NJ Home Stretch Spring Summer 2009

Dear Friends,

I hope you heard economist, author and humorist Ben Stein on CBS Sunday Morning in early April. An avid dog lover, he offered important advice in light of the economic downturn ― GET A DOG! No matter how bad things get, your dog doesn’t care. He only wants to be loved and offer us total adoration in return. What wisdom! We’re lucky – we’ve already gotten our dog (or two or six or….).

The “New Jersey” of GFNJ continues to be merely a state of mind as we are now welcoming dogs from Alabama as well as Massachusetts, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and West Virginia, and a few from Guam are scheduled to arrive shortly. We are so grateful to the women of East Coast Greyhound Aid who have made the placement of Alabama dogs their mission. Meeting with the Alabama Director of Racing and developing relationships with two racing kennels, Becky Rollison and Jessica Everett have been relentless and we are proud to assist them. In 2009, GFNJ welcomed 30 of these precious Alabama greyhounds with another eight scheduled to arrive in May.

I want to thank all of you who donated to the 2008 Kennel Fund. Over $33,000 was raised, which nearly equals last year’s donations. That’s an amazing commitment at a time when the economy was at its foggiest and no one knew what the future would bring. I think your devotion to protecting greyhounds is admirable and I’m personally very grateful.

Many of you visited the Craft Show and Pet Expo in its new venue last November. The Somerset Armory offered nearly twice the space for vendors and everyone enjoyed the two day event. It was very successful and we hope you’ll mark your calendars now for this year’s show - November 21st and 22nd. We also entered the world of Tricky Trays this past winter and we’re so glad we did. In addition to raising more than $11,000, we introduced greyhounds to a new audience, which is invaluable!

As you’ve probably learned from the website, we are now boarding our newly arriving dogs at Tabernacle Bed & Biscuit in Tabernacle, New Jersey. I hope you’ve attended one of the Open Houses or will visit this spring. A new facility with dog-loving owners, Tabernacle offers spacious runs with radiant heated floors in winter and air conditioning in summer. We will be hosting frequent Open Houses at the kennel as well as welcoming potential adopters to come to see the greyhounds at the kennel--times and dates will be posted on the website or call me for an appointment.

Finally, while we all agree with Ben Stein that getting a dog can solve a lot of problems, there is cost involved. As we tighten our belts, let’s remember we must continue to give heartworm and flea infestation preventative and quality veterinary care. We’ve met a few veterinarians who provide affordable dental care. I’ll be glad to discuss options with you so please feel free to call me at 732-356-4370.

I hope to see you all at the Spring Picnic, May 17, at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater.

Happy Spring!

Linda

Whytell Ann compares New Jersey scenery to Alabama as she awaits a ride to her foster home.

Foster and Help Another

Terryl Jackson

As Foster Coordinator for Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, I’m often asked a myriad of questions about fostering, but the first response I like to give is “welcome to the deep end of the love pool!” Adopting and owning a greyhound is like getting your feet wet, but when you decide to take the plunge and begin fostering, you are in the deep end of the pool. Fostering is extremely rewarding, can be addictive, and most fosters who try it come back for a 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th foster.

Anyone who has the desire to help a new dog from the track get acclimated to home life, or give a return dog a soft place to land, can foster a greyhound. The only equipment required is a big heart, some common sense and of course, patience – all the qualities you drew upon when you adopted your own first greyhound.

I hope you’ll consider becoming a foster.

· Your foster will be cat tested before you get it and we’ll share all the information we have on the dog.

· Financial responsibility for foster vet care is provided by Greyhound Friends of NJ – we have select veterinarian groups we work with in different areas and Linda Lyman will put you in touch with one.

· GFNJ will provide heartworm medication and, if required, Frontline flea and tick preventative.

· We will provide you with a suitable crate, on loan, if required.

· We ask you to provide quality food for your foster, similar to the same quality food you are feeding your own greyhound.

· We ask that you be available to speak with potential adopters about your foster dog – this is easy, since who doesn’t want to have a conversation about the qualities of their foster dog?

· It is also strongly recommended that you bring your foster dog to Meet & Greets as often as possible – we have found the M&G to be one of the BEST ways to find a forever home for a foster dog. It gives you the opportunity to have leisurely conversations with people about your foster and, in many cases, someone happens along and falls hopelessly in love with the foster dog. The fact that the dog has been in a foster home is always a huge selling point, especially for first time adopters.

