SANTA VISITS RESCUED GREYHOUNDS Santa Clause makes a "flying" visit to Kirkgunzeon to give some treats to Magic (the resident greyhound), Star (the long term foster greyhound) and Rosie (the "homeless" greyhound). Santa is absolutely delighted that DCGR has been doing such sterling work over the last 12 months and he promised to leave all our re homed greyhounds a present as they have all been such good boys and girls. From everyone here at Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

TABLE TOP SALE – SUNDAY 7TH NOVEMBER Due to the amount of really lovely donated goods, Graham and Margaret booked a table at the Locharbriggs Community Centre in Dumfries in an effort to raise some cash for DCGR. There were plenty of stallholders but very few members of the public which unfortunately meant that our income was just under £30. Nevertheless, Graham brought Magic and Star into the hall and they immediately became the centre of attraction and a few leaflets were handed out.  The picture shows Margaret with Maureen Hill (no relation) from Therapet who also had a fundraising table in front of the DCGR stall.

MOFFAT CHRISTMAS FAYRE - SUNDAY 30TH NOVEMBER While most of our members were at our Fun Greyhound Show in Rockcliffe, Ted and Barbara Percy from Gatehouse of Fleet and Francoise Norel-Wilson from Moffat, “manned” the DCGR stall at the Annual Moffat Christmas Fayre. A very busy day ensured that our stall was well attended and despite the absence of greyhounds, over £120 was raised for DCGR’s funds. Moffat Christmas Fayre is a real family event and our donated goods including some lovely new “cuddly toys” flew off the table as the public searched for a bargain.  Margaret Hill (our Treasurer) made up a “Christmas Lucky Dip” for children and would you believe that every single present was sold.  All in all another success for DCGR and a big thanks to Ted, Barbara and Francoise for their help.

CHRISTMAS FAYRE - CENTRAL DUMFRIES CAT’S PROTECTION – 22 NOVEMBER Due to the generosity of our supporters, Graham and Margaret have masses of excellent, quality bric a brac at Kirkgunzeon, so they decided to book a table at the Cat’s Protection Christmas Fayre in Dumfries and an effort to make some cash and to raise the profile of Greyhound Rescue.  Graham and Margaret set the table up and were joined by Sue and Paul Sheader for the day. Although pretty quiet, DCGR still managed to raise £65 which by all accounts, was the best income of all the stalls there. Margaret was getting plenty of selling practice for our own Christmas Fayre next week and DCGR was complimented on the quality and standard of our stall.  Pictures show the stall with Margaret, Paul and Sue and a close up of the trio “in Christmas Spirit”.

15th November The pub quiz at the Spinners Arms in Cummersdale was, once again, a very well attended event. Thanks to the quiz and raffle a wonderful £142 was raised on the night. Our thanks go to the Landlords of the Spinners Arms for their generous hospitality and in particular to Donna and Louise who along with their greyhound Elmo, organised the event and ran the proceedings on the night.

31st October Halloween at Greggs on Kingstown Industrial Estate was celebrated in style, with all the staff dressing up in fancy dress costumes to raise money for DCGR. A splendid £92 was raised by customers and staff, so a big thank you to everyone at Greggs. The photograph shows Al, Graham & Kevin with greyhounds Magic, Alfie, Struan and Tomas and Greggs staff in their costumes.

CARLISLE RACECOURSE – 2nd NOVEMBER DCGR travelled to Carlisle Racecourse on Sunday 2nd November for our now annual visit as part of the Countryside Day Race Meeting. 20 greyhounds and their owners came along and enjoyed the winter sunshine and the “thrill” of the horse racing. Due to the good weather, the attendance at the course was marvellous and many visitors admired our greyhounds and were very generous in terms of the charity tins. Karen Brownrigg, the Commercial Executive and our link with the racecourse, had placed us in a very lucrative position near to the Tote which had the added benefit of being a “sun trap” for Graham, Al and Loraine who were in charge of the sales table. Over £750 was raised on the day, which makes this event our 3rd biggest fundraiser of the year. DCGR gives a big thanks to Karen for her support over the past years and we look forward to continuing the relationship in years to come. The picture shows some members and the sales table just prior to the gates opening to the public.

WEDDING BLISS AIDS DCGR Mr and Mrs Foster from Carlisle , who recently got married, had a unique way of raising cash for DCGR when they asked guests to their wedding to donate to DCGR instead of buying a wedding present. As a result of their request, DCGR were donated the magnificent sum of £120 for which we are extremely grateful.  They say that organising a wedding is one of the most stressful times of our lives so the fact that they took “time out” and considered our small charity at that particular time is even more incredible.  A big thanks is due from all at DCGR.

MOTORCYCLE RUN IN AID OF DCGR Steve Dunbar (a DCGR member) and a couple of friends who are all Annan Athletic Supporters, decided to visit all 3rd Division football grounds in Scotland and raise funds for DCGR at the same time.  The plan was for people to guess how far the trio would travel and for the privilege, they had to pay £1 for two guesses. The winner would receive a bottle of Malt Whisky as a prize. The total mileage ended up as 691 and when Steve contacted Graham, it was estimated that they had received over £250.  On Tuesday 4th November, Graham and Margaret with Magic, Star and foster dog Struan met with Steve at the Shed Public House in Annan. Also there was Jim Dalzell and his wife Maureen with Varee.  What a surprise when Steve handed over the cheque – it was for £440!!!!!!  Not only that, but the winner of the competition kindly donated the bottle of whisky to DCGR as well!! The picture shows Steve and friend with Graham and Jim along with Magic, Star, Struan and Varee. We have said it before but what a wonderful membership we have, thinking up these novel ways of raising cash.

LORRAINE KELLY AND GMTV SUPPORT DCGR Following a request to GMTV from Jeni Treasurer, one of our members, they have kindly donated a Marks and Spencer jacket/cardigan (M) and a Jasper Conran top (size 14) as worn by Lorraine Kelly on one of her morning shows. The attached picture shows design/colour etc.  The items come with a letter of authenticity and they will be auctioned as “one lot” at the Fun Greyhound Show and Christmas Fayre being held in Rockcliffe Village Hall on Sunday 30th November (doors open at 12 midday). If you are a “fan” of Lorraine or would like to own a piece of TV memorabilia, or would like to obtain a rather unusual Christmas gift as a present for a friend or would even like to buy it for yourself then come along top Rockcliffe and take part in the auction which is scheduled for 2.30pm

£80 for scones and tea! Well done to Pauline Askew who recently adopted Lady and has raised £80 for DCGR, by baking scones, inviting all her friends around to meet Lady and then charging them a £1 a time for tea and a scone! What a great idea, even though she now says she is sick of the sight of scones, for the moment. Thank you!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – PETS AT HOME, CARLISLE – SAT 18TH OCTOBER A new venue for us, Pets at Home in Carlisle and the manager Sue Hood, gave us a warm welcome on Saturday 18th October when 20 greyhounds, yes 20!! – gave their customers something to remember.  The weather forecast wasn’t too good and Graham arrived with some trepidation but Sue had cleared an area inside the store for our use.  As so many dogs and owners arrived and as the weather wasn’t all that bad, we divided our resources with some inside and some outside. £180 was raised on the day with a couple of homechecks thrown in.  Pets at Home and in particular Sue, are to be congratulated for their support of Greyhound Rescue and we give them a big, big thanks for allowing us to use their facilities.  Pictures show part of the team outside the store with their greyhounds and a picture of Sue with the “inside” team.

