Fostering Group Rooster*

I had the honor of being asked by Kristin Block of Block Sport Hounds to pick up at the airport and 'foster' for a few days one of the most important and valuable greyhounds ever imported into the United States this past summer. I am a 'dog' person by trade, what's the big deal right? The buzz this dog's importation caused worldwide had given me a case of insomnia and heartburn not experienced since I enlisted in the military. Its 'just a dog' after all, yeah right...I knew for a fact if anything happened to this dog while under my care, I would instantly become the Yoko Ono of dogracing. This legendary hound stole my heart, he has a home here with me when he retires from stud if the Dog Gods allow it. Right now, he's doing his job making the American greyhound breed bigger, stronger, healthier and faster...

What an incredible experience fostering this amazing dog.
My old police ID may have helped to expedite the customs paperwork process a bit as I was able to liberate him from his 'crate' as soon as he was brought to the cargo yard from the Aer Lingus Airbus A340. Imagine my chagrin when I opened the box and he attempted to break out like the champion racer he is. I reached for where a collar should be and found only fur instead. Grabbing for his muzzle quickly with my other hand was the only thing that prevented him from heading down Bennington Street in East Boston to Santarpio's for one of their famous pizzas. Now I had to pee as badly as he did. Once properly secured his presence took everyone by storm. After a well deserved vertical surface, this dog gazed upon his new land and seemed to relish his new country. He is breathtaking to look at, he has aura about him, and its magical. The weather at Logan Airport (Boston) at his arrival time was hazy, hot and horrible. He eagerly drank a good sized bowl of cool water, and then jumped into the backseat of a strange car like anyone's pet retriever. I put ice packs on the back seat, he promptly arranged them to his liking and lied on them. I had a pilot so I was able to attend to him during the 2 hour ride back to Cape Cod.

Respiration was through the roof, but no signs of heat stroke or dehydration, he drank eagerly as I offered him more water in small amounts. We stopped at the Long Pond rest area off route 3 to let him pee and stretch his legs a bit. He was mesmerized by the area, his nose twitching like any good scent hound, his eyes taking in and trying to process all the new sights, his ears attuned to the new sounds. He wagged his tail, put his ears up and bowed to me. Once back in the car, he slept the rest of the trip.He came into my home like he's always been here. An early poor decision was trying to get smooth with my little Twist, after a good bitch slap the boundary lines were drawn. He was the perfect house dog, though he quickly found out that marking is not an approved action either. I set up a crate for him right beside Twist's. I have to take a moment and pay proper homage to Twist, she was an angel. She welcomed him with open paws, allowed him to sleep on her bed, play with her toys, share me, etc, all without issue or protest.

Rooster was in heaven in the back yard, he rolled in the grass, smelled the flowers, helped Twist dig in her favorite spot, etc. His coat was a bit dull and dandruffy, though he was obviously washed before shipping. I gave him a nice oatmeal and tea tree oil bath with conditioner when he arrived. He smiled and wagged his tail during the toweling off. I knew he felt better as now he was really bouncing around the house. He looked so awesome with that shiny soft jet black fur and the tuxedo chest!At one point he chose to stretch his legs a bit and take advantage of my 150' long yard. I have never, ever, seen an dog move that quickly, and on a bionic leg no less. He is sound, there is no outward evidence of the repair, and one has to look closely with a trained eye to notice the very slight impairment in his stance. He is a miracle.And a counter surfer! A roasted chicken from the previous evening was being cut up into pieces by my 92 year old mother. Whereas Twist will lie quietly at your feet and wait for the occasional morsel, Rooster went after the chicken like a running back with the ball on 4th down and on the goal line. He was unsuccessful. My quick hand speed secured the evenings meal from this canine velociraptor when he smelled chicken again.

But I was so happy to see drive for food as he had been eating poorly. I fixed him "breakfast" as recommended by Dennis McKeon, he looked at me like I was high. I cooked up some hamburger and rice, he was mildly interested. He nibbled on some of Twists kibbles. His favorite is chicken. So Monday night we had a going home barbq party for him. Marinated chicken breast with fresh green beans was his meal, and he inhaled it. Then he went to Twists' crate, roached, and fell sound asleep.Within hours this dog and I had bonded. He was always at my feet, always with his head in my lap, it was awesome to look into this dogs eyes. I remembered vividly the replays of his amazing races in Ireland, and now to have that dogs' head in my hands! It seemed within moments of his arrival the inevitability of his departure loomed, I did my best to ignore those pangs.

