Archive for category: Press Room

Florida adoption volunteer Ann Bollens, recently retired president of the Greyhound Pets of America Emerald Coast chapter (GPAEC), has been named the 2011 Greyhound Adoption Person of the Year by the American Greyhound Council (AGC)

Bollens has been a driving force in greyhound adoption since 1998, when she helped found GPAEC. In 2010 alone, her organization moved more than 600 greyhounds into adoptive homes. The northwest Florida group focuses primarily on finding adoptive homes for greyhounds retiring from Ebro and Pensacola tracks.

“Those who nominated Ann used words like tireless and amazing—in fact, they described her as a hero,” said AGC Communications Coordinator Gary Guccione. “We couldn’t agree more. We’ve been privileged to work with her over the year

In addition to her work with GPAEC, Bollens also was instrumental in establishing the Sunburst Greyhound Adoption Project and Kennel, an unprecedented initiative to expand and coordinate the movement of retired racing greyhounds from several Florida panhandle tracks to adoption groups around the country.  Three separate adoption organizations are involved in the effort—the Greyhound Alliance, the Northern Consortium, and GPAEC.

Bollens said she was “stunned and delighted” to hear that she had been honored. She and a companion will be guests of the AGC at the organization’s spring meeting next February in Las Vegas, where she will receive the award and a $500 check for the greyhound adoption organization of her choice.

The GAPY Award was initiated by the American Greyhound Track Operators Association (AGTOA) in 2007, and became an AGC effort in 2010.

A determined Missouri agriculture group is stepping up its continuing battle with HSUS (Humane Society of the United States), one of the nation’s wealthiest and most powerful animal rights organizations. Missouri Farmers Care already has prevailed in one key fight, and produced a video to tell the story.

"The People vs. HSUS" tells the story of Proposition B, an HSUS-backed ballot measure narrowly approved by Missouri voters in November 2010.

Although Proposition B was promoted by HSUS as a "puppy mill" regulatory bill, its definition of "pet" could have applied to any "domesticated animal that lives in or near the house." Missouri livestock producers smelled a rat, and opposed the proposal aggressively, but it passed with 51.7 percent of the vote.

So Missouri Farmers Care decided to fight back. Early in 2011, Missouri Farmers Care began a campaign to repeal the most onerous provisions of Proposition B. The organization created a coalition of veterinarians, farmers, farm-friendly lawmakers and reasonable animal welfare groups. Their goal was to address legitimate animal care concerns without imposing unnecessary and costly regulation on responsible animal breeders.

Not surprisingly, the HSUS strongly opposed the effort at compromise, but ultimately to no avail. On April 18, 2011, Senate Bill 113 was signed into law, restoring the right of animal breeders to decide how many animals to raise and freeing them from excessive and unneeded regulation.

Missouri Farmers Care hasn’t stopped there, however. On November 10, the organization challenged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop "colluding" with HSUS in planning a scientific forum on animal welfare.

“There is no sensible reason for the federal Department of Agriculture to coordinate with an expressly anti-agriculture organization like HSUS,” Missouri Farmers Care Chairman Don Nikodim said. “To use taxpayer dollars to give HSUS a public forum for their radical animal-rights agenda under the guise of a scientific forum undermines the very farmers that the USDA is supposed to be helping.”

Editors Note: Missouri Farmers Care accepts donations to support its efforts in the fight for responsible animal care and against animal rights extremism.

When all the votes were counted, the Central Florida chapter of Greyhound Pets of America (CF-GPA) didn’t have quite enough votes to win the People Magazine’s "Heroes Among Us" contest–but they’ll still receive a $10,000 award from the publication for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of greyhound adoption.

"They told us that we did not have the most votes, but we were very close," said CF-GPA founder and President Dennis Tyler. "Then they told us that the editorial staff picked four more groups that didn’t win, but would get grants anyway. We were one of those groups!"
 

Tyler added that the November 4 edition of People Magazine carries a photograph and blurb about CF-GPA as one of the "Heroes" award recipients.

"Thanks to all those who voted and helped spread the word," Tyler concluded. "We didn’t win the contest, but we won the money for the greyhounds, and that’s what counts."

The American Greyhound Council (AGC) has launched its own YouTube channel. The channel contains short informational videos about various aspects of greyhound racing, as well as news and other videos of interest to those who love greyhounds.

"YouTube is a great way for greyhound owners to show the world why they love their retired racers so much," said Gary Guccione, AGC Communications Coordinator. "A picture is worth a thousand words, and showing people the special qualities of these amazing dogs is a great way to build public interest in greyhound adoption. That’s one of the goals of this effort."

Industry members, adoption volunteers and greyhound owners are welcome to submit their own videos to the AGC Channel for consideration. Please email your submissions to amergreyhoundcouncil@gmail.com. Not all videos will be selected for posting, but if we use yours, we’ll give you full credit.

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), a well-known organization that advocates for responsible animal use and against animal rights extremism, will focus on the challenges facing purebred dog breeders at its upcoming annual conference on November 12-13 in Harrisburg, PA.

The American Greyhound Council (AGC) is a contributing member of the NAIA, whose membership includes representatives of the dog breeding, agriculture, biomedical research, wildlife management and entertainment sectors. 

AGC Communications Coordinator Gary Guccione said greyhound breeders and veterinarians who work with greyhounds should find the NAIA conference of considerable interest. Veterinarians attending the conference may sign up to receive up to twelve veterinary continuing education credits recognized by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB).

"We strongly support NAIA’s efforts on behalf of all those who breed, raise and care for animals in their daily lives," Guccione said. "These annual conferences are a great way to connect with others who share an interest in fighting animal rights extremism. We can learn a lot from each other."

NAIA Founder Patti Strand has been an active advocate for greyhound breeding and racing. In 2009, she submitted testimony in opposition to the proposed greyhound racing ban in New Hampshire. The legislation failed, but changes to the regulatory cost structure ultimately put an end to the sport in that state.

Strand said the conference agenda includes sessions on the impact of animal rights organizations on public and legislative attitudes toward purebred dogs and breeders. The program also will feature technical sessions on animal science, the lasting impact of trainers on animal behavior, humane care, and related topics.