Most fosters have many good stories to tell about previous foster dogs and the great forever homes they’ve found. For example, Lauren Papp reports…

The Papp Family Fosters

Color Papp Photo

Brad, Lauren, Gregory (7), & Jacob (4) Papp and their greyhound Fuzzy (7) reside in Oakhurst, NJ.

There are times when we weren’t sure if fostering greyhounds helps the dogs or us as a family more. It was over a year ago when we decided that we were going to foster greyhounds for GFNJ. We knew that Fuzzy needed another greyhound friend in the house, but we also wanted to help the cause. This decision was often followed by this comment, “with two young kids in the house, how are you going to find time for another dog?”

Fostering for us started what we now call our “family hobby”. The first greyhound we fostered was a senior dog that was returned. All the nurturing emotions kicked in with every family member down to my youngest son, and we realized that our own greyhound, Fuzzy, is a natural at helping his “friends.”

As a family, we have learned together about each dog. As a family with no prior experience, we have learned so much while teaching dogs to trust, love, and play. As a family, and especially our children, we have learned the true meaning of community and charity.

There is something so rewarding in this family hobby of ours -- the teaching, the loving, the dogs and the people we meet. We often reflect on all the greyhounds that have passed through our door, and if someone was eavesdropping, they would think we were reminiscing about friends who have come and gone. Each greyhound has brought something different to our home. Each one has a piece of our family’s heart.

Tory is a six-year-old lady who was returned through no fault of her own. She is exceptionally sweet and has a loving temperament. She loves to play with some toys but is just as happy to lie in a sunny spot. This girl is cat tolerant and has lived with small dogs.

GFNJ NOW HAS A MESSAGE BOARD

Many of us who own greyhounds like to stay in touch with each other – we have questions, ideas and suggestions about our dogs and Greyhound Friends of NJ as a group. Being spread out over several states, staying in touch is not easy. We have our website (www.greyhoundfriendsnj.org) where information and events are posted, but what about questions?

Enter the GFNJ Message Board. A message board is a place where users can type a question or comment and have others read the message and respond to it.

The GFNJ Message Board is open to anyone who wants to register. You can decide to be a “lurker” (someone who only reads the postings) or you can jump right in and reply to a message or start a new topic. Some of our categories include: Everything Else Greyhound; Happenings at Our Boarding Kennel; Looking for Forever Homes; Behavior; Fundraisers and much more. Under these categories, we have had topics like “Your Dog Ate What?” and a discussion about “ProPlan Shredded” dog food.

The GFNJ Message Board is a friendly and useful place to make new friends, learn something new and discover more about your best friend – your greyhound. A link for the Message Board can be found on the Home Page of the GFNJ website.

Riprearingtogo, aka Ripley is a sweet, sweet girl who was returned through no fault of her own. She is a little timid at first but when she warms up, she enjoys attention and luvin'. She is a quiet girl who enjoys walks, is housetrained and gets along with cats. She would do best with another dog. This sweet lady is five years old and looking for her forever home.

“It’s No More Work”

One of the longest serving, most dedicated volunteers for GFNJ is Rose Comerford, who is the first – and often the only – volunteer to answer the call for the neediest of our greys. Of the six dogs currently sharing her home, only one, five-year-old Girly, came as a planned adoption. Gambler was a neglected eleven-year-old returned at the Craft Show two years ago. Twelve-year-old Rosie was returned by a woman “in fear of her life.” Not only was Rose unafraid, she’s never seen one sign of anything to fear from sweet Rosie. Gold, who’s six, is in the beginning stages of mega esophagus, a condition shared by two-year-old Aubrey. Aubrey, who doesn’t seem to know she has a medical condition, must be fed four times a day, standing with her front legs on a stool, her meal blended to a liquid. Chip came last year. A very attentive four-year-old boy who was raced even though he is blind. He has no trouble navigating this wonderful home. The thirteen greyhounds that have come before are all memorialized in Rose’s den – among the luckiest greyhounds to ever leave a track. When asked what she’d like others to take from her rescue work, Rose responded, “Help the special needs dogs.” For the next greyhound in need of help, Rose’s motto is always, “It’s no more work.” Rose is the best of the best – and a model for us all.

Forever Home

Nancy Sapanara

A new name,

A new collar,

A new bed.

A new coat,

A new snood,

A pat on the head.

