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

GAP RACE NIGHT

It's on again! Details are as follows:
When: Saturday 28th June
Where: The Meadows (80 Northcorp Blvd, Broadmeadows)
Time: 6.30pm
Cost: $35 per adult, $15 for kids aged 6 to 12, $5 for kids aged 3 to 6, children under 3 free
Price includes three course buffet meal. Drinks at bar prices.
RSVP: Friday 20th June

If you have never been to the races, this is your opportunity to do so! Come and see what your greyhound did before he ended up on your couch. Lots of entertainment for the children, punters club, raffle etc. This fun night always sells out quickly so book your tickets now!

For more information, or to book your tickets contact GAP on (03) 5799 2909

(This is a people only event - please leave your greyhounds at home)

GAP PROPERTY REDEVELOPMENT AND OPEN DAY

The new Administration building is nearing completion, but issues with the site of the new kennel block has put the construction of this building back several weeks. The Open Day will now be held on Sunday 10th August. Put the date in your diary now, and more information will be included in the July newsletter.

WELCOME AILEEN!

Aileen Travis, a long time foster carer and volunteer for GAP, has taken up the role of part time Admin Assistant. She is a welcome addition to the GAP team at Seymour. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1st June - Park Orchards Playgroup. 1.00pm - 3.00pm. Stintons Reserve, Stintons Rd, Park Orchards. Melways ref 35 B8. Everyone is welcome but only greyhounds are allowed to run on the track.

6th, 7th, 8th and 9th June - Melbourne International Three Day Event - GAP display. Werribee Park. 9am till 5pm each day. Volunteers needed ASAP. If you would like to help out at this promotion please phone GAP on 5799 2909. For more information on this event visit http://www.m3de.com.au

8th June - Greyhound Walking Club gathering. Emerald Lake Park, Emerald. Melways ref 127 K4. Meet at 10.30am at the kiosk that is next to the Lakeside (Puffing Billy) station in the park. There are BBQ and picnic facilities, as well as a cafe, for anyone who wants to make a day of it. Please note that parking in the park is $2 for one hour, or $6 for all day (coin only). Everyone welcome! If you are running late or lost, please phone Steve on 0432 873 821.

8th June - 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.

14th & 15th June - Petstock Open Day, South Morang. GAP display. Volunteers are still needed for this event. If you would like to bring your greyhound along, please contact the GAP office.

15th June - Tootgarook Playgroup. 1.00pm - 3.00pm. Truemans Road Reserve, Truemans Rd, Rosebud West. Melways ref 169 E6. Everyone is welcome but only greyhounds are allowed to run on the track.

22nd June - Greyhound Walking Club gathering. St Kilda foreshore and Esplanade Market. Melways ref 2N H7. Meet at 10.30am at the start of St Kilda pier. The group will then walk along the new foreshore development and return via the Esplanade Market. Everyone welcome! If you are running late or lost, please phone Steve on 0432 873 821.

6th July - Park Orchards Playgroup. 1.00pm - 3.00pm. Stintons Reserve, Stintons Rd, Park Orchards. Melways ref 35 B8. Everyone is welcome but only greyhounds are allowed to run on the track.

6th July - Greyhound Walking Club gathering. Wattle Park, Melways ref 60 J3. Meet at 10.30am at the main car park next to the chalet. Enter the park from Riversdale Road. There are BBQs and picnic facilities in the park. There is also a cafe in the golf course club house which is around 100m from the car park. If you are running late or lost, please phone Steve on 0432 873 821.

13th July - 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.

GAP always has lots of fantastic greyhounds that are available for adoption. Each month we will choose one special dog to profile. If you are interested in this greyhound, or any of our other wonderful dogs that are ready to adopt, further information can be found on our website. Just click on the link below to check out all of the dogs currently available.

HOLLY
Holly is one of our very special senior dogs. She was a good racer in her day and had 85 race starts for 17 wins, 17 seconds and 7 thirds. Now she is happy to lay around and reminisce about the good old days. Like all our senior hounds, Holly is quiet, placid, has delightful manners on lead and around people, and she's not fussed by other dogs. She is surprisingly sprightly for her age (she'll be ten in October) and she is looking for someone who is kind enough to look past her greying face and offer her a warm fire to snooze by. She is not cat friendly but we won't hold that against her - in all other ways, she is the perfect companion.

