Dogs Homed – Greyhounds

LILY

Colour/Sex: Black Female

Date of birth: April 2008

Last reg trainer: J. T. Foster

Races contended: 125

Last rec race: Wimbledon/ grade A7/ 02.02.2013

LILY – (named for racing as) PLATINUM AMY

Came into the care of AfG end of March 2017 at age 9 years, after being earlier found as an unclaimed stray.

She had been found in a bad state of neglect, underweight at only 20 kg, her nails were so overgrown her pads did not touch the ground, she was heavily infested with internal and external parasites and her teeth were in a bad state with some rotten and several loose. Poor girl must have been suffering such pain and been so uncomfortable.

After her nails were cut back as much as possible, and she received treatment for the parasite infestation she had a much deserved bath a few good meals of nourishing food and a good clean soft bed to lie on, so started feeling more comfortable.

Some weeks later she arrived into the care of AfG where her condition had improved but she still had some way to go.

After settling in to her foster home with the company of another rescued female greyhound, Lily continued to improve mentally and physically and after a short settling in period and a course of antibiotics, our vet deemed her in a suitable enough state of health to be neutered and have her dental treatment. She had a dental clean and descale and 7 teeth were extracted, afterwards, Lily must have felt much more comfortable and her appetite continued to improve greatly and she continued to gain weight and general condition.

After a few more weeks in foster care, Lily found her amazing forever home with a loving family who had not had a rescued greyhound before so Lily was so well matched to the family and their home being a mature, though now very much more active girl and with such a kind, gentle nature, she is now carrying on enjoying her well deserved life of love, comfort and respect as a cherished family member.

Strangely, after being used for racing at Wimbledon with a total of 125 races from June 2010 to February 2013 she was found not long after Wimbledon greyhound track held it’s last race meeting and closed down in early 2017.

PATCH

Patch with poppy arriving to UK

Colour/Sex: White ( with small brindle patches) Male

Date of birth: (believed to be) 10.05.2016

Last reg trainer: Unknown

Races contended: None

PATCH (formerly JACK)

Patch came into the care of AfG in September 2016 believed to be approx 4 months of age (along with lurcher puppy Poppy: see Dogs Homed – Other Sighthounds).

He was found abandoned in Ireland in a state of neglect and estimated to be about 8 weeks of age and went into the care of Clare Greyhound Project (CGP) in Ireland. As he was only a puppy and not ear tattooed there was no previous history found for him.

Luckily AfG were able to take both pups into our care as we had a fantastic foster home available for them.

Patch soon gained condition physically and mentally and was very well socialized with the company of children, dogs of various breeds, cats and chickens. This of course helped him greatly when he eventually found his forever home over Easter 2017. He quickly settled in with his new family and canine housemates, Diesel the Labrador and Prince the little Japanese Chin cross.

So he is a lucky greyhound who although had a bad start in life for a short time, he managed to escape the greyhound racing industry.

VINNIE

Colour/Sex: Black Male

Date of birth: 20.04.2014

Last reg trainer: Martin Malone

Races contended: Not found

VINNIE (named for racing as CLONBONY JACK)

Came to the care of AfG (with his litter sister Kiz) at age just 26 months in June 2016. Both greyhounds had been saved from a ‘high kill rate’ pound in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland.
They were left there by their trainer/owner stating “He was no good .. he is too slow”” and of his sister ” She was a good bitch, she raced”.

Both were saved by Clare Greyhound Project (CGP) an Rover Rescue in Ireland and later arrangements were made for them to come to AfG together where we had separate foster homes waiting for them.

Vinnie soon settled into his experienced foster home with the company of two other rescued hounds, a young lurcher and a senior setter.

After examination at our vets the report states Vinnie’s broken protruding rib and broken base of his tail were unlikely to be birth defects but more likely caused by trauma injury.
Vinnie was not well socialised and soon had to learn that small dogs, cats and other small furries were not for him to hunt.

Over months which followed with the patience and expertise of his foster carers, Vinnie’s physical and mental health gradually improved and they had become so attached to him, they finally decided to adopt him.

Vinnie is now very much more settled and has even gained a lot of little canine friends, once he realised they were dogs too.

Over the months the white flecks appearing on Vinnie’s shiny black coat, multiplied covering most of his body, so he is now fondly known as Vinnie, the blizzard hound.

KIZ

kiz1

Colour/Sex: Brindle Female

Date of birth: 20.04.2014

Last reg trainer: Martin Malone

Races contended: None found

KIZ – (named for racing as) CLONBONY JACKIE

Came into the care of AfG in June 2016 (with her litter brother Vincent) at age just 26 months.

