Greyt Happenings For Willamette Valley Greyhound Lovers - July, 2017 Issue

The July, 2017 issue of Greyt Happenings For Willamette Valley Greyhound Lovers can be downloaded here.  It's now a fast downloading, easy-to-read .pdf file.  Enjoy!

Greyhounds, Fireworks & Thunderstorms

Helping your Greyhound Stay Calm during

Fireworks & Thunderous Weather

From the perspective of many greyhounds (and other dogs), summer is the scariest part of the year. Is it summer heat, biting gnats or the specter of a family leaving on vacation that worries them? No, it’s noisy fireworks displays and summer storms (with the accompanying thunder and lightning) that turn some normally placid greyhounds into desperately panicked pooches.

More dogs are reported missing during the summer than in any other season, due in large part to the terror induced even by storms of short duration. And the week following the Fourth of July is the busiest week of the year in animal shelters across the nation. All it takes is a shrieking rocket, a few peals of thunder or a crack or two of lightning and suddenly that fence that has always been tall enough is no more than a low hurdle for your running, frightened pet.

Fourth of July:

* Be sure your greyhound always wears a full set of identification tags: GPA’s tag, pet’s name/home phone tag, and your county/city licenses.

* Stay home with your pet – your reassuring presence might prevent panic. If you can’t be there, leave your dog in an indoor area where he can neither escape nor be injured if he panics. If he feels secure in his crate, use it. Leave the light on in the room. Keep the radio on or music to mask the sound. Close up the house.

* Reassure your dog in a calm voice; avoid having

other family members respond in an excited or frightened manner.

* Some dogs can be distracted from the noise by

playing a game of indoor ball or tug-of-war with

you – if your dog has trouble paying attention to

you due to the outside noise, don’t insist.

* Talk to your veterinarian about medication to help your greyhound get through the storm season and the Fourth of July.

* Don’t take your dog to fireworks displays, even if you feel you will be a distance from the firing site

or plan to stay in your car. From the dog’s perspective, he might as well be sitting next to the firing range.

Thunderstorms:

* Check you gates and fences prior to letting your dog out. Blown down fences and gates are the primary way dogs are lost during these storms. * Remain calm yourself – your agitation will only increase your dog’s level of fear. Giving your dog a slow comforting massage using long strokes might help you both get through it.

* Desensitize your dog using a recording of a thunderstorm. Start by playing the recording frequently at very low volume (almost out of hearing for you) while you are home. Interact calmly with your dog every time you play the recording. Over time, raise the volume slowly to more realistic levels. Then play the recording when you are out of the house for short periods, eventually working up to longer absences. Eventually, the noise of a real storm should be just normal background noise for your pooch. (This works well for other scary sounds as well, i.e. trash trucks and crashing trash cans.)

* Investigate the StormDefender Cape® (www.stormdefender.com). Many dog owners report remarkable success using this product to calm thunder-phobic dogs.

* We use the poor man’s version, which also seems to help a little bit -- a t-shirt, tightened around Pearl’s body by rubber-banding the loose part up above her haunches. We start using this well in advance of July 4, so she acclimates to it, without associating it directly with the explosions.

NOTE: D.A.P. (dog appeasing pheromones) diffusers have been used with some success to calm anxious dogs whether the anxiety is situational, such as fireworks phobias, or general/non-specific. Many dogs are comforted by this pheromone, which is similar to that secreted by a nursing bitch to calm and comfort her puppies. Diffusers must be used over a period of time to be effective. One commonly available D.A.P. diffuser is marketed as Comfort Zone™ by Farnam Pet Products.

Reprinted with the permission of Fast Friends Greyhound Adoption

A Special September 17th Greyhound Walk in Memory of Mary Lou Finigan

A Special September 17th Greyhound Walk in Memory of Mary Lou Finigan.

Of course each of our WVGL monthly greyhound walks is a special occasion, but make time today for this special walk:

What: The Willamette Valley Walk to Defeat ALS (as “Mary Lou’s Greyhound Roos” team!)

When: Sunday, September 17th

Where: The River Bend Annex, Springfield, OR

Who: You and your favorite grey(s).

