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JULY/AUGUST DIARY.
Sorry about the July diary but when I was supposed
to be sending it to Judy I clicked on the wrong button and deleted everything. A few hours work deleted just like that. I
won’t tell you what I said.
I will in future only be including things about our own dogs if there is anything
of interest to report.
STRUAN.
Yes, there is something to report about Struan.
We went to the farmers
market in Lockerbie and didn’t take the dogs with us as there aren’t many stalls so we new we wouldn’t be
long.
On our return we found Straun with a 10cm gash in his side. We had left the conservatory door open and we think
that when they heard us coming back they must have tried to get through the door all at once. There is a hand rail next to
the three steps into the conservatory which was always very firm but on examining it we found it to be loose. Anyhow we had
to take Struan to the vets to be stitched up but unfortunately he didn’t come round from the sedation as he should have
done. Eventually he raised his head and the vet thought that he was OK to bring home. We knew that something was wrong and
had to ring the vet again and this resulted in having to take him back about 9pm. This resulted in a second vet being called
in to do x-rays which showed that the diaphragm was wavy and it should have been smooth. We were referred to Glasgow University
small animal hospital. We had to enlist the help of Arthur to look after our other dogs and also the kennel
dogs. By
the time we set of it was about 11.30pm. Mandy had always said that she wouldn’t drive in Glasgow but we had no choice
as this turned out to be an emergency. The vets at Glasgow were waiting for us on the doorstep and said that they would do
more x-rays and for us to go home and they would ring us if there was anything major do be done. Mandy took Arthur home about
4.30am and then we had to see that the kennel dogs were OK before going to bed about 5.30am. Luckily we were told later that
it was a pneumothorax (air under his chest wall) caused by the bang with which he had collided with the hand rail. They kept
him in intensive care for a couple of days then let him come home. I’m pleased to say that he is now recovered.
RUBY.
Ruby’s results from the growth proved to be OK so she is now driving us up the wall again.
GABBY.
Well what do I say about Gabby. Did anyone see her in the pond at Arthur’s barbeque. I know that a few people took
photos of her as she laid full length in it. If anyone has a photo we would love to have one. All expenses paid.
SNOWY & CHIC.
Snowy’s dew claw had now completely healed and the two girls are back to being mischievous
once again. When Mandy goes to straighten their bed they go and sit in it and won’t get out until they have had a cuddle.
What great dogs they are.
MERLIN & SAILOR.
Well both these dogs have now gone to there forever home. They
now live with our dog walkers who had made their minds up that they wanted both dogs. We understand that they are getting
on great. They were two lovely boys.
JACK.
Arthur took Jack as his next foster dog and he got on well with
Pearl and Robert. We saw him quite often as Arthur and Agnes called in with him. Jack always wanted to come into the house
but we have a rule that we do not let them as we get to attached to them but of course he made it in when they came to visit.
Jack has now gone to his new home.
TAV.
Tav is still with us but has lost his friend Dolly who was re-homed
but was handed back and we believe she is at Al’s. He is fast becoming attached to Mandy and Mandy to him so there will
be tears when he goes.
ROCKY.
Rocky was a bouncy boy and went to his foster home at Arthur’s bbq.
He wasn’t with us long but he used to play with Jess who was re-homed at the bbq. We didn’t have either dogs
very long so they were fortunate in being moved on before we became to attached.
DUKE.
Duke was the next to
come. He has now had everything done and is ready to be re-homed. He is a lovely brindle boy, full of bounce and very happy.
JACK
Jack arrived with Duke. He is a black boy who has also had everything done and is waiting for his forever
home. He is quieter than Duke and hasn’t been any problem. This is not the same Jack that we had before.
JAKE.
He also arrived at the same time as the above two boys. He is now ready for his forever home. He is white with brindle markings.
Another lovely boy.
SHALE.
Another one who arrived at the same time. Four dogs in one day. Shale is black
and is also ready for his forever home. All these dogs have been walked together without any problems, and all four will make
wonderful pets.
KYLE.
Kyle came to us shortly after the above boys and he went to his forever home within
a few days. We understand that he is proving to be a great friend to the other dog which was already there.
LILY
Lily came to us in quite a sorry state. Her teeth were in very poor condition and she had very sore feet. A trip to the
vets to get her vaccinated and to see when she could be spayed. She had to have a course of anti-biotics for the infection
in her gums and also to help her feet we had to bathe them in salt water. Luckily she is much better now and has had the teeth
removed and she has now been spayed. Her feet have also healed and she is now enjoying her walks. We have already fallen in
love with her but NO we can‘t have another. She looks up at you when being taken for a walk as if to say ‘am I
doing OK’. Lily is a small brindle dog and is very affectionate.
LADY
Lady came to us the same day as
Lily. She decided to bark all night. (Great) The next night she was OK. She is black and is quite mischievous. She also
loves her walks and has been spayed and has had her first vaccination. She is always taken for her walk with Lily and they
get on great together.
That’s all for this time. Just a little bit of news that we are quite proud of is
we have had 49 DCGR greyhounds through our kennels since we started taking them in. All lovely dogs and all with their own
individual characters. We just love them all.
JUNE 2011
Our dogs
I will in future only be including
things about our own dogs if there is anything of interest to report.
BEN
Ben had to go back
to the vets twice because he decided to take out his own stitches. They were replaced with staples. He ended up wearing a
tee shirt which he quite liked.
