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Poetter Hall was purchased by the SCAD founders in March 1979. Classes began in September of that year.  
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Trivial Pursuits

Trivial Pursuits
 
Staff members find ideal pet in greyhound

Niles
Photo courtesy of Kate Sibunka 
Kate Sibunka and Gordon Tin adopted Niles, their greyhound, five years ago and have become active proponents of greyhound rescue and adoption.

By Monique Bos
Published: Friday, August 4, 2006

When Kate Sibunka, traffic and project manager for the Savannah College of Art and Design publications department, was a newlywed five years ago, she and her husband, Gordon Tin, a computer services specialist II at the college, decided they wanted a pet.

“I had both cats and dogs growing up,” Sibunka said. “Gordon primarily made it my decision. Growing up in Hong Kong, he wasn’t very familiar with pets.”

She had a few requirements: At the time, they lived in a small two-bedroom apartment, so they needed a dog that wouldn’t require a lot of room. Because they both worked full-time, they preferred an adult dog that was already housebroken and trained not to chew on electrical cords and furniture. Also, she and Tin knew they wanted children someday, so finding a child-friendly breed was important.

After researching various options, Sibunka started to think a greyhound might be the best choice. Then she talked to a man she saw walking his greyhound regularly, and he put her in touch with Savannah Friends of Greyhounds as Pets, which is affiliated with a kennel and adoption service in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Savannah group holds monthly meet-and-greet events.

“There was one coming up,” Sibunka said. “I had to work, so I made Gordon go. I typed a three-page list of questions and told him not to come back until he had all the answers!”

For her birthday that year, Tin bought her several books about the breed. Six weeks later they drove to Jacksonville and adopted Niles, who will be 10 years old this September.

“We chose Niles because he had been adopted and then returned to the kennel by a military family with a small son, so he was used to being around children,” she said. “Also, we wanted an older dog, because it’s harder sometimes for older dogs to get adopted.”

Sibunka and Tin expanded their family again in April 2005 with daughter Nora, and Niles has indeed proven himself to be the perfect pet for a small child.

“Niles is really, really sweet with Nora, very patient with her,” she said. “He has recently discovered that sometimes Nora drops food on the floor. It’s a bonus treat. He waits patiently when Nora gets fed.”

Sibunka and Tin now serve as board members for the Savannah group and also have attended several national conventions.

“They’re very low-key, more catlike in manner. All they want is a soft spot on your couch. Greyhounds have come to be known as the 45 mile-per-hour couch potatoes,” Sibunka said. “They’re very smart. They are gentle, quiet dogs. They’re very eager to please you.”

However, greyhounds need to be controlled when they are outdoors.

“They do need to be on a leash,” Sibunka said. “They have very, very good eyesight, so if they see something they want to go after, they’ll just take off.”

Otherwise, however, she said they are well-behaved.

“Niles knows his limits … We can’t keep him off the couch, though — we lost that battle!”

The local group is holding a garage sale to raise funds for greyhounds being fostered in the Savannah area. The sale is Sept. 16, 8 a.m. - noon, at Sibunka and Tin’s house, 7 Chapel Drive.

For more information about the Savannah group, visit www.geocities.com/savannahgrey/.