Putting his best paws forward

Eat for the Greyhounds
Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption (SA Greys) has been seen around town this month at numerous events putting their best paws forward. If you like California Pizza Kitchen or have never eaten there — consider going on Wednesday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to closing – a percentage of you check will be donated to SA Greys. You have to download a flyer and present it to your server in order for the fundraising to occur. Take your friends! Eat lunch and dinner there! Take your soccer team and book group. Eat. Eat. Eat. CPK is located at the Tucson Mall where the is plenty of free parking and a huge menu (much more than pizza).

Greyhounds in Gettysburg
Here’s a fabulous greyhound fundraiser called GIG (Greyhounds in Gettysburg). Aside from seeing all the greyhounds in a historical setting, one of the most knowledgeable pet food safety experts will be giving a talk as well as being the keynote speaker. If you can’t go to Gettysburg, you can still subscribe to Susan Thixton’s newsletter, Truth About Pet Food. Always enlightening.

GALT Auction
2 Hounds by Design hosts some awesome auctions for greyhound rescues. And there’s one going on now for Greyhound Adoption League of Texas. Check out the wide range of auction items. GALT’s motto is “no grey in need turned away.” This means taking in puppies through retired racers, including those with broken legs or other injuries; strays, often mixes, who usually come with multiple health issues including tick-borne diseases and heartworms, and sometimes need over a year of care to become healthy. And they take in seniors, regardless of age.

Proceeds from this auction will help defray the substantial veterinary cost that comes with the commitment of not turning any greyhounds away.

Tucson Greyhound Park
If you have been watching KVOA, Channel 4, you may have seen some promos for Thursday April 25 – 10 pm “dog track troubles.” Tune in. You can stream it live if you don’t live in Tucson. This is a must-see TV investigative segment.

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(Photo: Jett Greyhound doesn’t let his paw problems stop him. Here he goes toe to toe with admirers he met at the Pima Air & Space Museum.)

Gracie & Winston help each other

This is an uplifting story how two dogs with special needs help each other. Gracie, the black lab mix, is blind in one eye and Winston, the greyhound, is deaf. The following was told to me by David Grasse.

Tell me about Winston.

Winston is a white male greyhound with black ticking that makes him look somewhat like a very tall, very fast Dalmatian. He weighs in at 75 pounds and is a former track dog. Winston had a very short career as a racer – only 14 races – probably because he contracted an ear infection. The infection was not treated at the track and it ended up costing Winston his hearing. The bright side of the story is he was retired early before anything worse happened to him.

Winston like walks, naps, steak bones, peanut-butter, more naps, petting, and the “whip game” as I call it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a Greyhound owner. Basically, I tied an old plushy toy to the end of horse/buggy whip and I move it about in big sweeping circles and let Winston chase after it. He does so with great enthusiasm. Winston will play this game until he is quite literally unable to run anymore. The game also serves to keep him in shape and keeps him healthy.

Why did you want to adopt a greyhound?

I had wanted a dog for awhile and was considering various breeds including German Shepherd, Russian Wolfhound, and Greyhound. I took one of those “what kind of dog is right for your personality” tests on some website and the answer came back as “Greyhound.” This and familiarity with the breed from spending time with Lizzie Mead’s hounds convinced me a Greyhound would be the perfect companion. Of course, now I want another.

When did you adopt him? At what age?

I adopted Winston from Arizona Greyhound Rescue two years ago at the age of 3. His birthday is January 6.

When did you realize he was deaf?

It was Lizzie Mead who actually discovered Winston’s hearing loss. He was standing at the back fence at her house looking intently out between the wooden slats when Lizzie came up behind him. She reached out a hand to pet him and at her touch Winston nearly jumped out of his own spotted coat. It was at that moment she realized Winston had not been able to hear her coming up behind him even though she was walking noisily across gravel. Lizzie shared her suspicions with me, and after a few further experiments we determined he was indeed hard of hearing.

Tell me about his separation anxiety.

Winston does not like to be separated from me for long periods of time. He will deal with it if he has other people or dogs to keep him company, but if left alone, he will try desperately to get out and find me (or someone). In his attempts to escape the house, he has destroyed numerous sets of horizontal blinds, taken out wooden fence slats, and once almost ruined a patio door and screen, pulling off the aluminum mesh and then taking them completely off the rail. Winston does not lack resolve – if he wants something he will do all he can to get it.

From Facebook, I know he escaped a few times – can you describe one episode?

