Winner of the Dog Blog Costume Contest is....

Miss Olive Gaga!!

Olive, who owns Jim & Angela Flynn of Piedmond, OK, dressed up as Olive Gaga this year for Halloween and won 44% of our readers' votes on our November blog poll! Olive will win a black & orange Candy Corn martingale collar to wear next year on Halloween.

Congratulations Olive!

Holiday Food Drive

A greyt way to help our foster greyhounds this Holiday season is to donate a bag of foster dog food to Hounds of the Heartland! We use the Iams Large Breed Adult dog food found in most pet supply stores. Every bag of food donated is $35 less we have to spend on food and can use for supplies or veterinary emergencies that may arise. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Won't you help a greyhound this Holiday season?

Donations will be taken by HOH representatives at any of our Show & Tell events.

Thank you for your generosity!

Iams Large Breed Adult Dog Food

Illuminated Wine Bottles for sale!

The holiday season is upon us and if you are looking for a unique gift for friends or family members, look no further!

Our own volunteer Katie Turner creates these illuminated wine bottles and donates all the profits to HOH. Read on for details!

Embellished wine or other pretty bottles decorated with artificial grapevines, grapes, pretty ribbon and other items. A string of mini lights inside illuminated them to a beautiful glow when plugged in, giving a nice ambiance to any room.Choose from already decorated bottles or bring your own to request a color theme for a more personal touch. Price is only $15.00 each with all profits donated to Hounds of the Heartland greyhound adoption!


Call or e-mail Katie at 751-9477 or FrauTurner@juno.com with any questions or for more pictures.

Greyhound Gala Sponsors NEEDED

Planning for the 2011 Greyhound Gala has begun, and our #1 goal is to obtain sponsors to help with financing and donors to supply items needed for the event.

If you know anyone who may want to make a charitable contribution for the 2011 Greyhound Gala, please share this attachment with them. We are a 501(c)3 organization and can mail them a tax-deductible donation letter for their records.

Greyhound Gala Sponsorship Form

In addition to monetary and "party rental" type donations, we will need as many auction & raffle items as we can get. **NOTE** these do not have to be greyhound, or even pet, related! We will be inviting everyone, whether they have pets or not, to the event and would like to have attractive auction and raffle items for those people who may not be interested in breed specific items.

Many restaurants or gift shops are happy to donate a free dinner for two or basket of goodies for a non-profit organization. It never hurts to ask! All donors will be recognized at the event and are encouraged to also donate promotional materials to include in gift bags. Please take a moment to make a short list of people or businesses you think may be willing to help with donations or sponsoring.

Stay tuned for more news on the 2011 Greyhound Gala - and we thank you for your help and support with HOH's largest fundraiser!

2010 Adoptions

It's official, folks! As of last Friday, we have matched our number of adoptions from 2009! We are sitting at 39 adoptions for the year and are still going strong! We may not reach our goal of 50 adoptions, but every single adoption we complete takes us one step closer to finding a home for every hound in need.

As the year draws to an end and the weather gets cooler, think about giving a hound a new warm & loving home this holiday season. Here's to many more adoptions this year!

Spotlight on Helena!

Helena, or "Emerald Tidy," is an absolutely gorgeous 9 year old female who seems to love just about everyone. She does very well on the leash and is content to be by your side. She gets along with other dogs great! She is not cat or small dog safe, but does great with children and other people. She has lived in a home for quite some time, but her owner had to return her because he moved and could not take she and her greyhound brother with him. Won't you give this special girl a loving forever home?

Inquire about our special reduced senior adoption rate for Helena!

View racing & pedigree info for "Emerald Tidy" here

Greyhounds on Animal Planet's "Dogs 101"

We have been waiting for this moment to come... and it finally has! Animal Planet focused on Greyhounds for their recent episode of "Dogs 101" - a television show that highlights all the traits of different breeds of dogs. We may be a bit biased, but it's definitely the best episode yet! Enjoy the video!

http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-greyhound.html

Show & Tell @ LIVE on the Plaza Cancelled Tonight

Our show & tell event at LIVE on the Plaza will be cancelled due to the rain and low forecasted temperatures tonight. We won’t have a show & tell event at LIVE on the Plaza until next year around May.

