Southern Comfort Newsletter

Southern Comfort
Greyhound Friends Newsletter
new January 2008

please feel free to send articles of interest to
the kennel email address: adopt@greyhoundfriends.com

President Letter
2008 LETTER TO GFNC MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS

The New Year is here and as we ponder what challenges and opportunities await in 2008, we do so with the certainty the need to care and protect our beloved greyhounds will be as demanding as ever. It would seem equally as important to keep you as members and benefactors of GFNC informed of our practices and policies. After all, it is your contributions, donations and gifts that let us provide the shelter, nourishment and medical care for the more than 200 greyhounds that annually come under the GFNC umbrella of love.

Let me highlight some of the special circumstances of Greyhound Friends. You may not be aware the adoption fee charged by GFNC is not an income producing source. Only with the significant cost reduction and generous support of the team at Lawndale Veterinary Hospital in Greensboro have we been able to keep that fee unchanged for many years. Yet as we are all well aware, costs are rising and The Board of Directors will be asked to look at a small rise in adoption fees in 2008.

To maintain our kennel in Oak Ridge, where 40 greyhounds can stay as they wait placement into new families and homes, is a significant expense. Rent, heat, light, power, insurance and maintenance are recurring monthly costs which continue to rise. We also have three part time salaried staff members, all of whom spend two to three times more volunteer hours at the kennel than compensated time.

This leads to a brief discussion of our greatest asset, our volunteers. Whether in Oak Ridge, Charlotte, Wilmington or any of our other satellite groups, these people are the backbone of GFNC. It could be holding meet and greets, organizing a fundraiser, maintaining our website, managing our accounting or merchandise programs, being an adoption counselor, not to mention feeding our four legged guests and doing turnout three times a day. This is all accomplished by the dozens of volunteers located throughout the Carolinas and is done every day, every week, every month and every year simply for the love of the greyhound. We cannot thank them enough. If you would like to be more active with GFNC, here is an opportunity to do just that.

Understand, GFNC will never turn away a greyhound in need regardless of age or circumstance. Even if adopted from some other organization or some other part of the country, that greyhound will always have food, water, shelter, a blanket and most importantly love and attention at GFNC. This is our policy and has been since 1994 when Randy Barrow founded Greyhound Friends of North Carolina. It will be our philosophy in the years ahead.

We have been able to accomplish much in these last fourteen years. We have done this through the unstinting efforts of our volunteers and the generous financial support and commitment of our members and donors. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff we are forever grateful. Thank you again for all your past assistance and we welcome your help in the years ahead.

Many of you that volunteer and visit the GFNC kennel in Oak Ridge know the wonderful kennel staff employees very well. But for those of you who work diligently at satellite locations or are new to the GFNC family it may be interesting to know just a little bit more!
Wayne Lambert, our Kennel Manager, was born and raised in Asheboro, NC. Wayne worked for Airborne Air freight for 26 years and retired in 2005. He came to work at GFNC in 2005 as the Kennel Assistant after Matt Smith left. Upon Randy Barrow’s retirement in October of 2007 Wayne assumed the role of Kennel Manager. Wayne has always been active in volunteering on weekends with Meet and Greets, Burlington Carousel Festival, Lexington BBQ and many other community service events.

Wayne is married to Diane who is very active as a Pet Therapy volunteer and contributes 100% of her time on each and every GFNC Bulk mailing. The Lamberts currently have 2 greyhounds, Jubilee Tammy AKA Tammy Sue – adopted 9/1998 and Runner adopted June 2006. They were also adoptive parents to Alfie, adopted 12/22/02 and Tally, adopted 12/1/2004 who are since deceased.

Blanche Fedor, Kennel Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, was born & raised Binghamton, NY where she had first heard about greyhound adoption from a news article. She relocated to Greensboro, NC and worked for Unifi from 1998 until retirement in 2005. In addition to her hours at the kennel she works part time for her son-in-law at Donald Button CPA firm. Blanche has volunteered at the kennel since 1999 and officially took over the roll of Volunteer Coordinator in 2004. Since October of 2007 she works part time as Assistant Kennel Manager.

Soon after moving to Greensboro, Blanche’s daughter was listening to the radio and heard that GFNC was participating at a Meet & Greet and would have adoptable greyhounds on sight. Chris immediately relayed the information to Blanche and it caught her interest. She called the kennel and after briefly talking with Randy, learned that not only were there 4-5 adoptable dogs at the Meet and Greet but 40-45 at the kennel located in Oak Ridge! We all know where that story ended, Freebird’s adoption in 1999!

Blanche has been momma to 3 greyhounds – Freebird, adopted 1999 now deceased, Sherry, adopted 2001 deceased in 2007 and Sport adopted in 2001 and still going strong!

She has seen a lot of greyhounds walking out the front gate and going to their forever home and feels there is nothing better than knowing you had a little part in it.

