WE ADOPT GREYHOUNDS, INC A Non-Profit Greyhound Adoption Group

Established September 1992

WAG TALES Fall 2015

In This Issue Board Update Recent WAG Happenings WAG Events Calendar Connecticut Prison Program Updates Greyhound "Tails" Ways to Donate/Help Wag Wares Adopt Me! Membership Form

Renew your membership here: Membership Form Donate via Paypal here:

Donate to WAG

Contact Us

Address:

P. O. Box 1114

Glastonbury, CT 06033

Phone:

860-845-7196

For questions or a copy of the BOD

meeting minutes please email:

info@WeAdoptGreyhounds.org

Find us online:

WeAdoptGreyhounds.org

Like us on Facebook:

Facebook.com/WeAdoptGreyhounds

Falling in to Autumn with We Adopt Greyhounds!!

Board Update

The We Adopt Greyhounds Board of Directors would like to

welcome Nicole Cylkowski, Lauren Gargano, and Kristina Corbett

to the Board of Directors. We are so excited for all of your

thoughts and ideas!

Thank you to Linda Anthes-Astromowicz, Cathy Esposito, and

Paul Bisberg for your time and work for We Adopt Greyhounds!

Our next board meeting will be held on November 4th

, 2015 at the

Simsbury Library at 6:45PM.

Recent WAG Happenings! It has been a really busy few months for the members, volunteers, and friends of WAG! For all of those that have participated in our events, we thank you! On August 8th and 9th, we headed over to Mystic to participate in our favorite Art Festival! We had so many people stop by to learn about our group and our mission and to meet our dogs. It is a great event for our volunteers and for the families who attend. We can’t wait until next year! Save the Date – August 13thand August 14th, 2016!

On September 12th, WAG friends, families, and hounds braved the clouds and the rain (two years in a row!) to come together for the 2015 Games and Gathering and Chili Cook-off at Northwest Park. Of course no Gathering would be complete without the “Hound Games”. Mia’s bobbing for hotdogs had the group in stitches!

But what was the surprisingly competitive category that had the group all vying for top prize? Longest Tail! Who knew we had so many dogs with such long tails! The Chili competition was also a very tight race with the integration of a multiple category scoring system. What was most interesting is that most of the chili’s submitted for consideration all won a category! Be it taste, aroma, spice, or texture, we had a diverse group of chilies! Congrats to Johanna for the overall Prize for Best Chili! Thank you to all of our vendors who were able to join us as well – Linda and Ron Evans, Greyt Hound Designs, Baker's Dozen Treats, Carol Beck of B&T Products and Kathy Doherty of Making Scents, Rosanne Luisi, and David Tuskowski – we couldn’t have done it without you! We are already planning next year’s event! If you’d like to volunteer or participate as a vendor, please email nicole@weadoptgreyhounds.org. Let’s make it a great event together!! On September 20th, WAG participated in the Simsbury Fly-in. What a fun event! Airplanes, Old Cars, and Greyhounds!!

The dogs loved all of the attention and we all enjoyed spreading the word about greyhounds and the joy they bring to all of our lives. After a long day of getting pets and hugs in the sun, the pups all decided to take naps!

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WAG walked in the annual Bristol Mum Festival Parade on September 27th.

We were so lucky to have two(!) puppies join us for our walk – Puppy Houston and Puppy Scarlet! The crowd loved all of the dogs and we had a great time waving to all of the families lining the street on a gorgeous early fall day!

On October 18th

, WAG held its annual Halloween

Walk! The costumes were so greyt this year!

Which is your favorite? Flyer the Lion? Popeye

the Turtle? Chiquita the Banana? Shadow as

Superwoman?

Events Calendar

WAG Events Wag is holding several fundraisers in the coming weeks. Our goal is to raise funds to help hounds with broken legs and to help get our hounds vetted and to you!

