A Man and His Dog

On the way to Talladaga Friday night to conduct a home visit, Kim LeVear and I came upon this sight . . .


We laughed and laughed!!  It was quite a sight - the man's handlebar mustache and the dog's ears were flying in the wind.  The dog looks like he's in heaven, doesn't he?

BTW, the home visit went splendidly.  Looks like Merlin is going to move to Talladaga on Saturday.  Whoo hoo Merlin!  He is going to love his new home and he'll have his own kid to play with!  He, too, will be in heaven! 

Our Mascot

For those at the meeting last night and for those who couldn't make it, I bought our new mascot along for her first SCG meeting. Who is our mascot, you ask? She is a beautiful yellow screaming monkey with black features!! She can be seen below enjoying her first margarita!

You're likely to see her out and about at most of our SCG events, meet & greets, meetings, etc. She is quite the social monkey, as you can see, so I'm sure you'll get a chance to meet her soon enough!

Oh, I almost forgot - Michelle Kroh suggested Buttercup for her name on Facebook whilst Kim Morris did the same on Twitter. Neither had the knowledge that the other had submitted the same name so that seemed to me to be karma for our monkey, hence, she will now be known as Buttercup.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

The Haul

Last Friday, Kim LeVear and Michelle Kroh went on a journey - a very long journey.  Their task was to drive to Birmingham, pick up five Greyhounds, and drive them to Gadsden Correctional Facility in Quincy, Florida.  And then, of course, to return home.  Total trip time was around 13 hours, give or take an hour or so.  It was quite an endeavor and the group and the Greyhounds really appreciate Kim and Michelle taking a Friday off from work to accomplish this.   

Start watching the dogs' blogs on the Available Greyhounds webpage so you can follow the progress of the dogs as they go through their training.  Those Greyhounds in the prison foster program are identified with an orange icon.

Here are a few pictures of the trip.

 

The Wash

To continue what is now believed to be an annual event, Kim LeVear arranged another dog wash this June at Southern New England Kennel at the Birmingham Race Course. This time, however, it was an official activity of our group, Second Chance Greyhounds. Southern New England Kennel is supplying Greyhounds for Second Chance Greyhounds, so we have sort of adopted Alan, his wife Linda, and their Greyhounds because they are simply “good people” who care about their Greyhounds and who take very good care of their Greyhounds. Alan WILL NOT put a Greyhound down unless there is an injury that is irreparable and the Greyhound is in a great deal of pain. Then, of course, it is the humane thing to do. I’ve seen him hold onto a dog for a year or so while waiting for an adoption group to take it. He’s just like that!

Kim again emailed folks who she thought would be interested in participating, and we also notified SCG members and new adopters. In the end, we had 9 happy and willing folks volunteer to help out! Whoo hoo!

Again, we met at the Park and Ride off I-20 in Villa Rica, Georgia. Everyone determined which vehicle they would ride in and as in the year before, we had three vehicles make the trek over to Birmingham.

We arrived around 12:30 p.m., CST. Alan and Linda weren’t there so we gave them a call and they soon were on their way to meet us. The matinee races start at 1:30 p.m. so they had some time to spare and had gone home to eat lunch. Upon arrival, introductions were made and then Kim and I commenced to photographing the new batch of Greyhounds who will be the first five for our group to go into the prison foster program. The photos took some time but we did have the help of quite a few volunteers which made the whole process go a lot quicker.

After photos were complete, we started the dog wash. Alan again would bring out 10 or so Greyhounds at a time. They would get washed, then would move to the wait/rinse area and then to the drying area. Most were very good while allowing us to bathe them. Some didn’t care much for the water hose, but they did tolerate it for the few minutes they were getting rinsed. For most, it was probably the first bath they had ever had.

As dogs typically do, quite a few would roll in the sand after their wash and even after their rinse. They looked like sugar cookies! They all seemed to enjoy the activity. And definitely, all were very appreciative – you could see it in their eyes.

