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Here you'll find breaking news about GPA/CA--OC&GLA. Stay in touch with the latest doings, whether it's the last event or the last delivery of dogs. For info about what's new on this site since you last checked in, look at New on This Site.

Driving to the Dogs
On Saturday, August 2, we brought 14 dogs into foster homes. This is the "C" group; each hound is named for a model of car. Bonnie and I took home "Windstar" (we're calling her "Windy"). Thanks to all those who helped wash and groom--we had a very enthusiastic and organized group!

New Show and Tell Site!
We announce the establishment of a new GPA Show and Tell at the PetsMart in Chino (on Central, near Philadelphia). We had a very successful showing a couple of weeks ago, and we'll return on Saturday, August 16 from 10am to 2pm.

These dogs are for the birds!
On Saturday, July 19, we brought 16 dogs into foster homes. This group was category "B" for birds. I guess you could say they're "bird dogs."

Enter the new stars of So Cal
On Saturday, May 31, we brought 15 dogs into foster homes. We starting through the alphabet a second time in our naming scheme for dogs that come through the program. This time, each letter will represent a category. This time, letter "A" is for actors and actresses. Of course, all the hounds are celebrities to us!

We're starting to breath a bit easier after all the dogs we've received in the last two months, but we still have a lot more dogs on the farm than we'd like right now. That means extra expense for the group, and after all none of us like warehousing dogs--we want to get them into homes!

It's raining (no cats and) dogs!
On Tuesday, May 6, we brought 17 dogs up from the Caliente racetrack. That makes 30 dogs in 9 days! This has put a severe strain on our manpower resources, especially on our foster homes. We were still trying to place all of the 13 dogs from April 27 when this new group arrived. We've taken the new dogs to our kennel facility, but now it's full too. A lot of the homes are doubling up temporarily (including my home) to handle the load. If you're in the area, and have thought about fostering, this is the time to get serious about it! If you can help, call Phil or Karen at (310) 496-1873.

The Picnic in the Park was a big success!
We had a greyt turnout at the second annual Picnic in the Park. Final numbers aren't yet in, but it looks like we topped last year's totals in both people and greyhounds. Folks enjoyed a dog agility exhibition, flyball demonstrations, and a Frisbee dog program. The doggie dress-up contest was a kick! Even Elvis made an appearance. We raffled off a lot of prizes, and, unlike at the Valentine's Day Banquet, Lynda Adame did NOT win half of them. Check back in a week or so for pictures from the picnic!

A record-setting weekend!
On Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, we processed a record 25 dogs. This wasn't intentional, however. It began on Saturday, when we brought dogs to all the foster homes we had available at the time (12). These are the "Y" dogs. Then, late Saturday night, we received a call from the track to pick up more dogs. So off went a group to the track early Sunday morning, and came back with another 13 dogs! Instead of taking them up to the farm, we put some in the kennel of a cooperative veterinarian and the others we managed to place in homes (the "Z" dogs). Thanks to Karen, Phil, Bob, and everyone else who put in some incredibly long hours this weekend! You'll all get double your normal pay (greyhound muzzle nuzzles and licks, that is)!

Come to the Picnic in the Park!
Second Annual GPA/CA--OC&GLA "Picnic in the Park"--Huntington Beach Central Park, adjacent to HB Bark Park. Last year over 300 people and 150 greyhounds attended, and we anticipate seeing more of both this year! (Read about LAST year's picnic.)

Bring your greyhound(s) and enjoy food and drinks, Pet Psychic Lydia Hiby, Animal Entertainment (Frisbee dogs, Flyball demonstration, Agility dog demonstration, and the ever-popular Pet Contests), Exhibits (Foster dogs, Renaissance Faire, Greyhound info), the GPA Greyhound Boutique, and Drawings for great prizes (grand prize: Sony camcorder).Your $8 in advance (mail by April 26), $10 at the gate pays for your lunch. Please bring something to sit on. Don't forget a water dish for your pals! For info call (714) 962-0789. Send your check, made out to GPA/CA--OC&GLA, to: GPA PICNIC, GRAPHIX Printing and Design, 7209-C Arlington Ave, Riverside, CA 92503. This event is in part a fund-raiser to support the activities of GPA/California--Orange County and Greater Los Angeles, so your money is going to a worthy cause!

