gffl_hound

2020 T-Shirt Design by Christian Robinson

Although we are not able to have our annual reunion this year, thanks to COVID 19, we still wanted to have a design to commemorate the year.  We are very, very fortunate that our adopter, Christian Robinson, agreed to come up with this year’s image.  Christian adopted his black greyhound, Baldwin, in October 2017.
Christian is a well-known, award-winning illustrator of children’s books and

It didn’t take Christian long to come up with the perfect image to capture 2020!  I know that we can all relate, and we hope that this brings a smile!

This image will be printed on the following long and short-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, and masks.

These items will be available for pre-order on the GFFL merchandise page (gfflstore.org) until August 20.  Delivery will be in mid-September.

2020 GFFL Apparel and Mask Design

Raffle Update

Congratulations to the Round 1 Raffle Winners!

Your winners of our winners of Raffle 1, which was held July 15 – 22.

 You raised $244 in raffle tickets and an additional $283 in merchandise sales (these will ship shortly also) for a total of $527 raised with 14 orders. Thank you everyone!

Round 2 Raffle

Raffle 2 runs from July 30 to August 6.
Buy your tickets at gfflstore.org

Check out these awesome items available in the raffle:

2021 Calendar Photo Call

Final call for calendar photos is Friday, August 7

If you have already sent in photos… NO need to send anymore. Thank you!

ALL PHOTOS MUST be sent to gfflcalendars@gmail.com
Send up to 2 or 3 of your favorites.

1- Your Hound (with Name & City)

2- Rainbow Bridge Hound (DOB and date of death)

3- Does your Hound have a non-hound sibling?  Chihuahua, Cat, Rat, Rabbit, Iguana, Snail, etc? You get the idea. Send us a photo of them napping, playing or just hanging out together.  Include your hound’s sibling’s name.

Please, NO people in any of the photos.

We will work to get the calendars completed for ordering by mid-September. Thank you!

On April 18, 2020, Jon, 72, reached the end of a valiant 16-year battle with myelofibrosis and then a debilitating stroke following the 2017 Tubbs fire.  Words cannot express our sadness on the loss of this good man.  He left his much-loved wife, Judy, two daughters Jennifer and Denise, two grandsons, Bowen and Hayden, and greyhounds Cici, Gracie, and Nigel.  Jon must have been lonely up in doggy heaven, because Nigel joined him about a month after his death.

Jon and Judy met their first greyhound at a GFFL Meet and Greet in Berkeley in 2009 and it was the beginning of Jon’s passion for this breed.  They adopted Leeta in 2009, Clair in 2010, Cici in 2012, Jaden in 2013, Gracie in 2015, and Nigel in 2017.  It will come as no surprise that more than one of these dogs was a foster fail!

When GFFL moved our dogs up to Windsor, we knew that there was a fairly large greyhound community in Sonoma County, some with GFFL dogs and some with Wine Country Dogs.  I remember coming up and meeting with Jon, Judy, and Ilene to plan the first GFFL entry in the Human Race.  I knew then that we would have great support for our dogs up here.

Jon was a tireless advocate for the dogs and it helped that he was retired and had the time, passion, and energy to devote to the group.  He loved doing the dog transports and Meet and Greets – both in Santa Rosa and frequently in Napa and Sonoma.  He also did most of the home visits in the Santa Rosa area and helped with many of the adoption meetings. He continued to attend the Meet and Greets in Santa Rosa even after he was wheelchair-bound.  He was also always on hand to welcome new dogs coming into the program.  One can only imagine his frustration in not being able to help more with the dogs, but he never, ever complained.  Although he tired more easily towards the end, he was always upbeat and cheerful.

Jon once told me that he was an introverted guy before getting involved in greyhound rescue and adoption.  But he was so enthusiastic about talking with people about the joys of adopting a greyhound that his shyness disappeared.  Everyone who met him is a witness to his loving kindness to both animals and people.  He is greatly missed.

