Life changing billboard

Opportunity comes around where you least expect it. The year was 1998 and I was sitting in the Oakland Airport waiting for my flight back to L.A. My eyes focused on a billboard that changed my life.

I had been thinking about getting a dog now that I was on the road to self-employment. All my adult life I wanted a dog but worked too many hours to consider it. I had started to do online research and was leaning toward poodle rescue because that was the dog I grew up with. I thought I wanted a small dog that didn’t shed.

I looked up and there was a billboard of a greyhound wearing a stocking cap. Greyhound? The only greyhound I had ever seen was painted on the side of a bus.  Maybe it was the absurdity of the stocking cap or the kind look in the dog’s eyes but I wanted to know more. I wrote down the URL.

Once back home it took me all of 15 minutes to complete an application online. Then I read voraciously about greyhounds. Within the week, I received a call saying someone had to come to my house and talk to me and all the occupants. The adoption rep (Lynda) came with her greyhound who promptly vomited all over my patio; she said he was carsick. He (Cody) was a beautiful gentle giant.

Lynda made some recommendations for making my home and yard dog safe. I told her I wanted a petite female. After I was approved by the adoption group, it was time to meet some greyhounds. The first place they sent me was Garden Grove. I lived in Redondo Beach. After about six freeway interchanges and several wrong turns, I met Painter who was a big black and white male. He was kind of shy but walked well on leash.

The next day they told me I could meet a petite female but I had to drive to La Habra Heights, more freeway interchanges. I decided Painter was the one. While some people make their dog-choosing decisions on temperament, cat tolerance, or age – I based my decision on drive time.

Painter – a big hunk of greyhound love

Painter entered my home on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 1998 at 4 ½. He was my best friend until he went to the Rainbow Bridge on December 10, 2006 at 12 ½.  He was an ambassa-DOG and loved by many.

Being a greyhound adopter has changed my life in so many ways. While I love all dogs (I’m allergic to cats), there’s something magical and magnetic about the soul of a greyhound. Adopt one!

You can read how the airport billboard campaign happened and lucky for me that I was in the right place at the right time.

Thanks to The Greyhound Project for permitting me to use the billboard graphic.

Greyhound Blitz Events April 2013

April is National Adopt-a-Greyhound Month. Get Blitzed! Greyhounds have touched my heart and soul, and my pocketbook since 1998, and have altered my life in ways I never imagined. Greyhounds are addictive; they are like potato chips — you can’t just have one. If you haven’t met any greyhounds recently, I hope you check out one or more of these events.

Saturday, April 6 – Antigone Books – Meet & Greet – 11 am to 1 pm -Adopters and their hounds are invited to walk the 4th Avenue Merchant District. Stop by Silver Sea Jewelery (look for the blue awning & mermaid in the window) at 330 N. 4th Avenue to meet Lizzie Mead, greyhound adopter. Dogs will be treated to made-in-the USA dog biscuits and water bowl. With any store purchase, greyhound adopters will receive a free pair of animal-lover earrings. Location: 411 N. 4th Avenue (stop at the bookstore first for a list of dog-friendly restaurants).

Ebay auction for a UA Sweet 16 autographed basketball benefiting SA Greys – check it out! (ends April 7)

Saturday, April 6 – Loft Cinema Farmers Market, 8 to 11 am – Come stroll the market, support your local farmer or vendor, meet some greyhounds. Location: 3233 E. Speedway Boulevard.

Sunday, April 7 – Greyt Vines Wine Tasting Fundraiser at CataVinos Wine Shoppe - 4 to 6 pm – Taste 6 animal label themed wines, plus nibbles & nosh, double plus exciting raffle prizes. Admittance $20 ($10 tax deductible); $10 for non drinkers. Must be 21; sorry, no dogs. Artist Courtney Kelly sells her whimsical dog art; 10% of sales will be donated to SA Greys.   Advance ticket sales includes 2 free raffle tickets or just show up and pay at the door. Enjoy an adult beverage; bring your wine-drinking friends; support a locally-owned business. Location: 3063 N. Alvernon Way (1 block south of Ft. Lowell; plenty of street parking).

Fast dogs, Fast planes

Saturday, April 13 – Pima Air and Space Museum – 10 am to 2 pm – Meet the greyhounds in person. Pet the fast dogs while viewing the fast planes. Fee is required to enter the dog-friendly Museum grounds. Location: 6000 E. Valencia Road.

Sunday, April 14 – Dog Wash Fundraiser sponsored by Arizona Greyhound Rescue - 9 am – 1 pm – Wash & nail trim any breed, $10-15. The event happens at Pantano Animal Clinic located at 8333 E. 22nd Street from 9 am to 1 pm.

