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IN THIS ISSUE Welcome to Greyhound Express on the web. This is a selection of articles from our current newsletter. We hope you enjoy them. "Greyhounds and Lurchers make wonderful pets". True, but an effort is always required to make them so. In this issue Gael Mariani and Martin Scott explain the benefits of Flower essence therapy for rescued dogs, while Sandra Morris writes about her experiences of "listening to your dog". Two new kinds of support which are now available to people who adopt dogs from GRW. Thanks Gael, Martin and Sandra. Talking of "difficult" dogs, remember Jasper ? He is doing very well, has moved to Northumberland and he has now learnt to fish! Carole McKeown updates. This issue also looks at how people have coped with other difficulties: your new dog slips his collar and escapes, the previous owner turns up and demands "his" dog back, your new and much loved pet falls ill and dies. Find out what Max and Nigel Davies, Alyson Harding, and Alyson Klift did in just these circumstances Enough drama and trauma ! Usually adopting a greyhound or lurcher is a thoroughly positive experience, just read Veronica Meaden's description of Kes, and Louise Meaden's account of the family's life with him. And what a contrast there is between Veronica's detailed description of Kes who clearly she loves just for what he is and the attitude of the greyhound owner who wanted to shoot his dog just because of what he did, or rather didn't do. You can also read about how Seren the lurcher went to America, enjoy the extremely popular Virginnear Fireside, and all the news of what has been and will be happening all over Wales. The keynote phrase at the moment seems to be "at last". At last homes are coming in again, at last we can now spay and neuter all dogs before they leave our care, at last our "long term" residents have been homed, at last we have a new website, at last we have a "team" in north west Wales and new active members in south east Wales. Excellent. Finally, a big thank you to all contributors. Please keep sending those articles with an interesting angle, Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) discs save us time but anything including hand-written articles are very welcome. Thank you too for the excellent photographs you sent in response to the appeal. Some are in this issue but all have been scanned and form part of a 'photo gallery for future use. Keep sending these in - an SAE will ensure return. The deadline for the Winter edition is 31 October 2001. Please send to: Alain Thomas, Editor, Greyhound Express, 10 Penmaen Terrace, Mount Pleasant, Swansea SA1 6HZ. GREYHOUND WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT In July a GRW volunteer picked up the telephone to hear a distressed young woman: "Please can you take my greyhound" she said "or my father is going to shoot it". The greyhound a big 17 month old white and brindle male had just started racing. He had come nowhere and was obviously never going to be a winner. The young woman was calling from the race-track where the dog had just lost. The volunteer contacted the track manager who confirmed the young woman's story, she was there and her father had said he was going to shoot the dog. The manager had no doubt that the man was serious and had in fact suggested to the young woman that she contact GRW straight away. Was this an idle threat, an attempt at moral blackmail intended to get us to take the dog ? The volunteer who is recognised within GRW as being very experienced in this difficult front-line role didn't think so and what the volunteer said counted. The outcome in this case was a happy one. GRW agreed to take the dog , the track manager persuaded the owner to hand him over to the track, and the track handed him on to GRW. At the time of writing the dog has just left the vet's where he was neutered and is recovering in Karen and Dave Thomas's house before going into kennels from where he will be found a home. There are a lot of positives in this story. It shows the value of the chain of trust from the owner to the track manager to GRW which meant that the dog was eventually rescued. However all the links in that chain have to be there and none are particularly strong yet, and it is to maintain that life-saving chain that no names are mentioned in this article. We want dogs who would otherwise be killed to keep coming to us, and if we can take them we will. The response of the young woman and of the track manager is a positive too, they cared, and they did something about it. But then there is the male owner whose immediate response was to shoot the dog. This man should be named, shamed, and banned from racing. If the majority of people involved in greyhound racing really do care about the dogs, then they must prove it by taking action against "people" like this. They can try to persuade them to change their ways first, but if this doesn't work they must get them out of greyhound racing. If they do not then they will inevitably be tarred with the same brush. MY DOG KES By Veronica Meaden (age 10) Kes is a tall muscular greyhound with velvet ears and loves walks. He's very affectionate and loving with soppy eyes and a wet nose. When he goes for walks he runs like a maniac in a field. When he runs he's agile and athletic and could run for days. He's got one set of whiskers white and the other black. When he is asleep he makes funny noises in the night, dreaming of chasing squirrels and rabbits. He's white with chestnut splodges and little chestnut dots and a brown collar. FROM THE CHAIR WELL HELLO THERE, THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT AND I HAVE TO MAKE AN APOLOGY FOR MY PREVIOUS ONE. DUE TO THE EXCITEMENT OF GOING TO THE WELSH ASSEMBLY AND TAKING OVER AS CHAIR I OMMITED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. I AM A MIDWIFE, AND MARRIED WITH TWO TEENAGE CHILDREN WITH THREE, SOMETIMES FOUR DOGS DEPENDING ON WHO WE ARE DOG SITTING/FOSTERING. I AM ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE GIRL GUIDE ASSOCCIATION, BEING AN ASSISSTANT GUIDER WITH LOCAL UNIT. WE AS A FAMILY HAVE BEEN INVOVED WITH GRW SINCE APRIL 99. AS WITH MOST OF YOU I AM APPALLED AT THE TREATMENT OF GREYHOUNDS, IT WAS THIS, ALONG WITH ANNETTE CROSBIE THAT LED ME TO GRW. MY LIFE HAS NOT, BEEN QUITE THE SAME SINCE! WE CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY BE INVOLVED, IN EVERY ASPECT, TRANSPORTING, FOSTERING, HOME CHECKS, MEETINGS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FUNDRAISING! WELL ENOUGH ABOUT ME LETS TALK ABOUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS AND THAT'S GRW. THINGS ARE REALLY COMING TOGETHER WITH OUR NEW LOGO. I CAN CONFIRM THAT IT WILL BE LAUNCHED AT OUR AGM IN OCTOBER. THIS SIGNALS AN EXCITING TIME, A NEW REVITALISED, ENERGETIC, POSITIVE AND FORWARD THINKING GRW, WITH ALL OUR NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES OF THE PAST, PUT BEHIND US. THE AGM IS IN LLANDOVERY THIS YEAR ON OCTOBER 14TH AT THE CASTLE HOTEL, RIGHT IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE. FUNDRAISING AS ALWAYS IS AN ISSUE. THE FOOT AND MOUTH OUTBREAK HAS AFFECTED OUR POTENTIAL THIS YEAR BUT, WITH OUR LIMITED MAIN EVENTS, STREET/STORE COLLECTIONS, THE EXTRA EVENTS ORGHANISED BY MEMBERS, AND AS EVER GWYNETHS STALLS AND JUMBLE SALES WE HAVE PULLED THROUGH. WE ARE ALWAYS IN NEED OF EXTRA HELP, IF YOU CAN SPARE A FEW HOURS PER MONTH PLEASE CONTACT ME. IT WOULD BE, MOST APPRECIATED. OUR SPONSORED WALK WENT WELL. I KNOW ALL OF YOU THAT CAME ENJOYED. WE HAD GOOD WEATHER AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WE HOMED THREE DOGS. WE RAISED NEARLY £300.00 JUST WITH OUR STALLS AND WE WILL HAVE A FIGURE OF THE AMOUNTS RAISED FROM SPONSORSHIP, ONCE ALL THE MONEY HAS ARRIVED. IF ANYONE HAS NOT SENT IT IN YET PLEASE PLEASE, SEND IT IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO WORK SO HARD, TOO MANY NAMES TO LIST YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOU ALL MAKE GRW WHAT IT IS A COMMITTED TEAM OF PEOPLE RESCUING DOGS AND GIVING THEM THE LIFE THEY DESERVE! WELL DONE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK KAREN FUND-RAISING AND EVENTS Here we are again - summer has arrived! Historically this is the busiest time of year for fund raising activities with many agricultural shows, dog shows etc, but 2001 has proved something of a one off! With the restrictions imposed due to the foot and mouth situation, many events have not been able to take place, but recently I have been given the go ahead for a number of events. The table below now lists all forthcoming activities but as mentioned previously, these can change at short notice. Recent events: - Main GRW events in September/October: All events are subject to guidelines covering the current foot and mouth outbreak. At the moment all events listed are going ahead but this could alter as the situation changes.
