1. pets
2. dogs

needlenosenews
a publication of Greyhound Adoption of Greater Cincinnati
www.cincigreyhounds.org
november 2014 | vol. 55
Find us on:
november 2014
1
From the president ...
Greyhound Adoption of
Greater Cincinnati, Inc.
P.O. Box 54578
Cincinnati, OH 45254-0578
(513) 624-7040
Formed in 2002, GAGC’s mission is to strive for the best
quality placements. We focus
on being small and doing
things right. We recognize
that we cannot save all the
greyhounds in the world, but
we can make a difference to
the ones we touch.
needlenosenews staff:
GAGC President:
Brenda Pennix
Editor: Kathy Evans
Designer: Michelle Padilla
GAGC officers:
Brenda Pennix, President
Rob Johnson, Vice President
Kathy Evans, Secretary
Mary Schrecker, Treasurer
Adoption Representatives
Brenda Pennix
Kathy Evans
Heather Gilstrap
GAGC Webmaster:
Mike Knellinger
Adopting a
retired racer:
$225 ...
Having a
friend for life:
Priceless!
GAGC President Brenda
Pennix at Mountain
Hounds in Gatlinburg with
two of her hounds, Crissy
and Bernie.
GAGC Family and Friends,
2014 has been a greyt year for GAGC. As
of Nov. 5, 78 dogs have found their forever
homes. We get greyt dogs and it takes all
of us to find greyt homes for them. I cannot believe how fast this year has flown
by. We’ve had lots of highs and some lows
mixed in. Event season is over (except for
Meet and Greets) and I was so happy to
see a lot of you attending. We schedule a
lot of events to educate people about the
breed, but also to make it a fun time for
GAGC hounds to meet again, since they
love seeing their old racing friends!
Kathy and Michelle have created another
professional looking newsletter with
good information, so be sure to take time
to read it and see how busy we have been.
Your support at events and fundraisers always amazes me, and we cannot continue
to get dogs off the track without your
help. I want to thank all of you but
especially Kathy, our officers, board of
november 2014
directors, M&G reps, foster families and
key members for making this organization a huge success. Other rescues come
and go and we all should be proud of 13
years of success. If you would like to support GAGC with an end-of-year donation,
we would really appreciate it.
In this issue ...
Greyt Health & Safety . . . . . . . . 3
Greyt Goods & Services . . . . . . 8
GAGC News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Recent Events & Outreach . . . . 8
Dog Runs, Fosters & Adoptions 10
Condolences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Support GAGC . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Support Our Supporters . . . . 21
On the cover: Bluebell was adopted on Aug. 17 by
GAGC treasurer Mary S.
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Greyt Health & Safety
The dangers of ingested
Gorilla Glue
— by Carol and Spark
Editor’s note: One of our families’ greyhounds nearly died after swallowing Gorilla
Glue. When ingested, the glue expands from
moisture and can form a mass in the stomach and intestines. If you have this product
in your home, please keep it secured away
from your pets.
Gorilla glue by Gorilla Glue Company Walmart.com. Licensed under Fair use
of copyrighted material in the context of
Gorilla Glue via Wikipedia .
Bioflow Magnetic Collar from
www.ecomagnets.com
I’m sending you this information to
share with all our greyt parents. While at
work on Sept. 11, our three greyhounds
opened our pantry door and got a small
bottle of Gorilla Glue (which was in a
plastic bag) on an upper shelf. Two of our
three dogs chewed the bottle of glue. On
Friday, we were at the vet with those two
dogs getting X-rays. Kayla had no blockage; however Kyro had massive blockage.
From there we went directly to MedVet
– Kyro had an ultrasound and then went
into surgery that afternoon. They took out
his stomach, opened it up and surgically
removed the glue. They took out his intestines, checked for blockage, and then
put everything back in. They attached his
stomach to inside his cavity to prevent
any shifting and bloat. We were able to
bring Kyro home on Sept. 13, with a huge
incision and many staples in his belly as
well as four prescriptions.
With Kyro not being able to do steps, we
have stayed downstairs and slept on the
couch for two weeks. He had to be walked
on a leash to go outside (vs. running in
the yard) and also has worn a cone to
prevent any damage he might do to his
belly. Kyro has gone from almost 100
pounds to 86 pounds. Needless to say,
this has been extremely expensive. The
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carpet (along with dog beds) in our family
has been ruined with glue throughout
the room. However; compared to the vet
bills, this will be an inexpensive cost! At
the end of the day, we are so very blessed
that Kyro even survived! Kyro’s staples
have been removed and he is now on the
road to recovery. It has been a very long
couple of weeks for all. We’d like to thank
everyone for their thoughts and prayers
which have meant so very much to our
family.
We wanted to share this info with all our
Greyt parents – to hopefully prevent anyone else going through this nightmare.
After researching, dogs are VERY attracted
to Gorilla Glue. When ingested, Gorilla
Glue expands with moisture and then
forms a solid mass.
Bioflow Magnetic Dog Collar
Melanie B. wrote us about the Bioflow
Magnetic Collar that she heard about from
a holistic vet. She had people who used
them with really nice results for their dogs
and horses. They are relatively inexpensive, and Melanie felt they were worth a try.
House training your dog or
puppy
— from the ASPCA
You’ve brought a new dog into your
home—congratulations! Now comes
your first dog-training challenge: house
training.
House training is not an exact science—
there’s no sure-fire formula or timetable
that will work for every dog. The important thing is to make it a positive experience. Here are a few tips to help you
through it.
Do: Supervise your dog. Limit the dog’s
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Don’t: Rub her face in it. In addition to
this action making your dog fear you,
she’s incapable of making the connection that it’s the act of soiling indoors you
object to—to her, you just really hate pee
and poop. If she thinks that the waste
itself is what you dislike, she’ll only get
sneakier about hiding it from you.
Are sighthounds really dogs?
— Couto Vet Consultants, The Greyhound
Health Initiative™
run of the house to the one or two rooms
where you are able to see her at all times.
Dogs usually show “pre-pottying” behavior such as sniffing, circling and walking
with stiff back legs; all signs that you
should get her to the potty area ASAP! As
the training begins to take hold, you can
slowly enlarge her territory.