Mayoral Proclamation – Mayor Rothschild will proclaim April 19, 2013 as Tucson Greyhound Adoption Day!

Friday, April 19 – Rainbow Remembrance at Reid Park – 7 to 9 pm. Non-denominational ceremony conducted by Darla Norrish/Tucson Pet Cemetery. The event remembers beloved greyhounds who crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge. All greyhound adopters are invited regardless of where your hounds came from or if you your are new in town and not affiliated with any organization. Location: Ramada #17.

Sunday, April 21 – 19th Annual Tucson Earth Day Festival & Parade – 9 am to 2pm – Community event at Reid Park. Location: Country Club entrance. Free admission; bring your family for a day of fun. Volunteers wanted.

Wednesday, April 24 – Greyt Bites – California Pizza Kitchen – 11 am to closing – 20% of your bill will benefit the greyhounds when you present a flyer. Download the flyer here. Location: 4500 N. Oracle Road (Tucson Mall).

Thursday, April 25 – Royal Kia Tucson  – Meet & Greet – 11 am to 1 pm – Meet greyhounds who like to ride in cars. Location: 4343 E. Speedway Blvd.

Plus: Meet & Greets – Regularly scheduled at Petco and Petsmart. See Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption event calendar on website. Check out available greyhounds for adoption.

Visually impaired but loving life

Here are two sweet seniors dogs and both are visually impaired. Virgo who has one eye…actually helps Clio see as she has very limited vision. Both dogs have been with the same family since pups; they were adopted as fosters (i.e. foster failures in the kindest sense). These dogs have had vision issues all their lives.

The husband died and the wife had to relinquish the dogs because of her own medical problems.

The goal is to find them a loving home together.

Dogs: Clio & Virgo –females – Lab mix & Chow mix
Ages: 10 & 9
Qualities:  The blind leads the blind but nobody complains.

Call 520-722-3553 and ask about the senior for seniors program.

Adoption fee: $60 for both
Contact: Foundation for Animals In Risk (FAIR),  or e-mail at info@faircares.org

You can meet these 2 special dogs at:
PETsMART on 3850 W.River Road, Saturdays 10 am – 5 pm or Sundays noon – 4 pm

Find me somebody to love!

Update: Duchess found a foster home today. Thank you Cold Wet Noses. Also someone by the name of Michelle gave her a trim so her hair was no longer matted. In the photo of Facebook she looks hopeful. Thank you to whoever fostered her. You can follow the PACC dogs on Facebook.

Update #2: Tonight (Tuesday) I found out that Petra from PAWSitively Cats is fostering Duchess who is now in a home with six cats! Petra learned about Duchess from reading Tucson Tails and could not get this special dog out of her mind. Thank you Petra and Cold Wet Noses.

Can someone help this sweet girl? Look at that smile…she’s waiting for you.

Duchess is a 60-ish lb female Chow mix. She is 5 years old and came in with Duke, the 10 yr old Belgian Malinois, who was on last night’s rescue list. Duchess is extremely matted along her spine (feels like dense sheep wool.) She has also had severe diarrhea with a considerable amount of blood. It appears to be more stress related at this point.

Tucson Cold Wet Noses will pull Duchess with a foster home. They will pay all the medical bills.  Call 235-6309 or email terrigoddard@hotmail.com or go on line and fill out a foster application.

Duchess will be held through a minimum of 5 pm on March 31 for rescue efforts. Despite her very poor condition, she is a sweetheart who stands up and wags her tail to greet you.

Duchess has so little time to live; she will be euthanized if not spoken for. This is no way to treat a Duchess who is at Pima Animal Care – Her number is A429517. Don’t delay!

Belle enjoys a cocktail

Calling all people and their well behaved dogs to enjoy dining and cocktails on the gorgeous patio at La Cocina Restaurant to celebrate Handi-Dogs 40 years of serving southern Arizona. People without dogs are most welcome too!

Complimentary doggie cocktails and doggie appetizers from Doggie Delights by Kay will be served to all well-mannered, leashed dogs (while supplies last).

People may order from La Cocina’s delicious food & bar menu; a  percentage of your check will benefit Handi-Dogs. Other fundraising activities include games and a raffle.

What: Dine with Your Dog: Handi-Dogs 40th Anniversary Spring Celebration
When: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 from 5 to 9 pm
Where: La Cocina Restaurant, 201 N. Court Ave, Tucson (in Old Town Artisans)
Cost: Free admission

La Cocina has — in Tucson Tails’ humble opinion — Tucson’s best courtyard patio and on a temperate evening — it’s a win-win.

