Personal Problems

Due to some personal issues that have gotten out of control, my "doggie goals" will have to be put on hold for the time being.  Stay tuned for further updates!

New Year's Resolution

I've finally settled on a set of resolutions (regarding my hounds) for 2010.  They are as follows:

• I shall always walk my dogs at least a little bit every day (unless it's below 10 degrees outside -- they don't want to go out in that) I'm at my parents' house.  (We already walk at least 4 times a day at my apartment.  I don't know why it's so hard to continue the pattern at home, but the back yard is so much easier and I'm REALLY busy.)
• We shall always have at least one training session a day.
• We will enroll in a clicker obedience class.
• We will become CGC certified.
• We will become TDI certified.
• Lindsay will test and pass JoJo on all things necessary for being my psych service dog.
• We will discover agility and rally obedience.
• We will go to the park at least once a month over the spring/summer/fall seasons. (Over 40 degrees.)
• Kibeth will train for obedience competitions.  (Rally-O too?)
• JoJo will train for agility competitions.
• I will either make, purchase, or get assistance from Dad in making agility equipment that conforms to competition standards for us to practice on.
• I will get Ellie (my parents' bc x lab) back to a healthy weight if I have to fight tooth-and-nail, or do it single-handedly.  She WILL be under 50 pounds by 2011!

Future dog goals:

• Rescue a greyhound puppy straight off the track to raise as my agility star.
• Foster greyhounds for REGAP.
• No longer need a service dog.
• Become more involved with REGAP in helping the greyhound cause.
• Compete in obedience, rally, and agility for sure.  I don't know about freestyle, but I'd like to try!

Giving Back

Due to a very generous donation of a fellow greyhound lover (Never Say Never Greyhounds) I am now given a track to follow regarding my hounds' training.  The clicker obedience class for beginners I was going to take filled up before my application arrived. =(

I am awestruck by this person's generosity, and plan to pay it forward.  She only requested that I make a donation to SEGA (which I plan to do) and/or buy a greyhound puppy calendar or 2 (I will get one to use for wall art).  This won't happen until after my credit card rolls, but that is in the next few days.  However, I saw an ad for the ASPCA the other day, and they said that for just $18 a month, you can sponsor the care of an animal.  I plan to donate $10 a month to REGAP (my local greyhound rescue, where I got JoJo) and $10 a month to Best Friends' Dog Town.  That's totally doable for me, and I hope it makes a difference.  I encourage anyone else to consider something like this.

Before/After Dental

Sorry, the quality's not the best.  It's a picture by computer of a printed picture.  You get an idea, though.  Hopefully, this was our last dental!

JoJo was perfectly fine except for some moderate gingivitis.

Kibeth has 2 cavities, but neither required pulling the tooth yet.  Otherwise, she only had some plaque, discoloration, and mild gingivitis.

All Raw

Tomorrow, the raw adventure begins.  For the last 2 weeks, we have been doing kibble breakfast, raw dinner.  Tomorrow, they will get all raw to start off the new year.

I bought chicken livers today.  Most disgusting thing I've ever dealt with.

After Raw

Well, it's been a couple weeks on raw now.  We've been having great success transitioning to half/half raw/kibble.  The girls get raw (chicken wings, thighs, turkey necks) for dinner and kibble (chicken soup/NB venison & sweet potato) for breakfast.  This is the result...

JoJo

You can clearly see the scraped off tartar & plaque, especially in her receded gums, and I do believe her gingivitis redness/swelling has gone down.

Kibeth

Here's the link to see their before photos blog:

http://grantedwishesgreyhounds.blogspot.com/2009/12/before.html

Now at the time of this photo, Kibeth was lying on the couch.  Her highness is not to be disturbed in such times, so this is the OTHER side of her mouth, which is her worst side because it's not her dominant side for chewing.  So before/after not quite as useful, but you can see where her teeth are turning white, and that all of her gingivitis is gone.  This should be Kibeth's FIRST routine dental since coming off the track.

Both girls will have what I truly hope to be their last dental January 5th.  JoJo's mouth was in such bad shape last time, her first dental cost $510 (with discounts!).  Hopefully this one won't be so bad.  While she's under, JoJo's hips/knees will be X-rayed to clear her for agility training, which will commence this Spring.  She trembles when she sits, so I'm really hoping all is OK back there.