October 25th, 2015 Yoga with Your Dog! All Breeds of Dog are Welcome! Horses and Hounds, 15 Mill Pond Rd, Granby, Connecticut 06035 2:00pm – 5:00PM A lighthearted yoga class with your dog followed by a guided massage routine for you and your dog. No yoga or massage experience necessary.

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Bring a yoga mat for you and a blanket for your dog. Class led by Jenna Haley MS, Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher. As a former licensed massage therapist for 10 years and a weekend athlete, I understand the power of touch for healing and relaxation. I now share massage with my 4 dogs to support our bond and help them feel better. It's wonderful to watch doggie bliss develop on their faces! $30 for Human/Dog Team $15 for individuals (without dog) Children under 12 Free Pay here: http://www.weadoptgreyhounds.org/?p=6252 November 7th, 2015 Paint for a Cause Muse Paintbar, 69 Raymond Road, Blue Back Square, West Hartford, CT 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. *Bar and seating starts at 11:30 a.m.

We will be painting (with full instruction) a painting featuring a greyhound. No experience required! Sign up for a seat here. $45 per painter (a significant portion of ticket price goes directly to We Adopt Greyhounds as a donation.)

Themed Monthly Hound Walks and Meet and Greets!

We will be holding Hounds Walks the 3rd Sunday of November and December (weather permitting). The locations are being determined.

WAG will also be participating in Santa Paws in December and will be holding a Meet and Greet in November.

– Dates and more information to come!

Connecticut Prison Program – Graduations, New Class at CRCC, and Announcing – A New C.T. Greyhounds Prison Program!

On August 29th, WAG volunteers and members of the Corrigan-Radgowski Prison Program attended the graduation of the 9th class of greyhounds who have come through the C.T. Prison Greyhounds Program. Shamus, Lacey, Lola, and Jeter all worked to showed everyone how much they had learned in the 10 weeks they had spent with the handlers, though all suffered a bit from stage fright! Regardless, they all showed us how wonderfully they’ve listened, learned, and grown with the handlers and we were all excited to see how far they had come! The handlers all took a few minutes to each speak about their experiences and their thoughts on the program and what they’ve learned through time. Below is handler George’s speech as he looked back on his time with Lola. I think we can all appreciate his sentiments!

Hello Everyone. My name is George. This is my 9th dog and I have loved them all. I would like to say “Thank You” to the Warden and Deputy Warden for allowing this program to continue. Also all the other staff members, Corrections Officers, and all the other members of the staff that are behind this program.

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Also, “Thank You” to all of the WAG members, Chris, Johanna, and all of the Volunteers that come up to see us…oops…I mean the dogs! They are a great bunch of people. They always seem to know when to talk to us about different issues. Sometimes we just need an ear that will listen. I know for me there was a family issue that happened this cycle and it was nice to talk about it and get support.

I also received a lot of support from my dog. She was a great listener. She let me just lay with her and pet her and talk to her for quite a while. I think she fell asleep for a while as well. But she gave me all the Hugs and Kisses that I needed. She also did not judge me for some of the tears I shed. If anything, she made me feel better. If I remember correctly, she hugged & kissed me even more at those times. The times I needed it the most. Lola is a great dog and yes she is one of my favorites. I am going to miss her. But I also know she is going to make a great pet for her new owners. She will make them happy for the rest of her time with them in her forever home. Thank you all for coming today.

After some pictures with family and friends, coffee, cake, and delicious brownies we all said our goodbyes and the hounds left to start the next chapters in their lives!

Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center – Class #10 On September 19th we welcomed four more beautiful greyhounds into the Corrigan-Radgowski Prison Program

RWC Yellowjacket (Mynx) and three 15 month old littermates Easton (Ziggy), Kingston (Miles), and Beckett. How did the dogs do on Day 1? Volunteer Micky DiMartino gave us an update:

The dogs were quiet through the night!

Mynx (Yellow Jacket) was the early riser, who was up at 5am. She whines whenever anyone leaves the room.

Mynx ran around a bit outside but was more interested in being pet and getting affection. She knows Watch Me and comes to George or Savi when called.