As always help is needed at all events. Please telephone 01792 885153 if you can spare any time on the dates mentioned. GREYHOUND RESCUE WALES 2001 RAFFLE Prizes include: If everyone sells just one book this raffle could raise over £1,000. Please sell the raffle tickets enclosed with this newsletter and return monies to the Organiser, or to Greyhound Rescue Wales Treasurer, Les Thomas, 18 Brynhyfryd Villas, Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 4LG. GREYHOUND RESCUE WALES IS GRATEFUL FOR: ALL PARTY SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WALES SUPPORT FROM MEDIA AND SPORTS PERSONALITIES Lucy Cohen (HTV) DEVOLUTION FOR GREYHOUNDS ! The National Assembly All Party Animal Welfare Group has agreed to conduct a survey to find out exactly how many greyhounds end up in Local Authority Pounds in Wales. Greyhound Rescue Wales members co-operated in preparing the questionnaire. The questionnaire, which the Assembly Group will send to all Welsh Local Authorities will inquire into the number of abandoned greyhounds entering the pounds and will also try to find out the numbers of lurchers the pounds deal with. This is a very important step forward. In the past we have estimated figures for greyhounds discarded by the industry including those who are killed by their owners, euthanased by vet's, and those who are abandoned. This survey will allow us to put an accurate figure on the numbers which are abandoned most of which will end up in a Local Authority pound. We very much hope too that the survey will be followed up by a sample survey of vet's in Wales which will fill another important gap in our knowledge. Once we have these figures no-one will be able to distort the scale of the problem. This initiative is running alongside the Assembly's efforts to bring together representatives of greyhound racing and animal welfare organisations in Wales to draw up a code of conduct. The first meeting should take place in the Autumn. GRW members will have very different views about the Assembly - the only thing we agree on is greyhounds, and then not always ! However it is extremely unlikely that we would ever have been able to gain access to Westminster or even to the UK Greyhound Forum to help develop practical initiatives like the negotiations with the tracks and the survey. We cover the whole of Wales, one of the constituent nations of the UK, but our population is just 3 million. On a UK level this is not "big enough" (Greyhound Rescue West of England for example is about five times the size of GRW and covers an area with a population of at least 15 million), so in the U.K. we have no voice. In Wales however, the work we do is of National importance, and because government is smaller scale and closer to the grassroots, the views of people who care about the welfare of one breed of dog can be made to count. We must make sure these initiatives are followed through but the signs are good that devolution is working in Wales - for greyhounds ! NEWS ROUND UP VALLEY STADIUM "CLOSED"It seems that there are now only two greyhound tracks in Wales. Rumours and counter rumours have been circulating about Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach since late last year. It was closed, no it had been flooded but would re-open, not so, it was waiting for grant money for re-furbishment. However local sources now all agree that Valley stadium has closed for good. Nevertheless the sand has been raked on the track and the grass has been cut inside the track perimeter so perhaps all is not over just yet? If Valley did close what effect would this have on the numbers of greyhounds being abandoned ? Hopefully not a lot as there were too few greyhounds to fill a full card at all three Welsh tracks every week anyway. Valley's closure will probably just consolidate the position of the two remaining tracks, but if more dogs come in we will just have to cope. PROBLEMS SOON IN SCOTLAND A far more serious situation is looming in Scotland where the closure of the Wishaw and Armadale tracks has been announced for September 2001. When the Airdrie stadium closed in 1994, 19 greyhounds were found drowned in a nearby quarry. Their ears had been cut off and bricks had been tied to their necks to weight them down. The SSPCA estimates that 1500 dogs will be deemed "worthless" once the tracks close. (Source: Greyhound Network News). SOCCER THUGS PICK ON GREYHOUND Soccer thugs in Manchester used bleach to burn the initials MUFC onto the side of a terrified greyhound in Manchester. The greyhound was collected by an animal rescue centre near Manchester where a spokeswoman said "You can tell how bad it was because he's still petrified of people, it's a real shame because he's a lovely dog and naturally full of affection". (Source: Welsh Mirror May 18th). GREYHOUNDS AWAIT YOUR LORDSHIPS PLEASURE Meanwhile in London the House of Lords have been debating the greyhound issue. Lord Whitty, in conclusion, admitted that something needs to be done … "provision for retired greyhounds is not enough" but then he says "I do not believe that regulation, government money or legislation are appropriate … the steer I would give is that the industry should face up to its responsibility … and try to develop mechanisms for raising more resources in order to deal with the problem of retired greyhounds" (Hansard online). So the industry should sort itslef out, that sounds familiar, wasn't there a parliamentary enquiry that said just the same thing…. 10 years ago! GREYHOUND NETWORK NEWS This is a highly informative 8 page news-sheet produced in the USA and frequently quoted in this magazine. Its' main focus is the USA but it does have one or more pages of European and world news. It has featured GRW news several times. Highly recommended for an overview of what organisations everywhere are trying to do to help greyhounds and for an insight into abuses in other parts of the world. Send a contribution (unspecified but the editor sent $20US) to Greyhound Network News,PO Box 4472, Phoenix, AZ 85064-4272 USA. There is also a website www.greyhoundnetworknews.org. REDUCED COST KENNELLING A reminder for members that John and Judith Reed of Gelli Farm Kennels near Ammanford who are themselves active members, are offering reduced cost kennelling (£3.00 per day instead of £5.50) on production of an up to date membership card. Several members have already taken advantage of this very kind offer. Tel 01269 592624.
