May Greyhound Walk

 

When: May 5th, Sunday, @ 12:00 PM Where: Mount Pisgah Arboretum 34901 Frank Parrish Rd. Eugene, OR 97405 Meet at noon near the lower entrance, close to the restrooms. Be sure to wear shoes that can get muddy. We'll walk rain or shine.   Parking Fee: There is no entry fee to the Arboretum, however Lane County Parks does require a $5 parking fee  for every vehicle (bicycles park free). If you don't have an annual pass for Lane County Parks, you can purchase a day pass via a fee machine at the top of the parking lot.   For more information on Mount Pisgah: https://mountpisgaharboretum.org/

Rainbow Bridge: Wolfgang

 

Wolfgang Loved by PJ Rohr and Peter Dominowski of Springfield, Oregon June 27, 2012 – March 3, 2024   We mourn the loss of our beloved family member Wolfgang. He was fine when we departed for Africa in mid-February, but began showing signs of a severe illness on the day of our return. His symptoms did not subside so he spent the last two days of his amazing life in an animal hospital, where he was treated and tested until it was determined that his lymphoma would not allow any further quality time.   Wolfgang had two lives; for his first four years, he was a racing greyhound in Arkansas (racing name Ahridgeuhnull). He came in first place 20 of his 102 races and finished second, third, & fourth another 27 times, the most successful of his litter-mates. When he was retired at four and a half, I adopted him for his second life, that of a family member. I lovingly remember the day I met him on June 3, 2017: he was brought to my house -- I opened the door and there he was, staring up at me with those big brown eyes, and my heart melted. We had an incredibly strong bond; however, I think Wolfgang rescued me more than I rescued him. Adopting him was one of the best decisions I ever made – he was there for me through thick and thin.   Wolfgang was a unique dog - very calm; he rarely barked, never licked or jumped up. He showed affection by leaning against you, or by offering his paw to be held. He was loved by everyone he met. We even named our chamber trio after him!   Peter and I loved him dearly and were with him at the end. He was such an incredible being that he deserves an obituary; this is a modest attempt to put into a few words a summation of his life, and a recognition of all the good he did and love he spread in this world.   PJ Rohr & Peter Dominowski

April Birthdays!

 Hudson

April 1st

Happy 7th Birthday!

Larry

April 11th

Happy 10th Birthday!

Fae

April 18th

Happy 5th Birthday!

March Birthday

 Falcon

March 7th 

Happy 5th Birthday!

March Greyhound Walk

 

When: March 17th, Sunday, @ noon Where: Eastgate Woodlands                   1387 Aspen St. (@ Walnut St.)                   Springfield, Oregon                   97477 Let's meet in the parking lot close to Heron Park Playground at the  intersection of Aspen and Walnut Streets. Eastgate Woodlands is part of the Whilamut Natural Area,  extending west to Eugene and Alton Baker Park. Pre's Running  Trail, the Dellinger Trail, and the Ruth Bascom Riverbank  Trail also pass through Eastgate Woodlands. Heron Park and a  designated parking lot are located on Aspen Street. See You There!

Greyhound Walk February 2024

Rainbow Bridge: Ranger

Ranger

December 15, 2015 - February 16, 2024

Loved by Jerry Finnegan of Eugene, Oregon

I adopted Ranger in mid September. He was a re-homed older dog: a happy, energetic, extroverted goofball. Ranger was also a velcro dog--always had to have me in his sight. He was diagnosed with bone cancer January 9, 2024. He will be dearly and greatly missed.

Jerry

Willamette Week: Lawmakers Grapple With Oregon’s Enabling Animal Cruelty in Greyhound Racing

 

A lot of animals get hurt, a new report shows, and Oregon makes peanuts while enabling a massive amount of betting.

By Nigel Jaquiss

February 14, 2024 at 6:35 am PST

Two years after then-Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) thought he’d ended betting on greyhound racing in Oregon, the House Committee on Gambling Regulation is still trying to make that goal a reality.

As WW has reported, a tiny state agency, the Oregon Racing Commission, facilitates the vast majority of online wagering on horses and greyhounds in the U.S.—and that includes betting at dozens of tracks overseas. Despite booking $6.6 billion in bets in 2023, however, the companies in the online animal betting business paid Oregon only a few million dollars last year (“Track Addicts,” WW, May 17, 2023).

The bill Courtney passed in 2021 left some unresolved ambiguity—about who could bet where—that lawmakers and the Oregon Department of Justice have since worked to resolve. On Feb. 6, the gambling committee chair, Rep. John Lively (D-Springfield), said he still had a simple goal with House Bill 4051: “We are trying to resolve once and for all greyhound racing in Oregon.”

