The Greyhound's Plea

I found this on the Facebook I Love My Greyhound page and just had to share! So true and exactly what we are fighting for here:

A belated Happy New Year all - here's to 2012 being the year of the Greyhound!

Gorgeous Greyhounds/Lurchers for Adoption this Christmas (UK)

We all know that dogs are for life and not just for Christmas but there is no better time to give a gorgeous Greyhound his or her forever home. Rescues all over the world are working particularly hard to find these beautiful creatures and dogs of various other breeds homes in these tough economic times so if you have room in your home, family and heart (as well as on your sofa/bed, which will automatically become their property, haha!), please take a look at these gorgeous Greyhounds and Lurchers:

 Kane

At Dun Roamin Rehoming in Warwickshire, Kane is a gorgeous 2 year old Lurcher who has a fabulous disposition. He is vaccinated, innoculated against kennel cough and microchipped. He has unfortunately become very stressed in kennels so a foster or permanent home is needed as soon as possible for him. Call Lee during office hours on 07854 743726 if you are interested or visit the Dun Roamin website for more information.

 Judy

Judy is a 4 year old friendly Lurcher who is currently located in the Edinburgh & Lothian SPCA Centre. She has had 3 pups, all of whom are also available for adoption. There is little other information on the SPCA website, but a picture of Judy can be seen here. Please call 03000 999 999 to discuss her and please be sure to read the rehoming guidelines on the web page as well.

 ***The SPCA has other Greyhounds and Lurchers available for adoption so please see the website for Jetson, Tip, Levi, Lucky and the other beautiful dogs there.

 Sophie & Lucy

Sophie and Lucy are mother and pup Greyhounds who were rescued from Ireland. Having been found as strays, they were hours from being put to sleep when GRWE found them and brought them to the UK. A specialist Greyhound charity, these are not the only dogs available for rehoming. There are many more in need of their forever homes so please call 07000 785 092 to enquire about the girls or any other dog you would love to love. Check out the Greyhound Rescue West of England site for more pictures an details.


Annabelle

Finally, Annabelle is in the Shrewsbury branch of Dogs Trust and is looking for her forever home. Very sociable and loving, Annabelle is no more than 2 years old and is a big softie, or a couch potato as they call her there! She needs a home without children and needs a little training but will make a beautiful pet. Call 01952 770225 for more details.

***You can go to the Dogs Trust website for a search of the latest Greyhounds they have for rehoming at the moment. There are many.

Please remember that Greyhounds, like any dog, may need a little work and each one has their own individual personality but they make brilliant pets. Each one of these certainly deserves a loving home so please consider them or their friends. Each rescue has its own rehoming policy so expect to be asked for a fee, to make a home visit appointment and have a little patience because the process is certainly worth it in the end.

ALERT!!! eBay Auction in Memory of Snip Nua Ends TODAY!!!

Today is a very sad day. Today is the 2 year anniversary of the death of Snip Nua, a gorgeous Greyhound who was owned by a syndicate, Fior Gael, including Irish comedian Dara O'Brien. A greyhound who sustained an injury that was completely treatable. A greyhound who was put to sleep instead of being treated because she could no longer race.

Each and every one of those individuals who took that decision should be ashamed of themselves.

She was born on the 27th April 2008, and became a star when she featured in the BBC programme Three Men go to Ireland on New Year's Day 2010.

By that time, Snip Nua was already dead.

On the 14th December 2009, she fell during a race at Harolds Cross greyhound stadium in Dublin. She suffered a hock injury, one that did not threaten her life. Sorry, should not have threatened her life. She was put down on economic grounds. In my humble opinion this practice should be illegal because it IS animal abuse. The Dublin Society for the Protection of Animals also think so.

To raise awareness and funds, artist Tomasz Adamski has created the beautiful portrait of Snip Nua that can be seen above. It is currently being auctioned off but this auction ends TODAY.

If you would like to be bid then go to the eBay auction behind the link to bid on the gorgeous girl's image. It still has 4 hours to go so please, if you can afford it, consider bidding. All of the proceeds go to Action for Greyhounds, a fantastic non-profit organisation that campaigns tirelessly for improvements in welfare for Greyhounds and who do their best to promote rehoming.

