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Post by policedog on Sept 11, 2006 22:12:51 GMT -5
I'm always interested in how people first got interested in greyhounds, especially retired racers.
Here's our story.
We first met Bill and Freddie in the Spring of 1997 - after reading a story in the Toronto Star about their annual 'greyhound picnics' for adopted dogs and their owners. I contacted them by phone and we first met them - and 5 greyhounds - when they were still living in a 1-bedroom apartment in Kitchener. That was the first time we had ever seen a greyhound in person - and it was love at first sight! By November, we had been 'adoped' by our first two four-legged children, Biggles and Curtsy.
We were quite involved in promoting greyhound adoption the first few years. I wrote and produced the first radio campaign for GRA to promote greyhound adoption and these public service announcements ran for many flights on several of the major Toronto radio stations. You may have even heard them! I have also donated PSA scripts to several greyhound adoption agencies in the U.S. - the most notable one was an award-winner voiced by actor Ed Asner (of "Lou Grant" and "Mary Tyler Moore" fame).
If two are good, three are better so a few years later we added a third grey to our family, Moby (the 'plastic shredder' I have mentioned in another thread!) Moby was basically still a puppy when we got her and we don't believe she ever raced. If it wasn't for the presence of Moby, the untimely deaths of our first two 'kids' would have been even harder to bear than it was.
Of course we think that greyhounds are the most wonderful creatures on the planet and they have enriched our lives in ways we cannot even measure.
And it all started with a little article on the back page of a section of the Toronto Star.
How about you?
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Post by ocydroma on Sept 12, 2006 6:52:46 GMT -5
Saw an add and pictures in the local pet store.....phone call....first grey.....picnic....two old returns needed a home #2 and#3. Old return to kennel #4...return to kennel with terrible teeth that needed removing #5.....#6-#10 volunteering at the kennel and couldn't resist!!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2006 7:48:53 GMT -5
Was over at Mom's place for a visit one day, and we were watching The Price Is Right. Bob Barker had a pair of greys on, looking very elegant and regal as they do, of course, and the rest is history as they say. I thought surely I would have to look in Toronto, or maybe Detroit to find out more, but as it turns out there was a little donation jar at the Market pet store when it was on King St, and it had GRA's number. To find out that Bill and Freddie were only a 30 min drive in the country was wonderful, and a few of us took the trip, and I couldn't resist those lovely eyes, ears, helicoptering tails and pounces, and voila. Honey now graces my loveseat and sofa
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Post by stylishhound on Sept 12, 2006 8:30:46 GMT -5
I was at a Large Breed Dog event and someone had their greyhound there. I totally fell in love with her. She was a gorgeous shy fawn girl with the softest fur. I think I'll remember her forever. After that I said I'd one day get a greyhound. At that time I had two doberman girls who I was spoiling terribly and buying tons of collars for. I ended up being mentored by an awesome collar maker and then started my own business. Since then I met so many amazing greyhounds and greyhound owners and then knew the timing was right for me to get one of my very own. I contacted Bill & Freddie and went out to see Arrow but ended up bringing Katzak Keanu home instead. I'll definitely always have greyhounds and dobermans.
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meganm
Junior Grey Lover
Puppy Love
Posts: 292
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Post by meganm on Sept 12, 2006 9:23:59 GMT -5
I actually was searching the internet for local shelters for rescue dogs. I wanted my first pet and was not picky, just wanted to give a dog a home that needed it.
Well, came across Bill and Freddy's site while searching for rescue kennels. I had never thought about or even seen a greyhound up to this point in my life.
Got some of the recommeded reading out of the library and gave bill a call to set up a time to meet the dogs.
the rest as they say..... Is History!
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Post by jiffer on Sept 12, 2006 10:13:19 GMT -5
I've always been fascinated by them, but where I grew up, the only one we ever saw was on the side of the bus In my second year here, I was at the Pottersburg offleash park with my "Dog-in-law" (hee hee) and this beautiful silver brindle named Merlin arrived with his family. What a beauty! Prior to that I met two whippets named Zephyr and Phoenix. About a year later, I was looking online for the Bus website (for tickets home) and the search on Google brought up GRA! I was so excited to see a local adoption group and unlike a breeder, it was affordable and an Adult!! The planning started then... about 8 months later I brought Icky home
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Post by policedog on Sept 12, 2006 10:44:18 GMT -5
Great stories, keep 'em coming! BTW, Bob Barker is a member of my college fraternity - Sigma Nu. After we did the PSA with Ed Asner, I sent a registered letter to Barker's office in L.A. I thought it would be a great idea to do a radio spot with him, since we were "brothers" and all. Never received a single response. Very disappointing. Asner, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic and accommodating.
