Spotlight on The Boss!

More information on The Boss coming soon!

Pedigree Info

Emergency Foster Homes Needed!

Have you considered fostering a greyhound, but not sure you have the time to commit to fostering on a long term basis? Sign up as an emergency foster home to help us in a pinch!

We need volunteers who would be willing to open their home to a foster dog in an emergency, but wouldn’t need to continue fostering on a regular basis. Occasionally, we will have a situation where we need to place a foster home fast (greyhounds found in shelters, strays, owner-surrenders, etc.) and we may have already filled our empty foster spots with dogs from the farm or track and have no room to move the new dog into foster care.

As the racing industry continues to change and the economic climate leaves some people without employment, we see more greyhounds in shelters across the state and more families are making the difficult decision to return their greyhound to be adopted to a family with a more financially stable environment. We need to continue to be prepared for emergency situations and you can become a part of the solution. We pay for 100% of the costs associated with fostering and will provide all necessary supplies if you take a dog.

Emergency foster homes will have the option to relinquish the foster greyhound as soon as a regular foster spot opens up, or to continue to foster that specific dog until we are able to adopt the dog to a permanent home.

If you have adopted a greyhound from us in the past and are interested in signing up for the emergency foster list, please contact GreyhoundPetsOK@GreyhoundPetsOK.org for more information. If you have not adopted a greyhound in the past, please fill out an application at http://www.greyhoundpetsok.org/Application.aspx so we have all your information on file, just note that you are interested in being on the *emergency* foster home list. All requirements of adoptive families stay the same, including reading one of the books from our required reading lists and keeping your dog in a fenced enclosure or on leash at all times.

Important things to note are other pets in your household and their size, and any children and their age. We do our best to cat/small dog test all new incoming dogs but if we are in a time crunch we will call those without other small pets first, in the interest of safety.

We understand that fostering isn't for everyone, but the rewards far outweigh the effort and becoming an emergency foster home is a great way to pitch in without the long term commitment.

Thank you for continuing to be a valuable part of Hounds of the Heartland, we appreciate your support in our efforts to find a home for every hound in need!

Happy Easter!

from ALL our happy hoppy tails to you!

Olive

Daisy

Rosie

Luke

Frenchie

Lulu, Johnny & Reba

Rhett {currently adoptable!}

Ferghus

Calvin

Cami

Norman Petsmart Show & Tell tomorrow!

If you are in the Norman area between 12:00 - 2:00pm tomorrow, Saturday, April 23rd, stop by to meet our retired racing greyhounds and learn more about what greyt pets they make! We will be showing off our greyhounds at the Norman Petsmart at 660 Ed Noble Pkwy.

Our "adoptable of the day" will be Season, a handsome black greyhound who is looking for his forever home! Stop by to meet him and speak with Ri, one of our wonderful volunteers and foster moms!

We hope to see you there!

{click for more information about Season & all our adoptable hounds!}

Yogurt: A True Greyhound Treat!

As we all might know, Greyhounds are susceptible to upset tummies due to changes in diet and stress.  If you are a first time Greyhound owner, foster parent, or long-term volunteer and seasoned Greyhound owner you are aware of how sensitive a Greyhound's tummy can be.  Let's face it, there's always that embarrassing conversation that we've all had regarding the Big D and passing gas and why it can be so bad.  An upset in digestion is a sign that your greyhound has been under stress, a change in diet, or is simply having GI distress.

Little Stinker products found at cafepress.com

There are a few good home remedies that just might be of interest to anyone who owns a dog.  For those who own a greyhound or even volunteer for Hounds of the Heartland, much of this information is found in "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" by Lee Livingwood.

Great Yogurt & Pumpkin choices

• If your Greyhound is experiencing the big D, you can start him/her on a pumpkin diet.  Canned pumpkin is full of fiber that will help with mild diarrhea that isn't persistent.  Be sure that the canned pumpkin is not sweetened!
• For particularly bad gas, yogurt is a wonderful addition to your Greyhound's diet.  Just add 2 T. to your Greyhound's kibble once a day.  They will think it is a treat!

If your Greyhound is experiencing any kind of distress, always contact your veterinarian immediately.  These are just a few of the many tips to help with your Greyhound's upset tummy and not a cure-all.  Since our hounds are susceptible to GI distress, it is important for Greyhound owners and foster parents to have the things necessary to make them comfortable and live long, healthy lives.

Show us your fur-family!

Does your adopted greyhound LOVE your other pets? Are they partners in crime? Send us your pictures! E-mail them to GreyhoundPetsOK@GreyhoundPetsOK.org!

Bevo the Whippet and Frenchie the Greyhound

Burt loves his sister Sophia

Achilles & Horatio (can you guess who's in charge?)

