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In April we had 14 adoptions and 1
1 new arrivals--the galgos!
We also helped an additional 11 galgos make their way from the airport to a kennel in WI where they waited to go to their rescue group in Colorado.
This makes our year-to-date totals 56 brought into AG, 13 hauled for other groups, and 39 adoptions.
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Winning Hearts is Again a Resounding Success!
Once again, American Greyhound's most important fund raising event of the year was not a disappointment. In the course of a few short hours over $78,000 was raised to help us continue our mission. Attendance again exceeded 320 people, which is a testament to what a fun event it really is.
This year during our live auction, our guests were introduced to six Galgos, some of the newest members of the American Greyhound family. These six dogs, along with five others, were all fresh off an international flight from Madrid Spain, where they had been rescued by Scooby, an animal welfare agency in Spain. The whole project was run by the Daphne Legacy Tour, an organization with the goal of bringing at least 35 galgos a year from Spain into the United States, which American Greyhound had recently partnered with. You'll hear more about the Daphne Legacy Tour in the coming weeks.
For those not familiar with Galgos, they are a greyhound-like dog from Spain used primarily for hunting and coursing. I'll not go into the mistreatment they experience in Spain, but without a doubt they are one of the most abused breeds of dog in the world.
The Daphne Legacy Tour was only able to bring in 24 dogs this year but the wheels are already turning preparing for next year's transport. And, as I mentioned, there'll be more to come about that.
And, on the subject of next year, mark out May 11th and make plans to attend next year's big event. It'll be the most fun you can have making a difference!
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TGIE, The Greyhound Inmate Experience Raffle
Most of you are probably aware of what TGIE, The Greyhound Inmate Experience does for American Greyhound. And equally important, what they do for the men who take part in the program. Every ten weeks, twenty greyhounds, fresh off the racetrack enter a prison in Coldwater, Michigan, and receive training basic obedience and canine good citizenship, from the inmate handlers of TGIE. Ten weeks later the barbarians that entered the program exit well-groomed and well mannered, and ready to enter their forever home.
The difference the program makes in the dogs, in the handlers, and for American Greyhound cannot be quantified. Of those twenty dogs in the program, nine are American Greyhound dogs, with the other eleven split between a couple other groups in Michigan. Since our association with the program in 2011, we have welcomed over 300 graduates and counting.
Since our involvement with TGIE, American Greyhound and our members and supporter have shown a tremendous level of support and commitment to the program. Each year at the annual picnic, our members have donated a huge amount of treats for the program.
Well, we'd like to ask you to help TGIE out a little bit again. If you were in attendance at our Winning Hearts auction last weekend, you may remember a certificate we offered for auction during our live auction good for 2 round-trip flights anywhere in the continental United States on Southwest Airlines. Well, if you didn't win that item, they have an opportunity for you to give winning it another try.
TGIE are offering a raffle with an opportunity to win those tickets. Tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00, and to get yours simply go to their
WEBSITE RAFFLE PAGE and get your tickets today!
Your support allows this wonderful program to continue to benefit the racing greyhounds, the inmate-handlers, and American Greyhound!
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AG and Brookdale
Watch how American Greyhound helped unite retirees at Brookdale South Bend senior living facility.
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7 Heart-Health Facts About People and Their Pets
By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS
(Photo by Sally Schavey of PangPang)
Americans spend their lives with their pets - sharing habits, walks and sometimes even the bed.
- Nearly half of American adults are at risk for major health problems because of high blood pressure, an issue that also can impact our furry best friends. For humans, hypertension accounts for more cardiovascular deaths than any other cause other than smoking. For cats and dogs, the study of hypertension is still in the earlier stages, but studies have shown it can be associated with damage to the eyes, heart, brain and kidneys.
- Optimal blood pressure for humans is 120/80 and below, while dogs and cats the range is much broader with values of 110-150/80-105 and below.
- Humans sometimes feel anxious in a medical environment and get abnormally high blood pressure readings known as "white coat hypertension." Imagine how dogs and cats feel about it. Vet visits can be so stressful for some animals that the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines on dog and cat hypertension caution that handling and measurement devices for cats and dogs need to be considered when making a hypertension diagnosis.
- Dog breeds can show some "notable" differences in blood pressure levels. For instance, greyhounds and deerhounds have higher normal readings than other breeds. Breed doesn't seem to matter much for cats.
- Studies don't indicate an increased hypertension risk for overweight cats and dogs, as there is for people. "It doesn't seem to be overtly associated with obesity in our pet population," said veterinarian Sonya Gordon, an associate professor of cardiology at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in College Station. But being overweight can hurt pet health in other ways, she cautions. Extra pounds can aggravate orthopedic and arthritis issues and there is a negative interaction with airway diseases for small, older dogs. Just like in people, "obesity is a whole-body issue since it's linked to so many aspects of wellness," Gordon said. "It's as big of a challenge for our pet population as our human population."
- Pets can help improve their owners' health. Studies have shown that having a pet can help increase fitness levels, relieve stress, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and boost overall happiness and well-being.
- Most U.S. households have at least one pet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular vet visits to keep your critters in good health. "Veterinarians aren't people you should just visit when your animal is sick. Early diagnosis of many diseases when there are no apparent clues that your pet has disease is important because we can make a difference with early treatment in many situations," said Gordon.
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