Aside from Mynx, Beckett also has trouble walking in the hall. He walks on his nails. He is a wild one.. fun, playful and always on the move outside! He is a little vocal in his crate but not in the night. He seems to have a lot more energy than the rest.

Miles (Kingston) & Ziggy (Easton) were pretty playful too, running from one person to the next. Miles likes to go up the windows and just stare! Both of them liked being in that back corner. Ziggy seems to be the most "laid back" and also knows Watch Me. He is very attentive to Tom, and seems to look to him for what to do.

They were all off of their leashes together without any issues whatsoever.

Checking in a few weeks later, volunteer and Board of Director Nicole Cylkowski updated us:

Today's prison visit went well. I brought Flyer and Nina with me and of course, the guys were in love

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with little Nina! We spent most of our time outside as it was such a beautiful day and not raining! Rath allowed 3 dogs at a time off the leash, so the puppies had a blast! Beckett is very independent and loves to play and bark. Flyer loved it and played ball with himself, barking at Beckett every once in a while.

Mynx was also off leash for the majority of the time. She is such a sweet, loving girl. Myles was a little laid back, enjoying belly rubs and kisses for most of the visit. Ziggy by far had the most alpha personality of the group. He would stop Flyer from playing and the guys joked that he was like a cop, not allowing Flyer to play in certain areas. When Tom would call Ziggy back though, he listened without hesitation. He was very responsive to the handlers. All the dogs know most of the normal tricks, such as look at me, wait, down, and paw. Myles was working on roll over and Beckett was working on "side", the new word for the command of "bang". Tom worked with Nina on her leash skills. Tony loved up on Beckett too. Great visit overall though!

Manson Youth Institute – Class # 1

Following the success of our Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center program, on October 3rd, WAG volunteers delivered 4 new dogs to the new edition to our C.T. Prison Greyhounds Program – Manson Youth Institute in Cheshire, CT. Rico’s Lester (Gunnar), Littermates Cooper and Jax (RWC Wannabe Jack and RWC Wannabe Free who are also littermates of recent prison graduate Amber), and RWC Pennyless (Penny) who is littermate to recent prison graduates Daisy and Brady. A few days later, volunteer Nick Sweeting let us know about the progress he had already seen with the dogs.

I went on my first solo visit to MYI today and

brought Keekee along. Things are going well and

the dogs are settling in. Penny is now set up with

her bed and water just outside her crate, which

keeps her happier. There was still some barking last

night, but not as much as before.

We went outside for almost two hours talking about

the dogs, greyhounds, and the program. Judging by

their questions and attitudes, the weight of the

handlers’ new responsibilities are sinking in. We're

going to test the theory that a tired dog is a quiet

dog, so the guys ran with the dogs. The dogs were

on leash and muzzled at all times. At one point

when one of the other dogs was being exercised,

Gunnar took off and almost pulled Noel down. It

was a good example of why we use the leash loop.

Penny and Gunnar did have a quick skirmish. The

guys gave them a couple of loud "HEY's!" and they

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were apart in no time. It was not the first time for

those two, so they may still be figuring out their

place in the pack. Eventually, all the dogs were

relaxed enough to sprawl out on the grass and

catch some rays.

Feels like we are off to a good start. I am happy to

be a part of it.

We can’t wait to continue working and learning alongside the new handlers in our new program. Our trainer, Mindy, has been meeting with the handlers and the dogs on a weekly basis and already we’ve seen progress!

I introduced the handlers to target today and also

gave them a handout on anti-jumping to review.

The dogs and handlers seemed to pick this one up

pretty well.

We then started working on down using the chairs

in the room. The dogs were lured into downs by

having to be in a down position to reach the treats

under the chairs. Most started to lay down! The few

that struggled I reminded the handlers about

shaping a behavior and giving rewards for almost

downs to get the dogs more confident. We then

started on step one with the leave it command.

Finally I got a chance to start my lecture today. I

went over the first few important facts about real

dogs. We did have some questions and good

conversations come from it!