Don’t: Yell at a dog for a mess she made
earlier. If you catch her in the act, it’s okay
to startle her by clapping or making a
noise (hopefully this will stop her long
enough for you to whisk her outside). But
a dog will not learn anything by being
scolded for a past accident, even one
a few minutes old. Just clean it up and
soldier on.
Do: Offer big praise when she gets it
right. Whether your goal is for your dog to
eliminate on pee pads indoors or to do it
outside, you have to really throw a party
for her when she succeeds. Lavish her with
praise, affection and some yummy treats!
november 2014
The dog was domesticated approximately
14,000 years ago. Due to both natural
and human selection, there are now over
400 morphologically distinct breeds;
these breeds are included within groups
(per the American Kennel Club). The AKC
Hound group is composed of over 25
breeds, and includes the sighthounds,
dogs that pursue their prey by keeping it
in sight. All sighthounds have similar phenotype; they are slender, dolichocephalic,
agile, and fast. There are over 15 recognized breeds in this group, including the
Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Borzoi, Chart
Polski, Galgo Español, Greyhound, Hortaya Borzaya, Irish Wolfhound, Italian
Greyhound, Magyar Agar, Saluki, Scottish
Deerhound, Sloughi, Whippet, and Rajapalayam. Although one tends to think of
sighthounds as “sprinters”, several of the
breeds are indeed “endurance” runners
(e.g.; Galgo Español).
There are fossil records and paintings of
sighthound-looking dogs dating back to
7,000-6,000 BC. In other words, this group
has evolved quite tightly during several
thousand years. Recent genetic work
suggests that Greyhounds have unique
genomic features that are different from
those in other breeds. Anybody who has
owned or worked with Greyhound patients knows how different they are from
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dogs of other breeds. Most sighthounds
share similar biological features.
It is estimated that over 200,000 Greyhounds live in homes as pets in the
US and Canada, compared to 35,000
Greyhounds in racetracks. In the past
few years, private Greyhound adoptions
ranged from 15,000 to 18,000/year; there
is also a large ongoing effort of Galgo and
Irish Greyhound adoptions in Europe.
Images courtesy of
www.CoutoVetConsultants.com.
Therefore, it is important to recognize the
physiological peculiarities of this breed.
From the hematologic standpoint, these
athletic dogs have more red blood cells
than other dogs; hence, higher packed
cell volume (PCV) and hematocrit (HCT),
hemoglobin concentration, red blood
cell count, and whole blood viscosity
than other dogs. A healthy Greyhound
has a HCT of 50-63%, something than in
a dog of any other breed will result in a
presumptive diagnosis of polycythemia
or erythrocytosis. The white blood cell
(WBC), neutrophil (WBCs that fight
bacteria), and platelet (blood cells that
start blood clotting) counts are lower
in Greyhounds than in other breeds.
Most normal Greyhounds have WBC of
3-5X109/L, with neutrophil counts as low
as 1.8X109/L; a typical platelet count in a
healthy Greyhound is 80-120 X109/L2. In
addition, Greyhound eosinophils (cell involved in allergic and parasitic reactions)
lack the characteristic orange granules
seen in all other breeds (top); the granules do not stain, thus resulting in the appearance of cytoplasmic vacuoles. These
“vacuolated cells with bilobed nuclei”
(bottom) can frequently be confused with
toxic bands (a sign of severe inflammation/infection).
The serum biochemical profiles in Greyhounds also have values that are typically outside the reference rage for dogs.
november 2014
Mainly, the serum creatinine (marker
of kidney function) concentrations are
high (1-2.2 mg/dL), and the total serum
protein (5-6 gm/dL) and globulin (1.8-2.5
gm/dL) concentrations are lower than
in other dogs; low serum acute phase
protein concentrations account for the
lower globulin concentration. Depending on the instrument used, other values
may also be outside the reference range
for dogs. We recently demonstrated that
serum calcium (both total and ionized)
and magnesium are lower than in noGreyhound dogs. The results of venous or
arterial blood gas analysis and cooximetry
in Greyhounds also yields results outside
the reference range for dogs.
Greyhounds also have unique blood
types; between 50 and 70% of the Greyhounds are “universal” blood donors
(negative for DEA 1.1, 1.2, and 7), compared to <20% for most other breeds.
When using only the typing card for DEA
1.1, 87% of Greyhounds would qualify
as blood donors, compared to <40% for
other dog breeds.
It has been well known for years that
Greyhounds have lower serum thyroxine
(T4) (thyroid hormone) concentrations
than non-Greyhound dogs; in the early
days, the low T4 concentration was attributed to various coexisting disorders
(stress, testosterone administration, racing, etc). However, the low T4 concentrations are present in young, pre-training
Greyhounds, and they persist into adulthood, independently of whether they
race or not. Most normal Greyhounds
(>90%) have T4 values below the reference range for the breed, and are commonly diagnosed as “hypothyroid”7.
A variable proportion of Greyhounds
(10-30%) also have lower free T4 (fT4)
concentrations than non-Greyhounds.
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in a high vertebral heart score (VHS), and
an erroneous diagnosis of cardiomegaly
on radiographs. Greyhounds also have
higher concentrations of serum troponin I
and proBNP (biomarkers of heart disease)
than other dogs; they are frequently in
the range of a dog with cardiomyopathy.
However, all these Greyhounds have normal TSH concentrations and are therefore
NOT HYPOTHYROID. A recent study used
thyroid scintigraphy to demonstrate that
Greyhounds with low serum T4 are actually euthyroid.
From the cardiovascular standpoint,
normal Greyhounds typically have a 1-2/6
left-sided basilar systolic murmur (abnormal heart sound caused by turbulent
blood flow or swirling) that irradiates into
the carotid artery (bruit); this murmur is
louder when the dog is excited and has
higher sympathetic tone. The murmur
is due to the fact that they have a very
large left ventricle (cardiac chamber that
pumps blood to the body), needed to
pump highly viscous blood though the
contracting muscles during exercise.
