ALSO INSIDE: What is a Bertillon Card?Choosing the Right Antibiotic

celebrating greyhoundsWinter 2011$6.50

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Greyhounds andAnimal-Assisted Therapy

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Front Cover Credit:Sylvie and her owner, Paula Pilgrim, are aDelta Society Pet Partners team volunteer-ing for Helping Hounds Pet Therapy inMemphis, Tenn. Read more about Sylvie’swork in “Sylvie’s Story,” in this issue.Photo by Paula Pilgrim

Back Cover Credit: Liberty and her owner, Maud Carol Markson,volunteer with the California-based FurryFriends Pet Assisted Therapy Services. Readmore about Liberty’s work in “A RetiredGreyhound’s Second Career: Liberty’s Story,”in this issue. Photo by Maud Carol Markson

Regular Departments

TABLE

OFCONTEN

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Winter 2011

Editorial Comments

Your Letters

News

House CallsChoosing the Right Antibiotic.Jim Bader, DVM

Exploring MedicineIs Heartworm Resistance a Reality?William E. Feeman III, DVM

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The Magazine for Greyhound Adopters, Owners, and Friends Vol. 16; No. 4 Winter 2011

cgmagazineSecond LookHelping Hounds Pet Therapy. AGreyhounds-only therapy group faces anunimaginable transition. Mardy Fones

HistoryMore Greyhounds in Tapestry. Henry Townsend

You’re Invited

Greyhound HumorKnot Rite. William Agosto

Marketplace

In Memoriam

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Tess, Jetta, Sparky, and Katie, adopted by Sarah Salisbury of Eliot, Me.

Special Feature:

Speaking of Adoptions Features

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Lindsay, adopted by Carol Sahlfeld of Dallas, Texas.

Sylvie’s Story: A Therapy Dog Makesa Difference. A Greyhound bringscomfort to troubled children.Paula Pilgrim

Can a Therapy Greyhound HelpHeal Failing Hearts? A Greyhoundhelps researchers demonstrate thatwalking with a dog can help heartpatients recover faster.Sami Abate, RN, BS, CCRN

Becoming a Registered Pet TherapyTeam. A description of the process ofbecoming a Delta Society PetPartner®. Cheryl Giebel Petersen

Evie Visits the Library. A Greyhoundvolunteers with a children’s literacyprogram. Rachel Jervis

Against All Odds: Daisy’s Story.Anecdotes from the experiences of aGreyhound pet therapy team.Constance Fett

A Retired Greyhound’s SecondCareer: Liberty’s Story. A youngretired racer brings joy to the lives ofher new owners and the people shevisits. Maud Carol Markson

Promoting Pet Therapy. Greyhound Friends ofNew Jersey encourages its adopters to get involved inanimal-assisted therapy. Lynn Heiler

The Bertillon Demystified. The history of the BertillonCard, used to verify the identity of a racing Greyhound.Shannon Forrest

Greyhound Ear Tattoos. How did your retired racer getthose tattoos? Ray Wong

Think PieceTherapy Dogs vs. Service Dogs. Therapy dogs andservice dogs are different in many ways. Dana Provost

Living with GreyhoundsReggie’s Calling. Keystone Greyhounds places a Greyhoundas a service dog. Val Fralick

ActivitiesGreyhounds Spice Up the Holiday Season. Greyhoundanimal-assisted therapy teams participate in the SalvationArmy’s kettle campaign. Karen Prichard

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2 Summer 2004

Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine

Editor-in-Chief: Cindy Hanson

Adoptions Editor: Mary Bauer

Features Editor: Dana Provost

Copy Editors: Lindsay Hocker, Carrie Noar,

Alice O’Hearn, Ann Penfield,

Susan Tanona, Lynda Welkowitz,

Barbara Williams

Regular Contributors: William Agosto, Jim Bader DVM,

Susan M. Collins, Bruce DeKing,

Laurel E. Drew,

William E. Feeman III DVM

Veterinary Advisors: Jim Bader DVM, Rodger Barr DVM

Legal Advisor: John Parker

Art Director: Zographix Inc.

Webmaster: Lori Bernier

Facebook Administrator: Lindsay Hocker

Data Base Librarian: Ellen McCracken

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

CG Magazine, Attention: Subscriptions, PO Box 5239, Framingham,

MA 01701; subscriptions@adopt-a-greyhound.org. Allow eight weeks

for change of address.

SUBMISSIONS

For writing and photography guidelines, visit www.adopt-a-grey-

hound.org/cgmagazine/guidelines.html or send a self-addressed,

stamped envelope to CG Magazine Guidelines, PO Box 120048,

Saint Paul, MN 55112. Initial queries preferred.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND QUESTIONS

CG Magazine/Editorial Office, PO Box 120048, Saint Paul, MN

55112; editor@adopt-a-greyhound.org.

ADVERTISING

CG Magazine/Advertising, PO Box 5239, Framingham, MA 01701;

advertising@adopt-a-greyhound.org. Advertising information and

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cgmagazine/advertise.html.

WEB ADDRESS

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REPRINT INFORMATION

The editor will forward requests to authors. Authors will respond

and/or grant permission at their discretion. We do not own, sell, or

supply article reprints.

DISCLAIMER

Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine is published quarterly by The

Greyhound Project, Inc., a nonprofit Massachusetts corporation.

The magazine’s purpose is to provide information about Greyhounds

as a breed. Recognizing that there are differing points of view on

issues such as racing, breeding, and adoption policies, to mention a

few, the magazine does not advocate a position on these issues. It will

publish articles and reader letters regarding these issues if deemed

appropriate. Unless otherwise stated, The Greyhound Project, Inc.

does not necessarily agree with materials published herein. Ideas and

opinions are those of the writers. No authentication or approval is

implied by the editors or publishers, who assume no liability for infor-

mation contained herein. Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine reserves

the right to refuse publication, to edit or modify any material, and

hold such material for an indeterminate period. If your Greyhound is

ill, please see a veterinarian.

Copyright © 2011

IDBM 1093-0892

EDITORIAL COMMENTS

2 Winter 2011

The notion of adopting another Greyhound had been rolling around in the back ofmy mind for a few months. It had been six months since Fred’s passing; enoughtime to enable me to feel gratitude for our time together, rather than grief at his

absence. And though 12-year-old Pearl is in reasonably good shape for her age — as anoth-er friend described her senior Greyhound, “she’s a real pistol, though with a few more mis-fires these days”— the thought had crossed my mind that Jethro would eventually be amiserable only dog.

As these things often do for me, it began with a phone call from Kate Bressler ofGreyhound Support in Kansas City. She called me at work, so I guessed something was wrong.

“Can I vent?”Kate explained that she was organizing a haul based on a list of dogs she received from the

owner of a kennel that was closing. After realizing that he had provided the wrong list, heapologized and told her he would make it up to her by giving her a blue dog.

Kate fumed. “What the h-ll am I going to do with a blue dog?”It’s not as though it’s hard to find a group to take a blue dog — quite the contrary. A

whole lot of Greyhound adoption groups will pass by dozens of the sweetest brindle or blackdogs that you can possibly imagine to lay claim to a dog that is blue or parti-color. The goalof groups like Greyhound Support in Kansas City is to move as many adoptable dogs — of allcolors — from kennels and farms to adoption groups as it possibly can. Taking in a blue dogis a lot like flinging a piece of meat into a turnout pen. Mayhem ensues.

As Kate and I continued our conversation, I knew that the group on the other end of thehaul would not be keen on receiving a blue dog either, for similar reasons. It’s easy to findsomeone to adopt a blue dog. It’s not easy to determine which adopter to choose.

“How old is he?”“Three and a half,” she said. “You know this is not where I was expecting this conversa-

tion to go.”“What’s his name?”“You know if I tell you, that’s going to seal the deal.” Kate knows I adopt dogs because of

their names. I like it when dogs have “people names.” (Every adopter has a quirk. This is mine.) “So what’s his name?”“Jerry.”“OK,” I said. “Put him on the truck.”And that is how Jerry came to live with us. If Pearl is a pistol, Jerry is a rocket launcher.

He runs up and down the stairs in the time it takes the rest of us just to descend. He’s a skilledcounter-surfer and stuffie disembowler. He would eat food out of other dogs’ mouths if I lethim, but he takes meals in his crate. On his first day in my house, he jumped up on my bed.Although we’re working on this, when he sees cats on our daily walks, he raises up on his hindlegs and emits a high-pitched yodel. Early on, he took quite a chunk out of Pearl when sheinadvertently stepped on him in the middle of the night. (She’s fine . . . you can barely seewhere the stitches were.)

Right now, Jerry is one rude dog. But he’s friendly, smart, and eager to please. This becameclear to me within the first couple of weeks, when we were on one of our daily walks. Jethropaws the ground with his back feet after doing his business, which always elicits a chuckle anda comment from me along the lines of “celebrate your productivity!” or “hail to the king!”The first time Jerry tentatively pawed the ground post-leak and looked at me expectantly, Iknew that we would figure things out.

It’s nice to have three dogs again.

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Laryngeal ParalysisI have been a subscriber to your pictur-

esque and informative magazine for going ontwo years. The Summer 2011 issue featuring“Laryngeal Paralysis” really hit home. That’swhen I diagnosed the condition that hadplagued my male Greyhound for two years.Not even my veterinarian had a clue.Realizing that he was unable to enjoy life ashe had known it and that matters were onlygetting worse, I consulted a vet that special-ized in tieback surgery. The malady was con-firmed and we went ahead with the surgeryknowing the risks but wanting to give him achance to resume walks and climb stairswithout difficulty. Sadly, while the surgerywas successful, Rambo had complicationswithin two days and ultimately had to beeuthanized. We are devastated and ourfemale Greyhound longs for her buddy.Hopefully we will have a suitable friend forher soon. Needless to say, I am grateful forCG and the information provided therein.

Linda DowlingVia E-Mail

Who Chose Whom?I am lax on sending this picture of our

beautiful Greyhound, Tia. We adopted herin May of 2007 at 3 years of age. At 8 yearsold, she is still very fit and loves her longmorning walks. My daughter Ally wanted adog and the neighbor across the street hadtwo Greyhounds. They got us in touchwith Greyhounds of the Verde Valley, whobrought Tia to our home. She immediatelywent up to Ally and put her head in herlap. I think she knew what she was doing!She has been with us for four years nowand is the most wonderful dog we couldever get. I recommend an adoptedGreyhound to whoever is interested in get-ting a dog.

Doreen AlverSedona, Ariz.

Thank you for your letters (up to 300words) and photographs. Please send letters andphotos by mail to Celebrating GreyhoundsMagazine, Attn: Editor, PO Box 120048,Saint Paul, MN 55112. Letters sent via e-mailto editor@adopt-a-greyhound.org are also wel-come. Please include your home telephone num-ber if you would like your letter to be consideredfor publication. Letters may be edited for brevityand/or clarity.

We regret that we cannot publish every letterand photo.

YOURLE

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Tia enjoys life with Terry, Doreen, and Ally Alver in Sedona, Ariz.

4 Winter2011

Greyhounds in the News

GREYHOUND VOLUNTEER

IN NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

Dennis Tyler of GPA/Central Floridawas profiled in the August 1, 2011 issue ofPeople Magazine as one of the “HeroesAmong Us.” The article cited the workdone by Dennis Tyler and his wife, Claire,caring for and transporting more than7,000 retired racing Greyhounds to adop-tion groups along the East Coast. InOctober, Dennis was one of nine finalistsfor the People Readers’ Choice HeroCampaign.” The winner of the campaignwas to receive a $10,000 donation fromJeep applied to the charity of their choice.Voting was conducted between September16 and October 13. Although Tyler wasnot selected, he reported that the vote wasclose enough that Jeep provided a $10,000grant to GPA/Central Florida anyway.Whats more, Dennis reports that the arti-cle has resulted in a huge increase ininquiries about Greyhound adoption.

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VISIT CELEBRATINGGREYHOUNDS MAGAZINE

ON FACEBOOK! Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine now

has over 2,600 Facebook fans from at least20 countries. The purpose of the site is toconnect Greyhound-admiring subscribers(and non-subscribers) to each other andwith some of our content, including maga-zine covers. Fans have been sharing theirthoughts on the magazine and photos oftheir Greyhounds. Some of the commentswe receive on the site will be selected forpublication in CG. To join or check it out,go to www.facebook.com/cgmagazine. Tothose who have joined — please invite oth-ers, and keep the feedback and fan picturescoming!

MOVING? NEED TO

RENEW?Don’t miss a single issue of Celebrating

Greyhounds Magazine! Please send yourrenewals and address changes well inadvance to CG Magazine, PO Box 5239,Framingham, MA 01701. Address changesmay also be sent to Betsy, our subscriptionsmanager, at subscriptions @adopt-a-grey-hound.org. Subscriptions may be renewedonline at www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/cgmagazine

FREE ISSUE OF

CELEBRATINGGREYHOUNDS MAGAZINE

TO ADOPTERS OF SENIORS,SPECIAL NEEDS

GREYHOUNDS

Do you know someone who has adopteda special needs Greyhound? If so, tell thisGreyhound lover that he or she is eligible toreceive one free issue of CelebratingGreyhounds Magazine. All the adopter needsto do is send a note to the Editor ateditor@adopt-a-greyhound.org or CGMagazine, PO Box 120048, Saint Paul, MN55112. The note must include a descriptionof the dog’s special need, the name of theadoption group or other source of the dog,and the adopter’s name and mailing address.(The special needs Greyhound is either atleast 7 years old at the time of adoption orone of any age who has a special medicalproblem at the time of adoption.) There isno time limit on this special offer.

CG MAGAZINE

CUMULATIVE INDEX

ONLINE

Hey . . . where’s the 2011 cumulativeindex of articles? For many years, CG hasincluded an annual index of articles in itsWinter issue. Since we have had a cumula-tive index of articles on our website for nearlyas many years, we have decided to foregopublishing the annual index in the Winterissue. If you are looking for a particulararticle from 2011 or any other year, visitwww.adopt-a-greyhound.org/cgmagazineand click on the Cumulative Index link inthe main menu.

HOUSE

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Choosing the RightAntibioticBy Jim Bader, DVM

In a previous House Calls column, we followed Odessa’s plight with a streptococcus infection (“Odessa —A Story about Bacteria,” Summer 2011 CG). Once the appropriate antibiotic therapy was instituted,Odessa swiftly returned to health.How do antibiotics work? Which antibiotic is appropriate for a particular condition? First, let’s revisit the

enemy in this battle — bacterium.Bacteria are in two basic forms: • Cocci: round bacteria• Rods: elliptical bacteria Some bacteria grow in the presence of oxygen (aerobic bacteria) while others grow where no oxygen is present

(anaerobic bacteria). When determining the type of bacteria in the laboratory, a technician will stain the bacte-ria, dividing them into gram-positive or gram-negative based on which stain the bacteria absorb. Gram-positivebacteria are dark purple because the bacterium’s wall absorbs that color of stain. Gram-negative bacteria are pinkbecause the dark purple stain does not adhere to the cell walls and is washed away. The bacterium does, howev-er, absorb the pink counter stain. Knowing the category of bacterium allows the veterinarian to select the appro-priate antibiotic for a particular infection.

When a Greyhound has a bacterial infection, the veterinarian may order a culture and sensitivity test to identifythe offending agent and further determine which antibiotic to use. The material to be cultured is collected bytouching a sterile swab to the infected area. The material on the swab is then placed on a culture plate. The cul-

Mully (Pikes Mulligan), adopted by Jeff and Shelley Lake of Paola, Kan.

6 Winter 2011

ture plate is incubated for hours to days to seeif the bacteria grow.

If the bacteria grow, then the culture istransferred to another culture plate. Discs,each containing a different antibiotic, areplaced on the culture plate. The antibioticdiffuses across the plate. If no bacteria growin the area of diffusion, then this antibioticmay be effective at stopping the infectionsince it appears to be sensitive to the antibi-otic. If the culture only grows up to the disc,then this bacterium is resistant to the antibi-otic and should not be used for treatment.The drawback to this test is it may take sev-eral days for results.