HOW KES THE LURCHER CAME
TO LIVE WITH US Dave and I had been mulling over the possibility of getting a dog for some time. I adore walking and being outdoors whatever the weather, while Dave is a fair weather walker. So I would often sulk and threaten to get a dog to accompany me when he refused point blank to come out with me if it was pouring with rain or blowing a gale. We discussed it during my more sensible moments, and decided that it was a definite possibility. I have always admired the elegant look of the greyhound and noticed there seemed to be more and more of them around, all just as beautiful and so well behaved. Walking well, no tugging and straining on the lead, and so appealing. We spent a week in West Wales, walking the coastal path, and met a couple with two greyhounds who told us about Greyhound Rescue Wales and an event that was to take place at Cosmeston Country Park. In the meantime I found a book about greyhounds in the library. This confirmed that they make good pets, don't need a huge amount of exercise and certainly deserve a good home after all they have had to put up with. We went to Cosmeston only to find that the barbecue event was almost over, but we left our name and number with some very friendly dog owners and very soon afterwards Lesley Moule contacted us. Lesley paid us a home visit and we discussed greyhounds at length with her. She agreed we would make suitable owners and said she would try to match us with a dog. We were concerned that any new addition to the family would have to get on with Sammy our cat and with Dave's daughter Veronica who also came to stay during school holidays. Veronica is full of energy and adores animals so any canine friend would have to cope with her bouncing around and wanting to play noisily. Lesley phoned back to tell us about Kes, a lurcher who had been rescued as a puppy from travellers who were abusing him. He was now living at a remote farm cottage and his owners were worried about his tendency to chase the local farmer's sheep. The farmer was obviously not impressed with this behaviour and they had decided, very reluctantly, that Kes would have to move on. Dave, Veronica and I excitedly jumped into the car and eventually found Kes in his idyllic country setting. His owners allowed us to take him for a walk and generously suggested we take him home with us on a week's trial to see how we all got on. We were thrilled to have found such a lovely dog and spent an exciting first week with Kes, introducing him slowly to Sammy and our town environment. He settled well and we were pleased to inform his owners that we would like Kes to stay with us permanently. We felt for them in their loss, but assured them he would bring us lots of pleasure and, from time to time Kes sends them a postcard to keep them in touch with his progress. Sammy decided to stay and put up with this huge dog sharing his home and his owners. Although Kes seems more inclined to be friendly with the cat, Sammy keeps his distance and is a bit wary. They are always found in the same room together, however, and seem to enjoy each other's company. About six months after Kes came to stay, Veronica came to live with us permanently, bringing Claire the hamster with her. How the dynamics of our day to day life have changed in less than a year ! I have since given up my full time job and have recently found a part time local one. This means I can now spend more quality time with Vee and all the animals which is wonderful. As a family we all enjoy long walks around Cosmeston and the beach at Barry on a regular basis. Kes has shown nothing but friendly curiosity towards Claire the hamster when she perches on our laps and shoulder during her evening exercise. Kes us an absolute delight and I often wonder about what our life was like before he arrived - empty in many respects. He and I go to Cosmeston every morning so that he can have a really good run. He loves to run round in a huge circle and chases sticks quite merrily. Leaping up and down and generally looking very happy and pleased with himself. He chases rabbits and squirrels to no avail - they always manage to outwit him at the last moment, and then he stands near the rabbit hole or at the bottom of the tree pitifully crying that they've managed to escape yet again. We then walk to school with Vee and meet her again in the afternoons, when lots of the children pat him and talk to him. He's very popular with most of them and stands patiently while they strok and fuss him. Kes has taken over the sofa in our conservatory and spends many lazy hours there, soaking up the sunshine and day-dreaming, making lots of silly noises. In the colder evenings, he soon stretches out in front of the fire and certainly lives up to a lurcher's reputation of being a 40mph couch potato. Kes is a wonderful companion, loving, affectionate and patient and we all love him dearly. He has certainly enriched all our lives and we wouldn't want to be without him. JASPER GOES TO GEORDIELAND For those who have fond memories of Jasper the lurcher - consumer of sacks of flour, interiors of cars and sundry other little escapades - he is now safely out of Greyhound Rescue Wales territory and living in Northumberland. The McKeown family moved from Aberystwyth to Blyth at Easter and I thought that maybe fans of Jasper (and also those who suffered the consequences of his talent for experimentation) would like to know how his social skills have developed as a result of the 300 mile transition. It should be said that his dignity was somewhat affronted by the travel arrangements: sharing the rear of our elderly estate car with Sally and Sid, our other two dogs, whilst our 20 year old cat sat in state, in a very comfy cat-carrier, on the rear seat with our two youngest children, was not Jasper's idea of how his status should be recognised - in fact he even refused to share my salt and vinegar crisps during a break in the journey! Once we had arrived, however, he swiftly took control of the situation, closely supervising the unpacking process and selecting the first sofa to be unloaded for some necessary post-travel slumber. Jasper, along with the other two dogs, loves life in the North East. Five minutes down the road stretches three miles of golden sands with no restrictions on dog-walking, and the three dogs have a morning and an afternoon run there every day. The beach is dog heaven: dozens of other dogs to play with, lots to explore and the sea to splash and swim in as much as they like. They soon made friends with some of the "regulars" and definitely have acquired their own social circle. Jasper has also acquired one or two new skills - not necessarily a good thing. It took him a little over a week to discover that some dog owners, like us, take a few dog treats with them when they go to the beach. Jasper has now got the identification of these kind people down to a fine art, homing in on them from a great distance and nuzzling their pockets, trying to look his appealing best. He obviously feels no embarrassment at such flagrant begging, but the rest of the family try hard to pretend "he isn't with us!" Of course, as dog speaks to dog, owners tend to be quite a chatty lot and so morning and afternoon walks also lead to the exchange of information, gossip, pleasantries, which all make for a happy experience for both dogs and humans. No other dog hereabouts so far can live with Jasper's turn of speed and so his second skill is intercepting sticks, balls and other objects thrown by diligent owners for their dogs. Once Jasper has grabbed the object from under the nose of the other dog, he is off like the wind, tearing round and round, challenging the other dog to catch him, slowing down to allow the pursuer to get near ..... then off like the wind again, running, twisting, jumping. Eventually he tires of being the winner in this one-sided game, abandons the stick, ball or whatever and trots triumphantly up to us waiting for the congratulations he knows are his right. Perhaps Jasper's most interesting new skill is that of fishing. I should tell you that the supposed fisherman in the family is our fifteen year old son Daniel who goes out with rod and tackle to catch our supper and comes back with absolutely nothing, except stories of the ones that got away. Jasper, however, spotted little fish swimming to shore on the incoming tide, and splashing about in the shallows, he soon acquired the art of catching them in his mouth and bringing them on to the beach where he swiftly eats them! This pastime infuriates Daniel, especially when the family tell him that the lurcher is a better fisherman than he is! Jasper obviously enjoys his diet of raw fish for this has become a regular pastime when the almost full tide coincides with his walk, so much so that he has also worked out that the fishing boats which come into Blyth harbour and unload their catch on the dock behind the beach, often leave baskets of fish temporarily unguarded whilst the fishermen go about their business. Jasper has been