Greyhounds race against time

For decades, greyhound racing captivated Britain's working class. As World War II drew to a close in Europe, attendance levels at the U.K.'s 200 tracks reached a peak of 50 million a year.

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Taylors Sky, the new favorite for Saturday evening's Williamhill.com Greyhound Derby at London's Wimbledon track, shows its pace.

But the popularity of this former national obsession began to wane. Competition from the new medium of television and a wider variety of leisure options for working people led to a decline in attendances. Tracks began to close, and they've been closing ever since. Only 25 remain in the U.K. today, attended by just 2 million people in 2010. Walthamstow Stadium is the most recent casualty. It was one of the last remaining tracks in London, and an icon of the sport, but was forced to close its traps for good in 2008.
Another concern for the sport, is a scarcity of dogs.
Lack of incentives and rising costs to keep the dogs are forcing some to quit the sport for good. Paul Walden, a former trainer in Swindon in Wiltshire, whose family has been training dogs since the 1930s, recently quit the business altogether as it was bleeding cash.
"I've given up. I couldn't make it pay any longer," he says. "The prize money is being cut but everything else, like diesel and dog food, is going up. Once the owners start disappearing, breeders aren't prepared to have more dogs and trainers don't want to go through the hassle if there is no demand. I have gone back to painting and decorating."

A Racing Breed

Greyhounds are said to date back 4000 years. They are seen in early cave drawings and are even mentioned in the Bible.
They can reach 45 mph.
Greyhounds weigh 60-70 pounds with a fat content of about 16%, compared with 25% in other dogs.
Greyhounds can see clearly for a distance of half a mile
A greyhounds has a larger heart and lungs and more red blood cells than other canine breeds.
Racing greyhounds spend 80% of their time in the air, as close to "flight" as a land animal can get.
Celebrity owners included Babe Ruth, Frank Sinatra, and Ed Sullivan.
Source: WSJ research

But greyhound fanatics die hard. Eighty years after Mick the Miller, arguably the U.K.'s most celebrated and well-loved hound, surrendered his Greyhound Derby champion title in a controversial race, the sport has not lost its capacity to thrill.
Last week, racing fans witnessed the shock exit of favorite Razldazl Jayfkay who failed to qualify for the Greyhound Derby final at Wimbledon stadium in London this Saturday evening. With the favorite out, this year's £75,000 ($123,000) first prize is up for grabs for any of the six dogs remaining in what's regarded as the most important competition for the sport in England. The new favorite is Taylors Sky.
Greyhound racing's decline is being felt globally. According to figures published by the Associated Press, there are only 25 tracks left in just seven states in the U.S. compared with 50 tracks in 15 states a decade ago. The amount of money bet annually on races in the U.S. fell from $3.5 billion in 1991 to $1.1 billion in 2007.
Although the sport may never capture the British public's imagination in the way it once did, there was a bit of a revival in the lead- up to the financial crisis in 2008 as income and track attendances grew. Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) revenues, derived mainly from licensing tracks and a voluntary 0.6% levy paid by bookmakers, rose from £4.1 million in 2001 to £14.4 million in 2008. However, it fell to less than £8 million last year.
Track attendances have also seen a dip, down from about 4 million people in 2008 to 2 million last year, according to the GBGB figures. Gambling profits fell, with bookmakers' gross profit diving from £290 million in 2008-2009 to £277 million in 2009-2010, says the U.K.'s Gambling Commission.
One reason of the decline is people cutting back on extra spending, says Irish trainer Paul Hennessy, who has been training dogs for 30 years and hopes his charge Barefoot Bullet wins Saturday's Derby. "The boom has quieted down," he says. "A lot of outside owners came in when things were going well [in Ireland and the U.K.]. But then the recession came and people, who treated the sport like a hobby, had more important things to do than greyhound racing."
The sport is bleeding dog owners because of a lack of incentives, says Charlie Lister, who has been running dogs for four decades. "Prize money in horse racing is really big money. On the other hand, in greyhound racing owners are running dogs for peanuts. You may have the Derby but that's only once a year and only one dog wins it. There were 190 dogs competing for the top prize this year. The owners get fed up."
John Simpson, a trainer at Wimbledon, says: "People aren't breeding as many dogs as they used to because there's less demand. There will be a shortage of dogs in the next couple of years. This will affect the sport big time and possibly more tracks will shut down."
A drop in demand may also explain a fall in dog registration. The GBGB says registrations fell from 9,751 in 2007 to 8,552 last year and "can be partly attributed to there being less tracks and the lengthened racing career of greyhounds. Investment in track maintenance and safety means greyhounds generally race for longer."
Many of the dogs available are poor quality compared to other generations, adds Mr. Hennessy. "During the boom, people bred anything that moved. As a result really good dogs are even scarcer to find now."
Separately, managers struggle to increase the numbers of people going to the track as online betting becomes more widely available. At Wimbledon, management shut down its traditional Tuesday races and runs them only twice a week. Manager Keith Hallinan admits things will get tougher for some tracks. "It's going to be the survival of the fittest," he says. "The numbers are in decline so the industry needs to concentrate on providing the total experience with party packages and restaurants. People want a deal."
But not everyone thinks the sport is doomed, even if it never reaches the popularity it enjoyed during the Mick the Miller era. Mr. Hennessy says: "We will never get back to the days of 10,000 people at one meeting. That's not a reflection of the direction the sport has taken but there are far bigger audiences possibly watching it on TV or online. The volume of people is there."

