NEW YEAR GIFT TO DCGR Lucy Callandar, the grandaughter of supporter Ted Murray from Dumfries, carried out a fundraising table top sale at her primary scholl a few weeks ago and raised the magnificent sum of £50.  Lucy considered other charities to donate her well earned cash to but decided that as greyhounds were just lovely big friendly dogs and all the money would go to them, she decided that DCGR was to be the recipient.  The picture show Lucy presenting the cash to Margaret Hill DCGR's secretary along with Magic and Sky. The other shows Lucy with a special certificate presented to her to recognise her donation. A big thanks to Lucy for her generosity.

24th December 2010 The pictures above shows Al giving out some early Christmas presents, donated by the Secret Santa appeal, to some of the DCGR dogs (Hughie, Larkie and Buddy) at the Happy Houndz kennels near Lockerbie. A further two DCGR dogs have gone into the Happy Houndz kennels today and all five will stay there until either foster homes or permanent homes can be found for them, hopefully in the not too distant future. All five are assured of a warm, comfortable Christmas with lots of treats, thanks to all of the very generous people who have donated gifts or money for our appeal.

NCVS CHRISTMAS FAYRE – SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER This is an event DCGR used to do every year until the Loreburn Hall (sadly missed) was put into mothballs by the Dumfries and Galloway Council. The event was moved to DG1 – the new leisure centre in Dumfries , with costs in excess of what DCGR was prepared to pay. Nevertheless, 2 ladies (supporters of DCGR) volunteered to take a table at the event and donate the profits to DCGR. This was the second year they had supported us in this way. The event by all accounts was relatively quiet however DCGR benefitted by over £160 as a result of Dumfries people visiting the DCGR stall. There is no doubt about it that local communities whether in Cumbria or Dumfries and Galloway have a soft spot for the greyhounds and long may it continue. A big thanks from all of us to Helen for organising our attendance.

DCGR FUN GREYHOUND SHOW AND CHRISTMAS FAYRE – SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER Despite the snow and ice, a tremendous turnout at our annual show ensured a great financial return, plenty of laughs and some good bargains to be had. Graham had reduced the number of stalls to create more space for the hounds and Sally Moon (BBC Radio Cumbria) who was the judge for the day, certainly required the space to accommodate all the entries. As Sally said, “I have judged dog shows before but they were all different breeds, it’s so difficult when all the greyhounds are so well behaved and so beautiful”. Despite the challenge, Sally performed admirably and at the end of the show she picked Shiloh from Dumfries as the Champion of Champions 2010. Financially, the show generated over £4,000 with some more cash to come in.  Pictures of the winners of each class will appear on the website shortly. DCGR would like to place on record our thanks to our sponsors, supporters and members who made the show such a success. Thank you all.

MOFFAT CHRISTMAS FAYRE – SUNDAY 28TH NOVEMBER As Margaret was left at home preparing the pay in for the Bank on Monday, Graham did this event alone. The Fayre was a bit quieter than usual probably due to a combination of the weather (snow and ice) as well as the economic climate. Nevertheless, nearly £150 was raised for DCGR’s coffers in this the last fundraising event of the year. Last year we had a good few greyhounds on display which helped generate funds in the charity tin but after a change in policy (the event was more a craft fayre this year than a charity fayre as it used to be), there was no space for dogs. It was amazing however how many people came up and asked where the greyhounds were and a good few even congratulated us on our new charity shop in Lockerbie.  The power of “word of mouth”!!!!

CHARITY SHOP UPDATE Financially, the income from the charity shop at Lockerbie has been excellent and we have received many positive comments from local residents who have visited the shop and from “tourists”. Staffing the shop continues to be a challenge with our Treasurer, Margaret Hill who is acting as “shop co-ordinator” as well as performing her other “duties”, having to be at the shop every day. This was not envisaged when we took the lease but we have 6 months to sort things out. The main issue is that, while we have sufficient staff on a weekly basis, what we actually require is commitment on a longer term so that we can forward plan. In other words, it would be great if supporters/members could say, “I can give you 3 hours every Tuesday morning” or “I can do a full Thursday every fortnight”. Ideally we require three people staffing the shop but are making do with only 2 at present.  One downside and it makes you sick to the bottom of your stomach, is shoplifting.  We have had 2 items taken (1 each week) from the shop which is really upsetting as a) it is a charity shop and b) we are all volunteers working for the good of the greyhounds. With three members of staff, we could be more vigilant. Having said that, thankfully there are far more positives than negatives and we are getting our “regulars” in asking to see the dogs and spending a few pounds at the same time. As it stands, we have a 6 month lease but have to give the landlord 2 months notice to quit. This means that by 1st March, your committee will require to make a decision on whether to continue or not.  We would welcome you assistance to make the venture a continuing success.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF DCGR'S CHARITY SHOP-SATURDAY 13TH NOVEMBER Unfortunately our guest of honour Lady Johnstone, succumbed to the "bug" going round Dumfries and Galloway at the present and had to cancel her appearance. The role of opening the Charity Shop then fell to DCGR's Vice Chair, Ann Thomson and following some kind remarks from Arthur Robinson, the Life President of the charity, Ann was invited to say a few words before "cutting the ribbon". Ann reminded the audience of the hard work that had been carried out in the shop to get it ready for the "public" opening on the 8th of November and that she hoped it would provide excellent fundraising facilities and help re-home even more greyhounds. With that and in front of the local press, Ann declared the shop well and trully open. The pictures show Ann cutting the ribbon and one of her receiving a bouquet of flowers from Margaret Hill, DCGR's Treasurer. Following the Official Opening, tea and coffee with sandwiches and home baking were served. During this time, Graham took the opportunity to inform members and supporters alike that the first week of trading had been exceptionally good and had exceeded all expectations in terms of finance generated (a four figure sum was raised in 5 1/2 days). In other words an unqualified success. The only cloud on the horizon (and we are being honest here) is finding members or supporters who can commit to set days every week or every fortnight. We are staffing the shop and staffing it well but if anyone out there would like to share in our success in what we believe is the only dedicated greyhound rescue charity shop in Scotland and north west England, please give Margaret a ring on 01387 760577. If any of our readers are travelling north or south on the M74, a short (very short) detour will bring you to our shop. Please pop in for a chat and have a look at our excellent donated merchandise.

CHARITY SHOP - LOCKERBIE - UPDATE Well we are nearly there! As I write this (Friday evening)the shop has been totally painted inside and out, a new counter and window display area made and shelving put up. All the donations have been transported to the shop and the shelves, hangers and clothing rails being "dressed" for the opening on Monday the 8th. Today (Friday) was remarkable in that 4 complete strangers stopped to say hello the the dogs (Magic, Poppy and Maisie) and donated a total of £25 to the charity to "start us off". The pictures show various scenes of the shop since we have carried out the renovations.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY/CHARITY COLLECTION - CARLISLE RACECOURSE - SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER Dry, sunny weather met Graham as he arrived at Carlisle Racecourse for our annual visit - so nice, that he didn't even put up the gazebo. Unusual for him - no dogs! Magic, Poppy and Maisie were with Margaret at the charity shop in Lockerbie getting things ready for our opening on 8th November. Nevertheless, Ann with Tiffy, Trisha with Molly, Alan with Millie and Lulu, Phil with Shadow and Duke, Sue with two of her pack and Jenny with Mo Chara were the main attractions and didn't they do well.  Loads of interest in the dogs and sales of our christmas cards and calenders did well also. Over £430 raised over the day and DCGR are extremely grateful to the management team at the racecourse for inviting us and the customers who were so generous. One funny story was that Graham gor  a tip to bet on a particular horse in the 4th race - he was told to bet on horse number 1.  He duly obliged betting £5 on horse number 1 which he found out later was called WEIRD AL. For those that do not know, our re-homing co-ordinator is called AL. Well, all the members in attendance were cheering on Weird Al as he was in second place coming into the straight. Our cheers must have worked because believe it or not, Weird Al came first equal- yes a dead heat!!! And what did Graham win? - £6 - £1 profit (which he kindly donated to DCGR). The pictures show a "team photograph before Jenny arrived and one of her greyhound in fancy dress!!!

DOGGIE DISCO - SATURDAY 23RD OCTOBER Ted Murray and family decided to have a themed disco to raise cash for DCGR and on the night of Saturday 23rd October at the Mount Sidney Inn in Dumfries it took place in front of many family and friends. A tremendous night was had by one and all and even the bar staff said it was the best night they had seen in a long time. There is a story behind the fundraising event as another national animal organisation was meant to benefit but as they did not respond to a phone call and as the family know DCGR very well, the cash came to us.  Not only was there a themed disco but an earlier "pub crawl" which was sponsored, also raised a few pounds!!! The photograph shows the "Murray Team" of (left to right) Michelle Slater, Janet Murray, Ted Murray, Rosemary Murray, Roisin Hare and young Alesha Hare along with Poppy, Maisie and Magic. The other photograph shows Graham accepting a cheque for .........wait for it...... £758.  Yes, Seven hundred and fifty eight pounds. A big big thanks from all at DCGR.