RENEWABLES RAISE CASH FOR DCGR Members Richard Earle (who has a passion for renewable energy) and his wife Jody, recently threw open their house (and wood burning boiler) to the public as part of the Scottish Doors Open Day and when they did, had their own greyhounds and charity tin supplied by Graham, strategically placed beside the door. Over 100 people visited their home - so many in fact that they had to arrange further viewings. Over £75 was raised as a result of the generosity of visitors. Jody is a great supporter of DCGR and regularly offers help in transporting greyhounds from A to B. We are really running out of superlatives in congratulating members and supporters who think up so many ingenious ways of raising cash for Greyhound Rescue – well done Richard and Jody!

Hannah & Laura busking Donations dropping in! MORE BUSKING FOR GREYHOUND RESCUE Following Ted Percy’s sponsored busking in Hawick last month, Hannah Roberts and her friend Laura organised a sponsored busking in Dalton-in-Furness on Saturday 27th September with both girls playing the flute.  Hannah had decided that she would like to donate the proceeds to Greyhound Rescue and as a consequence, Graham Hill and Jenny Stott arranged for a few greyhounds to be on hand and lend some support. The day went magnificently and Hannah and Laura raised a tremendous £80 towards our work in re-homing ex-racing greyhounds.  It really does make the committee very proud to acknowledge this feat and a certificate is en-route to both girls.  Over the years we have had a young lad from Dumfries having a sponsored haircut, a sponsored “Dress Down Day” in Edinburgh and now sponsored busking in Dalton-in-Furness – what will our young supporters come up with next?

BENTPATH WI For the first time, Graham was allowed out alone to give a talk, this time to the local WI at Bentpath near Langholm.  Margaret stayed at home to “babysit” the 2 new occupants of the emergency kennels at Kirkgunzeon while Graham journeyed to deepest Dumfriesshire to give the talk. The WI members listened with great interest as Graham recounted the story of DCGR from its infancy, right up to the present day where we have re-homed our 500th greyhound. The highlight (as usual) was the introduction of Graham and Margaret’s greyhounds Magic and Star at the end of the talk. True to form, they wandered about for 5 minutes then found a piece of carpet to lie down on and promptly went for a snooze!! Over £66 was raised due to the generosity of the WI members for which DCGR is extremely grateful. One of the many successes on the night was the sale of DCGR Christmas Cards – members beware, it’s first come first served!!

ANNAN EVERGREEN CLUB - 1 October Yet another talk for Graham and Margaret and this time to the Annan Evergreen Club on Wednesday 1st October. Over 40 ladies and 1 gentleman listened to Graham giving his usual DCGR talk and they were amazed at how successful DCGR had been over the last 7 years. Margaret controlled the sales table which this time included ladies bags and a selection of greetings cards donated by a stall holder from Gretna Market. For the first time the DCGR christmas cards were on sale and 5 packs were sold. Over £90 was raised through sales, charity tin and donation for the talk and DCGR are extremely grateful. Picture shows Margaret at the sales table prior to the rush after coffee.

DCGR CHARITY SHOP 25/26/27 SEPTEMBER For the second year in a row, Graham managed to secure the use of a small shop in Dalbeattie (courtesy of McKenzie Hardware Store) for use as a charity shop for DCGR. Graham emptied his garage of all the donated goods and made a trip to Rockcliffe, to take the remainder from Al. In addition, a supporter from Gretna donated his last years stock of brand new ladies handbags and literally hundreds of greetings cards. By the time Margaret had finished "dressing" the shop people were queuing to get in. At the end of the 3 days, DCGR hade raised the magnificent sum of £664 to which we thank the people of Dalbeattie and surrounding area. Members, Liz Iken, Barbara Percy and Jane Elliott assisted during the 3 days as well as Brian and Chris from Parton, who "relieved" their neighbours of items to donate to the shop. A special mention must be made of Margaret who despite "losing her voice" worked away tirelessly for the full 3 days.

Al with 500th dog Gemma and new owner Rose Magic, one of the first dogs re-homed by DCGR with Gemma the 500th dog! Tuesday 23rd September 2008   We are pleased to announce that this week DCGR re-homed our 500th dog - quite a milestone for a small, independent charity, that has been running since just 2001! Gemma a small 16 month old girl has gone to live with her new owners and greyhound 'brother' Josh, down near Barrow in Furness, where she is settling in well, having found the sofa soon after arrival! The local News & Star Newspaper as well as Border TV picked up on our news release and gave us some excellent publicity which will hopefully help us to re-home more dogs in the future.

TALK TO THE ST MARY’S GREYFRIARS “BUZZ” GROUP The reputation of Greyhound Recue is certainly spreading!  This time, Graham was invited to the St Mary’s Greyfriars “Buzz” Group on Monday 22nd September to talk on DCGR.  This was a result of one of their members hearing Graham speak at another church group some months ago.  About 20+ members listened intently as Graham recounted “the greyhound story” and how DCGR came about. As usual, Margaret brought the greyhounds in at the end but it seemed strange not to have Darth (died March) and Timmy (died 2 weeks ago) as part of the pack.  Nevertheless, Star and Magic carried out their duties faultlessly and amazed the audience with how quiet and well behaved they were.  £82 was raised as a result of the sales table, charity tin and donation for the talk and DCGR are extremely grateful for the audience’s generosity.  The picture shows some of the Buzz Group admiring Magic and Star.

BUSKING FOR DCGR Ted Percy, a committee member of DCGR and a jazz saxophonist, recently took part in a “busking” event in Hawick and raised the magnificent sum of £62.09p.  Well done Ted and thanks for the donation.

SPONSORED WALK – TALKIN TARN – SUNDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER The curse of the weather struck again and what a miserable few hours it was.  Heavy, heavy showers with a few seconds of dryness in between.  Nevertheless a band of hardy volunteers turned up with their greyhounds to raise some cash for DCGR and to amaze the other dog walkers at the Tarn .  It has now become a cliché, but the dogs were wonderful. Not one of them rose to the bait of snappy terriers or “lively dalmations” and took everything in their stride.  You could almost hear them thinking “what’s all the racket about – you should be enjoying a peaceful walk like us!!!!”  Over £500 was raised on the walk and the picture shows the happy band with their greyhounds, just as the heavens opened.  DCGR thanks everyone who attended and the generosity of their sponsors.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – AMBLESIDE – SUNDAY 31ST AUGUST While Graham and Margaret did the Moffat Show the day before with some local members, Al and Judy with some Cumbrian members held a Meet a Greyhound Day in Ambleside at “Paws by the Lake on Sunday 31st , courtesy of Emma Dulieu. Unfortunately the weather turned wet (yet again) but were Al’s spirits dented – not on your life.  Character building Al calls it, so they carried on with their work and raised the magnificent sum of over £130 along with 2 homechecks. This is an excellent venue for fundraising and showing off the dogs and Emma has invited DCGR back again next year promising the weather will be better.  We will wait and see.