Foster Families Needed
We plan to bring a group of dogs down from the farm on Saturday, April 26. Because we have so many dogs up there (see below), and because of the tremendous response from the Pet Expo (see below also), we are in serious need of homes this time around to prepare the pups for life with that family that's anxiously awaiting them. If you can help, call Phil or Karen at (310) 496-1873.

Food for the Hungry Greyhounds
On Saturday, April 19, Tom and Bob took 12,000 pounds of dog food up to the farm. We currently have over 30 greyhounds there, waiting for foster homes to open up.

Pet Expo a Big Success!
Our appearance at the Pomona Pe Expo on April 11-13 was a smashing success! Between signups at the site and phone calls since, we've attracted the serious interest of nearly 100 folks.

The Doggie X-Files
We brought 10 dogs down from the farm on Saturday, April 5. These 10 dogs are the X dogs. Since our last foster, Whitney, was placed on Friday, we were able to take a foster from this group. He s a Red with very light-colored eyes and white toenails named "Xplorer" (it's not easy coming up with 10 names for dogs that start with X!). We also brought 26 dogs up from Caliente racetrack (we were told to expect 16, so this necessitated some serious adjustments! We REALLY could have used that dog trailer we have on order!). On top of this, some of our folks were in a Dog Walk, and others were running two Show and Tells!

Pomona Pet Expo
Please come and see us at the Pomona Pet Expo on April 11-13, held at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona (take I-10 east from Los Angeles; take the first exit past the 57 freeway, head north (left), and follow the signs). We'll be there from 10 am on all three days. And be sure to buy an Expo program--our group is receiving 50 percent of sales revenue for agreeing to sell them.

A Tribute to the Kalleys
Kevin Fry asked me to print the note below on his behalf. I think it speaks for itself.

I'm Vic & Jo Kally's brother-in-law. They convinced us to adopt J.G. Crystal Creek (in spite of three kids ten or under, and no fence) through Cynthia Brannigan's organization. We're thrilled with Crystal.

She's a nice, polite girl who aims to please. She agreed to come live with us last August, and has become more and more a part of our family every month since. Crystal rewards us all with love. We take her for (fenced in) runs whenever the weather allows. She runs with the wind.

The children (three- Mike, now 11, Matt & Katie, age 8) are Crystal's primary care givers. She needs to be walked four or five times each day, and the kids do it (including the inevetible pick up). She is fed twice daily, and the kids prepare that, too. We could not have let any dog into our family without our children taking a large responsibility for its welfare.

Please allow me to publicly give my family's thanks to Vic & Joanne Kally for teaching us about the beauty of Greyhounds, then advising us when we took Crystal into our home.

More from Mexico
On March 23 we picked up nine dogs at the Caliente track and took them to the farm. Our reception at the Caliente track was very positive, showing that we're doing well at rebuilding relations damaged by the "Extra" attempt at an expose (see the "Extra Expose" comments below).

The Squeaky Clean Half Dozen
On March 22 we brought six dogs down from the farm and placed them in foster homes. Bonnie and I took "Whitney," a very people-oriented 5-year-old Red female.

The Dusty Dozen
On February 28 we picked up 12 dogs from the Caliente track and took them to the farm.

V for Victory (and Victoria, and Victor, and Vixen . . . )
On February 22 we brought 13 dogs down from the farm and placed them in foster homes. All dogs in this group were given a name beginning with the letter V.

Dogs, Dogs
On February 16 we picked up 6 dogs from the Caliente race track and took them to the farm.

