PGC In The Press...

Barking up the right tree

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

They wore bright-colored collars emblazoned with names like Kelsos Implicit, Fly By Bess, Wagtail Rocket and Willie Martinez. One by one, they poked their dark noses, then their long, slender heads and, finally, their aerodynamic bodies from the cubicles in the giant silver trailer.
Dozens of people were waiting for them. Now, they could retire in comfort as so-called "45-mile-per-hour couch potatoes."
That description of the breed is a common one among the many greyhound rescue and adoption groups across the country. And it’s a good one, according to Somerton residents Sheryl and Ray Vona, who founded their own rescue group, Philadelphia Greyhound Connection Inc., last December.
Though recognized mostly for their blazing speed, greyhounds have another gear, too. It might be called neutral, and it’s the one they use the vast majority of the time after their racing days are over.
"They take they’re retirement very seriously," Sheryl Vona explained as the members of her group, sized up the 15 former racers delivered to them on Saturday in the parking lot of the Bensalem Petco Store, at Street and Knights roads.
The 36-foot hauler, driven overnight from Melbourne, Fla., by Dennis Tyler, of Greyhound Pets of America, has room for 22 dogs in all. Taylor had made a few other deliveries along the way prior to his arrival in the Greater Northeast.
Despite the demands of their 1,000-mile trek, as well as years in the racing kennels, the dogs arrived none the worse for wear by all accounts. They had been cleaned and fed. And most of them settled right in with their new foster parents.
Under the direction of the PGC, they will be placed in temporary homes and, eventually, matched with a suitable permanent owner known in the business as a "forever family."
Though just 8 months old, the PGC, has already achieved a lengthy record of success in its mission.
"We’ve just received our thirty-sixth dog," Sheryl Vona said. "We had a goal of (adopting out) twelve dogs in the first year. We’ve already done thirty."
For the Vonas and their handful of dedicated volunteers, it’s truly a labor of love. Invariably, they are first and foremost greyhound owners before foster parents or adoption advocates.
"We got our first two dogs eight years ago and fell madly in love with them," Sheryl Vona said. "We got our third dog after September 11th happened and started doing a lot of work for adoption groups."
That led the couple to the Greyhound Pets of America convention last summer in Birmingham, Ala.
"I met a lot of good people there, came home and started putting the ball in motion," Sheryl said.
The couple incorporated their PGC and obtained non-profit status from the IRS. Though not the first or the biggest greyhound-adoption group in the region — or even in Northeast Philly — the PGC is unique in its grass-roots approach to the work it does.
As a result, every animal gets the personal care and attention it needs to thrive in a new environment. There is no kennel.
"All of our dogs are fostered. That way, they’re better acclimated to a home life," Sheryl Vona said.
The one thing that they all do have is personality. Just like people, each animal has its own pattern of behavior.
"I have a profile on every single dog here," Sheryl Vona said. "Whether they’re shy or active or semiactive, they’re rated."
Most are very affectionate, despite their large stature. The dogs can stand 30 inches high and weigh 85 pounds when fully grown, though females are generally smaller than males.
It can take some getting-used-to for people new to the breed.
"A lot of people don’t know about this breed," said Jim Nycum. "People walk up to them and see they’re size and can be intimidated."
There’s really no reason to be intimated, however.
The dogs rarely bark and have a reputation for interacting well with others, including small children, cats and birds. Just to be sure, however, PGC foster families observe and evaluate all new dogs before they become available for adoption.
A word to the wise, however: When given an opportunity to run, they will. So, they must be kept on a leash or in an enclosed yard at all times. For many owners, watching the animals run free in a controlled area is a lot of the fun of having one.
"They’re literally poetry in motion when you see them run," said Jim Nycum, president of the PGC. "They have the same gait as a cheetah."
"We used to take ours down to the ballfield, which is fenced in," said Laura Nycum, Jim’s daughter. "It’s a good thing to let them run" The specifics on caring properly for the dogs are all laid out for prospective owners during the adoption process.
Meanwhile, the candidates are screened by the PGC to make sure their lifestyle fits the animal’s needs. The process takes about three weeks.
The PGC charges $240 per adoption, which covers the cost of spaying or neutering, teeth cleaning, inoculation and heartworm check. It includes a collar and lead for the dog, as well as a PGC ID tag, a bag of food and a squeaky toy.
To some, any price is a small price to pay.
"They’re wonderful animals," Sheryl Vona said. "They’re calm, they’re quiet, they’re lovable. The more unconditional love you give to them, the more love you’ll get from them."
For more information on the Philadelphia Greyhound Connection, including a schedule of greyhound awareness events, visit www.PhillyGreyhoundConnection.org or call 215-676-7075.
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com