known to clear the sea wall with a flying leap, returning a few seconds later with a not-so-small fish from someone else's catch, also to be consumed on the beach! This diet of occasional sushi seems to be suiting him for his coat is glossy, his eyes shining and his energy boundless whilst he is engaged in his variety of beach pursuits. Once home, of course, he sinks exhaustedly on to a sofa (or a bed where he can open the door of a bedroom, and leave a trail of sand and salt water all over someone's duvet). Sally, our twelve year old border collie and Sid, our five year old Belgian shepherd cross, have learned to live with Jasper's little ways. Sid has shed pounds and learned (almost) to keep up with Jasper in their highly competitive races along the sands, but Sally, the true matriarch, contents herself by keeping Jasper in order and is happy in the role of family disciplinarian. Moving has improved their stamina and one can only assume that the fish diet will do wonders for Jasper's brain - heaven only knows what he will get up to next! TESSIE'S STORY What do you do when you rescue a dog and the owner turns up ? Alyson Harding describes her experience. I found Tessie my 14 month old lurcher bitch on a cold day in January this year. She was cold hungry and covered in sores and bites. I took her home, fed her, and reported to the police that I had found a lurcher bitch. This little bitch was beautiful there was no way I was letting her go to the dog pound so it was agreed with the police that I would keep her for 28 days. If the owner turned up during this time I would have to give her back (I'm not religious but I prayed this wouldn't happen), although I did put up a notice at my local shop saying I had found a dog. The deadline came and went and then five weeks after I had found her the owner turned up wanting her back. I didn't want to give her back as I knew she would be kept in a shed and used for rabbiting. After a chat with Dave Thomas (who I must thank for all his advice) my mind was made up, she was staying with us. If the owner really cared that much then I was prepared to go to court to fight for this beautiful dog. It is now June and I have not heard from the owner. Tessie is a picture of health and a very loving dog. She lives with a staffie cross, a heinz variety, a budgie, a rabbit, not to mention my husband and 3 year old son. She is one lurcher who has landed on her paws. This is a rhyme I wrote about TESSIE. T is for tearaway, my mam says that's me
VIRGINNEAR FIRESIDE REPLIES Dear Virginnear, VIRGINNEAR FIRESIDE REPLIES I must admit this letter forced me to refer to my younger days. This is a story so often heard . The pattern is always the same when the human first returns home with us the habit is usually feed chicken rice, a little turkey, cake, my favourite Ginger Nuts, flat biscuits etc then just as we think we have them trained whoosh - All Gone. They appear home from these trips out in the square seats on wheels. Often bad tempered, putting their tins away hiding the lovely containers of yoghurt in a cold box. Then they have these sill small hot drinks that they call tea or coffee not the big muddy diesel covered puddles that I prefer, and only after much sad eyed pleading will they then consider opening coloured bags of DOG FOOD. Then, as you say, we are supposed to be thankful for this bland muck. It took me a long time to work out the answer to this but you must use the technique of Reverse Guilt. You absolutely fall overyourself with joy at this huge bowl of bland muck. Go over the top if you have too. Whip them with your tail, bow dance, spin run around with joy. Here comes the hard bit - you must eat the entire bowl of bland muck. Lick them gratefully and settle down near to them or go to your bed. Wait until they are eating their nice roast dinner (that is if they still bother to feed you before they feed themselves). Or wait until they are watching a juicy bit of Eastenders (the ones with Martin Kemp if your human is female or Rugby Special if you're your human is male). What you do next is simple - bring all the bland muck up into their lap! Look guilty, tremble a little whimper if you must. Repeat this process daily over the space of a week and you will find that even the humans will get the idea that the bland muck is just not you. If however your humans are a little slow
on the uptake a more serious guilt trip is needed. This requires more
staying power and accuracy on your part. You must try and hang onto
this bland muck until the humans are sleeping then wander into their
bedroom, be as vocal as you possible really gut wrenching stuff wait
until the second your human steps out of bed then bring the lot back
onto the carpet. You must do this BEFORE they have put their fluffy
feet on, after all you do not want to have to curl up to fluffy things
that smell of bland muck do you. FLOWER ESSENCE THERAPY
FOR RESCUE DOGS Hello - we are two new members to Greyhound Rescue, and we'd like to introduce ourselves. We are Gael Mariani and Martin Scott. We are dog lovers and specialists in using natural therapies, particularly flower essences, to treat traumatised and abused animals. Gael has studied under top animal behaviourists Gail Fisher, John Rogerson, Julie Sellors, and Gwen Bailey. We are the joint authors of the book Bach Flower Remedies for Horses and Riders (Kenilworth Press, 2000) and the recently-published Dogs Misbehaving - Solving Problems with Bach Flower and other Remedies (Kenilworth Press, 2001). At present we are working on another book on natural therapies for animals, to be published by Findhorn Press in 2002. We are Graduates of the British Institute of Homoeopathy and members on the Faculty of the Hahnemann Center for Heilkunst, an international teaching academy based in Ottawa, Canada. We also teach an introductory course for pet owners in complementary therapies at the Animal Care College, a well-known UK distance learning college, and we have our own regular two-page column, the Holistic Page, in the magazine Dogs Monthly. So what are flower essences? They are a highly sophisticated, yet wonderfully simple, form of natural therapy that treats the emotions, the mind and the personality. As their name suggests, they are made up from flowers, although they are not herbal in the traditional sense but rather a form of "vibrational" or subtle energy therapy. Taken orally, used in sprays or topical applications and in very small quantities, they have the ability to transform negative states of mind and mood into positive ones, bringing about mental balance, harmony and a far greater potential for personal happiness. They are completely non-addictive, non-toxic, fast-working and effective. Flower essences were pioneered in their existing form by Dr Edward Bach (1886-1936) in the UK. The original Bach "remedies" were 38 in number and are still widely popular across the world. Now, at the turn of the new century, we have many producers of flower essences in all different countries including the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia, and a wide-ranging repertoire of flower essences. Since Bach's time it has been well recognised
that animals, too, benefit enormously from the effects of these all-natural,
inexpensive and 100% safe products. Because they are so simple to use,
they are ideal for the pet owner to use on their own animals. They may
be used to treat negative emotional states such as: We have found that when treating for trauma in animals, these remedies are generally 100% effective, provided that they are used correctly and consistently. Our new book Dogs Misbehaving - Solving Problem Behaviour with Bach Flower and other Remedies contains a number of real-life case histories of rescue and sanctuary dogs with severe emotional and behavioural problems that were successfully treated with flower essences. In one case, a dog considered "un-rehomable" by a sanctuary was rehomed within five days, and in another case a mistreated and fearfully aggressive dog was cured of her fear within a few minutes and went on within days to become a normal, well-behaved and trusting pet! For helping with some behavioural and training problems, flower essences sometimes need to be backed up with a good basic understanding of canine psychology. For that reason we have created a unique dual approach to flower essence therapy that brings it together with gentle, non-confrontational training methods. A lot of our work centres on developing strong bonds between dog and human. We call our approach HITT, or Holistic Integrated Training Therapy. HITT works excellently alongside any other gentle canine therapy, such as Contact Learning or TTouch, and any forms of humane training. It very seldom fails to bring about major changes in the happiness and vitality of a dog and its relationship with its human caregivers. Flower essences also help people a great deal. In the field of animal rescue, people with a kind heart who want to help often become disgusted, angry, outraged and even depressed