The drawback to this test is it may takeseveral days for results. Usually, theGreyhound is started on an antibiotic beforethe culture results are available. A moreeffective antibiotic may be needed after theculture results are analyzed.

Types of AntibioticsPenicillins. The oldest class of antibi-

otics is penicillin. The original penicillin wasderived from a fungus. Once the penicillinwas identified, scientists modified it toenhance its effectiveness. When it wasobserved that certain bacteria produce anenzyme rendering the penicillin ineffective,a product was added to stop the enzyme andallow the penicillin to kill the bacterium.

Penicillin-based antibiotics are effectiveagainst most gram-positive rods and cocci.They are ineffective against most gram-nega-tive organisms. Penicillin-based antibioticspenetrate all tissues throughout the bodyexcept the brain and the cerebral spinal fluid(the fluid around the brain and spinal cord).Penicillin can be administered orally or byinjection, and can be given one to four timesdaily based on the type of penicillin pre-scribed.

The original penicillin is Penicillin-V,which is inexpensive, but must be adminis-tered three to four times daily. This can bedifficult for most owners. Synthetic peni-cillin-based antibiotics are much more userfriendly. Synthetic penicillin is original peni-cillin that modified so it lasts longer in thebody, boosting effectiveness while decreasingdose frequency. The most common syntheticpenicillins are amoxicillin and ampicillin.

Another product, Clavamox®, consists ofsynthetic penicillin with clavulonic acid.The clavulonic acid inhibits the bacteria’sproduction of an enzyme that rendered thepenicillin ineffective. Cephalosporins. The next class of antibi-

otics is the cephalosporins. The originalcompound was isolated from a fungus, thenmodified in the laboratory to increase effec-tiveness and decrease side effects.Cephalosporins are effective against mostgram-positive organisms and, at higher doses,against some gram-negative organisms. Thecephalosporins penetrate all areas of thebody except the brain and cerebral spinalfluid.

The most commonly used cephalosporinis cephalexin. Others in the family are:cefadroxil, cefazolin and ceftriaxone.Cephalexin and cefadroxil are administeredorally twice daily. Cefazolin is usually admin-istered intravenously before and during surgi-cal procedures. If given repeatedly, it must beadministered every four to eight hours.Ceftriaxone is one of the newercephalosporins. It can act for up to 24 hours.Ceftriaxone also penetrates the brain andcerebral spinal fluid, so is effective for infec-tions in these areas.Aminoglycides. The aminoglycides, the

next class of antibiotics, cannot be takenorally as they are not absorbed through theintestinal tract. These antibiotics must beadministered topically or by injection.Aminoglycocides for topical use are present

in most eye and ear medications, plus sometopical sprays for superficial skin infections.This group includes gentamycin, amikacin,and neomycin, to name a few.Aminoglycides administered by injection areusually reserved for treatment in the veteri-narian’s office and almost never dispensed forhome use. Tetracycline. The tetracycline group

includes tetracycline, chlortetracycline anddoxycycline. These antibiotics penetrate allthe tissues of the body including the brainand cerebral spinal fluid. Calcium in dairyproducts and other foods may inhibit absorp-tion of the antibiotic, so tetracyclines shouldnot be given with high-calcium foods.Tetracylines are effective against most gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Inaddition, they are also effective against rick-ettsial organisms such as Lyme disease.Tetracyclines are thought to modify theimmune system when it is overactive, so theymay be used against diseases such as symmet-rical lupoid onychodystrophy, which is anautoimmune disease that causes the toenailsto fall off or grow abnormally. Tetracylinesshould not be used in pregnant Greyhoundsor puppies. These tissue-penetrating antibi-otics incorporate into the growing teeth,staining them permanently.

Doxycyline is the most commonly tetra-cycline. It can be dosed once or twice daily.Doxycycline is the recommended treatmentfor all dogs with heartworm disease since itkills the bacteria in the uterus of the adult

The first step in determining an appropriate antibiotic is to incubate a sample of thebacteria on a culture plate.

it in the ear? Is it in the sinuses or mouth?With this information, the veterinarian canselect an antibiotic that will penetrate thearea of infection.

Second, is it a cocci or a rod? The culturetest described earlier is useful to determinethis. The gram-stain procedure is performedand the slide is observed with a microscopewith the hope that bacteria will be identified— gram-positive or gram-negative, rod orcocci. This narrows down the antibioticchoice even more, enabling the veterinarianto select an antibiotic that penetrate the areaof infection and is effective against that bac-terium.

Third, is this a recurring or non-resolvinginfection? This limits the choice because thebacterium may be resistant to the formerantibiotic. The veterinarian may need tochoose an antibiotic that is known to havevery little resistance, such as a quinolone.

Finally, the cost of the antibiotic is a fac-tor that should be considered. TheGreyhound owner must pay for the antibiot-ic, so the choice should be the most effectiveantibiotic for that particular infection at thelowest cost. Fortunately, most of the antibi-otics used are generics and are usually rea-sonably priced.

Once the antibiotic is chosen, adminis-tering directions should be followed. Someantibiotics are more effective with a meal,while others do not need to be given with

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female heartworm. The body’s abnormalreaction to these bacteria is the leading causeof death during a heartworm infection.Macrolids. Lincomycin and clindamycin

are in group of antibiotics called macrolids,which are excellent against infectionsinvolving both gram-positive and gram-neg-ative anaerobes. These antibiotics are usedfor deep-seated infections under the skin,abscesses, bone infections, and infections ofthe teeth and gums. Clindamycin also isavailable as a gel that can be applied to thebase of teeth after a dental cleaning to helpthe gums heal and maybe prevent gum reces-sion and tooth loss. Both of these antibioticsare administered once or twice daily.Quinolones. The final group of antibi-

otics is the quinolones. These are broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against mostgram-negative organisms and some gram-positive organisms. They may be effectiveagainst some resistant staphylococcus andstreptococcus infections. The quinolonespenetrate all tissues effectively, including thebrain and cerebral spinal fluid. They are usedfor recurring or persistent infections thathave not resolved with other antibiotics.Quinolones should not be used in growinganimals as they have been associated withcartilage defects in the joints. These defectsdo not resolve once the antibiotic is haltedand may be debilitating for the life of theGreyhound.

The two most commonly used quinolonesare ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin(Baytril®). Both may be dosed once or twicedaily. Baytril® is also available as a flavoredtablet for those Greyhounds who are difficultto medicate.

Choosing the Right AntibioticWe now understand the enemy — bacte-

ria — and the weapons used to combat it —antibiotics. How does a veterinarian choosethe best antibiotic to treat the infection?Culture and sensitivity test results may takedays to produce. The Greyhound could bedead from the infection by then, so how dowe choose?

First, the veterinarian has to determinethe cause and location of the infection. Is itin the skin? Is it in the bone? Was it causedby a bite? If so, was it from a dog or a cat? Is

food. If you are administering the medica-tion, you should try to give the pill to yourdog at the same time(s) every day. This willkeep the antibiotic in the tissues at a con-stant high level. Check with your veterinari-an if there are any idiosyncrasies you need toknow about.

The antibiotics listed in this article areonly a few of the options available to fightinfection. Many others are used, but not nec-essarily on a daily or routine basis. These maybe prescribed because the type or severity ofthe infection requires a more unique medica-tion.

Antibiotics and bacteria are broad andconstantly changing topics. New bacterialdiseases are always being discovered, so theeffort to discover new antibiotics to combatthem continues. The basics will always bethe same: Choose an antibiotic that is appro-priate for the type and location of the infec-tion, can penetrate the area, and will kill thebacteria. ■

Dr. Jim Bader is a CG regular contributor.

The antibiotics represented by the discs on the left and right appear to be effective atstopping the infection. Because the culture has grown right up to the disc in the middle,the bacterium is resistant to this antibiotic and should not be used.

SPEC

IALFE

ATURE

8 Winter 2011

Sylvie’s Story:A Therapy DogMakes A DifferenceBy Paula Pilgrim

My Heart Saver. That’s what I often callher. Her name is Sylvie.

She’s a lovely fawn Greyhound withbeautiful Cleopatra eyes, a peaceful andmajestic presence, and an open, loving, sen-sitive heart. Her favorite pastime is going fortwo-mile walks in the neighborhood carryingeither her stuffed bear or bunny. She is asocial butterfly, enjoying car rides, meet-and-greets, visiting with friends, and going to ourpet therapy location. She is well known inthe neighborhood and the local Greyhoundcommunity. She brings smiles to all whocome in contact with her. She receives plen-ty of oohs, ahhhs, and awwws wherever wego.

How It All BeganI brought Sylvie home in September

2008. She had been bounced back andreturned to the kennel (through no fault ofher own). She had lived with a family withtwo children. She was depressed and had lostweight. She bonded immediately with me,and I with her. That first night I knew shewas a special dog. When I retired for theevening, she jumped on the bed, put herhead on my shoulder, and threw her forelegacross my chest. I looked at her. It was as ifher eyes were saying, “Don’t leave me,” and Imelted like butter.

Sylvie freely gives kisses, loves to snuggle,and even likes to pet humans. If you pet her,she will lift her paw and give you a pat inreturn, or she will offer you her paw to hold.Little did I know that her affection wouldhelp heal much of my own pain and helpkeep me going during the very stressful peri-od of my parent’s consecutive near-death ill-nesses. Little did I know that she would giveme a whole new life.

I noticed that when we were out, Sylvieshowed a lot of interest in children.Remembering that she used to live with kids,I thought she must miss being around them.I wondered if she might be a good candidatefor pet therapy with children. After going toseveral meet-and-greets (including one at anoisy, busy hockey game) and seeing howwell Sylvie handled the crowd and a lot ofattention, I decided to train her to become a

Paula Pilgrim and her Greyhound, Sylvie, became a registered therapy team.

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registered Animal Assisted Activities dog. A note about therapy dogs: Therapy dog

is an all-encompassing, generic term.According to the Delta Society, Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a goal-directedintervention in which an animal is incorpo-rated as an integral part of the clinicalhealthcare treatment process. AAT is deliv-ered or directed by a professional health orhuman service provider who demonstratesskill and expertise regarding the clinicalapplications of human-animal interactions.Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) provideopportunities for motivational, educational,and/or recreational benefits to enhance aperson’s quality of life. AAAs are deliveredby a professional, para-professional, or volun-teer who demonstrates knowledge about ani-mals and the human populations with whichthey interact.

Getting StartedIn early 2010, I began my research. I was

pleased to discover Sylvie could easily passall the requirements to become a registeredtherapy dog, with the exception of “sit” and“lie down” on command. I signed her up foran obedience class, but I could not teach her

these commands. That automatically elimi-nated Sylvie from obtaining a Canine GoodCitizen certificate and joining one specifictherapy group. I was disappointed.

A friend told me about Helping HoundsPet Therapy (HHPT) in Memphis,Tennessee. HHPT is a small organizationexclusively for therapy Greyhounds. HHPTadvised me to send Sylvie for testing througha registering body that does not have the“sit” or “lie down” requirement. I was alsohappy to learn I would not have to attendany seminars. With my 15 years of experi-ence in healthcare, I was already comfortableworking in healthcare settings. By the spring,Sylvie was registered, and we joined HHPT.

Making a Difference In July 2010, Sylvie and I began visiting

Youth Villages. This nationally-recognized,Memphis-based company helps emotionallyand behaviorally troubled children throughresidential treatment at campuses and grouphomes in Tennessee, Georgia, and Oregon,and through community-based, intensive,in-home services in ten states and theDistrict of Columbia. It also serves a largenumber of learning-disabled children. The

average length of stay at a residential facilityis six months. Unfortunately, some childrenremain domiciled for years.

Sylvie and I visit two groups of 8 to 11year-old boys who live in a cottage on cam-pus. Both groups have boys with learning dis-abilities, and many have serious behavioralor emotional problems brought on by horri-bly dysfunctional home environments. Someare temporarily removed from their homes.Others have bounced from foster home tofoster home. As a result, many of the boys actout, and some do not respect or even under-stand emotional and physical boundaries.

The direct link between animal abuseand child abuse is well-documented. TheAmerican Humane Association website lists anumber of sobering statistics. (See www.amer-icanhumane.org for more information.)

I wanted to help teach the boys compas-sion and respect for dogs and to extend thatcompassion and respect to humans. I alsowant them to experience the healing powerof dogs. They learn that dogs have personalspace, boundaries, and feelings just ashumans do. I teach them specifically aboutGreyhounds mostly because Sylvie is one,and there is a wealth of information about

Hey, there’s Sylvie! John and Austin recognize their therapy buddy on a visit to the MSGAO adoption kennel. Youth Villages

10 Winter 2011

the breed. In more physical terms, the boyslearn about a Greyhound’s muscles, heart,and skin, as well as about racing. They alsolearn about a Greyhound’s personality,adjusting to pet life, how to take care of adog, grooming, diet, and responsible petownership. After I talk with the boys for 20minutes, they are allowed to pet Sylvie — nomore than two boys at a time.

Sylvie has had a significant impact on theyoung boys at Youth Villages. I believe theboys connect with Sylvie in part becausethey can relate to her own experience of hav-ing been given up by her family. This is apain that they, too, understand.

Elliott is a good example. (For confiden-tiality, all names have been changed.) Elliotwas mute and disconnected from interactionwith staff and other residents for his first twomonths at Youth Villages. When Sylvie andI began to visit, Elliott slowly reached out toher. When he finally began talking duringhis one-on-one counseling sessions, it wasabout Sylvie. He eventually started tellinghis counselor, “Sylvie is a good dog,” and“I’m thinking about telling Sylvie I love her.Is that OK?” One day, I heard Elliott whisperinto her ear, “I love you. I’ll keep your kiss-es.” It wasn’t long before he started interact-ing with the other kids.

Grady, who has lived at Youth Villages forthree years, told me, “Sylvie has always beenthere for me.” Jory, another long-term resi-dent, said, “She’s encouraging.”

The counselors have told me “Sylvie” is ahousehold name in the cottage and thatmany of the boys want to talk about Sylvieduring counseling sessions. She has evenhelped improve their daily behavior scores.

In early spring 2011, I arranged for theboys to visit Sylvie’s adoption kennel, Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option in WestMemphis, Arkansas. This was an excitingevent. The local newspaper and YouthVillages’ public relations representative andvolunteer coordinator also came along.Everyone was able to pet the otherGreyhounds awaiting adoption and talk tokennel staff. After our visit, we stopped atthe Southland Greyhound Park, where theboys watched the dogs race. It is hard for kidsto imagine how fast Greyhounds run andhow quickly they reach top speed, so this was

an excellent opportunity to see the dogs inall their glory. The boys, as well as the adultswho attended, thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

The boys’ cottage recently had a thera-peutic art/learning exhibit. A “Sylvie” sec-tion was included, and we were asked to visit.I brought a charcoal drawing, with a poem,that pictured Sylvie and a boy hugging her. Ialso brought one of my educational tri-foldboards. She was a hit with all the visitingstaff, some of whom were interested inGreyhound adoption.

Benefits of Pet Therapy Knowing that Sylvie is reaching these

boys and that their behavior is improving isthe biggest benefit for me. I love to hear thepositive stories from the counselors and tosee the boys hug Sylvie, tell her they loveher, and make drawings for her.

It is hard to know for sure exactly whatSylvie gets out of the visits. But I know sheenjoys them, if her excitement when I put onher “volunteer” racing silk is any indication.She knows where we are going. When we arewithin a half-mile of the cottage, she standsup in the back of my SUV and “smiles.” Shegives the boys plenty of kisses during visits.The best example I can give is the day of thefield trip. I knew the boys would ask abouther, so I took her with me to the adoptionkennel and placed her in one of the crates.As soon as they arrived, they asked, “Where’sSylvie?” The kennel staff directed them toher. She recognized her boys immediately,stood up, blinked her eyes (something shedoes when she’s happy), and wagged her tail.

How to Improve the Pet TherapyExperience

I cannot emphasize enough: Know yourdog. Does he prefer young children, teens,adults, or the elderly? Then select an appro-priate venue, such as a library, hospital, reha-bilitation center, nursing home, or interven-tional residential setting. While Sylvie and Iwere in the testing/observing process, Inoticed that she was not particularly fond ofnursing homes. She tolerated them, but sheappeared somewhat withdrawn. On theother hand, when the tester/observer sawSylvie walk right up to a child, she exclaimed,“You’re right! She really does like children!”

