Monday, May 05, 2008

Spring Picnic 2008

After a lot of planning and hard work by many dedicated volunteers, GPA-Richmond pulled off its annual Spring Picnic at the home of Chip and Deanne Morris in Aylett! We had 100 plus attendees with more than 50 dogs, vendors, information tables and great food! For those that came out..THANK YOU and for those that missed it..make plans to attend next year!
Here are some photos from this great event!
Some of GPA's board members help set up early on Sunday morning
Photos from the event



The fun run area was a hit!

Everyone got involved in the games!At the end of the day, we had a Bell Ceremony for all our canine companions that had left us this past year. The Morris' had their family pet cemetary that made a great location for such a solemn event. At the end of the day..everyone with 2 and 4 legs was exhausted. A greyt time was had by all
The Board of Directors for GPA-Richmond sends out a Big Thank You to all the volunteers that helped make this event a huge success. And Thank you to all our adopters for giving a greyhound a forever home!
Please check out the post below for all our available hounds. We have many events coming up this month, so come out and help spread the word about our wonderful greyhounds!!

Saturday, May 03, 2008

May 3rd haul

GPA-Richmond received 7 dogs on May 3rd, 2008. As usual we gathered at Crittertown Bath house to bathe the new hounds.
The hounds arrive and get a quick meal

Then in to the tub! Frank..well..does a thorough job.
Matt meets his new little girl!
This one saved a few crumbs for later
The Arrighi's adopted Flying Unbridled as their first greyhound! Matt Richardson adopted Jello Shot Dot as his first greyhound! She is a beauty!Flying Incubus will be going to a home with another greyhound! She is such a lover!And we have four in foster care.
Launch Torpedo a 2 year old brindle female who is safe with kitties!Odd Hunter is a 4 year old male who is very sweet but shouldn't be in a home with cats.

SS Rio Eightball has the best ears!! He is a 3 year old male who is cat safe and is a big boy!Alkay Olbie is a 2 year old female who is cat safe and gorgeous!! GPA-Richmond still has a few fosters remaining from other hauls who are looking for their forever homes!!!
Sawyer ( Kite Rider) is a 3 year old boy who is a big time lover! He is very calm, housetrained and sweet as pie! He is not cat safe but does fine with small dogs. His foster family says he is a joy to have around and will make someone a great dog! Ernest (C Pie Face) was returned after a year in a home. He needs some work with the 'rules of the house' but he is a sweet boy who is cat safe and small dog safe. Knockout Rose is a 2 year old cat safe female. She is very loyal and has become very attached to her foster mom. She would do fine as an only dog but gets along great with others. She is very sweet and loving.Pa's Zeus is a 4 year old male who is very loving and sweet. He is 100% house trained and loves playing with his foster family. He should not be around small dogs or cats. Please check out our events page to come see any of these wonderful hounds or email fosters@greyhoundsvirginia.com or gpa@greyhoundsvirginia.com for more information.
Our annual spring picnic is May 4th, so check back in a week or so for more photos from this great event!

Friday, April 04, 2008

April 3rd dog haul

GPA Richmond had 6 dogs arrive from JCKC on April 3,2008! Volunteers gathered at Crittertown bathhouse to greet the new hounds!!!
Gil gets in on the action by bathing Bandit!
Who knew batheing hounds could be so much fun??
So..who did we get?
Alkay Better Half who is in her forever home!
Perfect Crime is in his forever home with his new sister, Gracie!
Won and Only CJ will be heading to her forever home soon
And UMR Walter will be adopted next week!Knockout Rose is available for adoption! She is an 18 month old cat safe female. She is very confident, sweet and loving!Subzero Bandit is a 5 year old male who shouldn't live with kitties but is ultra sweet and easy goingAnd as always..check out the events page on the website and come out to meet/rub on the hounds!! If these or any greyhound strikes your fancy, fill out an application! Any questions, email gpa@greyhoundsvirginia.com

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Easter on Parade on Monument Ave

This time of year is very special in the Richmond area..it is time for the annual Easter on Parade on Monument Ave. The street closes down and everyone comes out to parade their Easter bonnets. And GPA-Richmond leads the Pet Bonnet contest every year to encourage people to dress up their pets..and boy do they ever!! It is always a great event!
Dogs of all shapes, colors and sizes come out to show off their Easter best..
These aren't dogs but they came out to enjoy the day anyway!

And the winner of the pet bonnet contest...
But this blog is all about the greyhounds.
small, medium and large..the Italian Greyhound, Whippet and greyhounds gather for a pow-wow

GPA-Richmond set up an amazing booth as always!