when they witness some of the things that are done to animals. While it is perfectly normal to feel such emotions, long-term emotional stress and vexation can really get to us and have a detrimental effect on health. This in turn does not do any good for the animals that rely upon our care. Flower essences help us balance our emotions, allowing us to cope with stress and difficult situations much better. We are very impressed with the good work carried out by GRW and would like to offer its members as much help as we can. For simple cases with rescued greyhounds we are happy to give advice free of charge, and big discounts on in-depth consultations and the flower essence combination bottles that we provide. For more information contact us by email at: flower_essences@uku.co.uk DECLAN'S DILEMMA Apparently, Declan is very well known within Greyhound Rescue circles and has had two failed attempts at rehoming. Luckily, Declan's original owners Maxine and Kim. Have taken him back into their home each time, so Declan has never had to endure the stress of long term kennel life, which, being the personality he is, he would never survive. So why has Declan fallen down at each rehoming ? Whenever a dog is rehomed, whether it's from a home or kennels, for approximately two weeks there is a re-adjustment period for all involved, dog and human alike. In Declan's case this is where he falls down. In every case, when a dog finds itself within a new home (den) and amongst new owners (pack), the first thing they look for is not the comfy bed or where the food is kept, rather they need to answer the question "Who's the leader here ?" Even if they can't answer the question clearly, 95% of dogs will take everything you throw at them and settle in well, but the 5% that don't (and this is the case with Declan), need to know that there is a leader who will protect and provide for them. If that 5% don't see a leader within the new pack, they have to take on that role themselves, and this is where all the unwanted behaviour starts, because there has to be a leader at all times and the dog is not up to the job. We as humans put these dogs (unbeknown to us), in the position of pack leader and they can't cope. Imagine someone asking you to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in front of a packed audience every night for 2 weeks, wouldn't you feel panicky and out of control given a job you can't possibly achieve. If you are having problems with your dog, nine times out of ten it is because you've told him to be leader. I can teach you how to turn things around and make life so much easier and stress free for the whole family and the dog. So back to Declan. Declan is a cross Saluki, standing 31" high and weighing 35kg. He has a big honest personality and is completely genuine, there are no hidden agenda's with Declan, what you see is what you get. Declan loves people, and does latch on to one person within the home (the leader), for his own security, but this can quickly turn into a possessive trait. If the person Declan has attached himself to is not an absolutely confident person or is easily stressed, Declan will show signs of a neurotic dog, for example barking furiously at noises outside or racing around the house at 100mph. His owner needs to be calm at all times, even in times of stress. Declan is like a sponge, he absorbs every emotion we feel and makes it his own. I was first called out to see Declan at his home in March this year. Maxine was having problems with him jumping up at people coming into the home, including herself, fighting with the other two dogs, almost wrecking the house (especially doors) in his attempts to get out if shut in, and Maxine couldn't even have a bath on her own. However, Declan's biggest problem was out in the big wide world where he just lost it completely, barking and snarling at anything on four legs, lunging across the road to get to anything on the other side. This, understandably was very scary for Maxine as he's a powerful dog and made her reluctant to take him out, and not having transport to take him and the other two somewhere isolated, she was becoming a prisoner in her own home. When I arrived at Maxine's home I was met with a barrage of barking, jumping, clawing canines (no wonder she didn't have many visitors). However, it wasn't just Declan (even though he was responsible for cutting my lip), it was all three dogs, and I knew that this was going to be no easy task. Declan was copying the other two, the other two were copying him and so on. Eventually we managed to get out to the garden to do some lead work. This was Declan's Achille's heel , and after I'd managed to prise his jaws from around my arm (thank God for thick winter coats), he responded very well. After a couple of hours I left Maxine with the new way she was to interact with her dogs for the next two weeks. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Maxine's Diary: "March 11thDay 7 of the new régime. Sandra came for the first time last Monday. I thought Declan would knock her flying but she steadfastly ignored him and he did give up jumping eventuualy. It took about 45 minutes for all the dogs to settle down properly, they took it in turns to start 'playing up', and every time the 5 minute wait started again. For the next 2 weeks we'll be working hard. They'll have to get used to me ignoring them whenever we're reunited, walking through doorways in front of them, thanking them for warning me of any 'intruders', gesture eating before I give them their food, and circling with them in the garden to make sure they keep behind me. They'll also be having lots of cheese treats, which shouldn't be too difficult for them". March 16th: "Very interesting - from being the first to rush down the stairs in front of me Tippy has suddenly 'clicked' - stands back to let me go first and foillows me at a respectful distance." &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& After two weeks I went back to take Declan out into the big wide world and what a difference. I was still greeted by the dogs jumping around me, but not with the same intensity as before and there were some wonderful changes, dogs walking behind Maxine when going up and down stairs. The whole atmosphere was so much calmer and Declan was brilliant on the lead in the street. Maxine had worked very hard with the three dogs, not an easy task. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Maxine's Diary:"March 24th Declan is redoubling his efforts to break out of the house whenever I take the other two out, making a complete mess of both the living room and, more worryingly the front door ….He's an amazingly strong dog and is quite capable of busting his way out. .I've noticed that he doesn't react so frantically- apart from ripping out the cat flap - when I go out via the back door and surprise him by coming in the front door. Also Sandra has advised me toi take out one of the other dogs into the hall, closing the living room doo. Dec will fling himself at the door howling, but as soon as he's quiet, even for a second, I come back in with Bobby or Tippy. Eventually he should get less hysterical, as his anxiety reduces, so far I haven't had much luck with this, but I shall persevere" March 26th Earlier today I felt I'd had enough of all of the, they'd been rushing around barking and ignoring me. With a distinct lack of enthusiasm I too Declan out for his walk, and not only did hewalk to heel, he walked past no less than four dogs with no more than a whimper. My faith was restored. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& As I write this, I'm looking across at Declan asleep on his bed next to my Jack. Why is he here ? After a lot of thought, Maxine and Kim realised that an important, and insoluble part of the problem was that three dogs were just too much for them and their small home. After a lot of thought they made the heart breaking decision to part with their beloved Declan. As he is the biggest this makes sense. This decision is by no means a reflection of Declan's behaviour, in fact Declan turned out to be the best behaved of the three, it's just the way it goes sometimes. We've all had to force our head to rule our hearts at times. Not easy though ! What I wanted to show Declan by fostering him myself was that he can get through those most important first two weeks of re-adjustment into a new pack. First, I insisted that he be kennelled for two days to break the existing bond. If I'd taken him straight from his home he could have been very resentful and would probably have rebelled. I wanted to work with a "new" dog if you like. As I expected, he didn't take to kennel life so two days was enough. When I brought him into my home I showed him the whole house, leading him into every room, making sure that I went into each room first. This shows the dog that he has access to every room, there are no forbidden rooms. However, me going in first every time shows him that it is my room, and that I invite him in. Rooms like the bathroom