Cynthia Branigan’s involvement with the welfare and protection of animals dates back 30 years when she began working for author Cleveland Amory and his organization, The Fund for Animals. Through The Fund, she set up adoption centers across the country for over 10,000 wild burros and mustangs that the group rescued from public lands in the west. She also saved the last two Atlantic City Steel Pier diving horses and was instrumental in helping establish tougher laws to protect New York City’s carriage horses.
Ms. Branigan adopted her first Greyhound, King, in 1987 and was inspired by him to found Make Peace With Animals, a non-profit, all-volunteer, animal protection group based in New Hope, Pennsylvania. One of their special missions is the adoption of retired racing Greyhounds and, to date, over 4,500 of these dogs have found homes through the organization.
Ms. Branigan is the author of two books on Greyhounds, both published by Howell Book House, NY. The first, Adopting The Racing Greyhound, has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide since 1992 and is now in its updated Third Edition. It is regarded as “The Bible” for anyone considering ownership of a former racing dog. The second, The Reign of the Greyhound: A Popular History of the Oldest Family of Dogs, traces the breed, the oldest of the purebreds, from 6000 B.C. to the present. It won top prize, Best General Interest Book, in 1998 from the Dog Writers’ Association of America and is now in its expanded Second Edition. For Ringpress Publishers, Ltd. of England she edited the book, Living With A Greyhound (2002) and, in 1994, wrote the chapter on adoption for The Complete Book of Greyhounds. In 2003, she was recognized by The Greyhound Project for her pioneering work on behalf of the Greyhounds.
Ms. Branigan is an award-winning journalist who has written for such publications as The New York Times, New Jersey Monthly, Equus and Dog World. Her television appearances include Animal Planet, Good Morning America and Good Day Philadelphia.Ms. Branigan also writes a monthly column called "From The Home Front" for the Greyhound Review, the magazine of the National Greyhound Association.
As an undergraduate, Ms. Branigan was an English major at Franconia College in New Hampshire. She is now pursuing studies in history at the University of Pennsylvania. She shares a home in New Hope, Pennsylvania with her husband, Charles Rissel, and their adopted dogs and cats. Ms Branigan is a popular lecturer on the adoption of Greyhounds and the humane treatment of all animals.
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Personal Appearances 2007
Sunday, February 11th, Greyhound Heart Day, Fast Friends Greyhound Adoption, Sarasota Kennel Club, Sarasota, FL
Saturday, June 15th, Greyhound Adoption Expo, Wonderland Greyhound Park, Revere, MA
Sunday, June 16th, Greyhound Adoption Expo, Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park, Raynham, MA
Saturday, April 21st, Annual Dinner of Greyhound Pets of America, Central New Hampshire Chapter in Manchester, NH.
Personal Appearances 2006
Sunday, February 5th. Greyhound Heart Day, Sarasota Kennel Club, Sarasota, FL
March 26th-28th American Greyhound Track Operators' Association Conference, Las Vegas, NV
June 16th Greyhound Adoption Expo, Wonderland Greyhound Park, Revere, MA
June 17th Greyhound Adoption Expo, Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park, Raynham, MA
September 8th-10th Greyhound Pets of America's National Greyhound Adoption Conference, San Diego, CA
Sunday September 16th, 11-4, Booksigning at the AKC's Responsible Dog Ownership Day, Madison Square Park, NYC
Sunday, September 17th, Peace Lutheran Church, Perkasie, PA. Speech: "Making Peace With Animals"
Sunday October 1st, Make Peace With Animals 17th Annual Homecoming, Valley Road Picnic Site, Hopewell Twsp., NJ
Saturday, October 28th, Annual Picnic of the Racing Dog Rescue Project 10a.m.-3p.m.Sun 'n Fun RV Resort, Sarasota, FL
Personal Appearances 2005
Tuesday, February, 22nd The Solebury School, New Hope, PA
Saturday, March 4th Sandy Paws Greyhound Gathering, Jekyll Island, GA
Monday, April 4th American Greyhound Track Operators Association's Annual Convention, Las Vegas, NV
Friday, June 17th Greyhound Adoption Expo, Wonderland Greyhound Park, Revere, MA
Saturday, June 18th Raynham/Taunton Greyhound Park, Raynham, MA
Sunday, August 28th Day at the Races, Shoreline Star Greyhound Park, Bridgeport, CT
Friday, September 2nd Greyhound Pets of America's National Greyhound Adoption Conference, Tampa, FL
Sunday, September 25th Make Peace With Animals' 16th Annual Greyhound Homecoming,Valley Road Picnic Site, Hopewell Township, NJ
Thursday, October 20th- World Greyhound Racing Federation Conference, Miami, FL
Ms. Branigan will speak for the cost of her travel expenses to all-volunteer animal adoption agencies as time and finances allow. Please e-mail your request. All others, please contact the website, and Ms. Branigan will contact you regarding her availability and fees.
This expanded, updated third edition offers new information on such vital topics as advances in veterinary care, how to choose the right Greyhound for your situation, and how to prevent adjustment problems before they begin.
Originally published in 1992, Adopting the Racing Greyhound was the first-ever book on the subject and has since gone on to become the best-seller.
Now the recent resurgence of popularity of Greyhounds as beloved pets is detailed in painstaking, yet fascinating, detail by a writer who is regarded as the country’s leading expert on the breed.
This expanded second edition offers even more breathtaking examples of Greyhounds in art throughout the ages and chronicles the latest developments in the Greyhound adoption movement.