Florida Amendment 13 Disaster Relief Fund….

In a blog titled “Getting to know the humane advocate protector” posted Thursday, August 2, 2018 I wrote the following: 

“You see the legislative actions spearheaded by “” humane advocate protectors”” always lack provisions for the proper placement, funding and care of those greyhounds who will be needing homes when their racing careers are forcibly ended by “humane advocate protectors”.

It is now February 2020. Two months into the calendar year in which per Florida Amendment 13, the betting on live greyhound racing is to cease in the State of Florida by December 31, 2020.

What does this mean? 

It means that the remaining tracks currently open in Florida will start the process of ending live racing. 

What does this mean? 

It means that THOUSANDS of greyhounds will soon be in need of relocation and adoption in no small part due to the work of those who "claim" to love, care and always do what they do "for the greyhounds".

Sadly, the animal protection organizations who spent heavily to ensure passage of Amendment 13 in Florida have moved on to spending even more money in other states and other countries in hopes of ending live greyhound racing worldwide yet they have they have left those of us who truly care about the greyhounds high and dry. The charitable organizations who have for years made the adoption of retired racing greyhounds a labor of love, however the problematic situation we face now requires more than love. It requires funding.

Will PETA, HSUS, and Grey2K step up and pay for the damage they created? They spearheaded amendment 13 yet did not place any provisions into amendment 13 to ensure the safe transportation of every greyhound they fought to put out of a job. Will they donate to assist in the transport of the racing greyhounds that will be displaced by their actions?

Join me in insisting that these organizations that claim they did it "for the greyhounds" yet now that financial help is need, fail to actually help the dogs. They continue to bank millions of dollars of donations but offer zero funding to transport, care for and adopt out these wonderful greyhounds. 

PETA, HSUS, Grey2K, and all the Floridians who voted to pass Amendment 13 - Now is the time to step up and do as you claimed - care about the greyhounds. Put your money where you tell the world your heart is. Help the thousands of greyhound dogs that now need to get to adoption groups across the United States and Canada in order to be adopted into loving homes.

You can send your donations to:

Greyhound Pets of America – National

Attn: Amendment 13 Disaster Relief Fund

P.O. Box 40

Highlandville MO 65669

To those who supported Florida Amendment 13 and lobbied for its passage - are you aware that a transport haul of 40 greyhounds can cost $3000 to $5000. Do you care that the Daytona and Sanford Orlando tracks will be closing in the next few months? Do you even care that now others will have to somehow scrimp and beg for the funding to transport these greyhounds to adoption groups? Do you even care at just these 2 tracks it may require upwards of 30 hauls, costing the charitable greyhound adoption organizations $120,000.00?

You got what you wanted. You brought about the end of live racing in Florida. You claim you did it for the greyhounds. Time to pay for what you have done.

Again, I promise that all funds will be used for the transportation, housing and care of each greyhound that PETA, HSUS, and Grey2K lobbied to put into this predicament.

Do it now. Do it for the greyhounds.

Rory S. Goree’

President

Greyhound Pets of America-National

#RonDeSantis

#Floridasenate

#Floridahouseofrepresentatives

#Florida

#Greyhoundpetsofamerica

#Greyhoundnation

Choices…………….

Did you know verbal assault is defined as?
•    Yelling
•    Lying
•    Name-calling
•    Insulting, swearing
•    Withholding important information
•    unreasonably ordering around
•    Telling a person she or he is worthless or nothing but trouble

Sounds very unprofessional, huh? Certainly not something that an individual running greyhound event would do to a greyhound adopter, right?

Recently I was contacted by someone in the greyhound community who posted the following on social media: 

“The other day, after receiving an email from the other Greyhound event taking place next week, I sent an email back to them with a few general questions: Who were the speakers? What was the schedule for the speakers? Who were some of the vendors? What adoption groups were benefiting from the event? I also wanted to know if it was a family event where children could attend and if a person with a lifetime registration as a sexual offender would be present. I asked these questions previously on their Facebook page and in response I was kicked off their page. I did get a response this time, before being removed from the mailing list.
I felt I should share it with you:”

The person who asked is a greyhound adopter and volunteer as well as someone who donates funds and time to both greyhound and animal causes. This person is also female and did state her name and email address in the inquiry to the organization that runs the greyhound event in question.