Hours later we finally bathed the last few racers coming in from the matinee races and then the two that we were bringing home with us, Crenshaw Flossie and Oakland Saturn. We cleaned up, changed clothes, did the baby wipe bath, and then to the Grandstand to watch a few races and have dinner. We only stayed for about six races because we needed to gather Flossie and Saturn and head back to Atlanta. I believe I walked into the door close to midnight and I had left at 11:15 a.m. What a long, long, day! Needless to say, my four Greyhounds were very happy to see me.

Even as long as the day was and as tired as everyone was, I think I can vouch for the whole group and say that participating in the dog wash every June has got to be one of the most fulfilling activities that we do as a group. The dogs appreciate it and The Olson’s really appreciate it. It’s a win-win all around!!

More pictures of the event can be seen here.

We're In a Prison!!

Well, not quite yet, but we will officially be moving five Greyhounds from the Birmingham Race Course/Southern New England Kennels, to their home for the next three months, Gadsden Correctional Facility, on Thursday, June 25th.  Gadsden Correctional Facility is located in Quincy, Florida and has a little over 1,500 beds.  It is an all female, minimum/medium-security prison that has been managed since 1998 by Corrections Corporation of America.

This particular facility currently is home to a canine companion training program and in the past they had a canine bomb sniffing training program.  With that being said, the facility, staff and inmates are accustomed to having dogs in the facility and training these dogs.  They already have a large turnout/training yard and the in-house knowledge to bring in another program.  It's an ideal fit for us and for them. 

So, watch for blog updates on our Available Greyhounds page for those Greyhounds in prison.  They will be represented with an orange icon - which you can't miss!  Of course we are very excited and are looking forward to seeing and hearing how this program benefits the women as well as the Greyhounds. 

A Clean House

This past Sunday a group of us drove over to Southern New England Kennels at the Birmingham Race Course to do a Spring cleaning of the kennel.  The entire kennel was power washed and the front office area was wiped down and scrubbed from top to bottom.  I'm sure the dogs are loving their new home even more now that it's so clean!!  We'll see if their running improves! :)

A big thanks to the dedication of these folks - Kim and Guy, Heather, Scott and Tricia, Michelle and Jason, and Amy and Brad.  Despite the hard work involved, everyone had a good time.  Check out the pictures on our gallery at /picture-gallery/kennel-clean-up/.  And thanks to Kim for arranging the Spring cleaning.

After it was all said and done, everyone enjoyed a fried chicken lunch complete with all the fixin's.  And then yummy birthday cake for dessert.  It was all so delicious!

Here are a few pictures of the Greyhounds in their turnout pens.  At one point, all the boys and all the girls, were sleeping.   I love how the two in the first picture perked up as I came around the corner with the camera!  Cute, way too cute!! 

 

 

 

A Strange Sight

Actually it isn't.  Kim and I were at the Birmingham Race Course Saturday afternoon photographing a new bunch of Greyhounds and we saw several of these guys hopping around.  They come out around dusk and munch on the clover on the ground. 

It really isn't such a strange sight as Alan, a kennel trainer we know, says they run rampant around the grounds surrounding the kennel compound.

He has seen them even as close as 25 feet or so from the back of the turnout area of his own kennel.   And, of course, there are scads of them.

If they only knew . . .

Three Months And Still Going Strong!