One Sunday morning, before Gracie began spending her weekdays with us, I left Winston alone while I popped down to the grocery store to pick up food for the week. When I returned home I found the living room window hanging wide open and Winston disappeared. I immediately went looking for him. Thankfully, he has a predilection for marking every upright object he encounters, so he had only made it about a block from the house. So, I wrangled him into the Jeep and brought him home. I secured the window, latching it shut and then went outside to tug on it to make sure it was locked down tight.

That same afternoon, I was at an event when I received a phone call from one of the neighbors saying she had found Winston wandering aimlessly around the complex and had taken him in. I immediately returned home and retrieved Winston. When I finally got in the apartment I discovered that Winston had figured out how to open the window by pushing up on the latch with his nose and then pushing the window open with his front paws until he had enough space to crawl up and out. While I was impressed with his canine ingenuity, I knew something had to be done or he was going to end up as road-kill. This is when I called Jean.

Tell me under what circumstances Winston and Gracie got together.

Gracie’s adopter, Jean Rettus, had to go in to the hospital for surgery. During this period, a number of people volunteered to care for her dogs while she was convalescing. Lizzie Mead chose to take Gracie in and that is where Winston met Gracie. For some reason, out of all the dogs that were there (Lizzie has three greyhounds) Gracie seemed to imprint on Winston. She would follow him about everywhere.

On one occasion, Gracie was following close behind Winston and she turned to look back over her shoulder for just a moment. Of course, Gracie only has one eye, so her field of vision is limited. Just as she looked back, Winston abruptly stopped. Not realizing this, Gracie continued forward and ran right into Winston’s back legs. Winston almost collapsed on top of her. It was quite the sight. We had a good laugh over it.

How has Gracie helped Winston?

Gracie seems to temper Winston’s separation anxiety. Though they don’t really interact much, Winston seems comforted just knowing she is in the house. I pick Gracie up on Sunday night and return her to Jean on Friday night.

Are you working with a dog trainer to also help Winston?

Winston has been seeing a trainer and is in the process of learning sign language/hand commands. He has mastered come, stay, let go and some others. Thankfully, he is a bright dog, so he picks up the concepts quickly. We did discover in working with Winston that he is not completely deaf and can hear the upper register of sounds and sub and super sonic tones. This has made recall training a little simpler. Overall, it seems to be helping with both his obedience and his anxiety.

David Grasse & Winston

Do you have any words of wisdom for people with special needs dog?

Don’t assume your dog is stupid just because s/he has special needs. Winston may well be deaf but he isn’t dumb (as he has proved numerous times).

Jean Rettus says she is fine with the arrangement and happy that Gracie can help Winston. While Gracie is under David’s care, he has to put ointment in her bad eye. Gracie enjoys her weekend time at home but gets excited when David comes to pick her up.

David Grasse is a third-generation Arizona native and has a Masters Degree from UA. He works as a librarian at the Arizona State Prison Complex on Wilmot and supplements his income writing books about the Old West.

heartwarming tale about unconditional love

Comet’s Tale – How the dog I rescued saved my life

By Steven D. Wolf

I loved this book about a rescued greyhound that rescued her adopter who was in declining health.

The book is written in first person, not my favorite writing style. The author was an Omaha lawyer with a bad back. His wife suggested that he spend the winters in Sedona. One day he was walking through a grocery store parking lot and saw a crowd of people and went to check it out. It was a meet & greet for greyhounds. There he met Maggie McCurry.

I know Ms. McCurry so I was floored to read a book where I knew one of the characters. The greyhound world is small, a microcosm of people trying to make life better for these precious creatures. I once interviewed McCurry for a breed specific magazine for an article about making successful public service announcements. Her organization, Wings for Greyhounds, used to fly greyhounds from racetracks to adoption groups. The service is no longer available.

Like most people who meet greyhounds the first time, these dogs like magnets stick in your mind. Greyhounds are magical.

Eventually the author gets a dog who is was rescued fromTucson Greyhound Park. Fortunately, he has nothing good to say about greyhound racing throughout the entire book.

Comet is a brindle (tiger stripe) greyhound (who resembled Lily my second greyhound) and she is really good (Comet not Lily) and if she is not, he doesn’t mention it. My dogs shred paper and counter surf and occasionally rip things up but Comet is perfect.  She can almost walk on water. I do know some greyhounds like that; my first greyhound Painter was 99% good boy.

The author says, “She grasped my needs quickly, almost intuitively, and readily accepted my instruction. She acknowledged my alpha role in our relationship and clearly took pride in helping me. Yet she was also stubbornly independent and didn’t hesitate to let me know when I was asking her to do something deemed beneath her station – like shake hands.”