Sadie & Ranger snuggle up for a quick nap

Daisy & Easy... what's wrong with this picture? ...nothing!

Help our friends at Edmond Animal Welfare!

Let's team up and help Edmond Animal Welfare! They have entered the ASPCA’s $100,000 challenge and are among 95 shelters vying for a slot in the contest. The Challenge results in more adoptions of shelter pets and provides funding for the shelter to promote adoptions and to make shelter pets ready for adoption (spay/neuter, vaccinations, etc.).

Edmond is the only shelter in Oklahoma that is competing. They’re up against competitors who are aggressive and organized, so Edmond is going to need our help—let’s show the ASPCA what Oklahoma can do for its pets!

The shelters are pared down to 50 through a voting process. Everyone can vote once a day. The most votes win. Once they become one of the fortunate 50, they then vie to become #1 through another voting process. This round of voting will be from April 4-15, with the final 50 contestants selected on April 18.

This would be a huge feather in Oklahoma’s cap and would greatly improve adoptions in Edmond. As one of our metro shelters, it’s critical that Edmond be supported.

PLEASE HELP EDMOND HELP THEIR SHELTER PETS!

Go to http://www.votetosavelives.org/ and rock out the vote for Edmond!

ASPCA $100K Challenge
www.VoteToSaveLives.org

Let’s put Oklahoma on the map for something really positive for the animals!

Feel Good Story

Don't you just love a feel good story about greyhound adoption? Read on!

http://www.mountainhomemag.com/issues/2011/apr11/body.pdf

LIVE on the Plaza - tonight!

Don't miss our kickoff of the 2011 Season of LIVE on the Plaza show & tells tonight from 7-10pm!

We will be set up on the corner of NW 16th & Blackwelder - grab a leash & lawn chair and lounge with us while we introduce people to the greyhounds! Bring your greyhound(s) or come alone, the Plaza District is very dog friendly and we have such a greyt time showing off our favorite dogs to the crowds!

Come see us tonight for the chance to meet Rhett, Delta & Emma - all currently adoptable greyhounds!

{via http://plazadistrict.wordpress.com/}
Get a jump on local spring festivities this month at LIVE on the Plaza. Our monthly event happens early this month, featuring a bevy of amazing shows, theater performances, dance classes, and gallery events on April 8, 2011. Some of our LIVE on the Plaza happenings will be geared toward Easter, especially our annual Easter egg hunt! Eggs are hidden throughout the main area of the district and they include prizes, coupons AND candy. The Easter egg hunt is for kids and adults, so bring the whole family. The Easter Bunny will be hopping through the district!

See you there!

To learn more about OKC's Historical Plaza District visit http://www.plazadistrict.org/

Spotlight on Ringo!

Ringo, or "Rovers Rattler,"  is a handsome 3-1/2 year old boy who gets along with everyone and loves to be right by your side. He is laid back and sweet, and crates easily. He even rides well in the car. You'll LOVE this boy from the moment you meet him!

Spotlight on Rhett

Rhett is a very sweet and loving young man who you can’t help but fall head over heels in love with. He is very small dog/cat safe and really gets along with every creature, big and small… he’s never met a stranger! He wags his tail when he's happy and his favorite time is when you come home in the evening. His second favorite thing is dinner time… he will sit like a good boy when he knows his meal is coming. Rhett is just one big ball of love. He will follow you from room to room and hang out on anything soft he can find. He loves meeting new people and new dogs. Rhett LOVES to go for car rides, and is very well behaved in the car. Rhett didn’t like to be crated so his foster family worked with him and he now gets the run of the house for up to 10 hours every day with no accidents. A typical greyhound, Rhett is a couch potato deluxe. He loves to snuggle himself up on a nice throw pillow and snooze the day away. If you’re looking for the perfect dog to watch movies or sports with, Rhett is your man. He’d even be content to curl up next to you while you enjoy a good book. Rhett is patiently waiting for his forever home…. he will make an excellent pet for a lucky family!





Rhett's foster dad thinks he looks like Ioric Byrnison, the polar bear from The Golden Compass. What do you think?

Prez Says - April 2011

Spring is in the air, well, a couple of days have already felt like full on summertime, but Spring is a great time of year for HOH. Greyhounds love this type of weather, not too hot, not too cold, and they seem to burst with energy when outside enjoying the nice weather. It is also a great time of year for our event schedule; we add two new seasonal reoccuring Show & Tell events to our calendar.

1st, we add Live On The Plaza. For those that have never been, this is a great outdoor community event. We are located in what the Plaza District calls ‘Rescue Corner,’ where local dog adoption groups educate the public about the breed they represent and show off their adoptable pets. It is a very relaxed event where we meet people, listen to music, and enjoy the happenings of the Plaza area. We all bring chairs, dog beds and just enjoy the evening.