Looking forward to seeing the progress next week!

-Mindy

Are you interested in volunteering with WAG in either of our C.T. Prison Greyhounds Program? For more information on the CT Prison programs, please reach out to johanna@weadoptgreyounds.org

Greyhound “Tails” – Where are they now? We love hearing from our friends and families! Do you have a funny story or pictures to share?

Or do you have update on your hound(s)? We’d love to feature your stories, funny pictures, or tributes in our newsletter! Please reach out to rori@weadoptgreyhounds.org with your stories and pictures. For this edition of WAG Tales, we wanted to feature some of our graduates from the CRCC CT Prison Program. Karma – Prison Program Class #2 The Gougoutris Family in Kingston New York

We adopted Karma a little over a year ago after we lost our Maddie. Maddie was full of life always running and maintaining backyard squirrel patrol.

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When we contacted WAG and said we were looking for a high energy greyhound, we were introduced to our Karma. We knew as soon as we met her, we had a place for her. She is the sweetest girl, always looking for trouble. We were used to that as when we got Maddie 10 yrs previously, the name "trouble" was written on her muzzle. She loves to be outside and playing fetching tennis balls, and loves her squeaky toys. She has learned how to open doors as most of our door knobs are lever type, and she will bite and open them. Counter surfing is her forte. All food must be off the counter when we're not around.

Karma getting a snack off the mulberry tree

She is on a grain free diet, so we have to watch her closely. Her first visit to the vet found she has thyroid issues for which she needs to be on meds. She gets along very well with our greyhound patriarch Tonka who will soon be 15. He's too old to keep up with her, but he tries. She is very keen with small animals, so there are no cats in the house. All of the greyhounds we've had were keen as well. So, she has become our family very quickly, and someday we will get her another playmate. We want to bring her to Connecticut to an event to see everybody. She occasionally does meet and

greets for the local group, Greyhounds As Companions where we got Tonka and Maddie

Sarge – Prison Program Class #2 The Schulman Family in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

From the moment we met Sarge, we were in love. He is the most affectionate and loyal animal we have ever met. He is quiet, well-behaved and very funny. He wants to be near us; following us around the house, awaking in the morning and waiting patiently in the bathroom for us to get dressed, laying on the floor beside us in the evening.

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He has his peculiarities. He will do almost anything to have his belly rubbed. For example, Sarge sleeps on his own bed in our second floor bedroom. When we are preparing to go upstairs at the end of the evening, Sarge races ahead of us up the stairs. He stops on the landing and stretches out almost as if we need to pay a toll (rub his belly) before we can pass. After several minutes of petting, he'll "allow" us to pass. He then races up to the top of the stairs and repeats the performance. He closes his eyes as we rub his belly; one can almost see the smile on his face.

Sarge loves treats; not only the typical dog biscuits, but also peanut butter and yogurt. When we finish a container of yogurt, leaving

some behind for Sarge to partake, he takes the container to his cage and sticks his long nose in, burying his head in to enjoy his treat. Yogurt containers accumulate in his cage. Although greyhounds don't enjoy sitting, Sarge will sit and put out his paw for peanut butter which he licks off our fingers like a child licking an ice cream cone. Almost daily, we are snapping pictures of him as he gets into the cutest poses. We enclosed some for you to enjoy.

Sophie – Prison Program Class #7 The Young Family in Connecticut

We can't believe she has been with us for 2 weeks already. She is the BEST dog! She loves to be loved and to have her belly rubbed. Not one accident in the house and so well-behaved (although we discovered very quickly that she

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will counter-surf if food is left within her reach-no one is perfect!). We are very grateful to her trainer in the prison program. He did a fantastic job with her. And you did a wonderful job choosing her for us.