I chatted with friend Charlie Thomson who runs the Off Track Petting program at Raynham Park now without his late wife. He noticed my emotion and said "he's not a dog now, he's a greyhound now". That obvious perspective was lost on me when I had to hand him over to Kevin Blaske (Silver Bullet Hauling) the next day. I was dissolving like an alka-seltzer tablet in a glass of warm water as he was loaded into Kevin's ultra state of the art canine transportation system. I will not use the term hauler as it would be criminally inaccurate to describe this amazing vehicle Kevin transports the dogs with. Such equipment should be mandated to the industry for over the road travel but I digress... Kevin and and his co-pilot Derek were so kind, they even posed for a picture with Rooster and took one of me with him.

I know they were on a schedule, their patience and kindness was so appreciated by yours truly. As a side note, when I arrived at the predetermined area to meet Kevin at Raynham Park, a track security vehicle pulled beside me and the driver asked "HEY! Is that the famous Irish dog???" So much for keeping secrets. Remembering my lawfully concealed hi-cap 9 was on my hip I responded with a smile "yes it is"! I called Chris Stivers around 9pm that evening and found him and whole Group Rooster recovery team (Martin Roper, Brett Gerst) already at TriState and awaiting his arrival which was due between 10-11pm. When I told Chris Roosters' favorite meal was grilled chicken and green beans, he was off to one of the casino restaurants to get such a meal to go. Chris emailed me again at 0330 that morning to let me know all were home safe and sound, thank you Chris.

I am so grateful to have been able to play such a small role for such a great dog's immigration to this country. This is a truly incredible, amazing dog. What an honor and privelege to have been associated with him, I hope I have the good fortune to see him again, he is so special to me. Here's the link to his Casey Stakes win last year, his main competitor is the great Yeah Man. Regardless of one's opinion of dog racing, this is an epic battle for the ages between 2 champion dogs who are determined to beat the other to the finish line. You cannot 'train' what you're about to see, you cannot 'breed' it either, this desire comes from deep within a dogs soul.


The photo posted here is of Group Rooster* the black dog, the brindle girl is the love of my life, my pet Twist, here's her link.

Reasons To Vote NO On Question 3

A pet of Cleopatra, the greyhound is the oldest known breed of dog on Planet Earth. The greyhound has enjoyed a rich history since the beginning of time as a hunter, courser and in modern times as a racer. In the last 40 years the landscape and lifestyle of the greyhound in this country has changed dramatically. They are now the most adopted breed of dog in the country! 90% of all greyhounds nationally are adopted into loving homes. That number is 100% of all available dogs here in Massachusetts! But that’s not good enough for the animal extremists. They regurgitate their lies of ‘abuse and cruelty’. Think about it, especially those of you who hunt with or compete professionally with your dogs, even those of you trying to teach your pet to "sit"! Would you abuse your dog? Would you treat it poorly? What type of performance would result? Does it make sense? Of course not!

Here is some information on Question 3, a ballot initiative that attempts to ban dog racing here in Massachusetts. The bill is sponsored by Grey2K (the same group who failed to ban dog racing in a similar attempt here in 2000) and the MSPCA, an organization whose job is to investigate and prosecute all forms on animal cruelty in this state.

-Question 3 is a tax increase. The State receives millions of dollars annually from the handles at the states 2 dog tracks, and another $800,000 annually in real estate taxes from the tracks. Do you believe the State will amend its budget to compensate for the lack of income from the dog tracks if racing is banned, or will it simply raise your taxes to cover the deficit?

-Question 3 puts even more people out of work in this State’s already faltering economy. Nearly 1000 full and part time workers will be in the unemployment lines if dog racing is banned. Grey2K believes two years is enough time to retrain those workers. This state already has incredibly high unemployment figures for college graduates and other displaced professionals. The cost of their unemployment checks, healthcare, food stamps, etc, will be borne by the taxpayers of Massachusetts.

-Question 3 falsely accuses the greyhound racing industry of cruelty. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has carte blanche in this state to investigate cruelty claims. Their law enforcement officers can inspect the racing kennels at both tracks at any time on demand and without notice. Yet, no incident of cruelty has ever been brought to or investigated by the MSPCA from either dog track. How can there be the cruelty so widely proclaimed by Grey2K if the MSPCA has never been apprised of nor has investigated such a case?