Her royal highness, Kibeth, wants nothing to do with circus tricks such as jumping and tunnels.  However, she finds performing commands to demonstrate her prestigious knowledge of the English language most satisfying.  She'll be my obedience queen. ;-)

Pix

My pack (from left to right):  Kibeth, JoJo, and Ellie.  Enjoying the sun together.

Merry Christmas!

We got:
Lotsa stuffies of an assortment of animals/fowl.
Twizzlers for dogs
Konga Wubba fox
Cute dog tags

Pictures coming soon...

ReGAP Advocacy News

I am speechless, horrified, terrified, and uber worried.  I hope I can at least foster if/when this happens...

United Pathfinder Project. ( UP Committee)

Nine greyhound tracks will no longer race greyhounds in 2010. This
constitutes 1/3 reduction of the current number of greyhound tracks in the
US. In 2010 only 23 greyhound tracks nationwide will still remain in
operation. Florida, with its 13 tracks, will have more active racetracks
than the rest of the states combined.

In 2009 legislation was introduced to allow Florida tracks to
discontinue live racing and still maintain their simulcast operations and
Poker room activities. That bill failed to get out of committee but it
became apparent to the House and Senate that it was one of the "wants" of
several of the Florida tracks.

There are many who feel that similar legislation will come up again, in
2010, and may pass as a consolation to the tracks for other pro-Pari-mutuel
bills that failed, like allowing tracks to have the full use of slot
machines.

We are not saying that it WILL happen in 2010 but IF it does happen
there could be as many as 5 or 6 Florida tracks that would discontinue live
racing. If not in 2010 it could be in 2011.

Unlike the track closings in Arizona, Massachusetts and New
Hampshire, the tracks in Florida that would close would be the lower-end
tracks that every other track in the country uses to send their poorly
competitive greyhounds. This will be unlike the Dairyland track closing,
where more than 2/3rds of their hounds went to race at other tracks. At the
low end tracks in Florida, It will be more likely that VERY FEW greyhounds
can go on to race at other tracks, as MOST tracks would be a step or two UP
from their current competition level.

How many non-competitive greyhounds would be looking for homes
should Florida pass legislation allowing tracks to discontinue live racing??
Each track has between 500 to 1,000 greyhounds in their kennels and with 5
or 6 tracks taking the option to end racing the numbers COULD be well over
3,000 ALL AT ONCE. 

I refer to the above as a greyhound Tsunami, and there is a SECOND
wave that may even precede the first. Since the greyhounds come to the
track at 15 to 18 months of age there are well over 20,000 greyhounds that
are currently on farms waiting to race. With the track closings of 2009
there will already be 1/3rd less tracks for these hounds to go to start
racing and owners are already experiencing problems placing their greyhounds
at tracks.
There will, no doubt, be owners that will stop paying boarding fees and
create problems for farmers and greyhounds on those farms.

We may be able to convince the NGA to establish a HOT LINE for owners
and farmers to avoid problems that will involve pups that are not yet
racing! Knowing the full scope of the problem can only help prepare for
solutions.

What can all the adoption groups in the US and Canada do to prepare
for such an event?

Inform their membership of the "POSSIBILITY" of such an event and
rally them to get as many people to commit to fostering one greyhound for
this one time event.

Contact Local vets, inform them of the likelihood of this mass
layoff of greyhounds and ask their support to spay and neuter, as that will
cut the time for greyhounds to exit Florida.

Plan fundraising events to swing into place WHEN this event
becomes imminent. This will help local groups pay for veterinary work and
may even pay some to the transport costs incurred with this mass exodus. 

I am sure that we all thought that greyhound racing would not be
closing down as quickly as it is at present but it would be sad if we did
not see what is coming and take action early. Although some would say it
will never happen just think of all those greyhounds needing help IF it
does.

I feel if we fail to plan ........ We plan to fail! Although this is
a Herculean task, IF we all rally together. ........ United....WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE!

Dennis Tyler
GPA Central Florida Chapter

PERMISSION TO CROSS POST!! 

Kibeth at 3 Years Old

Fluffy!

Christmas!  I <3 leopard fuzzy bones.  Thanks, Mom!

And now...

Look at all the gray... It's only been 4 years.