A Woman And Her Greyhounds.

While at work the other day, at Just Dogs! Gourmet, I met a woman that owned a Greyhound kennel at the Tri-state gaming track, in Crosslanes, WV. I was skeptical at first of her, and started to ask her questions about her practices when it came to retiring her hounds. What I found, was a woman that actually loved her dogs, and they weren't just money to her.

They live in the Buffalo area, and I didn't get her name or the name of her kennel, but I was impressed with her. I am not a fan of dog racing due to what usually happens to the dogs that can't race anymore. But, when one of her dogs retires, she has it spayed or neutered, and then goes through a major placement regime.

She has quite a few hounds at her home that are not racing anymore, and she just can't get rid of them to other homes. She is also very, very active in the Greyhound adoption programs, not only in WV, but in several other states as well. She was telling me about a place in one of the Carolina's, I can't remember which one, that is a huge adoption center for retired hounds. She says that she took one of her dogs down their because she just didn't have room at her home for anymore dogs. When she took it down there, she said she was heart-broken at having to leave the dog, but was very satisfied that her dog would live a life of pure luxury.

This place has "Greyhound play-dates." I think that is absolutely cool. People from all over come to this place to let their hounds run and play with other hounds. If you don't know, a Greyhound cannot just be turned loose in an open area. They have to be in an enclosed, fenced area. I guess this adoption center has over 10 acres, fenced just for the dogs to run and play with one another. This is so great. Greyhounds are bred to run, and letting them run in that large of an area is fabulous for their mental and physical well-being. Kudos to the woman in Buffalo who loves her Greyhounds. It is nice to know that there are some that actually do like and love their athletes.

Responsible Greyhound Breeder And Greyhound Adoption.

Today while at work at Just Dogs! Gourmet, I met a lady with her children. As we were talking, I asked her how long she had her Greyhound. She told me that she owned a kennel at the Tri-State Greyhound track in Crosslanes, WV. I cringed! But, as we talked I became very impressed with her.

She told me that, yes, there are many people that treat the racing hounds horribly, but there are just as many that are responsible breeders and when one of their dogs retire, they get them spayed or neutered and then place them in responsible homes. She also works with a couple of adoption/rescue groups in a couple of states.

She said that her dogs have it made. The kennel is air conditioned and heated, concrete floors, fluffy beds and the best vet care. Her home is in Buffalo, WV, where she has quite a few hounds herself as pets.

Greyhounds make fabulous pets. So, if you are looking for a couch potato that needs about 5 min. of exercise and then wants to lounge on your couch, an adoption Greyhound is a perfect dog. Now, these dogs are not for everyone, so research the breed before you decide on one. You have to have a fenced in yard, as a Greyhound cannot be turned loose unless it is in a totally enclosed area. Remember, these dogs are bred to run and it is instinctual to them.

Saving a Greyhound is something you will never regret, if you are a person that can handle them. And, some hounds that come from a track have special needs, so make sure you know how to handle whatever needs that particular dog has. If a hound is not for you, there are other breed specific rescue groups out there or you local animal shelter has numerous dogs that are available. You can go to www.petfinder.com and put in your zip code and find dogs near you.

Also, remember Little Victories. They are full and need to have people for volunteers and as fosters for the dogs that they have. There farm can only hold so many dogs, so they have to have people to foster a lot of them. Have a heart and think about adoption before you go out and buy a dog. And, remember, NEVER buy from a retail store or over the Internet.

How To Help Our Local Greyhound Adoption Agency.

Our Mission Statement:
Almost Heaven Greyhound Adoption was founded by racing people, is currently run and staffed by racing people, and is largely supported by people from within the racing community. However, AHGA's function as a group is not to promote racing. We love racing, but we love our dogs more and they will always come first.
Our threefold mission is:
1. To educate the general public about the availability
and suitability of retired racing Greyhounds as pets,
2. To find loving and qualified homes for Greyhounds
who are entrusted to us, and
3. To offer ongoing support to those who adopt
Greyhounds, whether from us or from other sources.

