I'm cross posting this article on Premier Leashes. Please note that we have used Premier collars and leashes for many, many, years and have not had any trouble with them. This is just a reminder to check that you have attached the leash firmly and that the latch is closing correctly-specially as they get older I think the spring in them can weaken. I will be moving my tags to a side ring just in case-I know I have attached the leash to a tag ring a few times.
Blanche


****CROSS POST FROM CNY GREYHOUNDER'S****
Important Message from Greyhound Outreach:
If you or anyone you know uses Premier Leashes that come with the martingale leash/collar sets, please take note of our groups recent experience with some of the most recent leashes we had received from the company. If anyone you know have experienced anything similar please let us know because the company is testing the leashes that we had some trouble with. We've also sent back the rest of that order just in case there are any others that might have similar problems. Note: the leashes we had trouble with never showed any signs of faulty hardware before or after these experiences!! These leash/collar sets came to us around last fall, Sept/Oct. in our last order. Please forward, cross-post and share this information with anyone you know that uses Premier, as a precaution. Thank you.

Well wishes from the board of Greyhound Outreach.
Wendy Case
______________________________________________________

Please take a minute and read this very important information. If you have any comments, questions or needs please contact us here with GO's email or call one of our numbers below.

As some of you might know, one of GO's most recently adopted greyhounds, Zoey, was killed around 3am on Friday 4/25/08. She'd ran loose for about eight hrs from the previous night. In Zoey's case, the owner had called us regarding her being loose and first responders were successful in gathering a small group of search volunteers within the first couple hrs. In this case she got loose due to a freak accident, no intentional fault of Zoey's owner. Due to her getting loose just a couple hours before sun set and her death happening early morning around eight hrs after she got loose, our search efforts that night and the next morning were not able to bring her home safely.

Unfortunately, loose greyhounds getting hit in the road are NOT uncommon. This outcome is one of our worst nightmares as volunteers with Greyhound
Outreach. Zoey will be greatly missed, our hearts break for any suffering she may have endured and her newly adoptive mom's breaking heart!

In the last couple months we had been contacted by two other newly adoptive families with similar stories as Zoey's, the leashes were attached then came un-hooked from their greyhounds collars [on their own], allowing their greyhound to get loose. At first, we with GO were confused as to how this could happen with the hardware showing no apparent problems before or after the incidents, or was it human errors?? We believed that these adopters thought their leashes malfunctioned besides they are wonderful owners and very cautious with their gh's safety. Yet we as a group have used Premier leashes and collars on our adopted greyhounds for years with no issues. Being that there are over one hundred of the leashes out there working fine and many countless groups using them also, how could this be?? Fortunately, in the first two cases the owners were able to catch their gh's or lure them back into safety immediately, before they became lost or hurt. After Zoey's owner recounted the same situation as we'd recently heard about, we'd
decided that it was way too coincidental!! These experiences all happened the same way, within a couple months of each other and must have something to do with the leashes malfunctioning some how. We had gotten that shipment of those three leashes [and others not yet used] in the same batch...could they have all had the same problem? What about the ones we haven't used yet? We [GO] and our newly adoptive parents, have looked into this matter with the company. Kim has talked with Premier. Here is her write up on what she'd found out so far:

"I've been in contact with Premier regarding the 3 leashes from the last batch we ordered coming unhooked. The founder of Premier started the company after she started the Richmond GPA chapter" [greyhound adoption group]. "They understand the importance and need for a working leash on a greyhound. They are taking back the leashes from the last order (at their expense) and are custom making leashes for us as a replacement. They have also mentioned they would like to make a donation to our group. This does not bring Zoey back but hopefully it will prevent any other dog
from suffering her fate."

We will continue to keep you informed regarding any findings from the testings Premier mentioned that they will run on the three leashes that malfunctioned [and the rest of that order we're sending back to them.] We will correspond with other greyhound groups to see if they've had any problems with Premier's leashes or collars and to notify them of our issues. For now we would HIGHLY recommend that you take precautions. I am
not saying get rid of your leash/collar sets that we placed your gh with. I personally have used Premiers leashes for 13 years and I will continue to use them because I still trust their products. We as a group still feel that Premier is making quality leash/collar sets. We feel strongly, as Premier does, that these strange incidents were hopefully isolated and directly correlated with that particular "batch" that was produced around the same time.

I know many if not ALL of you are very cautious and DO understand how very important it is that your greyhound always be on leash or in a totally fenced in area. We write to you to alert you to what has recently happened and put a friendly reminder out to emphasis how we can be even MORE careful!

**We do ask that you take the few extra seconds needed to MAKE SURE you have attached your dogs leash securely to it's collar then do a "tug testing". I know it sounds elementary because it's such a simple thing, hooking the leash to the collar but given the recent situations that we've heard of and then experiencing Zoey's very bad outcome...please just take a minute to tug on your leash firmly after attaching it to be sure it is secure [leash to collar without coming un-done.]