Dear Oscar

Even if I say so myself I am a very handsome black male "grey" of mature years. My name is ROCK (derived from my exotic race name of ROCKATANSKY) and I live a life of leasure in retirement with my adoptive owner Ted (who was my foster carer and who I infected, because of my stirling qualities, with a healthy dose of FFCS). Now my life would be absolutely ideal except for one little, but not inconsequential, matter which I am hoping you can help me out with. When a new foster dog first comes to share my home with me inevitably he/she cops "it" - "it" being the water "treatment" (a squirt of water in the face) for some misdemener such as barking, whining or scratching at the door. Now I don't mind for they have to learn a lesson but if it occurs at night in the dark and the foster is black (which most are) and I am outside with him/her I sometimes cop "it" instead of the culprit, a case of mistaken identity, totally undeserved and unfair. I am sure you will agree that "a pail of water in the face to an innocent bystander is quite beyond the pail!". I hope you can help.

Yours in canine solidarity,

Rock

Dear Rock,

I understand exactly how you feel for I too have been on the wrong end of a squirt of water! And I'm little and white, so my identity can't be mistaken with that of a greyhound. What you need to do when "it" happens is run away screaming, then cower in the corner of the yard and shake. Your owner will be so overcome with guilt that he'll take a little more care next time and make sure his aim is a bit more accurate. The louder you scream the better - it is proportionately related to the level of guilt he will feel. Just to help reinforce the point, make sure you utter short, sharp screams of fear any time your owner even touches the squirt bottle. He'll soon get the message.

Oscar

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

REFLECTIONS OF A FOSTER CARER - by Ted McCoy
After nearly 2 years of foster caring I thought I might pen some thoughts and reflections in the hope that they might strike an accord with my fellow foster carers.

THE PLEASURE
By means of a little of my own choosing but mostly through the choice of others and random life circumstances we meet. For just a short interlude in each of our life's journeys, we share a mutual bond, respect, friendship and affection. Then we part, but through this brief encounter each of our lives have been made just a little bit happier.

THE EMOTIONS
Foster caring has led me to feeling an acute and heightened sense of the passage of time. My life is now lived in emotional roller coaster 3 to 4 week cycles. Some initial anxiety as the new foster dog arrives, followed by a few days of uncertainty, then the settling down to enjoyment and pleasure and all too quickly the inevitable sadness and emotion of the parting.

I have had a very interesting and satisfying career as a secondary school teacher and part time university lecturer/tutor, a rich family life and a lifetime involvement in sport which has been the source of a great deal of satisfaction (I am still, at age 68, competing regularly in veteran's cycling events) but I must say I don't think I have done anything in my life as pleasurable as being a foster carer for these wonderful animals. Also the association and friendship forged with other foster carers has been a great bonus for my life in retirement. I thank the Board of GRV and GAP for giving me the really unique opportunity to be a foster carer.

Hello everyone at GAP!

I just wanted to let you know how Eadie was going in her new home.

We've had Eadie for almost two months now and it's like she has always been part of the family!!

She was very shy and timid in the first few weeks. She fled to her bed and hid her head under her blanket at walk time, was scared of all noises and wouldn't come when we called her name at all.

But now she is a completely different dog! She follows us everywhere, loves to go on her long walks and hangs out for our runs in the park. Eadie also loves visiting the family (she thinks kids are the greatest invention ever!) and run around the backyard at full speed - but only for a few minutes at a time... because we are still working on her fitness!

With everyday Eadie comes out of her shell more and more - and everyone finds more and more reasons to love her.

Eadie now attends obedience school once a week and can now sit, heel, wait, stay, drop and give her paw. She is super bright! Eadie also loves the car and can go anywhere with us because she is so well behaved. Last week we gave her a bath in the bath tub, which she wasn't sure about to start with but once she realised the water was warm she really liked it - and she loved being blow dried too!

Thank you for everything! And please let me know if we can ever do anything to help promote your wonderful organisation!

Jett Barker and Eadie

PS - I've attached a photo of EAdie and me at her welcome home party where she got to meet all the family

A huge thank you to Bayer Australia and Advance for your continued support during 2008. With your assistance our hounds are parasite free and well fed!