However, the diameter of the aortic annulus (“exit door” of the left ventricle) is similar to that in dogs of equivalent size, thus
resulting in a murmur of functional aortic
stenosis due to high aortic velocity. The
larger left ventricle in Greyhounds results
november 2014
Greyhounds and other sighthounds
(except Irish Wolfhounds) also have high
blood pressure. In the 60s, several medical research institutions kept Greyhounds
as a model for systemic hypertension in
people. A normal Greyhound may have
systolic BP of >160 mmHg upon presentation to a veterinary hospital. Greyhounds
have a “white coat effect” on BP; normal
Greyhounds have systolic BPs in the 160
mmHg range in the hospital, but only 120
mmHg at home.
Anybody who uses medication in a Greyhound knows that in this breed, “Life is
like a box of chocolates”; in other words,
you “never know what you are going to
get”. Recent research has shown that
Greyhounds do not metabolize drugs
as other dogs do. The concentration of
hepatic cytochrome P-450 enzymes (CYP)
is significantly lower than in other breeds,
thus accounting for erratic metabolism
of some drugs when polypharmacy is
used. For example, a therapeutic dose of
propofol in a Greyhound results in anesthesia that lasts minutes; if the dog is
receiving a “CYP drug” (drug that “ties up”
this enzymatic system), such a chloramphenicol, the same dose of propofol will
result in anesthesia lasting several hours.
In my experience, a good example of this
is the administration of acepromazine. If
a Greyhound receives a therapeutic dose
of acepromazine (0.05-0.1 mg/kg) for
premedication, anesthesia recovery may
take as long as 8-12 hours; I use a total
dose of 0.5 mg for a 30-kg Greyhound. In
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addition to the relative CYP deficiency,
Greyhounds also have high glomerular
filtration rate (GFR) and volume of distribution, and may have differences in
intestinal drug absorption.
Pet Food Recalls
PEDIGREE Adult Complete Nutrition
Limited Recall Due to Metal Fragments
At PEDIGREE, we care about all dogs and
their safety and well-being is extremely
important to us, and to our mission - to
make a Better World for Pets. For that reason, we have announced the extension of
a previous voluntary recall of PEDIGREE
Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food
products due to the possible presence of
a foreign material.
The FDA periodically updates their web
site with new pet food recalls. Don’t take
a chance with your pet’s health. Please go
to the following site to check the safety of
your pet’s food, please click this link.
Pete and Patsy Cline. Cora shared the
following story: “I thought we were going
to make it, but Pete pushed Patsy into
the pool this morning. She was behaving badly and Pete bumped her in. Pete
had a grin on his face, but there is always
karma. As he proceeded to go poopy, in
the middle of his morning ritual the sprinkler system went on full force. They are
both toweled down and Bob and I can’t
keep from laughing!
Thanks to Theresa F. who shared the following: “Have you heard about WoofTrax,
an app that donates to groups when you
walk your dog?” GAGC has started the
process to be listed as one of the charities
on the walking app. Thanks also to Mel
who sent in details as well.
Newsletter photos or
articles needed
If you have good photos of your
hounds, send them in as we might
use them for the newsletter. Send
them to Kathy at koe@donet.com or
Brenda at gagcgreyhounds@gmail.com.
Pet-friendly lodging
From our members
Cora and Bob are huge supporters of
GAGC and parents to greyhounds Big
november 2014
Looking for pet-friendly lodging
when you go on vacation? The
following website lists lodgings that
accept both you and your dogs:
www.petswelcome.com.
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Greyt goods & services
Collars, food tubs and belly
bands
Thanks to all of you who have returned
your unwanted black collar sets to GAGC
to reuse for future adoptions. Recycling
these collar sets helps GAGC save money.
If you no longer need yours, please return it
to Brenda, Kathy or Heather, or take it to any
M&G and the rep will turn them in for reuse.
If you still have a white tub or white and
blue tub that were filled with foster food,
please get them back to Brenda or Kathy.
We refill them with foster food for the
new dogs coming to town. Our supply
of tubs is dwindling, so please check your
garage or wherever you may have left the
tubs and return them soon.
2015 GAGC calendars
The new calendars are in and are terrific!
Brenda and Kathy have them available for
sale. They are $12 each, or the price drops
to $10 each if you get five or more. Please
let us know if you want some. Thanks
to Angie for all her work preparing the
calendars and to Mike for printing them
for GAGC.
Did we loan you a belly band when you
adopted your male greyhound? If you
still have it, please wash it if needed and
return it to Brenda, Kathy or Heather. We
like to keep a supply on hand so that we’ll
have some available for future loans.
Items for sale
Did you know that GAGC keeps a variety
of greyhound items available for sale? We
usually have an assortment of dog coats,
fancy collars and leads, tag bags, muzzles
in assorted colors, and “stool covers” if
your greyhound likes to graze when he’s
outside, as well as some sweatshirts and
t-shirts in several designs for our dogs’
humans. Contact Brenda or Kathy about
the availability of colors and sizes for any
of these items.
november 2014
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GAGC News
Calling for more M&G reps
We’ve been holding monthly Meet-andGreets at local PetSmart stores for years,
and we appreciate those of you who attend with your greyhounds to spread the
word about this breed. Now the PetCo
organization is asking us to hold M&Gs at
some of their locations as well, especially
in the Fairfield and Montgomery areas.
Taylor Ann Wallace was born on Aug. 11.
Would you be willing to commit to attend
a M&G on a regularly monthly basis as a
representative of GAGC, or possibly as a
substitute for those regular reps who are
unable to attend? We are so grateful to
those of you who already attend but we
could use some more help. Please contact
Brenda or Kathy if you would like to be
a rep or a sub. Even if you don’t want to
take on a formal role, please feel free to
join us!
Yankee Candle sale
Axle with some of his accolades.
Thanks to all who participated in the
Yankee Candle fundraiser. We had $2,304
in direct sales plus several online orders.
Since GAGC earns 40 percent of what we
sell, we made nearly $1,000! We appreciate Heather taking the lead on this again.
Congratulations
We send our congratulations to Sherri
and Dave. They welcomed a new granddaughter to the family: Taylor Ann Wallace
born Aug. 11 at 10:15 p.m.; weighed 7
pounds, 8 ounces; 20.5 inches long. From
Sherri: “Love her to pieces!”
