Want to share some summer fun with your greyhound? Then check out the 2012 Greyhound Festival of the Bluegrass on July 27, 28, and 29, 2012, in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme of the seventh annual event is “The Political Greyhound,” a nod to the election year!

The festival will be held at the Paroquet Springs Conference Center, 395 Paroquet Springs Drive, Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Among the events will be the Ice Cream Social, Greyhound Games and a Salute to Seniors.

The festival is conducted by Shamrock Greyhound Placement. Other scheduled events include Bingo, a costume contest, memorial ceremony, Paw Draw, live and silent auctions, special memorial auctions, raffles, and vendors.

Guest speakers scheduled are:

• The Lexus Project of New York about their legal defense of at-risk Greyhounds.
• Dr. Catherine White on renal failure. A hands-on class will be offered to familiarize attendees with infusion equipment.

General registration opens in early April. There is a limit of 200 attendees. The registration fee covers three meals on Saturday and admittance to all the greyt events.

There is no additional pet fee, however, attendance is limited to greyhounds.

Reduced hotel rates are available at Sleep Inn & Suites; the pet fee is included in the discount rate. Mention “Greyhound Festival of the Bluegrass” when making reservations to receive the discount.

Greyhound Festival of the Bluegrass is a fund-raiser for Shamrock Greyhound Placement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to finding loving homes for retired racing greyhounds. For details, visit http://www.greyhoundsofshamrock.org/festival .

MSGAO represented at “Paws for a Cause,” a pet safety event, March 18 at the Shops at Saddle Creek in Germantown, Tennessee, as the pictures below demonstrate!

In case you are unsure whether adopting a greyhound is a good thing to do, we offer some testimony from people who have taken the plunge. These observations about life with a greyhound were provided by actual owners who posted on our Friends of Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option Facebook page. We’ll share others in the future!

I’m enjoying my first night off from schoolwork in a long time with the hubby and snuggling with our greys on the couch. I cannot imagine life without the most lovable and loyal dogs I’ve ever had. A couple quirky things: Nick makes the funniest noises when he sleeps and Elmo insists on curling up in the iggy’s bed. We have to fight to get him out of her bed. Oh and Nick hoards toys too.

― Carrie Mills Sealey

Anna and Packer are so sweet, well-behaved and loving! I had to be separated from my husband for six months after moving from Arkansas to North Carolina, and they were the best company! They provided companionship and were a great way for me to meet many different kinds of people. When I’m sick, they take turns cuddling with me in bed.

― Rachel Bowman

Ford steals my clothes out of the hamper. One day I found him with two pairs of panties around his neck, throwing a bra in the air and catching it. I also have a tiny “bangs” hairpiece from Jessica Simpson (because I wanted to see what I looked like with bangs without committing to cutting my hair) that I only wore for a couple of hours. I found it in Ford’s crate. Any day I could come home and he’ll be in full drag.

― Tamara Jeanette

You may recall that greyhounds adopted through MSGAO visited the Bodine School in Memphis in early February so fifth- through eighth-graders could learn more about the breed. Apparently the students enjoyed the visit, if their generous donation to MSGAO is any sign!

This huge cache of dog treats and kennel supplies was received March 1 at the adoption kennel with the following written on the card:

“Dear Mrs. Cohen and MSGAO,
Thanks so much for coming to talk to us about greyhounds. We loved learning about and meeting the dogs (except for Winston the rabbit — he did not). We have been collecting supplies ever since and are pleased to make this donation on behalf of The Bodine School.
Your friends,
The Bodine School Bulldogs!

Sylvie (with owner Paula Pilgrim) and Riley and Lazer (with owner Renee Dingler), joined MSGAO Director Vicki Cohen in visiting the school. The Bodine School’s primary objective is to empower all individuals with dyslexia to understand their specific learning needs and to maximize academic success.

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.

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]

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, 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 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!

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)