If you would like to send us pictures of your greyhound doing what they do best then email us at info@rgtsittingbourne.co.uk

BOBBY (BOUNDER)

It is reported that Bounder now known as Bobby has settled into his new life really well and as you can see is enjoyng every minute of it. We will post more pictures and reports of him as and when we get them.

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

If you have any photos of your greyhounds enjoying the snow then email them to us.

ELVIS

Now where did I hide that ball?

APRIL AND HAZEL

April with Hazel who is sporting some new footwear.

JODIE

Jodie relaxing in her garden and she reports that she has settled into her new home and bagged all the best places to sleep also she has been busy digging holes in the lawn in the back garden which is huge, so there is plenty of room for her to play.

We look forward to hearing her update.

CHARLIE

Liz and John report that Charlie has settled into his new home very well. They say that he is not a typical greyhound and couldn’t be described as a couch potato although he does sleep more than their collie used to but he is so enthusiastic for life and doesn’t miss a thing especially when food is envolved.

We look forward to future updates.

Dec 09

SUGAR

To see a video of Sugar enjoying the snow click on this link sugar-in-the-snow1

ROXY

Hi Sonja,
Sorry its been so long getting back to you but better late than never. Since day one of collecting Roxy the whole families life has changed for the better, with the whole family walking the dog together we have had a lot of laughs. At first we always walked her with the muzzle but after interaction with other dog owners we realised she only wants to play,she shows no aggression to smaller dogs, Cats though are a different matter.
We got a bit too adventurous though and thought we would let her off the lead, big mistake Linford Christie eat your heart out, she was off over the horizon and with me in hot pursuit i finally caught up with her after about twenty minutes when she got bored of watching me sweat. Hence to say she stays on the lead now at all times. So lesson learnt on that one!!
At first Roxy was very nervous and jumped at the slightest noise, but over the first couple of weeks with a lot of love, attention, and patience she found her feet. She has been nigh on perfect with her toiletry habits and we only had a couple of incidents on fireworks night when we had to resort to standing in the garden with her to keep her from trying to jump in through the nearest window.
One thing i had heard about before Roxy arrived was how they like to sleep, and for anyone new to Greyhounds trust me it is true, she has been known to sleep over eighteen hours a day if she can get away with it. She slept fitfully at first but now i don’t think she would move if the house fell down around her, boy can she sleep!!
We have five kids and at first did wonder how she would interact within the family, on that front she has been fantastic i do not think i have ever met a more docile animal, she never jumps up at anyone (too lazy) and is gentle in every respect, you could not wish for a better family pet than we have received, and now we have more experience with her as well as a bigger house we look forward to speaking to you in the new year about a playmate for her if possible.

Scott 27-12-09

FRANKIE

Frankie taking an interest in the daffodils this christmas………..

ALFIE AND MILLIE

Hi Everyone,

We thought it about time you had an update on our two greyhounds Millie (Cool Nelly) and Alfie (Rolfe).

We adopted Millie in August 08 and she soon settled in after a few “nervous weeks”. Sharon told Millie she would get her a boyfriend, and that’s exactly what we decided to do. The making of Millie was when we introduced her to Alfie. We had a couple of walks with them together and they seemed to get on fine. Well, upon getting Alfie home, Millie is a changed girl. She definitely loves her Alfie, although we have to say, as much as he gets on well with her, that love is not reciprocated. Millie will run around the garden playing with her squeaky toy and trying to get Alfie to pay attention, but he’s not interested. Millie is now so much more confident, even nudging Alfie out of the way when she thinks he’s had too much attention and it’s her turn.

Alfie settled in really quickly, and the pair have never had a cross word.  Alfie does like more of a fuss than Millie, in fact I am typing this on my laptop with Alfie’s big black wet nose constantly nudging my hand and getting in the way of the screen!

Mornings have gone from a being greeted with a waggy tail to their own version of the dawn chorus. They both came to the Fun Day at Sittingbourne, with Millie picking up a second in class. A great day that they all enjoyed. Like so many on the day, Millie made straight for the traps!

We have been so lucky yet again having not just one, but a pair of lovely Greyhounds. How on earth did we ever survive with just one?

Kind regards
Nick Thurston
08-11-09

MOUSE

Hi Sonja

Sorry it has taken a while to give you an update on Mouse (now named Penny).

She has settled in really well and is coming out of her shell.  When we picked her up on 29th August 2009 she was very quiet and nervous.  The first night she howled for 4 hours non-stop!  After that first night she was ok.  Had a few accidents but now house trained.

She still does not like other dogs and is very nervous of them backing away from them.  We are taking her to training lessons, more to socialize her, and she is doing really well.  She has got to the stage where she puts up with the dogs there but outside still very unsure!  She is very obedient and loves to play with her toys, acting more like a puppy than a 3 1/2 year old!  She loves to tear around the garden pretending it is race track, and she now enjoys going out for walks.  We are very pleased that we have her and now cannot imagine being without her.

Will keep you updated.

Jacquette and David
24/10/09

GREG

Hi Bill & Lindsay,

We have had Greg about four months now, he is a totally different dog to the one we met in August,you may remember that Greg had been waiting to be rehomed for two years, this was due to him having many issues i.e.scared of people especially men and not liking the big wide world.
We can now report that he has come out of his shell and his personality has blossomed.He is now a very loving, happy, cheeky chap.He is the first to come for his walks and loves to play in the garden with his toys. He adores all food - particularly ours. He gets on well with our other greyhound and has learnt alot by following and doing what she does.
I enclose a couple of pictures to be used.

Love from Belinda xxx

(12.12.09)

The Gibbs family report that Greg has settled in very well. He gets on well with Honey the greyhound and and the cat. Greg has grown in confidence and is not as shy as when he first came into the kennel. He is enjoying his retirement but does get confused as to which bed he should sleep in!