MOFFAT AGRICULTURAL SHOW – SATURDAY 30TH AUGUST We are now coming towards the end of the outdoor fundraising season and although (again) the weather forecast wasn’t good, on the day it remained overcast, humid and most importantly, dry. A good number of members turned up with their greyhounds and lot’s of visitors stopped to say hello. A couple of people (unsolicited) congratulated DCGR on their high profile in the press and at the many events we have attended this year so far and commented on what good work we are doing. Attendance at the show seemed to be much lower than in previous years and it manifested itself in the income for the event.  Nearly £80 was raised on the day for which we are very grateful. Another plus was Shiloh and Honey winning a total of 5 rosettes in the Dog Show. Shiloh got a 1st in the Dog in Best Condition class as well as a 2nd in the Hound Group and a 4th in Young Handler.  Honey was 5th in the Hound Group and 5th in the Dog That the Judge Would Like to Take Home category. This is yet another way we can promote the greyhound as a family pet.  The pictures show the stall with some members and their greyhounds as well as Calum Horan (a shy retiring boy) with the rosettes along with Shiloh and Honey.

GALLOWAY COUNTRY FAIR – SATURDAY/SUNDAY 16TH/17TH AUGUST Well the BBC got it wrong! The weather forecast for Saturday was heavy rain and Sunday wasn’t to be much better.  The forecast was so bad, members were phoning Graham to see if the event was still on, but they needn’t have worried. The weather was fine on both days with only one heavy shower on the Sunday just before we paraded our greyhounds in the afternoon.  Work carried on by the organisers following last years mud bath ensured that underfoot conditions weren’t bad at all and entry and exit for the DCGR caravan was “a doddle”.  The two parades each day went down a treat, especially the afternoon ones where people were extremely generous. DCGR now have a new fundraiser in “Russell the Rabbit”, who ran onto the arena towards the end of each parade with a charity bucket.  Can I say that over £80 was raised in the bucket after the two parades on the Saturday!!!  A large turnout of members and their greyhounds (27 on Saturday and 26 on Sunday) ensured the public had plenty to see and loads of children came into the arena when Graham invited them in to see the dogs. We made plenty of new contacts (we may even be invited to a “Celebration of the Working Dog” national event which is being planned for next year) as well as a good number of follow ups for re-homing. In financial terms, DCGR raised nearly £550 for which we are extremely grateful.  The pictures show the “Saturday Team”, the “Sunday Team” and Russell the Rabbit leading the parade out of the arena.  DCGR thanks Luciana Gibson for donating the rabbit costume. The Saturday Team Russell the Rabbit The Sunday Team

The winning entry from Megan CASTLE CARROCK HOLIDAY CLUB – WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6 On Wednesday 6th August, Graham and Margaret and their pack along with Maggie Curtis and her pack, attended the Castle Carrock Holiday Club in Castle Carrock Primary School , to entertain the children for 2 hours.  Graham started off the proceedings by giving a brief introduction to the kids about greyhounds then he split the audience into 3 groups and Graham, Margaret, and Maggie (with greyhounds) spent 10 minutes with each group before moving round to the next group and then the next. At the conclusion of the “group” sessions, Graham asked the children to paint or draw a greyhound and for the next 15 minutes or so, they worked feverishly to produce their works of art. Maggie and Margaret picked a winner who received a DCGR baseball cap with all the participants receiving a small prize.  The group then went out to the playground for a “team photograph” which is shown.  A big thanks to Hannah (group leader) for asking us along.

DALSTON SHOW AND BORDER GATHERING – SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 9TH/10TH AUGUST It was just like the summer of 2007 – heavy rain, miserable conditions and muddy underfoot – but nevertheless, the hardy volunteers from DCGR did us proud.  Graham and Margaret took the DCGR caravan to the Dalston Show and had it all set up the night before.  Thank goodness, for the heavens opened on the Saturday morning turning the field into a mud bath.  As a result of the conditions, the show appeared quieter than normal although we still had a few people stop at the stall and speak to us.  Over £180 was raised and a number of people took leaflets for future information. The conditions were that bad that Graham and Margaret had to arrange a tow off the field from a tractor as there was just no grip – especially towing the caravan. It was after 7pm that they struggled home for a well earned glass of wine and dinner. If we thought the rain was heavy at Dalston, we were wrong!!! - it was twice as bad on the morning of the Border Gathering in Dumfries .  Again Graham and Margaret took the caravan and set up in between the showers.  We think the weather again was to blame for the apparent low turnout of the public but nevertheless, our stalwarts were out in force for the “Parade of Greyhounds” which opened the day’s proceedings.  As the day progressed however, the sun came out and dried the ground a little which enabled Graham and Margaret to tow the caravan off the field without assistance.  Over £60 was raised, so not too bad at all.  The pictures (all taken at the Border Gathering) firstly show our hardy volunteers, dressed for the occasion, during a “cloudburst”.  Secondly show  a “hungry pack” watching Margaret have a bacon roll and lastly, “Love on the Muddy Ground” where Milly and Magic hold hands while watching the Highland Games in the main arena. Let’s hope the weather is not a foretaste for next week at the Galloway Country Fair – remember last year!!!!

DUMFRIES SHOW AND GATEHOUSE OF FLEET GALA – SATURDAY 2ND AUGUST A contrast in weather but another successful day for DCGR in two separate venues. The Dumfries Show had heavy showers in the morning but the afternoon cleared up and the sun came out with a vengeance. We had a tremendous selection of greyhounds for the public to look at and boy did they look!  At one time, you couldn’t see the stall for the number of people stopping to stroke a greyhound. Our new line of DCGR car flags, pens, key rings and fridge magnets were a hit with members and visitors alike and we sold quite a number (we have to order more now). The Huggy Houndz are disappearing so fast we haven’t had time to put them on the website yet!!!  Over £300 was raised on the day, which as our avid readers know, is ALL used for the greyhounds as we do not have any paid workers.  The pictures show a line up of greyhounds as the gates opened to the public and the best picture Graham has ever taken of Al as he talks to an interested couple. The Gatehouse of Fleet Gala had a lovely dry day and with over 10 greyhounds in attendance, DCGR wowed the crowd again.  It really is quite satisfying to Graham our Events Co-ordinator, that so many members are keen to attend our fundraising events with their pet greyhounds and so help raise funds and promote the breed. Nearly £150 was raised on the day which was thoroughly involved by all in attendance. DCGR would like to give a BIG “pat on the back” to all our volunteers. – WELL DONE.

North Lakes Dog Show - Sunday 27th July DCGR were invited to the North Lakes Dog Show near Cockermouth, where we duly turned up with our stall and merchandise along with members from the Cumbria area and their dogs, who regularly turn up at events. It was a successful day for DCGR not only in terms of promoting the charity and greyhound awareness but also for the dogs and their owners who entered various dog classes throughout the day. DCGR dogs showed just how great they are by competing alongside the professionals and in some cases beating them!. The highlight of which was Brendan who not only won the Best Greyhound class, but also won Reserve Champion in Show as well as Champion in the novelty class, after winning a first for Best Condition - picture shows Brendan with all his trophy's and rosettes.

