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In July we had 13 adoptions and no
new arrivals.
This makes our year-to-date totals 69 brought into AG, 13 hauled for other groups, and 75 adoptions.
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McAfee Animal Hospital Celebrates 75 Years!
Earlier this year we were contacted by Larry McAfee, the 2nd generation of veterinarians in the McAfee family, and asked if we would be able to partake of their upcoming 75th anniversary celebration. Well, anyone who knows me knows that if Larry asks anything of us, we are going to do whatever it takes to make sure we don't let him down. And, for good reason, McAfee Animal Hospital has been performing the bulk of our veterinary care for over 10 years. And, besides providing the finest veterinary care in Indiana at the most reasonable prices any organization like ours could ever hope to find, they have been tremendously generous to us in a million other ways as well.
McAfee Animal Hospital (MAH) doctors and staff have been in the forefront with many of our efforts, from runners taking part in our running team at the Indy Mini Marathon, to joining us in a freezing Lake Michigan at our annual Polar Bear Plunge, to annually sending a large contingent to our Winning Hearts Benefit Auction, and on more than one occasion they've helped us welcome dogs arriving directly from the racing kennels and helped s bathe and prep them for entry into their foster homes. Why, Larry McAfee has even attended our zoning hearing and testified on our behalf, and has also volunteered to be our veterinary consultant and help us design our new building from a veterinary perspective.
So, on Saturday, July 21st, American Greyhound was there to help Larry, his Doctors and staff celebrate 75 years of providing caring service to the Valparaiso community, and beyond.
In attendance that day was the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University (the Alma Mater of all current veterinarians at MAH) who spoke of what an impact Larry McAfee has made on veterinary medicine in Indiana and mentioned that he knew of several veterinary clinics which had two generations of family members, but that he knew of no others families which had produced three consecutive generations of veterinarians. Also in attendance and speaking was the Indiana State Veterinarian, who likewise spoke very highly of Larry McAfee and what he and MAH has meant to the state of Indiana. Also speaking were Valparaiso Mayor, Jon Costa, as well as a number of retired employees of the clinic.
It was extremely humbling to hear the different speakers speak so highly of the clinic and at the same time know that after all these accomplishments; MAH shows such amazing concern and generosity toward American Greyhound.
Often, I interact with other greyhound organizations (and organizations that focus on other breeds as well) that tell me of the many issues their organization encounters in finding and retaining good veterinary care. Since late 2007, McAfee Animal Hospital has put American Greyhound in a situation where we don't have to worry about those sorts of things.
Congratulations to Dr Larry and all his doctors and staff, on their celebration of 75 years of making our pets lives just a little bit better.
And, thank you for all you do to make American Greyhound better. You guys are the best!
And, here's looking forward to their 100th year anniversary in 2043.
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American Greyhound Picnic
Well, time has again slipped away and we are about a month away from our annual picnic. As usual, this year's picnic will be held at the home of Mike and Loree McKinney at 891 Jane Avenue, Chesterton, IN 46304, on September 8th (the first Saturday after Labor Day) from noon until 5:00 PM.
This year, we have a link set up for you to RSVP with numbers of people and dogs that you'll have in attendance. Simply click Here:
And you'll be directed to a site to provide your RSVP.
Now, we'll give you a small idea of what to expect on picnic day.
American Greyhound will be providing Hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken, along with water and soft drinks.
If your last name begins with the letters A-M, you'll want to bring a side dish, if it begins with N-Z, bring a dessert.
Also, as always, we'll be showing our support for TGIE, The Greyhound Inmate Experience, by taking collections which we will use to purchase Ruby Rawhides for the program. This was very popular with the handlers last year so we decided to do it again. This year, we'll order as many rawhides as we collect donations for, on the week after the picnic, and when you donate, we'll have a large card for you to sign and include your sentiments that we'll deliver to the program with the rawhides.
Here are just a few of the fun activities to expect at this year's picnic:
- vendors selling everything you need for your greyhound such as coats and collars, and other dog related stuff
- American Greyhound t-shirts and sweatshirts
- 50/50 Raffles
- DJ spinning some popular tunes
- Silent Auction (if you have items to donate please contact Nicole Roth at [email protected] or call her at 708-828-6810
- Contests, including:
- Biggest ears
- Longest tail
- Shortest tail
- Baldest butt
- Twins (human and dog)
- Oldest
- Youngest
- Who traveled the farthest
- Best trick
- Best costume
- There'll be games and activities for children
As always, Loree, our Picnic Chairperson, has a great need for volunteers to help set up on Friday the 7th, help cook and run the picnic on Saturday the 8th, and of course, to help clean up on Sunday the 9th. Anyone able to help out, please contact Loree at (219)241-5051 or email her
[email protected]
We're looking forward to a wonderful day and hope as many can attend as possible.