You also need to:• Know when your dog is tired or not feel-

ing well. • Know when your dog is stressed; for

example, if she is turning away, pantingexcessively, hiding behind you, or pin-ning her ears.

• Know when your dog has had enoughwith being petted.

• Know when your dog is ready to leave. • Know when your dog is experiencing

burnout. Yes, pet therapy is meant to bring warm

feelings and to facilitate healing, but if yourdog isn’t happy, then your efforts will benegated. It then becomes a selfish exerciseon your part. It’s not about you. Pet therapyis a team effort. Keep in mind that your dog’spersonal space is being invaded during thera-py, and that she has limits. You are responsi-ble for your pet’s mental health and physicalsafety. If your dog does not feel safe, she couldlash out, which is the last thing anyonewants.

I know Sylvie is ready to go home whenshe faces the exit door at the cottage. Whenshe’s ready to leave, we leave.

Getting InvolvedThe groups through which your dog can

be registered include Delta Society, TherapyDogs International, and Therapy Dogs, Inc.Which group you choose depends on therequirements of the facility you are visiting(for example, a Canine Good Citizen certifi-cate in addition to registration), the require-ments your dog must pass for registration,how much you need to educate yourself, andhow much money you want to invest. Afteryour dog is registered, you can either join alocal pet therapy group that already has a listof places to visit, or you can approach a facil-ity as an individual.

Pet therapy is a wonderful, rewardingexperience. There is nothing like making adifference in other peoples’ lives. When youand your dog act as a team and you both havefound your niche, the possibilities are end-less, and you will experience boundless joy. ■

Paula Pilgrim and Sylvie volunteer for HelpingHounds Pet Therapy in Memphis, Tenn.

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Can a Therapy GreyhoundHelp Heal Failing Hearts?By Sami Abate, RN, BS, CCRN

Perhaps it is not such a simple question. If you are reading this article, I am certain you would answer in theaffirmative. If you were a cardiologist or perhaps a critical care nurse, you might find yourself a bit morehesitant in responding. Thanks to a recently published nursing research study, there is, in fact, published

evidence in support of the healing effect a therapy dog can have on patients suffering from heart failure.What is heart failure? In short, heart failure (HF) is weakened heart muscle. Patients suffering from heart failure

often experience symptoms such as swelling in their legs, chest pains, and shortness of breath. A heart failure diag-nosis requires patients to follow a strict diet, take their medication regularly, and get plenty of exercise. While heartfailure is manageable and patients who follow their treatment plans closely can have a normal and healthy life, evena small event such as a winter flu can exacerbate symptoms, landing patients in the hospital. With more than halfa million new cases of heart failure diagnosed each year, it is not surprising that heart failure is one of the leadingcauses of hospital admissions for people over the age of sixty-five.1

Canine-assisted ambulation can help heart failure patients recover. Nurse Sami Abate and her Greyhound, Gypsy, walk with patients at South Jersey HealthcareCenter in Vineland, N.J. SJH

12 Winter 2011

Given the prevalence and cost of heartfailure care (more than $39 billion annual-ly2), healthcare organizations are devoted toimproving the care provided to heart failurepatients. South Jersey Healthcare, inVineland, New Jersey, has created the WOWProgram in response to this need. WOW(weigh, output, and walk) focuses on threekey components of heart failure self care:monitoring weight; monitoring fluid output(in comparison to fluid intake) to measurefluid retention; and walking to promote cir-culation and strengthen the heart.Incorporated into this program is anadvanced practice nurse (APN), who over-sees patient education and discharge plan-ning, and specially trained restorative aides(RA), who work with admitted HF patients,encouraging them to begin implementing thecomponents of the WOW program into theirdaily routine before they leave the hospital.

While substantial improvements in thelength of time HF patients spent in the hos-pital and the number of times they needed tobe readmitted were seen as a result of theWOW program, getting patients up andwalking remained a challenge. With exten-sive medical and nursing literature support-ing how vital early ambulation is to therecovery process for HF patients, the ques-tion becomes, how do you encourage thesepatients to walk while in the hospital3-6?

In stark contrast to the abundance of lit-erature available in support of various inter-ventions designed to improve the care ofhospitalized HF patients (including earlyambulation), little rigorously conductedresearch supports the use of animal-assistedtherapy (AAT) for hospitalized patients ofany kind. AAT differs from what is tradition-ally considered pet therapy in that the thera-py animal’s presence is part of a goal-directed

intervention, the outcomes of which areoften documented in the patient’s medicalrecord. Historical sources provide evidencethat AAT has existed in various forms sincethe late eighteenth century. Even FlorenceNightingale allowed soldiers recovering fromtheir wounds after the Crimean War to keepsmall animals with them as companions andmotivators.2

In 2008, researchers at the University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles Medical Centersought to overcome the trend of anecdotalevidence that has long been associated withAAT. Their work with therapy dogs and HFpatients showed that the presence of a thera-py dog (when compared to baseline and avisit from a volunteer) helped improve thevital signs, intra-cardiac pressures, and stresshormone levels of hospitalized patients in anintensive care unit.7

Clearly, walking and AAT are good forHF patients. When you combine the two, theresult is canine-assisted ambulation (CAA):the simple act of walking a therapy dog.

CAA is unique among AAT in that itsimpact was rigorously measured through acarefully constructed nursing research studyof one therapy dog’s work walking with HFpatients. (Inclusion of only one therapy dogin the study eliminated the potential for var-ied patient response to different dogs.)Gypsy, a 6 year-old retired racing Greyhoundadopted from Greyhound Angels Adoptionin Pennsauken, New Jersey, worked in thecardiac units of South Jersey Healthcare overthe course of nine months as part of theresearch study.

Clinical research studies, such as thisCAA study (affectionately known as theGypsy Project), are required to follow a strictand prescribed process in order to ensure thatevery chance for bias is eliminated and thateach patient receives exactly the same inter-actions. HF patients who were being seen bySJ Healthcare’s RA were given their usualinstructions and teaching each day. At theend of this interaction, as was customary,patients who were stable enough for ambula-tion were asked if they would like to go for awalk while the therapy dog waited out ofview. This initial response was recorded. Thepatient was then asked if he was afraid of orallergic to dogs (in research lingo, this is the

Research indicates that the presence of a therapy dog can help improve the vital signs, intra-cardiacpressures, and stress hormone levels of hospitalized patients in an intensive care unit. SJH

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inclusion/exclusion criteria that allow or dis-qualify a patient from participating in aresearch study). If he claimed no allergiesand no fear of dogs, the patient was asked ifhe would like to walk with a therapy dog.This response was also recorded. The patientwalked with the therapy dog, its handler, andthe RA for as long a distance as he wanted orwas able to tolerate. The distance walked wasrecorded. After the patient returned to hisroom, he was given a chance to visit with thetherapy dog. After the patient finished walk-ing, he was asked if he would consent to hav-ing his information included in the researchstudy. This question aimed to eliminate thepossibility that patients would walk furtherto “do good” if they knew they were “beingwatched.” If the patient consented to inclu-sion of his data in the study, he was asked tocomplete a five-question survey to assess hisopinion of the CAA experience. Data fromthe 69 research participants was then ana-lyzed and compared to existing data frommore than 500 previous participants in theWOW program.8

Thirteen patients in the study initiallyrefused to walk with the RA but later agreedto walk when offered the chance to walkwith the therapy dog. Statistical analysisshowed this to be a significant improvementin ambulation directly related to the therapydog. A review of existing WOW programpatients showed a refusal rate of 28 percent,as compared to a rate of only 7.2 percent inthe study population, a decrease of nearly 75

percent. The number of steps each patienttook was also compared to the number ofsteps taken by patients in the existing WOWprogram records. Because patients naturallyimprove (and therefore should be able towalk farther) as they progress through theirhospital stay, patients were grouped by theday of their hospital stay on which theywalked with the therapy dog. This allowedpatients walking on the second day of theirhospital stay with the therapy dog to be com-pared to the distance walked by patients inthe existing records who also walked on thesecond day of their hospitalization. Whencompared to a like sample, the patients whowalked with Gypsy walked, on average, 96percent further than those who walked withthe RA alone (an increase from 120.2 steps inthe existing records to 235.7 steps taken bythe patients in the study).

As seen in the chart below, patients whowalked with the therapy dog, when groupedby the day of their hospital stay, walked morethan twice as far in four of the six categories.Analysis of the survey responses showed thatpatients unanimously enjoyed walking withthe therapy dog and every participant agreedthat they would like the chance to participatein CAA again. Analysis completed after thestudy also showed that patients who walkedwith the therapy dog were discharged fromthe hospital one full day sooner than theaverage heart failure patient admitted toSouth Jersey Healthcare.8

Because of the extraordinary findings of

LIFE AFTER RETIREMENTBecause Gypsy is a Greyhound, it is not

unusual for her to be described as being born torun. And run she did –– she raced at three tracksover the course of four-and-a-half years.However, Gypsy never won a race. In some cir-cles, this would have meant she was a failure as aracer. If you met Gypsy, you might be moreinclined to believe that the years she spent rac-ing kept her from her true calling. Gypsy foundher calling the day she received her TherapyDogs, Inc. card. She found success when shebecame South Jersey Healthcare’s first full-timetherapy dog. Gypsy wears her bright red TherapyDogs, Inc. vest proudly everywhere she goes atthe South Jersey Healthcare Regional MedicalCenter. It is, however, her official hospital photoidentification badge that often draws the mostattention. Gypsy starts her day off making roundson the cardiac floor that, fortunately for Gypsy, iscarpeted. (Shiny and slippery floors are the baneof many therapy dogs’ existence.) After meetingand greeting the staff, she receives her assign-ment for the day, which typically includes at leasta dozen heart failure patients in need of someexercise in the form of a walk down the hall.Once the walking is done, it is time for a well-deserved break that often includes some smug-gled treats brought from the cafeteria by one ofher numerous admirers on the hospital staff.

From the cardiac floor Gypsy heads to theAcute Care for Elders specialty unit on the firstfloor. There she works with elderly patients, theirfamilies, and the staff who care for them. Whilewalking in the hallways is a part of her responsi-bilities, it is only one component of the CanineAssisted Wellness program. Her duties alsoinclude: offering companionship to lonelypatients; providing a comforting distraction topatients who are in pain or to families who arefearful; facilitating meaningful conversationbetween patients, their families, and members ofthe healthcare team; and encouraging nurses toconsider pursuing research of their own.

Gypsy’s work day ends with a brief return toher fans on the cardiac floor (which usuallyincludes another pirated treat or two from one ofthe nurses) and a nap in the Step Down stafflounge. Gypsy has never encountered a strangerin the hallways of the Regional Medical Center.She greets each patient and employee as if theyare old friends. Gypsy may have never won arace, but there is scarcely a heart she has not wonduring her second career.

14 Winter 2011

healthcare organizations, and academic facil-ities. The profound impact a therapy dog hashad on heart failure patients has been recog-nized as an exemplar of nursing researchexcellence by organizations including theAmerican Association of Critical CareNurses, the March of Dimes, and CherokeeUniforms Inspired Comfort Award program.

Meanwhile, Gypsy continues her workwith CAA and is currently participating in anew study focusing on patients and staff of aspecialized geriatric unit at South JerseyHealthcare. The Canine Assisted Wellness(CAW) program seeks to realize, maximize,and validate the benefits of a therapy dog tothe well being of patients, their families, andthe staff who care for them. The CAW pro-gram includes not only CAA but also uniqueinterventions designed to promote meaning-

ful conversation (Canine FacilitatedCommunication) and provide comfort(Canine Care and Companionship).9

Can a therapy dog help heal failing hearts?The answer is a resounding yes Gypsy and theCAA study have done the research to prove it ■.

Sami Abate is Assistant Nurse Manager of theCardiac ICU and Step Down at South JerseyHealthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland,N.J.1. Centers for Disease Control. Heart Failure Fact

Sheet.

http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/pdfs/fs_heart_fail-

ure.pdf. Updated January 2010. Accessed July 23,

2010.

2. Mullett S. A helping paw: Animal assisted therapy.

RN. 2008; 71(7):39-44.

3. Austin J, Williams R, Ross L, Moseley L,

Hutchinson S. Randomized controlled trial of car-

diac rehabilitation in elderly patients with heart fail-

ure. Eur J Heart Fail. 2005;7(3):411-417.

4. American Thoracic Society. ATS Statement:

Guidelines for the six-minute walk test.

http://www.thoracic.org/statements/resources/pfet/six

minute.pdf. Updated March, 2002. Accessed July 6,

2010.

5. Brodie DA, Inoue A. Motivational interviewing to

promote physical activity for people with chronic

heart failure. J Adv Nurs. 2004; 50(5):518-527.

6. Jolly K, Taylor RS, Lip GY, et al. Home-based exer-

cise rehabilitation in addition to specialist heart fail-

ure nurse care: design, rationale and recruitment to

the Birmingham Rehabilitation Uptake

Maximisation study for patients with congestive

heart failure (BRUM-CHF): a randomised con-

trolled trial. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2007;7:11.

doi: 10.1186/1471-2261-7-9.

7. Cole KM, Gawlinkski A, Steers N, Kotlerman J.

(2007). Animal assisted therapy in patients hospital-

ized with heart failure. Am J Crit Care. 2007;

16(6):575-587.

8. Abate SV, Zucconi M, Boxer BA. Impact of Canine

Assisted Ambulation on Hospitalized Chronic Heart

Failure Patients’ Ambulation Outcomes and

Satisfaction: A Pilot Study. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2011;

26(3):224-230.

9. Abate SV, Boxer BA, Zucconi M (2011). Canine

Assisted Wellness: South Jersey Healthcare Magnet

Prize Submission. American Nurse Credentialing

Center.

Gypsy’s fans on the hospital staff occasionally smuggle treats to her from the cafeteria, so it’s a goodthing she does a lot of walking during her visit

this research, CAA has gone from one car-diac nurse’s dream of bringing her therapydog to the hospital, to a nursing interventionthat has been clinically shown to improvethe outcomes of patients suffering from HF.The study, officially titled “Impact of CanineAssisted Ambulation on the AmbulationOutcomes and Satisfaction of HospitalizedHeart Failure Patients: A Pilot Study,” wasrecently published in the internationally rec-ognized “Journal of CardiovascularNursing.”8 In the six months since its publi-cation, the CAA project has been recognizednot only as a safe and effective adjunct tostandard heart failure care but also as anexample of the potential of therapy dogs tochange the course of patients’ journeystoward healing. CAA has been presentedlocally and nationally to nurses, hospitals,

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Becoming aRegisteredTherapy

TeamBy Cheryl Giebel Petersen

Istarted doing “pet therapy,” back in the 1990s, the same way many others did. I just went to a nursinghome and asked if they would allow me to visit the residents with my Greyhound, Omaha. She was myfirst retired racing Greyhound and I had not taken her to any formal training. The facility did not ask

about policies or insurance. They did ask about vaccinations, but didn’t require proof. People didn’t realizethe ramifications of possibly having an unsocialized, unhealthy animal in their facilities at that time. Thiswas before any therapy pet organizations were well known. That’s how pet therapy was in the beginning.

As I learned more, I decided to enroll Omaha in a formal obedience class. I believed this might make us abetter duo.

When we moved, I discovered a local dog trainer who was beginning a therapy dog group called Dogs ofEndearment. She was already associated with the national therapy dog organization Delta Society. I quicklysigned up for her therapy-dog preparation class with our second retired racing Greyhound, Classie. The experi-ence was great and we soon became an officially registered Delta Society Pet Partner® team (“Classie Becomesa Delta Dog,” Fall 2000 CG). We learned so much that I wanted to do more. Later that year, I tested with Omahaand we passed, too. I was excited to have two Pet Partner Greyhounds with whom to volunteer.

During the training and testing I learned a great deal about pet therapy work, including the new terms ani-mal-assisted activity (AAA) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). These terms replaced the outdated catch-all“term pet therapy.” AAA is typically described as going on meet-and-greet visits to nursing homes and other

Bonnie London and her Greyhound, Lea, are an officially registered Delta Society Pet Partner Team.