DALBEATTIE 3 DAY CHARITY SHOP – 28/29/30 OCTOBER Another financial success at our annual 3 day charity shop in Dalbeattie despite some horrendous weather. Margaret set up the shop on the Wednesday, with Rosemary, a member from Dalbeattie while Graham was toiling at the Lockerbie Charity Shop. Members Barbara from Gatehouse of Fleet, Liz from Dalbeattie and Pat from Dalbeattie also assisted over the 3 days and we raised a remarkable £400 which was very acceptable considering the conditions. On the Saturday afternoon as we cleared up at Dalbeattie, Graham filled his car as well as the DCGR trailer and transported all the goods to Lockerbie. On Sunday, members Bev and Inga from Bridge of Dee uplifted more goods from Graham and Margaret’s at Kirkgunzeon and take them to Lockerbie where Margaret will be waiting to sort things out. Watch this space for a further update on the Lockerbie Shop which is fast taking shape.

IT'S A DOGS LIFE While Graham Hill and Jimmy McManaman were working in DCGR's new charity shop in Lockerbie, Magic, Poppy and Maisie curled up on their duvet/mat and just watched the world go by. So much so that members of the public who were walking by and looking into the shop to see what was going on, found themselves looking at 3 really comfortable greyhounds. On the afternoon of Friday 29th, so many people wanted to come in and say hello to the dogs that worked stopped regularly to speak the the visitors. Not to miss a trick, Graham asked all visitors for donations so we will need to wait to see what happens. One visitor has already made arrangements for goods to be donated. Things are looking veeeery positive. Picture shows what the public saw through the "square window".

DCGR'S VENTURE INTO RUNNING A CHARITY SHOP By now, all our members should have received information about our new charity shop in Lockerbie but to keep our supporters up to date as well as the membership, the following will give you a flavour of what is going on. The shop is situated at 34 -36 High Street Lockerbie and as can be seen from the photograph, it is actually 2 shops with one main entrance. Looking at the photograph (don't worry, pink paint will disappear!!) the left hand side will house the main entrance, counter area and display area, with a staff only storage area to to the rear with small kitchen area and toilets. The right hand shop which is accessed from the main entrance area, will be a display area and small fitting room (see other photographs). There is a minimal amount of joinery work required inside whilst most of the work will be painting the interior and exterior before we open to the public (8th November at the latest). A reminder to members AND to supporters that we can accept any donations (other than electrical goods) from now on, by phoning Margaret at 01387 760577.   We already have had donations of display cabinets, kettle, microwave and mannequins etc but if you feel you have something to offer either in terms of goods or time, please get in touch. As we all know, we already "recycle" greyhounds so lets get involved in "recycling" unwanted goods and help DCGR to save greyhounds.  The other pictures show the "before" shots - keep watching for the "after" shots.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY/CHARITY COLLETION - TESCO, CASTLE DOUGLAS - 23 OCTOBER Once again our members turned out in force, this time for one of the last outdoor events of the year - Tesco in Castle Douglas. We had Chris and Brian with Cassie and Nina, Rosemary and John with Harry, Bev and Inga with Davie, Maggie and Des, Tracy with Rocky and Major,Rosemary and John with Poppy and Gyp, Pat with Sky and of course Graham and Margaret with Maisie, Magic and Poppy - so loads of dogs for the public to see. Honestly (and we have said it before) the smiles on peoples faces had to be seen to believed. Tesco were kind enough to allow us to use the foyer area and it kept the chill wind away so customers were more than happy to stay and talk for a while. When Graham and Margaret counted the charity tins when they got home, there was an amazing £408!  DCGR are indebted to Tesco and the people of Castle Douglas for being so generous. The pictures show some scenes of the event.

TALK ON DCGR TO GLENLOCHAR WI - THURSDAY 14TH OCTOBER For the first time, Graham travelled to give a talk without Margaret as she was in Glasgow taking her dad for a hospital appointment, so Chris and Brian were "volunteered" to help.  As Margaret said - 3 men to do a woman's job is just about right! 15 ladies of the WI were in the audience and listened intently as Graham recounted the story of greyhounds in general, DCGR in particular as well as all the unique ways in which we raise cash. At the end of the presentation, Magic, Nina and Cassie were introduced to the ladies and didn't they just love it.  Yet another success for DCGR in informing people of how wonderful greyhounds are as pets and over £40 raised as well. The picture shows some of the ladies of Glenlochar WI with Magic, Nina and Cassie.

GREYHOUND AWARENESS - LUSH, CARLISLE From the week commencing Monday, 11th October, LUSH Cosmetics on a national basis, organised a greyhound awareness week to highlight the plight of racing greyhounds. While LUSH were going down the road of the "betting" side of the racing industry, DCGR were invited along on Wednesday 13th October to explain to LUSH customers in Carlisle, the "re-homing" aspect of greyhounds once they had finished racing. This was purely an awareness event but nonetheless, a charity tin was requested by LUSH and we will find out at the end of the week how generous their customers were. Although we were only there for 2 hours, the attention the greyhounds were getting was phenomenal and Graham, who was carrying a spare charity tin just in case, was actually stopped in the street by a number of people who donated some coppers completely unsolicited. The picture shows, Magic, Poppy, Maisie, Lady and Misty, posing with the staff of LUSH, Carlisle.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - TESCO LOCKERBIE - SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER A good turn out of members and their greyhounds and relatively good weather ensured that customers to Tesco in Lockerbie were in for a treat at DCGR's second Meet a Greyhound Day at the store. From 10am till about 3pm, there was a non stop queue of people wanting to say hello to the dogs and to have a chat with our members. Even although it was dry, there was a chill wind so Tesco offered the cover of the entrance hallway for the dogs and it was very much appreciated. Over the few hours we were there, we raised a magnificent £300 towards our work and Blue, the "blood transfusion greyhound" which made local and national press and TV, found a home with other greyhounds in Wamphrey. All in all, a marvellous day for DCGR. The pictures show a "group" shot and one of Albert, sitting on his owner Julia's lap.

TESCO COMMUNITY FAIR - SUNDAY 26 SEPTEMBER - ANNAN Due to Graham and Margaret's holiday, Chris and Brian manned to stall at this unique event in Annan. It wasn't a fundraiser but a means of showcasing the work DCGR does in the community by re-homing greyhounds. Helping Chris and Brian who had Cassie and Nina, were Jim and Maureen with Vharie, Maggie with Misty and Mel and Phil with Shadow and Duke. It remained dry during the day although was a little chilly in the wind at times but nevertheless, the greyhounds were kept nice and warm with the amount of cuddles they were getting. Plenty of leaflets were handed out so hopefully these will bear fruit in the future. The picture shows one of the "attractions" to the stall passing the greyhounds. This would make a fantastic "caption competition" !!!!!

Saturday 25th September Meet a Greyhound Day at Southwaite Services, off the M6 - despite fears earlier in the week that the weather was going to be bad, it turned out to be a beautiful dry and mainly sunny day, though the wind was a bit chilly at times! Lot's of people took the time to stop and admire the greyhounds and put some money into the charity tins, some who live fairly local even took our details, so you never know we may even get a homecheck from the day! Just over £380 was made on the day and our thanks go to all our members who turned up from far and wide - most of whom unfortunately are not in the picture which was taken at the start of the day. The only problem we had was at the end of the day when little Rosie being fostered by Al and Judy, did not want to get up off her cosy bed on the floor to go home!

YARROW AND ETTRICK SHOW - SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER An early start (6am) for Margaret and Graham along with Magic and Poppy (strange not to mentioned Star's name) for an 8am arrival at Selkirk ensured that we were set up nice and early for the public. They were soon joined by Brian and Chris, who had travelled from New Galloway, along with Nina, Cassie, Mel and Misty and thereafter by other local members with their own greys. At our peak, we had 10 greyhounds on display and once again, they were a great attraction to our stall. The weather was not only sunny, it was glorious and the only downside for the day was when Graham got "scalped" setting up the gazebo (no laughing please). A good number of people took away leaflets and many more were amazed at how "chilled out" all the greyhounds were. In financial terms, over £240 was raised on the day but in publicity terms - immeasurable! The photographs show a "team" picture of our members and there greyhounds along with one of Magic and Poppy "resting".

HAPPY HOUNDZ KENNELS - 6th September DCGR are pleased to announce that members Margaret and Mandy Bleasdale who have just opened a commercial kennels nr Lockerbie have donated two of their ten kennels to DCGR for our sole use! For more information and pictures of the kennels please go to our Dogs Welcome page.