***Please feel free to share this page or the information on it to promote the auction. This little girl may be beyond our help but every penny bid on this portrait will go towards helping other Greyhounds avoid the same fate.

Adoption Appeal for Mr Roo

Just a quick post tonight because a friend has made me aware of this gorgeous boy, who deserves a loving home as soon as possible. Having been in the Northern Greyhound Rescue in the North West & Lancashire region of the UK for 11 months, 7 year old Mr Roo deserves a home. He is a fab doggy by all accounts and is 98% blind. They wax lyrical about him so if you are thinking of providing a forever home for a sighthound in the very near future and live in the UK then please consider him. You can check out Mr Roo on this page of the
Northern Greyhound Rescue.

Thanks all!

Red, The Leader of the Pack!

Want proof that Greyhounds are intelligent dogs? A friend of mine found this video online yesterday and passed it onto me. In it, you can see just how intelligent Greyhounds and sighthounds in general actually are.

The moral of the story, though, is always secure your food before you leave! I know from experience that if you leave it out then a Greyhound is always guaranteed to find it and eat it!

3,799 And Counting: Promote the Petition!!!

And now to an old friend...

Thanks so much to everyone who has taken the time to sign the petition linked to this blog: Stop the Greyhound Slaughter. We have 3,799 signatures so far and this is absolutely fantastic but we need more signatures so please spare a few moments to sign if you have not already. If you have signed it then please take a few moments to spread the word.

There are now icons on the petition that allow you to post it to Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit or to email or Tweet it. If you are a member of any of those social networking sites then posting it to them would be very much appreciated.

Here is the link once again: Stop the Greyhound Slaughter. If everyone who reads this helps t spread the word then I am confident that we can reach the 20,000 signatures required early next year.

What are we waiting for? Let's send it viral!

And The Fight Goes On...

In my post yesterday, I forgot to thank everyone who has been coming to this blog regardless of the absence of posts in recent months and also those who continue to fight the good fight against cruelty to animals every single day. It never fails to amaze me how humans can simply disregard their lives as unimportant. It also never fails to amaze me how people hide behind anonymity to promote the virtues of the abuse and slaughter of animals. You'd think that they would put their name to their convictions but a comment on an old post on here, Slaughter of Dogs in Serbia, seems to dictate otherwise.

The comment is as follows and has been published to the post:

People are suffering more than dogs all over the world, but that doesn't concern you. It makes me sick how you people care so much about dogs, while people and children are starving. All that you just said is a bullshit. There are so many dogs on the streets of serbia, that it is unbearable. People are feeding them and sitting in cafes along with dogs. Serbia is destroyed by war and can't afford shelters for stray dogs, so what else can they do than kill them. Who needs that many dogs anyway.It is disgusting to see that many dirty stray dogs everywhere you go and stepping in their shit all the time. They are mating on the streets in pacs in a middle of a day, getting mad and dangerous to people and children. Dogs, actually , took over the streets of cities. I really don't care if they are all killed today, if you do, take them home with you and ask your government to take care of them.

First of all, I would like to point out that I fully understand that people suffer every single day from illness, abuse, abandonment and neglect. There are plenty of causes out there that I support in aid of the vulnerable and ill. However, the title of this blog should give the writer of this post an idea of what cause I am supporting here - giving a voice to a creature that often suffers at the hands of humans through no fault of its own. I choose to promote the plight of greyhounds so, no offence intended, if you do not like it then please read another blog.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to throw their weight into the debate as they see fit. However, this comment is a prime example of the ignorance and complete disregard that has led to these problems in the first place. If the governments of countries have let the "problem" get out of hand then that still does not give them the right to relentlessly slaughter dogs. There has to be better solutions than that and I refuse to believe that there are not.

So, in short, to the anonymous poster who offered the above comment - thank you for proving to me that this blog still has a very real role to play in promoting the welfare of dogs everywhere and that there is still ignorance and abuse to fight against.

Please feel free to comment on posts and show your support, disagree, make requests for content, promote your own links and other such things. I can't promise I won't respond but, providing they are not spam, they will be published.

Rehome A Greyhound!

Hi all!

