Archive for category: Press Room

Adoption groups from Maine and Oregon have been named the winners of the 2016 Greyhound Adoption Program of the Year (GAPY) Award. American Greyhound Council (AGC) President Fred Fulchino announced the awards today. Each organization will receive a $1,000 grant from the AGC.

Maine Greyhound Placement Service was founded by Scott Bruns nearly 25 years ago. After adopting a greyhound himself, Scott fell in love with the breed and began volunteering at a local greyhound shelter in northern Maine. He enjoyed the work so much that he decided to establish his own adoption kennel, later moving his operation to central Maine. His adoption program, now based in Augusta, has space for 50 dogs.

The Augusta facility includes a kennel building as well as a vet clinic. Scott, a veterinary technician himself, said the clinic provides services to greyhounds in his own kennel, and also provides services for other animals to generate revenue for the adoption program. More than 20 volunteers donate their time to the organization.

Bruns said the GAPY grant will be a welcome source of support for Maine Greyhound Placement Service. “We are very grateful for this unexpected support. Our volunteers work so hard, and they really deserve this special recognition.”

The other GAPY winner is Homes for Hounds of Waldport, Oregon. Founder Rayetta Holder and her daughter, Stormi Oldridge, started the group 26 years ago as a school project, and have been immersed in the greyhound adoption world ever since.

Stormi said Homes for Hounds has placed over 8,000 greyhounds since its founding, working with fewer than 20 volunteers. The volunteers manage an extensive screening program to ensure that every greyhound is placed in a suitable home. New owners must agree to bring their adopted greyhounds back to Homes for Hounds if finances or family situations make it impossible for them to continue caring for the dog. In this way, Homes for Hounds ensures that none of its greyhounds is ever without a proper forever home.

“This AGC gift is huge for us,” said Stormi. “We have worked very hard to keep our fees as low as possible, which means that we often pay for things like dog food and veterinary care out of our pockets. The GAPY award will help us offset some of those costs. Thank you, AGC!”

AGC President Fred Fulchino said both groups exemplify the dedication and commitment of the greyhound adoption community. “Greyhound adoption has become a national success story because of groups like Maine Greyhound Placement Service and Homes for Hounds,” he said. “The GAPY Award is our way of saying thanks for the amazing work they are doing.”

Nominations for the 2017 GAPY Award will open on April 1, 2017. The award began as a program of the American Greyhound Track Operators Association (AGTOA) in 2007, and became an AGC program in 2010. The AGC funds and oversees adoption and greyhound welfare programs in greyhound racing. It is a joint effort of the AGTOA and the National Greyhound Association (NGA).

In a November 28 letter, AGC President Fred Fulchino called out San Antonio News-Express columnist Roy Bragg for spreading misinformation promoted by Grey2K and its spokesman, Carey Theil. Bragg’s commentary was published on November 27. Here is the full text of that letter:

Dear Editor:

Apparently columnist Roy Bragg has bought into the propaganda of Grey2K, a Massachusetts-based anti-greyhound racing organization famous for misrepresenting the facts about the sport to advance its political agenda. The fact is that greyhound racing has established programs to ensure the welfare of canine athletes at every stage from birth to retirement.

Greyhound farms are subject to regular unannounced inspections to verify compliance with veterinary-based standards covering everything from greyhound nutrition, exercise and socialization to kennel safety, sanitation and management. Breeders and kennel operators who violate those standards are banned from the sport for life, and others prohibited from doing business with them.

In every state where greyhound racing is active, state and/or local racing authorities regulate the sport and monitor greyhound health and safety. Every track has a licensed veterinarian on site when dogs are racing. The tracks spend hundreds of thousands of dollars during the racing season to maintain and upgrade the track surface to promote greyhound comfort and safety. Tracks have invested in new, safer mechanical lure technologies to reduce lure-related injuries.

In fact, fewer than one-half of one percent of all racing starts result in injuries to greyhounds, and the vast majority of those injuries are minor, enabling the greyhounds to return to racing in a matter of weeks.