Scott Hanson, Kennel Assistant is from Mount Pleasant, SC and moved to the Greensboro area in January 2003. Scott is a licensed massage therapist and general contractor in building his new log cabin home located in Kernersville, NC. He is also a professional photographer. Scott’s wife Carolyn works as a nurse at Baptist Hospital. They are parents to 3 rescued cats, Autumn, Minnie and Misty.

Scott started talking with his neighbors that volunteer at the kennel, Melody & Laura Nance and greyhound Tony, which lead him to start volunteering in March 2007. He took on the role of maintaining the landscape and overall appearance of the kennel. He believes in doing the ‘Right Things’ in life, understands the greyhound plight and is excited to be apart of the mission and the love of the greyhound breed.

Mountain Hounds is a weekend getaway held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for Greyhounds and their owners. Mountain Hounds 2008 kicks off on Thursday, May 29, 2008 and ends on Sunday, June 1, 2008. All proceeds from fundraising activities are used to help Greyhound Friends of North Carolina (GFNC), a 501c3 non profit organization in its mission to find loving homes for retired racing greyhounds. The weekend is filled with games, raffles, seminars and shopping time with many greyhound vendors. Participants really enjoy the Charity Walk through downtown Gatlinburg and dress their greyhound for the occasion. Donations collected on the walk can be donated to GFNC or taken back and donated to the participants’ greyhound charity. Be sure to bring your dog’s donation coat!

This year we are planning a fundraising seminar with Carol Weisman, an internationally known speaker, author, trainer and consultant who specializes in volunteerism, fund raising and governance. Carol Weisman is the author of many books including Secrets of Successful Fundraising, which is the first nonprofit management book ever to be selected by The Book of the Month Club. We are really looking forward to this seminar! And back by popular demand will be the guided hike given by ‘A Walk in the Woods’. This nature hike begins in Gatlinburg and is an easy walking trail along a lovely river. The walk provides smells to keep your greyhound interested while providing you a relaxing walk in the great Smokey Mountain National Park. ‘A Walk in the Woods’ is a guided trail and those on the hike will learn lots about the Smokey Mountains and nature.

We hope you will join us for Mountain Hounds 2008. This is our fourth year holding the event and it just keeps getting better. For more information visit our website, www.gfncmountainhounds.com and make you’re plans to come to Gatlinburg TN.

Planned Giving Will Benefit GFNC

Planned giving is one of the best ways to help insure the future for an organization like GFNC. A gift from your current assets or from your estate will not only benefit GFNC, but by making a gift now, you may be able to help designate how it will be used.

Making a charitable gift of this type can be fairly simple to set-up, can offer considerable tax benefits to you and most importantly, will bring you and your family the joy and satisfaction of knowing that your thoughtfulness will help rescue and place these wonderful greyhounds into safe and loving homes for years to come.

Planned gifts can be made from your existing or new life insurance, current investments, stocks, bonds, real estate or from any other asset which you may have. To make a gift or to explore the possibilities of making a planned gift to GFNC, contact your financial professional or call Mike Ingram, a GFNC volunteer and a financial professional, at 336-476-8622, or e-mail to iings@aol.com. For more information contact GFNC.

Being a foster parent is one of the most rewarding things I have done for myself. Yes, that sounds kind of selfish, like I am doing it for me. The thing is, everyone benefits from it. My children have learned compassion and animal care that I could have never taught them otherwise. The dog learns that life can be good. People can be loving and caring to them and that a couch is a nice place to spend a day.

All you need to become a foster parent is provide a loving home and some time to spend with a Greyhound that has spent its life up to now in a working/racing atmosphere. Or maybe even a Greyhound that has been in a home and is looking for another one. There is no cost to you except for your time. An occasional trip to a meet and greet on the weekend and teaching the Greyhound how to interact with other animals and with children so that they can find the best possible home.

Letting go is the hardest part of being a foster parent. You spend all this time with your foster, teaching, loving, playing and enjoying this temporary member of your family. Then a forever home becomes available. Now what do you do? You start thinking, should I adopt him or her myself? Well, you have probably by this point, already had that thought. It’s hard to let them go. Here is how I manage it. You have to let the new parents know that you will be there for the dog if things don’t work out. You have to keep in touch with them. A Guardian-ad-liteum if you will. This will help you make that adjustment. More importantly, it will help the new family get settled in. The feeling you get is so rewarding. They feel like they are not alone. They have someone to call if they have a question or concern.

There will still be this big empty hole in your heart when they leave. But I have found that I can fill that emptiness with another foster. So the cycle continues.

Don’t let me fool you though. I have 3 greyhounds of my own. All three were fosters at one time. But there have been so many fosters over the years that I think you can forgive me for “Flunking Fostering” a few times right? So give it a try. Try fostering a Greyhound. I want everyone to feel how rewarding it is to help a dog on its way to a forever home.

Upcoming activities and interesting tidbits for you and your greyhound.

(For optimum viewing open to full screen.)

Let's make this a GREYT 2008!