16 Winter 2011

facilities where the animals can be enjoyed.AAA also includes activities where the ani-mals help lift people’s spirits. AAT requires ahealth professional, documentation, and setgoals for a particular patient to achieve withthe assistance of the therapy animal. ManyPet Partner teams also participate in specialevents and educational activities to promotetherapy animals and the Delta Society.

After losing Omaha, we adopted ourthird Greyhound, Willy. (It’s hard to lose apet, but when that pet has been a workingdog and has affected many other people’slives, it is even more difficult. One of the

hardest things I have everdone was to tell the facili-ties we visited that ourbeloved team member wasgone.) Willy quicklybecame a Delta Society PetPartner. Classie and Willycontinued to visit a varietyof facilities and volunteerfor special activities.Yearning to work more withdogs, I became an appren-tice service dog trainer andAmerican Kennel ClubCanine Good Citizen(CGC) Evaluator. Then, Ibegan assisting DeltaSociety with evaluationsand learning as much as Icould about therapy ani-mals.

There are many reasonswhy I enjoy being a part ofthe Delta Society. Amongthem are the organization’scomprehensive screeningand testing procedures, itsprofessionalism, and itspolicies. The DeltaSociety’s support fromhealth professionals andthe extensive researchlibrary are nice benefits. Ofcourse, the liability insur-ance we receive throughthem is a priority. I alsoreally like the fact that theyaccept any breed or mixedbreed of dog, and they

accept a variety of other animals such as cats,rabbits, and horses. Any domesticated ani-mal can become a Pet Partner.

The Delta Society Pet Partner programbegan in 1990. It is a not-for-profit interna-tional organization. Currently, there aremore than 10,000 teams in all 50 states and13 other countries. Delta Society is the onlynational organization that requires trainingof its teams. A “team” comprises the han-dler/owner and the pet. The registrationprocess is detailed and comprehensive. Thehandler must be able to interact with a vari-ety of people. The animal must be healthy,

social and have a good temperament.Animals can only wear equipment — such ascollars, harnesses, leashes — that DeltaSociety policies list as “acceptable.”

The process begins with the training,which means studying the Pet Partner teamtraining student manual or attending a DeltaSociety workshop. If you are interested inbecoming a team with your dog, I recom-mend formal obedience training andattempting the CGC test first. Attend atherapy-dog preparation class if one is avail-able. Your dog must undergo a thorough vet-erinary screening that includes a comprehen-sive exam and parasite checks. The veteri-narian must approve your dog for therapywork. As part of the registration process, youmust complete a multiple-choice test andhandler’s questionnaire along with otherforms that include a signed acceptance of thePet Partner policies and procedures.

The last step is a performance evaluationtest of you and your dog. There are two sec-tions and 22 parts to the performance evalu-ation. The first half is the Pet Partners skillstest, which checks the team’s skills in walk-ing, accepting petting, obedience tasks andcrowd work. Visual and auditory distractionsare used. Each team must also greet anotherhandler with a neutral dog. This half is verysimilar to the CGC test, although the super-vised separation step is skipped because han-dlers are never away from their therapy petwhile working.

The second part, the Pet Partners apti-tude test, is similar to a temperament test. Itincludes additional skill assessments, such asseeing if the animal can tolerate clumsy pet-ting and hugging. It also includes role-play-ing, bumping, yelling, and more crowd workusing medical equipment.

The “leave it” command exercise is doneat the end. This is an important skill for thedogs for safety reasons. Why? The pet mustfollow this command to avoid picking upmedicine, food, or another dangerous item.

The entire performance evaluation,which takes approximately 20 minutes,assures that each team is reliable and pre-dictable. Once all these tasks are completed,the team’s entire seven-step registrationpacket and the evaluator’s score sheets aresent to the Delta Society headquarters in

One of the final steps to become a registered Pet Partner team iscompletion of a performance evaluation.

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Seattle, Washington. A few weeks later, theteam receives an acceptance letter, identifi-cation badge, and a tag for the pet. Thenthey are ready to begin visiting. (Teams mustcomplete this entire registration/evaluationprocess every two years to stay current.)

Teams must follow Delta Society policiesand procedures while visiting to be coveredby the $1 million liability insurance policy.Safety for the handler and pet is stressedmore now than ever because of the risk ofspreading diseases from animals to peopleand vice versa. As a result, more infection-control policies are in place. Delta Societyhas specific incident procedures to follow ifany problems should arise.

When we relocated again, I sought outand found several teams that were startingtheir Delta Society evaluation process. Threeof these teams consisted of Greyhounds.Together we founded a not-forprofit therapypet organization called Emerald CoastFURever Friends Inc. (ECFF). Members ofECFF are all volunteer Delta Society PetPartner teams. Our organization’s mission,enriching lives through the human-animalbond, is similar to the Delta Society missionof improving human health through therapyanimals. Our local group of Pet Partners isalways willing to help by mentoring newteams and by matching them with facilities.

Since I was the only Pet Partner teammember that had been with the DeltaSociety long enough to become a team eval-uator, I started that process. This would helpour new group by having someone locally toevaluate more new teams. It takes real com-mitment to become a team evaluator.Requirements include experience and com-pletion of a home study course, a written test,and an 8-hour in-person practicum. Theteam evaluator process was time-consuming(it took between four and five months) andcostly, but well worth it. I enjoyed everyminute of it. Now, I enjoy helping new teamsthroughout this entire training/testingprocess and getting them started.

I have been a Delta Society team evalua-tor since 2004. During the past seven years Ihave scored more than 400 evaluations, ofwhich 99 percent have been dogs. I havetested just a few cats in that time. I havedone lots of evaluations for retired racing

Greyhounds and their owners. I think theyare well-suited for this type of work becauseof their wonderful personalities. Our localtherapy dog group only has seven workingGreyhounds now, but we have had more inthe past. Currently 97 Greyhounds are regis-tered with the Delta Society as Pet Partners.

My goal is to continue being a team eval-uator to provide reliable working teams inwhich the Delta Society and I can takepride. We donate our time, money, and tal-ents to this worthy cause. When a facility

asks me how much it costs for the dogs tocome for a visit, I usually laugh because Ihave forgotten to mention that it’s free! ■

Cheryl Giebel Petersen currently engages in ani-mal-assisted activities and therapy withMercedes, her Rhodesian Ridgeback. She dedi-cates this article to all Pet Partner teams whoselives she has touched past, present, and futurethat continue to benefit other people’s lives.Learn more about the Delta Society Pet Partnersprogram at www.deltasociety.org

Lea seems to be tolerating the “clumsy petting” she receives from the evaluator as part of the Pet Partnersaptitude test.

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Evie Visits the LibraryStory and photos by Rachel Jervis

Over the years, my primary volunteer work has been with or to benefit animals. Before I got involvedwith Colorado Greyhound Adoption, I volunteered socializing cats and assisting with adoptions at ashelter. Now, in addition to spoiling my own Greyhound, Evie Petunia, I foster Greyhounds. I am the

foster set-up coordinator, host meet-and-greets, and write regular columns for Colorado Greyhound Adoption.Evie is a fantastic ambassador of the Greyhound breed and we have fun doing our “Greyhound work.” From timeto time, I have a twinge of guilt that all my volunteer time is devoted to four-legged creatures, rather than tomembers of my own species in the community.

I was having one of these twinges of guilt when my aunt, who is a reading teacher, sent me an article about therole of dogs in children’s literacy programs. The article focused on improved confidence and reading fluency amongkids who read to dogs. Children who were nervous about reading to adults would make great strides reading to furryfriends. Dogs never correct their pronunciation, and nothing calms nerves better than a dog’s chin in your lap. Myaunt sent the article to me because one of the dogs in the program was a Greyhound.

Evie Petunia and her owner, Rachel Jervis, participate in the Paws to Read program.

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Instantly I was scheming: Could Evie vol-unteer with a kids’ literacy program? Could Iuse my dog to fulfill my need to volunteer tobenefit humans?

I went to the Pikes Peak Library Districtwebsite and was thrilled to learn they have aPaws to Read program at each library branch.After a few phone calls, I connected with thehead of children’s programming for thelibrary. She told me about the program andthe requirements. It turns out that thehuman sits with the dog and kids, so I could-n’t make Evie do all the work. In order to bea Paws to Read dog, Evie would need to passthe AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) testand then have an interview at the library. Ihad already planned to follow up her basicobedience training with CGC training andtesting, but it had fallen to the bottom of ourto-do list. The librarian and I agreed that Iwould get back in touch once Evie hadpassed the CGC test.

Evie Petunia passed her CGC test with-out problem. It turns out that my poor spatialskills meant that we’d been practicing ourdown-stay at twice the distance required.She was sure the walker held treats, and shehappily let a stranger pet her while I was outof sight. The following week, we had ourinterview. Before heading to the main librarybranch, I brushed Evie’s teeth and appliedher leave-in conditioner. She wore her finestmartingale and pranced into the library as ifshe’d been there a million times before. Aftergreetings and ear scritches, the librarianapologized that she had left my applicationon her desk upstairs and would be right backwith it. No sooner had the elevator doorsclosed when Evie lunged across the children’ssection barking ferociously. I whippedaround to see the cause of her excitement:two rabbits in a cage (who, I later learned,live at the library). After I regained my com-posure, I walked Evie on a short leash backand forth in front of the rabbit cage hissing“leave it.”

By the time the librarian returned, wewere the picture of canine good citizen andhandler. The rest of our interview went with-out a hitch. The librarian was happy to seehow Evie wagged her tail at kids, let them pether, relaxed on her pillow while we chatted.I completed the paper work, received my

Paws to Read handbook, and was told Evie’sand my volunteer badges would be waitingfor us at the local branch the next week. Onour way out, the librarian noted, “Evie justignored the rabbits. Most of our dogs bark atthem the first time or two.” I just smiled.

Evie and I have volunteered at twolibrary branches. There are minor differencesin the Paws to Read structure between thelibraries, but the goal is the same: encouragechildren to engage with books through inter-acting with dogs. Rarely do I read a story tochildren, since we want them to share bookswith the dogs. Children of all ages and abili-ties participate in Paws to Read. Theyoungest kids flip the pages of a book whilestaring intently at Evie, while toddlersanswer my questions about the pictures onthe pages. Pre-readers show the pages to Evieand make up their own stories to go alongwith the pictures, resulting in many smilesand laughs. The older children read stories ofvarious levels to Evie, from Cat in the Hat tochapters from the Magic Tree House series.

I am never surprised that the kids’ faceslight up when they see Evie. Who couldresist her needle-nose propped on a pillow inthe children’s section? They love petting her,showing her the pictures, and asking herquestions about the books. Children whohave stood on the periphery for a few weekswill gradually come closer and share a story

with Evie. Other kids walk up and ask, “Howcome you brought your dog to the library?” Ishow them Evie’s badge and explain that herspecial dog library card gives her permissionto come to the library and share books withkids. When a child looks timid about read-ing, I’ll tell her, “I have a secret. Evie can’tread, so she won’t notice if you skip a hardword or say it wrong.” One little girl askedme why Evie had her eyes closed. I repliedthat Evie can pay attention to the story bet-ter with her eyes closed. The girl replied,“Oh, I thought she was sleeping.”

Paws to Read has also helped a few chil-dren work through their fear of dogs. Wehave had children say they don’t want toread because they are afraid of dogs. My fel-low human volunteers and I always say thatdogs have to pass a special test before theybecome Paws to Read dogs and only dogswho love children, never bite, and don’t eatbooks are allowed in the program. Some ofthese kids watch the dogs from afar, and somecome over and pet them. While Evie’s excit-ed tail has startled a few children, they soonunderstand that tail wags mean she is happyto see them and share books with them.

I knew I would enjoy participating inPaws to Read. The children make me smileand I love showing off my dog. I assumedEvie Petunia wouldn’t mind meeting kidsand lying around, but I have been impressed

A dog in the library? Evie Petunia’s volunteer badge indicates she belongs here.

20 Winter 2011

by how much she likes Paws to Read. Eachweek, when I pull out her volunteer badge,she shivers with excitement. Depending onthe weather, she wears a polka-dot smockembroidered with her name, a fleece coat, orjust a fancy martingale. She runs up the stepsto the library wagging her tail and struts con-fidently into the library. Our first stop isbehind the librarians’ desk to sign in. Eviebows to her favorite librarians and lets thempet her. She follows me to the children’s sec-tion, lies down on the fleece blanket, andsettles in for stories. She snuggles with kids,tolerates rough petting, and woos the par-ents. At least once a week we are told, “Ourdog would never sit still that long!” On ourway out of the library, we say goodbye to thelibrarians, and I pat Evie’s neck and congrat-ulate her for another good day at work.

There have been a few challenges at Pawsto Read. One child was very insistent onholding Evie’s leash and not letting otherchildren read to her. My gentle reminders toher that only I hold Evie’s leash and that we

could take turns were being ignored. Afterconsulting with the head librarian, I firmlyexplained to the girl that in order to partici-pate in Paws to Read and share stories withEvie, she has to follow the rules. She poutedbut she did comply. Another time, there wasa fly in the library. Evie likes to hunt insects.She snaps her mouth trying to catch them.While I find this quirk endearing, it is scaryfor children sitting in close proximity toEvie’s jaw. Now I keep my eyes peeled forinsects, warn the kids that Evie might try toeat the flies, and discourage her from huntingwhile at Paws to Read.

We live a block from the library wherewe currently volunteer, so we pass it often onwalks. Whenever we go by, Evie looks up thestairs toward the door as if hoping it is awork day. Sometimes we run into kids fromthe library on our neighborhood walks. It ishard to tell who gets more excited — Evieseeing her library kids or the kids seeingtheir library dog. Kids proudly tell theirfriends or family that this is Evie Petunia

and she works at the library. I am happy to have found a way to help

humans in my community while involvingmy Greyhound. Most activities are more funwith her by my side and going to the libraryis no exception. I love seeing the kids engageEvie in story time. And I smile every timeshe prances into the library for “work.”Racing may have been Evie’s first profession,but she seems to be enjoying her retirementjob as a Paws to Read dog. ■

Rachel Jervis lives in Colorado Springs, Colo.with Evie Petunia the Greyhound and Clover thegrey cat. Rachel and Evie volunteer withColorado Greyhound Adoption. At press time,Rachel had fostered eighteen Greyhounds; seven-teen of whom were adopted by loving familiesand one who is stuck with Rachel. In addition tovolunteering for CGA, Rachel enjoys hiking,running, cooking, knitting, and spoiling her pets.

Evie Petunia’s calm presence encourages children to read to her.

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Against All Odds:Daisy’s StoryBy Constance Fett

y beautiful adopted Greyhound’s name is Daisy. She is 7 years old. I am retired from a 50-year career as aregistered nurse. This is our story.

Daisy was a little over 2 years old when she came into our hearts and lives. She didn’t run fast, so a racing careerwas not an option. Daisy went to live on a Greyhound farm in Oklahoma. From there she went to an adoption group,Greyhound Connection, located in the San Diego area. My daughter fostered her. While with my daughter, Daisyhad an unremitting diarrhea, which turned into horrible rectal bleeding. Not being able to find a cause, acolonoscopy was performed, revealing a massive whipworm infestation. With time, patience, medication, and a gooddiet, Daisy healed.

More than 2,500 miles away (in Michigan), my heart went out to Daisy, so my husband and I decided to adopther. Daisy settled in to her forever home. Soon after, I enrolled Daisy in a training class, for Greyhounds only, spon-sored by Trainers Academy, LLC based in Troy, Michigan. Trainers Academy is a “positive reinforcement facility”owned and operated by Lisa Petrona. It was evident that Daisy had some behavioral issues, but with phone and e-mail counseling with Lisa and an adjustment in our training methods, she made tremendous improvement. Withpatience and practice, Daisy progressed through many levels of classes. I also enrolled her in a daycare program atthe same facility for supervised socialization with other breeds of dogs. Daisy loves going there, and it has boostedher confidence tremendously.