When greyhounds are ready to retire, more than 95 percent are either adopted or returned to the farm as pets or breeders. This has been made possible by close cooperation between greyhound breeders, kennel operators, tracks and hundreds of volunteer adoption groups around the country.

Instead of putting its resources to work for the direct benefit of greyhounds, Grey2K spends its money on lobbying and political attacks. The media love a negative story, and Grey2K has learned how easy it is to manipulate journalists into spreading misinformation. As Mark Twain said, “A lie can be half-way around the world before the truth gets its pants on.”

Sincerely,

Fred Fulchino, President

American Greyhound Council

Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) solicitors raising money in Central Oklahoma got busted by the area’s residents recently for fundraising practices in that region, according to the HSUS watchdog website, Humanewatch.org. According to the September 27 story, HSUS fundraisers were going door to door seeking donations “for a behavioral program to make dogs and cats more adoptable.”

When concerned citizens blew the whistle and contacted the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, which is not affiliated with HSUS, a local TV station got wind of the incident and reached out to HSUS for comment. While HSUS initially denied any involvement in the fundraising effort, later a spokeswoman for the organization reportedly “tried to blame improper training of the solicitors.”

Oklahoma authorities have been encouraging state residents to beware of HSUS claims that donations go to help stray dogs and cats. The HSUS does not operate a single animal shelter and provides only nominal funding for independent shelters under its multi-million dollar annual budget.

The Center for Consumer Freedom, which sponsors the Humanewatch.org website, has kept HSUS deceptive fundraising practices front and center in its consumer education efforts. The latest salvo in the ongoing campaign is a video urging senior citizens to donate to their local animal shelters instead of HSUS.

At this year’s NGA Fall Meet in October, the racing community will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the American Greyhound Council (AGC) by awarding a special $3,000 grant to one lucky adoption group. Since its creation, the AGC has given more than $2 million in grants to dozens of dedicated adoption organizations.

The names of all adoption groups that have received AGC grants since 1987 and are still in operation will be automatically entered in a special drawing at the Fall Meet. The group whose name is drawn will receive the $3,000 prize–one thousand dollars for each decade of the AGC’s existence. The winner will be notified after the drawing.

In addition to this 30th anniversary grant, the AGC continues to support adoption efforts through its ongoing grant program, and annually gives two special grants of $1,000 each to the winners of the Greyhound Adoption Program of the Year (GAPY) Award.

AGC President Fred Fulchino said, “The combined efforts of the AGC and the hundreds of adoption agencies across the continent over the last three decades have made greyhound adoption one of the great animal welfare success stories of our time. We’re excited to celebrate the incredible strides that have been made. This fun event in the fall will spotlight the wonderful work that’s been accomplished, and contribute further to pet placement of the noblest breed on the earth.”

The AGC was formed in 1987 as a joint effort of the NGA and the AGTOA to address greyhound welfare issues. Since then, the organization has funded and overseen numerous initiatives including racing industry education, greyhound health research, veterinary education and greyhound welfare advocacy but its primary continuing program has been the support and promotion of greyhound adoption.

Nominations for the American Greyhound Council (AGC) 2016 Greyhound Adoption Program of the Year (GAPY) Award are now open. The GAPY Award was launched in 2007 by the American Greyhound Track Operators Association (AGTOA), and became a program of the AGC in 2010. The recognition started as an individual award, but in 2014 was modified to recognize adoption organizations instead of individuals.

The GAPY Award recognizes two outstanding adoption organizations each year. Each of the winners receive a $1,000 donation and a commemorative plaque. AGC Communications Coordinator Gary Guccione said the GAPY Award has become synonymous with excellence in the greyhound adoption field.

“As AGC enters its 30th year of programming for greyhound welfare and adoption, we are proud to continue this prestigious award,” Guccione said. “Greyhound adoption has become an international success story, thanks to the hard work of hundreds of dedicated adoption volunteers across the U.S. and Canada. The GAPY Award is our way of saying thank you to all those incredible organizations that make great things happen for retired racers.”

Anyone may nominate an adoption group for the award. Nominations will remain open until late September, with winners to be announced in December 2016.