MOFFAT GRAND GARAGE, CAR BOOT AND GARDEN SALE – 27TH JULY Glorious weather again ensured DCGR’s participation in the above event was a financial success. Our Moffat rep Norma Pearce, offered her garden as a venue to sell some of the magnificent donations we have had this year and boy did we have a good day.  Norma herself began collecting some time ago and with her sales of plants and other unwanted gifts, we started the day with over £150 in “the bank”.  A steady stream of visitors throughout the day added to that total and by the conclusion of business, over £350 was secured for DCGR funds.  The charity would like to thank Norma for her continuing support and use of her facilities (she makes a mean cup of coffee).  The picture shows Norma with Margaret Hill (DCGR’s Treasurer) along with the Hill pack of Timmy Magic and Star.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – SATURDAY 26TH JULY Lovely day, excellent scenery, good turnout of members, plenty of dogs and Graham in his kilt – what else could you ask for?  Kirkcudbright harbour was the venue for DCGR’s latest Meet a Greyhound Day and we attracted visitors from deepest England , the central belt of Scotland , America and Holland as well as the local population.  The greyhounds were in their element, getting cuddles from just about everyone who visited the stall and just soaking up all the attention. A couple from Edinburgh were so impressed they left their details – they want 2 cat safe greys (over to you Al).  Income via the charity tins was over £130 so DCGR would like to thank everyone who visited the stall and left a donation - As we say, “Every Penny Counts”  Pictures show Graham resplendent in his kilt and Magic, Timmy and Star “lining up” for cuddles.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF KIRKGUNZEON KENNELS On Sunday 20th July, the kennels at Graham and Margaret's house in Kirkgunzeon were officially opened by Lady Mary Mumford, a Life Member of DCGR. Lady Mary said, "I am delighted to be given the opportunity to open the emergency kennels here at Kirkgunzeon and I am overwhelmed by the number of greyhounds DCGR has managed to save in such a short time" The picture shows Lady Mary with Ronnie soon after the opening ceremony.

CUMBERLAND SHOW – Saturday 19th July A great turn out of members and their dogs provided excellent entertainment for the crowds at the Cumberland Show near Carlisle on Saturday 19th July.  Graham and Margaret took the DCGR caravan along the night before to allow plenty of time to set up so they were “on the ball” first thing in the morning.  Impressions were that it wasn’t as busy as previous years and it may be that the “credit crunch” is arriving in our area. Nevertheless, there was plenty of interest in our greyhounds and income over the day exceeded £300 which wasn’t too bad at all.  The photographs show Judy Todd our Chairman and active member Alan Riddick just before the gates opened to the public (Margaret Hill in the background) and the usual “doggie duvet” shot. There is also another greyhound in the picture – can you see him in the DCGR trailer?

Moffat Co-op – Friday/Saturday 18/19th July A number of our hardy volunteers “manned” a can shake outside the Moffat Co-op on Friday and Saturday 18th and 19th July despite the “unpredictable weather. OIC for the two days was Jane Elliott and the whole event was organised by our Moffat rep, Norma Pearce.  DCGR would like to thank the Co-op for allowing us to collect, which raised over £190 in the process. The picture shows Margaret Hill and Barbara Percy with Timmy and Star.  Other attending members were Brian, Chris, Loraine and Phil.

The President’s Party 13th July   This year’s Party was held at Debate, Waterbeck, on Sunday 13 July.  Fortunately once again the day was fine and sunny but recent rain left parts of the garden a bit soggy.  With increased numbers it was anticipated that parking would be a problem but with the permission of neighbours, and with the help of several stalwart members, only a few cars had to park on the road.   The event was attended by 88 people and 87 dogs. Yes 87! The number given to members on leaving was 83 but the President forgot to include his own. There were three competitions. The exciting duck race was won by Colin Donaldson; the Treasure Hunt was solved by Colin’s daughter, Rhea; and the Midsummer Night’s Dream was won by Robin, Jenni and Hannah Treasurer.                                  . Throughout the day Graham and Robert literally slaved over hot stoves (BBQs) and the sausages, burgers and spare ribs, provided in the main by generous donors, were extremely popular.  Leslie took ‘running photos’ which will be made available on CD at small cost, and Carol was busy all day with various cameras. We await the results with interest. My thanks to all the helpers  –  the gate-keepers, the parking attendants, burger servers, kitchen volunteers, and everyone who helped make the day the undoubted success that it was.   However the highlight of the event was undoubtedly the attendance of our Patron, Annette Crosbie  OBE.  I had invited Annette some time ago but it was only a few days before the Party that she told me she was filming in Glasgow during the following week and, if I could get her a lift, she would come. Fortunately my old friend Denise, who had already accepted my invitation, agreed to bring Annette and they arrived bright and early in spite of a slight unexpected detour. Everyone really enjoyed meeting and talking to Annette, and I am sure she was equally pleased to do so.  Annette does just anything for greyhounds and was happy to have her photograph taken in an enclosed area with most of the dogs! I don’t think either she, or anyone else for that matter, has ever been photographed with 87 greyhounds, all unrestrained.  Annette told me she really enjoyed herself at the Party and I shall try to persuade her to come again next year.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – MOFFAT - 12TH JULY After poor weather the preceding week, we thought that Moffat would be a washout. Thankfully we were wrong and the day stayed dry although a little cloudy and cool. A good turnout of members ensured that locals and “tourists” alike were attracted to our table and with over 15 greyhounds on show, who can blame them. Our area adjacent to “The Ram” was always busy and and it never fails to amaze us how laid back the greyhounds are with so much going on around them. Our charity tins collected over £149 and with a couple of definite follow ups, our Treasurer and Re-homing Co-ordinator remain on “a high”. After the first 3 months of this financial year and with so many of our Meet a Greyhound Days taking place in good weather, our fundraising is exceeding that of last year so Graham, DCGR’s fundraiser, is also on “a high”. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the remainder of the year!!  Our pictures show the table, resplendent with the Geordie Dyer Memorial Cup, at our pitch and a view of some of our members enjoying themselves.

PRSENTATION OF GEORDIE DYER MEMORIAL TROPHY Following DCGR’s success as first in class for the walking section of the Guid Nychburris Day Parade, our charity was invited into Dumfries for the “official” presentation of the trophy. The picture (taken by Graham) shows Margaret Hill with Magic and Luciana Gibson with Queenie being presented with the Geordie Dyer Memorial Trophy, which we get to keep for a year, by Roland Proudlock, the Parade Organiser.  Roland said,”it was a pleasure to see so many well behaved greyhounds taking part in the Parade.  I don’t know much about the breed, but they certainly left a good impression”. Graham already has his idea for next year’s parade – you don’t need to be mad to take part but it certainly helps!!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – DUMFRIES – SATURDAY 28TH JUNE Yet another dry day for one of our Meet a Greyhound Days – this time in Dumfries Town Centre.  Our positioning wasn’t absolutely perfect due to the Scottish Rally starting in the town centre at the same time and another charity having been granted to collect on the same day!! but with the two “rescue trailers” acting as advertising, the public still came over to see the greyhounds. At it’s peak, there were 32 greyhounds lazing around or getting cuddles from children and adults alike. Graham had pre-advertised the event in the local press and three people came to see us with the specific intention of adopting a greyhound. Needless to say, Al was nearly hoarse at the end of the event with all the talking he had to do. As a result there are three definite homechecks being carried out next week with the possibility of a couple of new foster homes as well.  As if this wasn’t enough, we raised over £430 and some people even dropped by to donate a couple of bags of treats for the dogs. With all the events so far being successful in financial terms and re-homing terms, Margaret (Treasurer) and Al (Re-homing) are extremely “happy bunnies”. In fact if you want to see them dressed as bunnies, click on to the page on our website entitled Guid Nychburris!!!!!  The pictures show a general view of our stall plus a now typical picture of Magic who has done these events so often, he just doesn’t care!