-Question 3 is sponsored by the animal extremist group Grey2K which is based here in Massachusetts. Grey2K has never been able to ban dog racing in this country where it existed. PETA has links to Grey2K on their website. And we all know how PETA feels about anyone or anything having to do with animals in this country either as professional competitors or even as cherished pets! Additionally, the leader of Grey2K, Carey Theil, holds a board position with the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. Carey Theil is against ALL gambling, dog racing is simply the platform he seems to use to further his national agenda.

Question 3 is a tax increase that not only puts more people out of work and falsely claims cruelty unsubstantiated by the MSPCA, but is also sponsored by animal extremists whose leader nationally supports the banning of all gambling.

The smart money bet is to vote NO on Question 3!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

OK, so it was just 48 hours, but when you haven't had a break in years, 48 hours is truly a vacation. With all my business either done or on hold, and with a trusted friend to take the reins of my home, my 92 year-old mother and my adopted greyhound, I was off to the great state of New Hampshire for the weekend. Destination? The Lodge Greyhound Track in Belmont and friend Lisa Lussiers' kennel complete with 102 greyhounds. Part of my background is in the stables of the thoroughbred tracks and I was interested to see the differences and similarities of the two sports. This would be my first time backstage at a greyhound racing kennel and I was truly looking forward to it.Hot, humid and horrible weather greeted me in the Granite State. Thank God Ms. Goodwrench (yours truly) was able to fix a pesky low pressure switch in her car's A/C system and ride in comfort. Who am I kidding? If I couldn't get the A/C to work I would have postponed the trip.

After checking in to the Red Roof Inn in Loudon (I always try to support hotel/motel chains that welcome pets) I called Lisa and asked what the plan for my day was. I was told that "turn-out" would occur at 4pm and I was to meet her prior to that at the entrance to the Clubhouse for my credentials and an escort to the kennels. The Lodge was easy enough to find; it is essentially on the same road some 16 miles away from the hotel. I liked how the track seems to have been 'cut into' the mountain, a very picturesque setting.After a warm welcome and a short drive to the kennel security gate, where my credentials were confirmed, we arrived at the building that houses the Flying Colors and the New England Racing kennels, holding 102 greyhounds. The building was quiet, neat and tidy, with no doggie smell, unlike the horses! From the outside the kennels looked old but quite sturdy, with six foot high chain link fencing and a deep clean sandy surface for the adjacent turnout pens. Multiple air-conditioning units hummed in the outside walls.

When Lisa opened the kennel door the sound of 102 greyhounds greeting their human friends in perfect unison was almost deafening! I was immediately put to work getting the turn-out muzzles onto the ladies in the top rows of crates. "Turn-out" muzzles are very light plastic muzzles which allow the dog to breath normally, bark, and drink. What they don't allow is any damage to be done to any hound should a bar fight break out in the turn-out area. Getting these muzzles on the excited hounds was like trying to thread a moving needle but they all got on and the girls all hopped down to ground level. Suddenly the urge to pee was replaced by the need to greet The Stranger en masse, and it was wonderful! Finally, the ladies were cajoled into going out into their spacious pen, the access door was secured, and it was time to get the boys ready to go out. I had learned my lessons well with the ladies and muzzling the boys went a little faster and smoother. The boys were also far more interested in pats from The Stranger than the vertical surfaces that awaited outside. A few decided to take advantage of the diversion caused by my presence to pee in the kennel hall which quickly raised the ire of Lisa and her wonderful employee, Heather. Dogs will be dogs! Soon the boys were out in their huge pen.

The males and the females are segregated to prevent any unwanted pregnancies. I went out into the pens with the hounds and what a wonderful time I had with them. They were magnificent! Soon I was being poked, prodded and nuzzled by happy, playful and downright fresh hounds and muzzles from all sides, I couldn't stop laughing. There were two one might classify as shy, but only out in the pen. In the familiar and comfortable environment of their kennel they were just like the others. Adopted greyhounds that are shy often lead some to believe that they are abused in the racing kennel, but it is clear to me from seeing these racing dogs that its the process of adoption, where they meet new people and move from a racing kennel to a home, that is the cause of much of their initial shyness as a pet. There is also the fact that the 'shyness' in some dogs is hereditary in some bloodlines.In the turn-out pens, the dogs peed, pooped, played, and drank. Some even bathed in the kiddie pools full of clean cool water Lisa keeps in each pen. It was so entertaining to watch dozens of dogs interact this way. There was the occasional snarl which was dealt with instantly with a simple vocal correction from Lisa.