Sept 09.

BRIONY

Hi Bill,

These are the photos of Amber (Briony) when she arrived.  Unfortunately her owners don’t have a computer but will probably send us some photos which I will attempt to scan and send not very good at those things.

She is really happy and has never messed inside.  She put Burley the labradoodle in his place the first day and now they share the sofa, he is only a youngster and idolises her.

Take care

Gail

Greyhound Rescue Jersey (01/06/09)

TIGER

Dear all,
just a quick note to say that Tiger is already settled in really well with us, and we are enjoying his company immensely. We have attached some photos.
Regards
Richard and Esther. (30/06/09)

GLADYS (WAGGLES)

Dear Sonja

It has been about 4 weeks now since we adopted Waggles (now called Gladys after Pauls’ grandmother), so I thought that a update on her new life was well overdue.

She behaved perfectly on the way home, lying in the back of the car beautifully.  The only slight travel problem that we have is getting her to jump into the boot, but once in she is perfect, only snoring a few times.

After a couple of toilet “mishaps” in the first couple of days, followed by a week of crying and howling through the night (from about 3am onwards!) after I made the decision not to let her sleep in our bedroom, she has settled beautifully into being a fantastic home pet.  The first week or two were very tiring and more than slightly stressful, and I did consider ringing you for advice, but she soon settled  and is now a very relaxed lady, sleeping through the night without a peep.  Teaching her to walk upstairs was easy, it then took me a week to teach her to come down them on her own…..my husband had to carry her downstairs each time she followed one of us up.  She can now manage stairs, but to keep her from going upstairs we have put up a stairgate.

Gladys has been accepted by both of the family cats, the female cat was very quick to point out that she is the important one in the house and Gladys fell into pecking order nicely.  She has formed a very close bond with my two daughters, and will gaze after them longingly as they go into school every morning and wags her tail so fast as they come out in the afternoon, that people are having to move rather than be whipped by it!

We are very lucky to live directly on the edge of 12 miles of forest, so Gladys quickly learnt the best direction to head in for rabbit/squirrel hunting - this is the only time she barks and is not at all fierce, just huge excitement at seeing small furry creatures fleeing!  I have to physically pull her away from her preferred route if I decide to go another way.  I have only just begun letting her off the lead in one area that is rabbit free, and it is a joy to watch her running.  She is so graceful.  It is amazing the number of people who stop to watch her whilst out for their evening walks.  She has a favourite ball and rope toy which she will retrieve (after a fashion) if you throw it for her, constantly throwing it into the air and then going completely bananas with it in her mouth- always worth a laugh.

Luckily for us Gladys has proven to be very trainable as she is completely stomach ruled, the power of dog treats never fails with her, so she is responding well to training, and now comes when called (mostly).

We have had losts of lovely days out, and lots of fun together as a family - it seems like she has always been here now.  I have attached a few pictures of her, early ones of her chilling out (still a bit woolley) and her first trip to the sea-side, and a more recent one of her after a long walk up to Devils Dyke - looking very glam!

Everywhere we go people comment on how lovely she is.  I am now telling all my friends and family to adopt greyhounds.  My sister and her family are having Gladys for a couple of weeks in August when we go on holiday for a “greyhound trial run” and I hope that she will behave well enough to be a good ambassador for the other retirees!

I will be in touch should I need any further advice, or another dog (yes I am working on it already!).

Until then, take care and keep up the good work!

Many thanks for letting Gladys choose us.

Laura, Paul, Eve and Freya (29/05/09)

TINY

Just want to give you an update on Ellie – AKA Tiny (Shenfield Girl).  She settled in straight away and as you can see from the photos she is enjoying life (she is wearing the pink collar).  In the first few weeks she was enjoying life so much she kept dislocating her toe!! After a week in plaster and a week on lead walk only the tendons have repaired sufficiently that she is off the lead and running around like a  loony again.

As you know I foster dogs for an dog Charity and at the moment she has a great companion  called Twiggy – a Staffie Greyhound cross.  Both Ellie and Twiggy have loads of fun playing and chasing each other.

Mollie D , another greyhound we got from you  two years ago, and Ellie are like sisters and sleep and cuddle together, the photos have Mollie D in them to.

Thanks Sonja for letting me have Ellie she is the best dog in the world – a true, honest girl, kind and yet confident with other dogs.

All the best

Judith 06/05/09

ZAK

Dear Sonja

Just to let you know how Zac is getting on.

He was very good on the journey home. When we arrived at our house we showed him around the garden and house and he met our neighbours.

On Sunday we gave him a bath and he met members of our extended family. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him.

He likes playing with his toys (he has lots now) but we found our very quickly that Zac and stairs don’t mix. We now have a stair gate and that has solved the problem. He wants to meet our cat but the cat is only coming home for meals at the moment (this is usual when the weather is good)

He is eating well (breakfast and dinner) and has been to the fishing lake every day. At the lake he has made a friend, a bulldog.

We are enjoying Zac being in our life. Thank you for letting him join our family.

I have attached some photos and will write again soon.

The Kent family 06/05/09

SUGAR

Hi Everyone

Just thought we would let you know how Sugar (Haughty Peach) is getting on in her new home.  Sugar has been with us for 6 months now and settled in really quickly, she has become a much loved family member.  She is brilliant with our grandchildren and enjoys doing school runs as all the children make a big fuss of her.  At first she would eat anything and everything but is now rather picky preferring home cooked food but she looks well and the vet assures us her weight is fine.  She walks really well on the lead and we have been brave enough to let her off in a secure field, she still loves to run and she comes back when called.  Her dislike of small dogs has been overcome and if she is  not having an aloof moment she can be very sociable to other dogs big and small - she has made friends with a couple of other greyhounds who have been rehomed near us.  Cats remain a problem however!!!  Squirells, birds and anything small and furry are as far as she is concerned to be chased and we continue to try and reeducate her!  We really couldn’t ask for a better pet though and we are so glad we were able to have her - she really is a joy.

