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See the Events Calendar for our monthly Meet and Greet events and for more details on the events below.
1/17 GreySave Foster Home/Adoption Rep Meeting 2/21 GreySave Spa Day Support GreySave when you shop at Amazon by clicking below (how this works) (866) Grey-Save 866-473-9728 |
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April 2007
Every month we publish the GreySave Scoop, our electronic newsletter, to keep our friends and volunteers up to date with what has been happening at GreySave. If you know of someone who would enjoy receiving our newsletter, please forward this edition and tell them they can register on the web at http://greysave.org/mailinglist.php to receive a copy every month.Your feedback is important‚ please share your comments with us!
It’s time for GreySave’s Race to the Park! All the details about the Picnic are posted on www.greysave.com – check it out! Date: Saturday, May 12 Cost: Plus: Chat with Animal Communicator Bernadette Hileman and take the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. (See below for details.) Animal Communicator What is the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program? To pass, the dog must: 1. Accept a friendly stranger. Think your dog has the “right stuff” to become a Canine Good Citizen? Call now - (951) 352-2402 - to schedule a CGCP evaluation appointment at the Picnic! Dogs not scheduled ahead of time can be evaluated at the Picnic as time permits.The price is $15, and all proceeds go to GreySave! Evaluations will be conducted by Certified AKC Evaluator Priscilla O’Malley of Liebe Aire Acres. Let your grey strut his (or her) stuff!
Exercise and greyt companionship ~ it doesn’t get any better! Kathleen Frailey has organized a greyhound walking club. The next gathering is scheduled for Sunday, April 22, at 9:00AM, starting at the fountain in Old Town in the city of Orange. All are welcome – it’s always a great day to walk your grey! Maybe your grey will spot some “foster sibs” or make some new friends! Contact Kathleen at kbfrailey@adelphia.net for details. To see the dates of future walks, google “kathleen frailey.”
We were able to start processing the dogs before noon so the foster homes could take their new retirees before the cold breeze came up and our stalwart earlier risers passed out. (See Photo 4) Susan Harper and Sandy Hightower took lessons from Shannon Barnes on how to draw blood for the greyhounds’ lab work. Ugh. Everyone else tried not to watch that process and instead kept themselves busy pampering the hounds. (See Photo 5)
Since our regular Homecoming Day, GreySave has taken in two special greyhounds. One is a very sweet, but very sick brindle girl named Summer. She came to us last week, blind and with encephalitis. It is believed that she is suffering from toxic mold poisoning, not something we often see in California. Thanks to the intervention, skill and love of several people, she is doing much better. She is still very thin, wobbles when she walks and is on medication, but she is up, moving and is able to see again to some extent.
By Jamie Lurtz of Solutions! Pet Services Does your dog ALWAYS come to you as soon as you call him? Does he return straight as an arrow or take his time about heading back your way? How does he respond in a dangerous or frightening situation? Have you ever had your dog run out your front door with you in hot pursuit to keep him from running into the street? If you have ever experienced this type of situation, you know why teaching your dog a solid recall (teaching your dog to come IMMEDIATELY when called) is extremely important. This isn't for calling your dog on a regular basis around the house; instead, it is for use in an emergency situation. Think fire drill at school. In my opinion, it is the most important thing you may ever teach your dog. So let's start training! Start off with a fun and happy word that you don't normally use in conversation. I use the word "Aloha!" You will need a good-sized amount of extra special treats cut up into very small pieces. Choose something your dogs loves but never gets - think liverwurst, cheese, steak; something along those lines, not boring Milkbone dog biscuits. Make sure you have enough treats, because you will be giving your dog those treats ONE AT A TIME for 30 seconds straight every time you practice this training. When you begin, be in the house with your dog just a few feet away from you. Say your dog's name and then "Aloha!" As soon as your dog gets to you, begin giving the treats one at a time for 30 seconds straight. This is critical! Make sure you give the treats for the whole 30 seconds. It's great if you can find someone to help you with this training, because after getting those fabulous treats for 30 whole seconds, your dog will not want to leave you. If you can get a helper, have her take the dog into the next room and hold him there. Then you say your dog's name and "Aloha" and repeat the 30-second treat orgy when the dog comes to you. If you don't have a helper, wait a few hours and try again. Practice in the house for the first few days. Slowly
increase the distance between you and your dog. After a week of
practicing in the house, when you feel the dog knows exactly what
to do when he hears “Aloha,” move your practice sessions
to the backyard. If you ever have to use your no fail recall in an emergency, make sure to practice it with treats as soon as you get home to keep the recall strong. I hope you never have to use this tool in a real life situation, but it can be a life-saver if you do.
We have dramatically expanded the GreySave website (www.greysave.org)! You’ll find pages and pages of new information for potential adopters, current greyhound owners, and folks interested in volunteering with GreySave. In fact, the site has been re-organized around these three types of people. We will continue to expand the GreySave website with news, stories and great information, so check back often. We’re making it easy for you to stay up-to-date — the main page summarizes recent changes so that you don’t have to hunt around for them. Jim Jeffers is currently maintaining the site. If you have suggestions for expanding the site, photos you’d like to share (especially if they illustrate a concept in one of the articles) or corrections, send them to Jim at jim@greysave.org.