“My friends in rescue groups often recited a familiar list of greyhound attributes – quizzical, shy, sensitive, gentle, superior intelligence, surprising independence, athletic, quiet, and lovingly loyal   but these words fell short of describing Comet.”

He also provides a lot of history about the breed that even I didn’t know.

The book covers a period of years and Comet really does save his life and becomes famous along the way.  She really asks for very little in return.

There were things that I didn’t like as he anthropomorphized her a lot. Really? As much I like to think I am in tune with my hounds, I don’t know what they’re thinking.  I know when they’re apprehensive (tail between legs) and hungry and want a t.r.e.a.t. but that’s all I know. I don’t think they are deep thinkers.

I’m hoping after people read this book (it’s at the Pima County Library and was for sale at Costco around Christmas and on Amazon) they might consider adopting a greyhound or volunteering for a greyhound rescue group.

The pro racing people hate the word “rescue” because they don’t think greyhounds don’t need to be rescued. I wish I had a buck for every person who has ever asked me, “Are they rescues?” You bet. They are rescued from an industry where dogs die, where dogs are routinely injured with broken hocks and broken legs, where a 3 year old racing greyhound is found dead in her crate on a December morning and the vet thinks it’s natural causes and the regulating agency refers to the dog as an “it” and places “its carcass in the freezer.”            HELL, YES, THEY ARE RESCUED – the lucky dogs, that is!

Thanks to Mr. Wolf for letting readers what wonderful pets greyhounds can be!

Tucson racing greyhounds steroids ban official

Good News: The Tucson City Council ban on steroids for racing greyhounds is official . Thanks to Councilman Kozachik for leading the way. Let’s hope Pima County makes the same strides in good judgment. Let’s hope there is a leader and animal lover among the Board of Supervisors to advocate for the health and safety of racing greyhounds.

Kudos to Tim Vanderpool of the Tucson Weekly for another hard-hitting story about the crap at the local Tucson dog track and all the tentacles attached to it including the hollow Arizona Department of Racing and the toxic bond between the City of South Tucson and some Pima County bureaucrats.

How many people will lose their jobs?
In previous media segments, the general manager & CEO repeatedly says that if the dog track closes 140 people will lose their jobs. That number is misleading.

In this past legislative session, a business bill was brought by Tucson Greyhound Park for the second year in a row. But in the 2012 session, the bill passed. The bill sponsors were Michelle Reagan & JD Mesnard. SB 1273 allows Tucson Greyhound Park to decouple after 100 race days. So far, 100 race days have come and gone since the bill was signed in May.

To decouple means the track could stay open without live dog racing and instead simulcast other races. Apache Greyhound Park in Apache Junction, AZ does just that.

If the track stayed open for simulcast, many people would still remain employed. Tucson Tails only wants the cruel “blood sport” of state sanctioned dog abuse to end. Gambling via simulcast? Have at it. Better yet, go to a Native American gaming casino where there is no gambling on blood sports and where no four-legged animals are injured, doped or die.

In a November 10, 2011 article in the El Independiente newspaper , TGP’s general manager said, “We have 135 employees, 65 percent of which are high school students.”

Let’s do the math: 65 percent of 135 employees are equal to 87.75. Let’s round up to 88 employees who are high school students, part-time after school. They don’t get unemployment benefits.

140 employees less 88 = 52 employees

Of the 52 employees, two are track veterinarians, working part-time; they both work at other vet practices. A third veterinarian is employed by the State, not the track.

52 less 3 = 49 employees

The kennel operators and kennel helpers are independent contractors not employees. If there are 9 kennels and approximately one dozen helpers, that’s approximately 21 people who won’t be getting unemployment benefits.

49 less 21 = 28 employees

According to the dog track website there is the director of racing, racing secretary, assistant racing secretary, programs manager, player development person, 3 track stewards (employed by the state not track), a chartwriter & data entry (2 people), a starter, weigh-in person, operator, and track announcer. Some of these people are part-time and have other day jobs.  Most likely these 14 employees will lose their TGP jobs.

If the track remains open for simulcasting like the decoupling bill gives them the option to, people have jobs such as a food & beverage manager (1 person) plus servers; security guards; human resources manager/office manager (1 person); controller; plant maintenance operations; IT personnel; pari-mutuels managers & tellers.

As you can see 140 people will not lose their jobs and will not be getting on the unemployment rolls. Misleading.

