contact one of these two:
President Jeff Coggins (219)771-0892 [email protected]
OR
Vice President Sarah Gasienica (219)263-8742 [email protected]
Wow, that is really a lot of people who making things a whole lot better for a whole lot of dogs. But, as I mentioned earlier, there is always room for more and more people who want to help make a difference. If you think you'd like to help make that difference, please call me at your earliest convenience. I'd love to talk to you about ways in which we can make a better world for greyhounds, which in turn just plain makes a better world.
Jeff Coggins |
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