A New Milestone
On February 15 we officially placed our 200th dog since our group organized in November, 1995. Congrats to everyone involved!

The U-Dogs
On February 1 we brought in 12 dogs for grooming and placement in foster homes. Bonnie and I took "Umpire," an 18-month-old male (the youngest dog our group has yet rescued). He's really a 70 pound puppy!

Have Dogs? Will Travel!
On December 28 we picked up 11 dogs from the Caliente race track and took them to the farm. We also, coincidentally, brought 11 dogs from the farm and placed them in foster homes. Good luck on your placements, boys and girls!

1997 Renaissance Faire: September 27-28
The second annual Petco/Greyhound Renaissance Faire will be September 27-28 at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, California. See our Renaissance Faire page for more information.

Los Angeles Times:
If you didn't catch the article on our GPA chapter and its president, Joyce McRorie, in the LA Times Orange County edition, the piece ran again in the LA county edition on December 12. You can see it at http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/STATE/t000108639.html. The newsprint version can be found beginning on page A3 of the first section.

The "Extra" Expose--A Critique:

by Tom McRorie, GPA/CA--OC&GLA

Note: On December 4, 1996, the NBC program, "Extra," aired what was intended to be an expose of the greyhound racing industry. It went undercover to examine racetracks in Caliente, Mexico, and at Birmingham, Alabama.

After watching "Extra" on December 4, I thought you might like to know some behind the scenes stuff. Joyce was contacted by one of the GPL supporters locally and asked if she would facilitate the "undercover" expose at Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico. She declined, but said that we had never seen anything that would constitute mistreatment of a greyhound there. It was interesting that all they could find was one dog in a crate with a muzzle on. I'd have to say that is quite a testimonial to Caliente. Besides, how many of you muzzle and/or crate your greyhounds? We see some muzzle sores when we take dogs from Caliente, sure, but nothing like the one shown on TV.

If you'd like a word picture much more vivid than that on NBC look up an article by GPA/CA--OC&GLA board member Lynda Adame, on the electronic magazine A Breed Apart, called "Twelve Less Dogs".

While I still remain neutral on the racing issue, I don't like yellow journalism. If that is the worst that NBC and GPL could dig up, I'd have to say that the racing industry has come a long way in cleaning up its act. They still have room for improvement and there will always be rotten participants, as there are in any endeavor, but it has come a long way. I think it deserves some recognition for that. Perhaps the racing industry can best be motivated the way we do our wonderful greyhounds, with a little love and tenderness when they do right. How successful would we be with the dogs if we beat them into submission and then continued to beat them when they had done what we wished.

I have seen some pet greyhounds in worse shape that those on TV and many more pet dogs. Talk to some folks at emergency vet hospitals about some of the cases they see. Talk to the operators of the local shelters about finding live animals deposited in the dead animal depository so the owners could avoid a small fee. I'd have to say that if anyone really wanted to do a show on animal abuse, they could have found much more abuse in pet animals that they were able to with the greyhounds.

I'd have to say congratulations to the racing industry on the gains they've made on cleaning up their own "mess." Granted they had some help or motivation from those of us that love these dogs and they can count on it continuing to be there. I'm sure that most of us that take dogs in for adoption have seen worse than what was on the TV.

In defense of the Caliente racetrack, let me say that their crates are old and wooden, not stainless steel and pristine like other tracks, but "Extra" didn't show you the grooming tables in the back of the kennels where the dogs are groomed and checked for injuries. It didn't show you how clean the crates are kept. It didn't introduce you to "Joe" the kennel manager that pets all his dogs and teaches them to shake when their crate door is opened. It didn't introduce you to the kennel workers that slip you a dog that is tagged to die, so it can be adopted. It didn't tell you that at Caliente that the words now used for "retiring" a greyhound is "petted out."

What's my point? I just like things that are fair to all, or at least as much as can be. I don't approve of the life these dogs lead at the track, but I was raised in an agricultural area and know what a barnyard is like. I don't think I want to tackle cleaning them up either.