Thanks and best wishes to you all John & Pat. 03/04/09

PATCH (Owl)

Here’s a few photos of Patch and it looks like he has certainly settled in well………..this is what it is all about!

MINTY

Morning Ladies

Well we had Minty’s birthday this weekend he is now 3. Since we took ownership last October from you he has given endless hours of enjoyment and contentment to us. Enclosed is a recent photo taken on Saturday in some local woods near us in Brabourne.

Yours Mr Ron Wells (15-05-09)

Hi Sonja

Thought it was about time I gave an update on Minty. If you recall we took him in during last October and very pleased we did. He is a fantastic pet, loving, gentle and everybody wants to own him. The initial problems with walking on the lead and seeing other dogs, in that he would react by jumping up, biting lead and barring his teeth to any dog he saw has now been overcome and he can walk next to other dogs without any reaction. We have been informed that as he probably had never seen another breed of dog before he really had no idea what they were.??
He settled into our home within 24 hours, no problem at all.
Have uploaded a few pics for you.

Ron Wells (27-02-09)

NINA (BABY HOOPS)

Dear Sonja,

We thought you would like to know how Baby Hoops (We renamed her Nina)is getting on. We adopted her in August and she has settled in really well with no problems at all.

She has become a much loved member of the family, every one loves her and she loves every one. if anyone is considering rehoming a dog they should seriously think about a greyhound.

We didnt realise how much fun and love a greyhound can bring in to a home.

Nina and Newt(our other dog) have become inseperable best friends. We have atached some pictures for you.

Love

Dave, Theresa & Georgia Harris

SAMMY

Hi Sonja,
You may recall that we adopted Sammy in November 2008.
I just wanted to let you know that we are so very happy to have him at home here in Broadstairs. He has settled in very well and is both gentle and friendly.
We all love him very much and I wanted to thank you all there for giving us the opportunity to adopt him.
Please find attached a few photos of him chilling out, from (my ever growing) library.
Wishing you all a very happy new year….
Barbara

KILLEADY FRED

Excerpts from the letter received from Jill Pannell

I adopted Killeady Fred at the end of January 08 and thought you would like to know how he is getting on. He is flat on his back on the sofa at present, nothing new there !!!! We have been away in the caravan several times during the summer and he gets very excited when he knows that we are going away. Our most recent trip was into Sussex and he had some lovely runs in Ashdown Forest. He had a wonderful run in the mud beside the river Cam in Wadebridge chest deep he came out dripping in blood and mud he had run through something sharp in the mud and cut his wrist joint and ended up with several stitches!!! but this didn’t stop him shaking mud all over the van when we got back. I’m still wiping mud off the ceiling.

He has a gang of mates that he walks with a couple of times a week and holiday with in the caravans. One greyhound, one jack russell, one staff and a mongrel they have a really good blast then sleep for hours.

Jill Pannell

JACK (Rolling Thunder)

Dear Sonja, Dennis and Betty

Here is a picture of Jack (was Rolling Thunder) enjoying relaxing in the garden earlier in the year.  His fractured leg seems to have now healed well and Jack came with us on holiday to the Cotswolds where he had lots of long walks.  Jack is lovely companion, but we are still learning to keep anything remotely edible well out of his reach. He is rather fond of helping himself at any opportunity and he has munched his way through bread rolls, apples, pears, an aubergine and empty egg boxes to name a few.

Jack is very affectionate and enjoys plenty of fuss and attention inbetween sleeping stretched out in front of the fire.

Best wishes

Jennifer, Ron and Jack

02/12/08

FLOSSY

Hi Bill,

I wrote to you a little while ago concerning Flossy. I am pleased to say that with your advice and a bit of hard work and time, Flossy has overcome her issues! She will no longer mess in the house and although she gets a little anxious still when I go out, she does not panic as she did before. Flossy shakes a bit when I leave her alone but she settles down the minute the door is shut. I wanted to thank you for all the advice you gave us in your e-mail and the attachments came in very useful to us. We are so pleased to have her as a happy member of the family!
I have attached a picture of Flossy for you and thank you again!
From Vikki, Paul, baby Riley and Flossy!

DEE DEE

We have had Dee Dee just over two months now and  she has settled in well. She has put on weight and grown, enjoying her breakfast after an early morning walk and then a main meal in the evening, with the occasional pig’s ear as a treat!
We take her to the local park, still keeping her on the lead – she doesn’t know what to make of the more boisterous dogs, but is more confident when dogs approach quietly and calmly.  She likes walking in the woods, playing with her toys and taking things to ‘hide’ on her bed, like the TV remote control and items of clothing!
The Bell Family

BRIN

Hi,

I visited your web site and noticed that you mentioned American Eagle but had not photos of her.  Well I am her very proud owner (of nearly 2 years) so I thought I would drop you a quick line to let you know how she is getting on.

I have re-named her Brin and she has settled in really well.  She was nervous and shy to start with but now she is running and playing with all the neighbourhood dogs in the local fields and getting into all sorts of mischief with them!

She loves her toys which very quickly are emptied of stuffing and squeakers which she deposits around the house to play with later!

She gets woken up in the morning by cuddles and then it is love, food, play, cuddles, love, cuddles, play, food all the way to bed time.

I wish I had discovered greyhounds years ago as my Brin Dog is certainly a great pet and perfect companion.

Here are some photos of her in the fields, playing and eating, her favourite past times.

Many thanks and keep up the great work you are doing.

