Entering our 27th year, we can be proud. We save as many greyhounds as we can -- with no hesitation. In February, we welcomed 10 Kansas
broods in one haul. After their racing careers were over, these older girls spent years on breeding farms having puppies. Many of you bid in
our online auction to help pay their vet bills. I heard from folks all over saying they’d heard about this rescue – taking in 10 broods at once isn’t something most groups can or are willing to do.

But I knew we’d find them homes and we’ll find homes for the 10 broods arriving in the fall, too. We have folks who know an older
grey needs as much love as any other, maybe more. And Becker College’s Animal Studies department chose us to participate in their program
again — four more of their "valued teaching greyhounds" will join us in May.

In my 20 years with GFNJ, I’ve never known of a grey in dire need that we didn’t welcome with open arms. Over 6,000 have joined our family, and more are coming. I’m grateful to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to help. Our growing list of foster families enables us to help more greys make an easier transition to "real life" before finding their forever homes. Along with adopters, they can rely on valuable assistance from our behavior expert Heidi Gehret, if they need guidance to make their new dog comfortable. Those who contact her and carefully follow her advice have tremendous success while their family and new dog adjust to each other.

The GFNJ board members who work hard to ensure successful fundraisers, transport and foster dogs, hold Meet & Greets and spread the word about these wonderful greyhounds are the backbone of this organization. From time to time, members need to excuse themselves from board responsibilities, and unfortunately, we say good bye to two longtime members this year – Bill Broulliard and Donna Patt, who served on our board since its inception.

Bill, who we’ve regarded as our "go to guy" for many years has done just about everything. If a dog needed to be picked up, at any hour, we’d call Bill. He helped organize craft shows and arrived to set up picnics at 6:30 am. Many times, he picked up loads of greys from New England tracks or on Route 78 in his own van and drove them to our kennel. If there was a lost dog, we’d call Bill – he never gave up, setting up traps and sometimes cooking meat on a grill to attract and catch the dog. Bill was always there for everyone, but especially for the greyhounds.

Donna has been one of GFNJ’s most pivotal people from the very start. She served on our executive board as VP and then, secretary for years. She traveled to Bridgeport, CT several times a month in her own Suburban to transport dogs to the kennel, and she wrote all the grant proposals, which raised more than $200,000 for GFNJ. Donna and her family fostered 100 dogs. And she was my mentor, teaching me a lot about greys.

Thank you, Bill and Donna you were there in the beginning and you’ve done so much. But I think your favorite part is telling anyone who’ll listen about the joy a greyhound can bring. Your love of this breed is obvious. You’re a huge part of GFNJ’s success, and we are eternally grateful. I thank you most for being my friends.

See you all at the spring picnic. I’ll be the one with the look of pride.

Warm regards,

Linda Lyman

One common misconception is that, because the patient isn’t vocalizing or acting differently, they are not in pain. Limping is a sign of pain. Do an exam of your own, unless they are so painful that you may be bitten. Make note of any areas that are swollen or sensitive to the touch, as the symptoms may dissipate before you see your vet, and these symptoms may not be apparent anymore. It is better to err on the side of caution and have your pet seen as early on as possible. Be careful with home remedies, because some of the medication we take for ourselves might not be safe for our pets, or could interfere with other treatments that might be given. Always inform the doctor of anything you have given at home.

When you do bring your pet in for a lameness evaluation, remember the two most important diagnostic tools we have – a thorough history and physical exam. Other diagnostics such as x-rays are secondary, and should be chosen based on the results of the first two. Give your doctor as much information as you can, including when and how it started,
has it progressed or gotten better, what treatments, if any, have been given, has this ever happened before, are there any concurrent problems. Sometimes things that seem totally unrelated are actually symptoms of one disease process. For example, decreased appetite and lameness could both be symptoms of Lyme disease.