It has been a very long time since I posted on here but the circumstances that have prevented me from posting are no more. As such, expect regular updates from me in the future! Unfortunately, the two years I have been absent have not seen eradication of the brutality that greyhounds are subjected to. In fact, if anything, it has got worse as a direct result of the recession. Greyhound charities are struggling and fewer are being rehomed here in the UK as families struggle to make ends meet. This applies to all breeds and not just greyhounds but I appeal to all to seriously consider a greyhound if you want to rehome a dog but believe that you do not have the energy to give a dog a loving home.

Greyhounds are very low maintenance dogs that are known for their speed rather than their stamina. A short walk is more often than not sufficient for them, that and a comfortable bed to go to sleep on of course!



I have previously written articles on what wonderful pets greyhounds make, one of which can be found here. There are plenty of rescues to check out as well to see which gorgeous greyhounds are available for you to love, including the following:

Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue North East

Greyhound & Lurcher Welfare Rescue

GRACE

Greyhound Rescue West of England

Clarks Farm Greyhound Rescue

This list is by no means exhaustive so if you know of another rescue that I have missed then please let me know and I will be happy to post about it.

Until next time!

Stop Greyhound Slaughter Members Needed Now More Than Ever!

Hi all and sorry it's been so long. Things have been absolutely manic here but hopefully I'll be on and posting updates, news and articles regularly from now on. I'm posting the newest notice posted in the Stop Greyhound Slaughter Facebook cause today. Please join if you are on Facebook. Otherwise, check out the link and spread the word!

Hi all,

As usual with all of these messages, thanks so much for joining this cause and your continued membership. Also, thank you for all the wonderful donations that we have had in recent weeks. Every penny and stamp is very much appreciated at the moment given the dire state of the economic climate worldwide. Every donation is vital and every voice that is added to this cause is one more voice towards saving the Greyhound from diabolicle treatment that the breed in no way deserves.

I have two favours to ask of everyone today.

First of all, please take a look at this link - Stop Greyhound Slaughter. I put it on the blog this morning and it decribes the way in which one Greyhound was starved, thrown into a deserted factory and left to die. Please send it to all your friends and let them know just how cruel these "people" are.

Secondly, we now have a little over 18,000 members. Please please please keep inviting all your friends, post the link on blogs and get people joining up to make a stand. Can we try for 20,000 by August 15th? That's 2000 more members in a month. Come on people, we can do it!

Finally, I will be setting a donation target in the next few hours. If you can spare even $5 it would be very much appreciated. I haven't included this in the favour list because I know how tight many people are finding their finances at the moment. If you can thenplease do, if not just invite as many friends as you can to the cause today and help us boost the numbers. After all, 20,000 members would be an absolutely fantastic achievement.

Thanks again guys for all your hard work. You will never have any idea how much I appreciate it.

Lou x

Grey2KUSA's New Video

I received an email a couple of days ago with a link to the new YouTube video from one of the USA's most active groups in terms of the campaign to stop Greyhound slaughter. For those of you that have never heard of Grey2kUSA, they work tirelessly to educate the public and save Greyhounds in America from the inherent cruelty that they are all too often subjected to. I thought it may be of interest to some of you, so please find it below:

Harrowing Stories Of Greyhound Abuse & Slaughter

It's been a few days since my last post and I have very little time on my hands today so I thought I'd just provide a few URLs that might be of interest to thoe of you that are as disgusted by the Greyhound slaughter occurring worldwide as I am. These links prove that Greyhound slaughter does actually take place and that it is not a figment of our imagination... as some people seem to think it is.

The links below are to news sites and so offer details of cases that are hard to read. They are somewhat graphic in nature and may not be good bedtime reading for those that cannot stomach such details. However, I highly recommend that you take the time to read them and pass them on to anyone you feel might be interested in spreading the world and adding their voice:

Concentration camp for more than 30 greyhounds, article here

Hartelpool greyhound found dead with ears hacked off, article here

Pregnant greyhound found killed with ears hacked off near Bristol, article here

Greyhound found drowned in the river Foyle (Ireland), article here

Dumped greyhound found in Sittingbourne, involved in a road traffic accident, article here

Greyhound found stabbed to death in Sunderland, article here

Seal Hunts: Help To Protect Another Beautiful Creature That Faces Slaughter

Although it's very rare that I focus on anything but the Greyhound here I wanted to make this post about the seal trade. Seals are still facing slaughter every day but there is a vote coming up to ban the trade in Europe. Please read the following and then click on the link to sign the petition:

This is it. We only have weeks left until the European Parliament votes on whether or not to ban trade in cruel seal products. This is a historic opportunity for the Parliament to save millions of seals from indiscriminate slaughter.

