Greyhound Pets of America President Re-Elected Upon Revealing the Organization's New Mission Slogan: `Greyhound Welfare, not Greyhound Warfare'.

News Editors/Lifestyle Editors/Feature Editors

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 2003

Voting delegates at the recent annual convention of America's largest greyhound adoption organization, Greyhound Pets of America, unanimously re-elected President Rory Goree to another three-year term of service.

"I'm extremely excited to be re-elected for another term, knowing that I'll be able to lead our continued efforts (of recently implemented programs) to achievement," said Goree. "Even more important, I look forward to bringing a sense of greyhound welfare to our industry that has, unfortunately for years, been plagued by greyhound warfare," Goree said, referring to the oft combative politics between groups with opposing philosophies and ideologies about greyhound adoption efforts.

Goree is responsible for the development and implementation of the 7x7 Program, GPA's plan that will end unnecessary greyhound deaths and ensure that every adoptable greyhound finds a loving home. GPA's individual goal is to reach an adoption rate of 7000 greyhounds by the year 2007. At present, GPA has achieved a four percent increase in adoptions over the 2002 figures and is currently averaging 4500 greyhounds adopted out per year.

These favorable trends are likely to continue. Unlike other greyhound adoption groups, GPA has broken new ground by pioneering communications and cooperative efforts between adoption groups and race tracks. "The battlefields of greyhound warfare are littered with too many greyhounds that never got a chance! Our egos can be mended; once lost, a greyhound's life can never be retrieved," said Goree.

According to the president re-elect, the adoption increase can be largely attributed to a mutual cooperation between the organization and the racing industry.

"This program is only successful because GPA has embraced the racing industry in an effort for all to work together with one common concern in mind: the welfare of greyhounds and the placement of retired or non-qualifying racing greyhounds into responsible loving homes," insists Goree.

"Thanks to AGTOA,(a) NGA,(b) the AGC,(c) Greyhound Pets of America and other responsible adoption programs all working together, our mission of placing these amazing dogs into pet-responsible homes to live out their retirement years surrounded by loving families can, and will, be achieved year after year after year," he said.

His conviction evident, Goree continues: "It's time for people who claim that they are concerned about greyhound welfare to stop bickering, stop making false accusations, stop picking at the weak spots of others and instead start working together to build solid and trusting relationships."

For more information, please visit www.greyhoundpets.org or call Rory Goree directly at 602-510-6951.

(a) AGTOA: American Greyhound Track Operators Association

(b) NGA: National Greyhound Association

(c) AGC: American Greyhound Council