And then came the poop, by the bucket, by the pound, by the truckload. I did my best to be a good nanny and keep up with them and keep their sandy pens neat and clean, but just when you think you found it all...While the hounds were outside, the chamber maid (me) attended to their condos. The crates they live in are huge, more than enough room for the largest dogs to move about freely and comfortably. Their bedding was thick, soft, clean cuts of carpet the same size as the kennel floor. Any wet or damaged carpet was removed, the kennel floor cleaned and the carpet replaced. All were straightened and fluffed. The hounds were outside for a bit over 45 minutes this time. Since it was very hot and humid it was decided to return the dogs early to the air-conditioned comfort of their kennels. Oddly enough, once the hounds were out and had their bodily functions, water intake, splashing and playing blocks checked, they were all at the kennel door whining to come in after about twenty minutes.

Letting the dogs back into the kennel is as much of an event as letting them out! The door to the kennel is opened very slowly by either Lisa or Heather, and then only partly, which allegedly prevents a stampede of dogs flying back into the kennel. Now the fun was reversed, trying to match up the name on the muzzle with the name on crate, the two often had nothing in common as a 'kennel name' can be quite different from the greyhound's racing name. Eventually, 102 greyhounds were back in their homes and within minutes were sound asleep. The total peace and quiet was a stark contrast to the commotion less than an hour earlier. I had been told earlier that the kennel area at The Lodge was not typical of the higher-end tracks; these accommodations here are apparently subpar when compared to the newer, richer tracks. I found the kennels to be safe, solid, clean, and bright. There was absolutely no smell of urine or feces; only the scent of disinfectant was obvious and you couldn't find a fly with a search warrant. 'Weigh in' occurs between 5 and 6pm for the evening's races. I asked Lisa if I could help with this evolution as well, "Oh yes you will" was the reply. She would send 24 dogs to the field of honor this evening.

Heather was soon attached to five dogs and Lisa handed me a hound on a leash, cool! Then another, OK, Cool! Then another, ah, OK... Then a fourth hound was handed to me. Suddenly I felt like Charlton Heston in Ben Hur. Lisa had a large group of dogs leashed also and soon the three of us, and I don't know how many dogs, were off to the weigh in area just up the road. What an experience. The hounds knew the way and you would have thought they had a bus to catch; these hounds DRAG you to the building where they will be identified, numbered, weighed and quarantined until their races. Did I mention it was hot and humid? No time to rest or cool off, back down the road to the kennels to get the rest of the greyhounds who would compete this evening and bring them here for the pre-race processing.

There are strict rules for the dogs' weight. Hounds who are over their "program" weight are brought to the "fat pen," a turn-out area near this facility where the hound can pee and or poop again in an effort to lose the required weight. Dogs that are under weight are scratched, i.e. eliminated from competition for the day. Lisa had five dogs that would be branded as over weight, nearly 20% of her competitors. Four of five hounds lowered their weight to the appropriate number with an extra toilet run, the fifth was scratched for being too heavy even after a successful toilet evolution. I walked back to the kennel with Lisa and this dog. And honestly? This dog was distraught. "But, but, I'm supposed to be here! I'm supposed to race! Why am I going home?" He was clearly confused and upset that there would be no racing for him this night. He was settled back into his crate and given his supper.

Finally Lisa and I were off to the clubhouse for some dinner and the races. The clubhouse and grandstand area of The Lodge is simply lovely. Coming through the main entrance one would believe they had arrived at a high-end ski chalet in Aspen; the motif really works. It is warm, woodsy and charming. There are table games and a poker room immediately to the left, and dozens and dozens of plasma TVs mounted on the walls showing racing of everything from just about everywhere. The Bluesology restaurant and nightclub makes you wonder if you are still at a race track. There are all sorts of inviting nooks and crannies one can huddle in either alone or with chosen company. The clubhouse dining area offers unobstructed views of the track from every seat. The food was excellent though the service was a bit slow. The grandstand area was spotless.