All the best

Jill and Brin

MILLIE (NELLY)

Hi Sonja,

We thought you may like an updte on Cool Nelly, now renamed Millie.
She is starting to settle in now, after 5 weeks, and is starting to eat more
on a regular basis. We did get very worried at one point as she was loosing
weight, about 2Kg in 4 weeks. Now with a diet of plenty of fresh food, and
pasta, sardines and the occasional sausage (or 4!), she’s looking a lot
better. She is still very nervous on her walks, but is getting better (if
not braver) as the weeks go by.

Millie the Moocher, as she is affectionatly known, has always gone through
the night without fuss, no whinning or scratching at doors, and prefering to
stay downstairs. As with most Greyhounds, she just loves her bed, and comes
in from a walk, has her 5 minute fuss and then off to bed, curled up with
tail over her nose.
She is so different from our 1st Greyhound, Marco, but just as adorable in
her own way. After only 5 weeks, we could not imagine life without our
Millie.
Sharon keeps telling Millie she is going to “get you a boyfriend”, so you
might well see us in the near future for Greyhound number 2!

Thanks for all your help with finding the right dog for us, hopefully, we
are the right pets for Millie! We would not hesitate in recommending you to
others.

Kind regards

Sharon & Nick Thurston

NILES (BOUNCER)

Now known as Niles, he has settled in very well into the home and enjoys his comforts such as napping on the bed and sofa. The outside world seems a little daunting with so many people to see and things to do. He gets on well with his older sister Charmant and as each day passes he becomes more relaxed. He absolutley adores his dog walker, Mel who comes to walk him and Charmant.

LADY

Lady has settled in very well although a little shy. Here she is doing what greyhounds do best.

TOMMY

Tommy enjoying Sunday lunch time at the club. He’s one spoilt lad!

GERTIE

My name is Gertie, I’m two years old and my mum has given me my very own sofa. When the grandchildren visit I play with them and have learnt to be gentle.
I have toys to play with and my favourite is a teddy and squeaky ball. I like most other dogs but am not sure of the ones that rush up to me. As for my food, mum spoils me by adding chicken liver or fish to my diet and a rich tea biscuit at supper time.

HAZEL

HAZEL ALL CURLED UP                                  THIS IS COMFORTABLE

THIS IS NICE TOO                                              AHHHHH

MAISIE (SHE’S OUR LASS)

Hi Sonja and Barbara,
just a quick email to say Lass, who we have renamed MAISIE, is doing fine. She is eating well now that we have provided her with a nice expensive food (!) - no seriously I took your advice Barbara and soaked it for longer to soften it more and added some pasta and fish/cheese etc (not all at once of course).
She is a big softie and has stopped howling at night, and is happy to come out with us wherever we go. I have attached a couple of pictures of her relaxing at home!
All the best
Lynn and Steve and Maisie x

LADY (MAUDS PREVIEW)

Date: Monday, 4 August, 2008, 1:10 PM
Dear RGT,

This is just to let you know a little about how my new
greyhound is getting on.

She was Maud’s Premium, and is now Lady, a name which
suits her well, as she is still very quiet - although she
has done a little dance once or twice when she is very
excited. The idea of going for a walk is the cause of the
excitement! She does love her walks!

We are very lucky in that there is a small park just over
five minutes walk away, mostly trees and grass, also a few
small bushes. A few other dog walkers use the park, as do
people going to/from work, and foxes, who use it as a
shortcut. There are also cats and squirrels, which she
loves watching and birds, which don’t bother her now,
but which she used to watch at first. She is still totally
intriged by squirrels and is not sure about cats, but thinks
they’re probably something to chase. I’m trying to
disabuse her of this idea with the help of a friendly local
cat.

She does suffer badly from separation anxiety, but I can
now leave her for 15 minutes before total confetti making
begins!

All in all, I’m very glad that I got her and she makes
a wonderful compnion.

With very best wishes,

Dana

SPOT

Spot with his new swimming hat…….. Doesn’t he look handsome, he may even get a part in Baywatch!
Spot doesn’t like the water getting in his ears so Alyson from the Cherry Tree Hydrotherapy Centre in Eastchurch sorted out a swimming hat for him which he really appreciates, despite the look on his face, and now he doesn’t want to get out of the pool when the session is over.

Below are some short videos of his sessions, many thanks to Alyson for giving us permission to use them on our site.

Spot swimming

Spot on the water treadmill

Spot continues to have his hydrotherapy at Cherry Tree Hydrotherapy Centre in Eastchurch.
Everytime he visits his confidence grows and now doesn’t want to come out of the pool. He is even sporting a new hat!
We found Cherry Tree Hydrotherapy Centre to be a helpful and friendly place that taylors the treatment to the individual dogs’ needs and is highly recommended, if you would like to know more click on the link to their site.

SMILER

I CAN’T SEE YOU AND YOU CAN’T SEE ME SMILER TRYING TO WILL THE DOOR OPEN!

HENRY

HENRY AND MEG THE CAT                                HENRY CAMPING OUT

DAISY

Many thanks to Mark, Jane, Jack and Lucy for sending in these pictures of Daisy in her new home

MATTY AND RUBY

This video was sent in by our treasurer Mark.
It is of his two retired greyhounds Ruby and Matty.
Matty is the second greyhound to go upstairs and is the one to watch as he will only go up the stairs backwards!!

Both Matty and Ruby are from the same litter and are ten and a half years old and still going strong, although Mark needs a lesson on how to set the date on his camera! (Did you notice?)

Some sad news….. unfortunately Matty passed away on the 8th October 2007 and will be sadly missed by his owner Mark but remembered fondly.
Matty was 11 years and 5 months old.

