Hi AGR folks -

We are writing to give an update on Honey (now called Ella) who was adopted by us in late May. She is doing wonderfully. She loves being a part of our family! She runs with me every morning, a distance from 5 to 14 miles! She has fallen in love with our male collie/sheltie mix, Moxie as well. She gets to run on trails and in town, and periodically we go to a family ranch in Tubac where she runs off leash (and easily stays with us, no running away anymore - guess she wants to stay with us!). We feel very lucky to have her in our home. She is such a sweetheart. Thank you for bringing Honey (Ella) into our lives!

  --Sarah, Ben, Kip, and Moxie

Greetings  from  El  Paso, TX!

We had a great trip back home. The dogs, Ripple aka Sweetpea and Lance aka Loverboy, were great, We stopped a couple of times to let everybody stretch. Found out that Lance loves to do a little “covering up” (kicking up dirt) after he does his you-know-what. Lesson learned - don’t walk behind him!

After we got home the real surprise came for me. My older son, Chris is autistic and his favorite thing is to just kind of sneak away and immerse himself into his video games. Tuesday evening he told me, "Mom, I am going to spend some time with the dogs."

Both dogs are just a delight, absolutely perfect and adjusting very well to their new home and our schedule. They are great in the house. During the day however we are closing the doors to the bedrooms, or we will find some of our belongings in the backyard - the boys stuffed toys, shoes ….

In the evening we get this really stormy greeting and both of them are definitely ready for a good walk. They are very well behaved on the leash, so that even the boys can walk them. We have an elementary school just a few blocks away and we take them there for a walk around the track. The boys enjoy jumping though the sprinklers, while the dogs are just curiously watching these silly creatures they live with now.

Then it is back home for dinner and a snuggle session. At night they go from bedroom to bedroom to say good night to the boys and they finally end up with me at the side of my bed. It is just great to have these guys here and we are so grateful to the foster moms for having done such a wonderful job with them.

Everyone there was so helpful to us in picking our little pair. All the dogs were just sweet and we are happy to have been adopted by Ripple and Lance.

   --The Womack family : Chris, Sam and Gabi.

I think Pete tried to save my life last week, the day I brought him home. I went to great lengths to show him the pool steps in and out several times so he would know where they are if he ever falls in (I do this with all the dogs).  Then I showed him that I can swim in the pool, and he came RUNNING AT FULL SPEED AND LEPT INTO the pool before I could stop him !!  I never had that happen before.  I  think Pete is wonderful---he is a bit of Rin Tin Tin, Yukon King and Balto all in one gentle greyhound.

  --Ellen Arnold (Foster Parent)

When Doug and I first met with Phyllis, our adoption counselor, we discussed what type of grey we wanted. I was pretty positive that I wanted a smallish, laid back, female, quiet and easy going! We'd only been at this a week or so when Phyllis called all enthusiastic about a handsome male dog. We agreed to meet him and she brought him around to the house. This handsome black and white 'puppy' bounced into the house and proceeded to inspect every room. He poked his long nose into closets and the grandkids toy box. While we were chatting in the living room, he acquired a stuffed rabbit that the kids had given me one Easter. Spike marched it into the living room, dropped at my feet and laid down next to it as if to say: I'm home and this is mine! Of course he was home and the rabbit is absolutely his, along with numerous other stuffed and squeaky toys!

  --Marcelle Cox

 Rascal - now officially Edward but Eddie to all who know him - is such a super dog, and is now an indoor dog who goes on walks around the neighborhood every morning.  He is beloved by all who meet him and, of course, as the sweetheart that he is, he loves all the dogs and people he meets.  There is a large lizard (6" to 8" long) living in my back yard, who does not understand that chasing lizards is a grand game!  When Eddie first met the lizard, he jumped back and then flew up in the air about three to three and one-half feet.  This was a spring - all four feet went off the ground at the same time.  He did this twice.  Amazing.  I thought only Lipizzan horses could do that. One of his "funny" and endearing things is the following. He is fed twice a day after which he heads for the couch to wipe his muzzle off.  I have a quilt on the couch now.  

