Help the Hounds Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Greyhound Friends for Life

Etsy Shop Homemade4Hounds Benefits GFFL

Greyhound Friends for Life has been chosen as the featured group for fundraising in The Homemade4Hounds Etsy shop in February!

Homemade4Hounds is a nonprofit group of Greyhound owners and admirers with two primary goals: raising money to support Greyhound adoption and promoting the support of independent artists. It is a team of immense creative energy on a mission to invite people to open up their hearts and homes to this special breed of dog.

They raised $6,051.41 for greyhound rescue in 2013 and more than $23,000 since they first started H4H in May 2008. You can read more about them on the handmade4hounds blog (our blog.)

Please visit their store on Etsy and do your shopping for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Hanukkah, shopping now. You’ll find items there that are both beautiful and unique!

gffl_hound2017-08-23T14:27:12-07:00February 14th, 2017|Help the Hounds|

Volunteering

Our volunteers are the backbone of the organization; without them, we would not have an effective adoption group. Volunteering is an excellent way for new adopters to meet other people in the greyhound community, and there are opportunities for helping the dogs in many different ways. We hold outreach events in various areas in the Bay Area, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Carmel/Monterey/Santa Cruz areas and can always use more people to come out and talk with people about the breed. It’s a great time for your greyhound to hang out with other greyhounds! Even if you don’t have a dog that is social enough to attend Meet and Greets, you can help by coming out and talking with people and answering questions. Check out the website for Meet and Greets near you.

Every year there are several larger events that require a larger turnout of volunteers with their greyhounds because it is an all-day or multi-day event. We have booths at the San Carlos Art and Wine Festival, the Solano Stroll in Berkeley/Albany, Bark in the Park in San Jose, the Los Altos Pet Parade, the Human Race in Santa Rosa, the Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay, Woofstock in Rocklin, and the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show at the Cow Palace. At the annual reunion and picnic, we need people to help with the set up and take down, organize and run the games, cook the picnic lunches, bring condiments, drinks, etc.

Volunteers also foster dogs, work on our website, put together the newsletters and the annual GFFL calendar, take photographs of incoming dogs for the website and other postings, and transport dogs, whether to new homes, veterinary appointments, or meeting hauls and bringing dogs to Santa Rosa. All these areas of the organization can use extra pairs of hands and new ideas!

If you would like to volunteer, or have ideas for events, outreach locations, or other issues, please get in touch with your local representative or anyone on the board of directors. We’d love to hear from you!

“The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people [and animals]waiting for someone like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our encouragement, need our unique talents. Someone who lives a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give… It’s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.” [Leo Buscaglia]

bjudson2022-03-17T20:37:01-07:00July 1st, 2015|Volunteer|

B.E.S.T. Fund

In the early days of GFFL, between 1,500 and 2,000 greyhounds were fostered at Barbara Eineichner’s ranch in Gilroy. In addition to providing care for the dogs coming from the tracks, she was devoted to the older and special-needs greyhounds. Because of this, our Sanctuary Sponsor program was renamed B.E.S.T., the Barbara Eineichner Sighthound Trust program.

Once greyhounds get into the rescue system, most find a wonderful “forever” home with new adoptive parents. Others, however, may require special help and sanctuary from Greyhound Friends for Life’s (GFFL) BEST program.

GFFL makes a life-time commitment to all greyhounds that come into our organization. GFFL provides care for returned greyhounds as well as those from other situations where our intervention is needed. Unfortunately, some dogs are not easily adoptable because of advanced age or serious medical problems. Although the long-term foster dogs live in a home environment with their foster parents, expenses are paid by GFFL. At any given time, we may have between 12 and 18 dogs receiving some level of support from the program. In 2013, the BEST Fund provided over $15,000.00 in support of the long-term foster dogs in the program. As veterinary expenses mount year after year, so does our need for funds to support this program.

How can you help? Sign up to sponsor a long-term foster greyhound! The BEST program is an opportunity for GFFL friends who have room in their hearts, but not in their homes, to make a tremendous difference through sponsorship.

