The holidays are a time of excitement and joy for most families. Here at the farm it is also a time of expectation and worry….will our generous friends contribute enough to keep Grey Haven going for another year? Will we be able to provide for every single dog on the farm? Will we be able to find good homes for most of them? Will more people begin to understand the plight of the racing greyhound in this country and the on-going need to reach out and help thousands of dogs each year?
Will we have the strength (both physical and emotional) to continue to do the best we can for so many dogs?
We are overwhelmed by the huge amount of holiday cards that appear in our post office box day after day…..lovely cards with wonderful messages of hope and joy for the coming season. Some contain a surprise donation and most have hand-written notes, commending all of us at GAF for taking so many of the broken leg dogs, the old dogs, the forgotten dogs….dogs who otherwise would fall through the cracks and be forgotten in the blink of an eye. The sentiment is appreciated and it is nice to have our work acknowledged
But the reality of the season is the fact that while we can heal most physical issues and mend many of the emotional ones, the one thing we cannot do for any of these special greyhounds is to adopt them and keep them all forever. Our small home is filled with the old, the sick, the unadoptable, the tripods, the seizure boy, the one who suffers from separation anxiety, thunder phobia…..you name it….we have it and there just is no more room to keep every special needs dog we bring into our program.
We need you to continue our work….to complete the circle of life for these dogs….to give them what they are waiting so patiently for….a home filled with love for the rest of their lives.
Every one of these dogs gives back a thousand fold in response to genuine love and concern. This is the gift that knows no season or holiday…..it is the gift that you give each day, month after month, year after year to a creature who did not ask to be born, did not ask to race, did not ask to be hurt, sick or frightened. This is the time of year we ask you to think about opening your heart and your home to a special greyhound who has been sitting here at Grey Haven for months and months, waiting and hoping that you will come along and just once, notice him sitting alone in his crate.
We can only do so much…and you have all helped make our job so much easier. Now we ask you to complete what we have started…give the gift of permanence and love to one more greyhound.
Wishing all of you the happiest of holiday seasons and the healthiest of new years.