For greyhound owners, there are a few things specific to your breed. Corns are not common in other breeds, but they can be the cause of some mild
and severe lameness in greyhounds. It tends to be progressive and is not often an acute lameness. Check their pads for pain or visual evidence that
this is the problem, and make sure your veterinarian is familiar with them when you bring your pet in.

You should also know as much as possible about your pet’s track history. They can develop lameness from arthritis that’s secondary to an injury sustained early in life, which may or may not require treatment with anti-inflammatories periodically. Most track injuries are in the right rear limb because of high forces in the direction they run.

The most common cause of rear limb lameness in dogs is a torn cranial cruciate ligament. This is a ligament in the knee or stifle that allows them to push off on the leg. When it is disrupted, they cannot bear full weight on the limb, and your pet may show signs such as refusing to go upstairs or jump into the car.

This does not happen nearly as often in greyhounds as it does in other breeds, but should still be checked on a physical exam when there is acute rear limb lameness. In any case, if your dog has a limp, restrict their activity until it either resolves or you are able to have them evaluated. Don’t allow them to continue running and playing on an injured leg, as this may exacerbate the problem. Seek medical attention at an emergency facility if the lameness is acute or severe and begins during the night or on weekends. Otherwise, wait and see your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Osteosarcoma is another cause of lameness that is not uncommon in older dogs of any breed, but most commonly seen in larger breeds, including the greyhound. The sites most commonly affected by this primary bone tumor are the distal radius which is just above the wrist, the proximal humerus which is near the shoulder and just above or below the stifle (knee) in the rear limb. This is an aggressive form of cancer whose treatment is aimed at making the patient more comfortable and giving them a better quality of life, but is rarely curative. In most cases, the treatment includes amputation of the affected limb. This gives relief from the pain caused by the cancer and allows a more normal lifestyle.

A lameness can be caused by many things, some serious and some not so serious. It is always best to have your pet evaluated, so that
if it is something requiring treatment, it is not delayed. Coming to your appointment with a detailed history is one of the most important ways
in which you can help to find the answers. Details such as "it is worse after exercise" or "when they first get up" can be very helpful in
narrowing down the cause. It is always better to give too much information rather than too little. Help your vet give you the best advice.

Gage & Apollo — twins?

Chai enjoying the spring sunshine

Will that make Hunter grow?

                       Bella snoozing on the train in NY

                             Volunteers welcomed 10 broods at Tabernacle Bed & Biscuit Kennel

As an only dog spending much of his time alone, Braska Pitch was exhibiting signs of separation anxiety that his adopters could not resolve, so he was returned to GFNJ after just two weeks. We volunteered to foster him.

Our family includes two young kids, two greyhounds and four cats. While we’ve had greys for 13 years, Braska was only the second we fostered. Fostering dogs, especially one with separation anxiety, was a very new experience for us. We knew we’d need to be patient with this boy; we also knew GFNJ would support us with any skilled direction we’d need in helping him gain his confidence.

First Sign of Trouble

On his first night with us, we went out for a couple of hours, leaving Braska to the security of his crate in our bedroom. Returning home, we heard him crying and discovered he had tried to escape the crate.

Reaching Out for Expert Guidance

When we had picked up Braska, we were told to contact GFNJ’s behaviorist, Heidi Gehret, if we had any problems, so we called her immediately; nipping Braska’s fear of being alone in the bud was tantamount to his future success. Heidi walked us through the exact actions we needed to take. We followed these steps to the letter:

Braska needed to feel like he was part of the pack, so we put him a crate in our living room, where he could be with our dogs whenever we were out. At bedtime, he slept on the dog bed in our room; our door remained closed to make him feel secure and keep him from wandering.

We crated Braska, and as soon as he cried, I went into the room, looked at him and said "Hey!" (Not loud, but firm). I stared at him until he went into a compliant stance. I kept doing this until he completely relaxed and didn't cry after I left the room.

Heidi: We use this method of crate training to teach the dog to have a calm state of mind when in his crate. This exercise, along with limited affection initially, and mental exercise of the "walk," helps the dog feel secure in the fact that we are taking care of things, so they can relax and be a dog.