She is a little shy when new people come into our home but warms up very quickly. She met our two grandsons the other day and was a huge hit. My oldest grandson who is 9 and was never particularly interested in our other greyhounds was fascinated with her, wanting to know where she came from and the process that brought her to us. Our youngest grandson who is 7 asked me if she was going to stay with us always. When I told him "yes, she was now a part of our family", he said, "then that means she is now a 'Young.'" That pretty much sums it up! I've attached another picture.

Here is a picture of Sophie all settled in. She is such a good dog and so smart. She has been eating well and going outside to do her business. One time to the door and she already knows about going out. We love the fact that she is so playful since our last hound, Missy, was not.

We are delighted to have Sophie as the newest member of our family. Things feel much more "normal" in our house now.

Thanks so much!

Linus – Prison Program Class # 3 The Moy Family in Rhode Island

We are in love with Linus and we are pretty sure he's in love with us! I'm not sure what info you'd like to put in the newsletter so here's a quick update. Let me know if you'd like a picture and I can send one along. In the (almost) three months since Linus has been home, he's really relaxed quite a bit. He's a very active guy and likes to get as much as two and a half hours of activity a day. We mostly expend his energy on long walks. Linus enjoys all the local hotspots---the Cliff Walk, Fort Adams, downtown Newport, etc but probably his favorite place to walk is the Aquidneck Greenway. It's miles of nature trails, in the three months Linus has been home, he still hasn't explored it all!

We live in a second floor apartment. Thanks to the training Linus received in the prison program, the stairs are no trouble to him. From the very first day we brought him home he bounded up and down with no issues at all. Linus is no longer using his crate (his choice), the spot that it formerly occupied is now a cozy sleeping nook with some beds, a comforter and a few blankets. He loves to bask on the deck and lets us know when he wants to go outside by sticking his head in the blinds and rattling them until we come and open the screen door for him.

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There are lots of kids in our neighborhood and Linus is the honorary mascot of the local "Girls Only" club. Following in the footsteps of our last greyhound who really loved children, Linus is developing his own fan base. He is always very gentle with them and lets them pet him all over, he sometimes disappears in a crowd of small children while I hold his leash outside the ring.

Linus has lots of canine friendships. We have a fenced area for him to play and get his "zoomies" out. He had to learn some canine etiquette at first, but now he's got quite a few friends and plays with other dogs several times a week. He has become quite the love sponge. On Saturday we took a class in canine massage at our local animal shelter. Linus turned to butter in my hands--he LOVED IT!! He recently learned that if he lays on his side in the living room, bangs his tail against the carpet and wriggles on his back one or both of his "peeps" will come over and rub his belly--he's got us trained! It's too soon to tell whether Linus will volunteer as a therapy dog or just enjoy life as a civilian. He really does seem to know he is "home" and life is good. We will be eternally grateful to the trainers in West Virginia who sent him to WAG, the amazing folks at WAG (especially his foster mom who cared for him for ten months) and the handlers in the prison who taught him to be such a good dog!

Linus is still carrying blankets around the house, but not as often! He usually does it now in celebration when one of his "peeps" comes home. Thank you so much for all you do for the hounds!

Ways to Help/Donate

Please consider donating to one of WAG’s missions. It’s tax-deductible!

Donate to WAG’s General Fund Donate to support the C.T. Prison

Greyhounds Donate to support the Yogi Medical Fund

to benefit special needs hounds and broken leg dogs

Donations can be made through Paypal here: http://www.weadoptgreyhounds.org/donate/donate-to-wag/

or can be mailed to:

WAG, Inc. P.O. Box 1114 Glastonbury CT 06033 Don’t forget to look to see if your employer has a Matching Gift Program!

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Other ways you can help!

Donate treats, beds, crates, dog coats, and toys to be used in our Prison programs as well as our foster homes.

Amazon has a program where they will donate a percentage of your purchase to We Adopt Greyhounds. Please use www.smile.amazon.com and select We Adopt Greyhounds Inc. as your donation choice!

Foster a Greyhound – we are always in need of short to long term foster homes. You would work with your dog to transition them into a “home life” and help us to place the pup in a home that is best for them as you’ll get to know the personality of the pup!