Rococo supports Greyhound Adoption with another "Give Back Day!"

Sunday, December 5th both Rococo Restaurants in OKC will be donating 10% of ALL SALES starting at 11am when they open. This promotion lasts until the last person leaves!

Their Sunday brunch lasts from 11:00am - 3:00pm and dinner begins at 3:00 until they close at 9:00.

Please encurage your family, friends & coworkers to stop by for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner. This would be a great opportunity to get your family or friends together AND greyhounds in need at the same time.

Rococo Restaurant & Fine Wine (http://rococo-restaurant.com/) is located at 2824 N. Pennsylvania Ave. and also inside Northpark Mall at 122nd & May Ave. The menu is diverse along with carefully selected wines, spirits and beer. They are known for their larger-than-life crabcakes.

Mark your calendar & we'll see you there!

Very warm thanks to Kim Collins at Rococo for supporting our cause over the years.

Happy Houndaween!

Some of our readers submitted pictures of their hounds all dressed up for Halloween... which costume is your favorite?? Vote on this week's blog poll in the left column of the blog! The winning hound will get a Halloween themed Martingale Collar to wear next year for Halloween! You still have time to submit pics of your hounds all dressed up. Send pics to EmilyHummel@GreyhoundPetsOk.org.




Bella-Bug {Bella Whitman}




the Diva Duo {Daisy & Rosie Forcina}




Olive Gaga {Olive Flynn}





the 50s Prom Couple {Cami & Calvin Hummel-Adler}

 


Tana-Bug {Tana Your Hyde- available for adoption!}



Seasonal Show & Tell Changes

We have a few changes to our monthly Show & Tell calendar we want you to be aware of.

Cancelled Events:

• Saturday, November 27th: Show & Tell at Norman Petsmart
• Saturday, December 4th: Show & Tell at Paws Around Town
• Saturday, December 25th: Show & Tell at Norman Petsmart
• Saturday, January 1st: Show & Tell at Paws Around Town

Other Show & Tell information:

• Our Show & Tell events at Paws Around Town will resume on February 5, 2011.
• Friday, November 12th will be our last showing at LIVE on the Plaza for 2010. We will be back for more outdoor fun around May 2011!

LIVE on the Plaza - this Friday!

**NOTICE** We are cancelling this event due to cold weather and rain. Check back next year for LIVE on the Plaza to resume!

This Friday, November 12th we will have our last Show & Tell at LIVE on the Plaza for this year. The cool fall weather will give us a chance to dress up our hounds in their warm jackets & coats!

LIVE on the Plaza is a monthly artwalk where local artists and vendors display their products for everyone to enjoy and purchase. The shops on the Plaza are extremely dog friendly and welcome you to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere!

Meet on the corner of 16th & Blackwelder in OKC's historical Plaza District for some fun fall shopping and local flavor. Bring a dog bed, warm drink & lawn chair to relax and talk greyhound! We will be @ LIVE on the Plaza from 7:00 - 9:00pm.

See you there!

{via the Plaza District blog at http://plazadistrict.wordpress.com/}:

Welcome fall, a time for beards to grow, bonfires to warm and ciders to taste! Give thanks for your local creative district this fall at LIVE on the Plaza! Although it’s time to start thinking holiday shopping, we want the Plaza District to be a place that is unique from all the over-saturated commercialism of the holidays. So, by all means keep those gifts in mind as you stroll– but this month, remember to be thankful for our local community! So enjoy the flannel, enjoy the beards, warm up with freshly knit scarves and all of the fall goodness in the Plaza District! We are thrilled to celebrate our local talent, so join us in being thankful for our community of local artists!

@1614 and Midwest Media & Marketing is pleased to host artist Michael Kirby. View this short film produced by Midwest Media about the artist and his work. View his work and the film @1614 during LIVE.

