Common Sense………..

We often hear people ask "Whatever happened to common sense?".

Thinking about common sense in the greyhound world one may ask - Why don’t “humane advocate protectors” and those who care about racing greyhounds get along? What happened to common sense?

In order to have common sense people must have something in common. While one might say greyhounds are what is in common, I disagree. “Humane advocate protectors” use greyhounds to lay the ground work for their true objectives - a world free of gambling, a world that is 100% vegan, a world where animals have the same legal rights as humans and perhaps most disturbing, a world free of any animals as pets.

Many “humane advocate protectors” have an effortless way to earn a living. You do realize your donations pay the salaries of “humane advocate protectors”, don't you?  How easy it is to use a greyhound to tug at the publics financial heartstrings so that they keep hitting that donate button allowing the “humane advocate protectors” to lobby and wine and dine whoever they need to in order to push their agenda and depriving greyhound adoption programs - the true individuals who help ex-racing greyhound find homes - of much needed financial support which truly is 100% for the greyhounds. 

To deny or reject what a greyhound is and their history is not something one does if they truly love the breed. 

Can the “humane advocate protectors” have common sense if they cannot love the greyhounds for what they are as well as what they have been? How can they claim to know what is best for greyhounds if they do not have hands on experience with all aspects of greyhounds? 

As with a good marriage or a good relationship, success comes from mutual love, mutual understanding and a mutual willingness for give and take in order to make things better for a common goal. That's simply common sense. But if one side looks only to destroy what exists or demand the other side to all things "their way", what sense does that make?

Perhaps if the “humane advocate protectors” made the effort to understand and love the greyhound, we would all have something in common.

What’s in a Name…….

Name recognition is a number one item for many corporations and politicians. In the greyhound world, it is equally important. Greyhound Pets of America for instance has built up a name recognition over the years as being a leader in greyhound welfare, placement and speaking truthfully. Under the Greyhound Pets of America banner over 90,000 ex-racing greyhounds have found homes.

Greyhound Pets of America is also commonly called GPA and has been known by and associated with those letters since 1987.

While it is understandable that in the course of 30 years, several GPA chapters have broken away to be independent adoption groups, it may come as a shock to some of you that many of these newly independent groups who have voluntarily left the GPA family have chosen new group names oddly similar to Greyhound Pets of America who's initials condense to GPA, thus causing an unknowing public to think that they follow the same standards, accountability, honesty, financial responsibility and actions as the true GPA chapters. Why it is almost like these groups who no longer wish to be part of the GPA family still wish to be viewed as, thought of and referred to as "GPA" by the donating and adoption public. Seems a bit deceptive.

So, the next time a group tells you they are "GPA", do yourself a favor and verify that they are indeed a true, original GPA and not a group coyly presenting themselves as GPA in an attempt to fool the unknowing into thinking they are still a part of an organization they chose to leave.

I Am Done Hiding – Part II

You may tire of reading how I feel that the individual running and participating in family friendly greyhound events who is a lifetime registered sex offender and convicted child molester must step away from the greyhound adoption community and those adoption groups and greyhound vendors who enable this individual should also be boycotted. Some of you do not agree with me but after reading both parts 1 & 2 of the story of a fellow member of our greyhound community written in their own words, a person many of you know and have had involvement with, if you still feel the need to support/condone/embrace a registered lifetime sex offender and convicted child molester as part of the family friendly greyhound community please comment on this blog using your real name and tell the world why such a person should be celebrated in the greyhound community now that you know what far too many in the adoption community have suffered at the hands of child molesters, sex offenders and sexual deviates.

I am now an adult.

I am expected to just get over this.

I am expected to forgive and forget.

Please tell me how. Please.

How do I forget ropes digging into my wrists and being beaten until my legs bled because it was a turn on?

How am I to forget hair being yanked out of my scalp for not doing something right?

How am I to forget shirts shoved in my mouth to shut me up or choked until I passed out, only to wake up to the preacher on top of me?

How am I to forget eight grown men doing what they did for hours on end all night long as I cried and begged them to stop and begging to die?

How do you forget?

Easy.

One whole bottle of Tramadol, one whole bottle of Vicodin, a bottle of Oxycontin, a bottle of Percocet and washing them with two bottles of Jose Cuervo.

But what do you do when God says NO, YOU'RE TO LIVE. Well, that I can answer. You live. And you sit here writing this between tears. You can't forget. 

You look at other people's children, and you cry “That will never be you”. You deal with men not wanting to date you or marry you because you can't give them children.

You give up on life.

You give up.

And you're picked up. Through Christ, I've found my way.

It's not easy but I'm here. I'm here to tell my story. To tell others that they can overcome this too

That doesn't mean forgetting.

So does someone who attacked a child deserve to be forgiven? True, Christ says to forgive. However in our day we have laws and those laws say to protect. Those laws are made to protect others against those who do something so horrible that they are designated a lifelong offender. I'm a victim of someone who should have been. I'm a victim of those of you who look the other way. I'm a victim of those of you who say a person is changed and good. You don't have to live with waking up in the middle of the night screaming because you're petrified someone just woke you up choking you. You don't live with having PTSD. You don't have to live with severe anxiety. No, you don't.