Handi-Dogs, is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which since 1973 has helped seniors and people with disabilities of all ages gain independence and self-esteem by helping them train their own dogs to be their service, therapy, or well-mannered companion dogs. Affordable training is done in our air-conditioned training center and via one-on-one training for service dogs across Tucson. In addition to offering service and therapy dog training classes, Handi-Dogs offers ‘drop-in’ classes for seniors(65+) who want help training their pet dog.

Rescued pups from the Tucson desert

I wish some Arizona or Pima County or any county legislator would have the balls to make backyard breeding a big fine or a crime. Of course, I don’t know — in this case — if it’s a backyard breeder but that would be a good place to start. Then there are people who want puppies but then it’s more than they bargained for. Thanks to the good Samaritan who turned them into the HSSA.

from the press release

Six 7-week-old puppies were dumped with no food, no water and left for dead in a cardboard box in the middle of the Tucson desert.

While geo-caching, a good Samaritan discovered one puppy wandering around near the cardboard box, most likely in search of food. When he approached the box he could hear whimpering and to his shock found the puppies overheated and starving. One of the puppies in the box had already died; one was extremely dehydrated and lethargic while the other four waited patiently to be found.

All six of the puppies were brought to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. The puppies were extremely weak and shortly after arrival another puppy was lost to dehydration. The remaining four puppies were provided with food, water, fluids and are recovering in foster care.

“If this Samaritan hadn’t brought the remaining puppies in when he had, all of them would have died” said Samantha Esquivel Public Relations Lead.
The puppies will stay in foster care until they are at a healthy weight and ready for adoption.

Animal dumping is cruelty and it is a crime. Please take the time to stay cognizant and anonymously report any animal cruelty you see by calling the Animal Cruelty Taskforce of Southern Arizona at 520-547-0260 or call 88-CRIME.

The HSSA would also like to remind people as it warms up dogs and cats will be going into heat and it is the prime time for litters to be born.

Don’t litter! Please remember to spay and neuter your animal. The HSSA provides low-cost spay and neuter surgery to the public. To schedule your appointment please call 520.327.6088, ext. 137.

Hawaiian shirts rule!

This weekend (March 22, 23, 24)  the Humane Society of Southern Arizona is throwing a Spring Break Adoption Extravaganza with food, fun and free adoptions.

What:
Waived adoption fees for all mixed-breed dogs 5 months and older and 25 pounds and over, as well as waived adoption fees for all mixed-breed cats 5 months and older. Not only do you get a pet that is microchipped, vaccinated, spayed or neutered and vetted, but you’ll also go home with a gift bag full of enrichment toys, treats and supplies. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona has more than 300 pets that need to find forever homes.

When:
•    Friday, March 22, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Free adoptions start at 11 a.m., but enjoy the fun as we extend our hours through 7 p.m. Kids can participate in a coloring contest and the whole family can enjoy free tropical eegee’s drinks (little umbrellas, flowers and leis included) starting at 4 p.m.

•    Saturday, March 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tucson’s scrumptious Food Truck Roundup will kick-off the weekend with a parking lot full of gourmet grub on the go from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kids can enjoy a coloring contest while families mingle with adoptable pets during meet and greet time.

•    Sunday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The main shelter’s adoption lobby will be open early, at 10 a.m. Enjoy free cupcakes adorned with sugar puppies and have the kids participate in critter‐themed activities. Plus, every adopter will go home with a free cookbook featuring recipes for people and pets – in addition to a gift bag and a free new best friend!

Where:
The adoption specials will be available at all HSSA adoption locations, but come to our main shelter (at 3450 N. Kelvin Blvd.) for all the spring-themed fun!

(Venus is the dog featured on the flyer. She is  a 7-month old Shepherd mix and one of 300 animals available for adoption at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. She has a waived adoption fee this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Venus looks great in a Hawaiian shirt.)

Smiling Dog Rescue

For the month of March 2013 Beading Divas to the Rescue is proud to be selling bracelets and raising funds for Smiling Dog Rescue of Tucson.

Smiling Dog Rescue began in January of 2007 when Rica Powell was asked to help out a smiling pit bull set for euthanasia at a kill shelter in Southern Arizona. Being made aware of this one endangered and innocent life led to a greater awareness of a sad reality – the enormous number of pit bull and pit bull-type dogs who too often end their lives in high kill shelters – merely because of the way they look.

Never looking back, since that time Smiling Dog Rescue has rehabilitated and re-homed more than 1,400 unwanted, stray and abandoned pit bulls, bully type dogs, as well as many other types of dogs from all over southern Arizona. Awesome!

