Over the last few
weeks my nights are laden with sleeplessness, waking up in panic, wondering how
it will and if it will come together. Sleep is usually a time when I know I’m
able to get away from it all, for just a few hours, shut off my brain and recharge
for the coming day. I'm not sure when I will have that ability again.
Some are holding out
hope for a miracle that may overturn Amendment 13 in Florida but that will
not undo what we face.
Now It’s time.
By the end of March
2020, there will be 850 greyhounds from Daytona in need of homes, followed up
by 400-500 greyhounds from Sanford Orlando in June 2020.
In approximately 5
months almost 1400 will be in need of homes.
I have been working
with professional haulers to start arranging hauls and resting points for
greyhounds on cross country transport. While I’ve had sleepless nights,
one thing that brings comfort is the knowledge that our greyhound adoption
volunteers have always stepped up. But additional help is needed.
These are some points in critical need of attention:
1. Step It Up:
Get out there and
inform everyone you know and everyone you don't know on the availability of
greyhounds and promote greyhound adoption. Be unique, be creative. Attend or
organize meet & greets. Share posts and information on social media. We
also need homes in order to move the number of greyhounds that will shortly
become available, both in foster capacity and for forever home adoptions.
2. Funding.
Hauling greyhounds
from Florida to where ever there are adoption groups than need them and have
applications waiting to adopt is not going to be cheap. While Greyhound Pets of
America has funding to kick off this endeavor, we are in need of greater need
of far more funding. I might be able to sleep if I knew we had in excess of $300,000.00 in GPA's transportation fund, but we don’t and as the days race closer to the end of
the year, funding is going to be key in order to ensure the safe transportation
of and placement of each retired racing greyhound.
3. Moral Support.
Cheer your local
greyhound adoption volunteers on. We need them now more than ever as they will
be working harder than ever with the number of greyhounds coming into their
programs.
While adoption had
nothing to do with this predicament, organizations such as PETA, HSUS, and
Grey2K did. They pushed for the passage of Amendment 13 in Florida and to date
haven’t contributed to the greyhounds they put into this position. They spent
millions to do their damage yet how much financial contributions have they
donated to assist the thousands of retired greyhounds that will need homes in a
short period of time, thousands of greyhounds that PETA, HSUS and Grey2K have
snowed the public into believing they "protect".
PETA, HSUS, and GREY2K all
claim they do what they do for the greyhounds and are proud of the fact they
spend hundreds of thousands of donation dollars to do it yet once their
"deeds" are done, they flee the scene never actually helping or
donating financial assistance for greyhounds as they transition to adoption. Well
now time to pay up! You got what you wanted. Now are you going to run away as
always or are you going to man up and realize it is now time to send donations
to those of us who now have to clean up the mess you lobbied for?
You can send $300,000.00 right now to Greyhound Pets of America and I promise that the money will be
used strictly for transportation and housing of Florida greyhounds and any
funds not used, I pledge to return. PETA, HSUS, and GREY2K all said they
"did it for the greyhounds".
It's time now for
those entities to really do something "for the greyhounds" - PAY
FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING OF THE FLORIDA GREYHOUNDS THAT WILL NOW BE
THRUST ON THE GREYHOUND ADOPTION NETWORK.
To all the Floridians
who voted in favor of Amendment 13, and to the presidents and directors of
PETA, HSUS and Grey2K - your donations to assist with the retiring Florida
greyhounds can be sent as checks to:
Greyhound Pets of
America – National
P.O. Box 40
Highlandville MO 65669
As I know you will
want to help these greyhounds as quickly as possible so you can also visit us
at www.greyhoundpets.org and donate via the
PayPal link.
In closing, to those
of you reading this who have always done the right thing when it comes to the
greyhounds and greyhound adoption, I humbly ask if you can find it in your
hearts to once again step up for these majestic dogs as they transition from
racing to adoption in the form of financial support.
This is not a pipe
dream. This is not a what if.
Sadly, this is the end
of racing greyhounds in Florida, and we need everyone's help to make sure each
and every retired racing greyhound is transported safely and is given the
chance to find a loving family to share the rest of its life with.
It's Time!
Rory
Rory S. Goree'
President
Greyhound Pets of America - National
