GAFNE Greys & Friends Visit our website at www.adoptagrey.org In This Issue: New Adoptions Therapy Certification News from Grey Haven - Greyhound Adoptions of Florida NEW! GAFNE On-Line Community Celebrating Greyhounds Greyhound Healthcare GAF Volunteers are GREYT Greyhound Advocacy Doggie Treat Recipe Save the Date CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR ADOPTERS! We wish both hounds and humans a long life of love and happiness Brookes-David & Kelly Gabriel-Lisa & Mark Alan-John & Priscilla Dot (Domino)-Heidi & Bob Babette-Kathy & Chris Wiggles-Barbara Boo Boo-Bonnie & Hal Gator-Sharon & Patrick Cleo-Polly & Gary Janet-Jessica & Denise Bogart-Tim & Janet Patsy-Jaimie & Pat Bronco-Bob & Averina Ruby (Dorey)-Melani & Randy Sullie (Stymie)-Stephanie & John Chong-Char & Brent Jak and Horizon-Bernadette & Robert Ace-William & Sandy Zar-Elaine & Cliff Maggie (Blu)-Charles & Joy Chester-Wendy & Dennis Vain-Diane & Daniel Ziggy-Geordie & Mary Ruby-Sylvie & Jesse Darby-Cheri & Cis Schultz-Maureen & Tony Hank (Ogden)-Shelley & B.J. Garth Brooks-Roxane & Richard Lacey-Jane UPCOMING THERAPY CERTIFICATION OPPORTUNITY Click to enlarge image Haven't yet gotten around to getting your grey certified as a therapy dog? Have a new grey you'd like to get certified? The next Therapy Dog certification program will be held on Sunday, March 20, 2005. Please contact Jean Gilmore jean.gilmore@verizon.net if you are interested in attending. For more information on the therapy dog program please visit: www.therapydogs.com THANKS! We wish a heartfelt thank you to 3 special friends who have continually supported GAF’s efforts. Fundraising opportunities offered to GAF by these businesses have provided venues for thousands of dollars to be raised to cover the medical expenses of many special needs greyhounds. A common bond for the greyhounds we love and care for and together we accomplish so much more. Please visit their websites and support all of our efforts to help the greyhounds! Polly Hornberger of Greyhound Love Collectibles and Greyhound Love Publications www.greyhoundlove.com Char Harding of Around the Hounds Unique Designer Collars and Accessories www.aroundthehounds.com Jessica Brezinski of Wiggle, Wags, Whiskers What Pets Want to Wear-An extensive collection of beautifully handcrafted coats, collars, leashes, and harnesses as well as many accessories for your dog including Quiet Spot, the tag silencer! www.wiggleswags.com News from Grey Haven Happy New Year from all of us down on the farm. Bob and I have always loved the new year. There is no hot weather, no threat of hurricanes, lots of visits from our friends from the frozen north and most of all, a feeling that the best is yet to come for our greyhounds! Each year brings a sense of anticipation....and the knowledge that we will accomplish even more than we did the year before. 2004 saw huge changes for all of us. Our membership (both northern and southern) grew by leaps and bounds with each new adoption. Our volunteer base continued to grow which meant more help for both the dogs and more improvements here on the farm. Because of the huge fundraising efforts by so many of you, the farm now has new chain link fencing on the three big turnouts down at the kennel and a larger, chain link fenced turnout yard up at the house for the house dogs and the hospital kennel. For the first time in over 20 years, the turnout pens were scraped free of old, contaminated soil and all new dirt was brought in! All three turnouts now have new overhangs which shelter the dogs (and Bob) in rainy weather. Thanks to Cliff Thompson this was a project that finally got finished and finished well! The big kennel was painted...has a new washing machine and refrigerator. Much of the plumbing was redone and the sink and washer now drain where they should, not out the front of the kennel onto the soil. While none of this may seem important or even exciting, believe me, each of these improvements means we can send you a cleaner, healthier dog!! Each visit from one of you, means another project finished and a better place to live for each dog. Because of your efforts, so many more greyhounds have a future.....something that has always been questionable for so many Florida greyhounds. COME VISIT!!! Our door is always open to you.....the dogs love the attention! A visit here gives you a better understanding of where your dogs come from and how hard we all fight to keep them safe. Wear your work clothes, help make Grey Haven a better place and be prepared to be loved by 50 amazing greyhounds. Bob and Marilyn NEW GAFNE ON-LINE COMMUNITY powered by: We are excited to announce the creation of an on-line community for adopters, volunteers and friends of Greyhound Adoptions of Florida. It only takes a few minutes to set up your free account and then you can chat and share