Jackson greets his fansKit poses in the adoption vestOur wonderful events coordinator, Nerice takes a break to pose with the houndsAnd the hats and outfits...Keep up with GPA-Richmond's events by visiting the website's events page! This is a busy time of year with lots of wondeful events to raise awareness for these wonderful hounds! And don't forget about the hounds in foster care waiting for their forever home. If you are interested, fill out an application or email gpa@greyhoundsvirginia.com for more information!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

March haul

On March 16th, GPA received 4 new hounds from JCKC. The hounds arrived bright and early! Susie and Deborah help give them their breakfast after a long trip from Florida
The let the batheing commence! The wonderful GPA volunteers came through again and all chipped in to get the hounds cleaned up and ready to go!
Cash get a good scrub down by the Cohen's
The only thing this tub is missing is the rubber duckie!!
So who did we get?
Cash a 3 year old male who is laid back, sweet and is great with kids! He is in foster care and available!
Husker Belle a 4 year old female who is great with kids and never stops wagging her tail! She is in foster care and available!
Pa's Zeus a 3 1/2 year old male who has a lot of energy! He is very loveable and available for adoption!
BD's Janie a 4 year old cat safe female who is very sweet and gentle. She is in foster care and available for adoption.
We still have two dogs in foster care from previous hauls waiting for their forever homes!
DZ Brush Country a 3 year old male. He is house trained, loves children, cat safe, very loving and wants to be center of attention.
Personal Passion a 3 year old female who is gentle and sweet. She is cat safe and would do great as an only dog!
If you are interested in these foster hounds, please email fosters@greyhoundsvirginia.com or check out the updated list of adoptables. If you are thinking of adopting, fill out an application or email adoptions@greyhoundsvirginia.com
GPA will be at Easter on Parade on March 23 on Monument Ave in Richmond. We also have our annual spring picnic approaching on May 5th, 2008! If you need information on these or any other events email events@greyhoundsvirginia.com.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Message from Rory-National President

Please read the following and if you can, donate using paypal to email address greyhoundadoptions@yahoo.com