Daisy went on to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test, and even went on to become a Registered TherapyDog. During testing at an Alzheimer’s unit, there was a woman in a wheelchair who was not able to communicate.Daisy stood beside her wheelchair and leaned on it, as Greyhounds do. I talked to the woman about Daisy and gotno response. After about five minutes, the woman put her hand out and started to pet Daisy and she continued to

Daisy and her owner, Connie Fett, visit healthcare facilities as volunteers for Pet-a-Pet.

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pet her for another five minutes. A therapydog was born.

Registered Therapy Dog TeamDaisy and I go to one hospital per week

and have had mostly very good experiences.The worst, which wasn’t all that bad, waswhen a patient told us, “I do not like dogs.”My years of nursing experience have been aplus in my approach and response topatients.

It is most rewarding to watch Daisy withthe people we visit and hear their reactions.I love seeing the smiles on peoples’ faces,especially the elderly. People often ask why Ido this. My answer is because she has somuch love to give, and I want to share thatlove with everyone I can.

During a visit in a semi-private room,while a man petted Daisy, we conversedabout talked about Greyhounds’ lives at theracetrack. The patient in the second bed wasan elderly man who talked about his dogwhile he petted and stroked Daisy. As I pre-pared to leave, I asked Daisy to bow, which ishow we usually end our visits. He said, “No,she should bow to you for all the love and joyyou give her and others.” He then asked meto leave, as he started to cry and was embar-rassed. I left with tears in my eyes as well.

I never approach any patient who isasleep. Can you imagine opening your eyesfrom a sound sleep and seeing this brownfurry face with big teeth staring at you?During one visit, a staff member woke a manto see Daisy. He almost hit the ceiling from

fright. He didn’t want to see me, never minda big brown dog (his words).

There have been a few embarrassingexperiences as well. Once, when we wereabout done for the day, I noticed Daisybecame reluctant to enter and remain inpatients’ rooms, and she would no longerbow. I thought she was just tired. As we werewalking down a long hallway to leave, Daisystopped dead in her tracks. When I lookedaround to find out what the problem was, Isaw that she had urinated — a very largequantity — on the hallway floor. Try as Imight, I could not get help or supplies toclean up our mess. Since that day, I alwayscarry a big shoulder bag with supplies,including puppy pads.

The nursing staff all love Daisy. Theylike to call her their own. She is as affection-ate with them as with the patients, and theyenjoy her visits just as much.

We belong to an organization called Pet-a-Pet. We are a group of people with dogs(different breeds) who visit healthcare facili-ties a couple of times per month. All the dogsget along and the patients enjoy the visits.We also go to a senior living center wherethe residents have their own apartments. Wevisit either in their apartments or in thecommunity living room.

On a large oncology unit that we visit,the rooms are private and very spacious.While walking into a room, I observed it wasquite crowded. Jokingly, I asked, “Is thereroom for us?” I received a resounding “yes!”Most of the people in the room were mental-

ly and/or physically challenged, includingthe man lying in the bed being fed by awoman. I went to the other side of his bed. Iplaced Daisy’s head on the bed and gentlyput the man’s hand on Daisy’s head. “Oh, sheis so soft,” he said.

I then turned to the people sitting aroundthe man. The first man was blind. I placedhis hand on Daisy’s head and he scratchedher for a bit. The second man was blind also,so I repeated the steps, but Daisy took it onestep further; she gently kissed his face. I wentdown the line of about six people, whiletelling them Daisy was bred to be a racer, butdidn’t run fast enough. Daisy bowed to all ofthe patients and then we left the room.

Recently, we walked into a room and thepatient came rushing toward us, saying howbeautiful he thought Daisy was. When theman approached us, he got down on hishands and knees in front of Daisy, whilerepeatedly saying, “Can we be friends?” Daisyanswered him by licking him from the top ofhis head to his chin. We both laughed.

On this same oncology unit, we met apatient sitting in his room on a long paddedbench. I asked him if he would enjoy seeingthe dog. He looked at Daisy and waved us in.His entire head was covered in bandages. Hehad undergone some type of cranial surgery.He wasn’t able to talk but was appropriate inhis actions. I sat down next to him while hescratched Daisy’s entire body.

I saw the same man a few weeks later, buthe was in bed. One visitor shook his head forme not to come in. But the man waved mein. I could only get Daisy’s head close enoughfor him to pet, but her head got a goodscratching.

The man was not there the next time wevisited.

For me, pet therapy is a good way to com-bine my experience in human healthcarewith my love for animals. The payback isworth the initial time investment in trainingto become a registered therapy dog team.

One little Greyhound came from a farmin Oklahoma and went on to become aRegistered Therapy Dog in a big city. Nowthat’s what I call “against all odds.” ■

Connie Fett and Daisy the Greyhound live inWarren, Mich.

Daisy has plenty of love to give to the people she meets.

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A Retired Greyhound’s SecondCareer: Liberty’s StoryStory and photos by Maud Carol Markson

My husband and I were definitely in need of healing when Liberty, our 2 year-old red brindleGreyhound, entered our lives. Just six months earlier, our beloved Standard Poodle had died at theage of 15. Our hearts felt empty and our emotions were raw.

“I will never have another dog,” my husband said. “It’s just too painful to lose them. I do not want to hurt thisway again.”

Liberty presence comforts a resident at Maryknoll, a retirement home for Catholic priests and missionaries in Los Altos, Calif.

24 Winter 2011

I, too, was hurting, but I missed having adog in the house and in my life, so I wore himdown. But what kind of dog did I want? Ithought about another Standard Poodle, butthe idea of trying to “replace” our old doghaunted me, and I wasn’t sure I had the ener-gy for a puppy. In the back of my mind Ialways kept the memory of two GreyhoundsI had met 20 years earlier — a woman cameto my son’s school with her two retiredGreyhounds, promoting Greyhound adop-tion. I remembered their sweet temperament,their gentle eyes. And that is how Libertyentered our lives.

I knew almost immediately that Libertywould make an excellent therapy dog. Shewas quiet and unafraid, reserved yet friendly,and it was clear that she loved people. Wenicknamed her the “love junkie,” becauseshe was happy to spend hours leaning upagainst whatever human was around, beingpetted and stroked, her long tail thumpingback and forth. Not only was she calm, butshe had a calming effect on others, particu-larly the people in my own home. When myhusband comes home from work stressed and

irritable, it takes only a moment with Libertybefore I see his face and body relax.

“She’s better than Prozac,” my husbandjokes. But it is true.

When our son was sick, Liberty instinc-tively stood by his bed, placing her face nextto his, seemingly content to remain there foras long as he might need her. And while Iwork at my desk, she stands close to me withher head in my lap, pleased just to be touch-ing me, requiring nothing else. She eases myworries. And she has helped heal our achinghearts.

After deciding to do therapy work withLiberty, I had to find a group with which towork. I researched various groups onlineuntil I found one nearby. Furry Friends PetAssisted Therapy Services offered opportuni-ties to work at facilities within 30 minutes ofmy California home. Furry Friends alsooffered its own certification program. Fromwhat I could tell, Liberty would pass the pro-gram’s requirements with flying colors.

Through Furry Friends, I signed up forthree very different sites to visit with Liberty.At Buscher Middle School in Santa Clara,

Liberty spends time with ESL (English as asecond language) and learning-disabled stu-dents as they read to her. As the childrenenter the room filled with Furry Friends vol-unteers and their pets, they select which dogthey want to read to, and I often see a bit offear in their eyes when they look at Liberty— a large thin dog with a pointy nose.

“She’s scary skinny,” one of the boysshouts out to his friends.

It seems safer to choose the GoldenRetriever or the fluffy Cairn Terrier. Butonce these children are next to Liberty, I seethem relax as she leans against them on thefloor and listens to them read. One youngVietnamese girl who could barely speak aword of English to me was able to read GreenEggs and Ham while sitting next to Liberty, anonjudgmental, safe listener. At the end ofour session, I told the young girl how well shehad read. She looked at me as if she did notunderstand what I said, shrugged her shoul-ders, and then gave Liberty a hug.

At Maryknoll, a retirement home forpriests and missionaries in Los Altos, we visitwith men who have spent most of their adult

Liberty races across the property of the retirement home, delighting residents.

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lives serving people in other countries. Mostof them owned dogs at one time, but theycannot have dogs where they are living now,and they miss them.

“She’s retired like you,” I say to the menand show them the tattoos in Liberty’s ears,telling them about her early life at the track.Later, as Liberty runs through her commands— sit, stay, shake, come –– she shows thesemen that there is life after retirement.

“Can she still race?” one of the retiredmissionaries asks me, and all the men clapwhen they see her race across the property. Itis true; Liberty is still very fast, but she is hap-piest pressed up against the priest’s leg as hesoftly speaks in Spanish to her. I don’t knowif Spanish was Liberty’s first language, butshe certainly seems to understand every wordhe says.

The toughest visits for me are the visits toa local children’s hospital. The children’sward is mostly filled with teenage girls, notmuch younger than my own son. Some ofthem are able to join us in the visiting roomwhere they are dressed in pajamas and fuzzyslippers. They sit up and pet Liberty andoffer her treats. Other patients on this wardcannot leave their beds. I walk Liberty intotheir rooms, and just as she did with my son,she rests her head next to their pillows. Theycan feel her velvety ears and the warmth ofher breath. They are consoled by her darkeyes. The girls speak longingly of the dogsthey have left behind at home; they talkabout their illnesses, about missed school,and friends who are too far away to visit. Butmost of all, they silently stroke Liberty.Although it is painful for me to see theseyoung girls with serious illnesses, it is alsovery rewarding to see the comfort theyreceive from my quiet Greyhound, the “lovejunkie.”

“She makes me want to get better,” one ofthe girls says to me.

“I hope I don’t see you here next monthwhen we return,” I say, only half-kidding.

“I hope so too,” the girl says.If Liberty is at all exhausted by these vis-

its, she barely shows it. She leaves as shecame in — with her head held high and herears pricked and alert. It is only after she set-tles down comfortably in the car for our ridehome that she finally closes her eyes and

sleeps. I like to believe she knows she hasdone a good job.

Greyhounds begin their lives as workingdogs, and their work at the tracks, which isall about speed, is well suited to their bodytype — long legs, deep chest, and thin frame.As a therapy dog, Greyhounds have a verydifferent type of job to do and I believe itsuits them well. Their naturally calmdemeanor, their unflappability, and their

love of humans make them the perfect ther-apy dog. Liberty has found her second callingin life, and I am grateful to guide her throughthis new career. ■

Maud Carol Markson is author of the novelsLooking After Pigeon and When We GetHome.

Liberty, the “love junkie,” does what she does best.

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26 Winter 2011

Helping Hounds Pet TherapyBy Mardy Fones

Second Look is a regular feature in which we look in on the subjects of previous articles to see how they are doing. GingerMcDugle’s article, “Helping Hounds Pet Therapy: New Careers for Retired Racers” (Winter 2002 CG), profiled aGreyhounds-only pet therapy group. When we contacted the group for an update, we were surprised and saddened by whatwe learned. —Ed.

Most Greyhound adoption moves on the energy of a handful of volunteers whose tenacity and force ofpersonality are the fuel that drives it. Helping Hounds, a Memphis, Tennessee group that has beentaking Greyhounds into health care and other facilities to visit patients and residents since the late

1990s, is no exception. At its apex in 2002, it had a vibrant leader and at least 50 volunteers whose Greyhoundsdid pet therapy in myriad settings.

When the group’s founders retired, Rebecca Neeley stepped in and focused much of her time and personalresources on Helping Hounds. Her vision was the group’s vision. She molded its mission, marshaled its forces, andmade the decisions large and small.

That changed on June 13, 2008, when Neeley was raped and murdered. She was found five days later in the homeshe shared with nine Greyhounds.

Magnus, adopted by Mart and Mary Lapin of Orono, Me.

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The well-being of Neeley’s dogs was theimmediate priority. Vicki Cohen, director ofMid-South Greyhound Adoption Option,bailed Neeley’s Greyhounds out of theMemphis Animal Shelter, where they weremoved when Neely’s body was discovered.Eight were adopted subsequently; the ninth,a dog with advanced kidney failure that wentuntreated between the time of Neeley’s mur-der and the dog’s release from the shelter, waseuthanized. Neeley’s killer, a handyman whohad worked for her, pleaded guilty in 2010and was sentenced to life in prison.

A cautionary taleAmidst the grief, loss, and sadness,

Helping Hounds staggered. According toDeb Elliott, now president, the group’s strug-gles had begun earlier and Neeley’s deathmade them obvious.

“When a decision needed making, Beckymade it. She did good things, but she alwayshad her way,” says Elliott. “That frustratedpeople. There was lots of drama. People hadideas about how things should be done thatwere different from Becky’s and she had a lotof dogs that took a lot of her personal time.”

Neeley kept all the group’s records in herhead. At the time of her death, no one knewwhich facilities the dogs were currently visit-ing or had visited in the past. The group hadno contact names or details on facility guide-lines for visitation.

“We weren’t a good keeper of our ownhistory,” Elliott admits.

Initially, Neeley’s professional connec-tions literally had opened doors for HelpingHounds work. The facilities who knew ofNeeley’s role as activities director atMethodist University Hospital did notrequire the Helping Hounds to be registeredtherapy dogs. In the vacuum left by Neeley’sabsence, St. Jude Children’s ResearchHospital began requiring therapy dogs visit-ing their facility to be registered by the DeltaSociety.

Although Helping Hounds now requiresits Greyhounds to be Therapy Dogs Inc.(TDI)-registered, meeting that requirementis challenging since the nearest TDItester/observer is 90 minutes away and theregistration requires three visits. “When gasis $3.50 a gallon, it’s hard to get people on

board with that,” says Elliott. “We’d love torecruit by putting information about HelpingHounds in every adopter packet Mid-Southsends. But if we can’t offer convenient test-ing for TDI registration, it doesn’t makesense.”

On the upside, TDI registration includesliability coverage while conducting pet ther-apy. Helping Hounds also now has specificpolicies for volunteers and their dogs. Anexample Elliott gave was that if a facilitydoesn’t have an escort for the volunteer anddog the day they show up, they are encour-aged to come back another time.

Overcoming barriersUnlike most Greyhound endeavors, lack

of funding isn’t an issue; sustaining HelpingHounds as an active, engaged organization is.According to Elliott, the organization nowoperates with four board members (three ofwhom do visitations with their Greyhounds)and one volunteer. Grief is a factor, too.Elliott inherited by default much of Neeley’s

Greyhound paraphernalia, including twocrates of dog costumes. “Every time I tried togo through them, I cried,” says Elliott. “Ihave a clothes hamper from her house con-taining VHS tapes of Becky’s appearances onTV and Greyhound trinkets. I still haven’tgone through it.”

Hindsight as they say is 20-20 and it’seasy to look back and see the steps that put aonce-vibrant organization and its volunteerson the path they walk today. Managing thepresent and predicting the future, however,are different stories.

“We need to move forward and we’re try-ing. Anita Hsia, who is our treasurer, and Imake the major decisions and run ideas bythe board at monthly meetings. Anita visitstwo facilities and I do two, plus the VA[Veterans Administration] hospital. Ournewest member, Paula Pilgrim, goes to YouthVillages twice a month,” says Elliott. “Wedon’t want the group to become stagnant.” ■

Mardy Fones is a volunteer for GPA/Nashville.

Rose, adopted by Karen and John McGinley of Bayport, N.Y.

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Promoting Pet TherapyBy Lynn Heiler

Confined to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy, Alice didn’t think she could bear the sorrow of attending herfather’s funeral. A true animal lover, she knew how a dog can soothe the pain of a person in despair, soshe asked for therapy dogs to help her deal with the sadness of the event. A Greyhound Friends of New

Jersey (GFNJ) volunteer saw the plea on a message board. Calls went out, and a number of Greyhound therapydogs were brought to the funeral home. Alice brightened as soon as she saw the dogs, who stayed with herthrough the entire service. Whether Greyhounds have an otherworldly skill to bring real comfort, or whetherquiet, seemingly sympathetic Greyhounds just provide a helpful distraction, stories abound about these dogs andthe difference they make in peoples’ lives.

Barry, a patient at the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation, shares a moment with Greyhound Torps as GFNJ volunteers Mark and Helene Schrager look on.