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND - HOUGHTON HALL GARDEN CENTRE - SAT/SUN 4/5 SEPTEMBER What's happening - almost 4 fundraising weekends in a row and no rain!!! The weekend at Houghton Garden Centre was no exception and wonderful weather was with us both days. Although not overly busy, we were constant and there was always at least one family speaking to and stroking the greyhounds we had on display. I think Houghton Hall raised quite a few pennies themselves from our members who could not resist the temptation of having a look round and buying something. Anyway, this was another success for DCGR with a marvellous £730+ being raised to help save our greyhounds and the possibility of at least a couple of homechecks in the near future. A really big thanks from DCGR to the management of Houghton Hall Garden Centre for allowing us to hold our event at their premises.  The pictures show a variety of scenes/dogs at this event.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - KESWICK - AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY Our first ever Meet a Greyhound Day in Keswick was such a success that we will definitely be back next year!The weather was glorious and with a good number of greyhounds on display we "wowed" both locals and tourists alike. From 10am till 4pm there was a constant stream of people to our stall and as usual, the greyhounds were in tremendous form "soaking up" all the attention that was on offer. Despite what seemed to be a multitude of border and lakeland terriers, our greys were as aloof as ever and not rising to the bait of all the small yappy dogs. Over £500 was raised during the day and many people took away leaflets for the future.  The pictures show a variety of scenes of the stall in the town centre.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY, PAWS BY THE LAKE, AMBLESIDE, AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY SUNDAY The August Bank Holiday Sunday turned out to be dry but VERY windy, for our Meet a Greyhound Day at Paws by the Lake Ambleside, still it made a change from the rain we have had there the last two years running! Perhaps because of the wind it wasn't as busy as it could have been, but we still made a very respectable £66 from the charity tins and sales. Many thanks to our members who turned up to support us, their help was much appreciated, Judy forgot to take her camera so we have no photo's of them!

FUNDRAISING Following the item on Newsnight (BBC 2  - 26th August), DCGR would like to assure our members and supporters that we do NOT engage in employing a third party  to fundraise for our charity – otherwise known as “chugging”.  DCGR relies on our many Meet a Greyhound Days and other fundraising events “manned” by our volunteers to raise cash and as at present we do not have paid employees or premises, everything goes to the welfare of the greyhounds in our care. Any surplus is invested in a “kennel account(s)” where our long term aim is to have a dedicated centre of our own.  Just take a look at our News and Stories - any listed year - will show how we are out in all weathers to raise funds for these magnificent animals.

"NEW DOGS ON THE BLOCK" DCGR have just taken posession of a group of 10 new Huggyhoundz which we are urgently trying to find homes for. They will make an ideal surprise christmas present although please remember that a huggy is for life, not just for christmas. The "new" huggies feature a bandana with the DCGR logo thereon and can be adopted for the sum of £13 + pp.  They will soon be on the webshop at www.dcgr.co.uk but their first outing is here on the home website. Call Margaret at 01387 760577 for further information.

MULTI CHARITY TABLE TOP SALE - ANNAN - SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST DCGR were invited to take part in a multi-charity table top sale in the Market Hall in Annan on Saturday 28th August and Margaret went along with some donated new "goodies". She was ably assisted by members Jim and Maureen from Annan.  Although relatively quiet (we didn't have greyhounds with us!!!)we still managed to raise a creditable £40 towards the funds and also to advertise our charity at the same time. The pictures show Jim and Maureen and Margaret and Maureen "posing" at the stall.

KNICKERS ETC Avid readers of the website will know that Gretna Gateway donated a large amount of quality ladies lingerie to DCGR to sell for funds. With LOADS left, DCGR has raised a staggering £700 and it is hoped that we will reach £1,000 during the coming months in the run up to Christmas. We will probably use our web shop at www.dcgr.co.uk to sell some items and we may even use Ebay to sell some more.  Anyone interested in purchasing a good quality lingerie garment(s) at really good prices, should phone Margaret at 01387 760577 for more information.

Members Brian and Bev attracting people to our stall Cassie doing what greyhounds do best Member Gillian showing off homeless dog Mick Little Tazir and big Brendan Member Bev with Maggie and Dave, having a rest after one of the parades Member Emma with one of the twins and Nellie GALLOWAY COUNTRY FAIR – SAT/SUN 21/22 AUGUST For the first time in years, the weather for the Galloway Country Fair was wonderful and due to the sun, many, many people visited the fair and what a treat they got. There was everything from aerobatics to terrier racing and from battle re-enactments to falconry but as usual, the main attraction was our greyhounds.  DCGR were asked to do 2 parades on the Saturday and 1 on the Sunday and what a selection we had. There were 28 greyhounds on display on the Saturday (the busiest day) while 19 came on the Sunday. In years past and because we are usually the first on, not many people were in the showground at 10.30 in the morning but this year was different and the barriers were lined with people eager to see our dogs and have a laugh at Molly running in circles as well as some of our elderly members trotting (some even sprinting) with greyhounds on tow. On the re-homing front, we have possibly found homes for a couple of greyhounds but quite a few members of the public took leaflets to keep for the future once their circumstances had changed.  Financially, we did rather well with over £630 raised in the two days. A big thanks from the committee to all DCGR members who came along and took part. The pictures show various scenes of our members and our stall.

DALSTON SHOW - SATURDAY 14TH AUGUST Graham booked a bigger pitch than usual to accommodate the caravan, and 2 gazebos side by side and although it gave us plenty of room, it didn't appear to be as busy as the previous year.  Having said that, quite a few folk stopped by either to pick up a greyhound related item or to stroke the dogs and throw a few pennies in the charity tin. At it's peak, we had 15 greyhounds on display and as usual, they lapped up the attention. The weather stayed kind which meant that the gazebos were used to shade the dogs (and owners) from the sun rather than protect from the rain - now isn't that a change!! The day's takings were well down on last year being just over £155 compared to over £300.  At the end of this year's fundraising, Graham will analyse our major events and decide whether to reduce our outlay in pitch fees and concentrate on the charity tins rather than carry sales stock and bric a brac as well.  For example, this event cost £75 in pitch fees and the income broken down (figures rounded up)was £30 in stock sales, £25 in bric a brac, £11 donation from "Graham's Rolls" and £91 in charity tins.  The pictures show a "team" photograph and one of a member of the public admiring our dogs.

DUMFRIES SHOW - SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST Graham set up the DCGR caravan on the Friday night and was glad he did for Saturday morning was damp, dismal and drizzly. However at about 8am it cleared and the remainder of the days was glorious. Over the 8 hours, we had 20 greyhounds "showing off" to the public by doing their usual thing - lazing about in the sunshine. Unlike most dogs, the greyhounds just lay there on the grass waiting to be petted and boy, were they petted!! Graham had booked a larger space than normal to accommodate the caravan and 2 gazebos while we were also quite lucky in that there was an open space on the opposite side of the walkway which we utilised with greyhounds as well. After the judging of the farm animals, 2 generous people donated their prize money to DCGR for which we are extremely gratefull. In addition, Graham had brought our donated lingerie to the show to transfer to Judy for her forthcoming "lingerie party" and when word got around we had people asking to view the items even although they were not on display. The day generated £499.96 for the charity and considering the economic climate that was terrific. The icing on the cake was the re-homing of Cindy to a family in Dalrymple, Ayrshire who had come down specially to see her with a view of adoption. The pictures show a couple of scenes just after the gates opened to the public.

GATEHOUSE OF FLEET GALA – SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST Margaret and her team of Brian and Chris with Linda and John + a few others had a similar success to the other two events held on the same day probably due to the lovely weather that they all experienced.  The Gatehouse Gala is a “traditional” family event commencing with a parade through Gatehouse and eventually ending up in the field where the Gala Day is held.  This means that there is plenty of time to set up but when the parade reached the field EVERYONE is there at once – there is no slow build up as literally hundreds of people arrive at the same time.  Margaret had some items of bric a brac to sell and also took along the “Domino Tombola” game for children. During the afternoon events, DCGR had about 12 greyhounds on display and the children (and adults) just loved it.  One funny incident was when a visitor brought a really large Newfoundland dog towards the stall and ALL the greyhounds took fright and wanted to get out of it’s way!!  Financially, another great success with just over £200 raised on the day – what a really good fundraising event and fun too!

MORRISONS (CARLISLE) - CAN COLLECTION - SATURDAY 7TH AUGUST Audrey and Wendy, our stalwarts from Carlisle along with Pauline, "manned" an information table/sales table at Morrisons in Carlisle while Graham and his team did the Dumfries Show and Margaret did the Gatehouse of Fleet Gala with her team (see separate reports). It says a lot for Audrey and Wendy that they stayed "on post" from 9.30 in the morning to 7.15 in the evening, collecting for the greyhounds and selling our notepads and pens etc. Suffice to say, that the commitment of Audrey and Wendy with Pauline's assistance, raised a marvellous £246 towards to aims of DCGR which added to Dumfries and to Gatehouse nearly raised £1,000 for a days work. Well done everybody.

