TBT – as greyhound event season gets ready to kick into high gear let us not forget we have a “stain” that still needs to be washed away!

http://rorygoree.blogspot.com/2015/11/an-open-letter-to-greyhound-suckers.html

Adoption Contracts - Time for a legal review.........

A bit of background info for today’s blog:

A chapter of Greyhound Pets of America who is currently being harassed and being subjected to social media character assassination by an adopter who has no compunction about ignoring one of the basic rules of greyhound adoption - keep on lead in an unenclosed area - but also common sense of pet ownership - keeping a collar with identification on your dog and having your dog micro chipped. The most difficult thing to understand is why this individual failed to contact the adoption group any of the times his dog got loose and went missing. Yet because the adoption group felt the need to take possession of the dog after its last escape, this adopter is mounting an all-out assault on the GPA-Chapter and its membership, other GPA chapters as well as GPA National all because this adopter failed to follows the rules in the adoption agreement that he willingly signed. And while the greyhound has been returned to this adopter, the hateful attacks have not stopped by the adopter and his supporters who also do not seem to understand the correct care of an ex-racing greyhound so much so that one supporter feels that all the greyhounds shown on Facebook's Greyhound Amber Alert may well be greyhounds that have been stolen from adopters by the greyhound adoption groups.

Time for a legal review……

Several years ago an adopter got arrested and spent some quality time in jail. Upon entering jail this adopter turned over her greyhound to a local shelter. The greyhound adoption program that originally adopted the greyhound to her was able to retrieve the greyhound from the shelter. Upon exiting jail the adopter wanted her greyhound back and sued. I was named in the lawsuit, as at the time I was Greyhound Pets of America’s National President. I had no problem getting myself removed from the lawsuit, thanks to some excellent counsel, but it still required me spending time to show up for court appearances and also legal fees.

The eventual outcome of the case was not what I expected. After all, the group had a signed adoption agreement with the adopter. The court ended up ruling in the jailbirds favor.

We all love our greyhounds, and greyhound adoption volunteers want to do what’s best for the greyhounds. Often times that love can lead to rash decisions that later cause legal headaches.

Now would be a good time for every adoption program to have counsel review documents, and then discussions on how to enforce said documents. Trust me, it is a lot cheaper to discuss with counsel now, than to have counsel try and right the wrongs at the end. It is also safer for the greyhounds if you are using approved legal documents with knowledge of how to enforce those documents.

If I was still on the front lines of greyhound adoption, the lessons I’ve learned in year’s past would have me letting counsel do all the communicating with a problem adopter that is violating the adoption agreement. Of course that would only be after I had counsel review all contracts and advice group on how it can or can’t be enforced.

Every day we have lessons to learn and if we do not take the time to learn from them, we are not doing what we envisioned to do for the greyhounds.

Many moons ago in simpler time’s greyhound adoption were fairly easy for both group and adopter. Yet even back then the best of intentions was not enough as one group learned a very hard lesson. An adoption rep decided to stop by and visit with an adopter and to their horror discovered the address on the adoption application was bogus. A few greyhounds had disappeared and their whereabouts unknown. It has been speculated that the person was getting greyhounds to sell to research facilities.

The group established safeguards to prevent such incidents in the future and out of those changes came the home visit. Today we have many other tools available that at that time were not available to check on an adopter’s claim of address. Be not mad at failure. Be mad if you fail to learn from the failure and make a difference going forward.

We owe it to the greyhounds to do it right so I encourage all groups to have that discussion with counsel before it’s too late for a greyhound or you end up racking up some serious unwanted legal bills that would crush the financial stability of your adoption program.

I think probably the most important forum that should be held at every adoption event should be guidelines for doing it right for our greyhounds here at home. As each year many, many ex-racing greyhounds are in need of being placed in forever homes this is, in my opinion, far more important that hearing about the fate of the galgos in other countries which seems to be dominating focus of greyhound events. Yes, the galgos plight is not a happy one but right now in the United States not only is their greyhound waiting for homes but also thousands of pets in animal shelters and puppy mills who need our attention and assistance.