TALK ON GREYHOUNDS TO FETTES COLLEGE , EDINBURGH Graham and Margaret Hill journeyed up to the prestigious Fettes College in Edinburgh on Friday 27th June to give a talk on Greyhound Rescue to the senior school.  The School were having a “dress down day” and for the privilege, each pupil had to donate £1 to charity. DCGR was one of the chosen charities. The venue for the talk was the magnificent chapel within the school, where the students listened intently to Graham as he highlighted the work of DCGR and our many successes. At the end of the talk, Margaret brought in Magic, Star and Timmy as well as their new foster dog – Grace. Graham said, “I haven’t seen so many smiles on people’s faces since Al last wore his shorts at one of our events. The students were enthralled at how quiet and well behaved all the dogs were”.  The picture shows Graham and Margaret with their pack along with Hugo Battersby and colleague who also have greyhounds, one of who was re-homed by DCGR.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – GATEHOUSE OF FLEET – SATURDAY 21ST JUNE A good number of our Galloway members turned up at Gatehouse of Fleet for only our second Meet a Greyhound Day in the town. The contingent, headed by Ted and Barbara Percy, DCGR’s Galloway representative on the management committee, were subjected to the heavy rain being experienced by our members at the Guid Nychburris Parade in Dumfries. Nonetheless, Ted “appropriated” the use of a small marquee being used for the music festival so the members and their greyhounds were kept relatively dry. Because of the rain, the event was not as busy as it would have been had the weather been sunny and dry but still there were a few people who were attracted to the stand by the presence of the greyhounds. At least one person was interested in re-homing a greyhound (he already has one and is thinking about a “companion”) and a few pounds will find their way to DCGR’s bank account. Thanks to all members who braved the rain.

PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE CAMPAIGN “The Trustees of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, together with an advisor from both Pedigree Chum and the Association of Dogs and Cat’s Homes have donated the magnificent sum of £3,000 to Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue in recognition of the charities work in re-homing ex-racing greyhounds in Dumfries and Galloway and now in Cumbria . The cash will be used on the emergency kennels at Kirkgunzeon near Dalbeattie which have now housed 5 greyhounds, classed by the charity as “emergencies”. Of these 5 greyhounds, 4 have found their “forever homes” while the fifth is being assessed at present.  Graham Hill from Kirkgunzeon, who is the charities fundraiser said,” It’s nice to get pats on the back from local people for the work we do and we certainly get plenty of them, but the icing on the cake is when national organisations like Pedigree and the Kennel Club, also recognise the work we do. This grant will assist in saving more and more ex-racing greyhounds and we are extremely grateful”.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT JAZZ FESTIVAL – SATURDAY 14TH JUNE It has now become a cliché but what glorious weather we had yet again and this time at Kirkcudbright for their annual Jazz Festival and what a turn out of members.  I don’t think Kirkcudbright has seen so many greyhounds in the one place at the one time!  A fantastic array of quality donated goods and a new line in greyhound related gifts ensured that there was always a queue at our table and we were positioned in such a way that when the parade entered the Mote Brae to play some Jazz, our stall was right next to the audience. The greyhounds were wonderful – enjoying all the fuss and attention that they could get. Our income exceeded £340 with a couple of families really quite interested in re-homing a greyhound at some time in the future. Another successful day for DCGR. The pictures show various views of our stall and members that attended.

June 7th – Caton Gala, Nr Lancaster   Fortunately we had a lovely day for the gathering which was really busy. This is a new area for DCGR. North Lancs. hasn’t got a local Greyhound rescue, so we had plenty of interest. There were eight dogs that came along including ours Fergus and Rebel, others were Sammy and Jinky who needed homes. There is a possibility of 3 new homes for greyhounds, which is a fantastic outcome. Our leaflets flew off the stall and by the end of the day we had run out.  We raised 162.62 through donations and sales on the stall. I have just heard from Jenny that Jinky one of the Greyhounds has actually gone to his new home, which is a triumph. It was nice to meet Jenny and Stuart who are our local DCGR representatives and we wish to thank them for coming and for the amazing hard work they put in on the day.

FIRST EVER PICTURE OF RESCUE 1, RESCUE 2 AND RESCUE 3 In order to safely transport our homeless greyhounds, carry sales goods and tables etc and also be a "mobile" advert for our charity, DCGR are proud to show our membership, supporters and visitors to our website, the first ever photograph of our three "rescue" vehicles.  Rescue 1, the single axle dog trailer is based at Rockcliffe near Carlisle and is "piloted" by Al (Virgil Tracy) Todd and his able assistant and Chair of the charity, Judy (Brains) Todd.  Rescue 2, the double axle dog  trailer is based at Kirkgunzeon near Dumfries and is piloted by Graham (Parker) Hill and his glamorous employer Margaret (Lady Penelope) Hill. Rescue 3 is the Base station (Tracy Island) for major events and is manned by the whole Tracey family at events such as the Cumberland Show, Galloway Country Fair and the Dumfries Agricultural Show. The picture shows the three trailers with DCGR Treasurer Margaret (Lady Penelope) Hill and Rocky, Magic, Fleck, Timmy and Star.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – CASTLE DOUGLAS – 7 JUNE What another great day for DCGR.  This was the first time we had organised an event like this in Castle Douglas and it won’t be the last.  We had a tremendous “pitch” at the main car park of the town and pre-advertising by Graham ensured that not only “tourists” came to see us, but locals as well.  At one point the information table had a queue!!  A fantastic turn out of members and their greyhounds was the highlight with over 20 dogs for the majority of the day.  The weather was fine, the greyhounds well behaved, the public totally in awe and nearly over £250 donated by generous people.  Not only this, but the possibility of 2/3 follow ups as well.  Now that’s what DCGR calls success.  The pictures show a “line up” of some members shortly after we set up and a general view of how busy we were during the day.

Longtown Gala - 7th June The weather was glorious and the gala was busy, DCGR made a total of £144 on the day, with the possibilty of a home for one of the homeless greyhounds who behaved perfectly all day at the event. A new and succesful event for DCGR with an invitation to return next year which has already been accepted! The picture shows Al and Yvonne setting setting up the stand.

NEW HONORARY MEMBER Helen Bell, of the Stewartry Vet Group, has been extremely supportive of DCGR since she took over the practice in Castle Douglas and has become a “convert” to greyhounds.  To mark this excellent support, DCGR offered Helen Honorary Membership of the charity which she was very pleased to accept.  The picture shows Margaret Hill, DCGR’s Treasurer, with greyhounds Magic, Star, Timmy and Rocky presenting Helen with her certificate. In response, Helen said, “it’s a privilege to help DCGR with the excellent work they do not only in Dumfries and Galloway but also in Cumbria .  I would never have believed that the charity has re-homed over 470 of these lovely creatures in only 6 years or so and I wish DCGR all the very best in their future endeavours”.

