GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK

By Carole Oglesbee

The Needle Nose Crew has many wonderful volunteers.  Some help out on an occasional basis and some on a regular basis.  All are greatly appreciated by those of us who set, and staff the NNC events. 

Every once in a while we have members who move away from the Southern California area.  Jobs take them elsewhere, family pulls them to other parts of the country and some retire.  We understand life happens and routinely wish those who leave us well in their new location.  However, sometimes when we lose volunteers to another part of the country, we all know that their moving will leave a tremendous hole in our group and at our events.  The end of this summer and the beginning of this fall finds us saying goodbye to just such wonderful volunteers.  Volunteers who could always be counted on to attend events, help with late shifts, fill in when there was a cancellation, and lend a hand or two with the set up and tear downs at our multi-day activities. 

Darlene and Rich Monroe might not be well known to many of you.  However, late afternoon/early evening shifts would find Rich helping out at such shows as the Irvine Harvest Festival, the Home Shows and the America ’s Family Pet Expo.  Darlene would join him as she was able after working late hours in the retail field.  Rich and Darlene’s help at working those late shifts and then tearing down our NNC booth was always invaluable help.  Rich and Darlene decided it was time to retire and head for the green hills and valleys of Tennessee .  They take their two wonderful greys, Prince and Marie, with them as well as an assortment of the little dogs Darlene loves so well. 

Terry and Roey Fowler are a different story.  They are probably known to almost everyone.  Not because of themselves, although they are both terrific, but because they came as an entourage.  This wonderful couple came into our lives three years ago looking for one greyhound.  Four wonderful brindle greys later, the Fowlers definitely made their mark on the greyhound world.  Unless they were traveling or tied up with church events, we could always count on them to join us with “the kids”.  As with the Monroes , the Fowlers have decided it is time to retire and head for the hills.  Terry will continue to work in our area, at least for a while, on a part-time basis.  However, Roey and the four leggers will be living in their new home just south of Tucson , Arizona .

We wanted the Monroes and the Fowlers to know just how much all their volunteering has meant to the Needle Nose Crew.  We also wanted them to know just how very much they will be missed by all of us.  Dedicated volunteers are a blessing and the heart of our very existence as an organization.  Losing such active folks is truly sad for us all.  However, we do wish them our best in their new locations and hope they will find great greyhound groups to help with once they are settled.  Goodbye and Good Luck to all four of you from a truly grateful Needle Nose Crew.

SOMETIMES THEY JUST PICK YOU

By Colleen Summerfield

 Sometimes it just happens!  I remember the first time I saw Ajax at a local school where the students were donating to greyhound rescue via their recycling program.  Ajax was a foster, and I had just lost a dog, but wasn’t seriously considering another.  Ajax was handed over to me as we walked to the presentation area.  All I remember was that Ajax pulled like a train, and couldn’t wait to get away from the kids.

The next time I saw Ajax was at the Greyhound Adoption League reunion in Tucson , Arizona .  We all ended up staying with Lorri Tracy, and what really stuck in my mind was Ajax booting me out of a nice soft chair (what a little dictator!).  He was in a strange place, was at the reunion all day with lots of strange people, was tired, and had had enough.  A shy little black guy with a Napoleon complex!

The third time must have been the charm.  By then Ajax was with Betty de la Rosa as a foster.  When I arrived to visit Betty, Ajax practically jumped in my lap – just overjoyed to see me.  This went on for a couple of weeks – and you can guess the rest!  Ajax still can be very strong-willed, and is still a bit shy, but what a greyt little guy!

HOLIDAY TIME

Each year, we like to include in the Needle Nose Notes an article about safety for your greys (and other four-leggers) for the holiday season.  Well, it’s upon us once again, the time of year when the household becomes a winter wonderland of new sights and smells, especially for our pets. 

Remember when company comes to visit that not everyone is aware of keeping animals safe and in the house.  In the confusion of greeting guests, it is very easy for a greyhound to squirt though legs and out an open door.  I know having an exercise pen across the foyer is not featured in fashionable interior decorating books, but it sure makes it safe for visitors to come and go without worry.  Also, guests who are not as crazy about animals as most of us have an opportunity to greet the dogs without being mobbed!

As it becomes time to decorate, consider that Christmas lights, figurines, etc., become dangerous toys for unsupervised greyhounds.  Anything left within a greyhound’s reach is fair game as far as they are concerned, and will more than likely be borrowed at some point during the holiday season.  Dogs that have free run of the house may need to be confined during unsupervised hours. 

Many of the plants used as holiday decorations are toxic if ingested.  Holly, Poinsettias, and Mistletoe to name a few.  Ask before purchasing such items, and if they are toxic to animals, keep them out of reach, or use artificial alternatives.  Even if your dog isn’t a grazer, it may try chewing leaves or berries just to see what they are.  Christmas trees have proven irresistible to many greys who feel it is their duty to keep the tree “watered” (girls too!), or just find it convenient to have a tree in the living room.  Ornaments sometimes are just too hard to resist.  Tinsel, glass balls and popcorn strands can cause serious intestinal complications.  An exercise pen again comes in handy.  Once the tree is positioned and decorated, simply wrap the exercise pen around it as a barricade.  Both tree and dog will be better off. 

The wonderful foods of the season, though tempting, can make for a sick dog.  The two main culprits are chocolate and alcohol.  Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to many domestic animals, including dogs.  Alcohol (many dogs like the taste) is also toxic.  Both of these holiday traditions have proven fatal.  Pets are not garbage disposals for holiday leftovers – don't upset the season by making your pet ill.  Dogs become accustomed to a regular diet and treating them to excessive fatty holiday leftovers can upset their entire systems.  Stick with their normal diet and avoid giving them more than a scrap or two.  Bones of any kind can be dangerous to your pet, but particularly splintery turkey bones.  Aluminum foil that has been wrapped around meat, and disposable baking pans are very attractive, so be sure to discard them securely.  Food gifts are also best kept out of reach.  Many a greyhound has sampled gifts intended for another.  Last year, one greyhound we know enjoyed a whole loaf of pumpkin bread.  They may be sighthounds, but their noses work pretty well, too. 

Finally, remember to make time for your greyhound buddy during this busy season.  Shopping, parties, and preparations have a way of crowding in on already busy schedules.  Your dog depends on you for your companionship and love.  Share the joy of the season with your pal.  Happy Holidays from all of us at the Needle Nose Crew!

REMEMBER MY PET

By Rex Lawton

My dear close friend has gone away.

I sadly said, “goodbye” today.

Happy eyes will no longer greet me.

Nor will I feel a love so free.

 The companionship of a loving pet

Is a privilege of life, and yet;

Like all things, this too will end,

And once again, we lose a friend.

 But have they really gone away?

Or will we find, some distant day;

They’re waiting there, without fail,

Just a step beyond the veil.

Perhaps again, we’ll get to see,

A love that’s given, oh so free.

For don’t all things have spirit?

And such a joy, just to be near it.

"To love dogs is to know death and to accept that there's never a time we are more morally obliged to speak for them than when they face the end of their lives.”

Jon Katz is the author of The New Work of Dogs: Tending to Love, Life and Family.

	Joy Moss for her loss of number one Tanner
	Trish Schatz for her loss of Dane
	Colleen Summerfield for her sudden loss of Cider
	Lori Tracy for her loss of Sandy