as often as you'd like with other members. You can post questions, share stories, latest photos and more. The community has been set-up on Live Journal and can be found at the following address: www.livejournal.com/users/gafne. Go here to create your user name and select a password. Once logged in your will be able to join the community using the link at the top of the user info page. An e-mail will be sent to confirm your membership. There is no obligation to join and you can leave at any time. Members with a free account can identify themselves with up to three icons of their choice, perhaps a photo of your grey(s), such as the following example: If you have any questions or need help with setting up your account, joining the GAFNE community or resizing a photo to the necessary specifications for your icon, please contact Kelly Bateman. GREYT STUFF 4 YOUR GREY Looking for a way to dress up your grey at the holidays? Search no more. Check out the wide variety of holiday and seasonal appropriate martingale collars and matching leads at the Furry Baby Fashions on-line store: www.furrybabyfashions.com Owner, Julie King, has generously offered to give GAFNE adopters 10% off their order and will donate an additional 10% of the sale direct to GAFNE. Simply identify yourself as a GAFNE adopter in the comments section when placing your on-line order. Shipping is fast and free! Greyhound Adoptions of Florida sends a heartfelt thank you to each of its volunteers, foster homes and friends of the greyhounds. Through your help and support we will continue to work together to find many greyhounds loving homes and to educate the public as to the plight of this noble breed Garth Brooks adopted and loved by Roxane & Richard

Greyhound Adoptions of Florida Northeast Chapter On-line Newsletter Winter 2005 - Volume 2/Number 1 Our goal is to keep the newsletter factual, fun, uplifting, and informative. We want it to be filled with greyt adoption stories, funny anecdotes, healthcare advice, fundraising programs and events, meet and greet schedules, and of course pictures of our beautiful hounds. We hope you enjoy it and we welcome your feedback. Please send your suggestions, pictures or questions to: newsletter@adoptagrey.org CELEBRATING GREYHOUNDS Love at First Sight I'm 55 years old. Yes, I admit my age. No teenager here. So it may surprise you when I say I now believe in love at first sight. I remember the date clearly. It was Saturday December 18, 2003. It certainly was not what I expected when I hesitantly invited him to my house. Even after seeing his picture on the internet I was prepared to say it couldn't work. Guess I had become tough over the years and I just wasn't sure about starting a new relationship after a 13 + years one had ended. My palms were sweating as I waited, pacing back and forth past the window. What made matters worse is that he was late. Only a few minutes, but I took that as an omen. The van pulled up and suddenly he was standing at my door. Hesitantly he entered. He brushed past my leg and I felt a velvet touch. He looked up and I looked down into a pool of melting caramel. My breath caught. I was a goner. Our 2 year old pug Misty barked at him and then ran around the furniture trying to impress him. It did. He stared at her. Then his tail slowly wagged. Magic was happening before my eyes. The queasiness I'd felt left my stomach. The match we'd been hoping for 3 months had come to an end. It wasn't the trim (multicolored...I had hoped secretly) female I had told Heidi I'd prefer but a large black male with a bit of white on his chest and rump who found his way into our home and hearts. On that day Gomer became Dickens. I can't thank GAF and Heidi enough for matching us up. ~Irene Price-Gendron Rescued When we walk our retired racing greyhound, Leah, around our neighborhood, she certainly attracts a lot of attention. Most people have read or heard about the efforts of wonderful organizations like GAFNE and about the even more wonderful hounds that they save. Rick and I enjoy letting Leah make new friends with the curious onlookers and answer their questions happily in hopes that perhaps we will encourage more folks to adopt these majestic creatures. However, there is one subject that is frequently raised that makes us both feel uncomfortable. I discussed this with Rick one day when I returned from walking Leah. A well-meaning person had lauded me for the good deed that I did in rescuing her. When people say this, it makes me feel uncomfortable, and I never know what to say. Leah has given as much to us as we have to her. We love her dearly. A day or so later, when we were walking her together, an elderly couple asked to pet her. The first thing the woman asked was, “Did you rescue her?” Rick replied, “She rescued us.” ~Rick and Susan Bozarth GREYHOUND HEALTHCARE & SAFETY