As we celebrate our one year birthday this week, things couldn't be busier.  We've had five adoptions, thus far, in January and may have 1-2 more before the month is over.  While adoptions and moving dogs are part of our daily life, this week has proven to be quite challenging.

We were asked to take a prison pup for another group who basically had no where to go as she hadn't been adopted yet.  Heather had offered to bring her up with her Thursday evening, however, this evening was already overbooked for me since I have an adoption scheduled (for Tessa) plus I have a vet appointment with one of my own to get stitches taken out of her toe.  It just so happens that one of our volunteers was in Tallahassee for business.  Since he was so close to the prison, it made sense for him to bring Miley back with him as he was returning to Atlanta on Wednesday. 

His fiancee, Kathy, also offered to take care of Tessa's adoption I had planned for Thursday evening.  So to make this work, Dave was to pick up Miley and drive her to my home and then switch Miley for Tessa who will be getting adopted not Thursday evening now but Friday evening due to a schedule conflict with the adopter.  We are an hour away from "the switch" and all is on schedule, as planned.  Whoo hoo!!  Once crises averted!

As well, Heather emailed yesterday to say she has an opening in the prison program for one more Greyhound.  It just so happens that one of our Valdosta volunteers, Nona, will be with us on Saturday as we tour the Birmingham Race Course.  We had already planned for Nona to take a Greyhound back with her to foster and adopt in the Valdosta area. 

You see, the Valdosta/Tifton area is on the way to the prison for Heather so my mind ticked away with the idea that perhaps Nona could take two Greyhounds back with her and Heather could pick up the prison pup on her way down next week.  So, one email later to Nona, and that plan is now in motion.  Nona and her sister, Neva, will take them both back with them when they leave the track on Saturday.  Kane's Taylor will be Nona's foster while Kane's Roz will travel.  

The two new pups, Kane's Taylor and Kane's Roz, are scheduled for their spay surgeries, teeth cleaning, heartworm test, etc. this week, thanks to the fast actions of Melony Cleveland at the McGregor Greyhound Welfare Center, there at Birmingham Race Course.  She is always super happy to help get the Greyhounds vetted so they can be moved to adoption groups.  So they will be ready to roll on Saturday!  Whoo hoo, another crisis averted!

I just received a call from Dave and "the switch" has been completed and he is on his way to his final destination - HOME - in Elijay with Tessa!

And if all this weren't enough to make me start biting my nails, there is a potential adopter looking at Miley (the new prison pup who just arrived) Saturday after the field trip to the track and then I have a home visit scheduled on Sunday for Lola's potential adopter.  They will also meet Lola.  Keep your fingers crossed for both girls!!

So, this week has been full of many surprises and alot of planning and then more planning.  It's truly been like "musical Greyhounds" but I think Heather expressed it better than that . . . she said, "it's like putting bullfrogs in a wheelbarrow"!  My sentiments exactly!  But you know what?  That's what we're here for and that's what we do - we move dogs from here to there, hopefully, with the intent that their forever home is right around the corner!

A BIG thanks to Dave Kundak, Kathy Marggraff, Nona Robles, and Neva Collins, for helping make this happen!  You guys are the best!

On January 26, 2010, Second Chance Greyhounds will officially be one year old!  Last evening at our monthly meeting we celebrated with some awesome birthday cake!

It feels like it was just yesterday, when in fact it was a little over a year ago when Heather and I began chatting about the prospects of starting a new Greyhound adoption group and including a prison foster program.  

From there, we began laying the foundation for Second Chance Greyhounds.  The business stuff ie filing our corporate name, filing for our EIN number and all those other filings one must do to be a legit corporation, plus developing the By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation, and numerous other documents required for various filings.  Oh and I can't forget the tedious task of filing for our 501c3 status with the IRS.  The final paperwork for that was submitted the end of February and our approval arrived the end of March.  We were thrilled, to say the least, that we were approved so quickly.  This opened up lots of doors for grants and fundraising opportunities!  

We did our research so we could be educated and informed about prison foster programs.  We watched a DVD of a program in Michigan that will make the most stoic person bawl like a baby!! 

It's very touching to see the impact fostering and training a Greyhound has on hard core criminals in our prison system.  It was obvious the men were quite honored to be in the program and understand it is quite a privilege.  They know that doing anything to jeopardize their involvement in the program will more than likely result in their dismissal from the program and their return to the general inmate population with NO special privileges. 

They dote on their dog and protect their dog.  They spend countless hours with their dog, training and providing companionship.  And in return, they get all the unconditional love a dog can muster.  They are not alone - they have a friend who doesn't know or care about their past.  Add to that the satisfaction of a job well done at the end of the 9-week program when their fully trained dog graduates and is then released to the adoption group to be placed into their forever home.

From the beginning, we worked night and day, it seemed, to get the program off the ground.  Our efforts finally paid off when our first group of five Greyhounds left Southern New England Kennel at Birmingham Race Course, to head to Gadsden Correctional Facility in Quincy, Florida to be included in the first Greyhound prison foster program at that facility.  It was so exciting seeing that first group grow and mature during the 9-week program through our weekly updates - then picking them up afterwards, sending them off to their forever families, and finally watching them flourish, henceforth.  That's what it's all about folks!  That's why we do what we do! 