And there are signs the sport might stage a comeback. A business man who owns Henlow Greyhound Stadium has offered £9 million to buy Walthamstow to reopen the dog track, including public leisure facilities and affordable housing.

Training Dogs for Greyhound Racing : How to Choose a Collar for Greyhoun...

Sophie is home!

Through the faithful efforts of the search party from Greysave, Sophie was secured Thursday evening near her home.  Following a trip to the vet, she was reported resting peacefully at home.

Greyhound support group keeps hope alive!

It has been 2 weeks now, of searching for Sophie in Glendale.  There have been a couple of sitings, keeping hope alive.  Tonight (Thursday January 13) Sophie's owners are asking volunteers to sit in their cars quietly at street corners near their home to watch for movement between 6 and 9pm when she has been sited.  Acting on a tip from greyhound friends at Greytalk, they have made a trail of their clothing in hopes of attracting Sophie home.

Hopefully this will have a happy ending!

Don't give up when you lose your pet, because it may return if you get help

March 17, 2007|By Eileen Mitchell, Special to The Chronicle

Almost a week after Petra's escape, search efforts paid off when volunteers received a phone call from animal control; two police officers who patrol the Bayview, Dak Thompson and Bruce Meadors, had sighted a skinny, dirty dog with numerous scabs and abrasions, worn toe pads and shredded nails.

While a frantic Jeffrey was changing plans to return home, a GSGA volunteer sent an e-mail blast to the group's Yahoo list serve: "LOST GREYHOUND" read the subject line. Immediately, more than a dozen volunteers from all corners of the Bay Area mobilized to search for the missing dog.

The first thing they did was file reports with the San Francisco police, San Francisco Animal Care and Control, and the Peninsula Humane Society. They posted notices on Web message boards. They blanketed various districts with flyers, in English and Spanish.

When a California Highway Patrol officer reported seeing a white dog with black spots running on Highway 101 south, volunteers descended upon the Bayview district. They asked everyone they encountered about the missing greyhound. They canvassed areas where a dog might seek shelter, such as underbrush and parks. All day, into the night and over the damp, gray weekend, volunteers continued scouting the streets, knowing Petra could die from exposure or exhaustion. That is, if she wasn't first hit by a car.

According to San Francisco Animal Control, Petra was one of more than 120 dogs that go missing each month. Only 70 percent are reunited with their guardians. That means roughly 1 out of every 4 dogs is never seen again.

"The most important thing is to keep looking and don't give up," said Sheri Cardo, director of public relations at Marin Humane Society. "You'd be surprised how many dogs and cats are found months later."

She also cites the importance of filing a report with your local shelter and following up with visits twice a week. "We had a case where a Maltese ran away and was picked up by somebody who then sold the dog to another family. A few months later, the dog escaped from the second family and was found by a woman who turned her over to our shelter. Our lost-and-found representative immediately thought of the original family because they had stayed in touch. Five months later, this dog was finally home where she belonged."

Almost a week after Petra's escape, search efforts paid off when volunteers received a phone call from animal control; two police officers who patrol the Bayview, Dak Thompson and Bruce Meadors, had sighted a skinny, dirty dog with numerous scabs and abrasions, worn toe pads and shredded nails.