MOUSE

Thanks to Leah and Geoff for sending in this photo and description of their retired greyhound Mouse
I have enclosed a photo of one of our dogs (Mouse) who we’ve had for 3 years now. Mouse was quite badly treated when racing and had much scarring on her rear. She was very nervous and unsociable, and spent several months hiding in corners, and being generally bad tempered with other dogs. She gave every impression of wanting to kill any cats that she saw.
Mouse has taken a long time to relax and get over her past. She now spends most of the day asleep on any bed she can find. She comes periodically for tummy and chin rubs, and is a very happy good natured girl, who loves her walks. She is fine with small dogs, and has found a sleeping companion in our cat (see photo) She also lives quite happily with 5 pet chickens, and of course, our other greyhound, from whom she is inseparable.
Just an indication that patience and lots of love pays off in the end……

CHARLENE

Hi
Just an email to say that after seeing your website, we visited Sonia and instanty fell in love with Charlene who we adopoted and she has now been living with us for a month, she has made a big improvement to our lives as she is a very loving dog, we are glad we found your site and are now thinking of taking on another one to keep charlene company, I have included a couple of pics for your site if you wish to use them.
Many Thanks

Dean and Toni

MILLIE

ELLIE

ANGEL

Hi Bill and Lindsay

Thought you may like to see these more recent photos of Angel

She has injured her paw again this time she has broken one of her claws back to the quick.

All the best
Keith,  Jeanette, Alana, and Angel 23-05-09

Hi
Just a quick update on Angel who we adopted at the end of September
Angel has settled in well now and has become part of our family. I would not say that the first few months have not been easy with her. She did not take to house training very well and we had more than a few accidents of both types. However we were determined not to give up on her and after some advise from Sonia we decided to get her an indoor kennel, and this solved the problem overnight. We now trust her enough to leave the door open over night and she has not messed in the last fortnight. She will bark and let us know if she wants to go out in night.
She is extremely good with children and laps up all the fuss they can give her.
When we walk her we can let her of the lead when it is safe to do so and most of the time she just walks along side of us but if she does decide to go for a trot (she is to lazy to run) she normally returns with one call.
In fact I would say she has turned into a perfect family pet.
Jeanette’s sister was so impressed with her that she decided that she would like one and has now adopted Star from you.
Keep up the good work
Keith, Jeanette and Alanah

JUMBO AND MANDY

Sadly Jumbo passed away in June 2007 and will be greatly missed but he will be remembered always.

MISTY AND BEN

Hi Bill

Just a note to let you know that Misty is getting on really well. We have had Misty now for about six weeks and she has settled in nicely with our other greyhound Ben. They enjoy each others company and have great fun in the garden playing. We have lots of woods around where we live for walking them, and there is nothing better than watching them enjoying all the different smells. She is the talk of all the children in our area where we live and loves them coming over to her for a fuss.
She has managed to get the most comfortable place in the house for herself, our settee!!

Our boys have great fun with both our greyhounds who make really good pets for children, although they are large dogs, they are very gentle.

Will let you know again soon how she is getting on.

Dave, Angie and boys.

HONEY

Our Experiences So Far

We adopted our Greyhound, Honey, at the end of August and things have not always been easy, but we have had fun along the way.
When we first bought Honey home she was skin and bones having not eaten at the kennels and she wasn’t really interested in her food. We had to try a few different types of food to entice her to eat and now after six months she has just began to look for her food and enjoy it. (Who could resist the smell of weetabix and chicken for breakfast.)

We have had no trouble house training Honey as she seemed to grasp the idea of going outside for her toilet very easily.
After a month she decided she liked the taste of slippers and the odd trainer which she would chew to bits. This behaviour has now stopped because we think she is less stressed and more relaxed and confident in her home.

The only setback we have had is with her walking! She likes to go for walks but if we hear a loud bang she will not continue but stands still and will only walk home, then she won’t go out for the next few days. We hope she will overcome her aversion to loud noises.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this and we will be sharing more of our experiences next month.

A few tips from us are:

• Be prepared to give your greyhound time to settle in, this may take 6months or more.
• Don’t rush training, give your dog time to get to know you first.
• Not all greyhounds are the same! Just because one greyhound may like a particular food doesn’t mean your one will.
• Don’t Panic! If your having trouble speak to someone who has adopted one for advice.

From the Gibbs Family,
Belinda, Philip, Melissa, Justin and Honey

GEORGIE

Georgie settled in immediately with Pat and Stan and is now friends with Charlie the cockatiel
(as you can see from the enclosed picture).
Thank you all from all of us.

Humphrey / Blackie

Hello -

We wanted to write and let you know how wonderful Humphrey (formerly “Blackie”) is doing. We adopted him on 2 February, so it has been almost two months. He was shy at first and really unsure of what to do, but he has learned very fast and he is really developing into quite a charector! He is playing with toys now, especially in the last week - his favourite is a pink plush flamingo that squeeks. He loves treats, especially cheese, and he knows his name, the commands “no” and “come”, though he only comes when he feels like it still, but he is getting better. He is still unsure around other dogs - he’s shy, but he will get the hang of it as his confidence improves.
It has been delightful to watch him grow in confidence and to see his personality coming out - he is very special and we wouldn’t be without him for anything! I’ve attached some pictures - (some where he’s even awake!!).
With many thanks, Karly and Neal

Humph looking exceptionally cute                      Humph with pink bird

Humph week eight

KATIE

Sonja

As you know we have been dog owners for nearly 30 years. Our previous dogs were both lurcher bitches - delightful animals in their own right - and we had tried to find another lurcher bitch. The Dog Trust would not allow us to take either of two lurcher bitches they had, despite the fact that we had previous experience of these dogs, because we had a four year old grandson.

