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

PROPERTY REDEVELOPMENT

The much anticipated redevelopment of our GAP property is about to commence! We are building a new kennel block containing 30 kennels where we will house our isolation and convalescing kennels. We are also building a new office administration complex that will be far nicer than the tin shed that we currently operate from! The March newsletter will have some photos of the buildings as they progress.

TESTIMONIALS

We've begun to add testimonials onto our website in the "About GAP" section. If you'd like to have a testimonial included, please email gap@grv.org.au and we'd be more than happy to add it to the list.

GREYHOUNDS AND LURES

It has recently come to our attention that some GAP greyhounds are being taken to greyhound trial tracks and being put behind the lure for a run. Please do not do this. There is a very high chance of your greyhound being injured as they require a high level of fitness to run after the lure, much higher than any pet greyhound would have. Also, many greyhounds come to GAP because they have injuries that mean they are no longer capable of running at high speed. Unfit or unsound greyhounds run a very high risk of being seriously injured if they are put behind a lure.

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.

COOPER

Cooper is a quiet, shy boy who can at times be quite timid. Because of this he is looking for a special person who will give him time to settle in and adjust to his new surroundings. He's very well mannered, clean and quiet in the home. He can be scared of men and generally prefers female company. He is a bit of a watch dog but don't expect him to protect you - he'll probably be hiding in the nearest corner if a burgler actually did arrive! He needs a patient owner and a quiet home to help him adjust. Children are a definite no-no for this boy, but he'd make an idea companion for an older person. While he gets along well with other dogs, he'd probably be happer in a home where he was the "only child". He is not cat friendly. Cooper is black in colour and was born on the 18th of December 2004.

Dear Oscar

I hope you can help me. Last August, my owners took me and my little greyhound sister, Gypsy, on a holiday to Robe in South Australia. The weather was lovely and we went for lots of wonderful walks in the countryside and along the beach. We stayed in a lovely house with a nice little backyard. Everything was perfect until that fateful morning when we all went for a walk on Long Beach. I was with my owner/dad, and we boys were having a lovely time. Gypsy was with our owner/mum and they were looking for shells and other interesting things.

We met a lady coming the other way with four little dogs who were all free to run wherever they pleased, and that was when things went pearshaped. I could tell straight away that these seemingly carefree little mutts had more than just a pleasant morning frolic on their minds and I feared for Gypsy's chastity. After all, she's a friendly little thing and far too young to be worldly wise in the ways of these sexual predators. Little did I know that she was never the target of their attentions. Before I knew it, I had four wet little noses shoved where all dogs like to sniff. Now I'm a big, tall dude, and at least two of my attackers had to jump up and down to achieve this, so their aim wasn't particularly accurate and they kept overshooting the mark.

Now I come to the embarrassing part and I would like to send my apologies to "Iprefertostand" from your August 2007 newsletter, but what else could I do but sit down? I hope that this action doesn't leave me in bad standing with my fellow greyhounds (if you'll pardon the pun), but I could see no other way to end my discomfort. Worse still, my attackers seemed to take this as an open invitation to have their way with me, and proceeded to attempt this with each of my back legs. What can I do to regain my dignity?

Yours in shame,

Merlin

PS - a couple of them looked a lot like you. Do you have any family in Robe?

Dear Merlin,

I remember meeting you when you were at GAP, and you are a very handsome dog. I'm not surprised that the little dogs found you so attractive! And I'm sure too that many greyhounds would secretly admire you for your ability to sit. Did your people try to help you out at all? I hope that they didn't just stand around laughing. I'm sure you would have just put your head in the air and done what most greyhounds would do - ignore the harassment from the other dogs.

In answer to your question, I'm not sure if I have family in Robe. My mother still lives locally to me, and I believe her family are all from the same area. She's not really sure who my father is, or if she does know she won't tell me. I like to think he was the Police dog that visited town for a short period a few years ago... I'm sure I'm part Alsatian.

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

THE DISEASE KNOWN AS FOSTERING FAILURE

Fostering failure (medically known as Greyhoundus Wontleaveus) is a rampant, highly contagious and wide spreading disease of the emotional system. Greatly feared, the disease appears to be most prevalent with first time foster carers, as their bodies haven't built up the necessary immunity levels to allow them to fight the disease. More experienced carers often appear to be able to ward off the symptoms, at least for a period of time, but eventually they too succumb to the deadly grip of this hideous disorder.

Common symptoms include uncontrollable sobbing at the thought of returning a foster dog, fear that the dog can't possibly cope once they leave you and paranoia about any prospective adoptive family. The sobbing symptom will quickly spread to other carers present when the foster dog is returned. The contagious nature of these symptoms is quite frightening to watch and care should always be taken if a large group of carers are together when a foster dog is returned.

If the carer is strong enough to be able to resist the infection long enough to return the dog to GAP, the disease will then progress to the next stage. Symptoms include obsessive checking of the GAP website to see if the dog has been adopted, dismay at the thought of the dog having to stay in the kennels for anything longer than one night and the overwhelming desire to take the dog back home again. Only the very strong or those with well developed immune systems are able to ward off this severe stage of the ailment.

Methods for treating the disorder are generally only successful to a degree. A replacement foster dog is usually our recommended remedy, although this will only help to allay some of the symptoms. Most sufferers find that hearing from the dog's adoptive family is the best and only way to deal with the syndrome. There has been talk of a FFA (Foster Failures Anonymous) to help those inflicted with the illness, but as the complaint is so wide spread, it would be almost impossible to accomodate all sufferers.

Once a person suffers from fostering failure, it is usually expected that they will soon also suffer from an equally horrendous sickness known as GOD (Greyhound Obsessive Disorder). This is also known as the "potato chip" syndrome - as you can't stop at one. Victims will accumulate more and more greyhounds, often going to drastic measures, such as moving house, buying land in the country or hiding dogs from the council to feed their addiction. Once people reach this stage, unfortunately they are a lost cause and cannot be helped any further. The disease has absolutely no cure, and once infected by it, you will carry the illness until the day you die.

Realistically, it is better to just accept that as foster carers, we all have this awful virus lurking in our systems and at some stage we will be struck down by it, no matter how hard we resist. We are all greyhound junkies, but oh, what a wonderful drug!

Wrong Molly

I thought you might like to hear how Molly is going. I have included a recent photo for you to see our beautiful girl. She has become a wonderful companion and is my constant shadow. She loves her daily walks and also racing around my big backyard. She has just had a holiday with my daughter and family while I was away and got on famously with their dog. My five year old grandson delights in calling her the "wrong Molly" because as you may remember, when you arrived with her last October and got her out of the trailer, you found they had sent the wrong Molly with you. Well, you will be delighted to know that she as definitely become the "right" Molly. She is such great company, and I'd be lost without her.

Gwenda Barfus

Pawnote: Molly was one of the large group of greyhounds rescued by the RSPCA and then rehomed through GAP a couple of years ago. There were two dogs named Molly amongst them, both the same colour!

A huge thank you to Bayer Australia and Advance for your valued support during 2007. With your assistance our hounds are parasite free and well fed!