Karyn’s Corner
As I talk to more people who were a vital part of SA Greys in the early years and read old emails (I’m an email hoarder), I am so thankful that times have changed.
Everyone I talk to, who was involved in SA Greys in the beginning when greyhound racing was in our backyard in South Tucson, feels like a survivor. Why? Because of the ongoing necessity for hundreds of hounds to find forever homes and most importantly, to fundraise for the many injured. In 2013, there were 23 broken leg dogs in eight months! Jackie was not the first broken leg hound; she was the fifth in short succession.
I recently spoke to John Clark who was the catalyst for SA Greys. He was the first president from 2012-2014 and with his leadership and compassion, our foundation of attracting the best volunteers were the building blocks still apparent today. One amazing thing about John is – he never adopted a greyhound. He had horses and cats, but his wife was not a dog person. He also said that on his desk are photos of Cami, Indy and Jackson, three hard to place “spooks” who in time found loving forever homes. After his SA Greys involvement, he went on to volunteer for Pima Animal Care Center (PACC). Perhaps he will come to a meetup in the near future?
I asked John to pinpoint a special memory and he spoke about the late Jerry Tucker who was his friend and mentor and donated money to sustain Jackie’s Fund. In 2014, there was a campaign called Matchmaker Make a Match with a $10,000 match for broken legs and other beyond-the-pale injuries. Twelve years ago, a complex broken leg dog’s care could range from $2,500 to $5,000 with x-rays, surgery, medications and follow-up visits.
Fun Fact: The e-newsletter was called Greyt Flash with the sub-heading, Needle Nose News. Who remembers?
In 2014, aside from fundraising, fostering and outreach were of the utmost importance. Some of those events included a yard sale at Greyt Escape, tabling at Arts in the Plaza, Dogtoberfest, SAHBA Home Show, farmers markets, strutting in the Downtown Parade of Lights, a dog wash fundraiser open to the public, the Grey Party fundraiser at Café a la C’Art, as well as weekly meet and greets at Petco, PetSmart and monthly at Antigone Books. Volunteers had multiple opportunities for participation and they did so with gusto.
According to the 2015 Annual Report: Teamwork is the magic word.
There were 12 dedicated people working on adoption by handling home checks, doggie introductions and transporting dogs to the vets and forever homes; nine cat testers; and one small dog tester. Caryn Wood began doing home checks in the Phoenix area thus expanding our adoption area.
Intake: 105 dogs came from Tucson Greyhound Park, nine rebounds, one stray, three relinquished, and five greyhound mixes equals 123 hounds + 24 that were already in foster homes for a total of 147!
By year end, 113 were adopted with three pending adoptions. I think you had to be there, boots on the ground to appreciate the vast responsibilities. Operations Director Renee Bennett and Taryn Westergaard, board director at large, were thick in the trenches going to the track to pick up dogs (often the badly injured went directly to the ER vet) plus a myriad of other undertakings.
At the vet: 119 spay/neuter, dental procedures and microchips; 21 surgeries – 18 broken legs, ankles, toes; one splenectomy; five post-surgical follow ups; two wounds; the beginning of parasites; and more, plus medications.
Some of the major changes included: Boarding at Lazy Grey Ranch instead of the northwest kennel; switching to Briarcrest Veterinary Care Center under the oversight of Dr. Nausley, who provided SA Greys many discounts; receiving donations of new collars and leashes from Greyt Escape and dog food donations from Cody’s Friends.
I can’t exit 2015 without remembering a greyhound mix who was relinquished to PACC and on his way to the kill room when my friend Jessica observed this and contacted SA Greys. In Jessica’s honor, he was named Jesse’s Chance, received needed vet care and lived the rest of his life in a loving home. No hound left behind.
If I have forgotten to mention your involvement, please email communications@sagreys.org so we can connect. I don’t want to omit anyone. Go here for past installments.
Pictured above is ZigZag who suffered
a complex broken leg and extensive rehabilitation.
Karyn Zoldan volunteers on the communications and marketing teams.