All,I want to share an e-mail that I received this morning and I think this e-mail says it all. We, as an organization, need to help out our own. I think we all need to be aware of what a fellow GPA brother/sister is dealing with, and I believe we need to come together to support a fellow family member that is in need.I have asked GPA National to help with sending funds, but we are limited in our resources as well, and when our well is dry, its dry…so I am asking…no, begging, that if any of you have an extra few bucks that you could spare without risking your own operations, please consider one of our very needy chapters. At this time, I am not at liberty to state which chapter needs this assistance. We are currently working with the State Racing Commission, the NGA and AGC regarding the situation at this particular track and I don’t want to jeopardize those proceedings and discussions. I also know of 3 other chapters that deal with situations like this, and I know they could also use some support. You can send the money to GPA National if you want and mark it for this chapter, or mark it for the general fund to support our own. If you know of a chapter in need, then please send it straight to them. If you send in for general support, you have my promise that GPA National officers will get it to these chapters that need it most.I will be spending my day on the phone working to see what can be done, I can’t promise a miracle today, but I will keep working to see that a difference is made.Last year, we had a chapter that had to move 60 plus dogs from a track, not many of our chapters in the area stepped up to help a fellow brother/sister that was disheartening. I now more than ever want our organization to be the shining example, to be an organization where we take care of our own. We are bothers and sisters in this journey, so let’s set sail together and make for a brighter tomorrow.I’m more than committed to fight for you, to fight for our dogs. I thank you all for everything that you have done for this organization, I know that you have contributed to so many miracles, and I’m very humble as someone who does not contribute as much as you do to be able to represent each and every one of you.
Rory
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Rory,XXXX has convinced me that is okay to ask you for help, so here goes... I don't know that you want to share all this. Feel free to edit as you see fit!I constantly struggle to figure out how to best spend my time. The choice has always gone to the dogs. And, it is never, ever enough. I nearly lost my job over all of this. I finally realized work time has to be work time. So, my available time for dog-related matters has been somewhat reduced.I'll be happy to provide more detail, but here's the "short" version:I just paid our kennel helper, XXXX, the last $300 we had in our adoption group account.Next week, we need another $300 for him, $355 for dog food and $150 for insurance on the dog truck. We also have lined up sending 8 dogs to adoption groups at $70 per dog, but the hauler is willing to wait on his payment.We buy 20 bags of kibble at a time and it just went up to $17.75 per bag. That's $355 for two weeks.Our weekly expenses, just for feeding and turning out the dogs run right at $500. That doesn't count insurance/gas/maintenance on our old dog truck (we only use it to go to the vet and back), wormer, cleaning supplies, flea/tick stuff, vet bills, etc., etc. Hauling dogs to other groups has gone up to $70 per dog. So, we've been doing as much of that as we can ourselves, and paying the gas, etc. ourselves.Last year, the track was helping on a fairly regular basis (approximately $4,000 total for the year). Now, they are not providing anything. I asked for money twice since the first of the year and have received no response.We send out letters to the dog owners, asking them to help with their dogs' expenses. In past years, we have received about $50 per dog. Recently, we have been lucky to get $20 per dog. Our actual expenses are close to $150 per dog, not including any vet expenses. I've done a bang-up job, convincing the "good owners" not to send their dogs here. So, we mostly get dogs from owners who don't care what happens to their dogs.I'll admit, we've been robbing Peter to pay Paul... Our vets have been extremely kind. As a result, we now owe them nearly $5,000.I don't believe we can continue to operate the kennel at XXXX. It just isn't doable without support from the track.We need to pay off the vet bill and figure out a new, scaled-down mode of operation. I hate to say that. It just means more dogs will die. But, we have to be realistic. With all the track closings, and other tracks going back to seasonal operation, dogs are flooding into XXXX every week. At one point, we were taking approximately 50% of the "retiring" dogs here. Now, we MIGHT be taking 30%. In addtion to the dogs that actually show up on XXXX racing programs, there are many other dogs who come here simply to die. There are few outlets for killing dogs outside this area. The vet who used to kill dogs died recently, so there is nobody South of here willing to kill greyhounds en masse. They now haul them up here to have them killed. Some are killed by a vet. Others are going up into xxxx to be shot. I'm not making that up. I've heard it repeatedly from trusted sources in the racing world. This has become the latest "killing ground" for greyhounds. I have personally witnessed the kill truck being loaded three times in the last few months. The most recent experience was on the morning I had to euthanize my dear, sweet xxxx. I took him to the vet very early on a Thursday morning. On my way home from the vet's office, I stopped by the track to pick up some paperwork. I arrived just in time to see them loading up the kill truck. They weren't expecting to see me there and we had a cartoon-like moment of panic. But, there was nothing I could do. I just picked up the paperwork and left.The kennel folks at XXXX are not shy about telling me what is going on. I often get the "pleasure" of hearing how many dogs they killed this week. They are sad about it. They know I care and they unburden themselves to me. I know I've not done a good job of managing all of this. I got myself in over my head. Now, I have to figure out how to dig myself out of the mess I've made.
On the positive side, a couple thousand greyhounds have found homes.
XXXX
Statements in the post contain personal opinions and are made by Rory himself and do not reflect on management of this board, or organizations that Rory may be associated with, and may contain statements about expected future events and as such are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ. Rory undertakes no duty to update information contained in this post via this forum or in any other public disclosures at any time.Permission required from Rory S. Goree' in writing to redistribute in part or whole.Copyright Rory S. Goree' 2008

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

6 Hounds arrive on 2/26/08

On Tuesday, February 26th, GPA received 6 new hounds! Deborah, Brian and Trina met Lynn to give the dog's a potty break after their long trip from JCKC in Florida
This one gets the prize for the biggest bladder!!!!
Then off the hounds are off to Crittertown Bath House for their spa treatment and pedicures! It was a brindle parade!
This little one decided the whole ordeal was just too tiring..it was easier to just sit while getting scrubbedHow can you resist such a face!!!!
Karen and Paula work to make them squeaky clean!
So who did we get?
Bob's Dorey - a 4 1/2 year old cat safe boy who has an adoption pending
DK's Brush Country - a 3 1/2 year old cat safe boy who is active and sweet! He is great with children and loves to roll around and play! He is available!
Kite Rider - a 3 year old cat safe male who is inquisitive and sweet. His tail never stops wagging and his foster homes reports he is a joy to have around! He is great with children and is available!
Personal Passion is a 3 1/2 year old cat safe female with an adoption pending.As Bell Tolls is a 4 year old cat safe female with an adoption pending
Selena is a 2 1/2 year old female who is not cat safe however she is fine with small dogs. She is a sweet, loving little girl who will require a very special home! She takes a while to warm up but once she does she has soo much love to give! She is a available.
A very special thank you to Lynn for driving these wonderful hounds from Florida to Virginia for us! As well as taking care of our special Selena while she recovered from her leg surgery. If you have interest or question in any of these hounds or in adopting a retired racing greyhound, email adoptions@greyhoundsvirginia.com or fill out an application!
Come by any of GPA-Richmond's events or email events@greyhoundsvirginia.com for more information.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Pet Expo 2008

GPA-Richmond participated in Henrico Humane Society's Pet Expo on February 16th! The table was set up perfectly in anticipation of the crowds once the doors opened!
The first wave of volunteers poses in front of the table.
Once the doors opened, the hound worked their magic and showed everyone how wonderful they are!! It was a huge event with lots of interested people!