STEWARTRY AGRICULTURAL SHOW - 5 AUGUST Graham and Margaret with Maddie, Magic, Poppy and Star, ably assisted by Chris and Brian with Cassie and Nina and joined later by Dee, Emma and Russell with Tizzy and Nellie, ensured that there were plenty of greyhounds on show at the Stewartry Show in Castle Douglas. The weather remained fine with only a couple of showers which meant that the public were "on the go" all the time. Many of the visitors to the show stopped to say hello and Graham entered Magic and Poppy into the Best Hound category of the "proper" dog show while he and Magic entered the "Best 6 Legs" category of the Fun Dog Show part of the event. The reason, to show the public how well behaved greyhounds are and how magestic they look. Poppy achieved Second Place in the hound category despite stiff opposition from all sorts of hounds and Magic and Graham (yes Graham not Margaret) won First Place in the Best 6 Legs. Just over £99 was raised on the day and the pictures show Magic and Poppy with their rosettes and a general picture of our stall.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – ASDA CARLISLE – SATURDAY 31ST JULY At last we had a dry day although believe it or not, the BBC promised rain. Nevertheless, our new gazebo was erected just in case but even if it did rain, we had too many people (nice complaint) to fit under it.  We had at our optimum, 22 greyhounds on display which is about the largest we have had on show this year – and didn’t they do well. We arrived at 10am, set up and we were virtually non stop until we packed up at 3.45. Although the pictures don’t really show it (they were taken right at the beginning), literally hundreds of people stopped to say hello with a considerable amount of them chatting for a good while about adopting or fostering greyhounds. What a shock however when we counted the contents of the charity tin when we found £500.54 !!!!! It would appear that this may be an all time record for a charity collecting at ASDA in Carlisle . A big thanks to all our members who came along and helped raise this magnificent amount of money and a special mention for ASDA who are extremely supportive of DCGR.

RSPCA (Northumberland West) FUN DOG SHOW - SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST Quite a few people turned up for this annual event at Otterburn and the weather stayed fine although a little windy until we began to pack up and yes, it rained. Like most dog show's we have attended (other than our own!!), no-one really was interested in our greyhounds as they were more interested in their own dogs and trying to win a rosette. Luckily the pitch was free as we only raised £7.45 on the day. Thanks to Ann for assisting Graham and Margaret and to Magic, Star, Poppy, Maddie and Tiffy for being absolutely excellent during the day despite all the yapping and barking (even fighting) of some of the other breeds.  What an excellent advert for greyhounds. Pictures show Margaret and Ann with the dogs at the rear of our stall and a picture of Magic "relaxing" after achieving 3rd place in the Rescue Dog of the Year competition.

PRESIDENT'S BBQ - SUNDAY 25TH JULY The annual Presidents BBQ was another unqualified success with a great number of members and their Greyhounds - 79 was the final count - enjoying the entertainment, a chat, some food, display and sale of greyhound related goods and the opportunity to see 79 greyhounds running free in Arthur's garden. Courtesy of Terry, burgers and sausage were the staple BBQ food and Agnes supplied the salad accompaniment. Dick was in charge of entertainment, Liam organised and manned a fundraising game, Margaret and Judy were in charge of sales and Graham and Robert cooked and served the burgers.  Claire and Loraine kept everyone supplied with tea and coffee and Carol and Leslie were avqailable for photographs, so it really was a team effort. Although not meant to be a fundraiser as such, it is one of the few times that we have so many greyhound people in the one place at the one time so Graham, not to miss a fundraising trick, took all the stock the charity has to the event including some new items recently imported from America. Nearly £700 was raised on the day and our thanks to Arthur for hosting the event. The main vote of thanks however have to be for the dogs - they were excellent, well behaved and a credit to the breed. The pictures show various scenes from the BBQ. To see a short film of the BBQ on YouTube click here

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – KIRKCUDBRIGHT 24TH JULYNot too bad weather ensured we had 7 dogs together with owners and they attracted quite a few people to the stall. We arrived at 9.45am and we closed down (as it started to rain) at 2.10pm.  Also in attendance was a couple with 3 greyhounds who were on holiday in the area and stayed to help even although one of the greyhounds was injured following a recent attack by another dog. Altogether, over £54 was raised on the day but more importantly, a couple of really interested potential adopters.  Picture shows general view of the stall.

A FIRST FOR DCGR Following the closure of a lingerie shop in our area, DCGR have been donated approx 2000 (yes two thousand) pieces of lingerie to sell to raise funds for the charity. The items range from bras' - all sizes, colours and designs to knickers - all sizes colours and designs - ALL NEW - and both "trendy" and traditional, with label prices ranging from £3.99 to £12.99. DCGR will be taking samples to most of the events we attend. If you are looking for a gift for yourself or friend or relation, give Margaret a ring on 01387 760577. Prices will NOT be that on the label. The pictures show Margaret and Daughter-in-Law Carol-Anne, sorting out the donation. MEMBERS please note that lingerie parties are being planned for both Loch Maben and Carlisle, in the near future, watch out for more details on the website.

CUMBERLAND SHOW - SATURDAY 18TH JULY Even although the Cumberland Show changed venues, the weather certainly didn't - it was a wash-out!! Graham towed the DCGR caravan onto the site the night before and was very impressed with the ground conditions even although it was difficult finding the pitch. Alan and Bev along with Al came along later and by 7pm the gazebo's were up and the caravan awning as well. It was decided this year to book a bigger space so we could get 2 gazebos' side by side and weren’t we glad we did. The Saturday morning weather was atrocious and by 11am, the pedestrian areas were almost ankle deep in mud and the area's where the lorries and cars were using was unbelievably bad. Nevertheless, our hardy bunch of volunteers and their greyhounds braved the rain and enhanced the cause of greyhound rescue. One excellent piece of news from the morning was that Graham was interviewed live on BBC Radio Cumbria. The afternoon wasn't much better although when the sun came out, you could ensure that 5 mins later it rained again! By this time, the pathways were like treacle. Taking the opportunity of a dry spell, we packed up just before 4pm and got out (relatively easily) before the rush started.  DCGR would like to thank again our regular members and their greyhounds for turning up in such bad weather and a special thanks to Audrey and Wendy who looked after the stall after taking over an hour to find us and walking all that time in the torrential rain.  Thanks ladies. Over £150 was raised during the day and the pictures show the Gazebo's prior to the event opening (they provided excellent cover) and a couple of shots of the event itself.

Saturday afternoon Saturday afternoon Sunday morning Sunday morning KIRKCUDBRIGHT GARDEN AND PLANT FAIR – SAT/SUN 10TH / 11TH JULY Summer is here once again!  Graham and Margaret set up the stall for the weekend’s activities on the Friday night and they were glad they did. Saturday was dry until our parade at 1pm and the heavens opened.  Needless to say, no-one was watching - everyone was under cover in the trade tents, but nevertheless, our members and their greyhounds did us proud in the torrential rain. The event itself was relatively quiet probably due to the weather and probably due to the fact that people had maybe planned to come on the Sunday. Yes – there was always tomorrow!!  Graham stayed overnight in the caravan with Magic while Margaret returned home to Kirkgunzeon with Star and Poppy (Star not too well just now). Well the wind and the rain came about 3am and when Graham looked out of the caravan window about 5am, 4 or 5 gazebo’s had been blown down and one of the main craft tents was a bit on the wobbly side.  At 6am, the organisers came round and due to the present weather and the forecasted weather, it was decided to cancel the Sunday.  For a couple of hours, Graham and Margaret struggled to get the DCGR gazebo down in the high wind (gazebo was rock solid during the wind and rain) as well as the awning which again was a struggle.  The pictures illustrate the weather perfectly.  Our takings for the event were obviously well down on last year and amounted to just under £140

ELVIS AND PRISCILLA PRESLEY VISIT DUMFRIES What a coup for DCGR.  During the Big Parade in Dumfries last month, this covert photograph was taken by the paparazzie and has only come to light. It was obtained by DCGR for a small fee (5p). It shows Elvis and Priscilla quietly and unobtrusively with some of our members greyhounds, trying not to be noticed and attempting to blend in with the surroundings. Some may have thought that Elvis "died" some years ago but his many fans have been proved right and that he is still very much alive and walks unnoticed amongst us even to this day. Graham has managed, after prolonged negotiations, to arrange for a re-appearance of Elvis and his good lady at future fundraising events (huh huh huh).

Dumfries Meet a Greyhound Day - Saturday 3rd July The rain held off, though it was a very blustery day, with a number the charity cans being blown off the table at the beginning of the day, thankfully they were too heavy by the end of the day! A number of our members turned up over the course of the day to support DCGR and their presence with their dogs as usual made all the difference, as members of the public came over to stroke the dogs and put some money in the tins. Although Dumfries was very quiet for a Saturday we still raised a fantastic £320 in the collection tins, so a big thank you to everyone for their support.

Moffat Meet a Greyhound Day - Saturday 26th June The Meet a Greyhound day in Moffat was attended by a number of members from the local area, unfortunately for us Moffat was the quietest we have ever seen it, especially for a Saturday! And as the weather was so hot and there was no shade for the dogs, Arthur decided to call it a day at 2.00pm, with the grand total of £49.02 in the charity tins. The picture shows, Phil, Yvonne, Maggie, Viv and Jamie-Lee making the most of the sun.

GUID NYCHBURRIS DAY PARADE - SATURDAY 19TH JUNE Well DCGR has done it again!! For the third year in a row, we have won the Geordie Dyer Trophy for the best Walking Entry at the Guid Nychburris (Good Neighbours) Big Parade in Dumfries. This year the theme was "You're Nothing but a Hound Dog" and you've guessed - we were all dressed Elvis Presley or as young girls from the 1950's and the dogs wore bibs bearing the legend "I'm a "Grey" Hound Dog". The trailer was fitted with a high-fi blasting out Elvis singing "You're Nothing But a Hound Dog" and over 20 members and 20 greyhounds were on display in absolutely gorgeous weather and the public of Dumfries were out in their thousands. If DCGR had a £1 for every photograph taken or for every ooh and aah, we wouldn't need to fundraise for years.  A big thanks from Graham to all the members who got into the spirit of the occasion and dressed to thrill, especially Al who was actually mistaken for the real Elvis!! The photographs without captions, were taken during the run up to the parade - see if you can guess who is who?

