#galtx enews
GALTx eNews: What’s In A Name? Sometimes A Lot!
When we say “Greyhound” almost everyone immediately thinks of a racing Greyhound registered with the National Greyhound Association (NGA). That makes sense as the majority of hounds moving through our program over the last 20 years have been Greyhounds bred for racing. Sometimes, when we talk about other kinds of hounds though, we get a lot of questions.
For instance, “AKC Greyhounds” are the same breed as NGA Greyhounds, but come from different bloodlines. AKC Greyhounds are bred to match the AKC breed standard rather than exclusively for speed. They tend to have longer necks, longer legs, deeper chests, more arched backs, and thinner bodies than NGA Greyhounds. Our Poppy is an AKC Greyhound.
“Lurchers” are sighthound crosses, typically a mix of Greyhound and another kind of dog, such as terrier or herding dog. Because the mix can vary, Lurchers can be small or large, smooth or rough coated, and of differing temperaments. They are often used in rural areas as hunting dogs. Although we do not have DNA test results, our Joey is likely a Lurcher.
Staghounds, on the other hand, are a cross between two breeds of sighthounds, often Greyhound and Deerhound or Wolfhound. To add confusion, some refer to Staghounds as “American Lurchers.” And much like Lurchers, Staghounds can come with smooth or rough coats and in varying sizes depending on their particular mix of breeds. Like Lurchers, Staghounds are often used in rural areas as hunting dogs. Our adopted MazeandCheyenne (pictured) are Staghounds.
“Greyluki” is a nickname for a Saluki and Greyhound mix. Sometimes, the mix is one Saluki parent and one Greyhound parent, but some Greyluki are mixed going back a few generations. Greyluki’s are also commonly used as hunting dogs. Our adoptable DennyandWaffles are likely both Greyluki.
No matter what variety of hound, lovability is a common theme consistent across all of the breeds and mixes!
1/20/2022
Betty White touched so many lives we wanted to take a minute to wish her a happy heavenly birthday and share a story from one of our adopters, Mark Johndrow, who got to meet her:
In 2012, Paula and I, with Greyhound Skidmore Salvator (“Sal”), were on our annual Greyhounds Reach the Beach excursion in Delaware enjoying the vendor tents, dog watching, ice cream socials with dog friendly cold treats, evening gatherings at all the restaurants, and a large enclosed field where the greys were able to open up and run! On one particular day, we spotted the figure we all know and love from TV, Betty White, walking on the beach! She was the key note speaker that weekend. We were not lucky enough to have tickets to hear her speak, but on that day we were lucky enough to be on the beach when Ms. White was taking in the ocean breezes. We hurried our Sal a bit to catch up, hoping for a quick photo. Not only did we get our photo, she took a few minutes out of her stroll to ask about us and our Sal. What stood out the most was that she was a kind, gentle, caring person with a heart to match her smile and wit. To this day, we brag about meeting Betty White and were saddened to hear of her recent passing. We know that our Sal has gained a friend across that rainbow bridge and they shall meet on the sands again for another ear scratch and nose kisses.
#Greyhounds #BettyWhite
GALTx eNews: Our Heating Saga Continues!
We reported last week about the broken gas line and no heat at the kennel that started right before New Year’s weekend. By the end of that weekend we were already on the second external diesel heating unit. This past Monday evening, the motor on the replacement unit stopped working and, unfortunately, the overnight temps were dropping to freezing. A third replacement unit was not immediately available. At 9;00 pm, several volunteers converged upon Houn House to set up several crates in the area of the building that has electric heat for dogs that would not wear jackets. They arranged fans to blow the warmer air into the run area for the remaining hounds. Thanks to previous caulking repairs our volunteers made on New Year’s Eve and strategic placement of towels to keep out the cold, the temperature in the kennel area stayed in the mid 50s overnight!
On Tuesday morning, a third heating unit (pictured) was set up and now the heat is back on. We are still awaiting word from Atmos Energy about the long term solution to repair the gas line to the facility. Whatever will need to be done, it will certainly be expensive. Please consider donating here to support our kennel hounds.
GALTx eNews: Drum Roll, Please… Our 2021 Results Are In!
The results for 2021, our 20th Anniversary year, are in! It felt like we faced challenges at every turn but we all stuck together and got the work done for the 20th consecutive year!
During 2021, we welcomed 170 new hounds to the GALT family. About 152 of them were surrendered by their owners, most of whom work in the racing industry. Twelve came from shelters and six were strays. Meanwhile, our adoption teams found forever homes for 180 hounds, bringing our grand total to nearly 3,900 over the years! In October, GALT New Mexico celebrated its 100th adoption since inception and we thank everyone for the hard work that represents!