You can complete the form, select a payment plan, and mail the form and your check to the address on the form. For those who would prefer to use GFFL’s PayPal account, complete the sponsor form on-line and submit a PayPal payment.
These donations are tax deductible and go a long way to ensuring that every GFFL greyhound is guaranteed a home – for life.

bjudson2017-08-23T14:27:19-07:00February 19th, 2015|Donate|

Giving Back to Greyhound Friends for Life – Setting up a Living Trust

Giving Back to Greyhound Friends for Life – Setting up a Living Trust By Kathie Matsuyama

In August 2009, Paul and I were desperate. We drove 350 miles from Nipomo (on California’s Central Coast) to the Greyhound Friends for Life foster facility in Auburn, in search of a new addition to our greyhound family. We are seasoned greyhound rescuers and retired racer advocates of more than a dozen years. We had just lost a most unusual addition to our greyhound pack, an AKC champion greyhound, born in Australia, rescued from a most horrific situation, and given a forever home with the Matsuyama’s greyhounds. Paul and I were mourning the loss of Fallon, but even more, retired racer Bebe was missing her best friend. Immediate action was needed. In Auburn, Paul was especially drawn to the uber-playful, red brindle with the parrot nose and an amazing overbite, Trini Tortellini. We adopted her on sight and drove her 350 miles south to her new home on the Central Coast.

During her first two months, Trini ate her leather collar (except for the metal buckle and her dog tags) and she ingested a good portion of my expensive Dooney and Bourke briefcase! Goofy and funny, she grabs her entire dog bed with her teeth and shakes it when she’s excited. Trini stares directly and intently into your eyes when she wants to get your attention. Every morning, she eats a half a slice of avocado (I’m teaching her to roo “Avocado”!). Trini is a giggle a day, a snuggle in bed in the morning reading the paper with a cup of tea, the wet nose in the back of the knee to remind me we need to go for a walk ASAP, the face in the front window intently watching me pull weeds, and the loudest roo with Dad in the morning.

The immeasurable joy Trini Tortellini has brought to our lives, the ability of a dog to fill the seemingly inconsolable bottomless grief-hole after the loss of a very special dog, reminded us how special greyhound dogs have been in our lives. We are so grateful for the incredible work of Greyhound Friends for Life. So Paul and I took the simple step of providing for GFFL by naming Greyhound Friends for Life as a beneficiary in our living trust. Setting aside a portion of our estate for GFFL was easy. Ask your Financial Planner or Attorney how to do so. If you don’t have a will or a living trust, and you have loved ones, especially kids and/or greyhound dogs, please don’t gamble with their fates and your estate! Make it a priority and make an appointment today!

Paul says, “I feel fulfilled knowing we are helping support an organization that gave us this amazing dog. Setting aside a portion of our estate is the least we can do when they have given us the priceless gift of such a wonderful retired racing greyhound dog.”

We would like to encourage all adopters and friends of Greyhound Friends for Life to consider the simple act of giving back to this great organization by providing for GFFL in your will or living trust.

bjudson2015-02-17T19:06:05-08:00February 17th, 2015|Donate|

Foster Homes

So why do we need foster homes? There are at least three reasons. The primary reason is for dogs coming out of a home who need a new home. A second reason is that some of the really shy dogs need some help adjusting to the big world before they are ready to be adopted (although we do have a few adopters who love working with the shy dogs, they usually have a full house). A third reason is to make room for dogs coming in from the track.

Fostering may last for a few days or a few months. While we make every attempt to adopt dogs in foster homes quickly, it’s not something that we can predict. There are also long-term foster opportunities for special needs greyhounds (a senior or a greyhound with a medical issue).

Ideally, a foster home has one person at home most of the time or less than a full work day. But this is flexible, particularly for a returning dog that is used to being alone during much of the work day.
Room to crate or x-pen the foster dog at first while you are not home.
Your greyhound(s) and other dogs need to be tolerant of new dogs. All dogs must be up-to-date with their vaccines.
You can opt to pay for the foster’s food and miscellaneous expenses, or GFFL will provide food. GFFL will cover any veterinary costs and provide heartworm medication.
We’d like you to do some basic training – house training, basic manners – the same kind of things that you did with your greyhound when she joined your home.
The majority of the greyhounds that we bring in untested are not good with small animals. Because the cat-safe dogs are adopted more quickly (we usually have people waiting for them), we will need more homes that do not have cats and small dogs. But we will also need homes with cats or small dogs for the returns that have lived with small animals. It’s a way to prevent them from becoming NOT safe with small animals.
Last and most important, you must share your love.

Fostering may last for a few days or a few months. While we make every attempt to adopt dogs in foster homes quickly, it’s not something that we can predict. There are also long-term foster opportunities for special needs greyhounds (a senior or a greyhound with a medical issue).

