APRIL - Adopt a Greyhound Month!

BIG NEWS! Did you know that April is Adopt a Greyhound Month? Not only that, but we at Fast Friends Greyhound Rescue, Inc. will be celebrating our sixth birthday! Thanks to the very hard work of our dedicated volunteers, our group has placed over 375 greyhounds into their forever homes. Our group does not focus on numbers but on quality of adoptions. That is why our return rate remains low. We are proud of our record because we are located in a more rural and less populated area where we need to travel to do our work and reach out to potential adopters. In our six years, we have received an award from the SPCA International as well as from Greythound Guardians for the work we do to find homes for dogs that are less adoptable.

In our six years, we have consistently tried to focus on giving all greyhounds a chance at a forever home. We take in all greyhounds no matter what the problem. We reach out to other groups to help find homes for the harder to place greyhounds. We believe in giving every greyhound a chance at a forever home and find many adopters who also understand the value in each and every dog.

With pending legislation in Florida which may result in the closing of several tracks along with the bad economy, our group has experienced more pressure to take more dogs and help find homes for those that are left behind.

Therefore, during the month of April, we will be offering a number of incentives for adopting a greyhound. The adoption fee will be waived for any Craiger's List dog during the month to a QUALIFIED adopter. However, our group will make a donation in the adopter's honor to the Morris Animal Foundation for cancer research. We will offer reduced adoption fees to adopters who have adopted a greyhound from our group previously. We will also offer a special "goody" bag to first time adopters in addition to the many free items we supply.

If you are interested in adopting a greyhound, please visit our web site and read about the greyhound breed. If you feel that a greyhound is the type of dog that you would like to adopt, then submit your application.

Rainbow Bridge - Anybody (Haley)

January 18, 2000 - March 14, 2011

We are sorry to report that one of our Craiger's List dogs has passed on to the Rainbow Bridge. Haley was adopted by Chris and Amy Weaver who live in Waynesboro, PA.

Haley died during surgery to remove a very large tumor on her lung. Haley is one of six greyhounds that Amy and Chris have adopted; all of their greyhounds are like their children and are dearly loved.

Haley was on a farm in Kansas when we saw her photo. The owner was retiring and all of the dogs at his farm were being left with no place to go. Haley was a brood mom and a senior. We brought Haley here to Maryland and placed her on Craiger's List. Chris and Amy saw her and asked to adopt her.

Haley was eleven years old January 18. We know that, although she was a senior, Chris and Amy are very upset about losing one of their beloved hounds. They love greyhounds and have adopted two seniors in addition to the four younger dogs they adopted. The second dog they adopted from our group was also a Craiger's List dog. Hope was a very shy and fearful greyhound. But thanks to Chris and Amy's good care and patience, she has done wonderfully.

Chris and Amy have adopted two dogs from our group and have been wonderful volunteers. They have initiated meet and greets all over for us and have done many events as well. While we are sad that Chris and Amy have lost their beloved Haley, we know that she had a wonderful life and was greatly loved.

Rest in peace sweet Haley.

Spring Hints for Hounds

It is that time of year when we will be spending more time outside and taking our Hounds out with us. There are several things to remember as you work your way towards spring:

DID YOU KNOW?

Toxic Mulch
That attractive red cocoa mulch everyone seems to be using can be toxic to your dog? It is made from the cocoa cut hull and contains the same ingredient (theobromline) that is in chocolate.

Bees/Wasps
Most bees and wasps can sting only once BUT the yellow jacket can sting many times before it loses its toxic venom? They can also nest in the ground over the winter and as hounds trot around the yard the pests come out of the ground in a swarm to attack. Always keep Benadryl on hand and give (2-3 tsps.) immediately BEFORE you rush the hound to the vet or ER Clinic. Even if you “overdose” your hound on Benadryl the only usual side effect is drowsiness. Urgency is needed if stung near face, eyes or mouth.

Tools
Gardening Tools can be DEADLY? We have all seen or heard the cartoon where someone steps on a rake handle and flips up and hits them in the face. Tools are just as dangerous to your hounds. A garden rake with thick iron tines can puncture delicate hound skin and even cause internal injuries if left with tines turned upward.

Wheel Barrow - use extreme caution when leaving a wheel barrow sitting in the upright position around your hound. Hounds know to race and avoid people in the yard (most do) but the handles of the wheel barrow are nearly invisible to a hound racing in the yard. A hound can impale itself on the handles and cause serious injury and even death from such impact.

Electric Cords/Tools are especially tricky around hounds. You never know when a hound might decide to take off running and suddenly get tangled up in the cord and injure itself terribly.

Fertilizer/Lime – most “chemically treated” items used in a garden or yard to promote plant or grass growth have toxic qualities that may poison your hound. Use extreme care when choosing a product to use in the yard where your hound is contained.