This photo of Jetta and Mo will be published in Celebrating Greyhounds.
their non-greyhound Axle. Trudy shared
that Axle recently earned his first sheep
herding title at the HWASC Stockdog trial
in Muncie, Indiana. This is particularly
significant because Axle was a hardto-control, fearful pup when Trudy and
Lindo first rescued him. Thanks to their
dedication to him, Axle has come a long
way. Next he will be moving up to more
difficult obstacles with sheep and learning to herd ducks. Kudos all around.
We are so proud of Sandy K.! Her picture
of kitty Jetta and greyhound Mo is going
to be published in an upcoming issue of
Celebrating Greyhounds magazine.
Webmaster
We’ve had lots of adoptions lately which
means we’ve been keeping Mike very
busy. We’ve barely sent them his way when
he has them posted on the website already.
Thanks for your terrific support, Mike!
Dog Transport
On Sept. 28, Kathy and Keith were part
of a multi-state group to transport three
greyhound mixes from the Preble County
Humane Society in Eaton, Ohio, to the
Nittany Kennel near Port Matilda, Penn.
We had the first leg, picking up the three
boys at the shelter early in the morning
and meeting the next person in South
Vienna, Ohio. The transport went off without a hitch, with the three dogs arriving
in Pennsylvania by about 6 p.m. Thanks to
Keith for helping out!
GAGC sends our heartfelt congratulations to Jess and Tim on their marriage
in Gatlinburg on Sept. 13. Jess and Tim
regularly foster new dogs for us.
Congratulations to Trudy, Lindo and
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Recent events & outreach
Pleasant Ridge Library talk
Sandy, John, Brenda and their hounds at the
Pleasant Ridge Library.
John, Sandy and Brenda attended this
library in mid-August to do a talk on
retired racing greyhounds. Brenda did a
PowerPoint demonstration and the dogs
got lots of petting and hugs. Mo, Ferris,
Crissy, Ellie and Sally were the hits of the
day. At least 20 people attended to learn
why greyhounds are so greyt! Charlene
Bandurraga-Hole, Children’s Librarian,
wrote the following to Brenda: “Thank you
and your friends very much for presenting such an interesting and worthwhile
program! We all learned a lot about greyhounds and the need to adopt retired racing ones. I’m impressed that your organization is able to adopt so many each year!
Best wishes, and many thanks again.”
Riverside Ice Cream Social
Shopping for GAGC merchandise at Fall Fun
Day on Sept. 21.
On Sept. 13, Kathy gave a talk at the
Riverside Historical Society’s annual ice
cream social with two of her greyhounds
— Dave and Zack. In addition, John came
with Aries; and Becky, Matt and Aviana
brought females Nimby and Winona. It
got a little chilly in the shade but the day
stayed dry. Dave was not happy about
the steps to the stage when it was time
for Kathy to talk, but he eventually made
it up there and both her boys did well.
Becky said her girl Winona wanted to be
on stage too! It was a crowded, noisy event
but all our greyhounds handled it well.
Mandy’s Dog-O-Mat M&G
Mandy’s Dog-O-Mat Meet & Greet in West
Chester grows every year. Mandy and her
friends put on a greyt event on Sept. 13;
the weather was perfect and she had a
good turn out! She and her husband put
forth a lot of effort to make their event
so successful. Thanks to several of our
families for attending: Brenda, Sandy,
Heather, Peggy, Alan, Leslie, Mel and Jon.
Thanks also to Ron, Jason and Karen for
setting up. The stars of the day were our
hounds who made a greyt impression on
all who attended: Luna, Vickie, Ninja,
Bernie, Crissy, Mo, Ferris, Furby, Dora,
Odin, Lilly and Mira. Mandy made a huge
surprise donation after the event. We
appreciate her continued support!
GAGC Fall Fun Day
We had a great day at our first ever Fall
Fun Day on Sept. 21. The weather stayed
dry, we had a huge crowd including over
90 GAGC families and over 200 greyhounds, and there were four adoptions!
Of the four adoptions, two were expected
but two were a complete surprise! Tatiana, Bluebelle, Jax and Chorty all went
home. Calendar sales, the raffle and silent
auction, and our sellables all brought
in funds to carry us through the winter
months. The feedback from a lot of our
families was that a fall event is something
we should do again. Our annual picnic
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on Memorial Day weekend keeps some
families from attending because of other
commitments around the holiday. Thanks to
everyone who joined us to support GAGC.
From Brenda: “Heather, Kathy and I were
thrilled to see so many new families in attendance and to see the familiar faces of
those families where we’ve placed greyhounds over the years.
Silent auction goodies at the Fall Fun
Day.
I’m going to try to thank those who put
forth extra effort today, please accept
my apologies now if I forget to mention
your names. Thanks to those who came
early to set up and those who stayed to
pack it up! We have an amazing group of
people. Jake and Steve hauled all the stuff
down and back, set up and spent the day
helping others. My Ron and Jon placed
tents and coordinated the area. Thanks to
Garion, Karen and Jason for helping with
the foster dog x-pen; they were coming
and going all day. The raffle and silent
auction were hugely successful; thanks to
those who donated items (and thanks to
Bob and Laura for making it so nice). The
money earned will definitely help with
our winter expenses.
Pizza sales went over very well. Thanks to
Bob and Cora for donating all the pizza,
and to Mel and Jon who handled the
sales. Our product sellables flew off the
shelf, thanks to Heather, Mary, Megan,
Angie, Sandee and several others who
helped. The Paw Prints project was fun
(thanks Robin), and the calendars were
awesome (thanks to Mike for printing and
Angie for coordinating). We have extras if
anyone wants to purchase one.
Thanks to Jess and Tim for setting up the
cornhole game. Thanks to Farrell and Tina
from County Animal Hospital for offering nail trims. Thanks to Bernie from State
Farm for giving out free snow cones.
Thanks to Heather for making the frosty
paws; the pups really enjoyed them.
Thanks to Cindy and Terri of Animal Communication & Wellness Services who are
always a hit.”