So he wouldn’t associate the crate with our absence, we crated Braska 15 to 30 minutes before we left the house. Upon coming home, we’d wait about 15 minutes before letting him out.

I took Braska for a few ten-minute walks during which I didn't acknowledge him or let him get distracted. If he got distracted, I corrected him.

Heidi: The quick power walk is a mental exercise that helps the dog focus on you and nothing else in the environment. The dog understands that you are taking charge, so he doesn’t have to. He just has to follow you, the leader.

The hardest thing was to ignore him (including no eye contact) for a few days when feeding, walking or letting him out in the yard.

Heidi: We sometimes ask new adopters whose dog is showing separation issues to hold back on affection, because most anxiety is brought on by people giving the dog too much affection at a time when the dog is unsure of his new environment. All that affection and focus is sometimes interpreted by your dog as weakness in you. Keep in mind that greys have lived in a kennel environment where they felt very secure, they knew what to expect and got an occasional "good dog" or a pat on their head but never were the center of attention. Adopters unknowingly put the dog in a leader position by showering them with affection and attention. The dog would feel better if he was given the space and time to observe his new surroundings. You should show him his boundaries, so his focus is on you.

After just a few days, our foster became more self-assured, and correcting him with a firm "Hey" drew the proper response from him more quickly.
We began showing him affection when he came to us, but not too much. Braska still had the choice of a crate when we were out or at bedtime, but
generally preferred a dog bed.

Heidi: A good balance of affection and boundaries will keep your new grey feeling good about his new environment.

Support Is Just a Phone Call Away

By reaching out to Heidi for her experienced, easy-to-follow advice quickly, before Braska’s anxiety escalated further, and by doing exactly as
directed (even though it was all new to us), we saw truly remarkable results in record time. GFNJ adopters and foster families are lucky to have
this support and resource just a phone call away. Braska’s forever home is lucky to have such an affectionate and confident greyhound.

Reach Heidi at hgehret@yahoo.com or 803-589-9033.

I adopted my first greyhound in July 1994. The sight of a greyhound being walked on the street was a rare sight, and there was only one in my town. GFNJ was about 7 years old and had very few volunteers, but luckily for me, Sue Illes of North Plainfield and Donna Kuzmenko of Dunellen hosted Meet & Greets in Union, so I would see a few greyhounds there each month. I kept an application for a year before it was a "good time to adopt," and worried I would never be ap-proved since we already had two dogs, two cats, and two rab-bits. (These days that’s considered an empty nest.) It only took a few days before I got a call that my greyhound was waiting, and the kids and I went to pick her up.

At that time, the GFNJ dogs were being kenneled in Green Brook, and adopters were introduced to only one dog. There was no internet, and choosing from several dogs was out of the question. We held out our hands for her to sniff us and were told, "She’s never had that courtesy. Just take her for a walk and see if you like her." We did – and named her Ruby, because she was a red brindle and a real gem!

Volunteering began six months later after Ruby got out of the yard (LOCK YOUR GATES!) on Christmas night. It took five days to get her back, and GFNJ volunteers were out every day helping us look for her. I naively asked, "How can I repay you?" That was nearly 20 years ago.

Payback began with fostering (we went from one greyhound to six in no time), hosting Meet & Greets, and finally trans-porting dogs. Almost all of the GFNJ dogs came from Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The late Linda Jensen, one of the few breeders who raced dogs but also took rescue very seriously back then, acted as liaison with the tracks. Every single dog that came to us was underweight. Some had to be fostered until healthy enough for adoption. It was difficult to find a veterinarian who knew the breed.

Each week we would drive directly to the tracks or meet Linda Jensen on the road to get dogs. Tracks usually had one "over flow" kennel, where each trainer was allowed a certain number of runs for dogs going to adoption. The building looked like an army Quonset hut, with 100 or more crates stacked two high. Each had bedding of shredded newsprint and a dog. At feeding time, a bowl was put into each crate, one after another. When the end of the line was reached, the bowl collection began. Dogs would inhale the entire bowl, regurgitate it in the crate, and then eat it more slowly. Abuse was rare, but the dogs were not nurtured. They were never called by name, so they could race for five years and then be bred and still not have a name.