and the bedroom lose their appeal if you say yes. Declan has settled in very quickly, gets on well with my Jack (who is a placid soul) loves the children (who are not manic), he is surrounded by calm, quietly spoken people, no rushing around. One episode pushes the point home about how in all circumstances we must be calm around a potentially overactive dog during this readjustment period. Last night a pan was boiling over while I was on the 'phone. Instead of running across the hall like a mad thing to turn it off (which is what I wanted to do), I forced myself to walk slowly. In fact it felt like I was walking through mud and all the time this pan is hissing and spitting water everywhere. The urge to run was very powerful. If we can show the dog that we can keep our head under all circumstances, what a role model we'd make. To end this article, I want to make it clear that Maxine has done such a good job with Declan that all that's left for me to do is to cross the t's and dot the i's. Well done. In the next issue of Greyhound Express I'll be writing about aggression, why they do it, and how to deal with it. It's a real eye-opener. In the meantime, I have a new 'phone number if anyone needs to contact me for any problem to do with your dog: 01646 651262. FFLUR 1994-2001 As a hospital visiting dog, Fflur averaged 350 visits per year and had many many friends who loved to see her. As well as visiting the hospitals she also visited a number of residential/nursing homes, house-bound elderly, and had a small schools programme on the go. She was a wonderful ambassador for the breed and will be greatly missed. Fflur's "charity" the Barney Community Fund has been very lucky to be joined by the Swansea bred Chloe, a white and red brindle bitch. Chloe was with Fflur for one day and clearly that had an influence for Chloe has gone into visiting as though she has always done it. She also has many of Fflur's little ways. Although unproven with cats, Chloe is learning to live with Ffloss the cat and I'm sure that before long they will become good mates. Chloe is by "Meet me Halfway, out of Lochbo Crystal. Any information gratefully received. Fflur died of a disease with mysterious symptoms which proved to be "Eosinophilic Mysositis" (E.M.). I describe what happened to her in case it may help someone else spot the symptoms in time. Blacks Veterinary Dictionary describes E.M. as follows: "A disease of dogs, especially Alsatians, in which there is a hardening of the muscles of mastication and of the temporal muscles. The dog assumes a foxy apppearance. The nictitating membrane is in evidence. There may be tonsilitis. The cause is unknown; the outlook grave. Diagnosis may be confirmed by blood smear". The disease developed in stages: Phase 1: collapsed on beach with
partial paralysis of hind limbs (treated for spinal injury). From diagnosis to euthanasia took just four days. A blood test taken after the second visit to the Chiropractor showed abnormal Liver enzyme and white cell counts. The auto immune system is involved at the middle stage. I spoke to a German Shepherd Dog owner whose dog had E.M. He successfully held the disease at bay by feeding an extremely high protein food by Royal Canin (36% protein). This was not an option for Fflur as her condition had deteriorated so much. I had ground her food in the blender and added minced cooked chicken but the atrophy of the muscles used in eating and swallowing made feeding her very difficult. In hindsight it was clear that E.M. was the cause of her collapse and not a spinal injury. Possibly had a blood test been done after her collapse we might have had an earlier diagnosis. This is not a criticism of my vets who have been great, just a suggestion that any hound who shows any of the symptoms of phases 1-4 could have a blood test and have the liver enzymes checked, once other causes (such as heart problems) have been ruled out. Steroids can also be used to treat E.M, but again they are most effective at the early stages. Thank you Fflur for all the joy you brought to so many people. MOVING ON When a dearly loved dog dies some people need to grieve for a long time, but others are able to turn their thoughts to the dogs that are still waiting for a chance of a new life. This is Alison's story. JAKE We brought Jake into my house where he was very quiet and afraid. - at that point I fell instantly in love. We bathed him to cleanse him, it was a joint effort. He didn't know how to get up the stairs so I had to teach him but the first night he slept in Andy's house, downstairs on a soft bed. Thereafter he stayed with me, and Andy moved in as well. For two weeks Jake soiled and wet in the house, and although house-proud I really didn't mind as I loved him so much and knew that he would learn in due course. He dug big holes in the garden which was mostly mud anyway so we built a patio. I walked Jake every day and as he had a lot of energy he had a good sprint in a secure area in a large field, then he would sleep and become very contented. As time went by he became very playful, stealing loo rolls, taking socks and shoes and anything else left lying about. My son is 16 now but this was like having a 3 year old around and I loved it. He needed and gave so much love. All the children in the community recognised Jake as we walked and asked all about him. Everyone was so interested and I was really proud. He brought so much joy. Sadly Jake developed cancer, very aggressive, in Jake's case, and it could not be cured. We had him in April and he died just 3 days before Christmas. I ensured he had everything he needed - painkillers from the vet and constant love and attention. It was hard, very hard, as I nursed him day and night - he slept on my bed nearly all the time. Andy and my son and I were devastated -our best friend was gone but still very much in our hearts. We will love you forever Jake. Thank you Greyhound Rescue Wales for the privilege of having Jake. I am not sad that we didn't have a healthy dog, just pleased to have given Jake what he deserved for the last few months of his life - good food, plenty of exercise and abundant love. Dedicated to my darling Jake. BRYN Thank you Greyhound Rescue with all our hearts from Jake, Bryn, Alison, Andy and Kieron. LETTER FROM AMERICA GRW homes dogs almost entirely in Wales. A few dogs have gone to Bristol, along the border and to Manchester and Liverpool. However we try to leave those homes for English greyhound rescues who need them just as much as we do ! And then came the offer of a home ……in the U.S.A.. Bev and Niki are related to Executive Committee Member Sian Edwards and they know each other well. Bev and Niki were staying in Wales for a while and they wanted to adopt a lurcher. So what happened ? Niki takes up the story. Hi there ! Seren has been absolutely wonderful and everybody loves her. Yes there were a few delays with the flight from Heathrow, but although we left nearly 2 hours late we were only 45 minutes late arriving. Seren was in a massive crate with just her blanket from home and some water but she did very well. She dropped 1.5lbs but she put that straight back on and is looking really well and sleek. Seren has got to be the most laid back dog on the planet. She walked straight into the house here and made herself at home. The little dogs (3) and cat soon got used to her although she does tend to tread on them and knock them flying when she's playing. The benefits though are that they (little dogs) get more treats now and they are taken out on more walks !! You should see Seren in the arena ! She's allowed in there when there are no horses and she has a mad five minutes all one her own, little dogs make sure they're not around or they get squished. There are several good places for Seren to run here. We have 60 acres of fields right next door where Seren can track gophers and skunk, and I'm told there are also coyotes around so there are lots of wonderful smells for her. Another favourite walk is along a river with vineyards planted on either side. There are herons, snowy and great egrets, plus lots of lizards and even the odd garter snake (not poisonous). A great place to run on a hot sunny day! Temperatures have been around the low 80's until a few days ago when we got the first rain of the season. At least we don't have to worry about watering the plants now. We soon realised though that Seren needs a running mate/playmate as the little dogs just can't keep up with her. There are very few lurchers in the States though so we were very lucky to find a guy with his own website. He is keeping a little brindle bitch for us until we come back from Oz on 18th December, then she will be flown from Wyoming to join her new family here. Her name will be "Willow" since we always liked that name but wanted Seren to have a Welsh name. Willow will look very similar to Seren but will have a slightly shaggier coat and may be slightly taller. We're very excited as it will be so much nicer for Seren to have a proper sized companion. We've found