Silent auction winners are:
• Wooden greyhound bust with martingale collar and Greyhound print:
Peggy Corrigan
• Cincinnati Heart Mini-Marathon
poster and Distressed greyhound portrait: Angie Blume
• Woof Wine Bottle Basket and autographed book: Leslie Schrager
• VW Volkswagen cooler and Greyhound jean jacket: Tracy Mattingly
• Montrachet and Galante Wine Basket:
november 2014
11
Getting some greyhound puppy love in West
Virginia.
Looking at turkey necks at Iron’s Fruit Farm.
Sandee Coats-Haan
• Custom watercolor portrait and
Fleece blanket and black iron greyhound: Heather Gilstrap
• One-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge:
Bob and Cora Fiehrer
• Greyhound coat, collar, leash and
treats: Melanie Beckemeyer
• Dog toy basket: Matthew Bailey
• Meeting of the Two Racers photo:
Sharon Palatcli
Liberty Township Fall Festival
On Oct. 4 at the Liberty Township Fall
Festival, all we can say was it was COLD
and windy. Both the dogs and the people
were miserable so we left early. Sorry if
we missed you! Thanks to Ron and Jon
who held the tent from blowing away
until Jason and Karen brought weights!
Thanks Jon, Mel, Karen and Jason for
setting up. Thanks to Kathy for staying
the entire time with Brenda, Mel and Jon,
Sandy, and Sandy’s daughter and son-inlaw, Julianne and Dale. They all participated and showed off the pups and helped
put away our tent and sellables. Jean and
Bob stopped by for their calendar too. The
november 2014
cold pups who were wearing their coats
and donation jackets were Crissy, Bernie,
Zack, Auggie, Mo and Ferris. Mo and
Ferris won a prize in the pet parade!
Iron’s Fruit Farm M&G
Our special Meet and Greet at Iron’s Fruit
Farm on Oct. 5 was much more pleasant
than our event the day before. It was a
great day and we’re glad so many of our
GAGC adopters showed up. We counted
more than 20 families in attendance,
which is great for a one-day special event.
The dogs were fascinated by the fire engine, the crowds, the kids, the other visiting dogs; as well as the resident goats,
burros, emu, pigs, and turkey. Fun times!
This was Kim and Icon’s anniversary. Kim
met and fell in love with greyhounds at
this event last year!
West Virginia Farm visit
From Brenda: Wow! We had a greyt time in
West Virginia visiting the track, the track
adoption kennel and a greyhound farm!
We got to see day-old puppies, so cute!
We saw other greyhounds ranging in age
from 6 weeks to almost 2 years (those
dogs will be heading to training school
soon). We had 12 cars following us up the
side of the hill to the farm. The kennel
manager greeted us and showed us all
around. I think our new families really appreciated the freedom they had getting in
and out of the dog runs! Some were more
adventurous than others. All 75 dogs
were glad to get the extra attention our
families and kids gave them. So hard to
leave them, but I promised each one that
someday I will come back and find them
their forever home. We all fell in love with
Zinnia who was available for adoption,
but tested not cat friendly. Well, Doug,
Sara and their daughter Emily offered to
foster until her forever home was found.
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We brought back five gorgeous dogs: Jax
Hester, Go On Holden, Cookie Cookster,
Round Punch and WV’s Zinnia. We try to
visit the farm once a year so watch for an
invitation if you want to join us next year.
Iron’s Fruit Farm — Take 2
It was cold and windy with the occasional
sprinkle, but we still had a few folks come
out to Lebanon for Iron’s Fruit Farm family event on Oct. 18. Thanks to Kathy, PJ,
Peggy, Lauren and Mark, and Pam and Don;
plus their pups Zack, Dave, Hal, Dora,
Furby, husky Kojak, Chancey and Chloe.
Blanchester Fall Festival
Keeping warm at the Blanchester Fall
Festival.
The Blanchester Fall Festival on Oct. 18
was a nice event, but again we ran into
cold weather, so attendance was way
down. Thanks to Jason and Heather who
helped Ron and Brenda set up. Jamie
and Stephanie came with Maverick and
Sandy came with her boys, Mo and Ferris.
Bella, Brenda’s new dog, made an appearance at her first event, and she was very
interested in the sheep and chickens that
were there. Crissy showed her how to get
attention and how to represent GAGC.
Heather’s Lexi was there too showing
both Pennix girls how to enjoy the atten-
tion. The pet parade had six greyhounds
and four other dogs. Congratulations to
Maverick who came in third place winning a Kroger gift card!
Paw Jogger’s Rescue Run
The Paw Joggers event at Sharon Woods
on Oct. 19 started out cold but warmed
up nicely, perfect for a 5k run or walk or
a 2k walk. Marianne and James set up
around 7 a.m. Their greyhounds Connie
and Nat walked in the event and drew a
lot of attention. Lots of people stopped
by the GAGC booth to ask questions,
love on and admire the dogs, and a few
even received kisses from the always
affectionate Connie. As usual, the GAGC
greyhounds were greyt ambassadors for
the breed. Winners for the walks and run
earned medals, but most folks seemed
to be in it for the exercise, time with their
pups, and to benefit local animal welfare
charities. A large portion of each registration fee could be designated as a donation to the organization of the person’s
choice, and a pool of money raised
through a raffle and sale of extra shirts,
etc., will be divided among the rescue
groups, including GAGC.
HOWL event
The HOWL event on Oct. 26 was a lot of
fun! Gorgeous fall day with lots of sun!
It was fun seeing so many other breeds
dressed up getting treats from a dozen
different groups, people treats too, lots of
kids. Big thanks to Marianne and James
who donated our treats. We had about
eight GAGC families attend who enjoyed
the walk around the lake. Good to see a
couple of our new families participating!
Thanks to Tracy who stayed most of the
day with Brenda. Ron set up and packed
up. Mel and Jon came early to help, too!
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Dog runs, fosters & adoptions
Dog runs
Aug. 23 was another Alabama dog run.
Ron and Brenda picked up five gorgeous,
sweet, laid-back pups. There were four
females: Flying Royal Fire (Fire), Braska
Harley, ZE’s Chorty and Stormin J Alyce
(Joyce); and one male: Carolina Hard.