DNA Galleries host works by artist Marcus Eakers. His work is filled with dreamlike imagery created with a wide and saturated color palette. DNA Galleries also features many new fall clothing and accessories! Collected Thread will host an open house and installation work by Lauren Miller. Coffy’s Café is hosting an open mic night, plus stop in for gluten-free treats or tasty drinks, and feel free to use the array of instruments provided in-store for the public to enjoy. Visit Curiouser & Curiouser and Bad Granny’s Bazaar for gifts and funky finds, and then stroll over to PhotoArt Studios for an open house.

Speaking of thanks, we are very thankful for JuJu Gallery’s one year in the Plaza District. Help us celebrate their one-year anniversary as they feature GroundUp, art by Chastine Edwards. Juju Gallery is home is a fantastic variety of handmade art and craft, so browse the studio

No Regrets Tattoo will host live music by Brandon Isaaks, as well as fall grilling for you’re taste buds. Warpaint Clothing host local artist Lindsey Oleck and her collection of paintings called “Inspired by Native”. Paula & Company Realtors host Local Teaching Artists Exhibit with featured artist Tam Nguyen of Linwood Elementary. As always Paula & Co karaoke will start around 8:30.

Last but not least, be sure to visit Istvan Gallery before after your stroll through LIVE on the Plaza. Istvan Gallery will host Edmond artist Kolbe Roper. Roper is a mixed media artist who uses techniques such as weaving and printmaking alongside sculpture castings and painting. He characterizes his work as blurring both artistic and gender boundaries. It is also Istvan’s three-year anniversary, so be sure to celebrate their important contribution to the Oklahoma City art community over the last three years.

Greyhounds are terrible guard dogs.

Have you ever heard of a greyhound being a mean, aggressive guard dog? They aren't! If you are looking for a dog that will double duty as both a pet and a protector, a greyhound isn't the dog for you. Greyhounds are very unagressive dogs (remember, they were created to cooperate) and the vast majority of them will not even bark when they see a stranger approaching the house.

Just another reason why they live up to their "45 MPH couch potato" nickname!

Ebro Greyhound Tragedy

Recently there was a horrible tragedy in the greyhound world as 33 greyhounds (plus 8 more they found at a later date) were found dead at the Ebro Track in Florida, which closed on September 25th. There were 4 survivors but they are not in the clear yet. Read the News Article [Here]. We are all shocked and saddened at this tragedy of massive proportions. The greyhounds' welfare was in the hands of Kennel Trainer Ron Williams and he has been arrested on 37 counts of animal cruelty. Please read the below letter from Greyhound Pets of America President Rory Goree. We will continue to fight for greyhounds all over the United States to be cared for during their active and post-racing career and see to it that Kennel Operators and Owners remain responsible for their welfare until a temporarily or permanent home can be secured. We encourage you to follow the advice of Mr. Goree and call upon the prosecutor, Erin Williams, to insist she aggressively pursue the maximum penalties allowed by law for these crimes. Give your hounds an extra hug and kiss tonight and remind them why they are so lucky to have been adopted!

All segments of the Greyhound community were shocked this week by the discovery of more than 30 dead Greyhounds in a racing kennel operated by Ron Williams at the Ebro Greyhound track.

"I personally find it very disturbing that any person would treat animals with such total disregard for their welfare," said Rory Goree,’ President of Greyhound Pets of America.

"We would like to thank the volunteers of GPA-Emerald Coast for their efforts in this case and for standing up for the Greyhounds, which led to the discovery of the dead Greyhounds and the felony criminal charges which have been filed against Williams. Along with dealing with this deplorable situation, this chapter has worked feverishly all year to move over 700 Greyhounds into loving homes. What makes this such a disturbing case is that all Williams needed to do was to turn responsibility for the Greyhounds in his kennel over to the GPA chapter that was right there in the kennel compound. The death of these Greyhounds and the terrible condition of the survivors was needless, and this individual should be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law," said Goree’.