We are encouraged to bring our greyhounds (along with leash and pooper scooper), so we can get in a greyt walk, while we walk for this greyt cause! To learn more, visit our “Mary Lou’s Greyhound Roos” team page. To register your interest in attending, click on JOIN TEAM. Even if you can’t make it to the event, you can be a virtual sponsor, or just help spread the news.

Rawhide Dog Chews Recall Expands to Include More Brands

June 19, 2017 — United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, Inc., is voluntarily expanding its recall of multiple rawhide dog chew products to include private label brands.

The recall was initiated due to possible chemical contamination and includes the affected brands and products below.

July Walk #1: All American, Fabulous, Fantastic, Anyone-Can-Join Fourth of July Parade – July 4th in Corvallis

Once again it’s time for the All-American, Fabulous, Fantastic, Anyone-Can-Join Fourth of July Parade, which starts 10:00 a.m. and originates at Central Park in downtown Corvallis….on Tuesday, July 4th, of course!

All greyhounds/sight hounds and their families are invited to assemble at 9:30 a.m. at the Corvallis Arts Center, located in Central Park  in downtown Corvallis (the same location as previous years). If tradition continues, the route will proceed east along Monroe Avenue from Eighth Street to First Street, then south along First Street to Adams Avenue, then west one block to Second Street, where it continues south to the skate park. This year, those of us with dogs are asked to line up behind those not walking their pets.

Bring water for your pooches, dress ’em up in red, white & blue and be prepared for lots of “ooooohs” and “ahhhhs” as we walk the parade route. Dashes to the sidelines for lots of pets and hugs (for the greys, of course!) are encouraged!

The parade takes about 30-45 minutes to complete.

Those of you who have taken part in this parade in past years know how much fun this parade can be, as the Greyhounds have been one of the most popular participants!

This is a GREYT opportunity to promote Greyhound adoption and share the joy of having a Greyhound as a member of the family.

If you have questions about the parade, feel free to email me at greyhoundude@comcast.net

See you there!

Barry Bottger

Corvallis Arts Center location/map: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/”/corvallis+arts+center/@44.5642435,-123.3360849,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x54c040eab24d4a25:0x2d1a6f7c1dcb752a!2m2!1d-123.2660451!2d44.5642649?hl=en

Washington Post: Greyhound races are a thing of the past. Here’s why Florida still hasn’t learned that.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — During the third race on a recent sweltering Sunday at the Palm Beach Kennel Club, a sleek black greyhound named Atascocita Laden broke from the pack early in the 545-yard course and sprinted to a decisive victory. There was no thing overly surprising about the result: Atascocita Laden was a favorite, and the tip sheets had him picked to finish in the money.

For some Americans, though, it may be surprising that greyhound racing still exists.

Continue reading here

Dog Treat Recall

Dear Fellow Dog Lover,

Loving Pets of Cranbury, NJ, is voluntarily recalling limited lots of multiple brands of dog treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. 

To learn which products are affected, please visit the following link:

Loving Pets Dog Treats Recall of June 2017

Please be sure to share the news of this important recall event with other pet owners.

United Pet Group, a Division of Spectrum Brands, Inc Recalls Multiple Brands of Rawhide Chews

United Pet Group Recalls Multiple Brands of Rawhide Chews

June 10, 2017 — United Pet Group, a division of Spectrum Brands, Inc., is voluntarily recalling multiple brands of rawhide dog chew products due to chemical contamination.

Continue reading here

Corvallis "Meet A Retired Racer" Adoption Event - Saturday, June 17th - Animal Crackers Pet Supply

Hi folks!  Greyhound Pet Adoption-Northwest will be at Animal Crackers Pet Supply in Corvallis on Saturday, June 17th, from 11AM-1PM along with some wonderful retired racing Greyhounds for you to meet.

Representatives from GPA-NW will be on hand to answer questions about Greyhounds and/or Greyhound adoption.

Stop by, meet the pooches and say hi to their people!

Animal Crackers Pet Supply is located at 949 NW Kings Blvd in Corvallis.