  --Linda Jacobsen

Hi, my name is Yuma. I was half-starved and lonely when I was rescued in a parking lot in Yuma, Arizona. AGR brought me to Tucson where I was fostered by Cindy Hall and her family. Then I went to my forever home with Shane. I'm doing great! Shane takes me for two walks every day, morning and evening. Sometimes we walk at the Rillito River. We go to the doggy park for a little socialization at least once a week where we play with a grey named Star and other dogs, too. Shane's son takes me on an occasional hike in the Catalinas. (We saw rabbits!). Shane gives me good things to eat like Gravy Train beef nuggets with my kibble, dog treats dipped in peanut butter, cornbread and milk, and my personal favorite, cottage cheese. She has a big back yard, and I provide watch dog services. Shane bought me a new bed, but it smells like gerbils so I don't sleep on it because I think it would be undignified for me to smell like a gerbil. The only disagreement that Shane and I have is that I think I should be able to sleep on her bed.. (I'm wearing her down.) All in all, life here in Tucson is much better than on the street in Yuma.

  --Yuma, the honorary greyhound (part grey and part handsome stranger)

I created the attached in celebration of our greyhound, Mancini's (aka: Manny) first adoption anniversary with us...a look back at his first year with his "new pack"!  That was a couple of years ago but life has remained much the same for Manny, we can't imagine our home without him!

   --Nina Mazzola

(Click the image for a bigger version)

Rosie (Rachel) fits in perfectly with us. She has become more confident and dog-like in the nine months we’ve had her, but she remains lazy and gentle as ever. She loves playing with toys—as long as they squeak—and is starting to figure out how to interact with the other dogs at the park. When Rosie gets excited, she prances around and shuffles her feet and roos at us. It is both adorable and hilarious. She gets compliments on her beauty everywhere we go. I think it’s going to her head!

   --Tracy and Seth

When my family met Sierra in October of 2005 at age 3, she had been a rebound to AGR by her first owner who wasn't around to take care of her. My mother took my brother and I down to the kennels and met Sierra.  We were set on wanting to take Sierra home. Now, 6 years later, she is going blind in depth but is still happier then ever. She loves to cuddle in bed with us or sit in our laps on the couch. I have managed to teach her how to say please and sit. But she pretends not to remember when my brother or mom try to get her to do it. Sierra also loves her adopted sister Keelee!

We adopted Keelee unexpectedly in 2006 at one of the AGR reunions out at Reid Park. I was volunteering as a dog handler. Just my luck I got to be the walker of a white and black spotted grey for the day! My mother loved her so much that she wanted to take her home! So a few weeks later and a few meetings with her Foster mom we took her home. When we first brought Keelee home, we found out that she was scared of almost everything! She would run and hide in the bed rooms from the broom,the buzzer on the washer and dryer, any tall man with a deep voice, no matter how many times she saw them, and even the firetruck sirens. After a couple of years of slowly introducing her to as many people as we could and many car rides and some good loving, she finally broke out of being scared of most things. She now loves anyone who will pet her, if they do not come at her fast. She also loves to cuddle on the couch and in bed at night, especially when it is cold out side! She also couldn't be happier. She still has a lot of energy left for both her and Sierra. Both our greys still live here in Tucson, Az with us but love to go traveling to see the grandparents in Ruiodoso, New Mexico.

   --Nena McKay

Taz (Tarzana) has adjusted to her new home well.  Taz was adopted November 12th, 2010 and quickly made herself comfortable and a neighborhood favorite.  Taz loves to go for walks, the local hardware store and to anywhere else she gets attention.  She was learned some commands but her favorite word is cookie!  Taz now has an area of turf and loves to play around on it and lay on her back as she looks into the sky.....  

