If you've ever read our newsletter, you know all about how happy we are about our relationship  with TGIE, The Greyhound Inmate Experience. But, I doubt that many of you, other than those who have gone on a "prison pickup" have a full understanding what happens during each ten-week session. So, we'll try to give you a look inside the program and help you have a better understanding about what these dogs, handlers, and volunteers experience. We'll start at the beginning, when the dogs are loaded and begin their journey from Mobile, Alabama: 

Sometime in the late afternoon/early evening Wednesday (hand-off day is almost always on a  Thursday), 20 retired racing greyhounds have their muzzles secured and they are loaded into the hauling trailer to begin their journey north. There will be 20 dogs, 10 male and 10 female, in assorted colors. Each dog has been carefully checked for temperament to assure they will work out fine in the prison environment. Six of the dogs will be assigned to GEM, Greythounds of Eastern Michigan, five will be assigned to Allies for Greyhounds of West Michigan, and nine will be assigned to American Greyhound. The trip will take around 14 hours, so long as weather, road conditions and the vehicle cooperate, arriving in Coldwater, Michigan around 8 AM, Thursday morning. 

Volunteers from the three groups will have already begun assembling at a parking lot near the front of the prison property. When everyone has arrived, they caravan in to the parking lot just outside the prison facility and begin unloading.

The dogs will be unloaded according to assigned group. Generally, American Greyhound goes last (of our choosing). As the dogs are unloaded, they are identified and fitted with a martingale collar and matching leash, and a new muzzle. The volunteers from the group whose dogs are being unloaded handle this, while the volunteers from the other groups will take the leashes from them and walk the new dogs out into a grassy area so they can relieve themselves. In the winter the difference in temperature between Mobile and Coldwater is quite a shock to the dogs and if temperatures warrant, they will also be fitted with a coat to ward off the cold. Once one group of dogs has done their business, they head into the control center where they are handed off to Ron and prison staff and the exchange takes place when they return with dogs who have just finished their training and had graduated the previous day. Those dogs will be loaded into the group's vehicles and unloading will continue until all the dogs are unloaded and walked inside.

Once inside the prison, the dogs will be handed off to their team of handlers (each dog has two handlers assigned to them) and the intake process begins. They'll have fleas and ticks lovingly removed. They will be carefully examined from head to toe for any lumps, bumps, limps or injuries. Then...off to the showers, where they'll receive what will very likely be the first bath of their lifetime.

The first ten days in the housing unit will be spent bonding and building trust between the
chargers and the handlers. The dogs will learn name recognition and gradually be introduced to the environment. Once that process is complete, the training begins and all information about the dog's progress and personality is documented into weekly reports.

The ten week session is quickly drawing to a close. On the Wednesday before hand-off, Ron and Gaye Ann go into the prison for the final time during this session and hold a very exciting graduation ceremony for the dogs (and of course, the handlers). The event begins with the recitation of the mission statement of TGIE (this can be found on t heir web site ) and was written solely by the handlers. Gaye Ann added their mantra..."Be Positive, Stay Focused, Remain Committed!" The ceremony begins with each dog demonstrating the required commands to receive their AKC Canine Good Citizenship award and many entertaining commands like waving hi, praying, counting, and many others. Several of the men will come to the front and speak about what their participation in TGIE means to them and I can tell you that if those words don't move you, you may want to check your pulse. I am humbled by the kindness shown me by the handlers and the thanks they heap on American Greyhound for supporting their program and for continuing the work of placing their dogs into forever homes.

Wednesday night becomes somewhat more somber as the realization starts to sink in that their friend of the previous ten weeks will be leaving in the morning, likely never to be seen by them ever again. Of course, nothing helps allay that sadness like the arrival of another dog to primp, pamper, train and care for.

Also Wednesday evening, after Ron and Gaye Ann finish with the graduation, volunteers are heading to Coldwater, Michigan for the hand-off. Usually volunteers from both GEM and American Greyhound make the trip on the evening before to preclude making the trip in the very early morning. We meet Gaye Ann and Ron at our hotel and go out for a bite together. Since the time table is very tight on Thursday morning, this is a wonderful time to socialize and brainstorm. I know that I personally look forward to this evening and value the friendships I have made with members of other groups in other areas.

Thursday morning the process starts anew. The volunteers and the hauler arrive. Fresh dogs are unloaded and lead into the facility. Those dogs, who just ten short weeks ago arrived all rough and tumble, are now walking with all the manners you would expect of their noble heritage, to the waiting vehicles of the volunteers, where they will again be loaded for the much shorter journey to Northwest Indiana. There they will receive their micro-chip and a small bite to eat, while they wait for their foster or adoptive* family to arrive and begin their new life, as a pet, with a family who loves them, thanks to the handlers of TGIE.

*Many dogs have already been spoken for prior to graduation from TGIE, which allows us to make a greater impact by using the home that would have fostered a TGIE graduate to foster another dog straight from the track, farm or where-ever.