Now take a moment to carefully read the response that was sent to the woman by the organization that runs this family friendly greyhound event and who's president and "public face" is an individual who is a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender registration: (please note -any and all spelling errors are left as they appeared in the original response)

"On Sep 29, 2016, at 6:05 PM, <admin@xxxx.org> <admin@xxxx.org> wrote:
Thank you for writing. It's rare to connect with such a hateful and ignorant person like you.
Not that you care, but we help greyhounds. We don't attack people or spread ignorance or hatred. Just not what we do.

We raise funds for greyhound adoption through holding greyhound events. We have run 18 successful events over the span of 11 years. We have raised over $100,000 for greyhound adoption. And we have done so with a perfect 100% safety record for all attendees. (Don't you hate facts like that? It's so hard to be ignorant!)
Now that said, because you are a selfish and ignorant troll, we know that none of these facts matters in the slightest to you.

So please, if you don't like our event or you don't like any of our volunteers or --what is more obvious -- you don't like yourself very much, please stay home. We won't miss you.
We have hundreds and hundreds of event goers who love greyhounds and support everything we're doing. So, please, crawl back under your bridge and spew your ignorance to those who will listen.

We don't care.
Good luck,
Admin"

Does anyone see a bit of irony that the "Admin" of an organization that runs family friendly greyhound events whose president is a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender registration makes the statement…

"We don't attack people or spread ignorance or hatred."

Yet proceeds to call a woman in the greyhound community "a hateful and ignorant person" and "a selfish and ignorant troll" in addition to telling the woman “you don't like yourself very much" and to "crawl back under your bridge and spew your ignorance".

So much for this organization taking the high road and not verbally attacking someone, huh?

There are still people in the greyhound community who attend and/or vend and/or support a group and/or individual who authorizes their "Admin" to send out such a missive. Well, that is their right and I can only guess they are proud to continue to have ties to such an organization and such an individual. Now perhaps these attendees and vendors and supporters might be able to inform the rest of us in the greyhound community exactly what amounts and exactly where this "over $100,000" is documented and can be accounted for? My math could be off but 100K over 18 event comes out to a bit over $5000 per event and this amount is supposedly divided up to the adoption groups that assist this organization which runs family friendly greyhound events, claims not to attack people or spread ignorance or hatred and is run by an individual who has lifetime sex offender registration as a result of a conviction of sexual assaults to children.

As this organization only files a 990N with the IRS and no information is available via the normally used, trusted verification sites for not-for-profit organizations, many are in the dark about the expenditures and if they might be a bit over the top. If an organizations bills or expenses far exceeds what is actually donated to individual greyhound adoption groups, perhaps those in the greyhound community would be wiser to send their donations and event registration fee amount directly to a greyhound adoption group they support rather than run donations thru a 3rd party event planner who offers no full financial accounting that anyone has ever put forward.

"Don't you hate facts like that?"

Second Chance or Ounce of Prevention……..

Why do we give our greyhounds heartworm medications? We do so to prevent them from getting heartworm and risking their health.

Why do we keep our greyhounds on leash? We do so to prevent our greyhounds from getting away and running into harm.

I recently heard an individual remark that a child molester who must register as a sex offender for life due to the conviction of molesting two innocent children should be given a "second chance". 

Which raised the question - shouldn’t potential future victims be given an "ounce of prevention"? 

The individual runs greyhound events that have minors present. (Please do not doubt this fact as there are photos that clearly show children at events this individual runs and also attends) A child molester who while out on bail molests a second child does not appear to be a trustworthy individual, and a child molester who when one reads the court and parole records is acting and conducting himself in same manners he did when he was caught is not someone to trust!

Would you trust and give a second chance to a significant other who molested your child?

Would you trust a neighbor who molested your child?

Would you trust a sport team coach who molested your child?

Would you trust a teacher who molested children?

