We recently adopted our greyhound Zia from the GAP kennels in Levin, having farewelled 2 much loved terriers over the past 2 years. We were immediately besotted with our 8 year old gorgeous girl. I thought that a good way to do a bit of fundraising and awareness of the adoption programme would be to promote GAP during the Kapiti Arts Trail (I am a potter/ceramic artist, Greendale Studio Ceramics in Otaihanga). This was held over 2 weekends in Oct /Nov and is an event where Kapiti artists open up their studios to the public once a year.
Danielle lent me an official bucket and t-shirt and I printed off and stuck to the wall photos of the dogs available for adoption as well as information about GAP. All the proceeds from my 'odds and ends and reduced' area went into the bucket, as did the sales of the dog biscuits made by a lovely friend.
Having only been part of our family for less than 2 months, we thought Zia might be a bit overwhelmed and would want to stay in the house but she wasn't having a bar of it! She was determined to meet and greet everyone who turned up, and then once they entered the gallery she lay down in the doorway to make it very difficult for them to leave! There was even some roaching and derping much to the amusement of visItors! It was so lovely to meet and share a cuppa with fellow hound owners , some of whom brought their dogs along too, including Heli, Ollie, Josie and Brum. Many people seemed genuinely interested in the GAP programme, and we were able to dispel the myth that you need to be super fast athletes to own a greyhound, or that you can't own a cat or a small dog.
Zia (and Kelly Pettit's Casey!) has already inspired me to make some plates, you might have seen them already on the Kapiti , Wellington or Greyhound Collective Facebook pages and once I have more hound colours honed they will be available to order via the GAP website too.
We were thrilled to have collected $210 over the 4 days, and the money is going to be spent on agility equipment as requested by the lovely staff at the Levin kennels, so the dogs can have some extra fun and stimulation while they are waiting for their forever homes.
Thanks to all who visited and supported me over the 2 weekends, Rebecca Neal