Happy Birthday GPA Tri-State

My group, GPA Tri-State, is celebrating 10 years of finding homes for retired racers!  I am so lucky to have been owned by the group's very first adoptee, KD Tom Sawyer.

While I am so excited for our group, I am finding myself a bit sad these days.  I've been walking down memory lane a lot and thinking of my boy.  Here are some of my favorite photos of my boy.

 

 Tom and Dixie.  This picture was taken shortly after Dixie's arrival.

Love that face.

Birthday boy.  He almost made it to his 13th birthday. 

 Being goofy.  He had the covers all wrapped around him.

 

He was such a tolerant boy.  I love this picture of him in the hat.

While Tom was shy and quiet, he loved my grandson, Geoffrey.  He would go out of his way to lay close to him.

One of the very last pictures I took of Tom.  My first, my most special boy.  The one who started it all...

Sadie Bug

My poor Sadie Bug.  She is not feeling well. 

I came home a bit early from work on Monday, muzzled the pups and let them out to do their business.  They took off like a shot around the corner of the house, as usual.  Next thing I know, Sadie is screaming.  This is not the normal GSOD, but scream after scream.  I run over and she is holding her left front leg up.  Well, crap.  I put the boys back in the house and off to the vet we go.  Luckily, they were still 40 minutes away from closing time.

All of my greyhound friends know how stoic these pups can be.  The vet poked, prodded and manipulated.  Only found one spot in her shoulder area that appeared to be tender.  We  left there with Novox as I already had a supply of Tramadol in the medicine chest.

Monday night was horrible.  Up and down all night long.  She would just stand and cry.  If I sat in front of her, she would lay her head on my shoulder and practically fall asleep.  When she did lay down, she wouldn't put her head down at all.  Poor thing.  Every time her head would start to fall, she would wake up.  Needless to say, I got no sleep.  Today, she is finally feeling better.  Thank doG!

Last November, Sadie went through some issues with her neck.  She was limping and any greyhound owner knows what fear goes along with that.  She also developed neurological problems.  I was so distraught about it at the time, I never wrote about it.  I think I felt like if I put it in words, it would be real.  We had a series of x-rays done and it was found that Sadie has several discs in her neck that are degenerated.  It was absolutely awful.  I left my vet's office with the words "there is nothing else we can do here for her".   I sought advice on facebook from friends and fellow greyhound owners and we decided to give chiropractic a try.  While I can't say that was totally the reason for her rebound, I do think it was a combination of meds and chiropractic.  Whatever it was, I'll take it.

Anyway, what happened out there in the yard to my girl?  I honestly don't know.  I rarely leave the dogs out unattended, especially when I have fosters.  I was standing on the porch and just couldn't see what was going on.  Upon later inspection, I found her right rear leg muddy.  Did she slip and one of the boys catch her leg?  Did they run into her, tackle her, so to speak?  I just don't know.  Keep my girl in your thoughts and prayers.  Send white light, whatever you have, our way.

Did Somebody Say Treat???

I was super excited when chewy.com contacted me and asked if the hounds were interested in doing a review of some treats.  Hmmm, let me think about this.  Sure, why not?

I chose Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals Grain-Free Chicken with Carrots & Peas Recipe Dog Treats.  Normally, I only use treats when putting the dogs in their crates.  But since we were doing a "review", the pups got treats a little more often.   I know, I am a mean mom.

Ingredients include Fresh Chicken, Pea Flour, Potato Flour, Tapioca, Whole Peas, Chicken Fat, Tomato Pomace, Fresh Cranberries, Fresh Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Carrots, Fresh Apples, Fresh Split Peas, Fresh Green Beans, Fresh Green Bell Peppers, Fresh Celery, Fresh Beets, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Lettuce, Fresh Watercress, Fresh Spinach.  Yummy!

Sadie thinks they are lick-lipping good!!!

Felicia is used to having her treats brought to her bed.

Foster dog Bill, loves these treats!

Bowser (soon to be adopted by us) quickly gobbled his up!

The Lazy Days Greys give four paws up to these treats.  Thank you Chewy.com for the opportunity!

 

 

Remembering KC

After 26 fosters, I knew it would happen sooner or later.  I learned that one of my fosters has passed away. 

KC Wired 'n Wild.  She was the cutest little white and brindle girl.  Tiny thing with an overbite.  It was December and we were waiting on the hauler to come from Florida with a load of dogs.  The president of our group had recently picked up KC and I would be taking her home to foster her.  She had been adopted at the track kennel when the family was in Florida on vacation.  They were having trouble with her and didn't know what to do.  So they contacted our group to surrender her.  While any adoption is good, I so appreciate the support and advice that I get from my group.

KC spent several months at my house.  After I was still having issues with house training, it was decided she would be a good candidate for the Second Chance At Life Prison Program at the Branchville Correctional Facility.  Awesome, awesome program.  I was so lucky to get to be one of the volunteers to work with this program when our group provided them with dogs.  Watching the offenders with the dogs was amazing.  To see the dogs and men blossom with confidence was so rewarding.  I know that this program is a win-win for all involved.

After KC graduated from SCAL, she was adopted about 20 minutes from me.  Like most fosters, I only got to see her one other time at our Greyt Fest.  Her new home had another girl greyhound and her momma spoiled her rotten.  Three years ago, we had heard the owner had lost one of her girls.  However, e-mails went unanswered and we never got clarification on which dog had passed.  I found out Saturday that the owner had lost her other greyhound and we finally were able to piece together the puzzle.  KC actually was the first one to pass.  She had let the girls out to potty and when she went to the door, she saw her laying in the yard.  She called her and she didn't respond.  She went out to the yard and discovered her deceased.  Apparently she just dropped dead.  My poor baby foster girl was only  6 years old.

While it has been 3 years since she passed, I am just now able to grieve for her.  KC was with us for only a short time, but I will remember her forever.  Run free baby girl.

Fun With Cottonwood

You've heard of cotton-eyed Joe, this is cottonwood Bill.  I have a strong dislike for that tree.  When Bill followed me out on the deck the other day it was blowing around, so I scooped up a handful and decided to get creative.

 Do you think this makes a good toupee for Bill?

I am hoping this 40 foot tree comes down soon.  This is just a small sampling of its fluff.

Bill Russell

Meet Bill.  Bill Russell, our newest foster.

The foster home that Bill was in, wasn't really working for him.  We were supposed to trade Bowser for Bill.  Hubs decided he didn't want to "upset" Bowser by moving him around.  Why don't we just take a second foster?  Okay, sure, what's one more? 

 Bill loves, loves, loves the stuffies!!!

Bill turned 2 in January.  You can tell he is still newly off the racing scene.  The dog is ripped!

P.S.  I should also tell you that this guy is a tank!  He is way shorter than Bowser who weighs 68 pounds.  This boy weighs 82 pounds!  That's a lot of hound when he steps on your foot!!!

Fuzz Face Bowser

I almost forgot one thing we brought back from Florida, our newest foster.  Meet Fuzz Face Bowser.  He turned 2 on April 7th.  Our group was bringing back fosters when we left Howlidays, so Bowser came along with us.  Big old goofy boy.  Not necessarily what you would think of when you think of 2 year old. 

 He sticks pretty close to the grandson.  You never know when he might drop a crumb of food!

 Bowser has a slight roman nose too.

He is the most speckled greyhound I have ever seen too!