As “second best” we decided to have a look at greyhounds. We were quickly pleased with the easy-going nature of these “muscle bound bruisers” that we took for a walk around the paddock, both the dogs and bitches, so we decided to bring our grandchildren with us on the next Saturday. As it happened there were about eight or ten children on site on the Saturday morning, nearly all of them less than eight years old and they were all walking among the animals, or the animals were walking among the children. Not a sign of any concern, neither from the dogs or the children. The only problem was trying to decide which one, and that was so very difficult.

We have now had “ExciteandDelight” for exactly five months, during which time she has quickly become our darling Katie. The speed with which she became a well loved member of our family was astonishing.

Since she had been living in kennels for four years, we had concerns about her indoor toilet performance. Our previous dogs, one about two months old and the other within 10 months, needed a learning period of about two weeks before becoming dry. Katie was dry after only 5 days. At no time has she deficated in the house, and rarely in the back garden. Within two weeks she was off the lead in closed areas, and she is now walking off the lead anywhere other than traffic areas. Her preferred way of sleeping is on her back, with all four legs in the air, and leaning against the wall! She has a very “off the wall” sense of humour - something I have never seen from a dog. But, most of all, she is, as her racing name said, exciting and delightful.

We’re looking forward to the next few years.

Ken

GRACE

Hi,
We thought you might like to see some pictures of Grace and to know that she has settled in very well. She gets along great with our other dog shadow and our 4 children,Grace has started to come out of herself and
is a really funny dog,her and Shadow have alot of fun together and love their long walks on the big feild at the back of our house,im sure we will have many happy years with them both,thank you

Fiona

JACK

3rd November 2007

Dear Sonja

We thought you might like to see these photo’s of Jack and hear how he is getting on.

He is wonderful. He has settled down in both London and Hastings and through him we have met more neighbours in 2 months than the 3 years previously!

He went off the lead for the first time down in Cornwall beach, that is one of the photo’s - his first run. We let him off in the park sometimes and he is rather obsessed with squirrels.
He seems to be very good with most other dogs and children - the smaller ones often point at him and say “look mummy, horsey”.
The second photo is of him ‘relaxing’ under his blanket which Geoff’s mother gave him. He sleeps very well and enjoys watching TV and the playstation games.
So just to say thank you so much.
Hope everything is going well for you
Best wishes

Jane, Geoff and Jack

JODIE

Dear Sonja

Thought you may like to see how Getaway Jo (Jodie) has settled in.

She likes her walks but loves her food more

Yours sincerely

Eileen & Neil

LIBBY (JANET)

Dear Sonja

Please find enclosed a picture of Libby (she was Janet) she really is a beautiful dog, so laid back!
She has settled in very well, in fact we are joined at the hip, look for one and you will find the other.
There are still a few things that worry her when we are walking, but each day she is a little less concerned.

I was very delighted she was clean from day one, when I showed her where the back door was and the back garden there has never been a problem.
As you can imagine she is very spoilt but not to the extent she forgets who is in charge.

Sorry I have been so long in getting in touch I had to wait for a friend to take the photo.

I hope you are keeping well and busy
Thank you again for allowing me to own such a beautiful dog.

Your sincerely

Patricia

JADE

Jade has settled in very well and as you can see she loves the water, especially on a hot summers day.

SADIE (LADY)

Lady or Sadie, as she is now called, has settled in so well. She is loving and so affectionate. She is also a very clean girl and we have had no toilet problems.

The only issue with her is the fact that she is the biggest food thief you can imagine, she figures out all sorts of ingenious ways to nick any edible morsel she can !!!., but as she is such a loving girl - we forgive her !, and we have learned to simply put it out of her reach .

We would recommend anyone considering a greyhound as a family pet to go ahead.. they really are brilliant company, they sleep for much of the day - Sadie is one lazy mutt !!!!! - and adapt from their kennel backgrounds so quickly to match the family they give their affection to.

Best wishes

Gary and Teresa , Ronnie and Toby ( the boys)

NOSEY (MONTY MOUSER)

Dear Sonja

Just a note to say thank you again for your kind help in my obtaining the absolutely Monty Mouser special dog.
She has settled in extremely well and is an absolute treasure and a great companion.

Yours sincerely

Brian

Sad News………….

Hi Sonja,

I am so sorry to inform you that on 5th July 2008 my beautiful Nosey
lost her fight againest a spinal cancer.
Between us we made a valiant attempt to fight, but in the end it was
too much for Nosey too bare.
I am so glad that i had Nosey in my life and what an impact she made
on all of my family, although i only had Nosey for such a short time
i
can only hope that i gave her a fraction of the love she showed me.If
you are able to add her to your obituary section with my message i
would be extremley grateful.

Many thanks
Brian

RUBY

Hi there….Just to let you know that we picked up our retired Gryehound Ruby from Sonja today. She was fine in the car and quite excited when we brought her home. She has not had any accidents as she seems to go to the back door when she needs to go to the toilet. She has eaten her food and been for a walk with no problems at all. She is now fast asleep on her duvet laying on her back with front paws in the air and back legs stretched out. I hope this continues to be a smooth transition from kennels to her new home. She is beautiful! She seems to love us as much as we love her!

Hayley Dean and Luke. x x x

JO

Hello to all
We collected ‘Rita’s Little Jo’('Sally’). on the eighth of December. Since our neighbour is called Sally, we thought it best to call our new arrival by another name. We decided to call her ‘Jo’ - plain and simple. She has settled in amazingly well, and it feels like she has been with us for ages, not just less than a month. She enjoys her walks, and most times will come bounding across the lounge at the sight or sound of her lead. She loves to ‘Veg out’ by the radiator, occasionally waking to play with the toy rabbit (photo) and the cat-shaped draught excluders. Her other favourite game is to roll over on her back until she gets her belly tickled. She has a sweet temperament and endears herself to everyone she meets. She has generated qiute a bit of interest amongst our friends and we think one or two might be in contact with a view to offering a home.
We’ll keep you posted on Jo’s progress.
Regards
Richard and Esther

16/05/09 Some sad news…………..