Dear Julie, My mom told me that you are the one primarily responsible for me getting my very tall sister, Anna the greyhound. I would like to thank you very much. I have been lonely for some time. I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but … I let Anna do anything she wants, which is mostly
sleep. We do play sometimes, but it is clearly understood that I
am in charge of the toys. She can have the beds, the big bowl, and
Mom's attention, but when it comes to my toys, they're MY toys.
This is not negotiable. I just got MY long cat safely hidden away when Mom lifted Anna onto the bed. Anna didn't really want to be up there, but I had to make sure what was going on, so I jumped up there too. Anna got down almost immediately, but not before snatching MY musical shoe that I had left there earlier. Oh, no! How could I get it back? I paced back and forth, but she kept playing with it. Then a miracle happened - she dropped it. Only to pick up MY duck. I must save MY duck. Now she has MY shoe. Now MY duck. MY shoe. MY duck. Which one should I save? MY shoe! MY duck! She's really getting on my nerves! Finally, a solution! I got MY shoe into my mouth and stood on MY duck. HAH! That showed her! But, ... I can't do this forever. OK, I'll lie down on MY duck. That's not very comfortable. I know -- I'll pick up both MY shoe and MY duck and stuff them into my mouth. Hmmm. This would work better if I was a Great Dane. I'll have to wait until she takes one of her many, many naps. Moving MY toys to safety is a full-time job, since Anna got here. I can barely get MY naps in anymore. My mom says Anna will be going to her forever home
soon. Soon is good! Next time, could you send someone who isn't
interested in MY toys? Please! Mikey Dear Julie, My mom told me that you are primarily responsible for me being at my new home. I really like it here. I get fed big meals twice a day. I can go outside whenever I want. And I can take as many naps as I need – I can even stretch out full length now, since I don't live in a cage anymore. Life as a foster dog is good. However, my favorite thing to do is to tease my new, very short brother, Mikey. I didn't know dogs came in that size. I wasn't even sure he was a DOG at first. Mikey has toys and he thinks they all belong to him. I know they don't, because Mom squeaks them and tries to get me to play with them. I pretend I'm not interested, but when Mom isn’t looking I grab one and run to my bed with it. Mikey gets all bent out of shape about it, especially when I get his stupid musical shoe that plays the same annoying tune over and over. Ugh. I'm going to have to destroy that thing one of these days. I like to get Mikey's duck and chew on its phony feathers. Yeah, that gets him excited! Like I'm really interested in his pathetic soggy toys. I had real toys when I was on the track. Of course I had to win races to play with them, but that made them all the more precious. They were very life-like and probably expensive, not like those cheap, imitation animals he loves so much.
I have seen some strange things since my trailer
ride from the race track two weeks ago. Lots of people have petted
me and said that I am pretty. I like that. I'm looking forward to
my forever home. But, Julie, can I have my own toys there? Ones
that a sneaky yellow Lab won't steal from me? Please! |
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In
March 24 was another exciting day for GreySave! It started early,
about 2:30AM, as we mustered four somewhat sleepy souls, including
a photographer, and headed south. We arrived at the track pet kennel
before the staff got there! Once they arrived and the dogs were
brought out, we went in the kennel and selected five beautiful new
hounds. (See Photo 1) We took three females, Pearl, Ruby and Opal,
and two males, Topaz and Peridot, hoping against hope that all five
would love cats! The trip home across the border went well. 
Some
of the “gems” were more excited than others about the
car ride! (See Photos 2 & 3)
This
Homecoming Day, as always, was a special time for both the hounds
and volunteers. If you would like to come and help out at the next
Homecoming (probably May 17), let Julie know at Julie@greysave.org.
Then,
on April 17, just as the taxes were being mailed and some of our
lives became less complicated, GreySave was advised by GPA that
they had picked up four broken-leg greyhounds. They asked if we
could help by taking one of them. GreySave took up the challenge
and now has a beautiful doe-eyed, white-and-red girl named Isabel.
She is at the orthopedic clinic as this is being written. We wish
both Isabel and Summer all our best. Both Summer and Isabel are
benefiting from donations to GreySave’s Greytlove Fund which
helps cover the extraordinary medical expenses required by some
of our greyhounds. 
Four
greyhounds have found their Forever Homes since the last GreySave
Scoop. Right after the Solvang gathering, Rudolph found a home in
Bakersfield with a new greyhound friend, Kenzie. In early April,
Ace moved back to Bakersfield to a new home and a new mom. Blitzen’s
quiet nature charmed a family in Chatsworth and he now lives there
with his greyhound friends, Jet and Trinity. And our little Vixen
lived up to her name when she let Riley know she thought he was
quite cute when he came to visit and she now has her Forever Home
in West Hills. Congratulations to all you precious greys and thanks
to the wonderful folks who made a place in their homes and hearts
for these wonderful souls! 
Mikey
does have this one toy that's very intriguing. It looks like something
from the track, only deformed and kind of long. I heard Mom call
it a “cat.” I don't know what that is, except when we
go for walks she doesn't let me chase anything called “cat.”
Anyway, I like to look at the deformed long “Cat” and
this morning I got it out of the square thing called “Toy
Box.” I thought Mikey was going to howl at the moon or something.
Finally, I pretended I was asleep and you should have seen Mikey
sneak up and steal it from me. Like I'm not faster than THAT!