Thanks to GSGA's frequent phone calls and numerous flyers, the officers thought it might be the missing dog and kept her cornered in a gated parking lot until the volunteers and Jeffrey, who had since returned home, arrived on the scene. When the frightened hound saw her guardian, she bolted into Jeffrey's open arms.

What if your dog is missing? The first thing you should do is file reports with animal control and your local shelter, as well as neighboring shelters. Your pet can run fast and far, and when strays are found, people will often take them to the shelter nearest their home. From various sightings, it was estimated that Petra covered as much as 10 miles while she was lost.

"Let staff know where your dog was lost and give his description," said San Francisco Animal Control representative Deb Campbell. "The shelter can check if a dog matching that description has been brought in." She also recommends visiting shelters in person. "Even if you call about your dog and the staff can't find a match, check for yourself. One person's Lab mix could be another person's pit bull mix."

And take your search online. Pet Harbor (www.petharbor.com) is a nonprofit Web site that consolidates data from local animal care organizations such as the SPCA, Humane Society and animal control. The site is updated daily with photographs of incoming strays.

f your dog is a purebred, contact breed clubs and breed-specific rescue groups, as they may have information about your pet. They also may be able to offer behavioral advice, like Stu and Barbara Homer did when Petra went missing. Throughout the search, they kept volunteers apprised of what the ex-racer's behavior might be at particular hours of the day and night, and where she might seek food or shelter.

Finally, take preventive steps. License your dog, make sure he is wearing a current ID tag and consider microchipping. Dogs can slip out of a collar, but they can't lose a microchip.

"Lost dogs are hardly a priority in San Francisco, but we were tenacious," said one happy and relieved GSGA volunteer. "Animal control said it was because we were out there every day, following leads, that they made it their mission to help us find Petra."

- File reports at local shelters. Update the report with each visit and place in the front of the lost book to keep it current.

-- Call and whistle to your pet. She may be injured, frightened, trapped or unable to come to you. Hearing your voice may encourage your pet to respond.

-- Spread the word: Tell everyone that your pet is missing.

-- Post lost pet notices on bulletin boards in stores, churches, libraries and around your neighborhood. Include the pet's name, description, a photo and your name, address and phone number.

-- Advertise in local newspapers. Some run free lost pet columns, others charge. Offer a reward, but do not specify the amount.

Finding Them is Only the First Step

by Michael McCann

Finding a lost Greyhound is difficult: catching a loose Greyhound, who doesn't want to be caught, could be one of the most frustrating challenges one ever faces in Greyhound rescue. Over the years we've heard dozens of stories about Greyhounds running loose for months and even years, and thought to be impossible to catch. The truth is, any Grey can be caught, with time, tools and patience.

The most common scenario is a new adopter with a shy, or downright spooky Grey. Any new experience can set off a run for freedom: a loud motorcycle, something blowing in the wind, or just a stranger, moving to pet him. He panics, slips the collar and he's off. He hangs around the neighborhood, and sightings come in about him every day, almost always in the same general area. People hoping to catch him, chase him, and of course, he runs. As every day goes by he becomes more spooked. Soon, the adopter gets frustrated with the search and gives up. What to do?

Sophie has been missing near Los Angeles since 12/30/10.  If sighted, please call:  8664739728

The first thing to do is to set up a feeding and watering station. It should be near where the dog has been sighted. He's going to be looking for food, and if he finds a source, he'll keep coming back to it. To help him find it, put some stinky cat food in his bowl. Be consistent, Greyhounds are creatures of habit, and if you are consistent, he'll keep coming back every day to the same place at the same time.

Cal the Greyhound - Looking for a Long Term Commitment

Emergency search help needed for lost greyhound Sophie!!!

Sophie lives in Burbank near Glendale. She slipped out of her yard December 30 so she must be very, very hungry.  Sophie is extremely shy, so if sighted, her owners should be contacted instead of trying to pursue her yourself. ( 818) 3315489 or Greysave: 8664739728

Ebony walks in view of the snowy San Bernadino Mountains

Ebony LOVES her walks wherever she goes. 

WAG for greyhound adoption; what a handsome Santa!

Isn't this a handsome Santa?

Ivory was bored

We returned to find a mess in the family room.  I guess Ivory was bored!  Is this typical greyhound behavior?