According to the State of Florida's Web site, 3rd degree felonies, which include intentional animal cruelty, are punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and/or five years in prison. We encourage those who care about the welfare of Greyhounds to write letters to the prosecuting attorney's office at:

Mr. Glenn Hess, Florida State’s Attorney
14TH Judicial Circuit
421 Magnolia Ave.
Panama City, FL 32401

Erin Oliver
Office of the Washington County State’s Attorney
1293 Jackson Ave. #300A
P.O. Box 590
Chipley, FL. 32428

Please encourage them to aggressively pursue the prosecution and punishment of Williams to the maximum allowed by law and thus send a message to others that such neglect and abuse of animals will result in sure and swift justice, including the maximum jail time the law permits.

Greyhound Pets of America calls on the racing industry and the regulatory authorities in Florida to strictly and vigorously enforce the rules and regulations that put the welfare of racing Greyhounds at the forefront, and to adopt even more stringent oversight and inspections of all kennels, tracks and farms where racing Greyhounds live at any stage of their careers, including their post-racing lives, so that even the unexpected situation found in Williams' kennel can be discovered early and the Greyhounds can be removed from such conditions. The good people of racing will welcome this additional verification of their stewardship of the Greyhounds in their care, while those neglecting or abusing racing Greyhounds will be caught, punished and expelled from racing.

Those interested in helping financially can send donations to Greyhound Pets of America. Funds can be donated to the Greyhound Pets of America National Track Closure Fund or Florida Greyhound Fund. Go to www.greyhoundpets.orgto donate with Paypal using a credit card or your checking account. Checks or money orders should be made out to GPA and mailed to Vicki Phanco, GPA Nat. Treas., P.O. Box 40, Highlandville, MO 65669.

As always, Greyhounds closing out their racing careers need both foster homes as they make the transition from their working lives to their pet lives and adoptive homes to enjoy their wonderful companionable qualities for the rest of their lives. Thousands of families discover each year that former racing Greyhounds make great pets, and we urge those looking for their next pet to consider letting a Greyhound race into their lives!

Rory S. Goree’
President Greyhound Pets of America – National
602-510-6951
Pres@greyhoundpets.org
www.greyhoundpets.org

Happy Tails

What do all these names have in common?

Amali (Rest In Peace, sweet boy), Annie, Ashlee, Austin, Ava, Bella, Bella Ross, Bob, Cam, Carolina, Cayenne, Downtown, Ellie, Frenchie, Glory, Grace, Jerry, John, Katie, Layla, Leo, Lucky, Maggie, Matador, Nacho, Nightchill, Raider, Rocky, Sophie, Spiral, Steele, Tango, Tux, Yankee, Zoe

They are all greyhounds we have found homes for in 2010! Each one of these houndies was been given a special second chance at life as a retired housepet and they are all so special! If you adopted one of the above greyhounds, take a second and leave us a comment to tell us how they have touched your lives. It brings us so much joy to see these greyhounds "living the dream" with their new families!

Please take a moment to visit our Happy Tails page to see all the happy hounds we have placed so far this year! Here's to many more in 2010!

If you are interested in giving a greyhound their "dream life" in a forever home, please visit our adoptable hounds page at http://www.greyhoundpetsok.org/OurHounds.aspx - you never know, your new best friend might be waiting for you!

Spotlight on Rudy!

Rudy, or "MJ Spend a Buck" is a totally laid back 2-1/2 year old Red Male greyhound who loves everyone! He does great in the crate while his foster mom is at work, and he is great with kids and other dogs & cats. He is a big boy at 80 lbs with 26 races registered and is loving the retired life! He is so handsome and will race into your heart in an instant!

Rudy's Racing info

Prez Says - November

I know each of us have our own reasons for loving the greyhound breed, some reasons we may have in common, and some may differ; but the great thing is that each of us have a special place in our life to love and care for these dogs. When we talk to other people about greyhounds as pets we use very general statements like: "They rarely bark," "They hardly shed," or "They are lazy." And those aren't the reason why I love greyhounds, my reason for loving them is each one is so completely different. They are just like us, they each have their own little something special that makes them who they are. Each one can stand out in a crowd of greyhounds having that one thing that makes them special, and it is that one thing that will allow them find their forever home. So to all the greyhounds out there, each with their own uniqueness, I love each and every one of you and I wish you all to find a loving family and a comfy bed!

-Brad Whitley