Hi All,
Just a short email to tell you about Jo the greyhound we adopted in December 2007. I’m afraid I have some sad news. Jo had a slip on the kitchen floor on Thursday morning and broke one of her hind legs. We took her to Barton Hospital in Canterbury, they gave emergency treatment and were going to operate to repair the facture later in the day. The vet took some more ex-rays and found Jo was suffering from bone cancer. He advised us that this type of cancer is very agressive and said the kindest thing to do, would have Jo put to sleep. The decision was under lots of family discussion. Jo was put to sleep on Thursday afternoon. We as a family are thankful to have the privilege of looking after Jo for the eighteen months, she lived with us.
Richard and Esther Jonas.

ELLIE-LOU (THUNDER)

Dear Bill,

Happy new year to you all. Ellie-Lou (Blakes Thunder) is her name now, this was chosen by my 2 year daughter Katrina,has settled in and made new friends old and new. Ellie’s made herself at home and tries to sleep on an old chair that we used to have for our dogs, now Ellie tries to sleep in it as you can see she takes up the whole chair! Doesn’t look very comfortable. But she does have a lovely bed to sleep on.

Ellie had a christmas present from Katrina, she even open it herself and ate most of it. There are a few pictures attached and more to follow.

yours sincerely

Amanda and Richard

BONZO

Hello there

We have now had Bonzo a year, and would like to give you an update as to how he’s settled into his retirement with us. We actually picked Bonzo up on the 20th Jan 2007, and when we looked at his pedigree, we that it was actually also his birthday. Bonzo is just about to turn 6, and we just simply love him to pieces. The year has flown by, it feels like we’ve had him forever, and can’t imagine life without him now. Bonzo is something of a celebrity really, everyone that meets him falls in love with him, he certainly attracts loads of attention, especially when wearing his posh coats.

Bonzo has also become a bit of a traveller. He has been to Devon twice to visit family, and whilst there he won 3rd prize out of 20 dogs for “The Most Handsome Dog” competition. We are a bit biased, but he is beautiful! He has also been on holiday to Scotland and stayed in a cottage for a week. He loved it! Plus he also went camping for a night locally. In May this year, we are hiring a camper van and touring Scotland for 2 weeks. Bonzo will be so excited!

We are so pleased that we made the decision to adopt Bonzo, it was the best decision we have ever made. Not only does he keep us fit (we have both lost weight) but he provides us with so much fun and laughter being such a character, and just simply brightens up our lives.

Kathy & Mark Ford

LIBBY

Hello my name is Nicola Vowls and I just wanted to give you and up date on a dog I got from your rehoming centre on the 2nd of June 2007. Her name is Libby and you have her picture on your sofa page. She is doing very well and has settled in lovely. She is very affectionate and loves company. She loves to have a run in the garden and plays with her squeeky toys. She loves her food and loves to run of with your slippers.

Thankyou

Nicola Vowls

DILLON (DOLLAR)

Update July 08

Hi

I thought I would give you an update on Dillon. He has now really settled in and is very much part of the family. He has become a very loving dog with a big character - when we first had him he didn’t really show any emotion. He can be quite vocal (singing wise) and enjoys a good game with his squeaky toys. He knows the routine - the only problem we have is that he doesn’t get the “having a lie in at the weekend” thing and thinks that everybody should be up at 7am! He won’t chase the local cat population out of our garden! Rather peculiar for a greyhound. But we can let him out in the garden with our chickens which is a bonus.

He attracts a lot of attention when we are out walking - I always tell them where we rescued him from, and it’s amazing how many other people own greyhounds. He is much better off the lead now, but we still haven’t been back down to Camber Sands. He still loves his food and is much more settled now we have found a biscuit that doesn’t upset him tummy. We had fun and games sorting that one out (thank god for laminate flooring!). His weight is much steadier and he looks fabulous.

Here are a couple of pictures of the beast doing what he does best - nothing!

All the best and keep up the good work.

The Rose Family xx

Hi Sonja and to all that looked after Dollar

Happy New Year! I thought I would give you an update on Dollar. He has been with us for nearly 9 weeks now and has settled in really well. We decided to rename him “Dillon”. Dillon has been really good at home and with my son Jack (who loves him dearly and thinks of him as a playmate and brother!). We have been taking him to dog training and he has got on really well - the dog trainer loves Dillon as it is unusual to get a greyhound in lessons. He walks to heal really well, stays when you ask him, and lays down to command now (with the help of the odd treat!). The recall is OK but not perfect yet - bit more practice needed. He has been really good with other dogs too - large and small. He looks fantastic - we have managed to stabilise his weight and his coat is beautiful too - he shines.

We have been letting him off the lead for the last couple of weeks - he loves a good run! And boy can he run!!!! We had a bit of an episode down on Camber Sands just before new year - thought we had lost him for good. When we got on the beach he ran a round like a lunatic playing with other dogs, chasing sea gulls and took an unplanned swim when he ran through what he thought was a small puddle - it got deep very quickly so Dillon ended up having to swim out - it didn’t bother him in the slightest! Then he decided to run off and kept going and going until he was just a black dot in the distance - he then disappeared over the sand dunes - I was in a major panic. I tried to follow him, but was so far behind. Our friend stayed on the beach and kept walking and my husband went onto the golf course behind the sand dunes. He was nowhere to be found. It’s amazing how many other greyhounds we saw that looked like Dillon during the search. Eventually he was spotted on the tow path on his way into Rye by a family. Sure enough there he was looking really sorry for himself sulking on the path. Well I was so relieved I cried!!!! So we have been training hard with the recall ever since.

