Welcome to Edition Six of the GAP newsletter! We hope you’ll find it an informative and enjoyable read.

Thank you to everyone who braved the poor weather conditions to attend the GAP Christmas Party. The numbers were down a little on last year but all who attended seemed to have a good day. Next year we will send out a survey regarding this event to see what changes you'd like us to make so that the day is even more enjoyable for you all.

GAP AT CROWDED HOUSE

Crowded House requested some GAP greyhounds to take part in their Melbourne concerts, and we were more than happy to help out! Afterwards we conducted an informal "meet and greet" out the front of Rod Laver and handed out flyers to many interested people. Visit the video on YouTube to see more - a link is listed below!

GAP CHRISTMAS CLOSURE

GAP will be closed from Friday 21st December until Monday 14th January. All GAP staff will be available on their mobile phones during this period for emergencies only. There will be kennel staff at the property during this time to care for our dogs and the boarding greyhounds, but no new dogs will enter GAP or adoptions will take place.

GREYHOUNDS IN NEED

We are currently working with the RSPCA to rehome a large group of greyhounds that were surrendered when their owner could no longer care for them. These dogs vary in age, but most are around five and six years old. Most are in fairly poor condition but this is improving slowly with the special care being provided to them by the RSPCA.

Foster carers are urgently required to help with these dogs. It would be so wonderful for them to spend their first Christmas in a home! There are no special requirements to become a foster carer - just a big heart and a little bit of patience. If you can help out, please phone GAP ASAP on 5799 2909.

THE PERFECT PET - GREYHOUND ADOPTION PROGRAM CALENDAR

This great calendar is selling out quickly! You can order online through the GAP website - just click on the link below to place your order. If you would prefer to pay by cheque, the calendars are $22 each (including postage). You can post your order to GAP, PO Box 785, Seymour Vic 3661.

We are now accepting photos for the 2009 calendar. As we will be producing it earlier in the year we will need all submissions by Friday 29th February 2008.  Please refer to the following guidelines for submitting your photos.

Image Quality:
Digital photos are preferred however printed photos will still be accepted if they are of a good enough quality. Images submitted need to be the highest quality due to the size they are printed in for the calendar. To improve quailty look at digital camera settings and make the size setting = largest and the quality setting =finest this will be the biggest possible file size at the best quality.

Naming:
1. Digital photos
It is important to have a clear reference of the Dog/s name and the Adopter/s name
When saving files to disk rename the file in the following format: DogName_OwnerName_.jpeg
Make sure each photo on the disk is named along with the disk itself

2. Printed Photos
Please write Dog/s name and Adopter/s name clearly on the back of each photo 
If more than one greyhound is in submitted photos, clealy state the name of each greyhound and their colour

Please post your photos to:
GAP Calendar Photos
C/o Sigrid Wilkinson
Greyhound Racing Victoria
46 - 50 Chetwynd St
West Melbourne   Vic   3003 

 
DECEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2nd December - Park Orchards Playgroup. 10.30am - 12.00pm. Stintons Reserve, Stintons Rd, Park Orchards. Melways ref 35 B. Everyone is welcome but only greyhounds are allowed to run on the track. A free Christmas BBQ will be held after the playgroup to celebrate the last one for the year.

2nd December - Ballarat Playgroup. 2.00pm - 4.00pm. Ballarat Greyhound Track, Rubicon St, Ballarat. Everyone is welcome but only greyhounds are allowed to run on the track. 

2nd December - Greyhound Walking Group Federation Square and Yarra River. Breakfast 9.00am at the Riverland Cafe and Bar. Walk will start at 10.30am, Melways map 2F Ref G6   

12th December - Variety Club Special Children's Christmas Party

16th December - Greyhound Walking Group Fitzroy Gardens, this will be the Christmas walk. Meeting near the cafe in the garden 10.00am Melway map 2G ref C3. After the walk a picnic lunch will be hald (BYO everything or food/drinks can be purchased from the cafe). 

GAP always has lots of fantastic greyhounds that are available for adoption. Each month we will choose one special dog to profile. But remember all of our dogs ready to adopt can be found on our website, just click on the link below to check out all of the dogs currently available.

Ratbag, featured in the last newsletter, has now found a home!

BRONTE

Bronte came to GAP without any history so we didn't know her name or age. Judging by her very puppyish manner though, we think she'd only be around 12 to 18 months old. She's a playful, active and happy girl who will need company and an owner who can continue with her obedience training. She loves other dogs but is not safe around cats. She did really well in foster care and now walks well on lead - quite an achievement compared to the dog that first came to us. She would love to be part of an active family with school aged children that she can play with. Bronte would dearly love a new home for Christmas.

Dear Oscar,

I am hoping you can help me with something which has been puzzling me for a while now. Why is it that if I am part of my new family do they get so upset when I help myself to food which they leave on tables?

Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but why are they so possessive about their food? I do try to share with them. I once tried to give them some of something I found on the ground in one of the parks we went walking in but all they did was wave their arms around and yell rather loudly.

I don't see what all the fuss is when I take food off plates that is left laying around. Some of it isn't even that nice. I thought they might have left it there for me, because it tasted so bad, they didn't want it anyway.

Hoping you can solve this one!

Regards,

Not Always Greedy

Dear Not Always Greedy,

Isn't it funny the things people eat! I like my food fragrant (mum calls it smelly), and if it has been laying around for a week or so, even better! Not long ago I found part of a lamb and brought it home to munch on... it smelt so good! I gave it to mum so that she could have a taste too, but she didn't seem very keen. But that was ok, because it left more for my brother Beanie and I to eat instead. Beanie is a bit of an expert on food so I asked him what he thought of your question, but he couldn't answer as he was too busy eating.