Ally and Dolly show us their cutest face!After all was said and done..the volunteers talked to lots of people and the events was a huge success. Of course, it was a big day for these couch potatoes!If you missed this great event, there will be plenty more so keep up with the events page and mark your calenders!
Another dog haul is set for February 26th at 4PM, so email doghaul@greyhoundsvirginia.com if you are interested in helping!
If you are interested in adopting a greyhound for the first time or if it is time to "chip" check out the available hounds or fill out an application..it will be updated after the haul with the new arrivals!!!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Greyhound gatherings!

GPA volunteers have had quite a few greyhound gatherings this month! Adopting a greyhound can fill up your calender quickly with all sorts of fun activities!
On Sunday, February 10 a group gathered at the Hanover Dog Park for a playdate. They braved the insane winds (and forest fires!) to let the hounds play! The other dogs there really had a good time playing with everyone (especially the fawn pit bull!).
Savvy Racer even made a new friend! On Sunday, February 3, greyhounds gathered at a volunteers house for a some fun before the Super Bowl! On Saturday, February 9th, GPA met at Stony Point Fashion Park for the monthly meet and greet! The weather was beautiful and the hounds a great time! These are just some of the events GPA has each month! Check out the Greyhounds Make Great Pets forum to keep up with all the playdates and events!
On February 16th, GPA will be at the Henrico Humane Society's Pet Expo at the Showplace! If you have time to volunteer email events@greyhoundsvirginia.com or just stop by and say hi! GPA will also be getting another greyt group of hounds on February 23! Check the available hounds list for the new arrivals!
And as always, if you (or anyone you know) is interested in adoption, stop by the GPA Richmond website and fill out an application!!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

January dog haul

GPA-Richmond welcomed 3 hounds today from JCKC. We used a volunteer's house/tub to give them a good scrubbing! Amanda and Brian S. picked up the hounds from the hauler and brought them the rest of the way!
Jason and Brian A. "wash that track right out of their hair"!
Afterwards, two of the hounds say thank you to Brian A.!
After the bath, the two boys enjoy a spin around the yard!
So who was on this haul..
First is WJS Alfalfa who just turned 4! He is getting adopted by his forever family today! He was a crazy and sweet boy who knew how to make us laugh!
GPA added two dogs to the foster program from this haul.
KC Sitting on Go is a cat safe 2 1/2 year old boy who has the sweetest personality. Is this a
'take me home' face or what? He is also a smiler!
We also received Savvy Racer a 3 1/2 year old red female who is cat trainable and very loving! We also have HKF Dusk in the foster program waiting for her forever home. She is 4 years old with beautiful amber eyes! She is inquisitive, energetic and very loving.
We also have Sol Twister a 5 year old cat safe red fawn male. Pictures not available at this time. He loves kids, walks great on the leash, is laid back and very loving.
Please email gpa@greyhoundsvirginia.com or fosters@greyhoundsvirginia.com if you would like more information on these hounds. Or fill out an application to adopt one of these or any other retired racing greyhound! Look for more information on these hounds on our Petfinder site soon!
Also check out the events calender for upcoming greyhound gatherings! Spring is coming which means festival, parades and expos!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

December dog haul and Williamsburg walk

Five hounds arrived from JCKC on December 1st! Brian, Deborah and Amanda met the hauler off I-95 to pick them up and bring them to Crittertown for thier bath!
Amanda managed to snap a few shots of the ride to Crittertown. Jet Master enjoys his first view of Richmond while riding in Deborah's truck
Throttle Up prefers to relax and enjoy the ride!
I'm Worthwatchin enjoys her first bath by her new mommy!
Throttle Up's new mommy beams....her new baby has finally arrived!! Jet Master waits for his turn in the tub..his new family will be adopting him soon
Trina and Amanda help out by trimming nails and maybe having a little fun while doing it!
The Letender's can't keep their eyes off their new little girl, Im worthwatchin
Also in this haul, RJ's Greatful who was in foster care briefly before being snatched up by her forever family!Eric Whistler (aka Brady) remains in foster care waiting for his family to come along! He is 2 1/2 and his foster mom reports he is very sweet, loving and goofy! And handsome, too!On December 8th, some GPA members went to Colonial Williamsburg to walk along the holiday market. They pose with some Colonial Williamsburg localsGPA-Richmond wishes everyone a happy holiday season! As always, check out the events calender and join us for many greyt events! More hounds will be arriving in January, so be sure to fill out an application if you have thought of adding to your family!