Wow, we've officially been in existence for three months now. And if I say so myself, we've accomplished a heck of a lot in that timeframe. In specific, we've:

  1. Filed our corporate name with the State of Georgia.
  2. Become incorporated through the State of Georgia.
  3. Obtained our Employer Identification Number from the IRS.
  4. Established a checking account and our toll free phone number.
  5. Produced and filed our Form 1023 with the IRS to become a 501c3 tax exempt public charity.
  6. Obtained our approval from the IRS for our 501c3 status (within 30 days if you can believe that!).
  7. Recruited a fine group of dedicated volunteers.
  8. Established a wonderful website chock-full of vital information about us, our program, our Greyhounds, and the Greyhound breed.
  9. Created and obtained valuable marketing pieces ie business cards, business stationery, brochures, banners, and meet and greet signs.
  10. Established an adoption program that is running like clockwork.
  11. Begun to work on developing and fine-tuning our foster program which will serve those Greyhounds not going into the Prison foster program.
  12. Conducted several Meet & Greets (and have many more scheduled throughout the summer) in an effort to get our name out to the public and, of course, introduce the public to Greyhound adoption.
  13. Adopted eight (8) Greyhounds into their forever homes which, in the end, is what it's all about!
  14. Scheduled a Spring Cleaning in May and a Dog Wash in June for our partnering race kennel at the Birmingham Race Course.
  15. Scheduled several "social events" ie an ice cream social, an afternoon at Turner Field with your Greyhound and the Braves, and a Yappy Hour (a wonderful dinner out with you AND your Greyhound).
  16. Begun working on several grants as well as fundraising efforts to help build our treasury which will help us in the event of a Veterinary emergency.
  17. Begun working on our partnership with several state correctional centers.
  18. And did I mention, recruited a fine group of dedicated volunteers?

We definitely have been working hard and definitely know that more hard work is in our future, but it's all about getting those Greyhounds into their forever homes.  That end result is something we can all be proud of!  We have some happy families and we have some happy Greyhounds.  It doesn't get much better than that, now does it? 

As The Greyhound World Turns

We continue to move along working to get our foster and training program into a prison.  In the interim we are adopting Greyhounds from the track who have been fostered by our volunteers.  As of this writing we have had three adoptions and we have two pending.  Not bad, not bad at all, for a group that has been in existence less than three months. 

There are many more Greyhounds in need of a home which is the reason we didn't wait for the prison program to be in place.  That will happen, all in good time, and we'll be ready when it does.  In the meantime, we are fine tuning our adoption program while providing excellent forever homes to many deserving Greyhounds.

I think I've said this in a previous post and I'll say it again - I continue to be inspired by the dedication and preserverance of many of our volunteers.  We all want the best for our Greyhounds and everyone is working hard to ensure that is exactly what happens.
  
There is something really special about a Second Chance Greyhound - thanks to our great volunteers!!  It's evident and heartwarming that everyone REALLY cares!!  Thanks for all you are doing!

What Wonderful News!!

I just received a voice mail and then an email from Mr. Lawyer telling me about a letter he received from the IRS today.  Here is the first part of that letter which he emailed to me . . .

Dear Applicant:

We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to you are deductible under section 170 of the Code. You are also gualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code. Because this letter could help resolve any questions regarding your exempt status, you should keep it in your permanent records.

YEAH!!! YEAH!!! Margaritas for everyone!!!  Our effective date is January 26, 2OO9!

This means that we can finally apply for some grants!! And all that goes with being a 501(c) (3)organization.  This was quite a hump to get past, believe me. And to have the IRS approve us so quickly is most, most awesome indeed!!

How exciting for Second Chance Greyhounds, the prison program, and all the Greyhounds we will be able to place into homes!! And what a relief! :)

Obviously I am psyched!!

Birmingham Field Trip

Last Sunday, Kim LeVear and myself ventured over to Birmingham Race Course to take photos of our first group of Greyhounds.  I think we arrived around 9 a.m., their time, and left about 1:30 p.m. or so.  We had a great time.  Alan sure has a great bunch of dogs for us!  Check them out on our website at www.secondchancegreyhouds.org/available-greyhounds

We do have one special needs dog, Algoa Cardinal, who is a three year old red male.  He is the last one on the above web page.  He has had two seizures within the last month but has never had one before and as you know, may never have another.  However, at this time, the underlying cause is unknown.  If you are interested in learning more about Cardinal, please contact us at mailto:adoption@secondchancegreyhounds.org

Here is a little video montage of our day!  Enjoy!


