BLACK 'GREY' FRIDAY FUNdraiser - PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS!

***Check out the contest Greyhound Pets of America is running on Facebook – go to Facebook then go to Greyhound Pets of America - National***

Hi, I'm a Black Greyhound and I need your help. There's a group out there called Greyhound Pets of America. If you haven't heard of them, check them out. They're pretty cool. They are volunteers and LOVE Greyhounds and would do anything for them. Because of this, I decided to solicit a bunch of my friends to help me raise money for them.

When discussing what we could do, one friend suggested a competition (you know how much we love to compete). My friends all think they are the "best dog ever". So, in the spirit of friendly competition, we decided to have our humans submit their favorite photo of us. YOU get to decide which one of us will hold the title of BEST BLACK GREYHOUND.

Check out all the photos below and vote for the one you feel best suited for the title of BEST BLACK GREYHOUND. My friends are listed in alphabetical order along with the group's name that helped them find their forever home.
Once you've decided on your favorite, click this link www.greyhoundpets.org and click on the DONATE button. For every dollar you donate, my friend and their group will get one vote. So, if you donate $10 that = 10 votes. The more you donate, the more votes my friend and their group will get.

When the competition is over, the dog with the most donations/votes wins the title of BEST BLACK GREYHOUND and their group along with Greyhound Pets of America will split the donations. It's a win-win for all.

The contest runs from 11/24 (Black Friday) at 7:00 a.m. to 11/27 (Cyber Monday) at 11:00 p.m. EST.

Please help us help our friends at Greyhound Pets of America.
Sincerely,
A Black Greyhound

Greyhound Pets of America is a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible as permitted by law. Your PayPal or Credit Receipt is proof of donation.

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.

I Am Done Hiding – Part I

I have been once again contacted by an individual in the greyhound community who shared their heartbreaking story of childhood sexual assault and has asked me to share it with my readers. This story pulls no punches. It is not easy to read. Both my wife and I cried after reading it. This story shows the trauma, the pain of an abused child and also exactly how a child molester can and does alter the life and rob the innocence of the children they molest.

I Am Done Hiding - Part I

My story and survival begins before I was born.

My biological mother was an alcoholic, RX drug addict, and had a life threatening auto immune disease. Due to a blood transfusion, she contacted Hepatitis B. I know my mother did not want me. I survived medications that were supposed to make her miscarry me. Then I survived a saline abortion. I was due November 28^th, but was born Aug 3^rd.

My mother was in the hospital until I was six years old due to her auto immune disease. Sometimes she was able to come home for a weekend, sometimes not. My grandmother raised me and took care of her mother as well. My great-grandmother was Cherokee and we spoke our language until she passed. Soon after her passing my grandmother met a preacher and they began a common law marriage. This preacher forbid us speaking anything but English, and it was quickly learned that being anything but Caucasian was severely shameful. My hair, once black as night and down to my ankles, was cut short and dyed red. The preacher loved the movie “Annie” and said I looked like her. I cried. I hated that movie. I still do.

My grandmother worked near her house and allowed me to go home to fix a sandwich or watch cartoons rather than stay the full day at her work with her. One particular day, the preacher was home.

I was six years old the first time I learned about sex. I had bruises all over from trying to get away. I still remember hurting so much. My mom was home that weekend. She came to pick me up that evening. When I told her what had happened... well... I would like to tell you that he was arrested. I can't. Instead, I'm here to speak the truth. I was slapped hard enough that I got a black eye. My mother dragged me to my grandmother and the preacher and I was forced to tell them the “lie” I had told her and made to apologize for lying. That was the beginning of eight years of repeated rape by the same preacher. My only friend at the time, a Doberman, once tried to protect me. I was eight and had enough that day of the preacher and yelled at him. He grabbed me by my throat and threw me through the kitchen window. My grandmother witnessed it, but she only focused on my Doberman attacking the preacher. I remember her coming out to the porch and fussing at me that it was my fault for starting it, all the while pulling glass out of me. I still bear those scars on my back and arms. My Doberman was killed the next day by the preacher, and everything got much worse. I would go to school petrified of not knowing if he would be the one picking me up from school. It was nothing uncommon for me to have severe stomach ulcers from stress. I did my best to stay with my grandmother, but he would find reasons that I needed to go back to the house, and I was forced to go.

I never bothered telling my mom about the neighborhood boys. What difference would it have made that three boys pushed me off my bike and dragged me into the woods.

When I was twelve, my biological mother had a friend and insisted that I become her daughter's friend. I was never interested in either of them, but my mother insisted. She insisted one day we go to some family gathering of her friends. That night I found out why I was forced to go. I wasn't worth what my mother sold me for. As she sat getting high and drunk, I was gang raped by eight men. Of course it was all my fault. My mother being a psychiatric nurse was good at mind games. For years, I believed it was my fault.

The first time I went to see a gynecologist he was startled to see the internal (in addition to external) damage I had. I was told I would never be able to conceive or give birth to children. Never. Yet again, this was all my fault. Yet again another reason for my mom to hit me.”

