Here are a few pics of today’s (3/28/2015) ex-racing greyhounds Meet & Greet at Petco in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
It was a small turnout today with just four dogs, but they did their jobs as ambassadors for the breed and for greyhound adoption very well. Kendall & Bethany Rhodes attended with “Jade”, John Hamen with “Ben” and Cindy & I with Vladimir and Vitali.
Here are a few photos from our Greyhound Pets of America (Cape Girardeau, Mo Chapter) Ex Racers Meet & Greet held at Petco in Carbondale, Il. on March 14th, 2015
We had a good turnout and even had a visitor and her “greyt” hound from Greyhound Companions of St. Louis in attendance.
These Meet & Greets are set up to show the public how great these dogs are and to dispel misinformation about them. For instance, someone yesterday said she was told that greyhounds are really hyper and high strung because of their racing history. Nothing could be further from the truth, greyhounds are one of the most laid back dogs you will ever see and take their retirement from the track very, very seriously. Don’t get me wrong, unless very old, they will almost always be the quickest dog at the dog park, but as sprinters, they use their energy in massive short bursts and after a few of those, they are ready to find the softest place available to nap for a few hours.
A University of Pennsylvania study has shown what anyone that has been around greyhounds any length of time already knew, that they are the gentlest, most sedate or docile breed on the planet.
Greyhound group hug?
Yet another beauty!
If you’re happy & you know it…..
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.
We 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.Click on any of the photos to enlarge them.
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.
Hi
If you want to meet people when you’re out on a walk with a dog, there is no other dog I know of that gets the amount of attention a greyhound does. Everywhere you go people point and stare and hope you pass by them so they can ask questions or find out more about this gorgeous creature. As the fastest dog on the planet and the 2nd fastest accelerating land animal on the planet, people are always curious about this regal breed that can attain a speed of 45 mph from a standing start its first 3 strides. What allows the greyhound to reach that type of acceleration, is its lean but extremely muscular build, biggest heart, and greatest area of fast-twitch muscle associated with any breed as well as the double suspension gallop and also the extreme versatility of the spine.
Walking one of these “lightning bolts on a leash” is like walking with a celebrity, almost everyone you meet wants to know more about them and for most it is the first time they have actually had a chance to see one up close and personal. Common remarks are; they’re so soft or they’re so gentle and placid.
Some people ask about the tattoos in the ex racing greyhound’s ears. There are 2 numbers, one in each ear. One is the track number, the other is the year they were born and the order in the litter. With these, you will find the whole pedigree all the way back to the end of the 1800’s. Some people say the number does not prove birth order as most owners do not mark them in order. I don’t know, maybe some do and some don’t. In any event, to find that dogs pedigree, log on to http://www.greyhound-data.com, type in the number and presto…there it is!
Another question I hear from people is about the size of the greyhound’s heart…a greyhound’s heart weight ranges from 1.18 to 1.73% of their body weight, which is higher than an elite racehorse at 1.0-1.3% of its body weight. Other types of dogs have a heart weight equal to 0.77% of their body weight, and compare those to 0.5% for humans. So you can see the greyhound has the highest blood volume of any athlete, relative to its body size. All this means that the Greyhound heart is not only larger and more efficient than any other dog’s, but outperforms that of a thoroughbred racehorse.
One other thing I am asked frequently and something that is very important to some people deals with dog odor. Well, due to incredibly small sebaceous glands, the short hair and very low body fat, Greyhound’s exude little or no characteristic “doggy odor”. You can have three or four greyhounds in your home and not notice them near as much as you will that one Lab or Shepard, Doberman, etc. This also transforms into more domestic tranquility as greyhound’s are very affectionate dogs towards those that they know and trust. For centuries different greyhounds have been allowed to hunt and race together, so aggressiveness towards other dogs and people has been almost totally eliminated from the breed. This also means that owning several Greyhounds can be a calmer experience than having those breeds listed above (and many others) that will engage in continuous “pecking” as puppies.
Look closely and you can see the ear tattoo
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