Wouldn't you wonder how many children may have been molested but were too fearful to come forward?

Would you willingly allow your child or your wife or your girlfriend to be offered a ride by a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender registration? Perhaps you did not know of the sex crimes done by an individual however now that you do know, is a ride with such an individual really worth it? There have already been two recorded strikes. How many second chances are you willing to give?

Is your adoption program ready and willing to give a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender registration a second chance in exchange for a monetary donation that is given only if you work...excuse me, volunteer to work at an event run by such an individual? The care and placement of ex-racing greyhounds is of utmost importance to me as it should be to all in the greyhound adoption community however exactly what are you willing to turn a blind eye to in order to receive a donation?

You say give the individual a second chance but tell me what do you say to children who have been raped, who have been molested, who have endured a childhood of hell due to sexual assault? You say people change but if you knew nothing of the individual previously how can you honestly say such a person has changed when you know nothing about them? You say that was a long time ago, yet are you sure? You preach that anyone who adopts a greyhound must be a good person.  Do you also feel that someone who is aroused by children is a good person?

Just as we give our greyhounds an ounce of prevention, the children and women of our community deserve the same. Those whose lives have been forever altered by sexual assault never get a second chance at innocence. 

So whats it going to be?

Live By The Contract.

As a consultant I deal with contracts. Every job requires a detailed contract which is not just for the client’s protection but equally for my own protection. Contracts outline expectations for all involved and spell out reasons that a contract may be cancelled and they also detail the scenario should one of the parties need to exercise legal rights as agreed upon in in the contract, such as where it will be litigated and who will be responsible for expenses of winning party.

Remembering my first greyhound adoption contract, I read it not just on adoption day but referred back to it several times to ensure I was in compliance with what I signed. I cared deeply for my greyhound Anna Marie and never wanted to bring harm to her by acting stupidly and violating the contract I signed and agreed to abide by. It is something that I still do to this day each time I sign a greyhound adoption contract.

Events and situations of the last year have left me wondering if we suddenly have a culture of greyhound adopters who think they are entitled to willfully violate the terms of a contract they signed. Are they merely paying lip service to rules and guidance set by experienced greyhound adoption groups to ensure the safety and well-being of the greyhound they place? As the saying goes, stupid is as stupid does and willfully violating the adoption contract is not only stupid, it reveals an extreme lack of respect and understanding of the greyhound they have contractually agreed to be responsible for.

Some may say I’m biased in this view because I was once part of the Greyhound Pets of America (GPA) family.

No, not bias at all...unless there are those that would feel that being respectful and grateful to those who do a job that is often times lacking in respect and gratitude is a bad thing. The nationwide volunteers of GPA not only do wonderful things for ex-racing greyhounds with no financial compensation or receiving a salary, they also from time-to-time have to do what is morally right for the greyhounds they have placed, even if the social media mavens chastise them.

If you don’t like it when a volunteer has to stand up to ensure the protection and well-being of an adopted greyhound by enforcing the terms of a signed contract, perhaps it is time to get off Facebook and get into the day-to-day adoption trenches so that you can learn that the enforcement of a signed adoption contract is not an opening to harass adoption volunteers simply because you and friends think you are above any contract that you sign nor is it an action that an adoption group takes willy-nilly and without legal counsel.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day

Today is just another day.

Every day a mother’s child is a victim of sexual assault. Communities notify their residents when a sexual predator is in the area. National databases do their best to contain information about individuals who are registered sex offenders. Yet there could be a child molester who has lifetime sex offender registration within 50 feet of your child ~ at a family-friendly event, at a church, at a national park. People around you may already know and do not bat an eye as they feel if the pedophile has done their time there is no concern and feel no need to share the information because they feel your children are not at risk. Yet what mother is will knowingly allow their child to stand next to a pedophile, a convicted child molester, a lifetime registered sex offender? What mother would not be mortified to learn that the past of a convicted child molester was kept hush-hush by friends just so the party could go on?

Imagine how wonderful Mother’s Day would be if every mother knew that every child would never be the victim of sexual assault?