Shades of Greyhounds

Another exciting WEB EXTRA!

By Bernadette Finnerty

For local owners of this unique breed, life wouldn't be complete without their beloved pets.

When Ruthann Rowan, a 39-year-old executive assistant from Woodbury, walks through her front door after an hour-plus commute, she is greeted by seven dogs: four Greyhounds and three Italian Greyhounds. At that moment, the worries of her recent health problems and the demands of her job at Merrill Lynch in Hopewell dissolve in a frenzy of kisses from her beloved animals. They need her now, and to hear Ruthann tell her story, she needs them, too.

In 2004, Rowan and her fiance, Jim had just started looking into adopting a retired racing Greyhound. They found Greyhound Friends of New Jersey (GFNJ) and were attending the group's "meet and greet" events regularly. Rowan wanted to experience the breed and prepare to adopt one. Rowan and Jim already had Dino, an Italian Greyhound/Fox Terrier mix, and they were looking for a companion for him.

Why Greyhounds?

Rowan liked the Greyhounds right away for several reasons. She was surprised to find that after spending their entire lives on a racetrack - some Greyhounds can reach a top speed of 45 miles per hour - retired and rescued Greyhounds are actually quite lazy, laid back and friendly. Although Greyhounds are the world's fastest breed of dog; they achieve their incredible speed in one all-out sprint and do not have a lot of endurance. A Greyhound is quite content to be a "couch potato" and spend most of the day sleeping. They are intelligent and adapt very well to humans. As if unaware of their size, they will simply lie across their owner's lap while she watches TV.

Greyhounds are also one of the oldest breeds, and have appeared in art and literature throughout history. In ancient Egypt, Greyhounds were mummified and buried along with their owners, and tombs were often decorated with Greyhound figures. A favorite of European aristocracy for their hunting skills, Greyhounds have often been painted into portraits of their owners.

Today, their speed and agility make them strong racing dogs. In the U.S., there are currently 40 Greyhound tracks operating in 12 different states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Texas, Wisconsin and West Virginia. According to the Greyhound Racing Association of America, Greyhound racing contributes millions of dollars to state and county governments, as well as to charities. More than 15 million people visit Greyhound racetracks, bringing in more than $100 million in revenue annually to state and local governments. In addition, the Association maintains that more than $2 billion is wagered each year on racing.

While there is considerable debate over the ethics and humaneness of racing Greyhounds, those who adopt these retired animals say their only purpose is to work closely with the tracks, and focus on finding loving homes for each one.

On Greyhounds and Heart Conditions

Around the same time Rowan was learning all about the breed, she was also experiencing chest discomfort and was unable to keep up with her first dog, Dino, on walks around the neighborhood. Her doctor delivered some sobering news: Rowan, just 35 at the time, had major blockages in three of her coronary arteries. Though she has no history of heart disease in her family, she's had Diabetes since childhood. It turns out her heart problems were related to her diabetes.

Over the next two years, Rowan was in and out of the hospital. Her doctors performed three angioplasties and inserted three stents into her blocked arteries. It was soon clear to the doctors that the stents would not be enough to keep her arteries open. Rowan would need triple bypass surgery. "For some reason," she says, "I just kept thinking about that Greyhound I had met and through all of this I just focused on the fact that when I got through it, I would adopt one. It kept my mind focused on something other than my health, and somehow gave me the strength to get through it."

Rowan underwent triple bypass surgery on January 12, 2005. Within six months, she was ready to adopt her Greyhound. "I honestly believe that my speedy recovery was due to my goal of rescuing a beautiful Greyhound." She called GFNJ and started the process. On July 29, she and Jim brought Priscilla home. Before that, Priscilla had never been inside a house. She had never walked up a flight of stairs. The couple was surprised when Priscilla entered the front door and walked straight over to the fluffy bed they had set out for her. "She adapted immediately, and within two days she was easily going up the steps," Rowan says. "By the end of the first week, it was as if she had been with us for years. Seeing her adapt and change was wonderful. We knew at this point, this wasn't going to be our only rescued Greyhound."

Rowan's and Jim's sentiments are not unusual in the world of Greyhound rescue. GFNJ President, Linda Lyman of Cherry Hill, says there is a saying among rescued Greyhound owners, "They're like potato chips," she laughs. "You can never have just one." She should know. Lyman, a retired FBI agent and adjunct professor at Camden County College, owns nine rescued Greyhounds (and a Shih Tzu, who Lyman says is the "alpha" dog in the house). Lyman adopted her first rescued Greyhound, Nikki, 13 years ago. "There was an instant connection between Nikki and me," says Lyman. "She was a really smart dog; tolerant but very friendly. She was sweet and gentle and really good with kids." Lyman had such a good experience with Nikki that it led her to want to adopt more. Since Greyhounds are typically pack-oriented dogs, they take very well to living with other Greyhounds. All along, Nikki was clearly the leader of the group, which eventually grew to nine. Sadly, Nikki passed away a few years ago after battling with cancer. But Lyman says it was that connection that made her fall in love with the breed and eventually become president of an organization dedicated to finding loving homes for retired Greyhounds.