1st Brownie Badge for DCGR! Brownie Alex Carruthers wanted to earn her Animal Care badge, so she offered to help DCGR with the greyhounds. Alex worked hard, grooming and walking the dogs in our DCGR kennels at Wetheral and even turned up at a Meet a Greyhound Day in Penrith to help fundraise for us. So well done to Alex for getting her hard earned badge!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - WILKINSON'S, CASTLE DOUGLAS - SATURDAY 12 JUNE This new event for DCGR went extremely well and the staff were exceptionally friendly, when we held a Meet a Greyhound Day at Wilkinson's at Castle Douglas. We were positioned just inside the foyer and "captain" for the day - Chris Newman organised his troops well. The Greys on display were Cassie, Nina, Minnie, Boots, Mel and Misty and once Graham and Margaret were finished at the Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival (see separate entry), they stopped by with Magic, Star, Poppy and Teal. The day went without a hitch and when the cash was counted, nearly £200 was raised for DCGR funds. The greys were so well behaved that we have been invited back to do a similar event next year.  A big thanks to Bev at Wilkinson's for organising it for us and the staff for being so helpful.  The pictures show some of our hardy volunteers with members of staff and a general picture of the stall.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT JAZZ FESTIVAL - SATURDAY 12 JUNE Glorious weather, magnificent scenery, foot tapping music and friendly and generous people was the verdict after our annual visit to Kirkcudbright for the Jazz Festival. The event attracts jazz fans from all over the UK and we think the majority of them stopped at our stall to say hello. As usual, this is a place to sell our quality bric a brac and we weren't disappointed with just under £170 raised in sales and in our charity tins. Once more, there were plenty of greyhounds to see with Magic, Star, Poppy, Teal, Shadow, Duke, Rocky and Jeff all attracting people to our stall and "encouraging" them to throw some coins in the charity tins. If any of our members haven't been to this one before, they are missing a very good event and should watch the website for next year's date.

GUID NYCHBURRIS WINDOW DRESSING COMPETITION For the second year in a row, DCGR have been given permission by Peter and Jackie Bacci of the newsagents in the Whitesands, Dumfries to dress their window for the Guid Nychburris Window Dressing Competition. We are hoping to emulate our success in winning first prize in the Retail Section in 2009 and this year, the theme is “ Dumfries – Queen of the South”.  Our entry is using the connection between Elvis Presley who was THE KING of Rock and Roll and Dumfries , which is THE QUEEN of the South and also the birthplace of Greyhound Rescue.  A bit of a tenuous connection we know but hey ho – it’s a bit of fun and you never know how the judges will view it.  If any of our Dumfries members are in the town, pop in to the shop and have a laugh (or a groan) at our entry.  Pictures will follow if we get a placing.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - TESCO ANNAN - SUNDAY 6TH JUNE We received a very warm welcome from Lisa (the Community Champion)at Tesco in Annan on Sunday 6th June and were given a prime spot just inside the foyer (really glad as it started to rain later on). After a slow start, it fair picked up and we eventualy had queues waiting to say hello to the greyhounds. At this event, we had Tiffy, Teal, Ben, Struan, Ollie, Frankie and Vharie on display and raised a magnificent £193.  A big thanks to Tesco for allowing us to show off the dogs and raising so much money. The pictures show Lisa with Teal and Ann with Tiffy "manning" the stall and an unusual picure of Ben who was determined to blend into the background!!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - CASTLE DOUGLAS - SATURDAY 5TH JUNE Glorious weather met us at Castle Douglas for our annual Meet a Greyhound Day at Market Car Park on Saturday 5th June and loads of locals and tourists stopped to say hello to our members and to admire the greyhounds. As usual, the greyhounds were absolutely marvellous with the hordes of youngsters that wanted to "hug" a greyhound and even take some home!! With the weather getting warmer, our members moved over towards the shade of the trees but that didn't stop people taking that extra step to come over and say hello. With apologies to anyone missed, the greyhounds on display were Teal, Cassie, Nina, Sam, Honey, Shiloh, Nellie, Tizzie, Belle, Minnie, Frisbee and Jasper. The day raised over £123 for which DCGR is extremely grateful.

AGM - FRIDAY 4TH JUNE - ROCKCLIFFE A healthy turn out of members for our Annual General Meeting shows the enthusiasm for the charity and a keen interest in the work we do. The only change to last year's committee was Ann Thomson from Aspatria who replaced Loraine Nicol from Lochmaben as Vice Chair. The business part of the meeting took it's course with each of the committee members giving a brief report on the past year's work which, by all forms of measurement, was extremely good. Our Chair, Judy Todd in her report, informed members of our long term plans for the future and the feasibility document produced by Carol Kershaw into having a dedicated rescue centre although she reminded everyone that we will not put our existing strong position in jeopardy by taking a leap too far. Another important issue she mention was the committee itself and how new blood is needed in the future to bring fresh ideas to the fore.  After the business part of the meeting was concluded, the meeting adjourned to the cafeteria for a most excellent coffee break with home baking and then returned to hear our guest speaker Hazel Halliday a partner in Millers Veterninary Practice from Lockerbie who gave a most interesting and graphic account of all things relevent to greyhounds. The pictures show various scenes from the AGM.

UPPERBY GALA - MONDAY 31ST MAY The last fund-raising day of an exhausting Bank Holiday Weekend for Graham and Margaret as they attended the Upperby Gala in Carlisle with Magic, Star, Poppy and foster dog, Teal.  They were ably assisted by Alan and Bev, Jenny, Trisha and Pauline with their dogs while Audrey and Wendy "manned" the stall. The Gala was exceptionally busy and the weather was wonderful but we wonder if it's a sign of the times as our income from the day was well down on last year. No complaints however as "every penny counts" for DCGR and we are extremely grateful for the £135 raised on the day. Although arguably a little too warm for the dogs, there was plenty of shade and when Trish and Pauline with Mollie and Lady came back with rosettes from the RSPCA Fun Dog Show, it generated a lot of smiles from everyone. The picture shows Alan collecting with the charity tin and our greyhounds being shown off to members of the public under the shade of a nearby tree.

BARONY COLLEGE OPEN DAY – SUNDAY 30TH MAY The weather was dry for the most time although there was a cool wind, but nonetheless, Graham and Margaret, ably assisted by Maggie and Brian Horan along with Magic, Star, Poppy, Shiloh and Honey thrilled the crowds (and there was many – estimated to be 3,000) with the display of totally laid back greyhounds.  With the many books that have been donated to DCGR over the past few months, Graham and Margaret only took books to sell and were amazed at the end of the day when over £160 was raised for our funds. Very many people stopped to say hello to the dogs and Brian was complaining about the weight of the charity tin string cutting into his hands!! Unfortunately Graham forgot to take his camera so no pictures.  Once again, the dogs were marvellous and coped extremely well with all the attention, barking small dogs and even ferrets!!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - NEWTON STEWART - SATURDAY 29TH MAY The bad weather forecast for the region was actually correct for the annual Meet a Greyhound Day at Riverside Car Park, Newton Stewart. Although we had 14 greyhounds on display, there weren't many people around so the donations of over £45 refelected the dismal weather.  Nonetheless, it just goes to show how keen and enthusiastic our membership is, some travelling from Stranraer to attend. It may be that next year, Graham (if elected at the AGM), will apply for a permit to do a can shake in the town centre rather than placing ourselves in the public car park. DCGR would like to thank all our members for their attendance and to Tracy for "controlling" the event while Graham was in Kendal at the first MAG Day there. The photographs show a couple of the scenes at the venue.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – TESCO. LOCKERBIE ROAD , DUMFRIES – SATURDAY 29TH MAY By all accounts, a very successful day at Tesco in terms of cash raised – over £180 – and in terms of potential homes with 3 people asking for a follow up visit. This event was one of 3 scheduled for the same day but even although all these events were on, there will still plenty of greyhounds to see at each event.  Arthur controlled this event and as usual, the public just adore stopping to say hello to the dogs and their owners. Attending at this event were Phil Davies and his pack, Mandy and Margaret Bleasdale and their pack, Maggie and Brian Horan and their pack, Arthur and his pack and Dick and Sandie with Queenie.  A big thanks from DCGR to Tesco for allowing us to hold this event and to their customers who were as generous as ever. The pictures show Shadow enjoying the rest and a pack of hounds very interested in Dick – does he have any treats I wonder?