You look the other way and choose to see a monster as being a wonderful person. Good for you.

But I'm supposed to “get over it”? Ok. I will.

Will you take away my memories?

Will you heal my insides and allow me to have my own children?

Will you heal the other scars on my body?

No. You can't.

I'm almost 39 years old. I still wake up screaming to this day. I can't see anything on TV  even remotely like what I endured or I have flashbacks for days on end. I'm there again. I feel the belt. I feel the preacher ripping my insides out. I feel the beating. I feel the pain... the blood…the humiliation. I hear the yelling that it was my fault. I caused this. I provoked this.

Tell me how as a six year old girl, I forced a grown man, a Baptist preacher, to tie me up, beat me until I bled and rape every part of my body until I passed out and continue doing it until he felt he was done? Explain to me how I caused this? What did I ever do?

So tell why are you standing up for someone who harmed innocent children? Are you not interested because it does not involve you? What if it were your child? You wouldn't ignore them, would you?

I am part of your world. I've walked beside many of you, talked to you and had meals with you. I've been taught to be ashamed of my past. To hide it. Never speak of it. It's taken me over thirty years to discover there are those who fight for those of us who are innocent.

I'm done hiding in the shadows. I'm done hiding behind closed doors and closed minds. I'm done with abusers getting away with it or being allowed to lie about it or having others say “he’s okay because it was years ago”.   

It's been over thirty years for me, too and I have to live with this the rest of my life.

I am done hiding behind the curtain of shame. This is me. This is my story. This is my book of life. God helped me overcome this so I can help others, and I can't do that when I still hide.

So I'm standing up. No more shame.

I am Jennifer Boswell.

I am the director of the Alabama Greyhound Rescue And Adoption Center.

I am a survivor.

I'll be here to protect others like me who didn't know where to go, what to do, or how to heal.

Memorial Day 2016

Many gave their lives so that we could live ours. We designate a day to reflect on those brave men and women but let us not reflect one day, let it be every day. Let’s remember what they died for and live our lives each and every day fighting for those who our fallen heros died for. Let us also not forget the families of those who died and fight each and every day to ensure the families of our fallen are protected and taken care of, let us fight each day to ensure the health of our service members are a priority.

Let us respect each and every one of those who the brave died for and work to protect all.

Over the years I’ve spent a great deal of time in the greyhound community, as that time comes to an end in the near future, I’m dedicating myself to helping families who have children that have been molested and will be using all political connections to strengthen laws locally and nationally. A national registry of sex offenders must be exact.

Children are the most precious wealth of our nation. They are the nation’s future and they are who we all need to protect in honor of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our nation as they protected us.

Thank you to all who served our great nation, In the decade I served in the U.S. Navy, I served along side many that I came to consider friends and cannot thank them enough for the commitment they gave our nation.  We can never personally thank those who died for our nation but we can live our lives respecting and protecting that which they died for.

We have the power to live our lives daily showing respect for those who gave all for our country not just by designating a holiday for this purpose but by celebrating and respecting life daily by giving back to our communities, working to protect the less fortunate and ensuring that those who are in need of protection or help are given what they need.

This Memorial Day I pray for not just a day of rememberance but a year that we as a country show our graitude by honoring and remembering the brave by helping and protecting our children and those in need and showing respect for each other. I hope we live not to embarass the memory of our fallen but that we live each and every day honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Duh" moment #2 (of many) from the "humane advocate protectors"

Greyhounds Whippets are love……….

Today is the second of what is sure to be a continuing series that shows “humane advocate protectors”, self-proclaimed experts on greyhounds, are in fact not that savvy when it comes to greyhounds.

While stating to be “the largest greyhound protection organization” one would hope anyone making such a declaration would be able to tell the difference between greyhounds and whippets.

Apparently this is not the case. Recently seen on a “humane advocate protectors” social media offering:

It is becoming obvious that the “humane advocate protector” principals of this organization who supposedly have years of experience with greyhounds just aren’t understanding the breed they claim expertise on.

For those interested in seeing how 2 female greyhound weighing 50 pounds and 54 pounds fit on a 35” x 40” dog bed, I offer the following photo:

If “humane advocate protectors” who continue to herald themselves as experts on greyhounds do not even know the difference between a whippet and a greyhound 

(or even a male and female greyhound for that matter), one has to wonder what other “facts” trumpeted by these “humane advocate protectors” are nothing more than fiction.

Another "duh" moment from the ones who claim to know all about greyhounds.......

For years I’ve been preaching that the “humane advocate protectors” can’t be trusted. Well now I offer you proof that while they claim to be "all knowing" about greyhounds, to date, they can’t tell the difference between a male and female greyhound!

Hey “humane advocate protectors” I would be more than happy to offer you some instruction on how to tell the difference between a male greyhound and female greyhound so you don’t look so foolish saying a he is a she in the future!

Guessing the new board members just not bringing the "greyhound" experience they thought they would bring!