Join with me and thousands of others to make our voices heard on behalf of seals.

Please sign Humane Society International's petition to the European Parliament demanding a complete ban on all products from the commercial slaughter of seals. Click here

We are so close to stopping the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth — we can't stop now! The seals are counting on us.

Thanks!

Pregnant Greyhound Found Mutilated In Bristol

Another week goes by and another horrific story of Greyhound abuse and cruelty is presented to the world. This one is especially disgusting. Although every incidence of cruelty, of beatings, of needless destruction and of physical harm gets to me, this particular story really hit a nerve.

On Valentine's Day (Feb 14th) a PREGNANT Greyhound was found on wasteland in Iron Acton, Bristol (just 30 miles away from Swindon's licensed racing stadium). Not only had the poor girl been abandoned whilst heavily pregnant but she had also been MUTILATED. She had no ears because they had been cut off so she could not be identified.

Imagine being pregnant and then enduring the most horrific torture. This beautiful dog had no idea what was going on and why she must suffer such pain. She could have died, her pups along with her, but luckily she was rescued in time. Furthermore, she deliver 6 beautiful Greyhound pups just a few days later. Mum and pups are doing fine.

There are few owners and trainers in that area so this Greyhound had to belong to someone and the RSPCA are looking to track them down. She is quite distinctive in terms of her looks - black with white markings under her chin and a white blaze between her forelegs, as well as two white spots on her throat.

John Atkinson, an RSPCA inspector said:

This is a very distressing incident for all involved and we are investigating every possible avenue. If any member of the public saw people dumping the dog, or knows of a dog answering this description, I would urge them to contact the RSPCA at once.

For more information and the full story, please head to This Is Bristol.

If a "human being" can commit this cruelty on a heavily pregnant and trusting Greyhound, just imagine what he or she could do to other animals. if you know anything, please please please get in touch with the RSPCA.

Facts About Greyhound Slaughter In Peterborough

I've read numerous articles concerning the reatment of greyhounds in recent weeks that have alarmed me, more than ever before in fact. Whilst that may sound like a bad thing it is actually quite the opposite. More is being written about greyhound slaughter, meaning that more people will actually read about it and feel compelled to help fight against it. Take the Stop Greyhound Slaughter cause for example. There are now nearly 8000 members, over 3000 of which have joined since December 2008. Bearing in mind the cause has been active since the end of 2007, this is absolutely fantastic so the more awareness the better!

I actually just wanted to post a leaflet I received a link to about greyhound slaughter in Peterborough. The information given in this leaflet is proven fact. There is no debating its fudamental truth. As such, please spread it far and wide:





If you want to post this to your blog or website, the links to do so can be found here.

The Stop Greyhound Cruelty Petition

Just a quick note today to pass on a message to everyone that cares about greyhounds for a member of the Facebook cause, Andy Falconer. Andy left a link at the cause page today for a petition to promote the abolition of greyhound cruelty, which desperately needs signatures.

You can find the petition here: STOP GREYHOUND CRUELTY.

Please sign, even if you do so anonymously, and pass on the link to your friends.

Another Dispicable Indictment Of The Greyhound Industry

Through the cause I run on Facebook and MySpace to Stop Greyhound Slaughter, I get to speak to a whole range of people and find out about the views they hold. Although there are one or two people that join the cause to ran and rave about how greyhound slaughter is just a figment of my imagination, the vast majority of people just want to help and one or two even have stories of their own to tell me.

