| |
Articles from the GFNJ Newsletter -
N. J. Home Stretch
(Volume 10, Issue 2- Summer/Fall, 2007)
Dear Greyhound Friends,
Spring is a time to look ahead, and there are many exciting events planned for the warm season. Before we celebrate the flowers though, I want to let you know that 269 of our favorite friends found their forever homes in 2007 and we welcome them and their loving families. Oddly enough, there wasn’t an ugly one in the bunch! They came from Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida. We took six 11-month-old babies; four Florida greyhounds that ended up in a kill shelter in South Jersey rather than rescue as intended; and Jain’t It Chip — a nearly blind dog who was returned to the track by another rescue when his condition was discovered. Chip is adopted and living the good life. GFNJ continues to distinguish itself as THE rescue that will help not only every greyhound in need but more and more frequently, new owners from other groups that receive no follow-up support after adoption. It’s unfortunate they don’t come to us when beginning the adoption process.
At the Annual Meeting in February, four new Board members were unanimously elected. I’d like to thank them for their many contributions in the past as well as their continued commitment to GFNJ. They are: Ellen Ganopoulos of Belleville, New Jersey; Jane Lehmbeck of Highland Lakes, New Jersey; Nancy Bowden of Warwick, New York; and Heidi Gehret of Glassboro, New Jersey. Ellen works tirelessly hosting Meet & Greets to introduce the public to our greys, Jane and Nancy have practically made the Warwick New York area a suburb of New Jersey, providing wonderful visibility for GFNJ, and Heidi is behaviorist extraordinaire, helping with problems via phone and home visits and taking many new dogs as fosters to work on specific issues.
The Kennel Search Committee has been busy researching affordable properties and a bid has been made on a kennel. We won’t close until we have town approval and we are currently jumping through all the necessary hoops with our fingers crossed. I hope that we’ll have good news in the near future. In the meantime, we continue to board the greyhounds at Hay Hill Kennel which is now under the management of new owners.
In November we mailed our first Kennel Drive Appeal and the reply was wonderfully gratifying. More than 250 of you generously donated over $34,000 in response to an anonymous $10,000 matching grant. Kennel contributions continue to arrive and this will be an important ongoing project as we proceed with kennel plans. (That’s a plug for those tax refunds you don’t know where to spend!) I also want to thank the Natalie W. Furniss Charitable Trust for awarding us a $3,000 grant to be used in costs related to securing a kennel.
In addition to the kennel donations, I want to thank our ever-growing number of creative volunteers who continually look for new fundraising opportunities to help rescue more greys. It’s always “all about the dogs”, but not one greyhound has arrived with a trust fund. I’ve asked Maria Lutz to coordinate the many projects and invite you to contact her if there’s a function you’re interested in undertaking. Her number is on the website.
In December we met Robert Falcone, Program Manager for Pet Products Research & Development for Church & Dwight Co., Inc. This is the fourth year that The Church & Dwight Employee Giving Fund, facilitated by adopter and volunteer Terryl Jackson, has awarded a grant to GFNJ. Mr. Falcone presented a check for $8000, designated to the Foster Program at Mountainview Youth Facility in Annandale, New Jersey. His personal interest in the rescue work we do is gratifying and we greatly appreciate the partnership with Church & Dwight.
I hope to see you and your loveable greyhound(s) at the picnic at Duke Island Park on May 18th as well as the many Meet & Greets and fundraisers taking place throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Beautiful weather is here — let’s get out and enjoy! Happy Summer!
Linda Lyman
President
When we put STARZ into foster care so she could blossom, this isn’t what we had in mind. Looks pretty happy though -- doesn’t she?
RESCUE with a Capital “R”
The internet and the terrific Petfinder.com website give us ability to see so many animals waiting to be adopted, and the opportunity to select pets we think will fit our lifestyles. And, it’s wonderful that more greyhounds are available as the number of greyhound rescue groups increases. While not wanting to boast, we proudly enjoy the commitments and rescues that set GFNJ apart from the rest. The Prison Program at Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility is the only one of its kind in the state. In addition to the adorable “ready-to-go” greys we get every few weeks, we stay true to our mission to help any greyhound in need by answering emergency calls from an ever increasing number of tracks. And, thus far we’ve taken 15 broken-legged dogs this year.