Dine out for the hounds

Tucson Tails is proud to give a heads up to its readers that Greyt Bites Fundraiser for Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption happens Tuesday October 9 at California Pizza Kitchen in the Tucson Mall.  Thank you to CPK for their generosity as they are giving back 20 percent of your dining checks to this well deserving non-profit group who transitions retired racing Tucson greyhounds to forever homes. “It doesn’t get any better than that!” says Jett Greyhound. “Help my greyhound pals find loving homes with lots of soft beds like me.”

In order for SA Greyhound Adoption to reap the benefits of your eating prowess, you MUST bring in a flyer which you can download here. Please make copies and pass out to  your neighbors and co-workers. The CPK donation is good all day from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and you can eat-in or takeout. Here’s a bright idea: Why don’t you eat in and take some for later? Or feed your entire office or Girl Scout troop?

CPK has the best BBQ chicken pizza. They also originated the BBQ chicken pizza. I like their BBQ chopped salad. My life is a salad. Check out the menu. Note the menu designations for kids, gluten-free, allergens, vegans, and vegetarians. Wow!

California Pizza Kitchen is located in the southern end of the Tucson Mall.

Download the flyer here and don’t forget to bring it with you. Thank you

Tucson Tails, the pet blog of Southern Arizona, has been a Tucson Citizen blog since Feb. 1, 2011…397 blogs and counting…

Happy to race to the couch

Update: The Council unanimously passed the steroid ban in the City of Tucson, now joining South Tucson in the steroid injecting ban. Thank you dear Council and Mayor. Karin Uhlich asked the dog track general manager how often and where else he skirts the law. Bingo! You can view the KGUN9 segment here. Please contact the media and thank them for keeping this important humane issue in the forefront. And don’t forget to thank the Mayor and City Council.

Four paws up from my house today for the Arizona Daily Star‘s opinion, “Dog-racing industry a model of disregard.”

According to the article:

“Will Tucson Greyhound Park always do what’s best for the dogs?

History says no. The greyhound racing industry again and again has shown disregard for the dogs.

We all, hopefully, remember the 140 greyhounds who went missing from the track between 2005 and 2006.

State authorities eventually assumed the dogs were killed by a hauler.

In 2010, eight dogs baked to death on their way to Tucson.

More recently, greyhound activists have released footage of dogs crammed into dark cages. In that video, a trainer discusses serving the dogs 4D meat, which is such a bad grade charcoal is mixed in to ensure people don’t eat it.

The law South Tucson voters approved bans this meat and ensures a minimum of time outside for the dog.

We support Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik’s effort to have the council adopt a ban similar to South Tucson’s.”

You can read the full article here

Thanks to Councilman Steve Kozachik for leading the pack on this important humane issue.

In my humble opinion, the only people who are in favor of dosing the female greyhounds with testosterone steroids are the people who make money off their backs.

Photo: Jett raced 150 times. Then he raced into my heart.

Dine out for the hounds

Greyt Bites – BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Everyone must eat so considering eating at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse on Tuesday September 11 from 3 to 8 p.m. Eat for Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption, a local adoption group which transitions retired racing greyhounds from track to forever home.

Diners must present a special flier. Then 15 % of your order for food sales benefits the non-profit organization.

You can download the flier here – click on the BJ’s logo.

Help the greyhounds by dining out. The menu offers something for every appetite (pizza, sandwiches, ribs, salads, etc.) including gluten-free items plus lots of brews and liquid refreshment for beer drinkers and designated drivers alike.

Tell your family, friends, and co-workers about this fundraiser at 5510 E. Broadway Blvd @ Craycroft.

Rocky suffered from urinary tract infections

On February 10, 2010, I went to my one and only (so far) Arizona Department of Racing Commission meeting on Washington Street in Phoenix. I was one of several advocates who were there to represent a legislative bill that never made it out of the starting box.

Numerous people on both sides of the issues were permitted 5 minutes to speak. The representative for the kennel operators and breeders spoke. I remember his words as they have always ached like a bone caught in my throat. He said that he starts injecting females at 1 year old and would do nothing to hurt his producers.

Aha, herein is the difference between him and me. Herein is the difference between the greyhound racing industry and the greyhound adopters: We don’t think of our dogs as “producers.” We think of our dogs as beloved pets. By the time we get our hands and hearts on retired racing greyhounds, they are spayed or neutered. We have no interest in further breeding them. We have no interest in making money off their backs.

The 2008 Tucson Dog Protection ballot initiative asked for three humane conditions to be instituted at Tucson Greyhound Park. One of the conditions was to stop injecting anabolic steroids to female dogs. The purpose of shooting up dogs is to prevent the females from going into season.  When females go into season, they cannot race. If they cannot race, they cannot make money. Female dogs go into season (heat) two times a year for three weeks.