‘Dunlops Support Local Greyhound Charity’   For the last 6 years Dumfries and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue (DCGR) have been supporting greyhounds in the local area. Up to April 2008, 445 dogs have been found a new home with countless others receiving care and support.   Dunlops support DCGR by providing free dog food and recently made their third delivery to the registered charity.   Margaret Hill from DCGR said ‘It costs a lot of money to care for the dogs and we are grateful to Dunlops for their continued support.  This has allowed us to use some of our funds to buy a new trailer and as a  result we can now transport the dogs in a safer and more comfortable way.   Stewart Wilson, Dunlops said ‘It’s a pleasure to support Dumfries and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue and it’s really good that we can recycle some of our petfood in an environmentally friendly way  and at the same time assist a local charity.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – NEWTON STEWART – 31st  MAY What a glorious day – great for the owners but a little too hot for the greyhounds.  So hot in fact that Graham decided to call it a day an hour before the scheduled time as he felt it was really getting too warm for the dogs.  And what a turn out of dogs there were.  We had Magic, Star, Timmy, Rocky, Eva, Katie, Cassie, Jasper, Chalkie, Tizzy, Nellie, Shiloh, Honey, Daisy, Dixie and Molly (apologies if anyone was left out).  Again, the public just raved about the greyhounds and how quiet and well behaved they were.  Over £120 was raised on the day and at least two positive enquiries to follow up. Additionally, a member who stays near Newton Stewart – Jackie Laurie – donated a trailer full of new goods that we can sell or raffle to make extra cash.  Once again a terrific awareness and fund raising day for DCGR.  The pictures show the situation of our awareness table just after we set up and “the shady area” occupied by owners and greyhounds to keep out of the sun.

Wednesday 28th May Graham and Margaret received visitors to the Kirkgunzeon Kennels on Wednesday 28th May, when a local women’s group popped along for a visit. About 13 adults and 3 young children listened to Graham listing the successes of DCGR  over the past years and how we raised our much needed cash.  At the end of the presentation, Margaret brought in Magic, Star and Timmy, who as usual, said hello and promptly went for a snooze.  To see some “energetic” greyhounds, Graham took the party round to the emergency kennels where Rocky and Rambo became the centre of attraction. Graham gave Rocky a run chasing a ball and the audience were amazed at his speed (Rocky’s not Graham’s) and how friendly he was.  The group donated £10 to the funds of DCGR as a result of the visit.

Upperby Gala Monday 26th May   A very busy afternoon was had at Upperby Gala in Carlisle - chasing the merchandise around the field and stopping the tables from tipping over in the gale force winds! But the weather stayed dry and a large number of people turned out for the gala - which helped DCGR to raise almost £220, which will go to help us re-home greyhounds.

Sunday 25th May   A mild but breezy day at the Tearooms at Caldbeck, meant that quite a few of our members turned up with their dogs, to spend a few hours raising awareness and funds for DCGR. We managed to make almost £120 on the day which is excellent news for DCGR and homed a dog too! Many thanks to Kath Rawlinson who owns the tearooms for her excellent hospitality, it was much appreciated!

BARONY COLLEGE OPEN DAY Again the weather was lovely although maybe a little too warm. Nevertheless, Loraine and Robert, Dick and Sandy, Arthur and Agnes and Luciana journeyed along to the Barony Agricultural College Open Day on Sunday 25th May and manned the DCGR stall.  Unfortunately this event clashed with the return of Queen of the South Football Club to Dumfries and their open topped bus tour of the town centre so the Barony was a little quieter than last year.Over £50 was raised on the day as well as a number of positive follow ups.  Yet another success for DCGR

CREAM O’ GALLOWAY – MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND What a difference good weather makes!  DCGR had a fantastic weekend at the Cream o’ Galloway Ice Cream Factory nr Gatehouse of Fleet on Saturday and Sunday 24th/25th May and what a turn out of greyhounds.  We had over 17 greyhounds on the Saturday and 8 on the Sunday and boy were they an attraction.  The staff at Cream o’ Galloway were so pleased that they have invited us back on the same weekend in 2009!  In financial terms, DCGR raised over £220 and in terms of enquiries, there may be a possibility of 6 home visits.  Some “locals” even came along specifically to see us, which shows our pre-advertising certainly worked.  Graham was so busy during the weekend that he only managed a couple of photographs.  One shows some of our members arriving at the event with their greyhounds and the other shows Magic greeting a rather large lady St Bernard.  Thanks to all our members for making this such a success.

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND - GRETNA GATEWAY VILLAGE – 17/18TH MAY This was a very successful weekend in terms of finance and enquiries.  A LARGE number of members turned out over the two days and at one point, there were 25 greyhounds “strutting their stuff” on the catwalk which was the paved area outside Marks and Spencer.  The good weather over the two days also ensured a steady stream of people stopped to pat the dogs and to talk to our members.  There was at least two home checks organised and many more members of the public took away flyers for the future.  Over £640 was raised over the weekend which will be used to further our aim in re-homing ex-racing greyhounds.  Our thanks go to the management of Gretna Gateway Village for once more allowing our small charity to use their facilities.  The pictures show our members talking to the public and a usual “duvet” shot!!!

DCGR Annual General Meeting – 16 May 2006 There was a large turnout at our AGM in Longtown Memorial Hall on Friday 16th May to listen to the Office Bearers give their reports on last years business and to listen to our guest speaker, Maureen Purvis from Greyhounds UK who is also Chair of the Alliance of Independent Greyhound Rescues (DCGR is a founder member of this organisation).  The membership listened intently to all the committee member’s reports which confirmed DCGR’s success over the past 12 months in terms of finance, re-homings as well as the promotion of greyhounds as pets. At the conclusion of the business, Scilla Dennis, a member from Portling near Dalbeattie, congratulated the committee on their hard and unselfish work during the 2007/2008 session.  After light refreshments, Maureen Purvis “took the stage” and informed the audience of the work of Greyhounds UK and also of the newly formed Alliance of Independent Greyhound Rescues. She highlighted the difficulties encountered by the organisation in attempting to raise the welfare issues surrounding greyhound racing but assured everyone that no matter what, the voice of independent organisations like DCGR, will always be listened to.  At the conclusion of her presentation, Arthur Robinson presented Maureen with a small token of our thanks.

DUMFRIES RETIRED AND INDEPENDENT LADIES CLUB On Tuesday 13th May, Graham gave a talk on Greyhound Rescue to the above group in the Aberdour Hotel, Dumfries .  Expecting only a few in the audience, 52 ladies turned up to listen to the DCGR story and how successful we have been since we started.  Our fame is spreading, for a number of ladies in the audience had heard very positive things about DCGR from other ladies (and men’s) groups that Graham had given presentations to in the past, and were keen to learn more. As usual, Margaret brought along a sales table and with the help of Luciana Gibson, one of our Dumfries members, we raised over £60 towards our funds.  At the end of the presentation, Magic, Star and Timmy were introduced to the ladies and then wandered about from table to table being petted on the way (and being given biscuits). As Graham, Margaret and Luciana were packing up after the presentation it was noticed that Timmy and Star were missing!  A quick search found them heading along the corridor towards the kitchens where lunch was being prepared for the hotel guests!  Yet another successful day for DCGR.

LOCKERBIE – Saturday 10th May What a glorious day!! The sun was shining and it became very warm. Lockerbie is always quiet on a Saturday however DCGR are always keen to “show the flag” (and show off our greyhounds) throughout Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria , so it’s important to visit places other than the large cities and towns. Having said that, visitors to our stand were constant and even people passing through the town in their cars saw us and stopped for a chat. Over £130 was raised on the day and in addition, there were a few enquiries regarding the “homeless” dogs we had with us. There was a terrific turn out of members and their greys and Graham counted 22 dogs there at the peak. One picture shows the stall soon after it was set up and with regard to the other picture, DCGR asks the question – “How many Greyhounds can you get lying on one duvet?”  We count Robert as two greyhounds as he is so big!!