People are strange! You think that they would be pleased that you were willing to eat what they don't want.

Oscar

Oscar is always keen to offer advice to greyhounds and their people. He loves to receive letters so if you have a question you need answered, please write to:

Dear Oscar
c/o GAP
PO Box 785
Seymour
VIC 3661

With the Christmas/New Year break approaching, we are URGENTLY in need of people willing to foster one of our dogs over this period. Whilst we are OK for foster homes for the cat friendly dogs, we are DESPERATE for cat free foster homes. We'd much prefer the dogs to spend Christmas in a loving home, so please consider giving fostering a go.

We provide you with all the food (ADVANCE Adult Energy) and equipment. Fostering isn't a difficult thing to do - to the contrary, it's a very easy and rewarding experience. It's also a great way to "try before you buy" if you're considering adopting.

The foster period is from mid December to mid January.

Please spare a thought for the greyhounds. Wouldn't you rather see them spend Christmas in the comfort of your lounge room rather than all alone in the kennels? They deserve your love and attention, so please consider opening your heart and home to one of our lovely hounds for just a few weeks. Many of the dogs requiring fostering will be those who have already been through foster care and just need babysitting whilst they wait for their forever home.

For more information, please click on the link below or  speak to Melanie at GAP on 5799 2909 or  mluscombe@grv.org.au

Dear GAP,

First of all I'd like to say that it's lovely to see you both again! I have such happy memories of this place and am looking forward to having a holiday here with you.

I thought I'd update you about what's been happening since we last met. Desi, being both male and slightly irresponsible, has delegated the job to me.

Thanks for finding us our new home. It's not too bad at all. We get to the slipping track twice a week (as long as it's not too hot) and also get taken to playgroup and out with the Walking Club. Both are opportunities for me to catch up with friends. Desi likes to dash off to the front of the pack at Walking Club so I get a breather from him, and at playgroup he's off socialising and then straining on the leash to be allowed to run. Me, I tend to sit back and watch the others, joining in for a little run with the oldies but sometimes I'm just not in the mood and quite happily lie on the grass and watch while the youngsters have fun.

We get out and about quite a bit apart from this - I think they try to give us a bit of variety in where we walk so we can find new smells. We even get to paddle in the river every now and again, something I've taken to since Desi has shown me that it's safe. It's lovely to do this now that the weather is warming up.

I must admit I wasn't too keen on having Desi around at first. I mean, I'd got rid of him ages ago and thought he was now an independent young man. He's not like me much at all - must take after his father. He's a lot more pushy and likes to get his own way so there are a few battles around the house when he does things he's not allowed to do (like get on the sofas). He doesn't seem to understand the word "no" and thinks our parents won't notice that he's been on them, in spite of leaving a layer of black fur everywhere (yes, we're both moulting at the moment). Not the brightest spark that one! He does provide me with company though, although neither of us would openly admit it. We pretend that we're not that keen on each other, but it definitely feels strange when the other is not around. There are times when he needs an older person around as well - he's not as strong and macho as he pretends. He's petrified of thunder and not too keen on garbage trucks or trains, so we fight these fears together.

As a youngster he's definately fitter than me. Having him around has reminded me of how old I feel at times. H'es always on the go. He is also never sick and the only thing that has happened since he arrived is that he cut his foot the other night while getting a little too excited to see our parents come home. As for me - well you know what it's like when you get older. I'm afraid it's a bit of a long list really. Since I left you I've been lame in one front foot, cut the webbing between the toes on the other one, had really bad gastro, a fractured sinus, and just recently I've had another six teeth out. That was a bit of a shock to the system I admit. I knew they were loose and a bit smelly but really, they could have warned me. Luckily I can still eat chicken wings and frames. I'm just a bit slower at it than I used to be, but that's the same as most things these days. I do have to be careful though that Desi doesn't try to take advantage of the situation and steal my food from me. He can be a bit like that - trying to assert his authority and superiority within the pack.

I think we make quite a good pair though all in all. I'm the quiet, unassuming one with the sparkling wit and personality (shown only to those who really know me) whereas he is the big, goofy one; much more outwardly sociable but with more hang-ups. Together we make a well-rounded team.

I've taught him about the things you can learn from the sniffs on our walks (he used to just like walking, how boring!) and he's really into them now. To the point where I have to be careful when we're sharing a sniff 'cos he sometimes lifts his leg, forgetting that I'm there and I get a little wet, which isn't pleasant. He's also slowly learning how to lie on his back with his feet in the air like me (although he still needs someone to lean up against to do this). In return, he's taught me to like water, how to sleep curled up into a little ball (great for cold weather), how to cock my leg up the side of a tree, and that it's great fun kicking out your back legs after you've had a pee. I must admit that it's such fun that I sometimes do it even when I haven't had a pee - it feels so daring!

So there you have it. We may be a bit fretful at first as we're very much creatures of routine and can be quite demanding of attention, but we settle down really quickly and adopt to our new environment (I think that Paris's parents, Alan and Helen would confirm that). In spite of this, please tell our parents that we missed them when they come to collect us - it'll make them feel better, even if it's not the complete truth.

It's good to be back.

Mel

PS - My parents have asked me to add a reminder that when last here Desi apparently worked out how to open the latch on his kennel and get out for a wander. He's obviously not that daft after all. He mus thave inherited his craftiness from me. Anyway, just so you know.

Check out more information about our wonderful sponsors, Advance Pet Food and Bayer Animal Health, just click on the links below.