News Release
Guam Greyhounds Update
Portland Oregon, March 10th 2009
Greyhound Pets Of America Northwest
Contact: Carol Vinnacombe
President, GPA Northwest
503-784-1285
After planning to receive 15 of the refugee Guam Greyhounds from California this week, GPA Northwest has learned that several of the dogs originally scheduled for the trip are not yet well enough to travel. These Greyhounds came from the US territory of Guam after the racetrack on Guam closed last November, leaving over 100 Greyhounds with nowhere to live and no one to care for them. The dogs that have been brought to the US needed a lot of extra care to prepare them for adoption and some need more time to become fully healed before they travel again.
The number of Greyhounds coming north has been reduced to 8 from the original 15 but the need for adoptive homes and support for the organizations caring for the dogs has not changed. Both GPA Northwest in Portland and their sister-chapter GPA Greater Northwest in Seattle are ready to welcome the newest Greyhounds into their adoption programs on Wednesday March 11th. The dogs will be travelling from Fillmore California in a specialized dog transport and should arrive at the GPA Northwest stop at approximately 10:00am on Wednesday March 11th.
"This time can only be approximated due to unknown road conditions through the mountain passes and the actual transit time between Fillmore and Portland. Our current estimate for arrival time is 10:00am on Wednesday, said Carol Vinnacombe president of the GPA Northwest group. We will have volunteers standing by from 8:00am until the dogs actually arrive so they can be unloaded and settled into their temporary rest spot for the day. All of the dogs will be moving to foster homes in the greater Portland area or going north to the GPA Greater Northwest group by Thursday morning."
News media interested in photographing the arrival or the Greyhounds after they have arrived can contact GPA Northwest for details and directions to the location. The president of the GPA Northwest chapter will be on hand for interviews and to answer any questions. On-site and telephone interviews are welcomed.
GPA Northwest is a non-profit corporation and tax-exempt 501c3 organization. It is a chapter of Greyhound Pets of America, a national network of Greyhound adoption groups. GPA Northwest is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers; all donations and other revenues are dedicated entirely to supporting its Greyhound adoption program.
GPA Northwest's purpose is to help retired racing Greyhounds find homes. We have never discriminated against a Greyhound because of its origin or its past history. Besides the usual flow of retiring Greyhounds, we regularly take in Greyhounds from racetracks that close, breeders that are leaving the business and even animal shelters. We do not deny any Greyhound acceptance into our program, whether that Greyhound was originally placed by GPA Northwest or not. The GPA Northwest Adoption Program is not closed or limited, we are dedicated to our mission and with the help of our amazing volunteers and supporters, the Greyhounds are being helped more than ever in 2009. GPA Northwest welcomes volunteers from all walks of life, regardless of whether they have adopted a Greyhound. All that is required is a love of animals, and a willingness to work.
GPA Northwest Mission Statement
The mission of Greyhound Pets of America Northwest is to locate responsible, loving homes for Greyhounds that fail to qualify or no longer qualify for the racetrack and to educate the public about the Greyhounds, stressing their desirability as pets.