The greyhound community has some great legal minds as well as many who have lead their adoption groups through successful legal encounters and I'm sure they would be more than willing to participate in forums to help the greyhound community do it right. We owe it not only to our past, present and future greyhound but to the unpaid and unsung volunteers across the country who do the right thing each and every day so that you can adopt an ex-racing greyhound.

Less Drama - More Cold Hard Facts…….

We all know the “humane advocate protectors” like to make claims about injuries, cite accounted for greyhounds as missing, and even stories of removing greyhounds from track with their own hands yet they never ever follow up with any hard facts.

Many like to call them out as liars, yet when anyone connected to the racing industry could clearly expose the lies of the “humane advocate protectors” lying, there is silence. If we truly want the industry to survive, there should be no silence, no vague answers, no clamming up. If you have the cold hard facts, if you know the truth about something, if what you know will help a dog from being used as an anti-racing propaganda tool by the “humane advocate protectors” or ensure the safety of a greyhound or greyhounds and you can debunk the lies and end their charade, you need to step up and do the right thing.

When faced with the cold hard facts that cannot be disputed, the ongoing lies of the “humane advocate protectors” will crumble.

So when a “humane advocate protector” makes a claim about personally pulling a greyhound (or three) off a track, not only ask for further data but be ready to show that the “humane advocate protector” is not telling the truth with cold hard facts.

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.

An open letter to the greyhound “suckers”

Dear supporters and defenders of a convicted child molester with lifetime sexual registration who declares their "job" as an event coordinator -

Did you know that the greyhound community has many members who themselves are victims of molestation? Did you know that many members of the greyhound community have family members and or friends who are victims of child molestation? Did you know supporting and defending a convicted child molester reflects not only on you but the group you represent and or your business? Did you realize by defending a convicted child molester you are smacking hundreds of volunteers, donors, adopters, and customers in the face?

The People of The United Methodist Church, overseers of a church site where a recent greyhound event was held, have the following statement about convicted child molesters on their website:

“Recent studies suggest a low likelihood that pedophiles can or will change. Without extensive professional treatment, virtually all child sexual offenders will re-offend. Repentance, prayer, and pastoral support, always in combination with lifelong professional treatment, can be crucial in helping to change behavior but, in themselves, offer slim hope of changing the behavior of perpetrators.”

For those of you who are defending a convicted child molester, did you know the greyhound community has several donors, adopters, volunteers and shoppers who have children? Can the supporters of a convicted child molester (and honestly, everyone knows who you are) beyond a shadow of doubt say that even if a convicted child molester is watched that they are not getting aroused when seeing the child or children of one of our donors, adopters, volunteers and shoppers?

Do you support a convicted child molester because they have asked you to “suck” it by giving you money or offering free perks at events or even sending you presents?  Who cannot find crimes against a child disgusting? Who would knowingly be socialize with a individual who  entered the room where a victim was sleeping, pulled her legs apart and rubbed their penis on the victim’s vaginal area. They then turned the victim over and did the same thing on the victim’s anal area and also inserted fingers in the victim’s vagina. A medical exam revealed a vaginal tear. The victim also indicated that the convicted child molester put “treats” on their penis and told the victim to suck it. Who would knowingly socialize with or welcome with open arms a convicted child molester at a family friendly greyhound event who did this to young girl(s) and very possibly still getting aroused when around young girls?

A convicted child molester has now ingratiated themselves in the greyhound community and wants you to “suck” it by defending him and saying no big deal or blaming others for this mess.

By your continued backing, embracing, idolization and happily taking the perks offered you are condoning and empowering a convicted molester with lifetime sexual registration. Are you proud of being viewed as a sucker?

The greyhound community as a whole needs to do the right thing and deny a convicted child molester the ability to have greyhound volunteers to “suck” it but more importantly the greyhound community needs to deny a convicted child molester the ability and opportunity to get aroused by the children in our community or in the host communities of greyhound events.

Contrary to what the supporters of a convicted child molester are spreading I’m not the one who started this. I am the one who a concerned and frightened individual came to and expressed outrage about a convicted child molester because they had done something that made this individual feel creepy and now scared. I promised this person I would assist in helping those wise enough to realize the harm a convicted child molester has done to children and the damage that will be done to the greyhound community if a convicted child molester is allowed to participate and have free reign at family friendly greyhound events so trying to paint me as a liar and gossip will not change my mind. 