We had a total of 45 adoptions for 2009 which isn't too shabby for a brand new kid on the block.  We are proud of our efforts and, of course, hope those numbers climb in 2010.  The more we can send through the program then place into their forever homes means more and more Greyhounds after them can enjoy their retired life!  It seems like a never-ending cycle but there are so many rewards for our efforts!

If ever I doubt my involvement with this group (and this is rare), I take out that DVD and listen, again, to the prisoners talk so proudly about the Greyhounds in their care, those currently in training and even those from years past.  It is very touching and is a testament to the successfulness of prison foster programs. 

I am proud to be associated with Second Chance Greyhounds and hope that every other volunteer within the group feels the same way.  We have much to be proud of and much to be thankful for.  We achieved quite a bit during the first year and I expect we will continue to thrive in the years to come.  We have a great bunch of folks involved with Second Chance Greyhounds and a common goal - place Greyhounds into loving forever homes!!

I'd like to thank Heather, Kim and Guy, Amy and Robert, Brad, Scott, Tricia, Clif, Debbie and Dale, Michelle K., Julie, Kathy and Dave, Helen, Tina and Gary, Kim and Lyle, Nona, Melissa, Donna, Amy H., Norman and Sonjii, Linda M., Linda S., Michelle M., Pat, Margie, Terri, Wendy, Jackie, Jan, and ALL the volunteers who have helped in some way to make Second Chance Greyhounds what it is today!  And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't thank Alan and Linda Olson of Southern New England Kennels who train and take care of our Greyhounds before they retire from racing.  They continually provide us with the most awesome Greyhounds and for that we are grateful.  Also thanks to Melony Cleveland of the McGregor Greyhound Welfare Center at the Birmingham Race Course for her help and assistance in ensuring our Greyhounds are properly immunized and vetted prior to their departure from the track.  

We could not be where we are today without your involvement and support.  Indeed, it does take a village!!

Thursday evening I had the pleasure of bringing Tessa, Duchess, Cha Chi, and Holly back from Perry.  Nona and Melissa had picked them up at the prison in Quincy, Florida that morning and drove them to Perry to meet me at Priester's for the hand off (thanks again guys!).  What a great bunch of dogs!  They sleep the entire way back and not a peep was heard from anyone!  Just perfect behavior!

I have to say this is my first time fostering one of the pups from the prison foster program and boy am I really impressed.  I have Tessa who is smart as a whip.  And cute, to boot!!  We already have an applicant interested in adopting her so I don't imagine I'll have her for too long.

Hearing about how wonderfully trained the prison pups are is a different beast than seeing it first hand, I have to say and I am thoroughly enjoying Tessa and running her through the gammit of verbal commands that she knows. 

Makes me wish I could send my four there for training!! But alas, that is not possible.  I have to live vicariously through the prison pups and dream that mine are that well trained!!  Actually it gives me great incentive to work on training mine a bit more.  They do know "sit" and "down" but that is about it. 

The command that I most appreciate that the prison pups know is "stay".  The "stay" command  is always a command and behavior that is beneficial for any dog to know, especially Greyhounds. This is something I've tried to teach my own, but it's not quite sunk in with them yet mainly because they think they must always be by my side!   They also learn "drop", "kennel up", "hurry", "come", and a host of other commands.  All are fantastic for them to know!!  And its way fun for the handler, too!

I do believe my dogs are jealous when they see the things that Tessa can do.  Perhaps it will rub off on them before she goes to her forever home!!  I can dream, can't I?

Last weekend Michelle and I drove to Birmingham Race Course to take photos of our next group of hounds headed to the prison in Florida to be fostered and trained.  They'll depart on January 14, 2010 and will return on March 18, 2010.  Needless to say, we have a fantastic group headed that way.  Their pictures should be online in the next day or two so if you're interested, check them out at Available Greyhounds.  They are all wonderful Greyhounds, however, one stands out a bit from the rest and that is Delila.  She is a beautiful dog with a very light fawn coat, almost a blue fawn and is a sweetheart.  She will do well at Gadsden Correctional Facility and will learn lots of tricks for her new family.

So, while we were there we visited their Adoption kennel to cat and small dog test our five Greyhounds.  While at the kennel, look what was there - the most adorable Greyhound puppy.  He is 18 weeks old and is ALL puppy.  I had taken a picture of him outside his crate, however, he never stops moving so it was pretty blurry.  I should have adjusted my camera and put it on "sports" mode, just for him! :)

He was adopted to a family that day and as we saw him load up in their van for the trek home, I stood there watching marveling at his cuteness and abounding energy.  I have always said that one day I will adopt a Greyhound puppy and will raise it for lure coursing. 

I still plan to do that but in the interim, I'm committed to helping train and adopt as many Greyhounds from Southern New England Kennels at Birmingham Race Course as our group can possibly handle.  That is our goal for 2010!

Happy New Year everyone - may 2010 bring you much joy and happiness, good health and the best of everything you deserve.  Here's to a fantastic 2010!!

Here at the Woodstock Market Meet & Greet with Debbie, Dale, Clif and Tricia. What a good time we're having and what wonderful weather! Come out and see us! We'll also be here tomorrow! Come see us!