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GFNJ encourages its adopters to traintheir dogs and have them become registeredtherapy dogs. For years, Therapy DogsInternational (TDI) testers have come to theGFNJ annual spring and fall picnics, andtested the Greyhounds and their handlers.Once a Greyhound and handler have passedthe test, they can register as a therapy dogteam. People wait and watch quietly whilethe dogs and their handlers go through theirpaces. It’s exciting to see a team pass, know-ing all the love and dedication that wentinto the training. Facilities looking for visitsby therapy dogs are listed on the GFNJ web-site, and the group’s newsletters often pro-mote the idea with items written by ownerswho are happy to talk about how much itmeans to them, their dogs, and the peoplethey’ve affected.

Ellen Ganopoulos, a GFNJ member, wasinspired by stories of the therapy Greyhoundswho responded to the families of the 9/11victims. Otherwise inconsolable people tookcomfort from the quiet demeanor of the dogs.She knew her two Greyhounds would makegood therapy dogs, so now Wilbur andOrville are registered therapy dogs through

TDI. Orville is also trained as a disaster-response dog and DSR (Disaster StressRelief) certified. She and her dogs are mem-bers of the Ocean County, New JerseyEmergency Response Crisis Counselors. Herdogs even have their own, authenticHomeland Security Essential Personnelbadges.

Along with a number of activities such asBoy Scouts of America “pet care and appre-ciation” events, Orville and Wilbur visitschools and libraries as part of the TDI “TailWaggin’ Tutors” program. Sometimes a childis too shy to read aloud in the presence ofanother person, so instead he is encouragedto read to a dog. Ellen tells the children thatOrville and Wilbur are specially trained“reading dogs” and will fall asleep if the childdoes a good job.

Ira Kupferberg started training his GFNJGreyhounds in 2006 after reading a newspa-per article about a woman who took her dogto visit patients with developmental disabili-ties. Now, he and his dogs visit three nursinghomes, an assisted-living facility, a specialeducation school, hospice patients, and ahospital with detox, psychiatric, and medical

patients. To date, Shala has made 200 visitsand Misty has made 100.

In addition, GFNJ has its own therapyprogram — the Prison Foster Program. Fornine years, this award-winning program hasbrought together 22 inmates with 11Greyhounds in need of tender loving care.The dogs live in the men’s cells for six toeight weeks, receiving socialization andtraining. And although the Greyhounds arenot registered therapy dogs, they do providerehabilitative benefits to incarcerated youngmen. In the diaries the men are required tokeep, they report that the dogs have taughtthem to trust and be responsible for anotherliving thing, sometimes for the first time intheir lives. It’s hard to say who benefits morefrom the therapy — the Greyhounds or theinmates.

GFNJ President Linda Lyman sums it up:“Greys make excellent therapy dogs becauseof their natural calm and intelligence. We’veall been there when our Grey seems to knowwe need a hug. Why not share their gift withothers?” Why not, indeed. ■

Lynn Heiler is a GFNJ volunteer.

D.O.G., adopted by Elise and Richard Woolfort of St. Charles, Mo.

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Therapy Dogsvs. Service DogsBy Dana Provost

Through 18 years of being a therapy-dog team with my many Greyhounds,I have found that many people are

unaware of the differences between a therapydog and a service dog. They are not the same.

What is a service dog?The Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA) defines a service dog as one who hasbeen “individually trained to do work or per-form tasks for the benefit of a person with adisability.” The ADA defines disability as a“mental or physical condition which substan-tially limits a major life activity” such as caringfor one’s self, performing manual tasks, walk-ing, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing,learning, or working. The definition includessome disabilities that may not be visible, suchas deafness, epilepsy, and psychiatric condi-tions.

Kelly McMahon has had service dogs overthe years to assist her with her disability. Sheacquired her service dogs through CanineAssistants (CA), which was founded inAlpharetta, Georgia in 1991 (www.canineas-sistants.org).

One of many not-for-profit service-dogtraining organizations in the United States,CA is totally funded through donations. CAtrains dogs for children and adults with mobil-ity impairments, seizure disorders, hearing loss,and developmental disabilities. It trains dogs asservice dogs, companion dogs, and seizure-response dogs.

The dogs in training at CA’s 18-acre farmstay there until placement. At any given time120 dogs may be in training. CA places 75 to100 dogs annually. Most dogs come from CA’sbreeding program, although it also uses dogsadopted from shelters and rescue programs.The dogs are Golden Retrievers, Labradors,and mixes of the two breeds.

Puppies begin their training (through theirSuper Dog Program) at 2 days old. The dog

Greyhound Yonker accompanies his owner, Diane Akers, as she goes about her daily activities.He is a balance-service dog.

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trains for 18 months. They learn a variety ofcommands, such as opening and closingdoors, picking up dropped items, and operat-ing light switches.

To obtain a service dog through CA, thepotential handler must submit an applica-tion. Any child or adult with a disability,anywhere in the United States, may apply.The application is reviewed and if accepted,the potential recipient is placed on a waitinglist that can vary from one to five years. Thedogs are placed free of charge. Based uponfinancial need, assistance may be providedfor after-care, including veterinary treat-ment, medication, and food throughout theservice dog’s life, even after the service doghas retired.

CA requires service-dog applicants toparticipate in a two-week boot camp at thefacility in Milton, Georgia. CA will providefinancial aid for recipients unable to coverthe expenses associated with attending theboot camp.

Training at boot camp consists of lecturesand videos as well as daily tests. The camprequires the recipient and the chosen servicedog to be together 24 hours a day. The serv-ice dog must be by the recipient’s side, andthe recipient is the only person who mayinteract with the dog. To strengthen theirbond, the recipient and service dog will goon outings — to the movies, malls, andrestaurants. Following successful completionof boot camp, the recipient returns homewith the service dog.

CA’s program is one option to obtain atrained service dog. Working with an indi-vidual trainer is another option. CindySanford at Help U Train, LLC (www.helpu-train.com) is a certified trainer who has com-pleted the Triple Crown Academy’s CanineBehavior and Training Specialist (TCA)program. In the six years since graduationfrom TCA, she has conducted public classesand provides private training lessons.

Sanford, who resides in Florida, askedGreyhound Pets of America-Emerald Coast(GPA/Emerald Coast) if it had a Greyhoundthat would be good for her client, DianeAkers. Diane was on a waiting list for aservice dog.

Cindy chose a retired Greyhound to workwith Diane because she believed the breed

has a wonderful temperament for a servicedog. They can be cool, calm, collected, anddistinguished, and they are slightly aloof inpublic. Retired racers are also used to beinghandled. These attributes make being inpublic easier for a handler.

Cindy was looking for a Greyhound witha calm, steady temperament who would waitpatiently. Cindy also needed to matchDiane’s existing dog and his personality withthe chosen Greyhound. GPA/Emerald Coastchose a Greyhound named Yonker for Diane.

Yonker went home with Cindy as a fosterdog. Thus Yonker’s training began. He wouldbe trained as a balance-service dog for Diane.Cindy believed that a Greyhound is the per-fect size and height to be a balance-service

dog. She trained Yonker for four months.During that time, Yonker learned to move atvarious speeds, take stairs at a person’s pace,and brace as a counter balance while a han-dler stood up or leaned down. He was taughtto stand steady even if a handful of skin wasgrabbed, and to stop immediately and notpanic if a person fell across his back. Yonkerwas taken all over town and introduced tosituations similar to those Diane would beencountering. He was trained in basic man-ners so that when he went to Diane for fur-ther polishing of his skills, he would be ableto pass a Canine Good Citizen test and apublic-access test.

Yonker was his willing to do whateverwas asked of him. He completed all tasks

Yonker’s service vest lets onlookers know that he is a working dog.

32 Winter 2011

calmly, including being bumped and walkingat different speeds.

When Yonker went to Diane, she was totake him for a week or so to try him out. Therest is history, as they say. One week turnedinto two weeks and then three and, of course,he stayed. During this time, Cindy tookDiane’s other dog home for a month, whileDiane was bonding with Yonker. She trainedthis dog in tasks such as fetching phones,pulling a laundry bag and picking up objects.

You may guess some of the downfalls tohaving a Greyhound as a service dog. ForDiane, a five-minute trip to the store can endup taking 30 minutes or more if everyonewants to talk about the Greyhound. She alsoface challenges to her access rights and inva-sion of her boundaries; even though theGreyhound is wearing a badge that states,“Working Dog, Do Not Pet,” sometimes peo-ple can’t resist.

If Diane couldn’t deal with these pres-sures, Yonker would be rehomed as a verywell-trained pet dog, ideal for anotheradopter. Fortunately, Diane was able to with-stand these challenges.

The advantage of an owner-trained serv-ice dog is the bonding that occurs. The han-dler and service dog become a team, and theowner feels a greater sense of independence.The training approach doesn’t work foreveryone. Cindy said some people gothrough several dogs before they find theright one, which is not so different from serv-ice “program” dogs. Not every one of themmakes it as a public access service dog.

What is a therapy dog?Therapy dogs and their handlers are

trained to provide specific human popula-tions with appropriate contact with dogs.Some are personal pets who accompany theirhandlers on visits; others are resident thera-py dogs who stay at a facility. These dogsmust meet specific criteria for health, groom-ing, and behavior. The Delta Society recog-nizes two categories of therapy dogs, asdescribed in its Standards of Practice forAnimal-Assisted Activities and Therapy.Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal isan integral part of the clinical healthcare

treatment process, and the therapy is deliv-ered or directed by a skilled, professionalhealth or human-service provider. Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA), which provideto enhance quality of life, are delivered byprofessionals, para-professionals, and volun-teers.

The definition of pet-therapy activitiesincludes therapy dog team visits to schools,hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, or anyfacilities where interaction with the dogswould benefit people. During these visits,people are invited to pet and stroke the dog.Some might wish to interact with the dog orjust look at him. Dogs might perform simpletricks or obedience routines to entertain andto help people take their minds off theirproblems. These activities can include walk-

ing alongside the dog and handler, andthrowing toys for fetching games, which mayprovide “therapeutic contact.”

While therapy dogs provide many bene-fits, the federal law that protects the rights ofqualified individuals with disabilities has noprovision for people to be accompanied bytherapy dogs in places of public accommoda-tion such as restaurants, grocery stores, orother places with “no pets” policies. Therapydogs and service dogs perform different func-tions and meet different needs. The goal ofthe service dog is to facilitate the independ-ence of its handler. The purpose of the ther-apy dog is to provide benefits to others.Therapy dogs are not service dogs. ■

Dana Provost is CG Features Editor.

Bailey, adopted by Mike and Joanne Bast of Edgewater, Md. Joanne Bast

LIVIN

GW

ITHG

REY

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cgmagazine 33

Reggie’s CallingBy Val Fralick

Like many retirees, Reggie (Craigie GinLite) was looking for something to do, and like an increasingnumber of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Keleigh Miller was looking for a service dog for bal-ance support.

Keleigh’s MS had been slowly progressing over the past 15 years. Around two years ago, a friend introducedKeleigh to professional dog trainer Betsy Howell of Red Fern Canines. Betsy is a former training coordinatorfor a service-dog organization and she agreed to begin the search for a tall, trainable dog with a gentle tem-perament. Of course, the owners of retired racers immediately think, Greyhound, but that never crossedKeleigh’s mind.

Keleigh Miller poses with Reggie on certification day as Jim and Dianne Shadle of Keystone Greyhounds look on.

34 Winter 2011

However, while most Greyhoundadopters are aware of just how clever ourdogs can be, we do not expect them to aim toplease as would, say, a Labrador Retriever.Thankfully, that never crossed Betsy’s mind.During the search for the proper dog,Keystone Greyhounds president DianneShadle suggested that a Greyhound might bea suitable choice. In April 2010, four monthsinto the Greyhound hunt, 4-year-old Reggiewas chosen.

Betsy fostered Reggie for one month toteach him basic commands and in May,Reggie moved in with Keleigh on a trialbasis.

The average service dog arrives at itsplacement fully trained at a cost of $5,000 to$15,000. In this case, Keystone Greyhoundsdonated Reggie’s adoption, and Betsy offereddiscounted services to Keleigh. Keleigh wasextremely pleased and pleasantly surprised byhow quickly Reggie learned commands andbonded to her. Along the way, dog-behaviorconsultant Lee Livingood stepped in to helpwith specific lifestyle issues.

One of these issues involved Keleighpatiently sitting on the back seat of the carwith treats until Reggie felt secure enough tojoin her there and eventually to travel in thecar. Several of Keleigh’s friends with otherdogs bemoan things that they can’t convince

their dogs to do. Keleigh firmly believes thatall training is possible with patience and rep-etition — although every dog may not be astalented as Reggie.

Aiming for official service-dog certifica-tion, Keleigh and Reggie incorporated train-ing into everyday life. They focused on 10-minute intervals, and would extend thetraining time if Reggie continued to beenthusiastic. Frankly, no one expectedReggie to excel at retrieving things. After all,Greyhounds are notorious hoarders.However, now when Reggie hears Keleigh’scommand, Find it, he returns wiggling, wag-ging his tail and obviously pleased with hissuccess at retrieving the dropped keys, pen orother item. Sometimes he gets a treat butmostly he relishes her happy tones of praise.

The command Brace alerts Reggie to posi-tion his body and legs for sturdy support whenKeleigh needs help to rise from a chair orregain her balance. Reggie also learned tolean into Keleigh when he senses balanceissues as they walk. While most adopters havelearned to stop on a stairway to allow themanic scramble as Greyhounds make theirway, Reggie proved to have the sensitivity tomatch Keleigh step-for-step beside her forsupport. By September 15, Reggie had provenhis mettle at being the right dog for Keleigh’sneeds and the adoption was finalized.

After taking a training hiatus for the hol-iday season, Keleigh and Reggie started trial-tests in early 2011. In April, Reggie passedthe service dog public-access test and wascertified as an official balance dog. Whilewearing his Red Fern Canines service dogharness, Reggie can now go everywhere thatKeleigh goes. Neither Keleigh nor Reggieimagined that their next steps in life wouldbe together, but thanks to a coterie of confi-dent matchmakers, Reggie has found workthat is even more significant than his formercareer, and Keleigh has gained balance byleaning on a friend.

Inspired by this potential, Lucky (WWKey Kap Rico) is the second KeystoneGreyhounds dog who is working toward cer-tification as a service/support dog. He ispresently in training with Rosanne Foy, andhe will graduate in a few months. Once cer-tified, he will be adopted by a woman whouses a walker and needs him for support. It’sgratifying to see Greyhounds showcase themyriad of abilities that make them survivorsof change and endearing examples of man’sbest friend. ■

Val Fralick volunteers for Keystone Greyhoundsand lives in Enola, Pa. with husband Scott andGreyhound Val’s RocknRoll.

Ty, adopted by Bob and Laura Drennan of West Chester, Ohio. (The deer is a stuffed display at Hocking Hills State Park.)

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cgmagazine 35

TheBertillonDemystifiedStory by Shannon Forrest

Photos by Jessica Martin

Photos by Jessica Martin

es, we do have a Greyhound here. Canyou describe the dog?” the worker at the animalshelter responds to your inquiry.

“Well, it’s male and brindle,” you say, hopingthat your lost dog has been found.

“Ma’am, I’ve got two male brindleGreyhounds here and someone has alreadyclaimed one of them. Can you be more specif-ic?”

The question is: Can you?Aside from using an ear tattoo or microchip,

could you identify your Greyhound based onphysical characteristics alone? Is that scar onthe right leg or the left? Where are the whitepatches in relation to the brindle? Most peoplewould recognize their animals based on behav-ior but recalling physical traits from memorymight be difficult.

However, if a Greyhound was registered torace, those characteristics have been document-ed on a Bertillon card.

Alphonse Bertillon may not have beenaware that his contribution to society would bemodified to identify Greyhounds. He died in1914, not long before the sport of organized dogracing became popular in the United States.

Bertillon’s SystemThe man behind the card that bears his name was born in France in 1853.