On Greyhounds and Inmates

This year marks the fifth anniversary of GFNJ's partnership with the Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility in Annandale (Hunterdon County). This prison program is designed to help bridge the gap between a Greyhound's track career and its retirement into a "forever" home. Participating inmates are trained by GFNJ volunteers, and spend so much time with their dogs that the bond becomes very strong.

The Mountainview program hosts seven Greyhounds at a time. There are seven handlers, seven backup handlers and several trainees. As Greyhounds are adopted into their permanent homes, new Greyhounds enter the program. Volunteers for GFNJ are continually training inmates to participate in the program, which also helps in their rehabilitation. The inmates in the program are committed to the welfare of these Greyhounds and their only reward is to know the dog has been placed with a loving family.

The prison program has been particularly helpful for dogs that come to them with broken legs. The dogs require extra care and their stay at the prison is longer. Since the dogs are walked on a leash on the prison grounds, they get the exercise that is required for their injuries. Often, families who adopt these dogs will send photos to the inmates to help keep them up to date on how the dog is doing. So far, the program has graduated 141 retired Greyhounds to loving homes.

On Greyhounds and Education

Greyhound owners, Lyman and Rowan included, spend a lot of their time educating the public about the animals they love, with hopes of finding a loving home for each one. Many members of GFNJ spend countless hours each weekend at events around South Jersey called "Meet and Greets," where they can introduce the animals to adults and children. "People are under the mistaken impression that Greyhounds want to run all the time, or that they are hyper and not good with children," says Lyman. "Quite the contrary. They like nothing better than to snuggle with you on the sofa." Rowan calls her Greyhounds "40 mile-per-hour couch potatoes."

While GFNJ is eager to find a home for each dog, they screen potential adoptive families carefully. Though generally non-aggressive, many Greyhounds retain a strong prey drive (which is a component in their racing ability) and are sometimes unsuitable for houses with other small pets such as cats or rabbits. Greyhounds are sight hounds, which means they will pursue their prey by sight rather than scent. It's not unusual for an otherwise relaxed dog to chase a rabbit or squirrel that it sees outside. For this reason, it's a good idea to keep Greyhounds in a fenced yard or on a leash while they are outside. However, Greyhounds' sensitivity and intelligence make them quick learners, and good candidates for obedience training.

Greyhounds are often tolerant of children, especially if they have been raised with them. A Greyhound will generally walk away from a worrisome child, rather than growl or snap. However, even the gentlest Greyhound has its limits, and should not be subjected to continuous harassment.

Most rescued Greyhound owners will tell you they have received as much as they've given to their dogs. Rowan feels so blessed by the joy her dogs have given her, and she also believes that joy has restored her health. For this reason, she has continued to adopt both Italian Greyhounds and retired racing Greyhounds. Today, she has six dogs and is providing a foster home for a seventh. She brought her sixth adopted dog home on the two-year anniversary of her bypass surgery. "I felt so blessed to be given a second chance at my health," she says, "that I wanted to give another Greyhound a second chance at a great life." In addition, Rowan is currently studying to become an Animal Control Officer at Camden County College, and hopes to one day become an Animal Cruelty Investigator.

That's What Friends are For

GFNJ is a non-profit organization that relies on funds generated through adoption, donations and fund-raising events throughout New Jersey. The organization holds three picnic reunions a year (spring, summer and fall), a holiday boutique and craft show, and an annual "fun match" staged in conjunction with two other breed rescue organizations.

Regular "Meet and Greets" are held on Saturdays or Sundays in many areas where potential adopters can go to spend time with Greyhounds and asks lots of questions. Check www.Greyhoundfriendsnj.org for dates and times.

On arrival, all dogs are spayed or neutered, inoculated, heartworm tested and have their teeth cleaned prior to adoption. The minimum adoption donation is $200. Generally, dogs are taken to a boarding kennel until they are adopted. Some dogs cannot go into homes immediately, often because of broken legs suffered during racing or other temporary physical problems. They go to nurturing foster homes until they are ready for permanent families of their own.

GFNJ member say finding homes for ex-racing Greyhounds is a labor of love. Today, that devotion finds homes for more than 250 Greyhounds each year. The Greyhound Friends philosophy: Accept those Greyhounds in need of a safety net, regardless of gender, size, color or age. There is a home out there for every one of them, and GFNJ members say they are dedicated to finding those homes.