plenty of places where we can take the two lurchers when we go on holiday and Niki is buying a new people carrier type car (Honda Oddysey) so that all the dogs can fit in when we go out!! What a life. We're still looking for a house/dog sitter for the five weeks we're in Oz. Actually there are two people coming over today so we may be lucky ….. it's a long time away and we've learned not to go away for so long again. With five dogs, a cat and 26 horses this place is becoming a bit of a zoo and we wouldn't have it any other way. But it does mean less travelling. So, Seren is doing very well and is extremely popular with all the boarders. She's a great ambassador for her breed and for Wales. Everyone remarks on how "mellow" she is, they're used to pit bulls here not laid-back lurchers. I'm getting a little tired of explaining what a lurcher is 30 times a day but no-one knows what they are here. You'd think they'd be more popular considering what marvellous pets they make. Several people here have already made enquiries as to where they could find a dog as wonderful as her, shame we're a bit far from Greyhound Rescue Wales! Will be in touch again soon. Love from us Bev, Niki and Seren. MONEY TALKS When an aeroplane is moving into a zone of turbulence, there is usually a warning message from the pilot. We could have appreciated such a message earlier this year, for this has truly been a most turbulent period. Few of us could have imagined the effect on our finances of the foot and mouth epidemic, and few of us could have foreseen the sudden fall from the sunshine of a healthy surplus to the gloom of an impending deficit. Fund-raising events had to be cancelled, and few prospective owners were to be seen, so that income stagnated while expenditure continued to rise. This could not continue, the alarm was raised and we sent out our special appeal. The response has been tremendous, and I do not know how to give adequate thanks to all those who have given help in the form of donations, table-top sales, jumble sales, collections, coffee mornings and in so many other ways. I cannot list all who have helped but you know who you are and I can only ask you to accept my thanks on behalf of the dogs. The initial response to the Sponsor a Dog scheme has been pleasing and I offer thanks to those who are now helping in this way. Thanks also to NCDL who have been most supportive and who now make it possible for us to ensure that all dogs rehomed by us can be spayed or neutered before going to their new home. We previously required that dogs were spayed/neutered but this was usually done after homing and we had to ask owners for a contribution. I must reserve a special mention for Andrew Jones who ran the London marathon in under three hours and raised over £700 in sponsorship for Greyhound Rescue Wales. Congratulations and thanks, Andrew. The events of the last few months show once again how important it is to ensure a regular income. So, keep thinking up ideas and keep up the momentum so that the next Treasurer's report may contain only good news. NATIONAL RESCUE CO-ORDINATOR'S
REPORT Thankfully things are picking up again. We are now back in business and homing dogs again. It's wonderful to know that in this newsletter it will be a completely new list of dogs needing homes which can only mean of course that all our long termers have finally found the homes they deserve. This proves that there are people who are willing to give a dog a home, even though they appear to carry a little baggage, which in time and with patience, can soon become 'lost baggage'. Thanks to all those people who are prepared to work with those dogs. Despite Foot and Mouth disease we have homed in excess of 60 dogs in the last six months and I hope this will continue and the numbers increase. I think people are finally getting the message that greyhounds are worth their weight in gold. Finally thanks to Karen and Dave Thomas for taking over my job for the fortnight I was on holiday and to Ceri and Phillip Taylor-Ball for doing the same on my return from holiday when my 22 month old daughter was taken into hospital with Salmonella. It was a great holiday, honestly ! REGIONAL ROUNDUP After Christmas I appealed for unwanted Christmas presents to be donated to GRW. The response was tremendous and the donations varied, including cash. I have subsequently used these gifts to raise money. An Easter raffle was held, followed by a stand in the 'Cats Protection League Flea Market', a strange combination cats, dogs and fleas, but all went well ! I then sold items from a bargain counter in our shop. A local park called the Racecourse, is a well established walking ground for dogs, and it was arranged to hold a walking quiz there. Fifty posts with quiz questions attached, were erected around a walk that took approximately 2 hours. So whilst walking the dog, the questions were answered. Twenty nine teams entered and it was a popular event. I was surprised at the number of children participating, and have been encouraged to run a similar event next year, which will include a quiz for the youngsters. A raffle was held on the day. In total £ 605.74 has been raised. Good news Julie & Ricky homed Jake. CARMARTHENSHIRE - JEANNE WATTS Hi, my name is Jeanne Watts and I have taken over the Carmarthenshire area from Sian Edwards. I have been involved with GRW for a couple of years now since my husband Dave and I were drawn to GRW's stand at a show. We offered to help with fostering and it wasn't long before one of them wormed her way into our hearts and our home. She is an ex racer and we call her Grace. She joined our other three dogs quite happily. Over the past few months I have homed the following dogs: Sophie, a beautiful Saluki Cross to Carolyn Harris; Striker, a small lurcher to Jeff and Rosie Owen of Haverfordwest; Moose, a huge deerhound type to Steve Hall of Ferryside; Flora, a small tan bitch to Emma and Mal of Dryslwyn. The hardest part is saying goodbye to the dogs as we get so fond of them but there is (sadly) always another poor bewildered dog looking for a loving home. SWANSEA, NEATH PORT-TALBOT - DAVID THOMAS Well despite the foot and mouth, this period again has been busy. We've covered for Jo Clarke while she was away on holiday, lots of transporting going on with dogs back and for to the vets, for neutering and spaying. Also the homechecks have picked up, with four dogs being homed out of the area. On June 2nd we held a street collection in
Neath, which proved successful financially £484 raised! Also with a
lot of interest raised. I must say a big thank-you to the people who
helped at the collection, Caroline Holmes, Kath Coulson, Pauline Warner,
Sian Edwards Ann & Tracey Evans and also Gwyneth and Pearl who stood
again, all day with us. Where would we be without them? Sadie, a very pretty girl has a wonderful new home in Neath with the Cantwell family and after some corrective surgery on her leg she is settling well. Then there is Star a bitch from the track, who is going to Barry in August. The two other dogs homed were Mair now Cassy homed with the Davies family in Swansea and Lucy a dog we fostered for some weeks who went to Bristol, Karen transported Lucy and as you can imagine, parting with her was very, very difficult. Karen said never again, but we'll see! The kennelling committee is up and running and we are making good progress. Our home-check workshops are taking shape and will hopefully be COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU soon. A final piece I would like to add is a very big thank-you to Karen from me (they don't come often) for all the help with my area over the past few months. As well as organising, and co-ordinating the street collection, sponsored walk and being very ill, she still found time to help out with everything. (That should get me some brownie points). BRIDGEND, RHONDDA-CYNON-TAFF, MERTHYR TYDFIL - CERI TAYLOR Ceri Taylor has taken a short break for family reasons. Ceri will be back in harness again very soon. VALE OF GLAMORGAN - KATE LEYBURN As I am a new regional co-ordinator I thought I should introduce myself. I have been involved with greyhound rescue for 5 years and have held roles such as national rescue co-ordinator Vice and chairperson and am presently on the executive and kennelling committee. I own two dogs a Saluki x whippet who is a greyhound rescue bitch and a saluki dog. As Vale of Glamorgan is a new area I am in the process of forming an advertising campaign in the local newspapers and am looking for volunteers to help with home checks and transportation. If you think you can help at all give me a ring on 01446 413564. A few home checks have taken place one of which has resulted in a bitch being booked. Anyone at the sponsored walk this month may have met Sandy a fawn Greyhound bitch From the Swansea Greyhound track who was looking for a home. Well I'm pleased to say she has found one and is presently in our care while she is vaccinated and spayed and will be off to her new home in about a week. CARDIFF, CAERFFILI & TORFAEN - LESLEY MOULE In common with everywhere else, home offers stopped coming in when the Foot and Mouth Outbreak started. The only ray of light during this time came thanks to NASSL (The National Animal Sanctuaries Support League South West England and South Wales Branch). They put out a heartfelt appeal for homes for dogs in the Bristol area which resulted in many home offers. These homes were not specifically for greyhounds but Lesley McMahon the NASSL co-ordinator knew about our work and passed some of the home offers to us. Penny Hanson in Bristol followed up the home offers, and after the visits were done two of our dogs ended up crossing the Severn Bridge for a new life in South West England. This was a big morale booster during a difficult time. Now there are signs that people are beginning to think about adopting dogs again in this area. Home offers are coming in, there are several home-checks scheduled for the next week and I am hoping that some of these will convert into dogs in homes. By the time this appears we will also have held a collection and information stand over two days at Pets at Home, and run a table top sale at Llandough hospital thanks to Roy James. At last, things are beginning to look more positive. BLAENAU GWENT & NEWPORT - Welcome to Shaun and Julie Madden as the new Regional Representatives. MONMOUTH - Welcome to Gail Roberts as the new Regional Representative. The "bottom right hand" corner of Wales is developing well with two new regions covered. All we need now is someone to cover Torfaen to complete the jigsaw in the south-east. Any offers ?? POWYS & CEREDIGION - DIANE ROWLANDS News is thin on the ground due to foot and mouth. No dogs are moving in the area since the start of Foot and Mouth (at the time of writing fresh outbreaks are still occurring in the area). So I have kept busy by manning our helpline which was a real eye-opener, and by keeping in touch with dogs that now live here. Here is a quick update on two of them. Samson was a long term resident until Mr & Mrs Ward fell for him, he now rules the roost at Presteigne. The Ward's soon found out about greyhounds' bottomless pits (commonly called stomachs), and their pick-pocketing skills (I'm being polite here, it's more like stealing). Despite all this they love him and have said they wouldn't trade him in for anything. Duke landed on his feet in Brecon. So well that his dad Mr Coulthard traded in his estate car for a saloon so Duke could sit closer to Mum and Dad. Now that's what I call good dog training ! Hopefully by the next issue things will have picked up and a few more hounds will have found some slaves to train to their weird and wacky ways. The brat pack and I are at the end of the phone no' in the back of this issue, if you want to chat, need help, or want to help. NORTH EAST WALES ANDREA & RUPERT LINDLEY Four dogs have been homed in the region in the last few months. We are particularly pleased that Jack has finally found a home. He was returned from his first home because he was soiling the house. Oddly this behaviour did not start until he had been in the home for several months. Thanks are due to my sister who fostered Jack (after just a little sisterly persuasion), and who took such good care of him. Jack is now in a new home in the village of Coed Poeth. His new owners took him on even after they had been told about his past record, and so far there are no problems. Just in case however we put them in touch with a doggie psychologist so we really hope that Jack has found his permanent home. It is so good when a "long-term" dog is finally placed. Thanks to the people who have responded to my appeal for volunteers. Unfortunately the offers were for help with dog walking which is not possible at the moment as we are still looking for a kennels we can use in the area. Any suggestions for kennels that might be willing to take our dogs in North East Wales will be gratefully received. Back to volunteers, what we really need is people who are able to carry out home visits, to transport dogs, to help organise fundraising events or to help run publicity or information events. A few hours a week and a genuine commitment is all that's needed so please do get in touch. NORTH WEST WALES DENNIS & JACKIE PARKER A big welcome back to Dennis and Jaqui. We are delighted you are ready to pick up the work in North West Wales again - adverts are now back in the Cambrian News. Welcome too, to Pat McNichol from Anglesey who will be covering Ynys Mon/Anglesey as from September and to Sue Osborne who will cover the Caernarfon and Denbigh areas starting in August. We look forward to the news from this new and dynamic team for North West Wales in the next issue. Late news: we have now booked a permanent space at a private kennels near Caernarfon (well done Sue) there is a greyhound in it - and home offers are already coming in. MEDIA MATTERS The PR committee welcomes new members Amanda Rees and Patrick Willey, and welcomes back Lynda Harvey. At last we have a new website: www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk . This was set up for us free of charge by Jan Barley to whom we extend our warm thanks and best wishes. Those who are interested in horses or healing might also like to visit Jan's website www.healinghorses.co.uk. Our new website aims to be informative, credible, easy to explore, colourful and friendly. The website focuses on the information that visitors are likely to be most interested in (do greyhounds make good pets, how can I adopt one, what is Greyhound Rescue Wales about, how can I become involved, and what happens to greyhounds?) We have tried at all costs to avoid fussy layout, annoying musical background, garish colours, unsubstantiated claims and ranting! We hope you like it. The site will be updated by volunteers who are being trained by new PR Committee member Patrick Willey. A "Child's Pack" is now nearing completion. This will provide information and "games" aimed at very young children. It will be given to every family adopting a greyhound which has a young child. This is being led by Sarah Marsh with help from Patrick Willey and Amanda Rees. The aim is to involve even very young children in the adoption process and sensitise them to greyhounds and to caring for animals. GRW has been featured in a number of Welsh newspapers as usual but the highlight was Eryl Jones' and Harry Jones' appearance the S4C programme "Bryn Y Maen". This is the Welsh language equivalent of "Pet Rescue" and Harry, Eryl and their dogs put over the message loud and clear that greyhounds are often terribly abused and that they make wonderful pets. Well done! Finally, there will be an article covering our A.G.M. in Dog's Monthly magazine- so make sure you get a copy ! TAIL ENDS Tail Ends has been given a sample of a new perfume …..yes you've guessed it … for dogs ! Paris Based (where else) "Dog Generation" have brought out "Oh My Dog" Eau de Toilette. It even comes with instructions "Just spray 'Oh my dog' onto your own hands and just stroke your dog. Another variation Spray Oh my Dog onto your dog's brush before brushing" … I can't quite see me retaining all my digits if I tried to douse my lurcher with scent especially after he has applied his own favourite "eau de Fox poo", still it takes all sorts…. This exclusive free sample of "Oh My Dog" will go as a prize to the person who sends in the best (not too serious) slogan for "Oh My Dog" or who comes up with an alternative name for a doggie perfume. Advert spotted in Magazine: "The Dagenham Lurcher men would like to invite you to a day's Chihuahua coursing" before you call the RSPCA the venue was "Knightsbridge" and the "advert" was in "Viz" magazine ! Thanks to Steve from Carmarthen for sending it in. Someone (Tail Ends suspects the person is a female) has sent some "highly amusing" comparisons between men and dogs ….. here is a sample: How men and dogs are the same: How dogs are better than men: "How men are better than dogs" ….
(Revenge at last ? Nope!) Well at least 50% of the readership is amused. Revenge may come next time! Greyhound Rescue Wales The NEW website www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk Chairperson: Karen Thomas 01639 620 272 Secretary & Registered Office: Jean Carr 8, Llanwenarth Road, Gofilon, Nr Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 9PN. Treasurer: Les Thomas. 18 Brynhyfryd Villas, Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4LG. National Rescue Co-ordinator: Jo' Clarke
01873 831 849. Contributions to Greyhound Express should be sent to: Alain Thomas, Editor, 10 Penmaen Terrace, Mount Pleasant, Swansea SA1 6HZ. Tel 01792 472 196. The views expressed in Greyhound Express are not necessarily those of Greyhound Rescue Wales. All reasonable efforts have been made to verify the accuracy of the content of Greyhound Express but Greyhound Rescue Wales cannot be held responsible for its accuracy. Greyhound Express is edited by Alain Thomas and produced by Ceri Taylor Copyright: Greyhound Rescue Wales 2001. |