KIRROUGHTREE FOREST VISITORS CENTRE Our now annual journey to the Kirroughtree Forest Visitors Centre near Newton Stewart on the early May Bank Holiday weekend was another success for DCGR. Although the weather forecast was poor, Saturday wasn’t too bad, Sunday a little worse and Monday was really warm, sunny and dry. Over £330 was raised but more importantly, three couples made the journey specifically to enquire about re-homing a greyhound and another person was really interested in fostering. If all these enquiries come to fruition, then Kirroughtree has proved very beneficial once again. There was a really good turn out of members from Galloway as well as Dumfries and even members from Blackpool; and Carlisle arrived with their dogs. DCGR thanks the Forestry Commission for allowing us to “set up camp” once again. The pictures show Margaret with her (and Graham’s) pack when the stall was set up and Emma and her pack on a sunny Monday afternoon.

Penrith Town Centre - Meet A Greyhound Day   Thanks to all our members who turned out on the Bank Holiday Saturday, 1st May in Penrith Town Centre to support DCGR. The weather stayed fair and over £300 was raised on the day and just as importantly there was some keen interest shown in the homeless dogs at the event. So with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, hopefully a few more homes will be gained!

BARONY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE On Monday 28th of April, Graham attended the Barony Agricultural College just outside Dumfries , to give a talk on Greyhound Rescue to the Second Year Animal Welfare Course. The students were extremely interested in how the charity was formed, what DCGR did to re-home greyhounds and how we raised our much needed cash.  As usual, Graham left the greyhounds outside with Margaret and Jane and on cue, Magic, Star, Timmy, Alfie and Fleck made their entrance. These five greyhounds are now well versed in “making grand entrances” so much so that they wandered without leads amongst the students, getting plenty of pets and tickles. During the question and answer session, one student expressed an interest in short term fostering and it may be that after thinking about it, she will “take the plunge”.  These talks are now an annual event and hopefully will sow the seeds of greyhound adoption for the future.

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!! Everyone has heard of the Thunderbirds TV puppet show with their “rescue pods” and Thunderbird 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 - well DCGR is fast catching up.  On Saturday 26th April, Graham picked up our second greyhound trailer (see picture) and we have nicknamed them Rescue 1 and Rescue 2.  Rescue 1 will be based in Rockliffe near Carlisle and is a single axle 3 berth trailer with an electrically driven extractor fan for ventilation, secondary inner mesh doors and a top storage compartment.  It will be used for taking greyhounds on long or short journeys and for carrying the paraphernalia required for Meet a Greyhound Days. Rescue 2 is a double axle 4 berth trailer which does not have an electrically driven ventilation system nor inner mesh doors nor top storage. It will be based in Kirkgunzeon near Dumfries and will be used for short greyhound journeys as well as transporting stock items and bulkier items required for the various events DCGR attends.  Both Rescue 1 and Rescue 2 are liveried to a professional standard and are really effective “mobile adverts”.

STRANRAER Meet a Greyhound Day It was with a little trepidation and apprehension that Graham journeyed down to Stranraer on Saturday 26th April for DCGR’s first ever Meet a Greyhound Day in the most westerly large town in Dumfries and Galloway . Firstly, the weather forecast was abysmal and secondly, Only Linda and John with Jasper, said they would be attending.  How things change!  On reaching Castle Kennedy, the clouds opened to reveal clear blue skies and during the day, Maggie and Brian from Dumfries came along with Honey and Shiloh and Phil Davies from Hightae with Shadow made the long journey to join us as well. Gill from Sandhead popped along also but Vince her grey, was unfortunately not well. In addition to all this, Mr and Mrs Waterhouse, who are financial supporters of our charity and stay in the region, came along to show their support. In the end, Graham was a happy bunny!  Plenty of greyhounds for people to see, lovely weather, large attendance from the public, over £140 raised and plenty of interest in adopting a greyhound.  The two pups that Graham and Margaret have in the emergency kennels at present (Rocky and Rambo), soaked up all the attention and weren’t phased by the crowds or the traffic or indeed by all the cuddles they received.  The picture shows our table, which was on Castle Green, just after we set up the stall.

HUGGYHOUNDZ arrive at DCGR Graham and Margaret have received the first consignment of Huggyhoundz which will soon be on sale on our website and at the various events we attend. The picture shows "the houndz" settling into their new surroundings in Kirkgunzeon. Margaret said "we have our own 3 greyhounds + 2 in the emergency kennels and now another 4 grabbing the best seat in the house!!" Once the remainder arrive (we have ordered 10 initially) they will be posted on the gifts page of the DCGR website.

23rd April  - HOLLYWOOD ARRIVES AT THE KIRKGUNZEON KENNELS First it was the Blues Brothers, Jake and Ellwood and now it’s two further film stars – Rocky and Rambo, named after the parts made famous by Sylvester Stallone, who are the new residents of the Kirkgunzeon emergency kennels. Rocky and Rambo have been with Graham and Margaret for a week now and have settled in extremely well.  They are both 20 months old and identical.  Graham has to check the ear markings to see who is who!!  They are playful, happy guys who just love human company and get on well with the resident greyhounds Magic, Star and Timmy.  They have even met the next doors Samoyed and showed no negative signs whatsoever. Picture shows Margaret with Rocky and Rambo or is it Rambo and Rocky, going out for their afternoon walk. If anyone out there would like to come and see them (they can be re-homed together or individually) give Margaret a ring at 01387 760577 or Al at 01228 674127 for an appointment.

BARROW-IN-FURNESS The south Cumbria membership turned out in force on Saturday 19th April for our now annual “Meet a Greyhound Day” in Barrow in Furness.  Although the weather was dry, there was a cool wind (!!??!!) which meant the greyhounds had to wear their warm coats. As usual, the dogs were a magnet for the public and ensured plenty of interest to passers-by. On the financial front, over £400 was raised and our thanks go to the people of Barrow for their generosity. On the dog front, we have a number of follow ups to do and a great deal of people actually asked for a flyer to keep as the circumstances weren’t quite right for them at this time. Watch this space for the future!! The pictures firstly show our information stall and secondly, two of the greyhounds having a lie down and a cuddle!

GREAT WEE SCOTTISH WALK On Sunday 13th April, two of our Dumfries members, Colin and Susie Donaldson, along with their two children and their two re-homed greyhounds, Kenny and Bongo, walked the Great Wee Scottish Walk in Dock Park , Dumfries for DCGR. The weather remained kind for the walkers and Susie and Colin were resplendent in their DCGR “T” shirts, while Graham and Margaret Hill loaned Kenny and Bongo their “My Friends Need Homes Too” bibs. DCGR certainly got a lot of publicity. In the end, the Donaldsons have raised £200 for DCGR and the committee thank them all for their time and effort in raising so much.  The picture shows the whole family as well as Kenny and Bongo.