All the dogs tested cat-friendly thanks to
Ripple, Joe and Holly’s cat. Kathy, Joe and
Holly, PJ, Ron and Brenda bathed the dogs
before their foster families picked them
up; they enjoyed the special attention
they received! Thanks to foster families
Joe and Holly, PJ, Jeff and Carol, Tim and
Jess, and Colleen.
Hardcore Heath is all smiles during his
drive to Cincinnati from West Virginia.
Brenda and Kathy went all the way to
West Virginia on Sept. 10 to pick up
females Mac’s Bluebelle and GF Tatiana and males Hardcore Heath and MH
Manny Pina. All the dogs were still intact,
so Heath tried to do some rockin’ and rollin’ with Tatiana on the drive home and
she was not pleased! Manny chilled the
whole way home, while Bluebelle, who
was in a leg cast, just tried to stay out of
everyone’s way. Nice group of dogs!
Sept. 18 at 3 a.m., Brenda got a call from
the dog hauler from Alabama that he was
crossing the Ohio River and heading her
way, giving her time to throw on some
clothes and head to our usual pick up location. Brenda and the hauler drove in at
almost exactly the same moment. We’ve
got this timing thing down. The hauler
was heading to Michigan and only had
room for one dog for us this time. Brenda
picked up female Jax Gilda and Andrea
and Ben will foster her.
Ron took a nice ride to Jackson on Sept.
24 picking up three dogs from the track
kennel. He brought back Kiowa Manny’s
Boy, CTW Moonshiner and CET Mickey
Mouse who was a former brood. Manny
was in two homes and was returned
through no fault of his, so GAGC will now
find him a forever home. Mickey Mouse
had one litter of puppies and needs a
home to call her own. Moonshiner, called
Shiner is gorgeous and so tiny. Ron said
the ride was very nice back to County
Animal Hospital where the dogs were be
vetted and moved into foster homes.
The Oct. 4 dog run was uneventful, which
is always a good thing. The hauler from
Alabama was right on time and arrived
at a decent hour for a change. Ron and
Brenda met Kathy and Sandy at Mandy’s
Dog-O-Mat where the newbies got a
good bath and had their creepy crawlies
removed. Then they went back to Brenda’s
where they were all fed and waited for
their foster moms to pick them up. We
got four more greyt dogs: boys (and littermates) OK Slam and OK Speed and girls
SD Pinky and Pat C Ollie.
The dog run on Oct. 12 was the farm trip
to West Virginia. Thanks to Jeff and Carol,
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Karen and Jason, Jean and Bob, Doug and
Sarah, and Robin and Chris for opening up
their homes to help transition these dogs
to the good life! We brought back five
really nice dogs: males Go On Holden
and Round Punch, and girls WV’s Zinnia,
Cookie Cookster and Jax Hester. After
we returned to West Chester, we met at
Mandy’s Dog-O-Mat to bathe the new
pups. Thanks to Sandee, Kathy, Liz, Barnie,
Karen, Jason, Doug, Ron and Brenda who
washed off the sand and dirt. From there,
Kathy took the girls and Brenda and Ron
took the boys to County Animal Hospital
where they will be spayed or neutered
and ready for their foster homes.
Foster homes needed
Getting baths after arriving in Cincinnati
from Alabama.
Our biggest challenge in finding homes
for the retired racing greyhounds is finding foster families to help with the dogs’
transition into their forever homes. Would
you like to be a part of the process? We
provide food, medications, and guidance.
In addition, our foster families are in the
running for a monthly drawing to win a
bag of Nature’s Select donated by Alan
and Leslie. Can we add you to the list?
Foster a greyhound, get in the
drawing for a bag of Nature’s
Select!
Alan and Leslie, our Nature’s Select distributors, are now donating a 30 pound bag
of Nature’s Select every month to support
our fostering program. Everyone who has
fostered that month will be in contention to win the bag of food. Here are our
recent winners:
August: Tracy M, foster mom to SE’s
Joe Sumpton
September: Erin and Josh, foster family
to GF Tatiana
October: PJ, foster mom to Pat C Ollie
november 2014
Foster Families
We are so appreciative of our foster
families. They give us the option of having
multiple dogs readily available for new
applicants to meet and adopt. Thanks to:
Alice and KC: Easi Graham (Max)
Andrea and Ben: Jax Gilda
Brenda and Ron: JSK Bluebell, Mac’s
Bluebelle
Carol and Jeff: Stormin J Alyce, Jax
Hester
Colleen: Carolina Hard
Erin and Josh: GF Tatiana
Heather and Jason: CTW Moonshiner
Holly, Joe, Riley and Cleo: JSK Bluebell,
ZE’s Chorty
Jean and Bob: Cookie Cookster
Jess and Tim: Braska Harley
Karen and Jason: Vickie Vicster,
Kiowa Manny’s Boy, OK Speed,
Round Punch
Kathy: SE’s Joe Sumpton, Go On
Rammer, MH Manny Pina
Megan and Garion: WV’s Neptune
Megan and Kevin: Go On Rammer
Michele C.: WV’s Wharton, Go On
Rammer, SD Pinky
PJ: Flying Royal Fire, ZE’s Chorty,
Pat C Ollie
Robin and Chris: Go On Holden
Sarah and Doug: WV’s Zinnia
Stephanie and Jamie: CET Mickey
Mouse
Tracy M.: SE’s Joe Sumpton, Hardcore
Heath
Current Foster Dogs
Are you ready for another greyhound? We
have the following dog available, but more
are coming soon:
Jax Hester: 2-year-old brindle female
Please contact Brenda, Kathy or Heather if
you are interested in adding a dog to your
family.
15
Recent adoptions
It’s all sweet dreams for Tatiana (now
Hazel), adopted on Sept. 21.
Pinky, adopted on Nov. 1, is clearly settling
in well at her new home.
JSK Bluebell: Aug. 17 to Mary and her
mom Joyce of Nashville, Tenn.
SE’s Joe Sumpton (Joey): Aug. 19 to
Lauren and Ryan of Fairborn
Carolina Hard (Hardy): Aug. 29 to Valerie
of Blue Ash
Vickie Vicster: Aug. 30 to Karen, Jason,
Chelsey, Olivia and Austen of Trenton
Flying Royalfire (Trudy): Aug. 30 to
Susan and Terry of Dayton
WV’s Wharton: Aug. 31 to Ellen, John and
Vince of Sharonville
Go On Rammer: Sept. 13 to Kay, Jonathan and Heather of Nicholasville, Ky.