Do your dogs spin?

Ivory, if you can't run fast, you can run in place.

The Pasadena Humane Society sponsors a fundraiser walk at the Brookside Park Sunday, September 2

The 12th annual Wiggle Waggle Walk is Sunday, September 26, 2010

Set up starts at 8:00

Walk starts at 9:00

There are many booths, including our personal favorite: Greysave. 

An estimated 2000 people and their dogs will enjoy a 3-K walk around the Rose Bowl, followed by Muttley Crew's dog agility show, demonstrations by the Pasadena and Glendale k_9 Units, a variety of pet product booths, paw-tapping music, and contests, including cutest mutt, best trick and a pet/owner look-alike.  Jeff Michael of Fox-11 News will serve as master of ceremonies throughout the day.

We had a nice walk in Montrose CA Wednesday evening! (Click here)

All summer long Greysave gathers on Wednesday evenings to walk their greyt greys.  It usually attracts attention of the local folks who ask questions about greyhounds and the process of adoption.  The most frequently asked question:  "Don't these dogs need to run a lot?"  There are 6 photos.

Lure Coursing

It was pointed out to me that anyone considering taking part in lure coursing should make sure their dog is in good physical health, because they get so excited that they might injure themselves.  

"Lure Coursing", The Exciting Canine Sport That Boosts Canine Health

“Lure coursing” is a thrilling sport for running and chasing fanatics.

For just a minute, imagine you are a dog, a predator animal, with thousands of years of selective breeding to gaze upon the horizon and chase anything that moves. Let yourself feel the anticipation of that initial sighting and the blast of adrenalin as you take off and tear up the ground between you and your prey. Your front feet and your rear feet meet under your body as you coil tightly before exploding into full stride. As you hit top speed, your stride lengthens, enabling you to run 30-plus miles per hour. There is nothing you would rather be doing. The world outside your chase ceases to exist. You are in your element.

Three Rhodesian Ridgebacks are alight with the joy of running in a lure coursing trial; the dogs chase inanimate lures that are pulled along cables.

This is lure coursing.

You don’t need to be a sighthound to experience the thrills of a good chase, but if you are, you are built for speed off the start line, resilience to overheating, and a reluctance to give up the chase. If you are a terrier with similar predatory instincts, you’ll do fine as well. If you are a bit on the bigger, heavier side, you might enjoy the chase just as much, but you’ll be slower and tire more quickly.

Regardless of your size and structure, if you like to chase things that move, you’ll love lure coursing.

The game
The lure is either a bit of fleecy material or a plastic grocery bag. It is tied to a line (often double-braided fishing line) that is wound around a number of pulleys. The pulleys are motorized by starter motors and car batteries. The operator of the pulley makes sure that the lure moves fast enough ahead of the dog to incite chase, but not too fast so the beginner dog can’t see it and stay motivated to chase. In competition lure coursing, pulley speeds of up to 40 miles per hour are used. Those sighthounds can run!

Often standing on a ladder, to afford a good view of the entire course, the lure operator moves the line with the lure into place ahead of the start line. Dogs are held at the start line, many of them straining, yelping, and barking to be let go. As the pulley whips the lure ahead, the dogs are released for the chase.

In competition lure coursing, the “course” can cover between 600 and 1,000 yards, and the lure takes several sharp turns to simulate the changes of direction a jack rabbit might take.

Dogs are scored for speed, agility, endurance, enthusiasm, and “following” (as opposed to taking short cuts across the field). There is also a limited amount of time for the handler to get control of his dog at the end of the course. At one lure coursing competition I observed, it took about six people and several minutes to convince a young Basenji to return to his handler. This can be dangerous as well as slow down the smooth running of a trial, so points are deducted.

In recreational coursing, there may be speed bumps and low tire jumps to hurdle, as well as several changes of direction. The first run for many dogs is pretty fast, but it’s the second run that shows how they’ve figured out the game. My 10-pound Rat Terrier, Pretzel, clocked in at 22 seconds in her first try at lure coursing, but her second race was 12 seconds. She had learned how to cut yardage off the corners, or turns.

Most lure coursing competitions race two or three dogs against each other, sometimes all of the same breed (Ridgebacks competing against other Ridgies), sometimes of different breeds. So how do you tell who is who in the blur of racing dogs? Each dog wears a brightly colored “coursing blanket.” These are light-weight, brightly colored shells, each color assigned before each run.

