Articles from February 2012



A tribute to Bear, and a miracle of sorts

We are sharing the thoughts of Jim Fisher of Arkansas on the passing of his greyhound.

“Our boy Golden Bear (‘Heath’ to his kennel mates and around the track), or Mr. Bear or just Bear, has gone to run in the Greyhound Field of Dreams. No doubt he will enjoy a very comfy couch after his races. He died this morning in Kathy and my arms after a brief battle from osteosarcoma. We only knew Bear for an all too brief three years, but he will never be forgotten. He is legendary around MSGAO for adopting us and that is not an exaggeration. In our home he was true gentle giant and loving companion to his adopted mother Kathy and his adopted Greyhound sister Bridget (Bright Side). On walks along the Little Rock River Trail he proved to be an invaluable ambassador for Greyhound adoption by making friends with nearly everyone he met. He was simply one of the finest dogs I have ever known.” – Jim Fisher

A sidelight to this story is that the Fishers have rescued another greyhound, Jethro of Ruckus. We literally mean rescued. Jethro was found wandering in Little Rock by Leigh Sweeney. Through a miraculous convergence of information posted on the Greytalk online forum and then onto the Friends of MSGAO Facebook page, the Fishers have welcomed Jethro into their home mere hours after the passing of Bear. This is a story that deserves more than a blog post and we hope Jim will follow through on his thought about capturing this incredible tale in full.

100 Reasons to Adopt a Greyhound

Greyhounds make great pets, and we want the world to know! Please help more greyhounds find their forever homes by sharing this photo set with your friends.

[clicking the image will take you to the set]

The Road to Greyhound Adoption Gets Tricky!

Don’t let the headline scare you. Adopting a retired racer is the same as it ever was. The trick will be getting to the adoption kennel to select an adoptee or to board one you already have. But never fear, it can be done!

Improvements to Ingram Boulevard began Feb. 13. The work being conducted by the City of West Memphis will expand Ingram to four lanes, eliminate trucks from parking on the sides of the road, and improve the curb appeal of the road and entry into Southland. So that’s all good!

However, if you want to visit the kennel and drive a large trucks, you only can enter and exit Southland using the routes outlined on the map below.

Adopters will still be able to access Southland using the normal entry on Ingram or the Frontage road. Road construction is expected to be complete by May 31, 2012, pending any weather delays. It’s business as usual at the MSGAO kennel!

Army Featured in Newspaper

Army, an MSGAO alumnus who joined the Greyhound Pets of America-Nashville adoption program, is the Nashville Scene‘s Pet Pick of the Week! The writer is appropriately awed by the breed and Army (racing name Army Strong) himself! Let us hope this publicity leads to a new home for a lovely brindle!

Greyhounds visit Bodine School

Greyhounds from MSGAO visited the Bodine School in Memphis Feb. 3 so fifth- through eighth-graders could learn more about the breed. Our own CG Magazine cover girl and therapy hound Sylvie (with owner Paula Pilgrim) and Riley and Lazer (with owner Renee Dingler), joined Vicki Cohen in this educational session.

Paula, who volunteers at Youth Villages, did a marvelous job talking about the breed in general, and Vicki talked about the life that racing hounds live. The kids really enjoyed getting to know Sylvie, Riley and Lazer. The boys enjoyed it even more when Riley dragged Renee to the back of the classroom where he found the school mascot–a bunny named Winston!

The Bodine School’s primary objective is to empower all individuals with dyslexia to understand their specific learning needs and to maximize academic success.

It was fun watching the kids get to know the greys, and ask questions, such as, “Why does their backbone poke up?” and “Why are they so skinny?” Renee’s favorite question was from a sixth-grade boy who asked, “So … are they like a deer?”

Perhaps we have some future greyhound owners in the crowd!

Valentine’s Gift Ideas with a Greyhound Twist

If you have a young one, a child we mean, not a greyhound, then a new book featuring our favorite breed may make a nice gift — one that encourages reading!

Fast Dog-Cool Cat-Hot Dog and A Time For Action is a book by Arnold Haber. Here’s the premise:

If you were a retired racing Greyhound, say, about 4 years old and you could wish yourself anywhere to live, you‛d probably pick a place with lots of running room, warm sun, shade and gentle breezes, right? WRONG! Not our hero, Comet!

Comet finds himself plunked down in the Fresh Meadows neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. Adopted by Rob and Jesse Brooks and their 8-year-old daughter, Patty, he’s faced with a new family and a new place to live with nothing at all to do with racing or race tracks. How’s a guy to get through all that? Why, with a mentor like Rodrigo de Santana, the Spanish cat who’s the unofficial mayor of the neighborhood. He’s joined in teaching Comet what’s what by Igloo, the gentle giant Alaskan Malamute (very big, very strong). This book chronicles their relationships and adventures in the big city as Comet learns to navigate the streets, what it means to be a friend, share in good and bad times and how to get along with people.

Arnold Haber, Arne to his friends is a Native New Yorker and a retired pharmacist and community health planner. Much of his time was spent writing about his adventures with Sweets, a 14-year-old retired racing Greyhound. They were together for 11 years when Sweets went to the rainbow bridge in November 2010. He was Arne’s muse and inspiration for several short stories and two novels of which this is the first. Arne’s been a dog aficionado all his adult life including showing and breeding. From Vizslas to Greyhounds, from mixed breeds to purebreds and rescues they’ve rarely been apart.

Authored by Arnold Haber, Illustrated by Audrey Walker; Release Date: December 8, 2011. List Price: $15.95; 6” x 9” (15.24 x 22.86 cm); Full Color on White paper; 112 pages; Soft Cover; Trade paperback; Kindle Edition ISBN: 978-0-9839693-1-0; Dyllie Productions; Print Edition: ISBN: 978-0983969303; ISBN-10: 0983969302 BISAC: Fiction/Humorous; Available from www.Amazon.com.

Also, if you need to do some greyhound owner and dog-related shopping, please keep in mind these vendors who have been wonderful supporters of MSGAO:

    — Shannon O’Reilly Designs at www.shannonoreilly.com (for the ladies)
    — Blue Paw (for the greyhounds)

Join us on Facebook

In case you didn’t know, MSGAO has a Facebook page that is now 369-members strong. It’s a good resource if you:

    – Need advice on dog issues from people who’ve been there, done that
    – Feel like getting your dog together with other greys for a nice walk (while also promoting greyhound adoption as a side benefit of getting the dogs out in public) or
    – Want some recommendations for greyhound products and services

We’re not sure whether we represent a “community” or a “cult” of greyhound aficionados, but in either case you are welcome to join us at:
www.Friends of Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option