Mac’s Bluebelle (Bella): Sept. 21 to
Brenda and Ron of Liberty Township
ZE’s Chorty (Zoey): Sept. 21 to Tal and
Steve of Indian Hill
Jax Gilda (Jax): Sept. 21 to Andrea, Ben,
Reese and Remy of West Chester
GH Tatiana (Hazel): Sept. 21 to JaCol and
George of Vandalia
Stormin J Alyce (Lexie): Sept. 22 to Renee
and Alan of Beavercreek
MH Manny Pina (Manny): Sept. 24 to
Claire, Clyde and Sam of Sharonville
WV’s Neptune: Sept. 26 to Paige and
Jayson of Blue Ash
Kiowa Manny’s Boy: Sept. 28 to David
and Suzy of Gahanna
CTW Moonshiner (Moonshine): Oct. 4 to
Mark and Christina of Anderson
OK Slam (Slam): Oct. 6 to Frede and
Juergen of Cincinnati
CET Mickey Mouse (Mickey): Oct. 7 to
Susan and Barry of Wyoming
OK Speed: Oct. 10 to Mylynda and Steven
of Franklin
Cookie Cookster: Oct. 15 to Jean and Bob
of Cincinnati
Braska Harley (Harley): Oct. 20 to Bev of
Saylor Park
WV’s Zinnia (Zinny): Oct. 24 to Annelise,
Ron, Ronnie and Ann of Fairfield Township
Hardcore Heath (Sven): Oct. 25 to Rob
and Lindsay of Lebanon
Easi Graham (Max): Oct. 28 to Alice and
KC of Cincinnati
Round Punch (Punch): Oct. 31 to Aaron
of Beavercreek
SD Pinky: Nov. 1 to Mary, Robert, AnnaBella and Amelia of Walton, Ky.
Go On Holden: Nov. 2 to Amy, Chris,
Davis, John and Kate of West Chester
Pat C Ollie: Nov. 5 to Andrew of Cincinnati
Pet Sitters
Do you need a pet sitter for your
greys while you’re
out of town?
Brenda has a list
of GAGC members willing to
pet sit, but we’re
also looking for more willing folks,
in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas.
Let Brenda or Kathy know if you’re
interested.
november 2014
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Our Condolences
Editor’s Note: very time we lose one of our
greyhounds, GAGC makes a donation in that
dog’s name to the Department of Veterinary
Clinical Services at Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. GAGC hopes that
someday soon, researchers can determine why
so many greyhounds are struck down prematurely by cancer and other causes.
We were very sorry to hear of another loss
for new adopters Camille and Don. Camille’s
father died in August at the age of 97. We
send them our deepest sympathy.
Illustration courtesy of Elspeth
Rose / www.barkerandpaws.com.
Andrea and Ben had to say goodbye to their
girl Haley on Aug. 28. She was having great
difficulty walking and was not the Haley
that they knew. Their vet suspected a brain
tumor was the cause of her deterioration.
From Andrea: “She was my first greyhound
and she made me fall in love with the breed.
My heart is broken and my house quiet, but
I know she is at peace and at the Rainbow
Bridge with my sweet Flyer. I’m going to
miss my girl.”
Bob and Jean had to let their girl Kelly go on
Sept. 20. She had difficulty walking recently
and radiology showed what appeared to
be cancer forming in her spine. We are
so sorry for their loss. They were very
attached to Kelly.
We were very sorry to hear that Amy and
Scott lost their greyhound girl Sloopy on
Sept. 20. She passed away in her sleep, most
likely from a stroke. They adopted Sloopy
as a 7-month-old puppy, and she was a
puppy to the end! She loved to sit next to
you on the couch and “talk” to you and give
kisses. Her best friend was Maggie, a yellow
lab her age. The two of them romped and
played like puppies to the end. Sloopy will
be missed.
Also in late September, Joann T. had to say
goodbye to her girl Lea Jupiter. Lea had
started to limp, and a visit to the vet revealed dreaded bone cancer. Joann had to
have Lea put down at only 7 years old. We
send her our heartfelt condolences.
Our sincere sympathy goes to Bev E. She is a
long time member of GAGC and her daughter has adopted from us in the past as well.
We learned in early October that Bev’s husband passed away this summer from lung
cancer. She also had to deal with the loss of
her female lab mix Lucy to a brain tumor.
We are sorry to hear of both these losses.
It’s been a rough few months for Vanessa
and Dave. They lost their beloved Bubba in
July, and then on Oct. 9 they had to put their
girl India down. India had been gradually going downhill and all signs indicated
a brain tumor was the cause of her health
problems. She went peacefully at the age of
november 2014
17
13. Vanessa helped GAGC rescue India who
was being offered for sale via a PetFinder ad,
and then Vanessa adopted her. India had a
great life with Vanessa and Dave and we are
so sorry for their loss.
We send our sincere condolences to Sandy
K. whose cat Jetta died in mid-October from
old age issues.
We were sorry to hear the news from Kelly
that her boy Burnsey recently passed away
at age 13 from old age problems. She adopted Burnsey as a rehome in 2007 so they
had a lot of good years together.
SPECIAL NOTE: If your beloved greyhound
goes to Rainbow Bridge and you would
like to share a tribute about him or her,
please forward a picture if desired and your
memorial statement to us and we’ll enter it
in an upcoming newsletter. High-resolution
photos are best.
Tributes from our readers
Remembering Haley
— from Ben and Andrea
Ben and Andrea lost their very first greyhound, Haley, in late August. Haley made
them fall in love with the breed. She walked with Andrea daily, spent months in bed
with her when she was on bed rest, stood watch over their infant daughters, loved
to sunbathe and bask in the pool. Her favorite job of all was training the many GAGC
foster dogs that came through her door. She will be greatly missed.
Nitetrain Nellie: July 31, 2002 – May 8, 2014
— from PJ
Nellie came to me in the fall of 2009, when I was down to one female, Summer, and
three boys. Summer liked tormenting them but was obviously lonely for a girl buddy.