This is a highly arousing sport; however, it is unusual for dogs to stop racing and fight with each other. Part of this is early training, but it’s also partly a result of genetics; sighthounds were bred to run in groups after prey. A handler can choose, however, to run her dog in a muzzle if she has any concern about her dog displaying aggressive behaviors at another dog.

Lure coursing is not just for sighthounds! Author Terry Long’s Rat Terrier, Pretzel (shown here on the start line), is a zealot for lure coursing!

To help avoid undue competition for a single lure, there are three lures placed several feet apart along the pulley line.

History
Lure coursing has been around for thousands of years since hounds were used to find prey not by scent, but by sight. Egyptian tombs from 4,000 years ago contain paintings of long-legged hounds chasing prey. These kinds of hounds were selectively bred for both speed and “gaze” and were used to kill small game such as rabbits.

The oldest U.S. organization to sponsor competition is the American Sighthound Field Assocation (ASFA), which was officially launched in 1972. The American Kennel Club (AKC) established their standards for competition in 1991. A new organization, the National Lure Coursing Club, had its inaugural race in January of this year.

These organizations specify which sighthounds can compete in their events. They typically include Afghans, Basenjis, Borzois, Greyhounds, Ibizans, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, and Whippets.

Recreational and/or “all breeds” lure coursing events are also available, but are less common than sighthound-only events. Recreational lure coursing events encourage all breeds and all mixes to participate, and events are usually held in conjunction with another dog-related event.

Lure coursers’ attributes
Lure coursing is a demanding sport. The course, whether it is for competition or recreation, requires dogs to turn abruptly and sharply. This can put a lot of pressure on a dog’s knees – especially dogs who are, let’s say, pleasantly plump. The more fit a dog is, the less pressure is placed on joints. Some dogs with short noses (the bracycephalic breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs, etc.) must be watched for overheating in hot weather. Dogs can slip and fall when they are not accustomed to the sharp turns and how to navigate them.

That said, if your dog drives you nuts chasing squirrels and other fast-moving animals, he will probably enjoy this sport. There are other dogs who just don’t get what all the hubbub is about. A case in point: I tried three of my dogs at lure coursing a few years ago. Moka, a herding breed-mix, could not believe her good fortune at being let go to chase the lure – until she caught up to it and discovered it was a white plastic bag on a string. No interest after that.

My terrier-mix, Kiwi, who gleefully will chase every stray cat out of my yard, showed absolutely no interest when we stood outside the course, watching other dogs run the course. As we got closer, he slowed down and started sniffing the ground – a classic sign of stress.

Spectators watch the pulley system being installed before a lure coursing event. The operator stands on the ladder for a better view, so he can adjust the speed of the lure.

In contrast, my young Rat Terrier, Pretzel, started screaming her head off as soon as she saw and heard the racing. Lure coursing continues to be her favorite activity.

California dog owner Verial Whitten has experienced similar reactions even among her sighthounds. “My first Saluki, Giselle, began luring when she was four years old; we just didn’t try earlier and were surprised at how much fun it was for her. I have had four other Salukis since, with Reah being the latest; she absolutely loves it and is doing quite well. Rikah would never run the lure, Eliana ran for her Junior Courser title but would not run in competition with other dogs, and Kai, my 16-month-old puppy is not agile enough yet to start.”

Test your dog. Get an old horse whip (this is a better use for it, anyway), tie a piece of fake sheepskin or other fleecy material on the end, and drag it around the yard, making it leap and dart like prey. Did your dog go “ho-hum”? Or did his eyes dilate, his body burst into motion, and his activity continue until he caught and pounced on his prize? The latter is the dog who will probably enjoy lure coursing.

Handler attributes
This sport does not require a lot of physical activity from handlers. The start-line set up requires you to be able to hold back your dog from breaking away early so this can place some wear and tear on aging backs. And you may have to dart around a bit to get your dog back on leash at the finish, but this is a sport that does not put undue physical stress on handlers.

Equipment and supplies
Very little gear is needed to practice lure coursing: ■ Rewards – Tug toys and fleecy material on a rope work well in training young pups to chase a lure. Most dogs who really love lure coursing are motivated by reaching the lure, so treats are not typically used in this sport.