We first met Bill and Freddie in 1997. Anyone here meet them before that?
I have photos from the early 'greyhound picnics'. Anyone interested in seeing a few of them?
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Sept 12, 2006 12:05:46 GMT -5
My neighbour was looking into getting a dog and was a big lover of greys. She had been at GRA and seen the dogs, and it was all the kids could talk about. My husband ( whom was still my fiance at the time) and I were moving into our first place together, and had just lost our beloved black and white cat a few months before and were looking for a new companion. My neighbour told us to take a look at greys, they are perfect apartment dogs, and great for our on the go lifestyle. We called Bill, made an apointment, just to look or so we said. Fell in love with a little black and white one named LeeLee. Two days after moving in, we picked our new baby up. Unfortunatly, LeeLee didn't work out... she almost killed our cat we had living with us. That almost turned me off greys completly... then I met Tigger... Then in June, we got married and took Tigger back to Bill for the week we went away for the honeymoon... droped one off, brought back two..... Now I have my two babies, and we're looking to buy a big house with a nice back yard... and add another adition to the family.... BTW, my neighbour ended up getting an airedale....
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Post by jiffer on Sept 13, 2006 8:34:34 GMT -5
We first met Bill and Freddie in 1997. Anyone here meet them before that? I have photos from the early 'greyhound picnics'. Anyone interested in seeing a few of them? I met Bill in Jan 2004 when I picked up Icarus. We spoke on the phone several times in late 2003. I'd love to see some photos from the 'early' years
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Post by policedog on Sept 13, 2006 9:15:41 GMT -5
I'll see what photos I can find. Is there a "Gallery" in this forum or should I just post them in "Greyhound Events"?
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janis
Grey Puppy
my 4 boys
Posts: 88
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Post by janis on Sept 13, 2006 13:00:59 GMT -5
hi all - i just "snapped" one day and decided that "today was the day" - so off we went to GRA - met with a few of the greys - actually went with the intention of adopting Amy - but bill brought out sunny and rainy and i just felt that because they were older dogs - 8 and 10 - they may need a home more than some of the other more "adoptable" greys - thought about our decision for a day and called bill to let him know we'd gladly take sunny and rainy if and only if Amy had a home to go to - she did, so we brought back the boys that night - no run, no beds, just a lot of excitement - anyways - the run is now up, the beds are in place, and we love our boys - that's our story -
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Sept 13, 2006 13:17:03 GMT -5
- no run, no beds, just a lot of excitement - That was how it was when we got LeeLee... we still hadn't unpacked from moving... no crate, nothing! She slept on a bed we made for her out of blankets.
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Post by sdsandiford on Sept 13, 2006 15:59:06 GMT -5
Read a book by Dr. Stanley Coren called "Why we love the dogs we do". It's a book geared towards matching your own personality with the personality of your breed(s) of choice. Until I'd read the book, I'd never even considered a greyhound. I did alot of research into the breed at that time, but it would be 7 years before Lewis and I would bring our first one home (the timing was just never right). It was definitely worth the wait!
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Post by greymouse on Sept 14, 2006 13:54:50 GMT -5
In my second year here, I was at the Pottersburg offleash park with my "Dog-in-law" (hee hee) and this beautiful silver brindle named Merlin arrived with his family. What a beauty! Prior to that I met two whippets named Zephyr and Phoenix. Jen, I think that I met Merlin last week! He is a beautiful big 11-1/2 yrs. young and frisky as ever!! He almost knocked me over trying to say hello! My first recollection of greyhounds was seeing them in cages in the backyard of an acquaintance of my family, when I was very young. They owned them and raced them in London (or a track just north of London) many years ago. Since then I have always had a fascination with them (when seeing them on the bus!! Never had another thing to do with them or even see them until May of 2004, when the Springbank walk was on the news at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night. A couple of weeks later I brought Scarlett home!
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Post by greybecca on Sept 17, 2006 12:37:19 GMT -5
We first encountered greyhounds when we were in highschool still, and loved themn and vowed to one day have one. When we moved to London into an apartment we were uninformed and thought, we can't have a big greyhound in an apartment, so our JRT Sadie entered our lives as a cute little baby puppy. When we moved into a small house with a yard, I thought YES we can now get a greyhound! So my husband's birthday was coming up and so I started searching for where we could adopt, and found GRA on the Internet. So I said, guess what your birthday gift is this year? And off we went for him to pick out his boy, and Holling came home, the rest is history. We have 3 greyhounds and little Sadie who is now 9 years old. We will always have greyhounds, and have found our breed for life. We adore them and they are an essential part of our lives and home. They have done nothing but enrich every aspect of daily life. Dear Checker, we love you so much and miss you every day
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