 Annie was just 11 months old when she came from a Florida farm in June. We were told she had a deformed leg but she had broken it when she was around six months old and it was never treated. She’s had orthopedic surgery, is recuperating in the prison, and gets cuter every day.
 Rambler had nowhere to go when his elderly owner became ill and he was returned to the track (not by one of our adopters). Rambler is 10 years old and a true gem. Note: Rambler has been adopted!! Greyhound Folks are truly amazing.
 Quottaback was a 4-year-old accepted by another rescue group and then returned to the track when they couldn’t place him. He’s handsome and will be a great addition to a cat-free home. Quottaback is in the Prison Program and will soon be ready for his forever home.
 Daughter Jnina was reunited with her mom, Tweetypie, in a recent adoption. Jnina had been adopted about a year ago, and when Jason and Suzanne Moore saw that their Jnina’s mom had come to GFNJ from Oklahoma, they immediately contacted us to apply to adopt their sweet girl’s mom.
This is such a “peaceable” picture.
 Energizer (Ian)
is a very sweet four- year-old boy who is shy. He is in foster care and is improving greatly and really trying to enjoy life. A behaviorist is working with Ian and his foster to help him gain confidence. He needs to be with another greyhound but no cats, please.
 Punch Power
is a very handsome three-year-old boy. He is outgoing and friendly but not good with cats. He loves people and seems to get along with just about everyone. He is in the Prison Program and will be ready for adoption sometime in September. Won’t you contact us to talk about Punch Power and see if he’s right for your home?
“Camera—Action!” 
Those words were frequently heard by some GFNJ volunteers and, in particular, Bill Brouillard, throughout the month of May. Park Pictures, producers of innovative television commercials, requested our participation in a new cell phone commercial demo. Two other non-profits were also
filmed. The phone company has not made a decision on the focus of the final commercial.
A film crew spent many hours with Bill as they documented the arrival of dogs, cat testing, the prison program and ultimately, adoption. One evening, the parking lot at Hay Hill Kennel was lit by high-powered camera lights as a film crew filmed Bill, Linda Lyman and Priscilla Foglietta as they brought dogs into the kennel from a dog hauler. The film crew fell in love with all eight new greyhounds which made for a very fun evening.
We are all hoping that Bill will be recognized as the STAR we know him to be! In the meantime, Park Pictures made a donation to Greyhound Friends in honor of Bill and Linda, and another, very generous gift to GFNJ in honor of greyhound rescue. We thank the crew for their generosity, kindness and professionalism — and we hope Greyhound Friends will be chosen to appear in the final commercial!
Try It —You’ll Like It
You can make a huge difference in the life of a greyhound by becoming a foster family.
Our mission is to help as many greyhounds as possible and you can touch the lives of some of them as they transition from racer to companion, or offer a temporary safe haven to a dog who’s just lost his home. We, in turn, gain accurate, clear information about him that will help us find the right home. We may have a shy greyhound who needs to gain confidence from your already established grey. There might be a greyhound who has broken a leg while racing, has had surgery, and needs about six weeks in a comfortable foster home to recuperate and rehabilitate.
It is truly rewarding to watch the emergence of your foster’s personality as he adjusts to a track-free life. There is ALWAYS a need for loving foster homes. I promise you’ll get more than you give and it’s not as hard to say goodbye as you think. You’ll have done your job and know that your foster is going to an adoring home. We can help you with a crate and food if you need it.
Please contact Linda Lyman at 732-356-4370, Lelyman10@comcast.net or Terryl Jackson at 908-203-0070, greygal3@optonline.net if you would like to talk about fostering a greyhound for Greyhound Friends.
CHOOSING A GRAY GREY
By Nancy Waddell
“…And how old did you say this one is?” The man asking the question was dressed in flip-flops, a dripping bathing suit and a muscle tee. He had sand on his legs and knees and was wearing his sunglasses on the top of his head. Sugar, our 13-year-old fawn female, stood quietly and contentedly next to him as he ruffled her ears, stroked her long, graying muzzle and was totally taken with her large, deep brown eyes.