■ Miscellaneous supplies – Collar and leash, crate or exercise pen, water bowl, ice chest for your drinks, a chair, and a canopy to shade you and your dog are all you need for recreational lure coursing.

If you plan to compete, you will also need coursing blankets and a coursing slip lead. Coursing blankets come in three different colors: hot pink, bright yellow, and cyan blue. They are very light-weight and form a shell around the dog’s shoulders, chest, and ribs. They are used by the judge and handlers to distinguish the dogs from each other; it’s difficult to pick out your dog from the others when they are running at a great distance from you!

The collar or neck piece of a coursing slip lead is very wide and padded so that a dog who strains against it doesn’t gasp for air. A coursing slip lead also allows the handler to instantly release the leash so the dog can get a fast start.

Coursing blankets and slip leads are widely available online by searching for “lure coursing blankets”or “lure coursing slip leads.” One good source is Deborah Butler’s Sighthound Gear (sighthoundgear.com; 515-352-3659). Some clubs provide loaner blankets and leads to competitors, and some competitors make their own.

Expenses
This is a relatively inexpensive sport since most people practice with clubs that provide the pulley system. The biggest expense is travel to the events.

Training
This sport works best for dogs with an instinct to chase. Not much training is required. In fact, if you choose not to compete, no training is required. Just go out and get your dog on the start line and let go!

Levels of competition
Dogs must be at least one year of age and certified as an acceptable breed with the sponsoring organization before entering a trial. Local breed clubs host trials sanctioned by one of these sponsoring groups.

It’s best to visit these organization’s websites to learn more about their specific titling requirements. There are significant differences in the titles available.

An example of how judges score each run is found in Section 7 of the AKC’s regulations. Scoring begins from the time the dog enters the field to the time he leaves the field with his handler. A total of 50 points are available, with 10 points possible in each category: overall ability, following (as opposed to short-cutting across the field), speed, agility, and endurance.

Kids can compete, too! Youths are coached on how to prepare their dogs for release off the start line.

Generally, dogs compete against other dogs of their own breed, as well as against other breeds. The only dog that is not allowed to compete against other dogs is the Italian Greyhound which, due to its size and speed, might be mistaken for prey by the larger sighthounds. Novice dogs race alone; they must earn eligibility to compete stride by stride with other dogs by running alongside a “testing hound” without losing enthusiasm for coursing the lure – and without coursing the testing hound! Interfering with the other dog, playfully or aggressively, is cause for disqualification.

How to get started
Most people who want to compete with their sighthounds join a local breed club to train and practice. You can locate clubs by going to the ASFA or AKC websites.

If you do not have a sighthound that can be certified by one of the sponsoring organizations, contact one of the recreational coursing organizations. Also keep your ears open for large, multiple-sport, or fundraiser events in your area. Sometimes they host lure coursing as an added feature. It will be worth the drive just to watch the variety of dogs who love this game, and you can give your dog a try at it.

Is this sport for you?
If your dog loves to chase things, this sport is probably for you. Give it a try, and you’ll probably be hooked, and so will your dog. Saluki owner Whitten says it best. “Reah loves lure coursing. When she is fulfilling the natural desire to course game, she puts her heritage to work and just to see her smiling is worth it. While there is some subjectivity in scoring, there seems to be less ‘politics’ as might be in conformation showing. It also gets us out in the fresh air around some very nice people. It would be nice to see more venues available for all dogs. My Labrador was a maniac for the lure!”

As usual, have fun, train positively, and revel in the relationship with your dog, not the ribbons on the wall.

Author Terry Long would like to thank the San Diego Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, photographer Jim Wallace, and Verial Whitten for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm about lure coursing.

Terry Long, CPDT, is a writer, agility instructor, and behavior counselor in Long Beach, California. See “Resources,” page 24, for contact information.

New home for hemopet

Hemopet, the first and only national non-profit animal blood bank, and its laboratory diagnostic division, Hemolife, have relocated to a custom built, expanded new facility in Garden Grove, California. The new 20,000 square foot facility houses Hemopet's animal blood bank, the Hemolife laboratory, large living quarters for donor greyhounds, consultation and office space as well as an expanded conference room for professional veterinary and community seminars.  Robert Woods, D.V.M, offers on-site complementary veterinary therapies including acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, hemeopathy, homtoxicology, nutraceutical therapy and flower essence therapy.  hemopet.org  source: Animal Wellness