One hot day just before Labor Day we went to the Connecticut track to pick up dogs. A man was forcefully walking a stunning dog by the collar. He was a very large, blue dog – his color was almost purple. The man looked at us and said, "Do you want him? Take him! " He said, "I’ve had it – he’s sat down during a race for the last time."

We once got a phone call from the wife of a dog trainer. They lived adjacent to the race track, and she called to ask about the personalities of greyhounds. She saw them every day, but said it never occurred to her to keep one in the house as a pet until she saw GFNJ rescuing dogs.

There were so many dogs – and so few homes. There were no web sites or social media to tell the greyhounds’ story. Occasionally, we would have an overabundance of greyhounds in rescue with nowhere to go. With applications that didn’t match their needs, some dogs sat for months. The few fosters would cram more and more dogs into their homes to free them from kennel life.

We felt brilliant when we decided to take just a few dogs that had been waiting a very long time to a picnic. That was years ago, and now picnic adoptions are an integral part of our rescue process.

GFNJ was the first group to offer to help a broken-legged dog. It took a long time for the tracks to understand the urgen-cy of moving the dog to rescue, and sometimes a dog would be left in a kennel for 2 or 3 weeks without any treat-ment. Now, we hear about injured dogs much sooner and work fast to get them.

Many times, a GUR (Greyhound Underground Railroad) is coordinated. A volunteer picks up the injured dog from the trainer and transports it to meet another volunteer who drives him along the route, often hundreds of miles, until they reach their destination, an orthopedist – usually resulting in surgery.

The good news is that things have changed for the better. Greyhound rescue has grown dramatically, in part because of the ground-breaking efforts of GFNJ. Through the years we’ve learned a lot from the racing industry – and they from us.

The development of the web and social media are invaluable. I remember a young couple who would visit me at my Meet & Greets and talk about how they were playing around with an idea to showcase available cats and dogs on the newly evolving web. It was called Petfinder.com.

Greyhound Friends of New Jersey can be proud of its outstanding leadership and invaluable volunteers with a passion for putting the needs of the greyhound first.

People love greyhounds! No big surprise. They ask lots of questions: How are they as pets? Aren’t they hyper? Where can I get
more information about your group? How can I adopt one? We send them to the GFNJ website and hope they remember the URL.
A QR code affixed to your dog’s collar can be a great solution.

All an interested person has to do is download a free QR code scanner app on their Smartphone or tablet, scan the QR code on their
phone and, presto, the GFNJ website appears! It's also saved to the person's Smartphone so they can show more folks.

Try it! Download the free app, hold your phone up to this QR code (above) and you’ll see! And, you can simply cut out the QR code on this page and tape it to your dog’s collar – it’s already coded to go to the GFNJ site.

Visit a free QR generator website, such as http://www.quickqr.com, insert the URL you want the QR code for (include the full URL), size it for the collar width, print, cut and tape to the collar (tape over the code so it can be waterproof and won’t tear.

Why not create a QR code for your foster? It’s quick and easy, honest. Go to the dog’s page on the GFNJ site and copy the entire URL
(i.e. http://www.greyhoundfriendsnj.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=5490103).

So, the next time you’re surrounded by folks asking about these sweet dogs make sure they get all the details.

Thanks to Jacqueline Howard Cavallo for this great idea.

Join our social network pack on Facebook & Twitter!

Don’t Forget to Renew Your Annual Membership!

Become a GFNJ Member or Renew your Membership Today

Your membership dues go toward the care of our rescued greyhounds

Renew at www.gfnj.org or mail this form & your check, payable to GFNJ

Greyhound Friends of New Jersey, Inc., P.O. Box 4416, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-0669.

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