At the age of 26, he was hired by the records division of the Paris policedepartment. Bertillon soon became dismayed with the monotonous task of cat-aloging more than 5 million files. The sheer volume of criminal records madethe job daunting and the documents were vague and of poor value.Descriptions of physical features were not sufficiently specific to positivelyidentify a criminal, the names were often phony, and the mug shots were dis-torted. Disillusioned with the status quo, Bertillon — a statistician at heartwith a love for anthropology — sought a new model that would assist thepolice in establishing a catalog of offenders.

Is this your dog? Shannon Forrest knows this is Wagner, because he has his Bertillon card.

Y“

36 Winter 2011

Operating under the premise that peoplehave similar but not identical characteristics,Bertillon began to measure the physicalattributes of those who had been arrested.Although the probability of finding two peo-ple of exactly the same height was likely, hesurmised that by recording additional fea-tures like arm length and facial dimensions,differences would emerge.

Before long, Bertillon’s categories includ-ed measurements such as head circumfer-ence, arm span, ear length, and finger size inaddition to the more conventional charac-teristics of eye and hair color. This data,along with a front and profile photograph,were recorded on a cardboard card measuring6.5 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide. The cardswere filed in the police department. Whenprocessing criminals, officers took measure-ments, consulted the cards (by 1882, theyrecorded data in 243 categories), and lookedfor a match. In this way, the police were ableto spot repeat offenders.

Bertillon’s system gave rise to an entirelynew field of study known as anthropometry— the science of using a person’s physicalmeasurements as a means of identification.The Bertillon card was in widespread use inEurope by 1887 and first appeared in theUnited States in the Illinois prison systemthe same year.

In 1896 the New York legislature man-dated that all inmates incarcerated withinthe state’s penitentiaries be subject to thenew system.

Although the method was successful atcategorizing and identifying criminals(Bertillon himself claimed that of the 31,849arrests during the system’s lifespan, 2 percentwere repeat offenders who could have beenidentified only through his model), it hadshortcomings that ultimately caused itsdemise.

Variations in measurement techniquesamong arresting officers produced inconsis-tent data. Photographing the same personusing different lighting or camera positioncould yield vastly disparate images. Becausesome physical characteristics change overtime, Bertillon measurements were of limiteduse in identification of criminals whosemeasurements were taken in their earlyyears. Finally, the sheer volume of cardsbecame nearly impossible to manage in anera before computers; New York accumulateda file of more than 24,000 cards after 24months in service.

Ultimately, a new discovery would renderBertillon’s system obsolete — the fact thateach person has a unique series of loops,whorls, and arches at the tips of their fingersthat do not change over time.

Bertillon Cards and GreyhoundRacing’s Early Years

Fortuitously, Greyhounds also have overt,unchanging characteristics that can be usedfor identification. Exactly when the Bertilloncard made its way to Greyhound racing is lostto history. However, one can imagine theearly days of match-racing in which farmersin a field in the Midwest argued over whosedog was faster. In the beginning, match rac-ing was a private affair, not a spectator sport.Even if money switched hands, participantsdid not care what the dog looked like or whathe or she was called.

Things changed with the introduction ofdog racing to the general public. Most histo-rians agree that the origin of officialGreyhound racing coincides with OwenPatrick Smith’s invention of the mechanicallure. According to interviews with Smith’sson Edward, as recounted by Sports Illustratedwriter Robert Cantwell in the 1973 article“Run Rabbit Run,” Smith envisioned anational Greyhound racing circuit thatwould be received as entertainment. Ticketsales and concessions would support the busi-ness.

Smith surmised that use of a rabbit as alive lure — common in early Greyhoundcoursing events — would repel potentialattendees. The mechanical lure wouldaddress this issue. Unfortunately, whenSmith built his first Greyhound track in 1919in Emeryville, California to demonstrate hisinvention, the United States was recoveringfrom World War I and facing Prohibition.The average citizen lacked the funds to payfor admission to a spectator sport. However,entrepreneurs were looking to make up foralcohol revenue that was about to vanish. Ifspectators could win money at the track,they might be more likely to open up theirwallets for a night at the races.

Smith was not interested in gambling.Betting was not even permitted at theEmeryville track. Nevertheless, Smith tooksteps to ensure the integrity of each race,including establishing a holding area to pre-vent pre-race tampering with the dogs — apractice that still exists today. As the popu-larity of the sport increased, additional visi-bility could also mean additional scrutiny. Itwas easy for someone who lost money to

The backside of Wagner’s Bertillon card identifies the color of his coat and nails.

cgmagazine 37

claim a race was fixed. Combating theseaccusations meant employing safeguards toensure the matchups were legitimate. Onemeans of accomplishing this was to verifythat the dog listed in the program was in factthe dog that entered the starting box. Thiswas especially important when Florida (thenand now the largest venue for Greyhoundracing) legalized pari-mutuel betting in 1932.

The state received tax revenues from thesport during a time of national depressionand needed to do everything possible to avertcheating to preserve the lucrative incomestream. The only practical way to preventillegal substitutions (the “bait and switch”)was to identify dogs based upon permanentphysical characteristics using a modifiedform of Bertillon’s original criminal classifi-cation system.

Use of the Bertillon Card TodayThe Bertillon card, still in use today, can

identify up to 56 specific features of a partic-ular Greyhound. The documentation processbegins when an owner registers a puppy withthe National Greyhound Association(NGA) and completes an application thatdetails the dog’s attributes. Sometimesreferred to as an “onion skin” because of thecolor and density of the paper, the documentis a canine birth certificate, passport and dri-ver’s license, all rolled into one.

Bertillon’s original mug shot has beenreplaced by a front, side, and rear view dia-gram of a Greyhound. The owner of the dog

uses the diagram to indicate color, pattern,and any visible scars. Officially recognizedcolors consist of black, blue, brindle, fawn,red, and white. For dogs with multi-coloredcoats, areas of different colors are outlinedand marked with color codes (for example,BE = blue; BR = brindle). In accordancewith Bertillon’s theory that a greater numberof measurements equates to a more accurateidentification, all 16 toenail colors are anno-tated as well. Two Greyhounds may havesimilar features, but identification of threedifferent nail color varieties (light, dark, andhorn) in 16 locations allows for more than 43million combinations of characteristics. Toecolor is also specified, adding an additionallayer of differentiation.

Once the application is processed, theNGA issues an official two-sided Bertilloncard. Its front contains the dog’s name, dateof birth, sex, owner’s name, and a two-gener-ation pedigree. The back side contains thediagram of the dog and the ear tattoos — apractice that began in 1961.

The official Bertillon follows a racingGreyhound throughout his life and is alwayschecked before the start of a race. Uponarrival at the track, each dog gets a tagclipped to his collar that notes the number ofthe race and his box position within thatrace. Officials verify that the dog’s weight iswithin limits and sequester him in a kennelcoinciding with the numbers on the tag.Approximately 15 minutes before walkingout on the track for the scheduled race, the

dog receives a final weigh-in and is suited upwith a numbered blanket. At this point, thetrack officials compare the dog to theBertillon to verify identity. If everythingchecks out, the dog parades out and is off tothe races.

When a Greyhound’s career ends severalthings can happen to the Bertillon. It mayget filed away by the dog’s owner or becomelost during a transition to adoption. It is notuncommon for an owner to relinquish theBertillon to an adoption group along withthe dog. Subsequently, an adoption groupmay decide to keep the Bertillon in its ownrecords. Adopters who are interested inobtaining a Bertillon of their pet Greyhoundcan submit a pet-transfer form through theNGA. The applicant will receive a certifi-cate specifying that the dog is officially aretired racer (of whom the applicant is thenew owner) along with a complete Bertillonprofile.

The certificate can be used as official doc-umentation if the dog’s ownership is ever inquestion. A lost Greyhound can turn up atan animal shelter without tags or amicrochip. Many shelters will contact a localGreyhound adoption group when aGreyhound shows up at the door. Withoutany leads, finding the owner can be a difficultprocess. Ear tattoos can fade over time andbecome illegible as the dog ages. Shelteremployees may have neither the knowledgenor the time to look up the tattoos. The shel-ter may hand off the dog to a localGreyhound adoption group, who places thedog in a new home; all while the true ownerfrantically searches for their lost dog. If theerror comes to light, the Bertillon may be theonly way to prove that the dog belongs to theoriginal adopter.

How ironic that a technique developedmore than 130 years ago to put criminalsbehind bars may get a Greyhound released inthe future.■

Shannon Forrest is a professional pilot and avia-tion safety consultant. He resides in Keller,Texas with his wife and four retired racingGreyhounds. He can be reached at sforrest@turbinementor.com

On his Bertillon card, Wagner’s front toe nails are identified as either“dark” or “horn” in color.

All four nails on Wagner’s righthind foot are identified as“light” on his Bertillon card;and indeed they are.

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38 Winter 2011

Greyhound EarTattoosStory and photos by Ray Wong

All Greyhounds who have raced on sanctioned tracks in North America haveat least one more thing in common: they were all inked as young pups.

Ear tattoos distinguish racing Greyhounds from other dogs and being tattooed is oneof a pup’s first steps toward becoming a racer. The tattoos also are the industry’s way ofquickly and definitively identifying individual dogs. All racing Greyhound litters mustbe tattooed as a part of litter registration with the National Greyhound Association(NGA), according to Gary Guccione, president of the American Greyhound Council.

In dog racing’s first 40-plus years, Guccione says, the racing department and paddockjudges at tracks depended on a dog’s Bertillon (litter registration form) to confirm theidentity of each dog as it was prepared to race. This document includes a line drawing ofa Greyhound’s front, back, sides, and feet on which the dog’s color, scars, toenail colorsand other distinguishing features — such as missing toes — are marked. It also lists thedog’s tattoo numbers.

Erin Davis assembles the appropriate digits for tattooing the ears of six pups — five males, onefemale — born in January 2011. NGA requires that pups be tattooed within 90 days of whelping.

In a world populated by black dogs withwhite blazes and brindles in myriad combina-tions of stripes and colors, tattoos are anotherlevel of identity confirmation and a hallmarkof an NGA-registered racer.

By the numbersThe first number of the tattoo in the right

ear represents the month the pup was born,the last digit the year of birth or whelping.Then a sequential letter identifies each pup.For example, the first pup tattooed in a lit-tered whelped in May 2011 would have a rightear tattoo of 51A; 51B would be the secondpup tattooed. The typical Greyhound litter issix to eight pups, but if there were more than14 pups, the 15th would be NM, the 16thwould be NL, and so on.

The left-ear tattoo is a unique five-digitnumber assigned to all pups in a litter and isissued by the NGA. The number first appearson the breeding acknowledgment the NGAsends to the breeder who reported the mating.

Breeders and farms where broods and theirpups live typically do their own tattooing.While the NGA requires pups to be tattooedand their litters registered within 90 days ofbirth, it can occur earlier, as long as the pups’ears are large enough to accommodate it.

Puppy ear-tattooing in the United Statesgoes back to 1960, says Guccione. TheNational Coursing Association, forerunner tothe NGA and American Greyhound Ownersand Trainers Association, started the total-industry tattooing program that officiallybegan in 1961.

“The NCA hired Cameron Moore fromAbilene, Kansas to help implement the pro-gram nationally,” says Guccione. “He traveledthe country, visiting areas where there were anumber of farms, instructing the owners ontattoo procedures. Breeders soon learned thetechnique.”

cgmagazine 39

Erin Davis and son Eli reassure Zeiss as Joe Davis examines the pup before recording his markingsand distinguishing characteristics on the Bertillon. The Bertillon is part of the informationrequired to register pups from the mating of Trent Lee and Nita’s Pilot.

Nick waits patiently as tattoo ink is rolled on. The brightgreen tattoo ink enhances the readability of tattoos, making identification easy.

Minox’s left ear is tattooed with the litter number issued by the NGA at the time ofthe whelping. The tattoo device works like tongs with little prongs for the numbersand letters on one side and a firm rubber pad on the other.

At about three months of age, Rollei is all man as he waits to get his litternumber permanently placed in his ear. As the tattooer prongs press theear, the pup will sometimes yelp or struggle; either way, the discomfort isshort-lived.

40 Winter 2011

Tattoo tricksUnlike decorative tattoos where a

needle injects color under the recipient’sskin, Greyhound tattoos are a two-stepprocess. Colored ink, usually green, issmeared liberally on the surface of theinside of the pups’ ears.

Using a specially designed animal-tattooing kit, the stamps — which aremade up of small prongs — are loadedinto the head of a device that looks likea pair of tongs. The device is slipped overthe pup’s ear, centered and pressed downin one quick, smooth motion.

The pins force the green ink into thepup’s skin, leaving a permanent identify-ing tattoo. Using the same device, thenumbers are stamped into the litter reg-istration form next to the correspondingpup’s Bertillon. If a pup is incorrectly tat-tooed, a one-time penalty is assessed ($5per pup, $10 maximum per litter) andpaid to the NGA. Errors are recordedpermanently at the NGA.

Although these tattoos serve a purelypractical purpose, who could havethought that Greyhounds would in beout in front of the pack when it comes tothe current craze of inked body art? ■

Ray Wong is a visual communication pro-fessor in the School of Journalism at MiddleTennessee State University inMurfreesboro. These photos were taken aspart of his creative/research project on theracing Greyhound. See more of this work athis website: www.Rayhoundtales.com

Tattooing is usually a two-person operation. Joe Davis tattoos Flex as Erin Davis reacts to Flex’s briefprotest. The process usually takes less than five minutes per dog.

Once the ears are tattooed, Joe Davis imprints the Bertillon with each pup’s month and year of birth,plus letter representing the order in which the pups were tattooed. The litter is registered to HeatherLomax, who works at a racing kennel at the Mardi Gras racetrack (Tri-State) in Cross Lanes, W.V.

After their session in the tattoo parlor, the three amigos — Nick, Flex, and Rollei — relax in thesun outside their pen at Joe and Erin Davis’s kennel in Triadelphia, W.V.

HIS

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cgmagazine 41

More Greyhounds inTapestryBy Henry Townsend

RUSTIC SPORTS, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDONHanging in the same room as the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries is this naturalistic, more informal tap-

estry created around 1500 to 1515. It shows various kinds of hunting: a huntsman with two Greyhounds, inthe center another with a hawk, and to the left, yet another with a cross-bow. A windmill, a stream, sheep,and flowers tell us this is the beautiful countryside, setting the stage for another kind of hunting — mencourting women.

In medieval times, as early as the 14th century, tapestries were one of the best ways for kings, princes, and othernobles to impress not only their peers but the public as well. As they traveled, the nobility would take their tap-estries with them to provide a quick and easy way to furnish rooms, adding both beauty and insulation. On great

occasions, tapestries were also used to line a processional route. Tapestries could be very large, as tall as 16 feet, whilethe total length of a set of tapestries might be several hundred feet. Onlookers would be impressed, for tapestrieswere by far the most expensive form of art. By the time of the Renaissance, tapestries were also used as permanentwall coverings, dazzling status symbols in a noble’s castle, a palace, or a cathedral. They were the grandest and mostimportant art of the courts. This article completes a two-part series that began in the Fall 2011 issue of CG.

42 Winter 2011

DAVID AND BATHSHEBA,NATIONAL MUSEUM OF

THE RENAISSANCE,ÉCOUEN, FRANCE

This is an enormous set of ten tapes-tries, each almost 15 feet high with atotal length of 246 feet. This set mighthave cost as much as the annualincome of any but the most wealthy cit-izens. The artist and the location wherethey were made are unknown, but thedesign seems to have been inspired by15th century Flemish painters. Theweapons and aspects of the clothes datethe design to around 1510 to 1515.