The 2nd event is Farmer’s Market. This is also a great event for us. We show up early in the morning, enjoy some coffee, and meet some excellent people supporting local farmers. The market invites a Dog Adoption group out every weekend, so the people visting the Market can look forward to visting with the dogs and volunteers before or after they do their shopping. This event is also an outdoors event, with plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the morning.

Both of these events are excellent times to bring the greyhounds together and let them enjoy each others company as well as a great time to meet other greyhound owners and to advocate for greyhound adoption. If you have never been out to an event these two wonderful addtions are great oppruntunites to get invovled and help out our favorite breed.

-Brad Whitley

Welcome Rhett & Ringo!

Rhett & Ringo were left in the parking lot of the Stephens County Humane Society in Duncan, OK. Someone decided it would be better to leave them in their parking lot rather than call an adoption group to come get them. Luckily, they didn't run off and were still there when they opened the shelter that morning. They even had a little female greyhound with them that our friends at Fasthound are fostering.

Rhett & Ringo are currently at the vet getting a little TLC in addition to our regular vetting (Neuter, Teeth Cleaning, Vaccinations, Nails Trimmed, etc.) and then they will be off to their foster homes!

We would like to send a HUGE thank you over to the folks at the Stephens County Humane Society for taking these 3 greyhounds in and caring for them until we were able to come pick them up. Not only did they give them shelter, food & water, they also tested them for heartworm & internal parasites, gave them a couple vaccinations and treated them with K9 Advantix. That is not typical in a shelter these days and they really went above and beyond for these kids. THANK YOU!



Rhett (L)  & Ringo (R) on their way home. {muzzles for car riding safety}

 Rhett, 3 years old, seems to be the big baby of the pair, he is very quiet but wags his tail like mad when he's happy. He seems very loving and wants to be right by your side. Ringo, 3.5 years old, is Mr. Personality and LOVES everyone. He is a happy boy with a big smile on his face at all times.

Check back for more pictures and personality info on Rhett & Ringo!

Spotlight on Emma(2)!

Emma, or "Sl Emma," is a very sweet 5 year old girl who loves to be petted and just wants to be where you are. She seems to get along with everyone and would love to live with a family who will love her forever. She is smaller dog safe and gets along with other dogs her size really well. She would be fine as an only pet or with playmates.

Outstanding Volunteers

Our volunteers and foster homes are the driving force behind everything we do. Being a 100% volunteer-run group, we would not be able to operate without the generosity of those that come out to events and answer questions, provide transportation for the foster dogs, and open their home to greyhounds in need of temporary housing while we find them permanent forever homes.

We'd like to thank & congratulate 2 of our volunteers who have gone above and beyond for us over the past year.

Outstanding Foster Home

Ri Teref-Ta

Ri has now been fostering for Hounds of the Heartland for over 1-1/2 years. Throughout that time she has fostered numerous greyhounds and run our Norman Petsmart Show & Tell event. We have never met someone so kind, generous and flexible as Ri. She and her 2 children are such unbelievable ambassadors for retired racing greyhounds and have never once complained about anything.

Ri has been a shoulder to cry on, a rock through tough times and a leader when we needed one most. Through good times and bad, Ri has been the most thoughtful, helpful & understanding volunteer we have ever met.

We truly can't thank Ri enough for her undying commitment to our goal of finding homes for all retired racing greyhounds in need. If you ever have the chance to stop by the Norman Petsmart Show & Tell event (4th Saturday from 12:00-2:00pm), please do, and thank Ri for all she has done, is doing, and will continue to do for Hounds of the Heartland and the retired greyhound community!

Thank you, Ri!

Outstanding Volunteer

Jane Pace

We will never forget the day Jane Pace showed up in our lives. She came to Petsmart to meet Ebony, who would end up being her first adopted greyhound. She & Ebony began coming to our events and spreading the word about what great pets greyhounds make. We can't remember a time when Jane wasn't at an event! Eventually she decided it was time to try fostering. She even made it to her second foster dog, Downtown, before she failed & adopted him! 3 adopted greyhounds later, she still fosters for us and does a great job at it!

Jane wears so many hats in the HOH organization. She hosts the OSU-OKC Farmers' Market event, helps with LIVE on the Plaza, comes to all the other events and even fosters for us at the same time. Jane even bought an industrial sewing machine so she could save us all money and make high quality, fashionable martingale collars for our hounds at extremely reasonable prices. If you've seen one of our greyhounds in a fashion-forward martingale collar, you can bet Jane made it!

We are so lucky to have Jane & can't thank her enough for all she does for our organization. Next time you see us at an event, ask for Jane and please thank her for her commitment to the cause. Be sure to stop by the OSU-OKC Farmers' Market on the last Saturday of every month from 8:00-10:00am to see Jane and her foster dog!