What are the down sides of fostering? Probably the major one is having to give the dog to the new adopter, especially when you’ve had it for a long period of time. The good part is that you will have an opportunity to talk with a potential adopter and provide input regarding the match. This will also enable you to stay in touch with the new home and get photos and updates. We guarantee that fostering a greyhound will be one of the most rewarding things you’ve ever done!

If you are interested, please contact Marni Parmar sighthoundstudio@gmail.com 510-520-6030. Marni or one of our experienced fosters will talk to about your home set-up, your schedule, your family, your pets, and any special considerations. If you’re a fit, you’ll be added to our fostering list.

gffl_hound2022-05-06T16:26:55-07:00April 15th, 2014|Volunteer|

Links

Greyhounds.org

Greyhound Protection League

Grey2KUSA.org
Protecting Greyhounds Nationwide

Greyhound Gang

Greyhound Education, Advocacy, and Fundraising

DOG BOUTIQUES

Greyhounds, Duds 4 Buds™
Creature Comforts & Apparel for Canine Buddies
44345 31st St. West, Lancaster, CA 93536
Phone/Fax: (661) 951-1120

Hound Togs™
Coats Just for Sighthounds
1325 Howard Ave., Burlingame, CA 94010
Tel./Fax. (650) 343-2774

Nitro Dog™
For Selective Pets & Their People
61 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette, CA 94549
Phone: (925) 962-BARK Fax: (925) 962-WOOF

GREYHOUND ART, GIFTS, JEWELRY & APPAREL

Gabriele Bungard t, www.ipaintyourpet.net

Gabriele Bungardt is a Bay Area artist whose studio is located in Alameda, CA. She is well known throughout the Bay Area as well as throughout the United States and Europe for her contemporary portraits of our four-legged family members. She has created an extraordinary array of heartwarming images of our canine and feline companions. She is best known for her larger than life close-ups which focus on the animals eyes — whether they are wide and alert, or heavy-lidded, in the throes of slumber — we can see the souls of our best friends staring back at us. Currently, Gabriele shares her studio with her ex-racer Greyhound Poppyseed,

Terrier Mix Cocoa and Tabby Cat Mika.

Jo Lynch, www.whimzicals.com

Jo has always loved drawing, but did not work with it consistently until the early 90’s. It began then as so many things do, with a simple watercolor class one morning a week at an old school building. It grew quickly from there to learning a real love for the medium of watercolor. Since that first watercolor class, Jo has worked with watercolor, taken numerous workshops internationally in France, Holland, and Bermuda, as well as all over the Eastern United States. She currently donates a portion of her sales to help various animal charities and shelters, including GFFL, and works with one group in particular, Art 4 Critters , in which she is now a co-leader. Each year she donates some paintings and artwork to animal groups to sell during fundraisers. Look for her greyhound designs atwww.cafepress.com/whimzicals.

Ann Ranlett, www.annran.com, is an artist and illustrator specializing in nature drawings rendered in ink on scratchboard, watercolor, pencil and mixed media. She accepts commissions for pet and animal portraits and enjoys working with devoted owners and their beloved animals. Ann is also a photographer – looking for unique perspectives of the natural world.

Ann is a member of Art for Critters and donates part of the sales to animal rescue groups,

including GFFL.

Northcoast Greyhounds – A Fun-Draising Enterprise!

Northcoast Greyhounds’ product line has expanded to the ever-changing assortment of greytstuff you’ll see on the website pages, and has allowed us to contribute over $200,000 to greyt causes in 8 years time – all thanks to our customers, many of whom have become fast friends in the 10 years since Davie changed our lives! We hope you’ll bookmark this website and come back for guilt-free shopping when you need a gift or deserve a reward of your own. “If you don’t spend it with us, we can’t give it away!”

K-9 Design
Anything and everything you could ever imagine for sighthounds.

Bella Company
Dog, and cat, lovers gifts.

DOG TRAINING

MIRAMAR DOG TRAINING

Marian Pott

20+ years of experience training dogs, both pet and performance; also behavior issues including all manifestations of aggression, shyness. Positive reinforcement and motivational methods incorporating the 4 P’s: Patience, Perseverance, PRAISE, and Phun! Flexibility is essential – dogs are individuals and learn at different rates, with different techniques. Private lessons and behavior modification on an ongoing basis. Please call for more information and/or to pre-register for any session.Member APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce, ALFA (Another Life for Animals). HMB 4H Dog Project Leader. Email Marian at miramark9@comcast.net, call 650-712-1192, or visit her website atwww.MiramarDogTraining.vpweb.com.