Picture taken by a new 'fan' of greyhounds who came to see us at Kendal Picture of Magic taken by a well wisher who visited the Meet a Greyhound Day MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - KENDAL - SATURDAY 29TH MAY Once again the weather forecast was atrocious but when Graham and Margaret eventually arrived in Kendal after a 2 hour drive, they found the town nearly dry (a few light showers) and the town packed with shoppers. After setting up in Market Place, the public were visitng the stall continuously and what interest there was! Graham has been to almost all the MAG Days since the charity started 8 years ago, but found this particular one unusual in that so many people had never seen a racing greyhound before and were EXTREMELY interested in the work we do. Because it was so showery, Graham had the leaflets under cover so it is a measure of the interest generated by our attendance that so many people asked for contact information prior to leaving the stand. Graham had asked the local paper to do a "piece" on DCGR prior to our attendance and we would like to thank them for doing just that as many people came into town specifically to see the greyhounds. In all we had 7 greyhounds on display - Magic, Star, Poppy, Deakon, Blue, Rosie and Pearl and the pictures show 2 views of the event. DCGR raised an amazing £301.90 in the 4 hours we were there and we are thankful to the generosity of the people of Kendal.

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND - CREAM O GALLOWAY ICE CREAM FACTORY -  22/23 MAY We had marvellous weather for the 2 days of this event - maybe too good, for although we had plenty of greyhounds on display, we think the public were relaxing on the beach rather than doing some exercise at the Cream o Galloway Ice Cram Factory's extensive and energy sapping play area.  Having said that, many visitors stopped to say hello from varying parts of the globe, including Germany.  Graham decided that we would have a book stall at this event as so many books have been donated and it seemed to go very well. One man in his late 30's found a book in the children's section which was the first book he had ever read at primary school and he bought it to remind himself of the good times at school!!!! Nearly £140 was raised over the 2 days and many people left with a new understanding of how lazy these animals actually are. Luckily, the Ice Cream Factory had built an enlosed area in their courtyard which provided excellent cover from the sun which really was quite hot at times.  The pictures show various view of the stall and of some of the greyhounds that attended over the 2 days.

Chance's Park, Morton, Carlisle, Saturday 22nd May The fete to celebrate the opening of the re-vamped Chance's Park was not as busy as expected, especially given the fact that the weather was glorious, however our members and their dogs were there to help support us and thanks to them we raised a fantastic £108 for an afternoon's work. Thanks to our new gazebo there was plenty of shade for the dogs and their owners, Audrey was particularly happy that Al had his shorts on and Judy wasn't there! Pictures show various scenes of the stall and helpers.

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND - GRETNA GATEWAY VILLAGE - SAT/SUN 15TH/16TH MAY For the first time we have attended at Gretna Gateway Village, it was dry for the full 2 days and we were even without jackets on the Sunday as it was moderately warm. Over the 2 days, we must have had about 35 greyhounds on display and many many people stopped to say hello and to contribute to funds. We also handed out a good dozen information leaflets to interested members of the public and hopefully we will get a few follow up phone calls as well. The greyhounds were - just greyhounds, absolutely magnificent, coping with young children and barking small dogs alike. We have said it before and we will say it again, they are DEFINITELY a breed apart, as they are marvellous in situations like this. It was particularly nice to see Rosemary and John from Dumfries come along to help despite losing their beloved Boris only a few weeks ago.Over the 2 days. We raised over £570 which was nearly £100 up on last year and we are very grateful for the generosity of visitors to Gretna.  The photographs show various scenes from the 2 days. On top of all this, Clinton Cards from the outlet village donated £79 and we received over £11 in a charity tin from Christies.

Meet a Greyhound Day, Cumbria Bridleways Society “Packs and Tracks 2010” The weather stayed dry, though for the most part very cold, for our first visit to the Cumbria Bridleways Society "Packs and Tracks" event. Although the event was not as busy as we could have hoped for, the people who were there showed quite a bit of interest in the greyhounds and the members who were there were able to enjoy a chat with each other, which is something that we don't often get the chance to do at these events! Just over £70 was made on the day, mainly in sales but with a bit in the charity tins. The best news is that we have one definite home check and at least one other possible one. The picture shows the early bird members who arrived at the very start of the day.

ELVIS IS IN THE HOUSE!!! Graham is getting things ready for the Guid Nychburris Day Parade in Dumfries on Saturday 19th June and here is a clue regarding our entry when Margaret and Magic welcome Elvis Presley to Kirkgunzeon. At present, the volunteers are Graham and Margaret themselves, Al and Judy (wait to you see Al's costume) Scilla Denis, Colin and Suzie Donaldson (and family), Inga and Bev, Ann Thomson, Tricia Fontana, Jenny Bragg, Dhariat Gibson and friend Kirsten and Maggie Horan and son Calum - all with greyhounds. There is still plenty of room for more volunteers.  If you are game for a laugh and want to help DCGR promote greyhounds as family pets, give Graham a phone at 01387 760577. You don't need to be a member or even have a greyhound - you are more than welcome to come along and join the parade. The more the merrier.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - PETS AT HOME,CARLISLE - 9TH MAY Although it was forecast showers, it stayed dry for our annual Meet a Greyhound Day at Pets at Home on Sunday 9th May. Readers of our site will know that we were meant to be at Pets at Home in Dumfries on the same day, but due to a fire in the retail park, it had to be cancelled. As it was relatively nice, lot's of people stopped to say hello and to pop a few coins in the charity tin and to talk to the greyhounds.  We had so many greyhounds there that Graham's memory cannot remember them all but suffice to say that over the 3 hours, we had around 20 greyhhounds on display.  Sue Hood, the manager of the store and who has one of our greyhounds herself, gave permission for us to set up a sales table inside the store, selling goods that were specific to DCGR and not in conflict with Pets at Home. As a result of our sales and charity tins, DCGR raised a magnificent £225 for which we are extremely grateful.  A big thanks to our members for the turnout and to Pets at Home for their support.  The pictures show Margaret and Judy at the Sales Table, a view of the front of the store when we had just set up and another view when most of the greyhounds were about.

Margaret with Star, Poppy & Magic talking to Lucy Hadley from the Forestry Commission A 'team' photograph on the Saturday when it started to rain A 'team' photograph on the Sunday when the weather wasn't too bad One of our members who doesn't like having her photograph taken, trying to make a getaway! MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND – KIRROUGHTREE FOREST PARK – 1/2/3 MAY Well we had everything, thunder, lightening, torrential rain, hailstones, strong sun and overnight temperatures of -1. So cold in fact that the gas bottle in the DCGR caravan didn’t produce gas until about 9.30 in the morning!!  Nevertheless, plenty of greyhounds over the 3 days for the public to see and we were pleased that a number of local adopters, who hadn’t been to an event before, brought their greys along.  Apart from an excellent income of over £400 a home was found for one of our homeless greyhounds so all in all a successful weekend.  It was particularly pleasing to see Emma and Russell come along for an hour with Nellie as Emma is soon due to give birth to twins. As an aside and, following the horrendous weather we had last year, the awning for the DCGR caravan (which we got second hand as a donation) is showing severe signs of wear, is leaking in places and has lot’s of ingrained mud which doesn’t look very nice, particularly when compared with our new spic and span gazebo’s.  If anyone out there has an awning suitable for a 14 foot caravan, please contact either Al on 01228 674127 or Graham at 01387 760577. The pictures show various scenes at the weekend

1st May - Meet A Greyhound Day Penrith Judy and Al arrived early (09.20am) at Penrith, only to find the space by the bandstand already taken by a political party anxious to get support for next weeks election! So a plot around the corner next to a baked potato salesman was the best they could do - and it turned out to be pretty good as just over £300 was raised on the day and everyone who came to support DCGR or see the dogs, did eventually find us! The weather was interesting, alternating between being very hot to bitterly cold in a matter of minutes, several times throughout the day, with the odd little spot of rain which didn't come to anything, though we believe the heavier rain started just after we left! Our thanks go to all our members and their dogs who came to support us throughout the day, as we always say, the dogs sell themselves and without members and their dogs turning up at these events we certainly would not do so well. Also our thanks go to the generous people of Penrith who took the time to drop some money into our charity boxes and stop and have a chat with us, hopefully one or two home checks will follow soon. Unfortunately both Judy and Al forgot to take their camera, so there is no photo to go with this story.

GREAT BRITISH GREYHOUND WALK Sunday 20th June is the appointed day for the “Great British Greyhound Walk” where greyhound owners throughout the country take their pet greyhounds for a public walk and Maggie Horan, a member from Dumfries, has suggested that DCGR marks the occasion by holding an “informal” walk at Mabie Forest nr Dumfries at 11am that day.  There is no sponsorship required and nothing planned – just turn up with your greyhound, report to Maggie (who will take some pics for the website) and go for a walk, maybe speaking to other walkers in the Forest and promoting greyhounds as family pets.  If the event is successful, we may plan it next year to include a picnic to make the day more enjoyable.  More information can be obtained from Graham (who will unfortunately be on holiday) but he will pass details onto Maggie.

COFFEE MORNING – ANNAN – SATURDAY 10TH APRIL The weather was really kind this year for what is fast becoming our annual fundraising coffee morning organised by member Isabelle McManaman and her team of supporters.  The Coffee Morning was held at the Bruce Restaurant in Annan which is situated beside a car park which holds a small market at the weekend. The good weather certainly got the people out of doors and many of them came into the function room to have tea or coffee and a chat or to pick up a bargain at the stalls we had inside. DCGR would also like to thank our “doorlady” on the day and Treasurer, Margaret Hill for enforcing the £1 entrance fee despite coming under some pressure from a couple of people who decided they should be able to walk in free!!  The event raised the magnificent sum of £776 which for a 2 hour coffee morning, is remarkable.  Unfortunately Graham forgot the camera so no pictures were taken.  A big, big thanks to Isabelle for coming up trumps once again.

