Make Peace With Animals

06/26/2025

MEET SUGAR (AGAIN)!
Apparently, Sugar (racing name XM Sugar Lips) needed a little more time than most Greyhounds to adjust to life beyond the race track. She was reluctantly returned from her first home because her adopters found her to be hypersensitive to even moderate noises, like kids bouncing a basketball or a car’s revving engine blocks away.

Fast forward to now.

Due to vacations, Sugar has been in two different foster homes since her return and both have reported that Sugar seems to have conquered her noise fears. Just the other day, while on a walk with her foster dad, Sugar was unbothered by a loud, passing motorcycle. The other foster home reported that when there were fireworks nearby, Sugar retreated to a quiet basement office (and who wouldn’t?). Lawn-mowing and leaf-blowing in adjacent yards are not a cause for nerves. In other words, Sugar has no problem with normal neighborhood sounds.

Now that she no longer has a fear of loud noises, potential homes for two-year-old Sugar have expanded enormously!
What she has to offer you: she has lived with cats and poses no threat. She’s young, affectionate, and pretty.
What she would like you to offer her: a fenced yard so she can play safely; another Greyhound in residence to pal around with; and lots of love and affection which she will gladly return!

06/23/2025

05/25/2025

Henge and Ukulele wish you a Happy Memorial Day

05/14/2025

HOW WE SPENT MOTHER'S DAY
from Cynthia Branigan

Absolutely no disrespect to all the mothers out there, but we had too much work to do to participate in any maternal celebrations. Welcome to the world of Greyhound adoptions!
On Sunday we took in three beautiful additions to our roster of available dogs. All of this was made possible by our dedicated volunteers.
Left to right, fosters Sue and Bill; transportation chief Tim with his co-pilot Heidi; Steve and his foster; and John with his foster.
Here are the three beauties up close. Left to right: Midnight Bandit ("Matt"); FF Dirty Harry ("Harry"); and Grandma Betty ("Betty").
More details coming soon!

05/11/2025

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
..from our Beautiful Broods, Ukulele (left) and Norma Rae.

04/19/2025

MEET SUGAR!

Sugar (racing name XM Sugar Lips) is just as sweet as her name. This two-year-old, 72-pound beauty is even good with cats!
She does have one quirk, though, and it is the reason why she was reluctantly returned to us after being in a home for several months. We agreed it was the best move for Sugar.
Sugar has what might be described as a hypersensitivity to noises. Sure, many dogs don't like the sound of electrical storms, or gunshots, or a car backfiring. But Sugar's sensitivity exceeds that. For example (and as was the case in her last home), she would refuse to go out into her fenced yard, even accompanied by her adopter and her Greyhound 'sister', if the 4 boys next door were shooting hoops in their driveway. If she heard a car revving its engine a block away, same thing: the fear factor kicked in.
None of this is to say she needs to be in a hermetically-sealed environment. In fact, she is back in her original foster home and can withstand what she considers normal neighborhood noises. But anything too loud and too close is a dealbreaker for Sugar.
In other words, if you practice the drums in your house, or like to crank up the music, well, fugetaboutit.
If, however, there is an adult or two in your home, maybe a couple of cats (as she lived with in her previous home), another Greyhound, and a fenced yard, let's talk! Under the right circumstances, Sugar is a happy, affectionate, and sugar-sweet girl.

04/19/2025

MEET BOOKIE!

The eyes have it--and what striking eyes they are!
Bookie (racing name Call the Bookie) is a beautiful red fawn female who just turned two on April 1st and weighs about 60 pounds. But she's no April Fool's prank: Bookie is a gem of a girl. Her foster family said she's one of the best they ever had: affectionate, sleeps peacefully in a crate overnight, and eats well.
While she gets along with medium and large dogs she has met while on walks, she is a little too interested in small dogs to be considered compatible. She also did not pass our cat test.
Overall, Bookie will make a a fine companion for someone looking for a devoted, playful, gorgeous girl!
Possible future bonus: Bookie's littermate sister, Grandma Betty, will be coming to us in early June after she is spayed. Perhaps you're looking for two?

04/03/2025

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRLS!
from Cynthia Branigan

Though they were miles apart, it didn't stop two littermate sisters from celebrating their 2nd birthday on April 1st.
First up, brindle beauty Grandma Betty. As Taylor Hartman, the Wheeling adoption coordinator, told me, " We take birthdays seriously around here. There were birthday cookies for Betty and all of the dogs in the adoption kennel."
Not to be outdone, fawn-colored Call the Bookie celebrated in foster care at the home of John Kahler and Carol Rowehl. In addition to her festive hat (which I was told she wanted to play with more than wear), Bookie also partook of birthday treats with the two permanent Greyhounds in her foster home, Chase and Winnie.
Bookie is available for adoption now.
Betty will be coming to us at the end of April.
While they can, of course, be adopted separately, wouldn't it be nice if the two fashionistas were adopted together? Just sayin'!

03/16/2025

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY
from Cynthia Branigan

Irish-born Lassinagh Silky (March, 1996 - December, 2010) wonders what's all the fuss about March 17th since she celebrated the day every day! Nonetheless, La Fheile Padraig Sona Duit!

03/08/2025

TIM AND VINNY DELIVERED!
from Cynthia Branigan

As promised, our road warriors, Tim and Vinny, hauled our latest additions from Wheeling on Friday.
Both dogs were in high spirits upon arrival and have settled down nicely in foster homes.
Left to right: Steve with his foster girl, "Bookie" (Call the Bookie); Vinny, Tim, and Tom with his foster boy "Rocky" (Clout Chaser). Dawn, who oversaw the proceedings, took the photo.
As of this writing, both dogs are available for adoption.
More details and photos coming soon!

03/05/2025

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK
from Cynthia Branigan

As a matter of fact, yes, we are getting in more adoptable Greyhounds.
On Friday, a beautiful boy and a gorgeous girl will be hauled here by our volunteer Tim and his sidekick, Vinny.
We'll have more details and photos after they arrive. Stay tuned!