AfG had Kiz’s official ID Card but no races were listed and no racing history was available from the Irish Coursing Club, so we assume any racing history would have been on an unregulated
track in Ireland.

Both had been saved from a ‘high kill rate’ pound in Ennis, County Clare, where they had been left by their owner/trainer saying “She was a good bitch, she raced, he was no good he is too slow”. Both were saved by Clare Greyhound Project and Rover Rescue in Ireland and arrangements were made for them to come to AfG together, where we had separate foster homes waiting for them.

Kiz got her name as she was so lovable and friendly and just wanted to kiss everyone she met, both canine and human. Kiz quickly settled into a family home.

After a few weeks in foster care with the company of other hounds, Kiz gained confidence and condition. She found her wonderful forever home August 1st 2016 after a lovely couple met and fell for her at one of AfG’s awareness events in Norwich.

The couple had already rescued greyhounds over many years. She quickly settled into her new home, where she enjoys her life of fun and adventure. Totally adored by her 2 carers and everyone who meets her.

ALICE

Alice when she came to AFG

Colour/Sex: Black Female

Date of birth: 29.06.2001

Last reg trainer: Nigel Saunders

Races contended: 50

Last rec. race: Belle Vue/grade A8 /19.07.2005

ALICE – (named for racing as) COOLEMOUNT LADY

Came into the care of AfG in November 2011 after being removed from the squalor- she was not living – but merely existing in. She waited most of her life to be cared for with the love and respect she so deserved.

When Alice came to AfG her teeth were badly rotten from extreme dental disease, with ulcerated gums and mouth, infested with fleas and worms and with severe hair loss over almost half of her body. This was not caused by days or weeks of neglect and abuse, but from years.

With proper care and veterinary treatment, Alice improved gradually on a daily basis and over the months which followed.

We will never know why this docile, affectionate greyhound was deprived of a loving family home at age 4 when no longer of use as a money making racing commodity, as when AfG made enquiries to the GBGB, we were constantly fed a pack of lies and cover ups and when her last registered trainer (who kept her at his property until late 2011) was contacted by AfG he claimed he could not even recollect ‘that dog’.

Sadly, Nigel Saunders has evaded being prosecuted for cruelty, neglect, abuse and suffering to a greyhound in his ‘care’.

It was apparent that Alice was not familiar with a home environment, but she quickly realized she could have the freedom to relax in a comfortable house and to roam at her leisure in a large garden. So she went on, in her twilight years to experience a life full of adventure, love and respect with the company of other rescued hounds and her devoted carers.

HAPPY

Happy when he came to Afg on 17.09.15

Happy when he came to Afg on 17.09.15

Colour/Sex: Black Male

Date of birth: ?.08.2009

Last reg trainer: Irene Barnard

Races contended: 34

Last rec. race: Yarmouth/ grade A5 / 29.08.2012

HAPPY (named for racing as ) LESS THAN ZERO

Came into the care of AfG September 17th 2015.

He was in a terrible state of neglect, weighing only 23 kg emaciated and dehydrated. His entire body smelt of stale smoke, he was crawling with fleas, with hair loss and sore infected skin over 50% of his body. He had been kept in a second floor flat in Yarmouth, not far from the track where he was used for racing. Neighbors had been concerned for Happy (who was then named Jamie) as they had noticed his condition deteriorate over the years and more so over the past months as they noticed he was not being taken out of the flat.

One neighbour finally managed to convince the previous owner that Jamie would be much better off in another home and sought the help of AfG who acted immediately with the help of the neighbor to take him as we were concerned he may change his mind about giving him up. The conditions in the flat were awful, all windows closed, curtains drawn and the entire flat full of cigarette smoke. Even though his condition was so bad, he managed to wag his tail and could not wait to get out of the flat.

He was given just one small bowl of food a day and was allowed a small drink of water after and it is believed he was forced to wear the dirty, yellow, plastic muzzle (which he was wearing when we entered the flat) all day every day to stop him nibbling and itching his sore skin. He was very depressed by how uncomfortable his condition was and ravenous for food and water.
He stayed with our vet for the next 24 hours and was treated for the flea infestation, fed many small meals regularly and his sore skin was gently bathed. He was then placed into an AfG experienced foster home near to our vets where he was able to have one to one attention.
Once in his foster home, he was very eager for his food and drink, but over the days that followed, he soon realized the food and water would be regularly available to him and he became less ravenous for them. He enjoyed the attention and company of his foster carers and his comfy bed and gentle walks.