Smiling Dog Rescue believes that in order to accomplish restoring the pit bull to their former position of reverence and high esteem – it is vital to eliminate all backyard breeding, dog fighting and the inhumane treatment they suffer at the hands of people who believe the stereotypes.You can follow them on Facebook (where they have more than 8,000 likes!)

You can buy beautiful one-of-a-kind bracelets ($20) locally at:

–-Silver Sea Jewelry & Gifts, 330 N. 4th Avenue, 624-9954
–-Clues Unlimited Mystery Book Store, 3146 E. Fort. Lowell Road (SE corner Country Club), 326-8533 (closed Sun/Mon)
–-A K Jensen Apparel, (St. Philips Plaza), 4340 N. Campbell Ave., Suite 72, 529-2775
–-Sissy’s Pet Salon, 7350 N La Cholla Blvd (by Albertsons), 229-9898 (limited selection)

You can buy bracelets online via Etsy (add $5.50 S&H)

A dazzling array of bracelets will be for sale at the 4th Avenue Fair on March 22, 23, 24 – look for the booth directly across from Silver Sea. All bracelets come with a paw charm; one size fits most.

Beading Divas bracelets help animal charities

Foster me! Foster me! Foster me!

It seems every shelter and rescue group needs foster homes.

from the HSSA press release

It happens every spring and summer. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona receives hundreds of tiny newborn puppies and kittens with their eyes barely open who require tender loving – and oftentimes intensive – care. Critical to their survival are the foster care volunteers who come forward and assume the role of surrogate parents for these vulnerable infants until they are old enough to enter permanent homes.

The HSSA Foster Care Program saves literally thousands of lives each year and there is always a need for more help. To start litter season prepared and on a positive note, the HSSA is hosting a Foster Care Carnival. This fun and festive celebration will highlight the vital work of foster volunteers and will include games, refreshments, adorable animals and experts on hand to answer questions. This family-friendly evening is open to all animal lovers and will be held from 6‐8 pm on Monday, March 18, at the Companions for Life Center, 3465 E. Kleindale Rd. (right around the corner from the main shelter).

If you think you have what it takes to be a hero for a homeless pet, save the day with the HSSA! Please join the celebration to discover to joys of fostering or call Peggy Johnston at (520)321-3704, ext. 131, for details.

What: Humane Society of Southern Arizona Foster Care Carnival
When: 6‐8 pm Monday, March 18
Where: Companions for Life Center, 3465 E. Kleindale, Rd.
Who: Animal lovers of all ages

Courtesy of Sled Dog Action Coalition – A dog is being dragged on the ice. He may be dead or unconscious. The musher lies comfortably on the sled.

Here’s another kind of dog racing that is no better than dog fighting because dogs die and are put through senseless cruelty in the name of winning money. Where’s the transparency? The person who leads a the dog team is called a musher and they have a choice as to whether or not they want to participate in this grueling competition; the dogs have no choice.

Lately, the purses are smaller and some sponsorships have withdrawn. I looked at the current sponsorships and see Wells Fargo. I have been a Wells Fargo customer for decades and waffled through the banking escapades. Now that I see Wells Fargo sponsoring animal cruelty — that just sealed the nail on my financial coffin with them.  If you are angry that Wells Fargo sponsors animal cruelty — please tell them!

How many dogs die after the race? The Iditarod Trail Committee does not release information about dogs who die after the race. (similar to greyhound racing)

From the Sled Dog Action Coalition – At least 142 dogs have been run to death or have died from other causes in the Iditarod. There is no official count of dog deaths available for the race’s early years.

Here are a few FAQs
How do the Iditarod dogs live when they are not racing?

The Iditarod Dog Sled Race has led to an increase in the number of husky dog kennels in Alaska. In these kennels, many dogs are treated cruelly. Many kennels have more than 100 dogs. Some have as many as 200 dogs. None of the kennels is inspected or supervised by the State of Alaska. Mushers raise many dogs hoping that a few will be strong enough to run in the race.

Do these mushers cull or kill unwanted dogs?

Culling is a common practice among mushers. The Iditarod mushers breed many dogs, hoping to get a few who will be fast enough to race. According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, “Killing unwanted sled-dog puppies is part of doing business” (October 6, 1991), most of the mushers cull by shooting their dogs in the head. (not unlike greyhound racing).

An animal who is not properly restrained when the musher shoots may suffer an agonizing death. Mushers also cull dogs who are injured in the Iditarod, old but otherwise healthy dogs, or any dog who is not wanted for any reason.

More info about Iditarod and animal cruelty and here 2009 – 6 dead dogs and more dog deaths.

Most recent – Iditarod mushers kill thousands of dogs. (Care2.com)