Vladimir and Vitali

Retired Racing Greyhounds Vlad and Vitali at “Trunk or Treat” Event

Posted by stevepryor on November 1, 2014
Posted in: Planet Greyhound, Rescued/Retired Greyhounds, Vladimir and Vitali. Tagged: , , , , .

Once again doing their part to show people what great additions to a household ex racing greyhounds are, Planet Greyhound brothers, Vlad & Vitali participated in a “Trunk or Treat” in Cobden, Il. To many kids, they were just as much a treat as the candy being passed out, and many adults seemed to get a kick out of them also!.

Our little group was made up of David & Cheryl Stewart, Fred & Paula Stearns, Tim & Kendall Waller, Steve & Cindy Pryor and of course the V-twins, Vladimir & Vitali.

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Vladimir and Vitali at Vulture Fest (Spreading The Word About Ex Racing Greyhound Adoption)

Posted by stevepryor on October 19, 2014
Posted in: greyhound meet and greets, Greyhounds meeting the public, Planet Greyhound, Vladimir and Vitali. Tagged: , , , , , .

20141018_14504420141018_14225320141018_14225920141018_14491220141018_144908We recently attended the “Vulture Fest” in Makanda, Il and the Planet Greyhound boys (Vladimir and Vitali) took the opportunity to turn it into a meet & greet of sorts.

Cindy & I would not walk but a few steps before people would ask about them or if they could pet them, take a picture with them, etc… and when those people would walk away we would not move but a few steps before it happened again….and we loved every minute of it!  We found a few people who said they were actively interested and took brochures and other information after seeing how well the boys interacted with other dogs, people and especially kids.  The most common comments were, “I never realized greyhounds were so tall”,  “their hair is so soft”, “are they always so laid back and gentle” and a few people asked if they were Salukis, we would tell them, no, Salukis are smaller (average 40 to 60 lbs) with females usually at the lower ranges and Salukis have longer “hanging” ears.  Greyhounds average from approximately 60 to 88 lbs.  Another sighthound that more resembles a greyhound is a whippet, but they are much smaller with a average weight range of approximately 15 to 40 lbs.  At an average height of 28 to 30 inches tall at the shoulders for males, Greyhounds are also taller than many more well known breeds, such as Dobermans, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Labradors…etc.

You would think we would be used to it by now, but the attention they get is remarkable and we use that attention to spread the word about ex racing greyhound adoption.

To all you people who have greyhounds and you NEVER take them anywhere unless there are only other greyhounds around, you are (in my opinion) doing them and greyhound adoption programs a very big disservice as we hear occasionally people say they were somewhere and people that were there with a greyhound acted almost snobbish and would not really let their dogs fully interact with their dogs. These same people would go on to say that they had at times given a thought to bringing a greyhound into their home, but the actions of the aforementioned people led them to believe that greyhounds were difficult and would not be able to co-exist with their current household pets.

The Further Adventures of Vladimir and Vitali

Posted by stevepryor on February 7, 2013
Posted in: greyhound exploitation, greyhound rescue, greyhound videos, Murphysboro Dog Park, Rescued/Retired Greyhounds, Vladimir and Vitali. Tagged: , , , , . 3 Comments

Sorry it’s been so long since the last post, but with my mom being sick and my travels back and forth to Louisiana, I’ve had other things on my mind.

Today was a beautiful day so I took the opportunity to take Vladimir and Vitali, our two rescued greyhound brothers, up the road a few miles to the Murphysboro dog park. We were the only ones there for about an hour, then a couple showed up with their 2 dogs and a short time later more people started to take advantage of the nice weather and get their dogs out for some exercise and socialization. We stayed approximately four hours and the boys were totally exhausted when we arrived home. Four hours of running and playing for a sprinter like a greyhound is a lot!!

The boys met a few old friends and made some new ones, of the 2 and 4 leg variety. As usual, I took some photos and video of the days activities, which I have posted a few below this post and the others will be posted in a day or so to the photo or video links in the menu above.

I will part with these words…please remember greyhounds are unique among dogs, they are bred in huge numbers for only one purpose, to be the fastest greyhound and when that does not happen they are as expendable to their owners as yesterdays newspaper. A racing greyhound is NOT a pet and is not treated like a pet, it is a commodity that if it does not turn a profit, it will be done away with in one way or another. Some of the lucky ones, like Vladimir and Vitali, make it to a rescue group and become available for adoption, others…numbering in the 10’s of thousands meet fates that can range anywhere from “humane” euthanization to hanging and practically anything in between that could be done to cause death and I mean anything, there are documented cases of drownings, electrocutions, being shot (pistols, rifles, bolt guns), beaten…you name it, it’s been done to these gentle creatures.

Greyhound exploitation is still prevalent in a few states and it’s time to pull the plug on those few remaining states that allow this travesty to continue.

You’ve probably heard me say this time and time again if you’re a regular to this blog, but, the next time you are in a position to help out a dog or are ready to add a new member to your household…PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE consider a greyhound, you will be amazed at the wonderful pet you get and you will almost certainly be saving one from a fate much less kind.

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