Dogs Homed
MEG
Dogs name: Meg
Estimated age: 9 years
Breed: Whippet cross staffy
Date came to AfG’s care: 16.06.2015
How dog was acquired by AfG: No longer wanted by previous ‘owners’
Date homed: 30.06.2015
Meg was bought from what is believed to have been a ‘puppy farm’ at age 8 weeks. Nine years on and after being kept mostly outside for the past 6 years whilst the young couple decided to start a family. Meg then found herself unwanted.
Luckily she came to the attention of AfG, as originally she had been advertised on an internet site used to give away and sell animals, so the outcome for Meg could have been dire had we not have been made aware of her plight and in the position to take her in.
The years Meg had spent outdoors had effected her health as she had frostbite/sunburn on the ends of her ears, and sore pads and had a build up of tartar on her teeth. It was obvious she had been without adequate exercise for some time as her pads were pale and her nails overgrown.
She soon settled into one of our very experienced foster homes and enjoyed the company of the 2 young boys and her young Rottweiler housemate, who, once she got settled, soon put in his place.
Meg was inoculated and neutered and received a dental with two teeth extracted. Meg soon gained condition with nutritious food and lots of exercise and blossomed into a very healthy girl with a glossy coat. Her foster carer and family could not bear to part with Meg and so soon adopted her permanently.
She makes herself comfortable on the sofa or upstairs on her choice of human beds and will be able to put her previous life well behind her. Her family cannot fault her in any way and just love her to bits.
Meg is very happy, healthy and active with a life full of fun and adventure, so we hope she has very many happy years ahead of her.
BUBBLES
Dogs name: Bubbles ( previously Fiz)
Estimated age: 5 months
Breed: Greyhound crossed with saluki/border collie
Date came to AfG’s care: 13.08.2015
How dog was acquired by AfG: Previous ‘owner’ unable to look after her properly
Date Homed: 08.10.2015
When this dear little lurcher pup came into our care, she was the size a pup of her mixed breeding should have been at about 8 weeks old and not how she was at 5 months old. This was due to her previous ‘owner’ buying her at age 10 weeks from a caravan site from a litter of 11 pups whereby, we are told, the young greyhound mother was in poor condition as were the pups.
Coupled with the previous ‘owner’ having no knowledge of how to adequately meet the welfare needs of the pup.
When Bubbles arrived with AfG, she was very small for her age and undernourished with a pot belly, caused by a heavy infestation of worms. She had labored breathing and a weak bladder.
After further examination by our vet, it was discovered Bubbles was also harboring lungworm. After the necessary veterinary treatment which followed and with plenty of nourishing meals, Bubbles just grew and grew before our eyes, steadily gaining weight and overall condition.
She had plenty of human and canine company in her foster home and was very well socialised.
As well as being adored by many when out on her walks, she also accompanied AfG on many of our awareness/fundraising events, which is where she met the family who eventually adopted her into her fantastic forever home with 2 canine housemates, a lurcher and an elderly terrier who soon had to get used to her mischievous antics.
With months of care pre and post adoption, Bubbles continued to blossom into a stunningly beautiful hound.
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- Fiz/Bubbles the day she came to AfG
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- Fiz/Bubbles a few weeks after she came to AfG at about 6 months old
ARCHIE
Dogs Name: Archie
Estimated age: 3 to 4 years
Breed: Predominantly greyhound/saluki
Date came to AfG’s care: 12 .12.2013
How dog was acquired by AfG: Unclaimed stray from stray kennels
Date homed: 06.05.2014
ARCHIE
Archie had served his statutory 7 day period at a local stray kennels who asked AfG if we could take him into our care. Luckily we had a suitable foster home available for him and were able to take him in.
He was very underweight and very depressed and infested with external and internal parasites. The kennels estimated him to be about 8 years old. But under inspection at our vets, she, as we did, believed him to be far younger, but because of his neglected condition with his teeth coated in tartar and muscle wastage etc, he appeared to look elderly.
