It all started with Jackie

As we gear up for the Greyt Winter Festival on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Corbett’s, Tucson, where all proceeds will benefit Jackie’s Fund, I wanted to tell you a little bit about the fund and why it’s so important.

Jackie’s Fund was established in 2013 as an ongoing campaign to raise funds for greyhounds in our care that had extraordinary injuries or illnesses.

Back in the day, when the dog race tracks were open and active, we would receive a phone call asking if we would take a seriously injured hound. Of course, we said, “YES.” Jackie, as she was named, had a badly broken leg that required extensive and expensive surgery and subsequent vet care. The extraordinary vet care didn’t end with Jackie. By the end of 2016, Jackie’s Fund had covered more than $300,000 in veterinary care for seriously injured and ill greyhounds.

Fast-forward to today. While we do not routinely receive hounds that require extra vet care, we still maintain the fund when a hound with illness or injury comes our way. We never say no!

Take Bruce, for example. Bruce came to us from a previous owner who could no longer care for him. It was determined that Bruce had a condition preventing his lymphatic system from draining. SA Greys spent more than $20,000 to obtain treatment and surgery, enabling him to live a somewhat comfortable life. Although Bruce died last year, his presence brought joy to many people. He knew he was loved.

Greyhound dental expenses continue to be an issue. We all know how bad those greyhound teeth are. Tummy problems are another issue we run into on a routine basis. Jackie’s Fund enables us to properly diagnose and treat these deserving dogs.

As you can see, the days of broken legs and major injuries are mostly behind us. We still continue to care for each and every hound that comes into our care. We never say no.

Back to this year’s Greyt Winter Festival … We hope you will join us in celebrating our Greyhound stars and help us maintain Jackie’s Fund. There will be drinks, food, a silent auction, a Mardi Gras-style 50/50 cash raffle and the famous Greyhound Red Carpet Walk. You don’t want to miss it. You can register here.

Always moving forward,

Nancy