There are plenty of other things you can do to help Almost Heaven Greyhound Adoption whether or not you live in our area. Believe me, no contribution is too small and all are deeply appreciated! Join us! We need active (hard-working) local members from within a reasonable driving distance of Cross Lanes/Charleston WV. Jobs to be done include:
1. Publicity/public relations (ideas and/or footwork!)
2. Fund raising (more ideas and more footwork)
3. Dog grooming (brushing, clipping toenails, ear cleaning, bathing, etc.)
4. Socializing shy dogs
5. Occasional full scrub down of the kennel
6. Home visits of prospective adopter homes
FOSTER HOMES!!! We have a growing list of retired hounds waiting for space in the kennel or in foster care. Patronize our sponsors! All of them donate a portion of the sale when a customer makes an online purchase through one of our links. Donate! As soon as we complete the massive paperwork for our 501(C)3 we will be able to provide tax deductible receipts for donations. This is our "wish list":
CASH - this always runs short
Pedigree Proof of Purchase squares
Purina Weight Circles
Baled bedding paper - we go through 2-3 of these every week
Dogfood (good quality kibble)
Canned chicken broth
First aid supplies (vet wrap, antibiotic ointments, gauze pads, Imodium tablets, Ascriptin)
Cleaning supplies (laundry detergent [for kennel blankets], bleach, Pinesol, paper towels, etc.)
Gift items that can be raffled or sold on eBay
Adjustable martingale collars
Leashes
Kennel muzzles
Pyrethrin-based flea sprays or Advantage - during last summer's flea invasion we found that Advantage drops work best. We no longer use Frontline Top Spot.
Pre-paid phone cards for use by adoption reps contacting prospective adopters and dog owners. There are many things you can do to help retired racing Greyhounds even if you aren't able to adopt or foster one right now and don't live in our area.
Volunteer with an adoption group in your area. Nearly all of them are glad to have any help they can get. Volunteer tasks might include helping with "meet and greets" and booths, fund raising, publicity, etc. Or, if they have a kennel, you might walk dogs, help with feeding, bathing, etc., help check in incoming dogs, help clean the kennel. Or you might volunteer to help transport dogs to and from vet visits or from the track and to their new homes. The list of jobs needing to be done is endless.
Spread the word! This sounds like a very small thing to do, and it IS simple, but it's critically important. If you aren't already friends with any Greyhounds, try to make it a point to get to know a few so you can tell people from your own experience what wonderful, gentle and loving animals they are. It's amazing how much of the general public still think that Greyhounds are hyper, mean, etc. Others have just never considered adopting a Greyhound because they've never heard much about them. It's time to change that and word of mouth goes a long way. If you're unable to get out much, consider making craft items to donate to adoption groups for raffles and other fund raisers. Dig into your pocket! Nearly every adoption group in the country needs a lot more money than their adoption fees bring in. Adoption fees generally cover basic veterinary work and maybe a few incidentals. The costs of feed, transportation, publicity, phone calls, extra vet work for some dogs, and other expenses nearly always come from donations, fund raisers, or out of the group members' pockets. AHGA has joined two dogfood rebate programs. If we clip and send in Pedigree Proof of Purchase (POP) squares, or Purina weight circles, we receive rebates of at least 8¢ per pound. That's $4.00 for each 50 lb bag, but we'll happily take POP's and weight circles from smaller bags, too. If you feed any Pedigree dry product, or one of several Purina products (including Pro Plan, Purina One, Dog Chow, Puppy Chow and Hi Pro), please clip the POP or weight circle from the bags and send them to us. These things really add up. Between our house dogs and the kennel, we usually use 170-200 lbs of kibble every week. They have rebate requests ready to mail for over $200! That's going to help us a lot. So if you save up several POP's and/or weight circles you can make a nice contribution to AHGA without spending any money. Send them to the address below. Heck, they will even send you a SASE if you email them and ask for it. Just keep the envelope in a drawer and drop it in the mail when it's got several POP's in it. Then they will send you another one. So please, SAVE THOSE CIRCLES and POP'S FOR them! Cutting them out only takes about 15 seconds, but donates $$ to Almost Heaven.

Almost Heaven Greyhound Adoption
5340 Doc Bailey Rd
Cross Lanes WV 25313
www.almost-heaven.org