This happens all the time; the only difference being the garb of the questioner, which, when you live at the shore, is determined by the season. You see, folks who aren’t familiar with greyhounds, and even some who are, can’t seem to understand why anyone would adopt an “old” dog. “What about the illnesses inherent with aging? How do you cope with the baggage an older dog brings with it? Where’s the cuteness, the energy, the antics you find with a puppy or younger dog?”
I look at Sugar and know that she has no clue that she’s an “old” dog. Whatever baggage she might have had when she came to us at age eight was left behind. Like most greyhounds, illness isn’t a part of her life. And when something goes awry, she’s quick to recover. That’s what greyhounds do.
She doesn’t want to be cute; she’s been that. Now she wants to be, and is, elegant. She walks next to me with a measured step; when she runs, it’s completely for her own enjoyment. Energy? She’s got plenty of it. Being mature and a hound, she directs it to the things that are important in her life now. Whether she is walking her usual world or a new one we’ve taken her into, raking her bed until it is just perfect, eating with gusto, tossing her favorite stuffed bear around the living room or insinuating her silken head under husband Dick’s hand for pets and “scritches,” she expends her energy doing what SHE wants to do. Antics? Oh, they’re there. They’re just not obvious or overt. She plays her little games with subtlety and stealth.
Take a look at the mature ladies and gents. Each senior brings joy and wisdom and laughter and warmth. And if we’re lucky, we can give a little of that back to them. The more time you spend with a gray grey, the less relevant the question becomes.
In addition to Sugar, Nancy Waddell was mom to 20-year-old Suzie who reigned from New Jersey to Dewey Beach riding in her rickshaw — adored by all who met her.
Zronia—10 years young
 Right on NRA—9 years young
 Right N Risky—7 years young
Rambler—10 years young - Adopted!
 Psara—8 years young  Adopted!
Bowling for Greyhounds
a Tradition
The first Saturday of August is becoming a significant date on our GFNJ calendar, thanks largely to the efforts of Chuck and Chris Coslet, owners of Rusty's Place pet supplies in Ringwood, NJ. Being greyhound owners themselves and lovers of all creatures big and small, they wanted to find a way to raise money to help the greyhounds. Chuck approached us last year with the idea of a Scotch Bowl. With the help of Yvonne LaChapelle, Jane Marie Lehmbeck and Nancy Bowden, this event raised $3,600 in 2006.
This year Chris and Chuck had more money-making ideas up their sleeves. The Second Annual Scotch Bowl, held August 4th, included more than 35 tricky tray items, 50 door prizes, a 50/50 and a grand prize drawing. Over 110 bowlers and others enjoyed a great buffet, three games of bowling and a great night out. In all, this year’s event raised approximately $6,000!
A special thanks to Ellen Ganopolis and her husband Bill, Terry Bowden and Gary Lehmbeck. Thanks also to all of you who donated prizes, money and time.
Next year, reserve your tickets early - this event has sold out two years in a row and it gets better every year.
A BEARY NICE GIFT! 
There are a dozen Build-A-Bear Workshops in malls throughout New Jersey. While the business is to sell Teddy Bears, the corporate mission includes several programs that give back to communities. The Bearemy’s Kennel Pals program supports pet rescue and rehabilitation and humane education programs. A portion of each sale of the plush animals in the Bearemy design line is donated to the foundation to help animal rescue. Greyhound Friends is very grateful to be the recipient of a grant from the Bear Hugs Foundation. This donation will be used to help the ever-growing number of special needs cases we are asked to help with each week. Please look for Build-A-Bear Workshops when you’re shopping and support them when you can. They are true Greyhound Friends!
 Adorable from any angle, Starz Kori and TZ Video Zombie, are in foster care and available for adoption.
Greyhound Friends of New Jersey Prison Program
Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, working with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, is celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Foster Program at the Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility in Annandale, New Jersey. This program provides both rehabilitative benefits for incarcerated youth and needed socialization and obedience training for rescued greyhounds. The only program of its kind in New Jersey for men, the youth correctional program matches greyhounds that are finished with their racing careers with incarcerated young men between the ages of 18 and 26. Under supervision, the young inmates act as fosters to the dogs for a period of six to eight weeks, providing them with socialization and obedience training. At the end of the foster session, the dogs are awarded the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizenship Award, which designates them as ready for adoption.