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Being always grateful for each new day and for the blessing of you.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Or spend your day like this greyhound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6cb_unsEV8

This photo is titled, "Why run when you can fly!"

There may be an obedience class for greyhounds only coming soon. Class size will be limited. If you are interested please contact me at coastalgreys@ec.rr.com

It's a new year. Does your dog need a new collar? Check out www.greyhound1.com Alice donates a portion of all sales to Coastal Greys.

Saturday, January 19 Meet & Greet at PetsMart with Mike & Terri Lillis 11am - 2pm.

Help us promote greyhound adoption and show off our beautiful dogs. Vinny, Eva and Rhonda are still looking for a home, so let's do all we can to help them out !

Saturday, January 26 Meet & Greet at Petsmart with Lori Parsons 10am - 2pm.
We're always looking for fresh faces to join us - with or without your greyhound.

The Happy New Year poster at the top of the newsletter was created by artist Billie Mann. Billie participates in GFNC fundraisers. http://www.artbybillie.net/

Special Needs Hound Highlight Smokey
Submitted by Lynda & Rick Montgomery

Smokey @ Mountain Hound 2007

Smokey (aka Smoke Smoke, Sweetie, Silly, Buddy Boy) came to us in March 2007. He turned 7 years old in May. Smokey is an absolute sweetheart. He is a very light brindle that has a silvery color. When he ‘looks’ at you, you can see in his eyes how much he loves being where he is and how happy he is. I say ‘look’ because Smokey has Progressive Retinol Atrophy (PRA) and is completely blind.

PRA is a hereditary blinding disorder. The cells of the retina receive light stimulus and transmit that information to the brain which in turns tells you what you are seeing. With PRA the retina cells deteriorate leading to night blindness and then in most cases to total blindness. The vision is lost slowly and the dog is able to make its way around the house and yard as usual. The owner may not notice any changes until they take their dog to an unfamiliar location and the dog bumps into things.

On Smokey’s first day with us he explored each room one at a time. By day two he was walking up and down the steps on the deck with ease. He loves stuffy toys, especially the ones that make a noise when they land on the floor. He will grab the stuffy when it lands and throw it again. Toilet paper is treated as a stuffy. Our rolls generally have teeth marks in them. He is also a king counter surfer. Imagine my surprise when I turned from the refrigerator only to find him with paws on the counter licking my PB&J sandwich! Smokey knows where the recycle bin is and will go get an empty can to carry around. You tell him “No Smokey” and he just ‘looks’ at you and puts the can down.

We are so glad Smokey has come to live with us. He has reminded us to slow down and enjoy. When we take him outside we stay out and watch the dogs, the sky, the trees instead of letting them out and letting them in. My boss understands that I am going to be a bit later to work in the morning because I have four dogs to snuggle with before leaving for work. Snuggling with greyhounds, what a pleasure!

Barcelona Rescue

REMEMBER THE BARCELONA RESCUE EFFORT? AIDEEN TURNED 14!

Aideen, adopted by Roger and Jeanne Difolco of Greensboro, N.C., turned 14 in November. Back in 2000, Randy and a group from GFNC traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to rescue 13 lucky dogs from horrible conditions at a track in that city.

Aideen is probably the last living dog of that group. We have adopted three of those 13 dogs. This was a special event in the history of GFNC Greyhound Rescue. The dogs in that country are generally of two types...the native Spanish Galgo and Irish Greyhounds, bred in Ireland for export.

Aideen was one of the Irish dogs sent to Spain. They are somewhat different in appearance -- stockier with thick necks and squarer jaws and heads, and large round eyes.

I fell in love with her back in 2000 and one day she went home with a family in Statesville,N. C. I thought she was gone forever until one day several years later, she was returned to the kennel due to some family problems. I took her home the next day!She is still in excellent health and very active -- hopefully, she will be looking forward to 15!

In Memoriam
SARA MARIE AND ABAGAIL

Nobel greyhound, running silent through the misty veil…

Your fawn coat ignited by a hint of red fire, with speed to match in your feet…

For years the choice was not your own…

You ran on demand…

But now, face tinged with gray, your feet have wings, and you run on heart…

Because you have won the One true race…the race for love…

Your soul knows the way home, to the hearts that opened wide to you…

In the years before, you lived your life in a space,

Too small and vacant for love,

But your world changed, and became a life so rich and full at its finish, because of those who brought you home…

So now, shaken free even of the bonds of earth,

You run upon the clouds for the sheer joy of having been cherished…

Run to greet a pale blue beauty, Sara Marie,

Your four-footed friend in life,

Now forever your partner for races in the mist,

And tread a new path you already make familiar…

Putting paw prints on a rainbow bent to earth…to be gentle shadows

Brushing softly beside Donna Marie and Scott

A whisper alongside the others of your kind…

Whether in body or in spirit…

Whose weary souls were healed by their caring and compassionate touch…

With love for Donna Marie and Scott by Christy Caballero

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