It became apparent that Happy enjoyed meeting people and other dogs over the weeks and months which followed and he steadily improved physically and mentally. Once Happy had gained several kilos and was down to 2 good meals a day he went into a new foster home with the company of 2 other rescued dogs. All 3 hounds get on very well and Happy enjoyed many walks and is able to run off lead with many other dogs.

It took many weeks to get Happy to a healthy condition physically and mentally. Unbelievably, the only action the RSPCA chose to take against the previous ‘owner’ was to issue him with a ‘severe verbal warning’, even though our vets were willing to back up a cruelty prosecution case.
Happy found his forever home in January 2016 where he soon settled in with his adopters and their lively, friendly cross breed hound Lilo.

DOVE

dog jumpers and Fiz and Dove 019
Colour/Sex: Black Female

Date of birth: 29.01.2012

Last reg trainer: Patrick McKenna

Races contended: 4 (and 2 trials)

Last rec. race: Harolds Cross /grade A6 / 03.12.2013

DOVE – (named for racing as) PRINCESS SMARTIE

Came into the care of AfG on 11th September 2015.

She was earlier found wandering as a stray and eating from rubbish bins in County Clare and was in very bad condition. Luckily, once the couple who found her discovered what her fate would be had they handed her into the local Ennis stray pound, they contacted Clare Greyhound Project (CGP).

As CGP had no available foster carers or available kennel placements at that time, the couple agreed to foster Dove until CGP were able to take her into their care. With the care of the kind couple and later CGP, Doves health and well being steadily improved.

AfG had a foster home for Dove and she was later brought over to Norfolk from Ireland. She quickly settled in to her foster home where she was steadily rehabilitated and socialised and enjoying her new life to the full with dedicated care.

Doves 1st adoption failed, through no fault of her own and after returning to one of AfGs foster homes, Dove found her perfect home in December 2016, where she shares her home with the company of a tiny cross breed hound, where Dove enjoys her life to the full.

When Doves history was traced it was discovered the previous owner had sold or given her away to be used for breeding. Luckily Dove escaped and was lucky enough to be found by kind caring people who wanted to ensure he long term welfare and safety. After her last race, no transfer of ownership paperwork could be found. So Doves fate could have been so much different and she could have so easily ‘gone off the radar’ as many thousands of greyhounds do, who simply disappear and remain unaccounted for.

ZEN

Zen 07.07.2015 014
Colour/sex: Black Male

Date of birth: 07.05.2013

Last reg owner: Mr Darryl Hopper

Races contended: None found

Last rec. race: None found

ZEN – (named for racing as ) NICE ONE ZOLA

Came into the care of AfG on 07.07.2015.

He had been saved from the notorious Ennis pound in County Clare, Sothern Ireland.

The pound had a high ‘kill rate’ especially of greyhounds and lurchers, who were usually only given 24 hours before they were destroyed.

If it were not for Clare Greyhound Project (CGP) who formed in May 2014 and Rover Rescue in Ennis, many greyhounds like Zen would not have been saved. Zen was one of the ‘very lucky ones’ out of the thousands of young greyhounds who find themselves not wanted by the greyhound racing industry.

When Zen was taken from the pound, he could not bear any weight on his right leg and was treated with painkillers by a vet.

Once he came to AfG, an xray by our vet confirmed the injury was an unusual multi fracture to the wrist joint an old untreated injury of at least 1 year old, caused by a drop or fall from a height.

As no previous history can be found for Zen it cannot be established who was responsible for his mistreatment and abandonment. He is just one more young greyhound, from many thousands bred in Ireland to supply the industry and who was obviously not profitable as a racing commodity.

Zen steadily improved physically and mentally in his foster home with the company of other greyhounds. His leg continues to strengthen with regular steady exercise and he may need the joint operated on at a later stage.

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AfG Cinema Awareness Campaign 2
“The Race For Life”

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AfG Cinema Awareness Campaign 3
“Greyhounds – Dying to Entertain You”

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Please listen and share this song 'Grey'
by singer/songwriter Raie
from her latest album 'Red Brick Angel'
to be released Spring 2024.

'Grey' is a tribute to the thousands of rescued survivors of the Greyhound racing industry and to the beautiful people who campaign on their behalf.

ADVANCED CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

Our two main Campaign Events for 2024 are:

  • “REMEMBER RUSTY” WEEKEND Saturday April 27th and Sunday April 28th (Remember Rusty Day the nearest weekend before May 2nd)
  • “GREYHOUND REMEMBRANCE WEEKEND” Saturday July 20th & Sunday July 21st (The nearest weekend to July 26th-1926 when commercial Greyhound racing started in Britain)

Please see the our ‘How you can help’ section for more information as to why we commemorate these 2 events.