I put out the word that I would like a rehome female about 7 years old, and two days
later I got a call that one was being returned. When I heard her name was Nellie I said,
“I’ll take her! That was my great grandmother’s name.” She was white with thick hair,
soft as a bunny, and never met a stranger. She loved to go in the car, and especially
loved meet and greets. She was a pro at getting donations and would stand in front of
someone and stare until she got a donation. Often she gave kisses in return.
Top to bottom: Haley and Nellie.
She loved back scritches and would dance up and down while you scratched. She felt
that meals were to be savored, not wolfed down. She was positive that any company
that came was there to see her and her alone. She was nice to fosters and got along
with every dog she met. She loved being outside in any weather and I am glad her last
winter was nice and snowy, because she loved the snow. My favorite memory of her is
when she was asleep, her tongue would stick out the front of her mouth because she
was missing all her front teeth.
She slowed down a lot last spring and I suspected she had something going on. When
her good buddy Mars died, I think she just gave up. Ten days later she was gone too. I
miss them both; they had a lot of fun together, and livened up our household. Rest in
peace, fluffy girl!
november 2014
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Support GAGC!
How can YOU support GAGC?
GAGC can always use your support. Here’s
how you can help!
Go Krogering!
Do you shop at Kroger? The Kroger
Reward program is one of GAGC’s most
reliable fundraisers. Our rewards
are based on your
use of your Kroger
Plus card instead
of a gift card. We receive a $200 donation from Kroger each time our group
achieves $5,000 in total purchases. We use
these donations primarily to cover vetting
expenses for new or rehomed greyhounds. Be sure to link your Kroger Plus
card to GAGC and always use it at checkout. Thanks to all of you who are active in
using your rewards cards. Our supporters
(96 households) who shopped at Kroger
between May 1 and July 31 contributed
to our $1,560.39 total reward.
Did you renew your participation in the
Kroger Rewards program for 2014? Here’s
how: Take a moment and re-link GAGC’s
ID# to your Kroger Plus card. Go to www.
krogercommunityrewards.com, have your
Kroger plus card, and sign in. If you are
new to this program just hit the sign up
today button. If you are just renewing, go
to My Account. Update and confirm your
information. GAGC’s ID# is 80372 Greyhound Adoption of Greater Cincinnati. This
does not affect your Kroger fuel points.
Do a Meet-and-Greet
Bring your greyhounds to a GAGC Meetand-Greet
to introduce
others to this
wonderful breed. They are on Sundays at
november 2014
the following Petsmart locations (times
are on our website):
• 1st Sunday of the month: Milford
• 2nd Sunday: Beavercreek (in the
Dayton area) and Tri-County
• 3rd Sunday: West Chester and
Centerville (Dayton)
• 4th Sunday: Mason
Special M&G: The AMC Theatre in West
Chester is allowing GAGC to hold a special M&G once a month. If you would like
to participate, contact Brenda who will
schedule a time for you to attend.
Thanks for your support!
One of the reasons GAGC has experienced so much success is due to the
support we receive from our families and
friends. Month after month, you help us
out in many ways, and we so appreciate
all of our donors. Thank you!
General gifts to GAGC
AmazonSmile Foundation
Karen and Jason B.
Larry B. and Grapehound Wine Tour Inc.
T. Beale
Marjorie C.
Peggy C. and Jason P.
Cora and Bob F.
Ed and Amy F.
Jason G./ Employer match
Edye L.
Melody M.
Claire P.
Clyde and Claire P.
Honey and Dale R.
Barb S.
Barb and Bill S.
Marianne S.
Renee and Alan T.
Mandy W.
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Gifts in memory of ...
Duke
Angie B.
Fave
Angie B.
Josh Dragosavic
Brad B.
Doyle & Linda B.
Jane & Ronald B.
Rosemary C. & Carrie R.
Martha & Glen F.
Brenda G.
Steve H.
Patricia K.
Bob & Cheryl L.
Lance S.
Michael S.
Sandra & Robin W.
Gifts in-kind
Edye L.
Jodie
Joyce & Walter
Marianne
Our New Foster Dog Sponsors
Zack models one of Theresa’s crocheted
snoods.
We recently started a new program encouraging our members to sponsor one
of our foster dogs for $20. The sponsorship fees will go toward the cost of food
and monthly medications for these greyhounds. The sponsors have their names
on the website on the listing for the dog,
plus we’ll include it here. This is a nice way
to support our foster program without
actually bringing a grey into your home.
Thanks to all! Our latest sponsors are:
Peggy, Jason, Furby and Dora: Braska
Harley, GF Tatiana
Sandy, Ferris and Mo: CET Mickey
Mouse
Joyce and Walter: Kiowa Manny’s Boy
Marianne, James, Connie, Nat and Dan:
Braska Harley, Stormin J Alyce, Pat
C Ollie, SD Pinky, OK Slam, Round
Punch, Jax Hester, Go On Holden
Cora: WV’s Neptune
Fiona and Bluebell: CET Mickey
Mouse, Hardcore Heath, CTW Moonshiner
Melissa R.: Pat C Ollie, SD Pinky, Regall
Eddy
Mel, Jon, Lily and Odin: Pat C Ollie, SD
Pinky, OK Speed
Amanda, Kaladin and Scarlett: Cookie
Cookster
Thank you
We want to thank two of our talented
members for their recent contributions of
hand-crafted goods. Theresa F. made crocheted snoods for cold-weather wear and
Lynn W. made belly bands for our newlyacquired male dogs. Thanks!
We are so very grateful to Jon and Mel for
coordinating the Rusty Ball Concert. 50
percent of ticket sales will come back to
GAGC as a donation!
november 2014
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Support our supporters!
www.cincigreyhounds.org
needlenosenews
a publication of Greyhound Adoption of Greater Cincinnati, Inc.
march 2007
vol. xiv
masthead 1
march 2007
vol. xiv
masthead 2
www.cincigreyhounds.org
needlenosenews
a publication of Greyhound Adoption of Greater Cincinnati, Inc.
‘Bye for now! Look for the next NeedleNoseNews in early 2015. Ahhh roo roo roo!
november 2014
21