Flowers/Plants – Many ordinary looking flowers and plants are toxic if ingested by your hound. Please check the internet for a list of “plants toxic to pets”.

Lawn Ornaments/Decorations are a beautiful addition to any home. Use caution when selecting where to place these items. Try to keep them out of the area your hound is allowed to access. If you must use them, place them in ways that your hound will not run into after dark or on one of their famous yard circles.
Car Windows- We all love the sight of the wind whipping our hound’s ears back - the smile that appears on the face as all the scents of the world rush past those magnificent glands in their nose. BUT be aware that insects, dirt, stones and other objects may cost you a vet visit. Items whizzing by at even 40 mph can cause major damage to your hound’s sensitive eye tissue. A small opening of the window will allow the same excitement for your hound and be less likely to cost you $.

Water Hazards- Families with pools of all types need to take care during the warmer months.

In-ground pools present their own special set of dangers for hounds. Hounds have no way of knowing that the surface of the water will not support their weight. If you have an in-ground pool, be sure to take your hound into it and show them how/where to get out in an emergency. Most hounds can swim but they have no idea of pool navigation.

Above Ground pools are not quite as dangerous BUT do not fool yourself into a false sense of safety. Hounds have been known to climb ladders! Be sure that your pool ladder is secured in the closed position when leaving it unattended.

Wading Pools – Seem totally innocent….they can be dangerous as well to a hound. Water any warmer than tepid can cause a hound to faint away. While we do not recommend freezing cold water which could cause hypothermia, monitor the wading pool temp before allowing your hound access. NEVER allow a hound unsupervised access to any water container.

Hoses – while not presenting a danger for drowning CAN be harmful to your hound. Hoses lying in the sun can generate very HOT water for the first five minutes of use. Take care that you cool the hose water down before allowing your hound to drink or be used on your hound’s body.

Commentary - Mud and Poop, Oh My!

Well, it’s that time of year again. We go from rain to ice to snow to thaw and back around again and again. And each time the weather changes, our yards look more like the face of the moon. And our hounds start behaving in ways that make us scratch our heads in puzzlement!

Paw wiping is just a part of having a dog and a muddy yard can always be fixed with a bale of hay and by reseeding in the spring. But what do you do when your hounds start eating POOP!!!

We get calls all the time at this time of year and we are never surprised. While experts disagree on the how and the why, we need to work on how to solve the problem.

Many people think it’s a behavior that goes back to ancient times. And when females give birth, they clean up after their pups. Most dogs keep their crates clean. Others say that poop is just digested food and why shouldn’t a dog be tempted? But either way, we humans believe it’s a nasty habit and it sometimes can make a dog sick or result in diarrhea.

There are products on the market that are supposed to discourage the behavior. These products claim, that if they are placed in a dog’s food, it will make the poop taste so bad that the dog will not eat it. It may work for some dogs, but not for others.

And it doesn’t help those dogs that also like to eat dirt! This is another problem that we get calls about too. There are even more theories about why dogs eat dirt, and we won’t go into them here (we risk putting ourselves to sleep!). And then there are the eaters of anything chewable like mulch, acorns, small branches, rocks, gravel, etc. These items can not only make a dog sick, but can cause blockages in the digestive system which can be life threatening.

We have found two almost “sure fire” ways to prevent opportunistic eating and it works every time. The first solution throws the problem right into the hands of the adopter. A clean yard will prevent a dog from eating anything you don’t want it to eat. And if you have multiple dogs, it helps even more because they won’t be tempted to eat each others’ feces.

Of course, the weather doesn’t always cooperate and it may take way too long to pick up every single rock, twig, etc. We highly recommend keeping feces cleaned up as often as possible because it not only cuts down on the eating, but it will keep dogs from walking through it and dragging it into the house.

The next best recommendation (and we use it here with every single dog) is to use the muzzle you are given when you adopt your greyhound. Of course, the muzzle alone won’t stop the eating because a dog can still get its tongue through the holes in the muzzle. However,you can buy a “stool cup”, a plastic cup that can be attached by zip ties, which fits on the inside of a large muzzle or on the outside of a small muzzle. The cup covers up the holes in the muzzle so the dog cannot get its tongue through it. These are very inexpensive and can solve a host of problems. Birdwell Enterprises, which makes these clever items, sells them for $3.50 each. A hound can breathe normally and go about its business but cannot get into anything (and that means anything) in your yard. The only work on your part is to remember to use the muzzle each time your dog goes out.

We are always looking for other clever ways to keep our hounds safe and happy so don't hesitate to let us know if you have an idea!

Meet and Greet Questions!

Thanks to Catie LaRocca for producing this GREYT video of the typical questions and opinions that we often get during a meet and greet event with our greyhounds. Enjoy!!!