**Be sure that your gh's tags are not attached to it's collars LARGE round ring [where you attach the leash.] Instead, attach the small tag ring to the smaller posts on the sides of your dogs collar. The tag "rings" are not strong enough to stay intact if you accidentally attach the leash to it. With a little
pressure [tugging or lunging from the greyhound on leash] these small rings holding your dogs tags will pull apart. It happened to me once in '98, resulted in my gh getting loose! I was lucky and was able to immediately grab her. I've never put their tags on that large ring on their collars since.

**If your leashes clip [post that you pull back with your thumb to open it] is loose, not closing quickly after releasing it or it's sticking/jamming and not
closing immediately after you let go...Please stop using that leash. Use a different leash immediately. If you've had a similar experience as our recent three adopters where the leash has come un-hooked on it's own with no apparent hardware problems, please contact us immediately.

**Be sure to check your greyhounds collar regularly as most collars do tend to loosen up with time. The collar should be snug, able to get two fingers
comfortably under it. It should ride up higher on the gh's neck, not more towards it's body...lower on the neck. Even martingale collars are going to slip off your greyhound and be useless if it's too loose! A loose greyhound with no identification makes searching that much more difficult!! Keep current identification on your greyhound at all times.

**If your greyhound gets loose, please remember to contact at least one person off of your Lost Dog Contact List [Frig. Magnet.] We had just sent updated magnets out to everyone. If you have not received one, contact us and we will be more then happy to get one out in the mail to you!

**Most people's first reaction would be to keep running after their loose dog to try to catch it. [Please read on here for some tips regarding some very
successful ways to react/ catch your loose greyhound or coax them back to you if they get loose and are close to you still]

***If your gh gets loose, immediately use a "happy" tone/voice to call it to you, stand still or best yet, crouch down low to the ground as call your gh. If it's close, starts to come, is shy/skid-dish or seems scared..don't look directly at it but do continue to use your calm/ happy tone/voice coaxing it to you. If none of this helps but your near your car, try to open the door with your happy tone/voice calling to your greyhound their name and any common "words" you usually use when taking your dog in the car for a ride. The car/door trick has worked in some cases. If your dog turns around and walks or runs a great distance away from you, or out of sight, note that last area/direction and call someone to start a search immediately. If you get one of our voice mails, make sure to leave a message regarding your lost greyhound, your name and the phone number you can be reached back at. It's ideal to use your cell phone and give us that number. Check back to your gh's last seen location and wait for search volunteers to call you back and assist you.

Hug your hounds tight. Thank you all that posted your sympathy's for Zoey, her new owner and our group's loss.

Wendy Case 315-882-3483
GreyhoundOutreach.org

Kim Rinoldo 315-529-1420
Jason Rinoldo 315-529-1421
Amy Mikolay 315-388-5983

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Thanks for posting that information, Blanche. From the "for what it's worth" category, I've used mostly Premier leashes for 12+ years. The reason I say mostly is that at any given time, I have about 6+ leashes. Right now I have 6 Premiers, 2 Wal-mart emergency buys, and 1 custom. Don't ask how I wind up with so many for 2-3 dogs... lol I've never had a problem with the Premiers that I didn't cause.

A handful of times this past year, I've had the dogs get loose. At first I was puzzled by it. Then, I realized that I was doing 1 of two moves that would open the snap: 1) I would grab the collars by the sliding strap and it was close enough for the snap to hit my hand and open. 2) I would hold the leash near the snap and inadverantly open the snap. In each situation, the tension on the leash was just right for the leash to come off.

If anyone is really uncomfortable with the snap, they can buy a style they feel is better and have it replaced at a leather/saddle shop where they do harness/halter/leather repair. Some of the shops that have done that sort of work for me have done so for free or for just a couple of dollars.

I wanted to add for leashes in general if you go to the beach check your leashes. Ours usually end up getting filled with sea water and sand and then they don't snap back closed. A good cleaning and a shot of oil fixes them most of the time.

I experienced these exact problems with the Premier leash I bought at GFNC last October when I adopted Hillary. I'd mentioned it and was told that no one else had a problem with them. After Hillary got loose 3 times, luckily she was NOT aware she was free, and was easily re-attached to the leash and we were at home too or the same tragedy could have happened to us! I took the leash to my local tack store and had the guy in the leather shop REMOVE that snap & put a snap I could trust on it. Coastal leashes often have this type of snap on them, I call it a bull snap. I also make sure when I clip on tags, they are NOT on the same D-ring as the leash is attached to. My heart sure goes out to the ones that their dogs got loose and for the poor family that tragically lost their Grey!

Thalia
I forgot all about that but I remember you telling me now. At the time I hadn't heard of anything-sorry.

NO, Blanche, you had no idea. No one else had, had this issue with these leashes. It's just great to know that others are having this same issue! I really thought it was just me. And what a coincidence it was around the exact time I bought mine. Thank you so very much for posting this! I hope there are not any more Greys lost because of these leashes.