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CBD Oil
NOTE: American Greyhound provides this as informational only. Always consult with your vet prior to any treatment plan for your dog.
Earlier this year, I was made aware of CBD oil, from Christina, the lady who heads up the Daphne Legacy Tour (the organization which invited us to participate in transporting Galgo from Spain earlier this year). She had some experience using it to reduce stress and anxiety in her dogs and thought that having a supply on hand would be important when welcoming Galgos to Chicago (and then loading them on our trailer and heading to Wisconsin).
On the morning of the 2nd day of welcoming Galgos, I received a text from Christina (who was in Spain loading the Galgos on planes) saying she had a boy who wasn't doing so well in the airline crate (and probably wouldn't do well in the trailer either), so be sure to have some CBD oil when we unloaded him. He wasn't doing well when he arrived and seemed quite stressed. But, in just a few short minutes after receiving some CBD on a treat his stress melted away.
I've used CBD oil on a couple other dogs since that time (greyhounds, not Galgos) and each time it hasn't let me down. For that reason, I've asked Kim McClain (my CBD dealer) to write up a little article to help familiarize our people with the stuff and hopefully, more dogs can benefit from it.
I've had greyhounds for 26 years. I'm also a nurse and a massage therapist.
Jeff Coggins asked to write about the use of CBD oil in dogs. He had purchased some from me for one of the Galgos arriving from Spain. The pup was terribly stressed from his long journey. CBD had a calming, soothing effect, allowing him to have a more comfortable transition.
I started researching the use of CBD oil after I lost Hammer Jammer, a big, beautiful brindle boy. He had a severe seizure disorder. Three different anti seizure medications controlled his seizures fairly well. When they didn't, he got Valium. Hammie died when he was 8 years old. It wasn't his disease that killed him. It was his medications. He died of liver failure as a result of years of high dose medications. CBD was not available to everyone, legally, as it is now. We didn't know that it could help control seizures.
CBD is cannabinol. It comes from the industrial hemp plant, which is rich in CBD and very poor in THC. It's cousin cannabis is poor in CBD and rich in the psychoactive THC.
Our bodies and those of our canine companion's are set up with an endocannabinoid system, with two kinds of receptors. CB1 receptors are found in the nervous system. CB2 receptors are found in white blood cells and organs outside the brain. Our bodies readily accept the CBDs.
Some of the things CBD oil can help with are: allergies, anxiety, poor appetite, arthritis, chronic pain, joint issues, phobias, skin problems and quality of life issues.
Our 4 year old greyhound, Willie has congenital issues with his limbs, that affect his gait. The vets told us he was a hospice case and wouldn't live to be old enough to neuter. He is a goofy, active 85lb boy now. He takes CBD regularly to help combat any discomfort caused by his offbeat gait.
CBD is a safe, legal effective way to help our pups, in a non pharmaceutical way.
In addition to physical maladies, it is very effective for anxiety and depression. People have used it in their dogs, for anxiety related to storms and separation.
I'd be happy to speak with you if you have questions. Text or call me at 219-405-1952. You can also visit my website, Hempworx.com/KimMcClain
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Walk for a Dog
Don't just take your dog for a walk... Take your Walk for a Dog! Go to
WoofTrax.com, download the app, and support American Greyhound every time you walk your dog.
WoofTrax
is an app that allows you to help out rescue groups just by walking your dog and American Greyhound is part of their rescue list.
All you have to do is
download the app
onto your phone and set up American Greyhound as your rescue of choice. Then, simply tap on the app when you take your dog for a walk and take a walk for American Greyhound.
It's that simple!
Every walk, no matter how long or short helps.
So next time you and your grey head out, consider walking for American Greyhound
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Twelfth Annual American Greyhound Polar Bear Plunge
It's that time of year again where warm-hearted people take a very cold dip for a good cause.