One aspect of the TGIE program that is especially nice is that our adopters can play an active role in making the program more meaningful to our handlers. As I have mentioned many times, when graduation day arrives it is a bitter-sweet moment. On one hand there is the pride in a job well done as your greyhound displays the commands you have taught them. However, there is great sadness as well; knowing that the wonderful dog you have just given 10 weeks of your blood, sweat and tears is likely never to be seen by you again.

And, this is exactly where our adopters can participate in the program and make a difference in not only the lives of the dogs they adopt, but in the lives of the men who cared for, trained and loved those dogs before they adopted them. By contacting our TGIE intermediary, Cheryl Tyson, and providing her with updates on how our pups are doing, you will be making a tremendous on the men who spend their lives training our pups.

If you've adopted one of the dogs who graduated from TGIE, you can provide something as simple as a short note giving them an update on the dog they trained and assuring that "their" dog is healthy and doing well. Or, you could provide photographs, or even write a letter (which will be passed on to them by the leadership of TGIE). Your letters and photos can be mailed, or easier still, they can be e-mailed (which certainly makes forwarding them much easier).

That little bit of news about one "their" hounds really means a lot to them.

Here is an example of feedback we've received from Chuck and Char Cochran that will be passed along to the guys at Coldwater:

KatJam Ruby was whelped Sept. 30, 2008, so she was almost four years old when we adopted her in Granger, Indiana, on August 8, 2012. In her racing career, she ran at Jefferson County in Florida (near Monticello) from May 17, 2010, to Dec.4, 2010. In 41 races, she won 7 firsts, 7 seconds, and 4 thirds. She had a hot streak in late Nov. where she won 3 firsts and 1 second in 5 races. As a result, she was upgraded from Grade D to Grade A racing. Who knows whether it was due to good training and condition or administered drugs. From there she went to Daytona Beach where she ran 14 races from Jan.5 to Nov 16, 2011. There she got 1 third. It was on to Mobile, Alabama, on Jan. 4, 2012 until her last race on April 4, 2012. At Mobile she won 1 first, 2 seconds, and 1 third.in 10 races. She finished last, in 8th place, in her last 3 races In her very last race, she finished far behind the pack and may have been injured or sick. The race results did not specify a reason. Sixteen days later on April 28, Ruby was examined at a vet clinic.in Theodore, Alabama, having been brought there by the MobileGHP Adoption Group. She underwent a complete physical including tick removal. Under anesthesia, she underwent a three incision ovariohysterectomy. She weighed 59.60 pounds. Today she weighs 67.3 but is not fat. If you google KATJAM RUBY, you can see some of Ruby's races on video when she was running at Daytona Beach. Unfortunately, her best races there were not taped. Looking at the descriptive race results of all of her races as I have, it is apparent that she was a fast starter who usually had an early lead, often until nearly the end of the race where she began to fade, but sometimes hanging on for the win. She was a small racer as Greyhounds go, so she had to put her feet down quicker and faster than
larger dogs, similar to humans and horses in racing events.

Ruby was accepted into the The Greyhound Inmate Experience at the Coldwater Correctional Institution on May 3, 2012, and paroled July 12, 2012. Her handlers were Tyrome and Michael, and I can't thank them enough. Their reports during the training have proven to be absolutely accurate. Ruby is extremely intelligent and trainable. When we brought her home, it was obvious that she knew that the couch was a no-no; I invited her to come aboard, which she did immediately, and now she owns it! More than that however, because our other Greyt had been abused and was extremely shy, we needed a lover, and that is exactly what we got. She has brought our other Greyt out of her shell, and now we even get some love from her, also. It was so obvious from the report that Tyrome and Michael saying goodbye to Ruby was an emotional experience, and I fully understand that. Ruby is now living the dream in her forever loving home.

Chuck and Char Cochran

Here is another we received (Nike did not go through the program, but this will give you an idea of what we are looking for) from Jo Presser about her pup Nike:

Nike, the gentle greyhound,

My name is Nike. My mom, Jo, adopted me almost three years ago, and I live in a home now instead of a cage. Last week mom and I were out in the back yard. She was picking tomatoes and I was looking around when behind one of the bushes out ran a rabbit. Of course I started chasing it. After several times around the yard, I caught it!!! I had it in my mouth (very gently) and I looked around and thought, "what do I do now?"

I decided to give it to mom. She looked like she wanted it so I took it to her. But, when I opened my mouth it ran away, so I chased it again. I almost had it when it ran into a drain pipe. I stood and looked for a long time, on both sides. I never thought of barking.

Finally mom got me in the house for a treat. The rabbit was gone the next time I went out. All I wanted was to play with it or give mom a gift. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

As you can imagine, receiving a message like these would really brighten our guy's day, and send them the message that what they are doing is an important part of preparing these ex-racers for their forever home.

If you have a TGIE dog and have some interesting feedback about your dog's progress, please send it along. You can get your stories to our TGIE intermediary, Cheryl Tyson at
[email protected] .

I know that the handlers will enjoy hearing about "their" dogs, and I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing from them as well.