My own food,

In a new dish,

No need to share.

A water bowl,

Always full,

Always there.

BIG Milk bones

To crunch,

Rawhides to chew.

What’s that?!

A toothbrush?

And toothpaste, too.

So many new things

Just for me -

No need to roam

Because here I know

That I’ve found

My Forever Home

Color Apache

Nancy provided Solitary Peaches (now Apache) a new home and poetic thoughts in November.

Color Olivia The influence rabbits had over Olivia became quite strong after she left the track.

Save the Date

GFNJ’s Second Annual Greyhound Gala

This summer Greyhound Friends of NJ will be hosting its Second Annual Greyhound Gala on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at Concordia in Monroe, NJ (conveniently located off of Exit 8A of the NJ Turnpike). The evening promises to be even bigger and better than last year!

A donation of $50 per person includes a buffet dinner, wine, beer, soda, and entertainment. A raffle will be held with many high end items and a silent auction will include some fabulous greyhound art work. Proceeds from this event will be used to help all those greyhounds that are still waiting for their forever homes. Come join your fellow greyhound enthusiasts for a fun-filled evening that benefits the breed we love so much.

Details will be appearing on the Greyhound Friends website soon. If you have any questions, please contact Maria Lutz at 732-521-8330 or flutz11331@aol.com.

Weight circles from Pro Plan dog food bags help us pay our veterinary bills and buy food for the dogs in our prison foster program. Please cut the circles from the side of the bag and send to Greyhound Friends of NJ.

Big dogs can be intimidating whether they choose to be or not. Most male Greyhounds are taller and longer than females. That’s a fact. Too often their size, their habit of looking right at you, their tendency to lean against you and oh my gosh, their "terrifyingly" toothy smile make them appear frightening or even menacing. That’s perception. I want to tell you about our BIG boy, JT (aka Jethro Tull). At 78 pounds, seven and a third hands high (oops - memo to self – JT is NOT a horse) and 61 inches from nose to his truncated tail tip, this scary-to-some dude is a huge lump of love and devotion. Actually, Spell Check™ wouldn’t let me tell you what he really is – a BIG moosh. I’d love for you to meet him to see what I mean, but I’ll have to settle for a few stories to prove my point.

As a Lover of Fine Literature, JT had never given us a hint that he might be culturally inclined. He hadn’t the slightest interest in the symphony or even the Ocean City Pops (although Dick swears that JT really digs classic Rascal Flatts and keeps “tail-time” to Willie Nelson tunes). He would often take his big self out of the room if Dick read the newspaper aloud or I’d quote an amusing or evocative piece of literature. So, we weren’t sure our big handsome, culturally challenged boy would be willing to sit still for a “Read to the Dogs” session at the Library. JT and our female Greyhound, Smudgie, were the only two dogs invited to participate in the inaugural reading program.

The children each chose a book they wanted to read to the dogs and each had independently selected “Martha Speaks”. Smudgie settled herself on the floor as a young boy competently and quickly read the book. Things were going a little differently on the other side of the room, however, where a tiny girl was reading to JT. She would stop frequently and turn the book so that JT could see the pages. She was hardly into the book when I was telling the first boy how much we’d enjoyed the story and then greeting the next young man, who would be Smudge’s next reader.

A little later, I looked over and the little girl and JT both had their noses in the book while she explained something to JT. Too soon the evening was over, and we agreed it had been a lot of fun. The small girl, JT’s only reader, had sounded out words of two or more syllables for him and pointed out visual subtleties in the story, sometimes more than once. Our big boy never sat, never lay down, never budged from in front of her chair, their eyes often on the same level as she read and he listened.

I am not trying to tell you that all big male Greyhounds have JT’s personality and temperament. Neither am I saying that my big boy is some kind of special super dog. JT is a large male Greyhound whose size and subsequent strength may be intimidating to some people for no other reason than the perception of BIG equals PROBLEMS. It just isn’t so. If you can stand to be worshipped by a huge moosh, then a big male Greyhound is the dog for you!

Short bio on JT: A graduate of the Prison Program, JT went to live with Nancy and Dick and Sugar and Smudgie in 2007. Because of the nature of his new family and where they live, JT immediately found himself marching in parades, meeting people of all ages and sizes, having visitors and being a visitor himself. Sugie and Smudgie loved this way of life and JT, taking his cue from the girls, plunged in and has never looked back.

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