I heard one such story a few days ago; a tale of greyhound rescue by a decent and incredible individual that was not affiliated with a greyhound rescue charity. We all know what amazing work greyhound rescues do but I also find it heartening to hear about regular people that literally save greyhounds from heartless and cruel people that are just out to make money. If these individuals did not make a stand then a few more beautiful greyhounds would be slaughtered every year. Here is the story in the lady's own words:

I wasn't aware of the killings that go on until a friend of mine joined a greyhound racing syndicate. The poor dog broke its foot on its first race which ended the dogs racing career (which I also think is cruel although that is a delicate subject). The members of the syndicate were uninterested in saving the dog and just wanted to put him down. My friend wouldnt allow it. He tried to get them to pull together to get the money for the £700 operation but they did not care, they just wanted to get another dog and try racing again. My friend, complete with a wife, two children and serious debt problems managed to find the money to save the dog and he now lives happily with his sister. A happy ending for this dog but there are plenty out there that are not so lucky.

Even syndicates of "normal" people are looking to dispose of these beautiful creatures when they are healthy and would make an excellent pet. It seems that they want the financial glory but not the financial burden that their insistance on racing greyhounds causes. Again, I know not all trainers/owners are the same and some care deeply for their greyhounds but the sheer number of dispicable things (I cannot bring myself to call them humans) is unbelievable. Enough is enough!

Beautiful Barron The Whippet Needs Your Help!

I received an email this morning from Greytexploitations about a lovely little male whippet that is in urgent need of care. He was a rescue and was in a terrible state when he was picked up. He only has a few months left to live so if anyone out there can give him a comfortable home and the love he deserves during his last few months then please get in touch with Greyhound Gap at the number outlined below. Here is a little more information about Barron:

Greyhound Gap - Barron only has a few months could you foster him? Bedlington x whippet boy.

A couple of weeks ago we received a phonecall from Catherine a friend. She had heard about a 12 year old bedlington whippet boy who was currently in the care of another rescue. He had two huge growths one on his chest and one on his leg and their vets had stated they couldnt be operated on. Catherine wanted to see if Gap would be willing to take him on, get a second opinion and give him the back up needed. Of course we would. He moved to Catherine the next night.

The lump on the leg was so huge that poor Barron couldnt get around properly or sit down comfortably but thankfully when he saw our vet they didnt feel there was any reason why it couldnt be removed especially as the boy was so uncomfortable. Barron had his operation and all was a success in fact the very next day he had to be stopped from bouncing around. However the vet felt that one of the lumps in particular looked decidedly nasty so was sent off for histology.

Sadly the result wasnt what we wanted to hear and the beautiful Barron has Sarcoma and treatment isnt an option. We were all mortified as this little man so loves to play and enjoy his walks and is just so full of life.

The vet feels at best that Barron has around 12mnths at the worst it could be as little as a few months. Catherine would love to keep him there but sadly although Barron is very tolerant of her male dogs they are not so tolerant of him especially the older yorkshire terrier boy. Barron is not cat friendly but is good with small dogs as you can tell.

Catherine currently works so Barron is fine left during the day, greets you really enthusiastically on your return, he travels well in the car. He sleeps well over night, walks like a dream on the lead and has been off the lead also but is a little deaf bless him so can wonder too far. Once he realises this though he heads back to you.

If you could find it in your heart to give Barron a special place to be for however long he has he will remain cared for medically by Greyhound Gap. We will continue to cover the cost of his veterinary treatment for the duration of his life.

If you can help please email me or call me on 01782 544728

Likewise if you feel you cant help Barron but would like to make a donation or help to sponsor his continued care please let me know or you can do it via the usual paypal chanel to greyhoundgap@yahoo.co.uk PLEASE MAKE A NOTE THAT ITS FOR BARRONS CARE. Thank you

Barron

Action For Greyhounds In The Credit Crunch

Hi all!

Sorry I've been away for so long and haven't been blogging as regularly here. I've had a lot of personal and health issues to deal with but I'm back now and will be posting regularly again now. I was going to start off with a stamp appeal round up because I've had a good response recently but I received this email a week or so ago and wanted to help publicise the AGF plight. They are losing money as a result of the credit crunch and are struggling to keep up with their financials in order to do the awesome work they have done for some time now. This was the email I received:

At this present time Action for Greyhounds UK (AFG), have:-

5 Greyhounds in foster homes
3 Greyhounds being boarded in kennels
1 Rottweiler being boarded in kennels.

3 of the above dogs need to be neutered.
1 Rottweiler needs a possible major hip operation.