To provide context, Lively’s committee published the first-ever version of a document Courtney and Rep. David Gomberg (D-Otis) demanded: a racing commission review of animal safety and state revenues from greyhounds.

Here’s what the state report found:

$86,733,691

That’s the amount of money that bettors from all over the country wagered in 2023 on greyhounds through the Oregon Racing Commission, via “advance-deposit wagering,” a form of internet gambling that Oregon pioneered in the 1990s to prop up horse and greyhound tracks in the state. (It failed: The state’s last dog track, Multnomah Greyhound Park, closed 20 years ago, and its biggest horse track, Portland Meadows, folded in 2019.)

$72,548

That’s the total amount of revenue the state of Oregon reaped in 2023 from greyhound betting. That total includes not only ADW betting over the internet, but also a share of the bets made at 10 off-track betting parlors located around the state. Off-track betting operators testified last week they’d suffer terribly if the state bans betting on greyhounds. “The proposed legislation threatens the livelihood of our business,” testified Brian Sarchi, who runs New Portland Meadows, a card room and OTB bar on North Lombard Street. “Dog racing serves as a form of entertainment for our patrons, many of whom are senior citizens. For them, it is not merely about placing bets on races; it is a cherished outlet for social interaction, enjoyment and a sense of community.”

10,542

That’s the number of documented canine injuries in 2023 at greyhound tracks where Oregon facilitated bets. Of that number, only 555 took place in the U.S. That’s because only one state—West Virginia—still hosts greyhound racing. The fact that so many states have banned the sport hasn’t stopped Oregon from doing its best to keep the sport alive globally. Carey Theil, a former Oregonian who now heads Grey2K, a Massachusetts-based group that advocates for the end of dog racing, says listening to advocates for betting on animals imploring lawmakers last week to preserve Oregon’s dominant position in greyhound betting was dispiriting. “It was bizarre to listen to all this testimony about how important Oregon is to the greyhound industry,” Theil says. “Yet it brings in almost no money to the state, while propping up a cruel industry that injured more than 10,000 dogs last year.”

Nigel Jaquiss

News reporter Nigel Jaquiss joined Willamette Week in 1998. He covers politics.

February Greyhound Walk

 

Where: Maurie Jacobs Park in Eugene
When: Sunday, February 18th @ 11:30AM

Due to January's ice storm, many hiking trails and parks are still littered with fallen limbs and downed trees and are rather mucky. Mt. Pisgah, the planned site for last month’s (canceled) walk, sadly sustained extreme damage and is closed for the indefinite future.

Let’s keep our feet dry and meet up at Maurie Jacobs Park. Parking and meeting are convenient at the end of Fir Lane off of River Rd. We'll walk on the paved Ruth Bascom Riverbank  (pedestrian/bike) Path.

https://www.eugene-or.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Maurie-Jacobs-Park-114

Viva Recalls Duck Recipes Due to Potential Salmonella, Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination

 

January 27, 2024 – One lot of Viva Duck for Dogs (Ground), Viva Duck for Dogs (Chunked), Viva Duck for Cats and Viva Pure Duck (for cats and dogs) has been recalled due to potential Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

What was recalled?

The lot under recall is Lot 22853. The product is distributed as frozen 1lb bricks in clear vacuum packaging. Please see the example of product labels.

Viva started shipping this lot out on 10/24/23 and the last units were distributed on 12/06/23.

The FDA obtained and tested samples of Viva Duck for Dogs (Chunked) Lot 22853 after a consumer complaint and found that the samples were positive for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes.

Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

What to do?

Please check your freezer for any remaining products of Lot 22853. If you still have products from the lot, Viva is asking customers to complete this response form and they will reach out to you to provide a refund for any remaining product — you can then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access.

Make sure you do not touch the contaminated food product with your bare hands. While wearing gloves or using paper towels, place the contaminated food in a sealed plastic bag and throw it in the garbage. Then you will need to sanitize your kitchen and any other area that may have come in contact with the contaminated product. Do not sell or donate the recalled products. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Company statement

“The health of your pet has always been Viva’s #1 priority and we have always been committed to making safe and transparent pet food. We started this company to change the industry and make the best pet food available. From choosing to manufacture in a USDA facility & sourcing 100% human-grade ingredients, we are committed to going above and beyond.

“We have conducted a detailed root-cause analysis in our USDA facility to ensure we continue to exceed the highest industry food safety standards & will continue to push the boundaries for how safe, fresh pet food is made.