“LUSH” COSMETICS – CHARITY POT Regular readers will be aware that last year, Graham applied unsuccessfully to LUSH for a donation to cover the costs of the 3 Gazebo’s we purchased to protect members and greyhounds from inclement weather.  Although we were unsuccessful last year, the LUSH panel suggested we may like to apply for funding this year and as a result, Graham applied for funding to cover the cost of the 2 display stands purchased last month at a cost of £422.  We have just been notified that we have been successful and £422 is winging it’s way to our bank account as we speak.  We have used the stands 3 times now – Carlisle MAG Day, Dalbeattie Charity Shop and Annan Coffee Morning and members of the public have been singing the praises of the pictures and how they saw where we were from a fair distance away. One even commented “it really does show the professionalism of your organisation”.  A big thanks to member Carol Kershaw for coming up with the idea and to LUSH for donating the costs of the stands

CFM Pride of Cumbria Awards - Friday 9th April As many of you will know Al was nominated for the 'Local Hero' Award at Friday nights CFM Pride of Cumbria Awards Ceremony. Judy and Al duly went along on the night to the Auctioneer in Carlisle and were treated to a Champagne Reception and three course meal. The event was hosted by CFM and Riverside, Robbie Dee from CFM was the announcer and a number of local dignitaries presented the awards. We are pleased to announce that Al came a very creditable second in his category and both Judy and Al spent the entire evening promoting Greyhounds and the charity to anyone who would listen!

Tuesday 6th April For the third year in a row, DCGR will be entering the Walking Competition of the Guid Nychburris (Good Neighbours) Day Parade in Dumfries and will be attempting to win the Geordie Dyer Trophy for the best entry.  Regular readers will know that we have won the trophy for the last 2 years and IF we win it this time, we may retire gracefully. Graham already has the idea for this year’s parade which involved MINIMUM dressing up but requires at least 20 greyhounds to take part in the parade. He will be personally contacting those who attended last year but it would be really nice if “new blood” were to take part. Further information can be obtained from Graham at 01387 760577.  This is not a fundraiser as such but is an excellent way to promote greyhounds as family pets in front of literally thousands of “doonhamers” as well as having a really good time yourselves. Come on – give it a go – the more the merrier.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - CARLISLE - SATURDAY 3RD APRIL Graham was glad he took this photograph shortly after he set up the stand as 10 minutes later, you wouldn't have been able to see the table never mind the dogs!! Eventually we had more than 20 greyhounds on display for the first event of the financial year and literally hundreds of people stopped by to say hello. Interest was so high, we nearly ran out of leaflets and the people of Carlisle were extremely generous, donating £789 - yes Seven Hundred and Eighty Nine Pounds towards the work we do finding homes for ex-racing greyhounds.  Graham was even interviewed live on local radio! If the number of enquiries we had turns into homes, this will be one of the best Meet a Greyhound Days we have ever had. Apologies to member Ann Thomson for missing her out of the photograph but at least Graham got Tiffy in!!

BBC LOOK NORTH VISITS DCGR Trai Anfield from BBC Look North based in Newcastle travelled to Kershopefoot near Newcastleton to do a piece on DCGR and immediately fell in love with homeless greyhound, Nell. Nell was being fostered by Graham and Margaret at Kirkgunzeon but has now moved to Arthur's at Waterbeck until a permanent home could be found. Our member, Carol Kershaw who stays in Kershopefoot, was asked to judge the TV Channel's photographic competition and suggested that they may wish to do a piece on our charity in return. Well Trai fell in love with the dogs as soon as she saw them and Nell was the star. Wherever Nell was placed she stood and was a perfect advert for the greyhound breed.  We believe that the programme will go out next week so please tune in and hear Carol talking about the charity.  The picture shows Trai and Graham with Finlay, Magic and Nell.

WINTER COATS (AND SUMMER IF IT IS LIKE IT WAS LAST YEAR!) DCGR have acquired a limited number of really classy greyhound coats which we will be selling at £20 (+ postage if necessary). The coats are all black and come only in sizes 26",28" and 30". The have a velcro fastener at the waist and a velcro front opening also and there is a space for the lead to come "through the coat". They are fully lined and when fully closed, cover the neck as well.  As we have limited stocks it will be on a first come first served basis and can be bought by phoning Margaret at 01387 760577. We will carry a small stock of them to the various events we attend this year. The pictures show Magic modelling a size 30".

A GREYHOUND DAY OUT Graham and Margaret had their busiest time in Kirkgunzeon this week when they had 7 dogs staying at various times. First of all they had the resident 3 - Magic, Star and Poppy along with Fleck, May, Nell and puppy Ted. Ted was rehomed to Dunscore leaving the other 6.  Initially, May and Nell were in the kennels but after having their "operation", Margaret felt sorry for them and that was that, they were "in the house". The picture shows Margaret with (left to right) Magic, Poppy, May (now Maisie), Nell, Star and Fleck. The good news that our member from Aberdeen, Jane Elliott was so taken with May (now Maisie) that she has found her forever home and will be travelling north on Monday.

CHARITY SHOP - DALBEATTIE - 25TH/26TH/27TH MARCH DCGR's annual 3 day charity shop in Dalbeattie was another success in fundraising terms despite the inclement weather. As usual, the residents of Dalbeattie attended the shop in their droves, knowing that there would be plenty of bargains on offer. Over £618 was raised for DCGR funds with plenty of people commenting on how marvellous our donations were. DCGR would like to thank our volunteers Margaret Hill, Jane Elliot and Liz Iken for "manning" the shop, McKenzie's Ironmongers for allowing us use of the shop and the people of Dalbeattie for being so generous.  The picture shows Margaret, and Jane outside the shop along with Chief who popped in to visit en-route to his foster home in Newton Stewart.

PRIDE OF CUMBRIA AWARDS Never one to miss an opportunity to publicise DCGR, Graham nominated Al Todd, our Re homing Co-ordinator for CFM’s Pride of Cumbria Award under the category – “Local Hero”. Well Al has made it through to the last 3 and will be invited to the Shepherds Inn in Carlisle on the 9th of April where the final decisions will be made.  Don’t know if it will be broadcast live – if it is, please listen in, if not please use the power of positive thought – you never know!!!

20th March Graham and Margaret would like to thank everyone who has donated goods for the forthcoming charity shop in Dalbeattie at the end of the month. Our members and supporters have been very generous and donations have ranged from children's toys and games to a limited edition Gainsborough print and from a magnificent peacock backed conservatory chair to some really nice jewellery. The picture shows one of Graham and Margaret's bedrooms nearly to the roof and this DOES NOT include the goods in the DCGR caravan (which is full) and their garage!!!

TALK ON GREYHOUND RESCUE Graham and Margaret travelled along the Solway Coast on Wednesday 17th March to give a talk on greyhound rescue to the ladies of the Whinnieligatte Women's Rural in Kirkcudbright. About 20 ladies were present including one of our members, Marie Cook and they listened intently as Graham recounted the story of DCGR and the work we do re-homing ex-racing greyhounds. While Graham was giving the talk, Margaret (as usual) was setting up the sales stall. After the presentation, the ladies attended the stall and were amazed at what we had on offer. The greyhounds in attendance at the presentation were Magic, Star and Poppy as due to lack of space in the car, foster dogs May and Nell were left behind in the emergency kennels. After tea and sandwiches, the raffle was drawn and Margaret won a prize!!! The proceeds of the raffle was donated to DCGR which led to a total of £73 being raised on the night. The picture shows three of the ladies with Magic, Star and Poppy.

Graham with Jason and Jim, picture taken in November 2009, just after Jason became a Patron of DCGR FUNERAL OF OUR PATRON – JASON WOOD On Monday 15th March, Graham Hill and Carol Kershaw drove down to St Mary’s Church, just outside Luton, to attend Jason’s funeral.  They left in plenty of time arriving at 12.30pm for the 2pm ceremony and as the car park was deserted, decided to go for a spot of lunch. On arriving back at the church they couldn’t get parked it was so busy and when they entered the church, it was standing room only!!  At the beginning of the ceremony, they played one of Jason’s CD tracks which on conclusion, was met with a mixture of tears and loud clapping and whistles.  Following the more sombre catholic mass, the priest advised the congregation that as Jason was carried from the church to his final resting place, they would play another track recorded by Jason – Bright Eyes – and he requested a standing ovation as he made his final exit.  Well the rafters of the old church fairly shook as friends, relatives and supporters cheered, whistled and clapped – he would have been proud.  After the ceremony, Carol and Graham spoke to Brian, Jason’s father and he was delighted that they had taken the effort to drive down to pay their respects and that he wanted to continue to support the charity in any way he could. He himself has taken responsibility for Jason’s lurcher – Jim, now called JJ.  After leaving home at 6am, a tired Graham and Carol arrived at their respective homes just before midnight.