Greyhounds are in four of the tenpieces: the third, seventh, eighth, andninth. In the third (top), twoGreyhounds are walking about withmounted knights, in each of the nexttwo (center, bottom), a Greyhoundstands alone in a crowd at King David’scourt, while in the ninth (bottom)standing near the King are his horseand his Greyhound. We do not knowwhether or not Greyhounds appearedin the court of King David, but we canbelieve that in Renaissance times, theywandered about unleashed at court andsometimes on the field as portrayedhere. Unfortunately, the light in therooms at Écouen is kept very low andthe tapestries are wide, so we do nothave good images of the whole tapes-tries and here show only a few details.

cgmagazine 43

ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS, GALLERY OF TAPESTRIES, VATICAN MUSEUMS

After the death in 1520 of Raphael, the artist considered to be the greatest painter of the Renaissance, his pupilsdesigned a set of 12 tapestries called The Life of Christ that was woven in Flanders while Clement VII was Pope (1523 to1534). The set cost seven times the amount paid to Michelangelo for his four years of work on the ceiling of the SistineChapel; think of each tapestry as being worth two years of Michelangelo’s time. They have been in the Vatican since 1531and in their present location since 1838. Compared with the preceding tapestries, they are a leap forward in artistic quali-ty and show the influence of the Renaissance with its realistic space and figures. They are more like paintings, having acentral focus rather than a throng of people crammed together as in David and Bathsheba. This tapestry from the set is morethan 17 feet high and 22 feet wide.

A Greyhound is often found in art depicting the adoration of Jesus by the Magi; princes from the east were aristocrats,and Greyhounds were often shown in aristocratic company. Our dogs are much less common in adoration scenes with shep-herds, possibly for the simple reason that anyone familiar with Greyhounds would know: They would be useless if asked toherd sheep. But a tapestry to be hung in the Vatican would be designed as an object of religious devotion, rather than as apractical guide to herding sheep. For this purpose a Greyhound is wholly appropriate as the dog usually chosen in art to bein the company of nobles, and no one is nobler than Jesus. But before going too far with the Greyhound as a worshipper,note that the dog is not looking at Jesus.

44 Winter 2011

THE ELEPHANT HUNT, LOUVRE

This whimsically beautiful tapestry, from around 1530, also shows the influence of the Renaissance. The setting is a forest inFrance, as we can see from the buildings in the distance, the dress of the hunters, and the types of trees. The hunters have broughtdown an elephant, possibly with a spear, while in the distance to the left another elephant is being speared by the horn of a uni-corn. Eight dogs, including a pair of Greyhounds on leash, pay almost no attention to these bizarre events. Even the hunters seemto find nothing at all extraordinary about this scene.

THE HUNTS OF MAXIMILIAN,LOUVRE

This set of 12 Renaissance tapestriesranks with The Lady and the Unicorn,The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries, andThe Unicorn Tapestries as among thegreatest examples of this art. They are thelargest we discuss, more than 14 feet highand 255 feet in total length. They are thefinest work in tapestry of Bernard vanOrley (ca. 1490 – 1541), who followed theSchool of Raphael in designing tapestrieswith a plausible space and detailed storiesand backgrounds. They celebrate thehunting parties of the Hapsburg ArchdukeMaximilian and show hunters from hiscourt, while the backgrounds can be iden-tified as various locations around Brussels.

There is a tapestry for everymonth beginning with March, thefirst month of the Julian calendar. Inthat tapestry, one can see a chapelwith a temporary thatched roof thatwas in place from 1528 to 1533, sowith other bits of information, thetapestries may be dated to 1531 to1533. While Greyhounds are promi-nently featured in four of the 12 tap-estries, a careful look will findGreyhounds in three more. June(prev. page) shows falcon huntersbreaking for a meal, while twoleashed Greyhounds with beautifulembroidered collars sniff the roastedbirds in the center of the table.Another Greyhound is in the back-ground to the left, while severalscent hounds are to the right. In July(top right), two hunters discuss thedeer hunt; one holds two largeGreyhounds. In September (centerright), a stag has been run into apond. One Greyhound, still leashed,stands at the water’s edge while theArchduke and his fiancée watch.February (bottom right) is an alle-gorical tribute to the hunt: To theleft in a niche is a statue of Diana,the goddess of hunting, with herGreyhound. Below her are the fic-tional heroes of a 15th century bookon hunting, King Modus and QueenRatio, who trample Sloth andGluttony, thus celebrating the moralvirtues of hunting. Among thosewho pay homage are hunters withtwo Greyhounds along with severalother dogs.

cgmagazine 45

46 Winter 2011

THE GLORIFICATION OF DIANA, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS,GHENT, BELGIUM

Almost 200 years later, not only were fewer tapestries being made but also fashion hadmoved away from the hunt and religious topics toward decorative themes, so Greyhoundswere less often seen in tapestry. In this tapestry, dating from 1717, we again see Diana, por-trayed as an elegant aristocrat being crowned with a laurel wreath. At her side is her bow,along with trophies from the hunt, a deer, and some birds, while in her entourage there is awoman with a hunting horn and three more bearing spears. One Greyhound sits at her feet,while a second seems about to kiss her.

A word about white Greyhounds The reader may have noticed that almost all the Greyhounds in these tapestries are

white. The only non-white dog in a prominent position is the handsome black-and-whiteGreyhound in the middle of the July Hunt of Maximilian. The color white is associatedwith purity, and this would explain why only white Greyhounds appear in the court of KingDavid, at the adoration of Jesus, and in the company of the goddess Diana. However, we do

not know why the Greyhoundsin hunt scenes are usually white.The few tan or brown or spottedexceptions are often next towhite dogs, so perhaps theirnon-white color was chosensimply as a usefully contrastingcolor.

ConclusionsThe Greyhounds shown in

these tapestries are from thedeep past, from 300 to 600 yearsago. Today we are not familiarwith Greyhounds as they werethen most commonly seen anddepicted, while as part of a huntor at a hunters’ picnic or in aJune luncheon break from fal-conry. We all know them todayas pets. But even when a tapes-try artist has let his imaginationrun wild — for example, whenGreyhounds hunt a unicorn oran elephant — when one is por-trayed as a sheep dog or about tokiss a goddess, we can still rec-ognize the dogs we live with andlove. ■

Henry Townsend writes about the artof the ancestors of his Greyhound,Salisbury, and travels to museumswith his Chief Spotter and Wife,Jessica,to discover more. The tapestryof Diana in Ghent was spotted by theirfriend, Frankie de Freitas. Images ofthese tapestries and more may befound at www.picasaweb.google.com/Greyhounds.in.art/GreyhoundsInTapestry#

ACTIV

ITIE

S

cgmagazine 47

Greyhounds Spice Up theHoliday SeasonStory and photos by Karen Prichard

Greyhounds wearing vivid red blankets prance, a crowd gathers with money at hand, bells ring, and allbets are off! Nutmeg and Ginger know this atmosphere well, but the scenery has changed quite a bitsince they left their racing days behind. These days, the girls are putting their best paw forward as vol-

unteers for The Salvation Army. Nutmeg and Ginger, along with their owners, Don and Sara Christian, are registered Delta Society Pet Partners®.

Because of the Delta Society and other organizations like it, visiting dogs are a familiar sight in assisted living facil-ities, nursing homes, schools, and hospitals. However, you do not normally find them assisting with The SalvationArmy’s Red Kettle Campaign!

The red kettle is an internationally recognized symbol of the Salvation Army. Started in San Francisco,California, by Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee in 1891, the kettle campaign has grown into a worldwideeffort that allows The Salvation Army to ‘enable those who would otherwise be forgotten’. Monies collected duringthe Holiday Season are distributed throughout the year to help at-risk children and seniors; to provide meals andtransitional homes for the homeless; and to meet additional community needs. Donations collected in the area

Don and Sara Christian and their Greyhounds, Ginger and Nutmeg, volunteer with the Salvation Army’s kettle campaign.

48 Winter 2011

where Nutmeg and Ginger may be allocatedto help abused women, support youth camps,or provide financial support to families whohave difficulty paying utility bills.

While The Salvation Army is activeworldwide, canine participation in the kettlecampaign is determined by the policies andprocedures of the local Salvation Armyoffice. It is also dependent on the availabili-ty of bell ringing locations, their rules, andtheir liability and insurance requirements.Canine volunteers have been allowed inNutmeg and Ginger’s area for over ten yearsif they are appropriately trained and meetcertain participation criteria. Since Nutmegand Ginger have been active in therapy workfor some years, and are insured Delta SocietyPet Partners, they were welcome to assist atthe kettles.

Bell ringing requires that a dog be calmand content in a highly complex area, soshifts under two hours are highly recom-mended. Even some trained therapy dogsmay not be suited for the higher level ofstress found in this type of busy environment.Dogs are exposed to many auditory and visu-al distractions and different people. If you areconsidering bringing your dog on your shiftas a bell ringer, know your dog’s limits and

only volunteer if she will tolerate a veryactive and hectic environment. As a bellringer, your dog may encounter busy trafficwith cars backfiring, and children shriekingwith excitement, not to mention the soundof your bell. You can prepare ahead of timeby buying your own bell to slowly desensitizeyour dog and help her become accustomed tothe noise. You will also want to brush up oncommands such as Sit, Down, and Stay.Canine bell ringers will likely be asked topose for photographs with children and fam-ilies, so solid obedience skills are helpful.Putting your dog in a down-stay on a mat orblanket at the kettle stand is also a great wayto position your dog where the public canenjoy petting her.

Adult passersby may be experiencing hol-iday stress and worries over family finances,so the gift of canine therapy at the storeentrance can be highly beneficial. Dogs havebeen known to reduce stress and lower bloodpressure with their calming presence.Stroking a dog’s fur is a soothing experienceand beneficial to our health. Most peoplewho visit with Nutmeg and Ginger agreethat they provide a great amount of stressreduction, which is very welcome during theholiday season.

Unexpectedly encountering a well-behaved dog during a busy day of shoppingcan put a huge smile on anyone’s face! That’sprobably why most people cannot pass ourkettle stand when Nutmeg and Ginger arepresent. Roger Windell, administrator ofNutmeg and Ginger’s local Salvation Army,said dogs at the kettle “are always attentiongrabbers.” He confirms “when the dogs arethere, we know to have an extra bucket onhand” because the kettles fill up twice as fast.

Weather during the holidays can beunpredictable and often cold. Volunteersshould be prepared for any sorts of weather.Nutmeg and Ginger are lucky to have aseamstress in the family. They wear warm,red weatherproof jackets made by Sara tohelp protect them from the elements. Bydemonstrating concern for the comfort andsafety of their pets, Sara and Don also raiseanimal awareness and are good public rolemodels. They are also able to promoteGreyhound adoption by sharing their won-derful pets with the local community.

The love shared between humans andanimals has many benefits. In this case, theshared goals of The Salvation Army and bell-ringing teams of registered therapyGreyhounds are helping local communitiesmeet their needs. Nutmeg and Ginger andthe other dogs who participated in theircommunity’s 2010 kettle campaign raisedalmost $6,000 for their local community in2010. ■

Karen Prichard, husband Tim, and BassetHounds Cherry and Cassidy have been volun-teering for The Salvation Army for over 10years. Karen is the canine coordinator for thePensacola, Fla. area and has extensive experi-ence supporting volunteer efforts for The RedKettle Campaign. To find out more about TheSalvation Army, please visit www.salvation-armyusa.org

Ginger and Nutmeg wear coats that do more than protect them from the elements; they demonstrate topassersby that their owners care about the dogs’ well-being.

YOU’RE INVITED

cgmagazine 49

Friday through Sunday, February 24-26Solvang Greyhound Fest

GREYT Legs

Solvang, Calif.

Three-day event to raise money for Greyhounds

that sustain a broken leg on the track. We help

Greyhound groups offset the cost.

Contact: Teri Rogo, (602) 228-2594;

www.solvanggreyhoundfest.org

Thursday through Sunday, March 8-11Sandy Paws — Greyt Fun in the Sun

9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily

Greythound Guardians, Inc.

Villas by the Sea and Oceanside Inns and Suites

Jekyll Island, Ga.

Fun-filled weekend of seminars, shopping, dinner,

blessing, memorial, group walk, ice cream social,

and much more. Contact: Nancy Eifert,

(904) 568-4822 or sandy-paws@comcast.net;

www.sandypaws.org

Saturday, December 3Southwest Gallery Art Auction

Greyhound Adoption League of Texas, Inc.

6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Southwest Gallery

4500 Sigma Road

Dallas, Texas

Southwest Gallery will host this auction to bene-

fit GALT. Artwork will on view at the gallery 10

days prior to the event. Online bidding will be

open before the event. 100% of the proceeds

from the sale of the artwork will be donated to

GALT. Contacts: Rita Wulke,

rwwulke@gmail.com; Susie McQuade, greyt-

pal@mindspring.com

Saturday, December 3Christmas Tree Sale

Greyhound Pet Adoption Northwest

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Forest Heights Shopping Center

Forest Heights, Ore.

Proceeds benefit Greyhound Pet Adoption

Northwest adoption program. Contact: Anne,

(800) 767-5139 or treesnw@gpa-nw.org

Sunday, January 29, 2012Greyhound Community Picnic

God’s Greyts Greyhound Group

2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

7259 Hiawassee Oak Drive

Orlando, Fla.

All central Florida Greyhounds and their humans

are invited. Property is completely fenced and

the Greyhounds can run to their hearts’ content

(no other breeds, please), while the humans

enjoy a potluck picnic, games, Chinese raffle, and

shopping. Nail trims, Greyhound toys and gear,

medications will be available. Bring a muzzle for

each dog. Bring a small covered dish or dessert to

share, with a serving spoon if needed.

Contact: Carol Becker, (407) 578-7496 or

godsgreyts@mac.com

Friday through Sunday, April 13-15Spring Dewey “Greyt Little Greyhound Event”

All day and half the night

Non-affiliated, DIY event

Small, friendly group focusing on the Greyhounds

and their people; very laid-back and relaxed gath-

ering. Contact: Liz Dunbar, (410) 679-1042,

secondwindgh@comcast.net;

www.deweyspring.info

50 Fall 201150 Winter 2011

MARKETPLACE

cgmagazine 51

MARKETPLACE

52 Winter 2011

MARKETPLACE

ADVERTISE

in Celebrating GreyhoundsMagazine

Sell your products,

service, website, etc.

HERE!

Contact:

Celebrating Greyhounds

Advertising

P.O. Box 5239

Framingham, MA 01701

Deadlines:

Spring issue: December 1st

Summer issue: March 1st

Fall issue: June 1st

Winter issue: September 1st

Miranda 2001-2011One June 1, Lisa Holthaus said goodbye toMiranda, her beautiful little girl who wasalso featured in “I Have Five Greyhounds”(Spring 2011 CG). There was no warn-ing. There is now only heartache in herpassing; heartache for the sweetest, gen-tlest little girl that brought such joy to herMom. Miranda was her love, her life, herGreyhound; faithful until the last beat ofher heart. There is no sorrow, Miranda,that your Mommy shared your passing.Although alone and frightened, she takessolace knowing she was there to comfortyou in your last few moments, to whispershe loved you, to stroke your head, so youwouldn’t fear your next journey. YourMommy’s heart will forever ache for you,little girl, the sweet girl with the twitch-ing nose. Your Mommy will see you again,Miranda. And when you next meet, theheart that so aches for you on earth willonce again beat with yours. Your Mommyloves you, little angel.

Ben (Debt of Pride) 2002-2011On January 23 Jack and Lisa Holthaus saidgoodbye to Ben, their beautiful boy whowas featured in “I Have Five Greyhounds”(Spring 2011 CG). True to his racingname, Ben left his cancer-ravaged body andwith every ounce of pride and dignity hehad, went on to his next journey. If Jackand Lisa close their eyes, they can still seeBen in his sandbox, dancing and twirling,protecting his yard from evils unknown.And if they listen carefully, they’ll hearhim. Faintly at first, then gradually louder;the incessant barking of the strong, hand-some Greyhound that drove them nutswith his furious greeting, tail whipping andbody jumping; always dancing. And whentheir time comes, Ben will find them.They’ll hear him barking. Faintly at first,then gradually louder; the welcome soundof incessant barking from a strong, beauti-ful boy they loved so dearly. And he’lldance and twirl at their feet, tail whippingand body jumping. And they’ll dance, too.

cgmagazine 53

IN MEMORIAM

Without the Greyhounds whose stories and images populate its pages, Celebrating GreyhoundsMagazine would not exist. With In Memoriam, we express our gratitude and bid farewell to thosewho have, in previous issues of CG, enriched our lives by sharing a bit of themselves with us.

Celebrating Greyhounds: The MagazineThe Greyhound ProjectP.O. Box 5239Framingham, MA 01701

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