Mark your calendars for January 1, 2019 for the twelfth annual American Greyhound Polar Plunge! Each year our brave volunteers plunge into the icy waters of Lake Michigan to help support American Greyhound in its mission to find homes for greyhounds all over the Midwest. Over the past dozen years, through thousands of generous donations, American Greyhound has raised almost $175,000 and 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to help greyhounds find their forever homes. YOU can make a HUGE difference to these noble hounds by clicking here to register for the plunge!
Our annual plunge will feature three divisions of plungers:
- Polar Bears: This is the traditional division in which a plunger head is entirely submersed in the icy cold water of Lake Michigan.
- Penguins: This division will showcase the plunging talents of our volunteers who want to participate but can't quite make themselves go all the way under.
- Warm Walruses: This division will feature our virtual plungers who would rather plunge into their warm wooly blankets.
Participants who raise at least $25 in donations from friends, family and co-workers get the privilege of receiving a commemorative Polar Plunge long sleeve t-shirt and entrance into our fabulous After Splash Bash, plus the chance to win additional prizes.
Still have questions? Reach out to Sarah Gasienica, our Plunge coordinator at [email protected] or (219) 263-8742.
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Shop for American Greyhound
Amazon
Each year, more and more of us are using Amazon for more and more products that we purchase.
And through our partnership with Amazon, we are able to receive additional support through those purchases, Without Affecting The Total Of Your Invoice!
To help American Greyhound out when you make Amazon purchases, simply go to our website,
https://www.americangreyhound.org/, scroll down just a bit until you see this image:
Then, click on the image that says :"Shop Amazon", with the white and black dog in the background. This will send you to our Amazon portal, where a percentage of your purchase total will be credited to American Greyhound, with absolutely no change in the price of your total purchase.
There is literally no easier way to support our efforts. So, next time you are shopping Amazon, remember to click our link first.
Etsy
On August 1st, we received an email from Handmade4Hounds Etsy team that American Greyhound has been chosen as their featured group for fundraising in their
Etsy shop
in the month of August 2018!
Handmade4Hounds is a nonprofit group of Greyhound owners and admirers with two primary goals: raising money to support Greyhound adoption and promoting the support of independent artists. Handmade4Hounds is a team of immense creative energy on a mission to invite people to open up their hearts and homes to this special breed of dog. They have raised nearly $40,000 since they first started H4H in May 2008. You can read more about them on
their blog.
All items are donated to the Handmade4Hounds shop and all proceeds (less shipping and transaction expenses) will be donated to the charity of the month, which for August is American Greyhound.
Please look at the items this group has put together and check back throughout the month as items are added at different times.
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Community Events
Dog Days 2018
Where:
LaPorte County Fairgrounds, Draft Horse Barn,
2581 IN-2,
La Porte, IN 46350
When:
August 25 from 1-4 PM
End of the Summer Bash at Stoney Creek Winery
When:
August 18
3:30-8PM EST
Valpo Farmers Market
When:
Sept 1
from 8-2
Champaign-Urbana, IL Pride Fest
Where: Champaign-Urbana
When: Sept 15 from 5-9PM
Back by popular demand, American Greyhound will be marching in Champaign-Urbana's Sixth Annual Pride Fest Parade on Saturday, September 15th at 5:00 pm. Last year, volunteers and hounds alike had a wonderful time- the dogs were treated like royalty and often slowed the parade when pausing to greet the public.
American Greyhound friends far and wide are welcome to join us! Because of the time of year and short parade length, it's a perfect event for greyhounds. The theme this year is "Be Yourself, Change the World". In addition to our American Greyhound banner, the group will carry signs, such as, "Dogs Love Everyone" and "If Dogs Weren't Colorblind, They'd Love Rainbows". For more information or to register, please click here.
Car Show at True Value in Roselawn, IN
When: Sept 15
**More info to come!
Greyt Readers Expanding to Champaign, Illinois
American Greyhound is excited to announce that Greyt Readers is expanding this fall to the Champaign Public Library in Illinois. The program pairs children who are learning to read with a greyhound who will patiently listen. Practice is vital while learning to read- it is believed that children relax when reading to pets who are not going to grow impatient or correct mistakes. AG volunteers in East-Central Illinois are mobilizing to begin the monthly literacy sessions on
September 27th
. For more information or to volunteer,
please click here
.
Pumpkin Palooza in DeMotte, IN
When: Oct 6
**More info to come!
Celebration of Wildlife
Where:
Sunset Hills Farm,
Valparaiso, IN
When:
Oct 7 from 12-5PM
Fall Festive at Brooke Pointe Inn
When: Oct 20
**More info to come!
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