What the greyhound community allows will continue. Your silence is your acceptance of a convicted child molester with lifetime sexual registration. It is up to you to ensure that he is not welcomed running or participating at any greyhound event or volunteering with any greyhound adoption program. 

That should be our promise to the victims and parents and children of the greyhound community.

Will you step up or just continue to be a “sucker”?

FYI - I've not forgotten about the "humane advocate protectors" and one should note they've been very silent on this issue - could it be they are also "sucker" - stay tuned.

Reflections on this Veterans Day…..

As we remember veterans today, I ask myself why I am who I am and what made me this way. I think back to all my shipmates from boot camp, A and C Schools at Corry Station and shipmates from Naval Security Group Sabana Seca, the world’s finest cruiser U.S.S Jouett (CG-29) and Naval Security Group Imperial Beach – each of you had an influence on my life. I not only thank you for service, I thank you for building me into the person I am today.

Thank you for being a shipmate and thank you for taking time from life to serve our country!

To all Veterans THANK YOU for service.

Rory

Who Do You Trust?

Who Do You Trust?

Since August I and many others have been made aware that a convicted child molester with lifetime registration as a sex offender is masquerading as a greyhound supporter, using the dogs and other people’s money to build up support. This individual committed acts of first degree sexual assault, not one but 6 counts on a 5 year old girl and a 7 year old while out on bail. Apparently not even the State could trust this individual to keep to himself while out on bail - why should we? This individual "owns" greyhound events that are attended by families that often include children and grandchildren and these events are in towns and locations where children can be and are present. Records indicate that this individual claims to be associated with many adoption groups and organizations in various states in a variety of capacities. Are these adoption groups and organizations aware that many areas have laws against convicted child molesters volunteering for or with anything?

There are those in the greyhound adoption community who have cried foul regarding the fact that concerned attendees of a recent greyhound event as well as local residents contacted the "official" site of a recent greyhound event to question the liability and voice concerns about having a convicted child molester at a location with a nursery/child care center, a Safe Sanctuary designation and a children's skate park. Why is it frowned upon by some when legal counsel strongly advised calls of notification and concern be placed? Yet there are those in the greyhound community who did not make calls, yet receive communications of intimidation. Does the assault on women continue in a different form?

While a percentage of the greyhound adoption community continues to embrace a convicted child molester, I wonder if they would do the same if a convicted child molester with lifetime registration moved next door to them or a family member. Have any of these individuals who would vouch for the safety of any child in the vicinity of a convicted child molester attended a community seminar offered by the department of corrections which offers instructions and addresses concerns to residents when a sexual predator moves into an area? These community seminars advise that a convicted child molester never be trusted near or allowed in the vicinity of children. One thing the department of correction does not say is that a convicted child molester is safe and the crimes against children are negated because a convicted child molester does volunteer work with greyhounds. But color me stupid as I guess the sages of the greyhound world know far more than professionals who deal with rapists, pedophiles and child molestation every day.

For those who continue to support the actions and behavior of a convicted child molester do you also support the social media declarations of such an individual stating that they would not be attending a recent greyhound event yet they did indeed attend? Would this be considered a lie to most people or because this is said in the greyhound adoption community lies are acceptable because an individual is involved with greyhounds? Before you answer do you also know that they made a declaration asking if we really expected "me to not show up?" Why yes, we really did. Or are we to gather that this is one lie in a sea of questionable behavior directed at the greyhound adoption community? 

I saw a number of children at the recent greyhound event. Who among the supporters of a convicted child molester are willing to possibly sacrifice the innocence of another child? Why are those that know the truth and facts about this individual being directed/advised to tone it down, to ignore the risk, to forget the past crimes but perhaps most of all that those who embrace, support and look up to a convicted child molester in the greyhound community not understand that this individual be the one to step away for the greater good of the dogs that we love.

I and many others will not waiver because the safety of children is just as important to us as the safety of our greyhounds.