After steroid injections, some female greyhounds suffer from perivulvar dermatitis, a painful chronic skin condition also known as vulvar fold dermatitis or crotch rot. The condition is difficult to resolve unless done surgically. Sometimes the condition requires a lifetime of management.  Also, long-term use of anabolic steroids in dogs is known to cause urine scald, urinary tract infections, urine incontinence, and genital abnormalities.

In 2008, the Tucson Dog Protection ballot initiative passed by the good people of South Tucson even though the mayor had a sign in her front yard opposing it. Yet, years later the dog track continues to thwart the will of the people.

Thank you to KGUN9 for their commitment to exposing the facts, the ugly facts associated with greyhound racing in our community. While the track is in South Tucson, the name of the track is Tucson Greyhound Park – so the city of Tucson gets smeared by proxy across the country.  Please call or email KGUN-TV and thank them and ask them to continue their dogged reporting on this important issue.

Photo: Courtesy Susan Via. The brindle dog’s racing name was Riki D’s Starwar but her pet name was Rocket J. Dog, Rocky for short.  She was incredibly shy and scared at first, but was the sweetest dog that ever was.  Rocky had heart and blood pressure problems, and suffered from terrible urinary tract infections (UTIs) earlier in her life right after she left the track.  She raced more than 50 times in less than 2 years.  Rocky struggled to breathe due to congestive heart failure and fluid buildup in her lungs.  Her suffering ended in 2007 when she was put to rest. The family still misses Rocky very much.

Watch KGUN-9 tonight (Monday) at 10 p.m. They are featuring Tucson Greyhound Park.

You may have already seen the previews; it’s not a puff piece.

KGUN-9 is not afraid to tackle hard topics and Tucson Tails thanks them for their doggedness.

Happy Gotcha Day to Jett Greyhound

Today is my greyhound Jett’s “Gotcha Day.” We celebrate everything around here. Gotcha means the day he came to my house to see if he would stay. He did. I gotcha babe from Greyhounds-2-Go adoption group. Jett is a retired racing greyhound. He raced in Phoenix and Tucson and retired at 4 1/2 after 150 races. And since that day two years ago when he came to my house, we do the happy dance.

While all greyhounds have some similar traits, each has his or her own personality.

For instance, Jett loves children. Since there are none in my house, we sometimes see kids on our walks or he goes to school. This past year we went to a kindergarten class at C.E. Rose Elementary School where he easily outweighed most of the kids who wanted to pet him. And we also regularly visit Doolen Middle School where the kids learn about greyhound racing, adopting a greyhound, and can interact with Jett up close and personal and write him sweet notes. It’s a love fest all around.

Pet me! Pet me!

One of the most frequent questions we get asked from the kids and the teachers is — are greyhounds grey? Ah, no. Greyhounds come in 18 different colors and variations — black/white (parti), brindle, brindle tuxedo, dark brindle, fawn, fawn tuxedo, red, red/white, white, white with fawn, white with brindle, black, black tuxedo and blue which is really a brownish/silver and blue brindle. Blues are  rare. I describe Jett as white with brindle patches and lots of freckles.

Greyhound adopters are a tad weird. I’m the first to admit that. It’s a character flaw that I embrace.

You Know You’re a Greyhound Owner When…
By Shasta Wilson, CalGAP Volunteer

–You enjoy having a dog that looks like a small deer.
–You find yourself yelling “small dog” every time a Chihuahua walks by, even when your dog isn’t with you.
–You get excited when your dog plays with toys for the first time.
–The spectacle of your dog running brings silence to the dog park.
–Your dog has gone by at least two names. (Jetty Spaghetti, Jett-setter, JettBlue, the Jettster)
–You find yourself accessorizing your dog’s neck.
–You go to dog events.
–Your dog’s wardrobe rivals your own.
–You’ve perfected your explanation about the difference between greyhounds and whippets.
–Your dog has his own playgroup.
–You still have to lift your male dog into the car.
–You have at least one dog medication in the cabinet.
–You haven’t heard your dog’s bark in a week.
–The terms “dog chiropractor” and “dog acupressure” don’t seem weird.
–You realize that it actually is possible for a creature to spend 8 hours asleep in one place during the day.
–Your dog spends more time socializing with other people at the dog park than other dogs.
–Your dog eats healthier food than your kids or you.
–Your husband is no longer the gassiest member of the house.

And what I find particularly interesting is that friends will phone and even friends who are not particularly dog lovers will ask, “How are the kids?” Yep, my dogs are my kids. Not only do they eat healthier food than I do; they have far better health care than I do.