   --Randy Livingston

Ty is doing great, his leg is almost totally healed.  He is able to walk on all four feet, and use all four feet most of the time when he is running.  We made it up to my son's in record time, 600 miles in three days to be exact; Ty traveled very well as I knew he would.
 
Ty really enjoyed running around my son's backyard with Pepper, my son's Miniature Schnauzer.  Ty has a whole toy box full of toys, and has a lot of fun with them.  Ty is a joy to be around day and night, as he really enjoys playing with his toys and me.

   --Carol Buchanan

Watch Ty's video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qel_OYUSWP8

 After going through the heartbreak of losing our Dalmatian named Bogey, my wife insisted, “No more dogs!”  After 14 months and shortly before Christmas, my wife started to have second thoughts and started a wish list, "My next, perfect dog will be:  Not a barker, not a shedder, a dog I can comfortably walk, etc.”  On Christmas Eve after all the gifts had been exchanged and opened she surprised me with one more.  I unwrapped a small package to find that it contained several small used books on different breeds.  Scrawled across the top of one she had written: “I’m ready if you are”.  A couple of teary moments later I was on the AGR website gleaning all I could about rescuing a grey.

We met with our counselor a few days later.  On our visit to the kennel, we selected a new arrival, Shimmer, as our new pooch.  Shimmer was fresh off the track and wouldn't be available for several more weeks.  Our counselor suggested that we see Millie before making our final decision.  Millie had been in a foster home for two months.  Well, you guessed it, we fell in love with Millie and she with us, and a week later we brought her home.

We had the option of changing her name, though it seemed to fit this gentle dog, and since she had it for two months we agreed that she would remain Millie.  About six weeks later we received a large package in the mail from AGR containing Millie’s racing history.  Want to know what her racing name was?  Would you believe....“Wish List?”  Nothing quite like getting confirmation that we had selected the right dog.

  --Steve and Jeanne Ford

We adopted China a bit before Thanksgiving. She is a joy and we are both making new friends as we take our morning walks.  China loves to see other greyhounds and befriended a standard poodle on my block.  Since she would whine if we go by without stopping, I decided she might like a friend. We adopted Nina about three weeks ago.

China got to meet Nina a couple of times and whined the first time she left after a visit. She was a very happy girl when Nina came and stayed.  They are both cat tolerant. China ignored all 4 from day one. Nina was more interested in finding out what the "not a rabbit, not a squeaky toy" thing was but she was never aggressive.

I would never have thought of getting a greyhound until my neighbor suggested it. I thought they would want to run all day and tear up the house. But based on her suggestion, I looked into it and here we are. Sometimes it is just great to be so wrong.

  --Linda Begega

What can I say?  We bonded overnight, whether because we were "meant" to happen or because of personality.  Shadow (Mandy) is mischievous, flirtations, clever, fun. She is also well-behaved and we are completely in love with her.

Shadow has become a very precious part of our family, and because of her I have met many neighbors walking dogs in the early morning. She has made me new friends, she has touched our hearts, and prompted my desire to write more about a most remarkable breed - one which I had never thought about owning, but which I now can't imagine living without.
 
   --Jane Candia Coleman (aka Jane Boyer)

Maureen, my brindle girl, who has been with me for six years, absolutely suits my personality.  Maureen is outgoing, social, loves being in the spotlight, but is also lazy... just like me!  Maureen seems to always know that Wednesday is my day off, and climbs into bed to snuggle with me every Wednesday morning. 

Cedar was our first foster-failure.  I was fostering Cedar and absolutely fell in love with his goofy, Scooby-Doo personality.  He is quite possessive of the couch, and will nose his way into his favorite spot, even if it means nudging me out of the way.  He really is a big goofball, whom I sometimes call "Mr. Silly."  Cedar is my third grey, and all three of my greys have learned how to "sit" on command...with the expectation of a treat, of course!  Greys make wonderful companions and are sympathetic, kind and caring.