The Dangers of Rawhides, Cow Hooves and Pigs' Ears... These well-liked dog treats are purchased in large numbers, especially around holidays, by well-meaning dog owners hoping to give their pets something special. These toys are favorites for many dogs and are popular with owners because they keep their pets occupied and supposedly out of trouble during holiday activities. There are definite risks associated with these treats, however. All three types are supposedly made of digestible animal products. However, they are digested quite slowly and, if consumed rapidly, can cause either vomiting or diarrhea from the many pieces still sitting undigested in the GI tract. If the treats are swallowed whole or in large chunks, there are additional dangers. Rawhide chews can lodge in the throat and cause choking, or a large piece may be swallowed, scraping and irritating the throat and esophagus on the way down. Once in the stomach or intestinal tract, a large piece of rawhide can also create a physical obstruction. An additional danger that is less widely known is the practice, in some countries, of using an arsenic-based preservative in the processing of rawhide toys. We recommend that, if you do purchase these products, stick to brands processed in the U.S. There has also been a recent FDA alert about the risk of Salmonella accociated with dog chew products made from pork or beef-derived materials: refer to the FDA advisory or call 1-888-INFO-FDA. See below (discussion on pigs' ears) for more details. Cow hooves are even more dangerous than rawhides. They are hard enough that a dog can actually break a tooth on one. They can also be chewed up into sharp fragments which may cause a partial intestinal obstruction. Partial obstructions are often difficult to diagnose until the point at which the fragment is ready to perforate the wall of the bowel from pressure against the sharp edges. If perforation has occured, the infection that ensues from leakage of intestinal contents can be fatal. Pigs' ears can cause GI upset if overeaten, similar to the situation with rawhides, although obstructions are less common because the ears are not usually shaped into solid chunks. There is, whowever, a less widely known danger associated with pig ears: A recent FDA advisory published by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human services on Oct.1, 1999, stated that there is "a nationwide public health warning alerting consumers about a number of recent cases in Canada of human illnesses apparently related to contact with dog chew products made from pork or beef-derived materials (e.g., pigs ears, beef jerky treats, smoked hooves, pigs skins, etc.)... FDA is urging pet owners... to handle them carefully. Anyone who comes in contact with these treats should wash their hands with hot water and soap. Initial reports of illnesses came from Canada and involved Canadian products, but subsequent examination of similar products produced in the U.S. indicate that all pet chew products of this type may pose a risk...." What can you give your grey as a treat? Here are healthy and safe alternatives to the above items: real bones sold at pet stores (usually hollow, but filled with something) nylabones, available almost anywhere quality pet products are sold raw, larger sized shin bones, available at the grocery store, your local butcher or meat market Why not stop by Happy Dog Healthy Dog where you can find a wide variety of grey friendly treats and toys. Owner and friend of GAFNE, Diane Mayer, would love to see you and your grey Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 to 7:00 or weekends from 10:00 to 3:00. HAPPY DOG HEALTHY DOG - 1825 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, DE - (302) 428-1919 www.happydoghealthydog.com GAF Volunteers are GREYT!!! Throughout the year GAF volunteers create, plan, organize and successfully complete many fundraisers from Doggie Washes, Home Interior Sales, merchandise sales, Art Show Benefit, Petco Tree of Hope, Petco Spring a Pet Fundraiser, PetsMart Santa Photos, Borders Bookstore Christmas Gift Wrapping, Dewey Beach (beverage tent/Don's greyhound signs and wind chimes/Wiggles, Wags vending), Greyhounds in Gettysburg, Meet and Greet donations, Concert Benefit, Yappy Hour and more. The efforts of GAF's volunteers paid off to the tune of $30,000!!! That is AWESOME : ) The proceeds from these fundraisers directly benefit the greyhounds. Medical bills for non-routine vetting and special needs greyhounds, dog food each month, repairs/improvements to Grey Haven so our greyhounds have a better place to start their journey home, medication for sick dogs and medication for routine care such as worming meds and heartworm preventive are just a few things that go into the day to day care of all the greyhounds at Grey Haven. It is easy to see how quickly the