Tom McRorie

Renaissance Faire 97--same place, different time:
Our Ren Faire for 1997 will be back at the same park (Irvine Regional Park in Orange, California. The park is celebrating its centennial year in 97, and made us an offer we couldn't refuse! See the Renaissance Faire section for more details.

The 12 Greyhounds of Christmas:
We brought 12 dogs into foster homes on Saturday, December 7. We really appreciate the foster families who were willing to open their homes to a orphaned little hound at this time of the year.

Call for Foster Families:
We'll be bringing down from the farm a group of hounds on Saturday, December 7. If you can foster one of these dogs, call Karen Charpie-Elton as soon as possible. With all the holidays, this is a tough time of the year to find foster homes, so your help would be very much appreciated.

Los Angeles Times notice:
The Fast Friends web page received some notice in the LA Times of November 4, 1996. The following appeared on the first page of the Business section, D-1, under "The Cutting Edge": "If you're thinking of adopting a retired racing greyhound, visit Fast Friends at http://orca.csudh.edu/~jjeffers/greyhound. The site explains the care these dogs require when they move from a track to a home. There's also a history of the breed, the fastest in the world." Thanks for the attention!

Renaissance Faire Notes:
Our Renaissance Faire, sponsored by PetCo and Waltham Pet Foods, is this Saturday, 10am-5pm. See the Renaissance Faire section of this web site for more info. You'll now find a schedule of events (tentative) listed on the Ren Faire page. Also, we now have confirmed that folks bringing greyhounds will NOT have to bring a rabies vaccination certificate with them, as had been the case at one time.

Lots 'o Hounds:
Pop Quiz: How long are 14 greyhounds standing nose-to-tail? Answer: No one knows, because they won't stand still long enough to measure! Especially not if they've just been brought down from the farm, as these 14 were on November 2. Ten girls and 4 boys (including one female in heat) were inducted into the Foster Home Experience. Bonnie and I took "Rhonda," a small, skinny white with brindle girl. We still have a number of dogs at our kennel facility, waiting for a foster home. Contact Karen if you can help foster the next group we bring down!

The Last Time Out of the Gate:
Pop Quiz: how many greyhounds can you get in one Chevy Suburban? Answer: at least 13! On October 5 we picked up 13 dogs from the Caliente track. We thought we were only getting 6 dogs, and so only sent one vehicle. Tom McRorie and his helper sure had their hands full on the way back! We also took a truckload of kibble up to the farm, and picked up some fencing that we'll be using at the Renaissance Faire later this month.

Join our Merry Renaissance Band:
We need volunteers to help with the Petco Renaissance Faire on Saturday, November 9. All proceeds will go to GPA/CA--OC&GLA, so any time or material you can donate will mean more funds for rescuing greyhounds. And you'll probably have a good time, too! We especially need volunteers to help with setup and teardown of the booths, fences, etc. We also need help inside the Faire and with parking. If you can help, please call Faire Co- coordinator for GPA, Jim Jeffers at (909) 591-4570, or the GPA Volunteer Coordinator, Karen, at (310) 496-1873.

The More the Merrier!:
We brought ten dogs down from the farm on September 28. We ran short on foster homes this time, so we could use help. If you've fostered before, or have considered fostering, call Karen or Phil at (310) 496-1873. We really could use a couple of foster homes right now!

Special Delivery:
We brought eight dogs down from the farm on September 14.

Anaheim Home and Garden Show:
Our appearance at this show was a big success. A number of folks signed up for adoption applications and more info. Saturday was the busiest day for us, but even on Wednesday when Bonnie and I attended we had a steady stream of visitors. Thanks to Needlenose Crew for sharing their booth with us!

Track Closing:
Joan Belle Isle recently reported to Greyhound-L: "As if this fall wasn't going to be busy enough with the normal seasonal track closings and the closing of the Wisconsin Dells track, Greentrack in Eutaw, Alabama just announced it will be closing permanently as of August 24th. Things are just getting organized, but there are 575 active dogs at the track and an unknown number of inactives."