Part II will be posted 6/23/17

The Lasting Scars of Child Molestation

I recently received communication from a member of the greyhound community who chose to share their story of childhood sexual assault and granted me permission to share their words. I am once again humbled and honored to be trusted in such a way.

Greyhounds have been a part of my life for 24 years and the knowledge that an individual who is a lifetime registered sex offender and convicted child molester is embraced/supported/admired in the greyhound community continues to sicken me especially after reading accounts as I am about to share with you, knowing that women, men & children with histories much the same are also part of the greyhound community and attend greyhound or sighthound related events, often having to come face to face with an individual known to them to be a child molester who must register for life as a sex offender due to the severity of the crimes.

If after you finish reading my blog, you are able to utter phrases like - "I don't care, it wasn't me or my child" or "the individual served his time" or "as long as the individual helps greyhounds, it does not matter that they sexually abused children" - I pity you and fail to understand how you show such little regard for children yet profess to be willing to do "anything to protect greyhounds".

These are the words of someone in the greyhound community that is most likely known to many of you. Someone who truly helps the dogs.

"I wanted to comment about your informative posts regarding the sex abuser. When I was a child, I was molested repeatedly by 2 older brothers.

The molestation started when they were teenagers, and continued after they reached the age of 18. With today's openness and awareness of sexual abuse, these 2 molesters, had this molestation happened today, would have likely severed prison time and had to register as sex offenders. But this happened in the 1970's.

My molesters are free to live their lives, while I carry deep, deep scars that will forever be painful. I appreciate you making people aware of this abuser’s history so hopefully parents can take steps to protect their children from him.

The molestation I suffered was painful. But far more painful to me are the decades since, where I see (on Facebook) pictures of my molesters among other family members...all smiling together. It feels like a huge slap in my face that people who know what these two did to me not only accept my molesters, but share photos of them together smiling, and it shows up on my Facebook page. I fear I will always be their victim. So... thank you for sticking up for the victims whose lives are forever scarred by this man.

I recognize that this man has "done his time", but parents need to be aware of him so they can protect their children. I also want to point out that parents need always be on guard, because not all molesters have been caught and identified publicly. My molesters go to church most Sundays and may seem like decent people. They are not. Please watch your children and trust no one. Family members and adults who should be able to he trusted with your children (teachers, priests, other clergy, scout leaders, etc.) are often the perpetrators. If you care to share my message, you have my permission. Please keep my name private however.... Again, thank you for taking a stand to protect children."

Proof that testosterone turns female greyhounds into males……………

The “humane advocate protectors” have been busy making claims that a low dose of testosterone turns female greyhounds into male greyhounds.

I’ve personally researched this subject and have found proof that indeed they just might be correct.....or is it they haven’t a clue?

"humane advocates protectors" unable to tell difference between a female and male greyhound

Happy New Year’s: Duh Moment #3

Before you see duh moment #3 check out moments 1&2 

Another “duh” moment from the ones who claim to know all about the greyhounds…….Posted April 13th, 2016

“Duh” moment #2 (of many) from the “humane advocate protectors”……..Posted April 15th, 2016

It sure seems like the “humane advocate protectors” and friends have one thing in common – they lie and haven’t a clue what they are talking about. Scary thing is some politicians are not bright enough to know better and accept what this ilk spews and base legislation on the lies!

Save the greyhounds – ban the “humane advocate protectors” and friends from influencing any legislation because if they can't tell the difference between a whippet and a greyhound, how can they speak for the greyhounds?

Kari Young

Sad News from the AAGI Family (Arizona Adopt A Greyhound Inc.)

It is with great sadness we announce that our director and friend, Kari Young,

passed on from this life Christmas morning while surrounded by her husband, Bill

and her daughters, Shauna and Chris.

Kari served as the director of Arizona Adopt a Greyhound, Inc. for sixteen years.

She steered AAGI through the closing of the Phoenix Greyhound Park and

through the Tucson track closing. Through her long involvement in the greyhound

community at large and her reputation as an individual with “sterling integrity,” she

set up an arrangement with a California adoption group enabling us to continue

our work helping greyhounds in need of homes.

As many of you are aware, in March of 2013, Kari had a double lung transplant,

and came back stronger than ever. The second week of November of this year

Kari went back on oxygen. At the beginning of December, she was admitted to

the hospital to determine the cause of her increasing breathing difficulty. It was

diagnosed as full blown lung rejection, and she was admitted into Hospice care at

home. The past three weeks saw a rapid progression of the disease. She

originally wanted to be the one to tell volunteers and the AAGI community at large

what was happening but was unable to do so.

About a year ago, Kari set up a team responsible for a variety of functions

including events, fostering, adoptions, nails, administration, etc. None of that will

change, we can assure you. With the help and support of wonderful people like

you, AAGI will continue to do good work finding forever homes for retired

greyhounds for many years to come. AAGI will continue in service to the

hounds as Kari intended it should.

There will be a memorial service at Tempe’s Desert Palms United Church of

Christ in a couple of weeks. The date is not yet set, but another email of the time

and address will be sent, and we will post it on the website as well. Kari wanted

the greyhounds to be present but they are not allowed in the sanctuary, so we

may hold a secondary ‘ROO’ at another time or place. Keep checking the website

for details.

Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated and needed at this difficult time.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Rebecca Spellman

rebecca@arizonaadoptagreyhound.org

4807344461

Cards may be addressed to:

Bill Young

5060 W Chicago Circle S.

Chandler, AZ 85226

Or:

AAGI

P O Box 63033

Phoenix, AZ 85082

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?"

Excuse #1 - They have paid their debt to society.

Many in the greyhound community say that a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender registration has paid their debt to society and the individual's molestation of two innocent children was a long time ago. 

Actually the individual is still paying on that debt to society in the form of being required by law to register for life as a lifetime sex offender due to the sexual assault of two innocent children. And while not all child molesters are required to register for life, it is only those who commit the most serious assaults and who experts in the judicial system, law enforcement and child protective services believe to be a lifetime risk. If an individual is required to register for life as a sex offender, why are there some in the greyhound community who feel this is nothing to worry about?

Will board of directors of organizations, and in particular a board on which such an individual sits and who have personal responsibility for this individual, be warning all attendees and hosting establishments of such an individual's presence so that all attendees and hosting establishments at such events are given full disclosure, much the same as communities do when a registered sex offender moves into a city or town, in order to make attendees and local residents in the area aware of the liabilities and risks?

The excuse is moot. A debt to society is still owed and the community has a valid and existing reason to know about an individual that may be standing beside them and their families at family friendly greyhound events.

***If you liked this blog, you may want to also read this entry.***

http://rorygoree.blogspot.com/2016/04/before-you-hit-enter-key.html

Excuse #1 - They have paid their debt to society.

Many in the greyhound community say that a convicted child molester with lifetime sex offender registration has paid their debt to society and the individual's molestation of two innocent children was a long time ago. 

Actually the individual is still paying on that debt to society in the form of being required by law to register for life as a lifetime sex offender due to the sexual assault of two innocent children. And while not all child molesters are required to register for life, it is only those who commit the most serious assaults and who experts in the judicial system, law enforcement and child protective services believe to be a lifetime risk. If an individual is required to register for life as a sex offender, why are there some in the greyhound community who feel this is nothing to worry about?

Will board of directors of organizations, and in particular a board on which such an individual sits and who have personal responsibility for this individual, be warning all attendees and hosting establishments of such an individual's presence so that all attendees and hosting establishments at such events are given full disclosure, much the same as communities do when a registered sex offender moves into a city or town, in order to make attendees and local residents in the area aware of the liabilities and risks?

The excuse is moot. A debt to society is still owed and the community has a valid and existing reason to know about an individual that may be standing beside them and their families at family friendly greyhound events.

***If you liked this blog, you may want to also read this entry.***

http://rorygoree.blogspot.com/2016/04/before-you-hit-enter-key.html

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?

Mirror Mirror.........

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to discuss greyhound adoption efforts with adoption officers from another country.  It was a privilege to convey to them my experience of running local adoption programs and also a National organization for 17 years then top it off with my current views/experience as a regulator.
Watching the first storm of the monsoon season roll through the Valley of the Sun I thought about my discussion with them regarding home visits and how that came about. We hear the term often in greyhound adoption but many may not realize how it came to be.

Years ago a person adopted a couple of greyhounds.  This was back in the day when we tried to move as many as we could; we knew we couldn’t get them all. The group that adopted these greyhounds out happened to be in the neighborhood of the adopter and thought, hey let’s stop in and see how the greyhounds are adapting.  As it turns out the address was bogus and with a little further investigation it was found out that the adopter just acquired the greyhounds so they could sell them for research.

The term “home visit” was from that point on a term that would live forever within the greyhound community. It started out as a way to protect the greyhounds and grew into a tool to help determine the suitability of a home and match the right greyhound for the home.

Over the years the community has grown and done many things to protect the greyhounds, but one item is severely lacking – the checks on ourselves.

We’ve concentrated so much on the greyhounds that we forgot to look in the mirror. We automatically accept an individual with an adopted greyhound as a good person without knowing anything about them. We "know" them from reading about them on the internet or they are our "friends" because they are in some way a part of the greyhound community. Yet they are also convicted rapists or convicted child molesters or have life time sex offender registration. If we had paid just as much attention to ourselves as we do potential adopters these disgusting individuals would have not been able to weasel themselves into our community and use the good will of our community to prop themselves up and solicit praise. Committing serious and heinous crimes against women and children is not the norm and should never be brushed under the carpet in exchange for having adopted a greyhound.

Something to consider - if during a home check it was found out that the adopter was a convicted child molester or someone with lifetime sex offender registration, would you place a greyhound with such an individual, knowing the percentage and likelihood that such types assault animals? If you said no, would you also continue to welcome and condone such individual’s participation in our family friendly community being next to children, women and yes even be near our dogs? Over the years many have found fault with the greyhound racing industry and with some of the individuals involved with it, but do you even think for once a convicted child molester would easily get a license to train greyhounds or operate a kennel having to go thru state background checks and licensing procedures?

It is time the community takes a look in the mirror and gets serious about ourselves the same we do about potential adopters.

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.

TBT - Shipmate

Shipmate

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?

"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.