“If you have any questions regarding this notice, feel free to email us at info@vivarawpets.com or call/text us at (919) 371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday.”

Rainbow Bridge - Simon

 

Simon

May 10, 2016 - January 15, 2024

Loved by Gerry & Maureen Frank of Corvallis along with pretty much the entire City Of Corvallis.  Simon was an exquisite GPA-NW Ambassadog.

Simon, my best friend, my camping buddy, my constant companion, my quirky boy, passed over the Rainbow Bridge on Monday January 15th, 2024.

Simon made his way to me via a GPA-NW hand off at a Rest Area on I-5. As soon as he was outside the vehicle some motorcycles came roaring through the rest stop. Since that day whenever he heard a motorcycle he would look for it.

Simon loved everyone. His favorite activity was going for coffee, because he knew we'd sit outside and he would be pet by everyone! If I even said the word "coffee" his head would pop up. When my phone would announce "A message from Barry and Bo" he would hop up ready to go meet with his best bud Bo the Greyhound and his owner Barry. Simon had many friends in the neighborhood because he was always stopping to say hello to anyone that would walk by. He also loved camping on the Oregon Coast, visiting with the other campers and at the end of the day, settling down on the beach to watch the sunset. 

- Gerry Frank

Rest In Peace, Simon

Simon & Maureen

Simon @ 15 Months

 

When I Am Old

 

When I am old...

I will wear soft gray sweatshirts...
and a bandana over my silver hair...
and I will spend my social security checks on wine and my dogs.

I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair and listen to my dogs breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow...

When people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs...
and talk of them and about them... the ones so beloved of the past
and the ones so beloved of today...

I will still work hard cleaning after them, mopping and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft loving way.

I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel, and I will be an embarrassment to all... especially my family... who have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your best friends...

These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall... and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to greet you as if you are a god, with warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will always stay,

I'll hug their big strong necks...
I'll kiss their dear sweet heads...
and whisper in their very special company....

I look in the mirror... and see I am getting old....
this is the kind of person I am...
and have always been.

Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me.

Please accept me for who I am.
My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives...
they love my presence in their lives...

When I am old this will be important to me... you will understand when you are old,
if you have dogs to love too.

-- author unknown

The Truth About Grain-Free Dog Food: Insights from a Nutrition Expert

The phrase ‘grain-free’ has become one of the most confusing and debated in the world of dog food in recent years. It was and is often seen as a positive — many nutritionists warn against high levels of grains in dog food.

However, in recent years, a growing concern has emerged regarding the potential connection between canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs’ diets — with ‘grain-free’ foods framed by some as the problem.

As a result, pet parents, believing they are offering their furry companions the best nutrition, find themselves troubled by the notion that their diet could be linked to such a serious disease.

While DCM has various causes, including genetics, medications, and infections, it’s crucial to note there’s no scientific evidence definitively linking grain-free or grain-inclusive diets to DCM.

This, however, has not eased the concern or confusion among many pet parents. Not least because people confuse food advertised as ‘grain-free’ — which often has grain substitutes — with food that simply has no grains in it, such as raw dog food.

Continue reading here...

Rainbow Bridge: Bailey

 Bailey

December 15th, 2010 - December 2023

I am sorry to announce that my beloved Bailey (aka "Luna" to her first adopters, "Gable Becketts" in her racing career) has passed away. Bailey was almost 13 years old, she loved food, belly-rubs, a morning walk around the property, & did an outstanding "dinner dance" on schedule every night at the appointed hour. I was her second adopter, as she had a bad habit of biting visitors & had taken nips at neighborhood children in her first placement. It took about 2 years for her not to feel threatened by people coming to the house, but she finally learned to welcome guests graciously. She liked to sleep on her back, & I will miss seeing those ridiculous long legs waving in the air like some demented Rockette. I like to think of her running among the clouds and winning races once again, as she did in her younger days & lately in her dreams. Good-bye, sweet girl, I will never forget you.

Peggy King

Rainbow Bridge: Buddy

 Buddy

For Buddy:

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

– Winnie The Pooh

Rest in Peace our sweet Buddy. Buddy was diagnosed with bone cancer in November 2023. He passed away suddenly from a blood clot after surgery on December 21st.  While we had expected to have more time with him, no time would have been long enough.  There was no greater companion, and no better friend. He brought so much joy, laughter and sweetness to our lives. His presence is deeply missed.
 

❤ We love you, Buddy.

George, Sylvia, and Kate

Rainbow Bridge: Gibson

 Gibson (B's Flyin' Jessie)

January 4, 2011 - December 2, 2023

Loved by Sheila Hart

Happy New Year!