Donate items or services to be used in

auctions, raffles and tag sales.

Volunteer at one of our events or to help

put on a fundraiser. Do you have fundraising ideas to share? Ideas for our events? We would love to hear about it!

WAG Wares

Purchase our commemorative Christmas Ornament – perfect stocking stuffers!

2 3/4″ wide at greyhound and pewter. Same on both sides

2016 Celebrating Greyhounds Wall and Desk Calendars

WAG T-Shirts (long sleeve, short sleeve, polos)

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All WAG Wares are available in our online store! CLICK HERE.

Adopt Me!

Dakota

Racing name: Dakota’s Buella DOB: Jan. 18, 2012 Age: 3 Sex: Female Cats: no Small dogs: Kids:

Skydiver

Racing name: JT Skydiver

DOB: Apr. 11, 2013

Age: 2

Sex: Female

Cats:

Small dogs:

Kids:

Lacey – Prison Graduate

Racing name: RWC Ima Fox

DOB: April 18, 2013

Age: 2

Sex: Female

Cats: no

Small dogs: No

Kids: Should be an only dog. Or possibly with a male dog.

Nixa

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Racing name: Flat Out Nixa

DOB: Sept. 9, 2011

Age: 3

Sex: Female

Cats:

Small dogs:

Kids: no

Not tested yet with cats, small dogs. She is a tiny girl, who is

very timid. She does warm up once she gets comfortable.

Popeye

Racing name: St’sMovingover

DOB: Jan. 11, 2011

Age: 4

Sex: Male

Cats: Yes

Small dogs: Yes

Kids: Yes

He is a quiet, easygoing boy. Likes affection.

Lickety

He’s on the right.

Racing name: CTW LickitySplit

DOB: Jun. 8, 2012

Age: 2

Sex: Male

Cats:

Small dogs:

Kids:

Slick. Is a sweet 3 year old boy who is very low key

for his age. He gets along very well with the other

greyhounds in his home. He is housebroken and has

great leash manners. If you talk to him in a puppy

voice, he wags his tail. Slick loves to go for walks,

but prefers to go in the company of another

greyhound. If you are looking to add to your

greyhound family, he is your guy. He is not cat

friendly.

Flyer

Racing name: RWC High Flyer

DOB: Feb. 16, 2012

Age: 3

Sex: Male

Cats: Yes

Small dogs: Yes

Kids: Yes

Flyer is such a wonderful dog. Although he is

special needs due to his occasional seizures, he’s

currently on medications and doing great! Luckily,

this does not at all deter him from being the 3 year

old pup that he is! He’s slowly learning it’s ok to

play and run around with his foster sister. Highly

treat motivated, he is attempting to learn what

“wait” means (though he doesn’t like to do it,

haha!). Flyer is small dog and cat friendly, though

he still does like tormenting the kitty in the house!

(it may or may not be all his fault though since the

kitty brings it on herself really…) Flyer also does

great with his greyhound foster sisters. They even

sleep together on the same bed!

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Leo

Racing name: UMR Nosey Bill

DOB: Jun. 25 2012

Age: 3

Sex: Male

Cats: No

Small dogs: No

Kids: No

Leo has to be an only dog.

Hogan

Racing name: DKC What DOB: Feb 2013

Age: 1

Sex: Male

Cats: Yes

Small dogs: Yes

Kids: No

Hogan is a two year old special needs boy. He had

an accident as a puppy, which left him with one ear

and blind in one eye, but that just adds to his

charming good looks. He is a very smart

enthusiastic boy who learns very quickly; he knows

sit, down, stay, wait and how to play dead. He

loves car rides and walks, has great leash manners

and is housebroken. Hogan needs to go to a home

with a woman or women only. When he meets men

in a social situation such as meet and greets or on

walks, he is fine, but in a home situation he

becomes protective of the women. He is cat and

small dog friendly. Everyone who meets him

immediately falls in love.

Membership Form You can also pay online via Paypal here

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