Dr. Sarah Richardson (PhD, CPDT, CDBC), a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, leads a skilled, professional staff that is passionate about helping you with your dog. Dr. Sarah is a professional educator with over a decade of experience working with dogs of all breeds and behaviors. Canine Connection’s mission is simple: to help build fun, energetic, and lasting relationships between people and dogs. We love dogs! And, just as much, we love helping people discover ways to understand, communicate with, and appreciate their dogs. We use positive training methods, including clicker training, that make learning fast and motivating.

Mandy Kennedy’s Unleashed Dog Training & Behavior Center in El Dorado Hills provides professional dog training for dogs and their families. Our services provide training from basic obedience to advanced levels and includes a specialty in dealing with behavior issues like aggression, separation anxiety and fear… all with a positive approach. Group classes – Effective Dog Obedience Classes are a wonderful, affordable way to train your dog. Group classes are 6 weeks long, meeting once a week for an hour and are designed to teach you how to train your dog. Private lessons – Every dog is different and each family’s needs vary. Private training is tailored to meet the individual needs of you and your canine companion.

Mandy Kennedy is a Bay Area Native who has recently relocated to the El Dorado Hills/Folsom Area. She is a graduate of the University of California, Davis. Mandy has been teaching classes, conducting private lessons and consulting dog owners since 1992.

Peggy Lee’s Capable Canine and Handler Training offers mobile service to Davis, Dixon, Vacaville, Fairfield, Suisun City, and Winters. Capable Canine offers one-on-one; no force training for you and your dog. Many clients prefer private instruction. These days with life busier than ever and leisure time in short supply having a professional trainer come to you increases spare time for you. It affords the dog owner the convenience of having their dog trained during a time that fits into their busy schedule. Private training enables you and your dog to receive 100% of the trainers time and attention, which maximizes what can be accomplished in an hour of training.

King’s Kastle. With two convenient locations to serve you, King’s Kastle is a full-service dog care facility, specializing in canine rehabilitation, socialization, grooming, and people training. Our facilities are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Our service is state-of-the-art; we are a fully social, non-kennel facility, providing optimum supervision and social interaction for our canine guests. We are unlike any other boarding facility in the Bay Area, and pride ourselves with the service provided to your canine family members. Stop in and visit our two great locations!!

King’s Kastle, Cloverdale
1215 S. Cloverdale Blvd
(just off Hwy 101 in Cloverdale)
Phone: (707) 894-5785

King’s Kastle, Windsor
10342 Old Redwood Hwy
(at Arata Lane in Windsor)
Phone: (707) 838-2785

DOG AND PEOPLE TREATS

Bark Stix™ has pet supply store at 200 S. Garrard in Point Richmond! The store caries holistic kibble, canned dog and cat food, herbal and organic nutritional supplements, organic herbal skin care, training treats and chews, and local artisan-made cotton and hemp collars and leashes. Local artist pet portraits on are also display.

Bark Stix™donates 5% of profits made from Bark Stix dog treats to Greyhound Friends for Life, a non-profit, rescue and adoption agency for ex-racing greyhounds. Bark Stix™ are also available at all the best dog supply stores. Visit their website for a complete list of suppliers.

Grey Dog farm-crafted teas originated at Baia Nicchia Farm in Sunol, California and were inspired by their greyhounds. Only the finest ingredients, including the exceptional heirloom teas of Five Mountains, are used in our tea blends, which are available at select wineries, tea shops, and retail outlets. We produce both caffienated and uncaffienated blends. Grey Dog teas are unique San Francisco Bay Area products, and new ingredients and blends are continually being tested at Baia Nicchia where many of our novel tea ingredients are grown.

Fred and Jill, co-owners of Baia Nicchia Farm and adopters of Max and Bug the greyhounds and Jordy the whippet, are donating 5% of their share of the earnings to GFFL.

OTHER GREYHOUND ADOPTION GROUPS
	UTAH: Greyhound Gang
GREYHOUND RESOURCE INFORMATION
	Greyhound Connection Dedicated to connecting people who need information about ex-racing greyhounds with those who have it. Pet Meds