  --Lori Riegel

Drifter is a true “ambassadog” - his favorite thing in the whole world (aside from a good nap) is interacting with people.  He lives the adage "a stranger is just a friend you have yet to meet".  When we are out walking and see a friend or one of his beloved neighbors, his whole body shimmies, his ears start flapping up and down, his tail starts whipping around, and he makes his "Chewbacca sound" (half roo-half attempt to speak like a human) in between great big toothy smiles.  If we see someone new, his excitement is only slightly tempered and he becomes 75 pounds of love waiting to be unleashed.  He has an uncanny ability to identify people with hearts as big as his and use them to practice his leaning. Drifter's exuberance and sweet, adoring gaze have made him a favorite in our neighborhood, the dog park and even at the vet's office. Whenever his martingale and lead come out, he does his "I'm a lucky dog" dance, but, in fact, I am the lucky one because at the end of the day when he settles in for the night and wants to snuggle, I am the grateful recipient of his big heart and adoring gaze.

   --Tejinder Grewal

I am so proud of Daniel (Rowdy) and another wonderful testimony for our precious hounds. I was walking Daniel this morning and Daniel spotted something. His ears perked up and he stopped walking.  I looked for what he was noticing, and over in the dirt was a Chihuahua.  I thought maybe he had been hit and slowly approached him. He opened his eyes and started to cry. As we got closer he jumped up and started to run away. Daniel walked behind him and started to cry. The little dog stopped and walked right up to Daniel.  They went nose to nose. I tried to catch him but he was so scared of me, but not Daniel. A car was passing by and I flagged it down. The young girl got out and I told her about the little dog (very skinny and no tag or collar). She tried to touch him, but to no avail.  We just let Daniel and him smell each other, and eventually I caught him by his neck.  The gal said she was on her way to work, but would take him to her house and deal with him after work. Daniel and I were walking by her house on the way home as she was coming back out of her house.  She said she had put him in the bathroom, and then said, “Oh my Mom said that was Daniel who helped you.” Yes, everyone knows by boy! As we walk, he roos at those he knows...and this could be up to a block away!

   --Cynthia Guldberg

Iron is our wonderful new child! He loves to sit by the front door and wait for Mom or Dad to come home and always greets us with joy and wiggling!  He has decided that the upstairs bed is so comfortable that he waits for us to go to sleep with us in the room and then takes a pillow upstairs with him and settles on our bed.  The next morning, he comes downstairs and is sleeping in our room on his bed as though he has been there all night.  A very smart young man!  He loves chasing lizards and has started to give us a tongue kiss.  We are blessed to have him.

   --Fran McPherson

 Dani (Danica) is my fourth hound. Two went over the Rainbow Bridge, but I still have Merrill and now Dani, who I got two weeks ago.  Unlike most greyhounds I've had, Dani didn't whine and pace for 5 or 6 hours after her arrival. She found a doggie bed and laid down with her squeaky toy. An evening thunderstorm convinced her that she'd like to get a little closer to a comforting presence, so she slipped behind Merrill and snuggled up. Dani is in the rear with her head up. 

     -- Maeve Robertson

We adopted Marley about two months ago. He loves being a part of our family and we love him so much. He loves to lie on Ian's bed with his dog buddies -- Goblin and Sadie. He's our first greyhound and we are so amazed at his wonderful personality!  

     --Ali Boelts

 Our newest boy, Ty, has decided it's perfectly okay to make himself right at home - even if that means he's hogging the cushions from his hound sister, Yuma.  Ty has discovered that roaching and stretching work well to ensure he gets the comfiest spot in the house all to himself! 

     -- Anne Marie King

Dos Couch Potatoes!
David Peterson and Sergio curl up on the couch after a hard day at the Animal Fair. “Sergio is my life,” says Peterson. “I wish I could do that for all the kennel hounds.”