In light of the “new” environment we find ourselves in we will be holding raffles online via our online store  www.gfflstore.org.  You can sort by category “raffle”.

As of July 15, there will be five items in the store for which you can purchase virtual raffle tickets.  Each ticket is $1.00.  You can purchase as many for each item that you want, then check out.  All items will be available for 1 week. On July 22, a name will be “pulled” at random.   Then, on July 30, we will have another five items for which you can purchase virtual tickets.  If these two raffles go well we will have new items on the 15th and 30th of each month.

Winners will be notified via phone or email.  If you are paying by check, the item will  be shipped when the check is received.  We will be working on other fundraising programs.  Stay well and safe and let’s raise some money!

Many of you may be spending more time at home because of the COVID-19 epidemic.  Now that more businesses are gradually opening up and people are going back to work, our dogs will be undergoing a change in routine.  This can lead to distress and anxiety when they are left alone even if they did not have issues before the “stay at home” orders.

The Los Angeles SPCA has a great article with some tips to start transitioning your dog to accept more alone time.

By Sara Taylor, CABI CPDT-KA, SPCA LA Director of Animal Behavior & Training

If you have already sent in photos… NO need to send anymore. Thank you!

ALL PHOTOS MUST be sent to gfflcalendars@gmail.com
Send up to 2 or 3 of your favorites.

1- Your Hound (with Name & City)

2- Rainbow Bridge Hound (DOB and date of death)

3- Does your Hound have a non-hound sibling?  Chihuahua, Cat, Rat, Rabbit, Iguana, Snail, etc? You get the idea. Send us a photo of them napping, playing or just hanging out together.  Include your hound’s sibling’s name.

Please, NO people in any of the photos.

We will work to get the calendars completed earlier this year. Thank you!

The fastest way to get your dog back home is to maximize the number of people looking for it.  This is why we ask adopters to notify us right away at 1-800-446-8637 when a dog gets loose.  We know that it’s instinct to immediately get in the car and drive around, looking for the dog.  But before you do this, let us know.  While you’re looking, we can put together a poster and organize volunteers to distribute them in the area.  We can also send these to the local shelters, veterinarians, and post on social media (Craigslist, PawBoost, local lost and found pet sites, Nextdoor, etc).

Ask people to not approach or call to the dog, but call the adopter.  The posters will also emphasize this.  Most dogs, even the ones who are confident, will be scared when they are in unfamiliar territory.  If approached by a stranger, they may run away, putting them in even greater danger.

If you are the adopter and you have eyes on your dog, first have other people, if around, back off, sit down, and turn their backs on the dog.  Second, try to bring your own energy level down.   It will also help if you have favorite treats with you.  Don’t rush up to the dog; don’t look directly at him; sit down sideways to the dog or lay down on your stomach or back and sing softly.  You can use words that are associated with fun things – “walk”, “treat”, “cookie”, etc.  Let the dog come up to you and then slowly put a leash on him.  Carry a slip lead with you, just in case the dog doesn’t have a collar.

Here are some additional tips from the Missing Animal Response Network, who specialize in capturing skittish, hard-to-catch dogs:  The problem with panicked dogs is that most rescuers call the dog to try and get the dog to come to them … big mistake!  Never call a stray dog. Don’t look at it, don’t pat your leg, clap your hands, and don’t walk towards the dog.  If the dog has a skittish temperament, typically he is in “fight or flight” mode and will be running in fear.

This is what’s going on.  The dog is running because people are looking at him, going towards him, calling him, and he is getting more and more afraid.  When you add an adopter (or a rescuer) into the mix who is panicked (and conveys that in their voice), it just freaks the dog out even more. What you want to do instead is use calming signals and try to do everything you can to calm and attract the dog. Lip licking, singing, yawning, feigning like you’re eating food off the ground are such signals.  Let the dog come up to you – it may take some time, so be patient.