After being treated for parasites he arrived in his foster home and instantly made himself comfortable with his experienced foster mum, her 2 young boys and a young rescued Rottweiler. Archie steadily improved and soon blossomed into the young healthy hound he should be.
After a few months in his foster home, Archie found himself an amazing forever home with 2 Italian Spinoni and a trial hound and enjoys his life to the full.
The family also own a property in France and all spend half their time there. So a life full of fun and adventure for Archie and his carers and canine housemates.
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- Archie the day he came to AfG
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- Archie the day he came to AfG
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- Archie short while after he went to his foster home
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- Archie 5 months after rescue in his new home
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- Archie in his forever home with his canine housemates
HAPPY
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.
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 enjoys many walks and is able to run off lead with many other dogs.
It has taken many weeks to get Happy to the healthy condition he has now reached and his exercise is still being built up steadily. 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.
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- Happy when he came to Afg on 17.09.15
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- The muzzle he was made to wear
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- Happy just one month after rescue hair regrown and 30kg
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- Happy from December 2015 weighing 32.35 kilos with a lustrous coat
DOVE
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. 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.
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.
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- Dove November 2015
ZEN
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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- Zen’s wrist on 07.07.2015
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- Zen’s wrist on 07.07.2015
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- Zen fit and muscular November 2015
ZYRI
Zyri when she came to AFG
Colour/sex: Black Female
Date of birth: January 2008
Last reg trainer: N. Barnard
Races contended: 1 failed trial-Yarmouth
Last rec. race: none
ZYRI – (named for racing as ) HI HI IRENE
Came into the care of AFG in April 2014.
Judged no good for racing, she was soon offloaded by her owner/trainer. It is believed she spent about three years in a home until she was no longer wanted.
Zyri came to AFG underweight with a lack luster coat. She was neither micro-chipped or neutered and obviously not vaccinated, as she had no veterinary records.
She settled quickly into her foster home in the company of other dogs. A lovely character developed and her health soon improved. Now enjoying life in her forever home.
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- June 2014
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- June 2014
LADY
Lady (rear end) on 18.07.2013
Lady after a bath and wound clean at vets
Lady a few days after rescue in a clean comfotable foster home
Lady well and happy 3 months after rescue
Colour/sex: Black Female
Date of birth: 01.11.2008
Last reg trainer: not known
Races contended: none known
Last rec. race: none known
LADY -(named for racing as) SEASIDE SUNRISE
Lady came into the care of AFG on July 17th 2013. She had been transported in an inadequate vehicle on one of the hottest days of the year. When signed over by a third party, Lady was traumatized and with an alarmingly high temperature. Her coat and skin were filthy and she was crawling with fleas. Her entire rear end was covered in horrendous scars and open infected sores. She was immediately rushed to AFG’s vet where she was instantly admitted to receive urgent veterinary treatment.
After four days of extensive veterinary care, Lady went to her foster home. Here she continued with medication including antibiotics and skin balm. Lady seemed relieved to be in a clean comfortable environment.
After weeks of tender care, Lady’s physical and mental state improved. The foster carers did a great job with Lady but sadly were unable to foster her long term, so she then went on to another AFG foster home, with the company of another greyhound. This new arrangement helped Lady even more as she was so very nervous, but with the companionship of the other hound, she soon blossomed.
Lady’s previous ‘owner’ Anne Marie Reed, from Hartlepool, has never been able to explain why Lady was in such a terrible condition of neglect, neither has she ever provided any veterinary history, we therefore believe that Lady had never received any treatment from a licensed vet.
All the information of Lady’s neglect with the back up of full support from AFG’s vet were given to the RSPCA who chose not to take any action.
All Lady needed was proper care which she received as soon as she came into our care, so we feel that her condition was a case of severe neglect.
Lady can still be very wary of certain things and prefers a life without much change, so unless the type of home she has in her foster home comes along, she is likely to stay there where she is happy and settled, in a permanent foster home with AFG covering the cost of her care.