Thank you, Jane!

Seasonal Events are back!

LIVE on the Plaza
2nd Friday of each month through October
LIVE on the Plaza is a monthly artwalk held on the 2nd Friday of each month in OKC's Historical Plaza District from 7:00 - 10:00 PM. We have a table set up directly off 16th street on the corner of Blackwelder. Come enjoy the evening and bring your greyhound with you!

OSU-OKC Farmers' Market
Last Saturday of each month through October
Come see us the LAST Saturday of every month from 8:00 - 10:00 AM outside of the Southwest entrance of the Horticulture Pavilion located at 400 N. Portland Ave. in OKC. Bring out your own greyhounds or volunteer to bring a foster greyhound.

*Notice* We will be postponing our 3rd Saturday event at the 63rd & May Petsmart due to adding the 2 above seasonal Show & Tell events. Keep checking our Event Calendar for the most up to date Show & Tell schedule. We plan on starting this event back up in the late Fall.

2011 Spring Fling: Mark Your Calendars!

Saturday, April 30th
2:00 - 5:00pm
8000 Tammy Circle, OKC
Click here for a map!

The Spring Fling is a fun time to get together with other greyhound owners and foster families, compare notes and brag a little! Dr. Jim Lee, DVM will be our guest speaker--speaking about greyhounds, of course!

There will be a raffle, a drawing for door prizes AND a supervised dog run! Bring yourself, blankets or lawn chair, greyhound(s) [if applicable!]

Please RSVP to greytdogs71@yahoo.com for a people & paw count!

Poisonous Plants

Spring is here! If you are mapping out your landscaping plan for your home, keep your fur kiddos in mind and keep poisonous plants out of reach to avoid any ingestion.

Below is ASPCA's list of common garden & household plants that are known to be poisonous to dogs:

Bulbs: Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, Daffodil, Day Lily, Elephant Ears, Gladiolas, Hyacinth, Iris, Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Orange Day Lily, Tulip

Ferns: Aparagus Fern, Australian Nut, Emerald Feather (aka Emerald Fern), Emerald Fern (aka Emerald Feather), Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern

Flowering Plants: Cyclamen, Hydrangea, Kalanchoe, Poinsettia
Garden Perennials: Charming Diffenbachia, Christmas Rose, Flamingo Plant, Foxglove, Marijuana, Morning Glory, Nightshade, Onion, Tomato Plant, Tropic Snow Dumbcane

House Plants: Ceriman (aka Cutleaf Philodendron), Chinese Evergreen, Cordatum, Corn Plant (aka Cornstalk Plant), Cutleaf Philodendron (aka Ceriman), Devil's Ivy, Dumb Cane, Golden Pothos, Green Gold Nephthysis, Marble Queen, Mauna Loa Peace Lily, Nephthytis, Peace Lily, Red-Margined Dracaena, Striped Dracaena, Taro Vine, Warneckei Dracaena

Lillies: Asian Lily (liliaceae), Easter Lily, Glory Lily, Japanese Show Lily, Red Lily, Rubrum Lily, Stargazer Lily, Tiger Lily, Wood Lily

Shrubs: Cycads, Heavenly Bamboo, Holly, Jerusalem Cherry, Mistletoe "American", Oleander, Precatory Bean, Rhododendron, Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Tree Philodendron, Yucca

Succulents: Aloe (Aloe Vera)

Trees: Avocado, Buddist Pine, Chinaberry Tree, Japanese Yew (aka Yew), Lacy Tree, Macadamia Nut, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Queensland Nut, Schefflera, Yew (aka Japanese Yew)

Vines: Branching Ivy, English Ivy, European Bittersweet, Glacier Ivy, Hahn's self branching English Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy

Misc/Uncategorized: American Bittersweet, Andromeda Japonica, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Buckeye, Caladium hortulanum, Calla Lily, Castor Bean, Clematis, Fiddle-Leaf Philodendron, Florida Beauty, Fruit Salad Plant, Golden Dieffenbachia, Gold Dust Dracaena, Heartleaf Philodendron, Horsehead Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, Mother-in-law, Panda, Philodendron Pertusum, Red Emerald, Red Princess, Ribbon Plant, Satin Pothos, Spotted Dumb Cane, Sweetheart Ivy, Swiss Cheese Plant, Variable Dieffenbachia, Variegated Philodendron, Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow

Paws Around Town - Show & Tell tomorrow!

Stop by Paws Around Town (Northpark Mall) tomorrow between 12:00 - 3:00pm to meet our adoptable greyhounds and learn about what greyt pets they make!

Northpark Mall is located on the Southeast corner of NW 122nd & N. May Ave. in OKC.

See you there!