Where do we get our name?

Monica’s Heart Greyhound Adoption is dedicated to the memory of Monica Joyce of Queens Village, New York. Monica’s devotion to these gentle, loving dogs inspired all who knew her. As an adoption representative for W.A.G. (We Adopt Greyhounds), she accepted retired racing greyhounds from the track or from veterinary hospitals in the New York area where they had been used as canine blood donors.

She then transported these noble animals to the veterinarian for surgery, vaccinations, and check-ups, fostered them in her home (up to 20 at a time in many cases), approved applications, and often drove as far as Delaware and central Pennsylvania to deliver dogs to their new owners. She did this all in addition to working at her job at the Manhattan School of Music and doing occasional catering work. She accomplished everything on her own, as her husband, Josh, died in the spring of 1995.

Monica worked very closely with Judy Richards in the Altoona area to match the right dog for each new adopter, and their successes happily shared many local homes. Monica also made several calls to Judy and to new adopters following each adoption to insure that the transition from foster home to permanent home was progressing smoothly, and to expertly answer any questions the new adopters had.

On April 1, 1996, on her way to the basement to care for greyhounds she was fostering, Monica fell down her basement steps and suffered a fatal head injury. While one of Monica's six personal greyhounds, DeeDee*, came to live in the Altoona area, her beloved Zack, who accompanied her on many of her travels, died two days after her death.

Many of the dogs in the Altoona area were received through Monica in those early days. Her compassion and diligent efforts on behalf of greyhounds lives on through the efforts of Monica’s Heart, Inc. She is our inspiration, our example, and on many occasions we have felt her strength and guidance as we continue her work.

*DeeDee, pictured above, died on June 1, 2006 at the age of 15 years and 4 months.  She carried on Monica's legacy as an ambassadog for greyhounds and lived life to the fullest, right up until the day she died.