More Dogs:
We brought seven dogs down from the farm on August 17. They're settling into their foster homes and are being scheduled for spaying/neutering.

Special Delivery:
We just received two ex-racers with broken legs. Slate is a black male, 19 months old, whose leg was broken only recently. Cad is a fawn male, 4 years old, whose leg probably was broken three months ago. Slate and Cad have both had surgery and are doing greyt. Cad has a terrific personality, but will probably always limp.

Another "Dog Run":
We brought 6 dogs down from the farm on Saturday, August 3. They were given their shots, cat tested, bathed, groomed and sent home with their foster families. These are the "N" dogs in our naming scheme. Thanks to all the foster families!

Jasper finds a home:
Our former Greyhound of the Week, Jasper, was just adopted by a greyt family. Congratulations, Jasper!

Show and Tell:
Our Show and Tell on Saturday, July 20 was a big success. Since it was the grand opening of a large Petco store, it attracted a huge crowd all day long. Lots of greyhounds attended and were (almost without exception) on their best behavior. That wasn't easy, considering the mass of people, some with small dogs or cats. Some of our "M" dogs attended and did very well handling crowds for the first time. Our foster dog, Mason, did very well, as did our Cleo (this was also her first Show and Tell).

"Tijuana Taxi":
Our latest run for the border came up rather suddenly on Thursday, July 18. A kennel at the Caliente track called us to pick up eight dogs. Knowing that we usually end up with more than planned, we took two vehicles and ended up bringing out 12 dogs. We took them to the farm since we had just filled our foster homes a few days before. That's the kind of thing that happens when you're committed to saving as many dogs as possible. I went on this trip and came back with a lot of photos which will be appearing on this web site in the near future.

"Dog Run":
We brought 10 dogs down from the farm on Saturday, July 13. These are the "M" dogs in our naming scheme. They've settled into their foster homes and will be spayed/neutered in the next week or so. We (Jim and Bonnie Jeffers) are fostering "Mason," a beautiful brindle boy from Colorado. He's affectionate and sweet, not too shy and not too boisterous.

Puppy Shower Update:
On Sunday, June 23, we had a puppy shower for the 8 new puppies born recently to one of 4 greyhounds that had been turned in to a Los Angeles animal shelter. This shelter calls us when a greyhound comes in so we can pick it up. Within a few days of picking her up, "Julie" delivered 8 healthy, beautiful puppies by Caesarean section. One is a light brindle while the others are all white, or black and white. Because of the C-section and the costs of fostering 8 pups for 7-8 months, we wanted to give our people a chance to donate to the cause.

A huge crowd showed up and the film makers and video tape makers made big bucks. The puppies were given the biggest collection of toys one could imagine. They played until they were completely exhausted, took a nap and played some more. The sight of a puppy attacking a stuffed animal 10 times its size was a sight to behold.

A large amount of puppy food was donated, and the cash donations will more than pay for the C-section. Mom did a greyt job of greeting everyone and showing off the puppies. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this shower a huge success!

Renaissance Faire date has changed:
The Renaissance Faire will be Saturday, Nov. 9. This is a change from the previously announced date of Oct. 26. See our Renaissance Faire information.

Delivery of dogs:
We brought dogs down from the farm on Saturday, June 22. They have gone into foster homes for a couple of weeks before being adopted out. Thanks to all those who helped groom and cuddle the new guys!

We've reached 100!
GPA CA: OC/GLA recently reached the 100 mark! As of the beginning of July, 1996, we've successfully placed just over 100 dogs in loving homes since operations began on October 1, 1995. Thanks to all who've helped!

We're an official chapter now.
Greyhound Pets of America has just officially recognized GPA California: Orange County and Greater Los Angeles as a full chapter of GPA. Formerly we were a sub-chapter of GPA.


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