The coming and going hounds rack up a lot of expenses. Just our vet bills, hound medications, boarding and care, kennel rent and maintenance, and utilities added up to more than $117,000! To help pay the bills, our dedicated volunteers hosted: about a dozen on-line auctions and a silent auction raising over $56,000; our first big in-person event in a long time, Cooking for the Hounds; GALT’s 20th Anniversary Dinner At Home; several on-line fundraisers such as North Texas Giving Day, Giving Tuesday, and our Holiday Matching Fund; Strut Your Mutt; GALT’s Greyt Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Raffle; and several other events. Thanks to all who made these events possible and who participated to help pay the bills!
Currently, heating at the kennel is out due to a gas line failure leading to a gas leak. Over 300 feet of supply line that was originally placed in 1972 must be replaced. We are renting a diesel heater for $1,500 a month that costs approximately $130 a day in diesel to run, making the total for only 30 days $5,400. We’ll keep everyone updated on the status of repairs as we know more. Our foster team went above and beyond to move as many hounds to warm foster homes as possible. Consequently, we now have about 21 hounds in our kennelawaitingfoster homes and 65 hounds in foster homes getting ready for adoption. Our adoption team remains busy with about 100 adoption applications in process. As we prepare to celebrate our 21st birthday this spring, we have a busy year ahead of us. We hope you’ll stay tuned for more news!
1/6/2022
GALTx eNews: Look Out! Here Comes 2022!
At this point in the year, we are usually setting aside the past calamities and looking forward to a bright and shiny new year. In 2021, we definitely faced many unexpected challenges and we feel so proud of how our volunteers and supporters stepped up to help us face them. But as this difficult year closes, we are already seeing a preview of the challenges awaiting us in 2022.
Earlier this week, our sweet young girl Suri (pictured), who joined the GALT family in May 2021 with a broken leg, re-broke her leg. Her first break was severe, requiring expensive surgery, an external fixator, and months of slow recovery. Unfortunately, with this second break, her leg couldn’t be saved and our vets amputated it yesterday. Please keep her in your thoughts as she goes through her recovery.
Additionally, we recently discovered an underground gas leak at our boarding kennel. For safety, we have turned the gas off until we can address it. Of course, the nighttime lows are way too low for the comfort of Greyhounds in an unheated building. For now, we are renting a heater to keep the hounds warm. We are not yet sure how we will address the issue long term. A representative of the gas company will come out to evaluate moving the gas meter much closer to the kennel property line, which may resolve the issue. We can also consider switching the heating system to electric or re-piping the gas line completely as it is quite old and poorly laid out. When we know more about how we will proceed and how much it will cost, we will share the news.
And the Omicron variant of COVID-19 still threatens to make everything we do harder and more expensive in so many ways, at least for a while. The new year has yet to even begin and it is already shaping up to be a rough ride. Please consider helping us meet our 2022 challenges with a donation to our House a HoundorNitsche Veterinary Care Funds! Thank you and Happy New Year!
GALTx eNews: Look Out! Here Comes 2022!
At this point in the year, we are usually setting aside the past calamities and looking forward to a bright and shiny new year. In 2021, we definitely faced many unexpected challenges and we feel so proud of how our volunteers and supporters stepped up to help us face them. But as this difficult year closes, we are already seeing a preview of the challenges awaiting us in 2022.
Earlier this week, our sweet young girl Suri (pictured), who joined the GALT family in May 2021 with a broken leg, re-broke her leg. Her first break was severe, requiring expensive surgery, an external fixator, and months of slow recovery. Unfortunately, with this second break, her leg couldn’t be saved and our vets amputated it yesterday. Please keep her in your thoughts as she goes through her recovery.
Additionally, we recently discovered an underground gas leak at our boarding kennel. For safety, we have turned the gas off until we can address it. Of course, the nighttime lows are way too low for the comfort of Greyhounds in an unheated building. For now, we are renting a heater to keep the hounds warm. We are not yet sure how we will address the issue long term. A representative of the gas company will come out to evaluate moving the gas meter much closer to the kennel property line, which may resolve the issue. We can also consider switching the heating system to electric or re-piping the gas line completely as it is quite old and poorly laid out. When we know more about how we will proceed and how much it will cost, we will share the news.