In the process of fostering the greyhounds, the young men learn to care for and be responsible for another living creature — often for the first time in their lives. They learn how to train dogs in weekly classes with a trainer and receive lectures on animal-related topics from guest speakers. The inmates keep daily journals about the dog’s progress and personality, which helps the young men improve their communication skills and provides useful information on the dogs to adopters.
Response has been universally positive and success is evident in both the young men and dogs. There is a waiting list of young men hoping to participate in the program, and this program offers a chance to greyhounds that would not be accepted by other adoption groups. Evaluations of the prison inmates who have participated in the program reveal young men who have matured, as they demonstrate responsibility for, and kindness toward, each dog that they foster. Personal confidence grows as each dog succeeds. The cottage where the program is housed has better behaved inmates as the dogs have a calming affect on their foster inmates, non-participating inmates and guards. One young man wrote in his journal that he has learned to control his temper and has modified his behavior since participating in the program. He wrote that he knows that being part of this program is a privilege and that getting into trouble or making the wrong decisions will mean losing his greyhound.
Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, working with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, has trained and adopted 250 greyhounds to date. If you would like more information on the Prison Program please contact Sue Smith at 732-283-3889, e-mail greyhoundadoption@gmail.com or Linda Lyman at 732-356-4370, e-mail Lelyman10@comcast.net.
“The Perfect Foster.”
It’s always exciting when the right family is matched with the right greyhound. But can one adoption be more special than another? It can when a generous young couple with no pets offers to foster a greyhound days before GFNJ commits to help abandoned dogs on a Kansas farm. We don’t know how long Bee Bop Lisa (aka “Lesa”) was on the farm, but we know the conditions were terrible. Lesa was pretty wiped out from her trip and spay surgery and had little appetite when Tara and Ryan Moore welcomed her as their new foster. Within days Lesa was eating well and had the run of the house — without one accident! There’s only one thing to do when you have “The Perfect Foster.” This photo was taken just after the adoption papers were signed. Our thanks to Tara and Ryan for opening their home and hearts — and making this one Very Special Adoption!
Don’t forget—GFNJ is continuing to collect empty print cartridges and old cell phones!
What a successful fund-raising event! Your collection of those old, worn-out cell phones and ink cartridges has added up to over $2,000 in much needed funds for Greyhound Friends. We are continuing to collect these items and would be happy to get them at the September picnic, or you can make arrangements with a local Contact person. Some great ideas are to contact your employer, local businesses, libraries, veterinarian's office, etc. and ask them to save those cartridges--ink jet and laser. You can visit the website for more details or contact Jodi at Jodiscritters@aol.com or 856-547-8360 or Sue at klaire.kidal@verizon.net
Pat C Hold Up just turned five years old in June. He's very friendly and strong. He is interested in cats but easily distracted. He is in the Prison Program and will be available in late August or September.
Right N Risky
is a sweet, sweet seven-year-old who was one of the dogs left on a farm in Kansas. She is in foster care and getting over some of her shyness. She has little spurts of play when she play-bows to the other greys and entices them to romp with her. She is still tentative but a loving soul who is blossoming more and more. She is cat and small dog tolerant, is housetrained, and should live with at least one greyhound for confidence.
SAVE YOUR PRO PLAN WEIGHT CIRCLES
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.
Greyhound Friends of N.J.
Special thanks to Gino Nuzzo, owner of Image Makers Instant Printing in Wayne, New Jersey, for printing and folding the Greyhound Friends newsletter. Please keep Gino in mind if you have any printing needs. He can be reached at 973-633-1771.
Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, Inc. Membership Application
Greyhound Friends of NJ Membership Dues go for the care of the greyhounds.
For an annual donation of $25 or more, members will receive a newsletter subscription and member decal; for $50 or more members will receive a newsletter subscription, decal and T-shirt; for the generous gift of $100, members will receive newsletter subscription, decal and sweatshirt. Write your check today, payable to Greyhound Friends of NJ, Inc. and mail it with this form to:
Greyhound Friends of NJ., Inc., P.O. Box 4416, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-0669.
Yes, I want to help Greyhound Friends of NJ care for the greyhounds.
Name-------------------------------------------------------------- Phone ------------------------
Address ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount Enclosed $-------- T-shirt/sweatshirt size (M,L,XL) ----------
----- I don’t want a premium; please use the entire donation to help the
greyhounds.
| |
|