Monday, October 29, 2007

2007 Membership picnic

On Sunday, GPA-Richmond had their annual membership picnic. This is a time to socialize, elect/introduce the new board of directors, give away some free stuff and catch up on the year's successes!

We start with a brief meeting
This year's president, Mark hands last year's president, Gil a thank you gift for all his hard work!
And the socializing...

A greyhound wannabe...
And meet your new board of directors: left to right Julie Shingleton, Tom McDonald, Deborah Messersmith, Brian Shaunessy, Gil Caldwell, Katrina Stumpf, Mark Lane. Not pictured Nerice Lochansky
And of course a greyhound event would not be complete without hounds running wild!
Alex didn't think anyone was looking.....
No...you can't blame it on poo

No photographers were harmed in the shooting of these pictures! ;-)
We look forward to a greyt new year of adoptions and events!!!!!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Deja Vu

You know where we are and what we are doing! Six more hounds arrived today! The rain stopped just in time for their arrival!
Are you my new Mommy?

Mark really gets in to his work!

Cruiser gets a brisk rub down!

Bobby Show is a shy little girl that is waiting for her forever home!

WS Free Fallin' will soon be known as Cruiser with his new family!
Wako Driven picked out his new family early!

Ebony Glow and her new family!

Hevener Jaguar is a handsome boy waiting for the perfect home to come along!
And his sister, Hevener Shumba is a beautiful little girl in foster care!

We are having our annual membership picnic tomorrow! Stay tuned for more greyt pictures! And as always check out our events page for meet and greets! And if you are interested in adoption fill out an application!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Wash..Rinse...Repeat!

GPA received 6 wonderful hounds from JCKC on October 20th! As usual we met at Crittertown Bath House to give them a good scrubbing!
The hounds arrive early in the morning

Lin and Nerice work on Greta's Bam Bam

Brian helps Avalanche's new owners with his bath.

And the best part..the rub down!!!
Avalanche and his new family
HKF Dusk with her proud new mommy!


EDS Strong Echo and his new family
Sea Princess who is waiting for her new home!!!

JJ's Fickle Fate is with her foster family and ready for adoption!
And Greta's Bam Bam..his new family is arriving on the 21st!

Another group of hounds are arriving on October 27th! Please check our adoptables site for more pictures and information on any dogs in our foster program! Fill out an application today!!

*Pictures courtesy Katrina Stumpf

Sunday, October 07, 2007

West Point Crab Carnival

It is Crab season in Virginia!!! So GPA went to the West Point Crab Carnival to show off the hounds in the parade..and eat a few crabs!
Dana shows off her crab hat

Ceasar shows off his parade wig as well.. Everyone waiting for the parade to start..it was hot but luckily we were lined up in the shade.
Cali used this as an opportunity to show some cub scouts that greyhounds make great pets!
Finally, the parade begins!! Most everyone is out of town at the Dewey Beach greyhound event, but we braved the heat and got lots of attention!
Stay tuned for Dewey Beach pictures! And don't forget..GPA has a haul scheduled for this month so get in your application soon!!!
*photos courtesy Katrina Stumpf

Monday, October 01, 2007

Grey Pride

GPA had a booth at this years Richmond Gay Pride Festival on Saturday the 29th.
Toby is very concerned about unwanted litters and free-roaming studs causing trouble. So he took it upon himself to promote protection as well as greyhound adoption as Miss Tabatha Mercedes Porsche Lexus Infiniti Carrington Rolls Bentley Escalaide Deville Bus. Toby was introduced to the stage led by his Entourage, Tyrone and Diego!
Once on stage, Toby did his best to promote how wonderful greyhounds are as well as making sure everyone understood the importance of safety during extracurricular activities.
After working his magic on stage, Toby joined all his greyhound friends at the booth to further promote greyhound adoption!
Toby greats his fans from his dressing room.
Trueman enjoys the weather and attention as well.
Tyrone and Diego get a chance to have some downtime after escorting their lady.
Dolly and Ally know how to work the crowds.
GPA has a wonderful display set up to raise money and increase awareness!
Ally reacts when someone asks if Toby was prettier than her..
Sable rests after a long day
Dolly can take no more..
GPA will be at the