And the Omicron variant of COVID-19 still threatens to make everything we do harder and more expensive in so many ways, at least for a while. The new year has yet to even begin and it is already shaping up to be a rough ride. Please consider helping us meet our 2022 challenges with a donation to our House a HoundorNitsche Veterinary Care Funds! Thank you and Happy New Year!
GALTx eNews: 'Twas The Night Before Christmas!
The more secular aspects of Christmas today bear little resemblance to the Christmas of times long passed. Rather than counting down the days with a store bought Advent pet calendar containing a different pet treat for each day, the medieval people observed the period leading up to Christmas by fasting. This period of Advent culminated with strictly observed religious services and extensive preparation for the Christmas holiday that followed. And Christmas lasted for a full 12 days starting on December 25th.
The twelve days of Christmas were a time of partying, drinking, playing, and feasting on hams, salmon, and roasted swan. Even the peasants got time off from labor and enjoyed a feast provided by the nobility. “Mummers” sang Christmas carols outdoors for treats, sometimes wearing animal masks and sometimes while playing tricks. Cross dressing was all the rage as societal norms and rules were suspended. Gift exchanges played a much smaller role then.
January 1st was considered a day for a special “feast of fools” during which acting silly was strongly encouraged. The merriment culminated on January 5th when the reveler who found a bean in their cake got to be king for the night. Then, along came January 6th. Rather than returning to work and normalcy after a long period of excess, medieval peoples then celebrated the Feast of Epiphany.
Our Greyhounds were only “owned” by nobility back then and probably napped as much as they nap now. However you celebrate this season, we hope that you stay safe and healthy. For tips on how to keep your pups safe during the holidays,click here. Merry Christmas!
12/23/21
GALTx eNews: Please Give Remi A Huge Welcome!
Cher Oliver of Kansas City REGP called last week about a brindle and white female Greyhound mix running stray for several weeks in Kansas. Her owner had been charged with animal cruelty due to her abuse and abandonment. However, he moved away before being convicted. The hound would come up to a lady and her dog, but could not be secured. Cher and her colleagues had a plan to capture the dog by drugging her. They just needed a long term plan to help the hound find a forever home. Of course, we agreed to welcome the hound to our program as soon as she could be caught.
On Sunday, the team successfully sedated and captured the hound, now known as Remi. They transported her to Norman, Oklahoma, where our volunteer, Charles met them to take Remi to our boarding kennel in Dallas. Thanks to everyone who helped Remi reach safety and take the first step on her journey home forever.
Remi is a big girl and we’re looking forward to getting to know her. At first, she seemed scared and timid at the kennel, but she warmed up to a soft bed in the lounge quickly! She will visit our vets to see if she has any health conditions requiring treatment and will stay in our boarding kennel until a foster home can be secured. Watch a slideshow of her journey to us here. We anticipate that she will need some time to learn how to be a pet again. Once she is in good health and settled, we will test her with cats and small dogs. Watch for her to then be adoptable!
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Give To The Greyhounds For Giving Tuesday!
We know we ask for your monetary support a lot, and we are asking again today, November 30th, 2021, for Giving Tuesday! Please give just a little more today so that you can be a part of our continuing success stories and know you made a difference with every adoption announcement!
Since inception in 2001, GALT has re-homed more than 3,800 hounds. Indeed, we are now the largest greyhound adoption organization in the United States with operations in Dallas,AustinandAlbuquerque. In recent years, we have welcomed an average of 178 hounds per year to our family. Just last week, our Dallas operations welcomed five girls from Greyhound farms and, in just one week in October, the Dallas team welcomed 19 new hounds to the GALT family. More will come, and we can’t wait to introduce you to them.
The expenses for so many hounds add up. Our annual operating costs currently exceed $693,000 and consist mostly of veterinary and boarding costs. The majority of hounds joining the GALT family require a spay or neuter, dental, vaccinations, micro-chipping and a thorough veterinary exam. These costs typically add up to at least $750 per hound. Some hounds also need treatment for tick borne diseases, heartworm or serious injuries such as a broken leg. The veterinary expenses incurred to prepare these hounds for forever homes can run into the thousands. But, we remain committed to our mantra of “no grey turned awaytm,” regardless of the circumstances or medical condition. Our sweet, young girl, Memory, is a great example. She has CUPS, which will require four pricey oral surgeries to remove her affected teeth.
If you give to our Giving Tuesday Facebook fundraiser today, November 30th, Facebook might match part or all of your donation. You can read more about their matching program here. If you prefer not to give on Facebook, we understand. Any of the funds on our website are also available for your Giving Tuesday gifts. Thank you!
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11/30/21
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