Birmingham Trip 03/08/09 from Patti Peterson on Vimeo.

Our First Meeting

What a fun-filled first meeting we all enjoyed last night! Our dedicated group filled up the far side of the restaurant, so we wouldn't scare the other diners with our talk of inmates, dog hauling and all-things greyhound. We may have to look for a new location if we keep growing at the rate we are!

Program Progress

There is great excitment in this group and a profound enthusiam to see greyhounds that we haul from the track working with inmates that we have trained. While we're all ready for this to happen tomorrow, we know that it takes a bit of time, but progress is being made with the DOC and with finalizing our 501(c)3 status. It's a lot of paperwork right now, but the fun will start soon enough. Fingers crossed we'll have dogs behind bars by June.

Fundraising

We have several fundraisers scheduled for March including the Wine Tasting and Microchipping Clinic. Be sure to check out the calendar for additional information on these programs. I know there are just a few slots open for the Wine Tasting in early March, so register today if you plan to attend.

Don't forget to check out the SCG Cafe Press Store. There are some really unique greyhound designs for sale, both with and without our logo, so no matter where you live you can support SCG and look fashionable at the same time. I know I've got my eye on the Greyt Beach shirt myself.

Kimberly Walker Morris' prints are also selling quickly. Be sure to buy yours today so you don't miss your chance to have a signed and numbered reproduction of her beautiful pencil sketch of a sleeping greyhound.

Up & Coming Events

If you're looking for a Greyt gathering in May, think about attending Mountain Hounds with your SCG friends. In addition to hosting a table to sell some of our awesome Greyhound wares, we'll hold seminar about our program. We'll post the time of our presentation so those of you who are interested can stop in and meet us face-to-face.

This is just a sampling of what we have going on. Stay tuned, as there are more exciting things in store in just a few weeks!

Meeting with Second Chance at Life Folks

This past Saturday we held our first meeting with Beverly and Ferg Sebastian with Second Chance at Life.  They are the folks who will be our guiding light and mentors throughout the process of setting up our program.  They are very interesting people, for sure, and love what they are doing!  I can certainly see why.  They shared a few videos with us where Inmates from an Illinois prison who are in the program were interviewed.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house, I tell you.  Everyone was truly touched by the words and feelings these Inmates had for the Greyhounds in their charge.  You could see how this program affects them and how they benefit and, of course, how the Greyhounds benefit.

I left the meeting more encouraged and inspired than ever before and feel we definitely are onto something here - something really great!!  We cannot wait to get our first Greyhounds into the program.  That may very well happen sooner than later as we do have an opportunity to place four Greyhounds into the program in Illinois while we are still setting up our prisons here in Georgia.  It's an option we are pursuing. 

Beverly and Heather have discussions set this week with several Georgia DOC officials to being talking about the program and how we can benefit the Inmates.  We are well on our way. 

Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.

The Website

Obviously if you're reading this blog then our new website is live.  We actually went live on Super Sunday after a short development period.  We have some tweaking to do but we are all quite proud of our achievements.  We hope you like what you see as well!

Definitely stay tuned to watch the site evolve as it most certainly will in the next few months.  You can RSS subscribe to this blog so you are updated as we post about our progress.  Stay tuned!

The Beginnings

We are in the "build it and they will come" stage of forming our new group, Second Chance Greyhounds.  There is alot of work yet to be done before we "go live" but we have a great group of dedicated volunteers working deligently to ensure this happens as quickly as possible. 

We are extremely excited about introducing this new concept to Georgia (and surrounding states).  You will, too, once you hear about the great things we are doing and what wonderful Greyhounds we are bringing to the adoption community.

This site is ever evolving so stay tuned and watch it grow and follow us here for continuing updates as we become more established and ready to begin our work providing trained (CGC certified) Greyhounds to new adopters.