We just finished our meal when the last race started, Lisa had 6 dogs in this race and we had to hurry to the catching area on the far side of the racetrack to help gather up the dogs. What an experience! It was pitch black and I didn't have a clue which dogs belonged to Lisa! Heather would yell, "Laurie take the 4," so I had to find the 4, in the dark, assuming the lead-out hadn't undressed the dog yet, and in the deep mud from the earlier thunderstorms' torrential downpours. It was hilarious! I deeply annoyed a 15 year-old lead-out by attaching a leash to a dog's collar prior to his getting off the hound's uniform, "Sorry kid. I'm new here."Walking back to the kennels in the dark with the panting hounds, we went directly into the turn-out pens for a bath in the kiddie pools and some cool water to drink. Thankfully the kennel area itself is very well lighted.

They were back in their crates in about an hour and were fed their supper. This was my first exposure to the so-called "inferior" meat they eat. It comes frozen in large sealed plastic bags about eight inches thick, two feet long and about eighteen inches wide. I saw this meat with my own eyes, smelled it, and touched it. If I had a hot griddle handy, I would have put a few handfuls on the grill with some onions and Velveeta and made a nice Philly steak and cheese sub. It was bright red, fresh, maybe a bit fatty like pastrami, but it looked to be of human grade quality. I would have eaten it. I probably have in some local sub shops! There is nothing like first-hand experience to dispel any notions that racing greyhounds get an inferior diet.

With the races over, I was thinking it's party time at the hotel now. Negative! We turned out the hounds again! The hounds who just raced and who ate late would be turned out again later. Then it's party time, right? No, make that bedtime, I was exhausted! But not too tired to make one final round through the kennels with my bag of Old Mother Hubbard dog cookies.Since I was "on vacation," I told Lisa I'd meet her at the kennel about 4pm the next day as well. Rising about noon, I checked out the local shopping before going to the track. Lisa and Heather arrive for work, seven days a week, at 6:30 in the morning. Turn-outs, veterinary care, feeding, and schooling races fill the first half of the day. The schedule was the same this evening with turn-outs, weigh-ins, racing, etc.

This night at the races was special. The Central New Hampshire chapter of Greyhound Pets of America had a lovely adoption booth set up at the main entrance. We brought some dogs up to the clubhouse to "meet-and-greet" the public early in the evening. Several members of the public left their names with the adoption folks as prospective adoptive families. Other patrons avoided the leashed hounds and their wagging tails like they were depleted uranium. The seventh race this night would be a Stake race named in honor of GPA-Central NH. Of course, Lisa's dog "Joe's Scammer" won the race and paid $53! It was an honor to be on the track with the hound, Lisa, the GPA and track folks for the winners circle photo. The track raised nearly $700 for GPA through raffles and donations. Lisa took the winning greyhound back to the kennel to cool off, I took the winner's trophy back to the clubhouse to finish dinner, I was, after all, on vacation. Lisa joined me a bit later to finish her cold supper.

In a later race one of her hounds took a terrible tumble in the deep track. Just like with horse racing, you think the worst at that moment. But this hound got up, shook himself off, got back into the race and even beat a dog to the finish line! Later I was still concerned about the pup, even though I saw him finish the race in a normal fashion. I whined at Lisa to call Heather on her phone at the kennel. Heather reported the dog was just fine. At the end of the racing program it was back to the kennel for the final turn-outs and tending to the night's racers. As I made my way around the kennel with my bag of cookies I came upon the hound that had fallen. Physically he was fine, but I'll swear that dog was mad! I looked in his eyes and I could feel him say, "He tripped me! That sonofagun 5-dog TRIPPED ME!!!"

Then it was 11pm again and time to say goodbye to my friend and her hounds since I had to depart in the morning for home. I had such a good time on my vacation and I learned so much. Horse people physically work harder; dog people definitely work longer. I'm looking forward to seeing the backstage area of other tracks now. I saw nothing wrong with The Lodges' accommodations for the greyhounds. What I did see were dogs who love their jobs and people who love their dogs. They are well taken care of! My experience this weekend, what my eyes saw, what my ears heard, what my nose smelled, what my hands felt is totally and completely contrary to the stories released by those anti-greyhound racing advocates. I was actually there and saw, heard, smelled and felt nothing at all that even remotely bears witness to the stories of abuse so often repeated by the animal rights extremists. If I do have a complaint, it's that The Lodge had no t-shirts in my size. After all, I was on vacation, and I was denied the evidence.