LEGACY DCGR are indebted to the father of Sue Neal, a member and foster carer from just outside Penrith, who left the greyhounds £1,000 in his will. It really does tug at the heartstrings when people think of the plight of ex-racing greyhounds and are as generous as he was.  This legacy will enable DCGR to further our work in saving and finding homes for these magnificent animals and we thank him very much.

RETIRING COLLECTION – FUNERAL OF DCGR HONORARY MEMBER, NORMA PEARCE At the recent funeral of our member, Norma Pearce, the family announced that there would be a “retiring collection” in aid of DCGR as Norma was a tireless supporter and fundraiser for the greyhounds. DCGR are extremely grateful to the family and have received a cheque to the value of £222.41 to assist in the work of saving and finding homes for ex-racing greyhounds.

4th March - Lady becomes a PAT dog P.A.T.DOG LADY MY NAME IS LADY A GREYHOUND THRU AND THRU I THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU KNOW ABOUT A JOB I DO MY MAM SAYS I'M PLACID AS COOL AS COOL CAN BE SO LADY SHE SAID DO YOU THINK A THERAPY DOG YOU COULD BE SO OFF WE WENT TO SEE A LADY ANN FINLAY WAS HER NAME SHE GAVE ME LITTLE TESTS TO DO WHICH I THOUGHT WAS JUST A GAME SHE THOUGHT I WAS LOVELY AND HOPED I'D PASS THE TEST MIND YOU I TRIED VERY HARD AND DID MY VERY BEST. A LETTER CAME TO SAY I'D PASSED A P.A.T. DOG NOW I'M OFFICALLY CLASSED I WEAR MY YELLOW JACKET WITH PRIDE AND OF COURSE MAMS ALWAYS BY MY SIDE I VISIT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IN A LOVELY CARING HOME THEY PAMPER ME AND PET ME AS IF I WAS THEIR OWN TO SEE THEIR FACES TURNING TO SMILES IT MAKES MY JOB VERY WORTHWHILE. BY LADY ASKEW (WITH HELP FROM MAM)

25th February DCGR have been donated a number of 50's/60's clothes which have been in storage and well looked after. All are in good condition and in a variety of designs. Would be ideal for art students, retro people or even for fancy dress.  An example of the clothes are being worn by Margaret Hill, Treasurer of DCGR and any more information on what we have can be obtained from Margaret at 01387 760577. Prices are negotiable.

Ashlea Vets of Carlisle donate £520 to DCGR On 4th February, Ashlea Vets of Carlisle, presented a cheque for £520.00 to the Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue. Each year, Ashlea Vets raise money for  two chosen charities - one for people and the other for animals. This year, they have raised £1,120.00 - £600.00 of which was donated to the victims of the Haiti earthquake, and £520.00 to Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue. Ashlea Vets  chose to donate the money to the DCGR for 2 reasons - they had contacted DCGR last year when a lurcher puppy was handed into the surgery - the puppy had been abused and abandoned and the vet practice contacted DCGR to help find a home for the puppy. The second reason was that a number of the vets' clients have rescue greyhounds themselves. The main fund raising was organised by Christine Stalker, Veterinary receptionist, Rowena Batey, Veterinary Nurse, and Kirst Barker, Vet. The money was raised by having Quiz Nights, and by vet, Kirsty Barker, being sponsored to take part in the Great North Run, and the Cumbrian Run.

TESCO DOES IT AGAIN Paul Cook, a member from Kirkcudbright who works in Tesco, Castle Douglas, was made aware of some "christmas" dog treats being disposed of by Tesco and made a bid on behalf of Greyhound Rescue. Over 100 treats and toys were donated to DCGR which Margaret picked up on Sunday 7th February. The treats will be used over the coming months for our "homeless" hounds and to keep our regular canine attenders at Meet a Greyhound Days happy and contented after their long hours of being fussed over. The picture shows the donated treats - Magic, Star and Poppy were kept out of the room at the time as they thought Christmas had arrived for a second time in 2 months!!

DCGR "STEPS UP A GEAR" IN PROMOTING GREYHOUNDS AS FAMILY PETS Thanks to Carol Kershaw, our committee members from Newcastleton and who is also a professional photographer, DCGR have managed to get a great deal on a "photo display board". DCGR is keen to improve it's professionalism at events and talks etc and these display boards will give an ideal backdrop at Meet a Greyhound Days and at the talks given by Graham. The displays come with a large base which can be filled with water for extra stability which means they can be used inside and out.  The picture shows Carol with DCGR's treasurer Margaret and one of the display boards.

ISABELLE'S 70TH BIRTHDAY PARTY Isabelle McManaman, who joined DCGR a few months after the charity came into being, celebrated her 70th birthday party on Friday 5th February and as she is housekeeper to Lord and Lady Annandale, was invited to hold her birthday meal at the family seat at Raehills, on the outskirts of Dumfries.  Over 40 guests, including Graham and Margaret were invited to attend and were literally treated like royalty for the evening. Isabelle had intimated that instead of presents, she would like her guests to give a donation to DCGR instead. Graham and Margaret were given a tremendous surprise (even reducing Margaret to tears) when £500 was donated to DCGR by Isabelle. Graham was invited to give a speech of thanks and briefly informed the guests of the terrific work carried out by DCGR. A really, really big thanks to Isabelle for her very generous gesture.  The pictures show Margaret receiving the cash from Isabelle in the Dining Room and a picure of Margaret and fellow table guests and members, Helen and Ron McGregor, Norma Pearce, Honorary Member of DCGR and William, the accordianist for the evening.

DONATION OF DOG FOOD FROM TESCO A big thanks from DCGR to our Vice Chair Loraine, who works in Tesco in Annan for arranging a massive donation of dog food which will be used for our "homeless" greyhounds. Loraine was organising a Meet a Greyhound Day at the store and when speaking to the management, they offered her some dog food for the greyhounds. When Loraine went to pick it up thinking it might be a few bags and cans, she was wrong and had to telephone her husband to come with his van to help transport the goodies. We are really grateful to Pat and Neil for arranging the donation. The picture shows 3/4 of the donation in Graham and Margaret's porch awaiting distribution.

TALK TO "AE ALLSORTS" THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY Graham and Margaret along with Magic, Star and Poppy journied along to Ae Village, just outside Dumfries on Thursday 5th February to give a talk to the Ae Allsorts in the Woodlands Bar in the Village. About 15 ladies and gents listened to the talk despite the heating in the bar not working. Nevertheless, Graham raised the temperature by recounting all the positve aspects of Greyhound Rescue and DCGR in particular and when the greyhounds came in, the cold was forgotten. As usual, Margaret set up a sales table and at the conclusion of the talk, Margaret was swamped by people looking for a memento or a bargain. The pictures show the DCGR trailer outside the bar as well as a general scene of the "sales area" and one of Magic being fussed over.  Over £55 was raised for DCGR funds as a result of the talk.

Emily Rice (daughter of Tracy Rice a foster carer for DCGR who stays in Newton Stewart) and her friend Siovhan gave a talk on Greyhound Rescue to her classmates at the Douglas Ewart High School as part of an English assignment.  By all accounts, the talk went extremely well and Emily, who gave the talk, is to be congratulated for her initiative. The picture shows both girls with "visual aids" Rocky and foster dog Ben.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY AT ASDA (CARLISLE)- 23.01.10 An excellent turn out of members and their greyhounds for the first fundraising event of 2010 meant that many customers of Asda stopped to say hello and to stroke the dogs. Although a little chilly, it was dry and the fact there were so many people to talk to, the time just flew by. As usual, the greyhounds were behaving impeccably and this alone brought many positive comments from the public. At the end of the day, we had 3 follow ups to do so hopefully they will result in new homes in the near future. Over £393 was raised in the charity tins and we are extremely grateful to Asda for allowing us to hold the event. The pictures show general scenes of the event.

CALENDARS We have much pleasure in informing all our members and supporters that our first venture into compiling and publishing our own calendar has been a tremendous success. Through Peter and Jackie Bacci's newsagents, our own webshop (www.dcgr.co.uk) run by Malcolm and by the energetic selling of our members, DCGR has raised well over £1,500 PROFIT which will go towards saving ex-racing greyhounds. As everyone knows, unlike the RGT we like all other independent greyhound rescue's, get no funding from the British Racing Greyhound Board and all our members are volunteers so every penny we raise really "goes to the dogs". This was ably illustrated by Deacon, presently being fostered by Al and Judy, who broke his leg and was to be put to sleep. Through collaboration with the vet, owner, specialist vets and DCGR themselves, Deacon was saved and is making a terrific recovery. There are many stories that go unpublished regarding DCGR saving greyhounds and lurchers but the cash raised throughout the year at fundraising events + sales of calendars and christmas cards + the generosity of our supporters allows DCGR to go from strength to strength.

LAZY GREYHOUND If ever there was an example of how ridiculously lazy greyhounds are then Magic is it! Magic stays with Graham and Margaret in the middle of nowhere near Kirkgunzeon in Dumfries and Galloway and after a SHORT WALK, Magic decided to settle down and if he had stayed any longer, he would have put his head down and gone for a snooze!! Greyhounds are ideal pets for weather such as this for they need little exercise and prefer to be snuggled up in front of a warm fire - just like their owners!!