The other thing he did was chase a train! We were in some woods and on a path that ran down the side of the railway track. Dillon stopped in his tracks when he heard the train coming then took off at full pelt after it as it went by - he was certainly in racing mode - luckily there was no one else on the path as they would have been knocked out of the way by a mad speeding dog!! We eventually caught up with him quite a few hundred yards down the track - he obviously had enjoyed the run - probably the first time he had really opened up after retiring from racing. The missing toe hadn’t slowed him down!

Well that’s the latest from Dillon and the Rose family. I hope you have managed to rehome lot’s of those in need. I will send you a picture of Dillon soon.

Love

Claire, Alan, Jack and Dillon Rose

SHAWNA

Hello Sonja
Just to let you know that Shawna has settled down and is well and happy, she is eating well and enjoys her walks arond the orchard.
I hope all is well at the kennels and I wish you all, all the best for 2008.

Joyce Finch

GERTIE

Dear Sonja

Gertie has settled in well, I love her to bits, my little green lawn is no longer, in fact I have more mud indoors than out, but who cares for the love Gertie gives me it is all worth it.
I will enroll her in a dog class to help her socialise with small dogs mainly so that I can eventually let her off the lead.
For breakfast she has cornflakes and a slice of marmite toast and her complete food for the rest of the day with a few treats, she does love natural yogurt.

She plays with her squeeky ball and her soft toy rabbit, she is so loving and funny.

Thank you for making my house a home once again, there is never a dull moment.

Thank you
Marie Leverett

SMUDGE

BOBBY

LUCY & TOBY

DOLLY & ROSIE

Pictures sent in

Hey Georgie

Hi
My name is Alison Morris, and I adopted Georgie from you on 2nd September 2007, and have been meaning to update you with information about him for your website for some time ! Georgie settled in really quickly as you can see from the photo of him with his legs in the air that was taken on his second day.
He got on very well with our black cat (Eric !) who has sadly died since, having been put truly in his place by Eric on their first meeting. Having “lost” the dog one day in the first couple of weeks, when I was still very aware of where he was in relation to the cats, I discovered him asleep on the grass within about 2 feet of where Eric was already settled.
Our other cat Tiggy and Georgie were a different matter, as on their first meeting Tiggy took one look at the dog and fled, and we couldn’t really blame the dog for trying to follow ! This went on for a while and a water spray was always at hand, but gradually things have calmed down, and now the cat rubs around Georgie’s legs and snout, and just walks underneath him when he’s in the way. Georgie didn’t even bat an eyelid when the cat tried to share his dinner !
He’s a lovely boy and a real character who keeps pinching things and then stashing them in his favourite corner - the pedestal mat from the downstairs cloakroom is a particular favourite - but without trying to destroy them. He has become expert at climbing the stairs, even though he couldn’t work out how to get down, and had to be carried the first couple of times !
Georgie often comes up quite obviously for a cuddle, and all in all seems happy to be here, and we’re happy to have him.

I hope that’s the sort of thing you need for the site, but let me know if you require more, or less !

Thanks and best wishes
Alison Morris

ELVIS

Hi,
We just wanted to give you an update on your oldest ex-resident, Elvis.
Elvis came to us 10 days ago. He has settled in remarkably well given that he has lived for so long in Kennels. He is very affectionate, and still quite insecure at times, following us round the house. He has bonded well with our other two ex racers, and all three seem to enjoy their walks and playing together in our garden(see photos).

He has an insatiable appetite, so we have to watch him carefully at meal times, and also in terms of stealing food from worktops. He has burnt his tongue(not seriously) when deciding to drink from a cup of tea on the coffee table, and seems to have learned from this. He is very playful, and loves to chase balls, and will on occasion even return them to you. He has eaten 3 balls in 10 days!(and one of my slippers) He has also learned quickly not to terrorize the chickens.
He is learning to “ask” to go outside for toileting, although lifting his leg on furniture still happens in rooms that he is unfamiliar with. This is improving all the time.
He loves his sleep, and has developed his favourite mat next to our bed, near the other two. He sleeps right through the night, (except for the first night when he went outside at 2am, and returned soaking wet having fallen into our pond)

Overall, we are very pleased with his progress, and love him to pieces.

Leah and Geoff

ANGEL EYES GIRL

Hello

Just wanted to give the website an update on how our darling “Angel” is doing. We have had Angel for 2 weeks now and in that short space of time has become a much loved family member and she has settled in extremely well. In the first week she was very nervous and seemed sad and if anyone came to the door she would run the other way, but now she is a different dog. She greets everyone at the front door with a wagging tail long before we get chance and just loves affection and being around us and she follows us everywhere. She now understands simple commands like sit, lay and no etc, and also now knows her name. She loves to put her nose on everything she sees for the first time and particularly at meal times she likes to see what you have on your plate but as soon as we say no she goes and lays down and doesnt bother you at all. She likes to sleep on her duvet in our bedroom and settles down well although she does like to get up during the night to be let out for a toilet and when she comes back in thinks its great fun to bring all her toys upstairs one by one and bang and clang on the stairs and squeak her rubber ball and toss her teddies in the air in the middle of the night.!! After about 10 minutes she has exhausted herself and lays back down again for a few hours more by which time we are wide awake !. She has a spring in her step on her walks and wants to play a lot now and loves her kisses every day (and there are many) she now puts her nose up in anticipation!!. We just dont know why we didnt have a greyhound sooner because she has bought immense joy and laughter into our house with her antics. We are even contemplating getting another one for company for her.!! Although we have only had her for a very short time we wouldnt be without her and recommend homing a greyhound to practically everyone we know and meet now. I will send a photo next time.

Thank you RGT for looking after Angel for us !

The Coopers