Pooping On Others

Ever consider that the candidate you feel is an idiot may be the candidate a friend supports? Would you walk up to friend and call them an idiot? Would you post a picture of your friend with dog pooping on them to get a laugh?

While I’m not a Trump supporter I have friends who are, friends who are in the greyhound community. I would never put a picture out of one of my greyhounds pooping on them or something they believe in or support. (actually I would never circulate a photo of one of my greyhounds pooping or vomiting as I feel it's degrading to the breed I love and respect)

Remember – not all of us believe and support the same things. That is no reason to go pooping on the views or political choices of others. And if you are going to go pooping on others, don’t hide behind a dog - show yourself in the photo pooping on others.

Why is Washington so dysfunctional? Well maybe it is because DC is mirroring society as a whole. A society that seems ok with pooping on others!  Poop is not the answer. It just ends up stinking. If we want to enact change we need to stop pooping on others and reach out, working together and realizing we will not agree on everything, 

If we work together with respect each other we will rid ourselves of the stench that surrounds us and enact that much needed change.

Do we know us……………..

Years ago the greyhound adoption community adopted the home visit as a standard to learn about the home and family life first hand in order to ensure greyhounds were adopted into good, safe homes. In reality the concept of the home visit started because a group adopted dogs to a “home” only to find out later the “home” was not a home but was a bogus address.

As time has gone by, debate about adding additional checks (example: background check, financial check, etc.) to the home visit.

What have we done, or should do, to ensure the self-proclaimed hero’s, leaders, volunteers in our organizations are on the up & up? Do we do anything to ensure the individuals we give our dogs to are indeed the good individuals they say or perhaps we determine the quality of the individual by their Internet persona? 

Would you place a greyhound with an individual who has a history of using animals for dogfighting?

Is it wise to elect an individual in the position of group treasurer if they have been fired from jobs due to embezzlement?

Can someone with an unaddressed drinking problem truly be able to evaluate the personality of a greyhound?

Should a convicted child molester run meet and greets or have any participation in family friendly greyhound outings?

If individuals are drug tested as a requirement of their jobs, shouldn't those in the greyhound adoption community or non-profit advocates who receive a salary or draw a salary from donations also be drug tested?

Are there ways to improve the knowledge obtained prior to placing a greyhound with an individual?

Will new procedures be enacted to make sure group volunteers and leaders have no criminal backgrounds that would present a liability to a group or event?

How can you claim to truly know everyone you have never met that you friend in social media?

What risks are you willing to take with someone you do not know?

 

Throwback Thursday – The “humane advocate profiteers”

Note –  If you are so inclined and feel you must donate to organizations that are out to destroy racing at any cost, may I suggest donating to an adoption program that states that they are anti-racing rather than making donations in any form to the “humane advocate protectors”. After all, it is better to give to a greyhound adoption group that shares your views about adoption and puts your donation to the cause it was given - the greyhounds. Be certain your donations truly assist greyhounds rather than organizations that use a lot of money on things that don’t actually contribute to the cause, unless the cause is for salaries and perks of the easy money “humane advocate protectors/profiteers" lifestyle.

"humane advocate profiteers/protectors" 1

"humane advocate profiteers/protectors" 1

Facts First................

The worst mistake of first contact, made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter, has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal.

~David Brin

Caring for Those Who Truly Care for the Greyhounds….

Yesterday (April 9) a tornado struck in Rochelle, Illinois totally destroying the home of a greyhound volunteer/adopter and one who has cared for her dogs and cats for years. Not only was her home destroyed, she lost a few of her pets in the tragedy.

The life of this greyhound lover has been turned upside down.  While we can’t undo the damage that was done by this tornado, we can help with the rebuilding process. 

A GoFundMe account has been set up for Emily Dickow. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. 

As a friend of Emily said ~ "Emily helps so many people and animals. She has such a huge heart"

gofundme for Emily

Thoughts and prayers with Emily and her family,

Rory

Boot Camp

In 1982 I joined the U.S. Navy and like all newbies I had to endure boot camp. My first shock was having my long curly hair shaved off with a few quick swoops of the clippers. Then the real work begins. Boot camp is a time where the company commanders take a bunch of individuals, ripped them raw and then once ready, the individuals are made more confident and stronger as they are built back up as a team. 

The most important single thing to know about boot camp is that it is 100% designed to remold civilians into team members. It places within them a sense that they are expected to do important things, far more important things than could be expected from other 18-year-olds and that they can accomplish important things working together - giving it their all, knowing they can count on each other.

Many good individuals are working to save the animals from groups and "charities" designated as domestic terrorists who masquerade as animal rights/animal protection organizations. Following are some agencies you should consider teaming up because in order to truly insure the care and safety of the animals and pets we care about, we need to tear down our individualism and build ourselves up as a team:

https://www.facebook.com/NationalAnimalInterestAlliance

https://www.facebook.com/StopHSUS

https://www.facebook.com/HumaneWatch

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Greyhound-Watch-USA/196280490442677

https://www.facebook.com/ILAHARA

https://www.facebook.com/PETAKillsAnimals