bills can add up when caring for 50+ greyhounds per day. This care can only be achieved with continued commitment and hard work from all of us. Through our love and dedication we will be there to help more greyhounds that come into our program and help make the world a better place for them all. Thank You to everyone who made 2004 a successful year!!! We are in the midst of planning 2005 events. Please visit the website often and read the newsletter for ways you can join the fun and help more happy hounds! If you have ideas or information regarding a fundraiser event please contact fundraising@adoptagrey.org. THANK YOU KAY! A special thank you to Kay Klotzbach for donating a painting as a raffle prize in support of GAFNE for Greyhounds Reach the Beach 2004--Dewey Beach, DE. Kay has also generously offered to donate another custom painting of the pet of your choice for Reach the Beach 2005. Tickets will be sold in advance several weeks prior to the event. The drawing will be held on Sunday. Please visit Kay's website at www.kayklotzbach.com to view more paintings in her collection and for information if you want a special painting of your own. Greyhound Advocacy OREGON GREYHOUND TRACK TOO SLOW FOR OWNERS TO KEEP Each May, for more than 70 years now, Multnomah Greyhound Park has opened its doors for greyhound racing, but this spring, the track will resemble a ghost town. The thundering sound of hundreds of pounds of muscle in pursuit of a lure will be only a memory. Perhaps the track itself will be only a memory. Magna Entertainment Corp., owner of numerous horse tracks across the country, decided in December not to renew its lease at Multnomah, located outside Portland. A five-year contract prevents any other group from racing dogs at the facility. And because Multnomah was the only live racing track in Oregon (both California and Washington have banned greyhound racing), animal advocates are cheering. Greyhound racing appears to have rounded the final bend on the West Coast. Magna, of course, did not decide to cease operations at Multnomah because the company had a sudden flash of compassion for its canine charges. Magna closed its sole greyhound operation because people prefer to gamble on slot machines, video lottery terminals, and in casinos. "The good news here is that in spite of why Magna chose to shut down Multnomah, dozens of dogs were saved from a miserable existence," says Kelly Connolly, issues specialist for companion animals at The HSUS. "This is an important victory in the national battle to end greyhound racing, and continues a trend in America. With the closing of Multnomah Greyhound Park, we hope the pari-mutuel racing industry will realize that greyhound racing is not the public's preferred method of entertainment. If we look at it in terms the industry will understand, greyhound racing is actually costing them millions of dollars in lost business." Click here to read the continuation of this article. Greyt Doggie Treat Recipe Simple Simon's Birthday Bones Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup natural peanut butter 1 cup skim milk How to: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry, and mix well. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/4-inch thick and cut out shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a rack then store in an airtight container. Yield: 30 large bones Submitted by: Priscilla Crossland From: Three Dog Bakery Cookbook SAVE THE DATE! Friday, April 22 - Sunday, April 24 GAF will have a table at the event for the second year. Please contact Holly Priestly at: 215-949-0802 or hpriestley5@comcast.net if you are interested in volunteering an hour or more at this event. There will be all sorts of excellent Greyhound gifts - Greyhound planters, Greyhound end table, crate mattresses, books, Greyhound note cards and garden stakes -- just to name a few things. A big thanks to Holly for making and donating a quilt in support of GAF for the raffle at Greyhounds Reach the Beach 2004--Dewey Beach, DE. Holly will be donating a Hawaiian quilt for Reach the Beach 2005. Click here for details. SPRING & SUMMER DOG WASHES AT CONCORD PET When? June 11, July 9 and August 13 Where? Concord Pet on 202 in Chadds Ford, PA How much? $10 for GAF adopters Is it for greys only? NO! GAF volunteers (who are needed! - contact Lisa Fontalbert to volunteer) will suds up any canine companion with TLC. Come out and join us for some good clean fun! Annie, the black grey in the middle, was the winner of the "Barest Bum" award at last year's picnic. She was adopted and is loved by Joyce & RoseMarie. Still want more? Click here to check out the GAFNE photo album or here to view the current greys up for adoption. Missed the last issue or want to read it again? Here it is: FALL 2004 NEWSLETTER That's it! HAPPY TAILS UNTIL THE NEXT ISSUE!!!