AFG are NOT a re-homing or rescue centre or even have any kennels; AFG a campaigning group. However, if AFG had not stepped in to help these dogs it is very unlikely that they would be alive today.

It is costing AFG for private boarding over £170.00 per week, which is £737.00 per month. Add to this the cost of vaccinations, micro-chipping and food for the dogs being fostered - AFG need over £1,000 a month to cover the cost of keeping these dogs, until they can be either fostered or re-homed. This £1,000 does not include the cost of neutering 3 of the dogs.

Due to the extreme adverse weather conditions this winter, AFG have had to cancel numerous stalls and car boots, and basically, at this present time, it looks very unlikely that we can raise £1,000 per month.

AFG have never before asked for help in funding, and would prefer not to have to now, but due to the current situation, any donation no matter how small would be truly appreciated, forwarded please to the above PO Box address, with cheques made payable to "Action for Greyhounds UK".

We are also desperate for additional foster homes to relinquish this huge monthly cost of boarding kennels, and should anyone be in a position to take a dog(s) please contact Annie as above.

Please find the contact information below in case you may be able to help or know somebody else that may:

Action For Greyhounds UK
PO Box 3089, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 3YP, Tel: 01603 469864 - Mob: 07809 681691
Email info@actionforgreyhounds.co.uk - Website: www.actionforgreyhounds.co.uk

***Stay tuned for a stamp appeal and cause update in the next couple of days! Thanks all!

Another Stop Greyhound Slaughter Cause & Stamp Appeal Update

Hi all,

Hope everyone is enjoying the run up to Christmas and is almost ready for the festivities. Sorry I have been absent from here for a while but I have a few personal problems to deal with recently.

This is just a quick update to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that has joined either of the causes because I can't quite believe how successful it is! Every single person that has joined is making a difference because it is one more person that knows about what happens to greyhounds when they retire or if they will not chase as a pup. Although some do find homes, they are in the minority and this has got to stop.

Also, thank you to those that have signed the petition. There are only 2,157 signatures on there at the moment and we could do with a few more before Christmas if possible. You can stay anonymous if you wish but it takes a few seconds to sign and will all contribute to the voice against the appalling slaughter of these beautiful creatures.

Please keep inviting friends to the cause and spare a thought for greyhounds during this cold and cruel weather. They may not be warm and cared for this winter unless they are lucky enough to have been rehomed. Some ex-racers or those that will not chase will have been abandoned, others left to die in this weather and will not survive for long. It is important to help those rescues that work hard all year round wherever possible to ensure that thay can continue to work.

I am still running the stamp appeal, although interest has died off in recent months. If you have any used stamps from Christmas cards or letters then please ask me where to send them so they can help to fund rescues and rehoming. I'm willing to send an SAE if you do not want to pay to send them to me but we desperately need used stamps to fill credit crunch fund deficits so if you can help then please please let me know.

***************

If you do want to join either of the causes or sign the petitions, the URLs are as follows:
Facebook Cause
MySpace Cause
Stop The Greyhound Slaughter Petition

Christmas And Your Pet Greyhound: Perfect Presents

Hi all. Hope everyone's well and looking forward to the coming months now Christmas is well and truly on the way. I apologise for my absence from regular updates the past week. I've been rather ill and am just starting to feel human again now. I've noticed plenty of emails with news and updates in my inbox and I will get around to posting them in the next few days so bear with me...

In the meantime, having been laying around and doing nothing for a few days, I've begun to look around for Christmas presents and found one of the best online pet stores ever! If you have a pet greyhound and want to buy your pooch a gift for Christmas then I would highly recommend it. Puchi Petwear is an amazing store. It's supposed to be a designer store but the prices are highly reasonable. Although it is a UK store, you can place orders from anywhere in the world for delivery. All of their products come in various sizes for the different sizes and breeds of dog so you could purchase gifts for any of your dogs there.

Although I highly recommend checking out greyhound rescue centres for gifts like collars or merchandise for your family, this is the next best place to stop because the product range is huge and absolutely beautiful!

***If you work with or own a greyhound rescue or charity and have Christmas appeals or ranges of merchandise that you would like to advertise then please contact me. I'll be happy to post about them and link to your site in the coming weeks. This also includes any fundraisers etc because we all know how hard the credit crunch is hitting. Please email me.