GELSTON W.I. DCGR were invited to give a talk on Greyhound Rescue to the ladies of the WI at Gelston near Castle Douglas on Thursday 10th April and Graham dutifully went along with Margaret as the “sales lady”. Once again, the plight of the ex-racing greyhound was explained to an enthralled audience who were desperate to see the “visual aids” – Magic, Timmy and Star. It was strange not to have Darth there as he was a stalwart at these talks (Darth died on the 19th of March) but the rest of “the Hill Pack” did DCGR proud. As the floor was shiny wood, Graham got the duvet from the car and even although sausage rolls and home baking were circulating, the three of them stayed lying on the duvet despite the temptation. Over £90 was raised on the night, £50 of which was via a cheque donated by one of the member’s husbands who had been in the audience of a previous talk given by Graham last year and was so impressed by the work we do that he decided to donate this large sum of money.  DCGR thanks the ladies of Gelston WI for their hospitality and generosity.

DONATION TO DCGR A big thanks from DCGR to Paul Shepherd, landlord of the Masonic Arms in Gatehouse of Fleet, for a magnificent donation of £100 towards our work.  The £100 came from a weekly quiz and our Galloway representative Ted Percy was part of the team which won the winter quiz league “by a street”. The team was invited to choose a charity to which the proceeds of the last 2 rounds were to be donated and Paul and Ted chose Greyhound Rescue. The local Mountain Rescue Team and Alzheimers Research similarly benefited. It will be a good excuse to into the Masonic Arms to thank Paul personally, when we have our Meet a Greyhound Day there on 21st June.

Portrait Day - Rockcliffe Village Hall The portrait day was a huge success and we had a good turn out, with quite a few non greyhounds there to have their pictures taken. Carol, taking the pictures was kept busy all day and we raised a grand total of £1149!   A big thanks to all our members who helped on the day and a special thank you to Christine from Blendbetter Dog Food, Margaret from 'James Wellbeloved' and David from Craig Robinsons Vets. And well done to our Margaret for winning the sweepstake in the Grand National. If you missed the chance to have your dogs portrait taken then keep an eye on our events page as we will be planning more of them in different locations.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY IN CARLISLE The cold weather and early Easter not only had an effect on our event but also on the Continental Market which was also in the City Centre at the same time. Nevertheless, our hardy members and our greyhounds resplendent in their warm fleece coats did us proud. Over £670 was raised on the day which although down a little on last year, was really quite excellent considering the wind chill. On the “doggy” front, we appear to have another foster carer and at least three possible homes to follow up. Sarah, our link with the Council, has suggested we try another Carlisle event when the weather is a little warmer and she will endeavour to identify another date.  In addition to all this, Janet Taylor, who organises dog obedience classes in south Cumbria and north Lancashire, has offered support to DCGR by distributing leaflets and raising cash via one of our charity tins. All in all, a good days work and a big thanks from DCGR to all our active membership.    Graham

Friday 21st March   A pub quiz in aid of DCGR was held at the Spinners Arms in Cummersdale on Friday 21st March. A good time was had by all who attended, including the two greyhounds (Roma and Brendan) who received lots of attention! A fantastic £170 was raised on the night, through the quiz and a raffle. DCGR would like to thank Donna Roberts for organising the evening and the Spinners Arms for their generosity in hosting the event.

THE BLUES BROTHERS ARRIVE IN KIRKGUNZEON Graham and Margaret Hill have their first 2 residents in the DCGR Kennels at Kirkgunzeon and would you believe it, they are film stars!! The kennel mates are called Jake and Ellwood after the main characters in the cult movie – “the Blues Brothers” – and have settled in very quickly to their new surroundings. The way the DCGR kennels are positioned, gives the residents shelter from the prevailing wind but also gives them a panoramic view over the surrounding hills.  If anyone out there, member or not, wishes to visit the DCGR kennels at Kirkgunzeon, give Margaret or Graham a phone at 01387 760577.

AGM - NORTH EAST BRANCH – RSPCA Graham and Al journeyed along to Hexham on the evening of Wednesday 5th March to give a talk on Greyhound Rescue to the RSPCA’s Annual General Meeting. About 30 or so people listened intently as Graham highlighted the plight of the ex-racing greyhound and were amazed how successful DCGR had been over the last 6 years. Being so close to County Durham, they were aware of the incident in Seaham and the “greyhound killing fields” and were pleased to note that hopefully incidents of a similar nature would be a thing of the past. At the end of the presentation, Al brought in our dogs – Magic and Roma – and everyone’s heart melted. They really were good ambassadors for DCGR and for the breed. One lady even wanted to take Magic home (no chance).  A couple of RSPCA members may be interested in helping DCGR by transporting dogs and we may even have a possible home!!!

Brian giving background information to the BBC interviewer BBC Camera man getting a greyhounds eye view with Al looking on. Thursday 14th February Graham and Margaret’s new house at Kirkgunzeon was the place to be on Thursday 14th February when DCGR was the centre of attraction by the press.  The Galloway News were there to highlight the proposed new emergency kennels soon to be built and a team from BBC News 24 were there to find out more about Greyhound Rescue as they were doing a “piece” on Greyhound Racing. 14 Greyhounds were on display – Magic, Darth, Timmy, Star, Doc, Roma, Holly, Robert, Lewis, Daisy, Mel, Misty, Cassie and Katie.  As usual, the greys were the stars and the humans coming in a poor second!!  Yet another good day in promotional terms for DCGR.

Greyhound Rescue talk to Dumfries Rotary The membership of Dumfries Rotary were full of admiration for the work of DCGR following Graham’s presentation on Greyhound Rescue at the Station Hotel in Dumfries on Monday 11th February.  Many of the members were aware of Greyhound Rescue but did not know how active DCGR was or indeed how successful we have been over the last 6 years.  At the end of the presentation Margaret brought in Star and Magic (Timmy and Darth not so well just now) who as usual, were on their best behaviour and “played “ to the audience.  A tin collection raised a very impressive £56 from the membership, towards the work we do.  DCGR thanks Dumfries Rotary for their generous support.           Graham

Graham in full flow! Greyhound Rescue talk in Dalry Yet another organisation is now aware if the issues surrounding the welfare of greyhounds when Graham spoke to the Dalry Good Neighbours Club on Tuesday 12 February. Nearly 30 of an audience listened intently as Graham highlighted the plight of the ex-racing greyhound and the work that DCGR does. The many questions at the conclusion of the presentation were indicative of their interest and when Margaret brought in Magic and Star, nobody listened anymore – they all wanted to speak to the dogs. The charity tin and small sales table generated an income of over £80 and once again, DCGR are overwhelmed by the generosity of the general public.  The picture shows Graham in full flow as he gives his presentation.

FIRST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR Graham and Margaret Hill took a table at the local village hall in Corsock Nr Castle Douglas on Saturday 19th January at a fundraiser for Dementia. Although very quiet financially, Graham took in Magic for the last 2 hours and just about everyone in the hall including stallholders, came over to say hello. Quite a few people (a lot actually) had never heard of DCGR so in promotional terms it was excellent publicity. Magic as usual, was so laid back he was horizontal, soaking up all the cuddles. A couple even went home to get their own dog to see how it would react to Magic as they are considering a companion dog. They got on fine so watch this space.                                                                 Graham

“ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR DCGR” Following a meeting of a local WI in Dumfries and Galloway at which members were to bring along a Christmas card they had received over the festive period, one of the DCGR Christmas Cards (Let it Snow) won the best card in the “animal category”.  It would appear that there were quite a few submitted for judging and DCGR came out the top!!         Graham