HOLIDAY PLANNING

By Carole Oglesbee

Are these people crazy!  Who wants to plan for the holidays in September?  Well, believe it or not, there are folks out there who do.  We have members who are very crafty and start sewing, gluing, painting, etc. long before now to get gifts ready for the holiday season.  We have members who are just too organized for their own good and start shopping for this year’s holidays at last year’s sales.  Some are little more disorganized and don’t start shopping until July or August.  In any case, our hats are off to those of you who are truly on top of things enough to enjoy the holidays.  Most of us are chasing around like mad hatters to finish up shopping during mid to late December.

However, shopping is not what this article is all about.  With everything we have to do to get ready for the holidays, there is one area that often gets overlooked until the last minute.  Each year we get phone calls from members who have their shopping done, their decorating finished, and their travel plans all in order.  Suddenly, they remember their pets.  Where are they going to put the dogs while they are off to see grandma and grandpa? 

We have had a couple of our pet sitting organizations contact us and ask that we remind folks to make their reservations NOW if they have not already done so.  Many facilities are already booked and have been for some time. 

There are many sources for finding an appropriate pet facility and/or caretaker for your wonderful greys.  You can start by checking with the various greyhound rescue and adoption groups’ web sites.  Many will have referrals posted.  Check old copies of the various group newsletters you receive, as often there are articles that recommend facilities.  Contact your veterinarian’s office and talk with the staff.  They may have boarding right at their own facility and/or can recommend pet sitters and boarding facilities that their clients have used in the past.  Talk with your greyhound owner friends.  Many have been in the same boat and know just who to contact for help.  Last but not least, call the Needle Nose Crew.  We have a listing of some very good pet sitters and kennels that we recommend in various locations throughout the Southland.  The important thing is to take action now.  Good care-taking for greys is in high demand and it only gets harder to find help the closer we get to the holidays.  Make your vacation happy for not only your two legged family members but for your four legged family members as well.

BRINGING HOME TAZ

By Chris Allen-McGee

Making the decision took all of about ten minutes.  My husband and I were visiting my parents in Tucson when the call came from GAL that a litter of four greyhound puppies had been born.  Gina, a two year-old brindle, had been accidentally bred while at the training farm.  After one schooling race in Florida she was sent to race in Tucson .

Figuring she was not fast enough, she was placed on the pet list until one evening the kennel owner called Lorri Tracy to say he thought Gina was pregnant. Ten days after her arrival at the GAL kennel Gina gave birth to four male puppies - three brindle and one solid white.  

We had not intended to adopt another dog anytime soon.  With two greyhounds, one mutt and a cat, our house was pretty full.  However, the once in a lifetime opportunity to watch a greyhound puppy grow up was too good to pass.  In reality we took a day to think about it and then committed to adopting one of the puppies.

After returning to California we kept up with the puppies' progress through daily emails and pictures.  We also began to prepare ourselves, and our home, for the new arrival.  I read every puppy owner's manual I could get my hands on.  My husband "puppy proofed" the backyard making sure there were no dangers, knowing whatever we had missed our new bundle of fur would find.  There was a trip to the pet store to purchase a crate, the right bowl and stock up on treats.  We began saving plastic bottles, empty paper towel rolls and milk carton containers to be used as toys.  And we chose the name Taz.

So on August 15th when Taz came home we felt pretty prepared.  The prior two weeks Taz had been living with his brother, Irish, at my parents' home in Tucson.  (My parents had adopted Irish, their brother Amazing is living in Tracy, California and, sadly, the fourth puppy did not survive.) Taz and Irish had spent many hours wrestling, play fighting and racing around the yard.  Initially we were apprehensive about how Taz would adjust to the separation.  However, when he first set paw in our yard he immediately raced around stopping only long enough for a drink of water or a quick roll in the grass.  Taz's next big challenge would be meeting the members of his new canine family. One by one we introduced each of our other dogs to Taz.  While he bounded up to each one eagerly wiggling his entire body and showing the right amount of submissiveness, each was less than thrilled with this high energy, nonstop new member of the family.  Boundaries were established, relationships made and Taz has come to learn his place in our pack.

Taz has been with us for three weeks and he is truly amazing.  Each and every experience is new to him, from seeing a bird fly across the backyard to attacking the automatic sprinklers. He loves feet and shoes.  He loves to wrestle and run laps.  He loves the couch (big surprise!).  He loves sleeping in his crate with all four legs in the air.  He loves sitting in the backyard and chewing on a bone.  He loves barking at the cat.  He loves eating dirt, rocks, leaves, feathers and anything else he can grab off the ground during his walks.  And best of all he loves just being a puppy!

CONTINUING WEEKLY WALK

By Carole Oglesbee

For the previous two years and now the third year, some of the Needle Nose Crew members have met on Wednesday evenings during daylight savings time for a walk. 

Although we announced the start of our walks back in March, we wanted to remind everyone that they are still going on.  Summer is over, vacations have been taken and the kids are heading back to school.  However, we do still have two more months of daylight savings and will be continuing our strolls through October.  So grab your greyhounds and come on out for good company, pleasant late summer/fall evenings and a little exercise. 

We meet at 6:00 PM in the Coco ’s parking lot at Lake and Barranca in Irvine .  We then walk around what is known at Woodbridge North Lake .  We’re usually finished about 7:00 PM .  Many of us hang around to chat for awhile and some go off to dinner to a local outside restaurant that allows the greys.  So please, don’t let the fall pass you by without coming out on a Wednesday evening.  You’ll enjoy a grand collection of twenty plus greys and some very friendly folks with whom to talk… about greyhounds, of course! 

SCHEDULE CHANGES

No matter how hard everyone tries to get things organized and right the first time, there are just those times when things have to be changed.  A couple of this season’s reunions are falling into the “change” category. 

Southern California Greyhound Adoption League had made a park reservation for their reunion only to be told a week later that the date would have to changed.  Fortunately a date was available that was convenient for almost everyone.  So please mark your calendars for the SoCalGAL picnic which will take place on Sunday, October 5th.  The location of Turtle Rock Park in Irvine remains the same.  You can all review the flyer for the picnic by getting up on SoCalGAL’s web site at socalgal.org. 

The Greyhound Adoption League in Tucson is still having their fall event on Sunday, November 9th.  However, they will be relocating back to the Tucson Greyhound Park rather than the Pet Kennel location.  For those of you planning on attending you can find the track by getting up on an Internet map site of the city of Tucson. 

Both events will be great fun.  Hopefully, many of you can attend each of the reunions.  If that isn’t possible, try to join in at least one.  Remember, approximately half the greyhounds in the Southern California area originated from the Tucson track through the Greyhound Adoption League which supplies greys to Greyhound Connection in San Diego, SoCalGAL and Hemopet in Orange County and Retired Racers in Acton. 

	Kerene Cogan for her loss of Mr. Cooper
	Lowell & Arlene Baker for their sudden loss of Steve
	Gordon & Jerri Van Houten for their loss of Argus
	William & Jennifer Dey for their loss of the wonderful Pinky
	Marilyn Croteau for her loss of Kiowa