STRUAN
After the talk at the AGM we decided that Struan should
go and have a dental. He tended to thow his food to the back of his mouth and the vet said that was a sure sign of dental
pain. He has had a broken fang ever since we got him so we thought we had better get it seen to as his breath wasn’t
so good. He ended up having it out along with a few more and now we have a far better smelling dog. He is also back to eating
anything we give him. Straun also had one of his mad fit’s the other day. He jumps from one settee to the other but
this time the settee flew back and landed on the glass in my late mum’s china cabinet. Hence two smashed panels which
we now need to replace. (I won’t tell you what we said.)
RUBY
Ruby has also been to
the vets as she had a small growth on her face. She had to have ointment which didn’t make any difference and it appeared
to be getting bigger so she has been and had it taken off. It has now been sent away for analysis and we are waiting for the
results. She was very funny when she came home, just kept staring into space. Next morning she was back to her normal mischievous
self.
BELLE
We have had Belle staying with us for a few days while her foster mum had a
few days away. Ruby and Belle got on like a house on fire and I think poor Frankie was quite jealous as he had lost his playmate.
Belle was no problem at all apart from the fact that she claimed the bed next to where I sit on the settee and no-one else
was allowed near it.
SNOWIE
We are still working with Snowie to try and get her to be more
friendly with the other dogs. She really is a great dog and is perfectly alright with her mum Chic.
CHIC
We don’t have any problems with Chic. She gets along with the other dogs. She caught her dew claw the other
day and had to go to the vets to have it removed as it had cracked really low down into the wick. She didn’t like them
taking it off and she now has a bandage on but luckily there is no infection. Poor Chic it must have been very sore but the
way she is bounding about at the moment she must have got over it.
SAM
We had Sam back to
stay with us for a few days when his foster parents went away. He came with their other two dogs so they all went into the
big kennel. We could see a slight improvement in him. Not quite so frightened as he was but he still has a long way to go.
MERLIN
Merlin still likes to stand with his paws on Mandy’s shoulders. We are trying to
stop him from doing this as he is a big dog and has nearly knocked Mandy down. She started to turn her back on him but ended
up with a lovely scratch down her back. The problem is he is such a lovable guy its hard to ignore him.
JACK
Jack is a quiet guy and lets the other dogs pinch his food if we aren’t looking so he is now fed separately. He is
going to his foster home on Sunday. He will make someone a lovely pet as he just loves the cuddles. He plays around with Merlin
and Sailor without any problems. He always has a special time with us as when Merlin and Sailor are out he can’t get
near us.
SAILOR
Sailor is one of the big dogs which we have. He is quite a lively chap now.
Probably with playing with Merlin. His kennel coat is now beginning to come out so that is keeping us busy with the grooming.
Two of our dog walkers have fallen in love with him but can’t take him as they are living in rented property and the
landlord won’t allow dogs. They also have a little boy and Sailor is great with him.
TAV
Tav has been taking walks with Dolly and they also play out together, so he is OK with females but not friendly as yet with
males.
DOLLY
Dolly was handed back to DCGR because her elderly owner had to go into hospital.
She is a lovely girl. She hasn’t been too happy in the kennels as she has had a taste of home life so going back to
kennel life must be hard for her. Luckily she has found a new home and will be leaving us shortly.
ROCKY
Rocky is recently new to us. He was born in kennels and has been re-homed twice before. He does need some training
but we believe he is only about eighteen months old so its just going to take a little time and patience to teach him the
essentials. He is white with black markings and is quite an attractive boy. Not as big as the others but quite lively. Not
out of his puppy ways yet. He loves his food and will make someone a great pet but they would have to have a little patience
with him.
As two are leaving us shortly we should have some new dogs by the time the July diary is written.
MAY 2011
OLLIE
Well what can I say.
We still have a dog with a strip of fur missing. He has been to the greyhound event at Gretna but he doesn’t like to
stand for long so he had to go back in the car. We think he may be getting the aches and pains that we all get when we are
getting older but nothing too serious up to now.
BEN
Ben has been in the wars again. He has
a tear on his back which required stitching. We have been round the garden with a fine tooth comb and can’t find anything
which he may have done it on. Agnes (Arthurs wife) has been and had a good look round as she is quite good at spotting things
but she also drew a blank.
STRUAN
Still the laziest dog you could imagine. When the door
bell rings all the other dogs go chasing to the door but not Struan. He just can’t be bothered.
FRANKIE
He has another playmate now and is enjoying himself. (More about the playmate later.) His eye is still OK so fingers
crossed that it stays that way.
GABBY
Gabby had to have more drops but they proved to be
a bit too strong for her. They made her squint so we contacted the vet who kindly sent some more through the post so that
saved us a journey to Penrith.
RUBY 1
We now have Ruby 1 added to our family. Frankie’s
new playmate. I could write forever about the things she has got up to, so I will just give you a few things which she has
done. We took her to Arthurs along with our other five dogs. She ended up in the pond with Gabby and then she found a pile
of grass cuttings and decided to roll in them. She also had a dig in the lawn. She had to send a “sorry” card
to Arthur along with a packet of grass seeds. She chases round the house with Frankie like a tornado. In the end Frankie has
to lay down exhausted but Ruby still keeps going. We have quite a few pot holes in the garden. We had to change the car to
accommodate six dogs but she has now found out that she can get through between the front seats and as fast as we get out
of the car to do the shopping she goes through and sits there like a lady. When we go back to the car she refuses to go into
the back so we have to drag her out of the front and put her
in the back again. We can’t get a dog guard behind
the front seats so if anyone has any suggestions as to how we can block this off we would be pleased to receive them. She
honestly is the most mischievous dog we have ever come across. She loves Arthur and jumps onto the couch next to him and then
jumps all over him. I could honestly write a book about all her antics.
BELLE 1
Well Belle
has now gone to a foster home in Carlisle. She didn’t settle very well at first and kept her foster mum awake all night
with her crying. We believe she has stopped that now. She will make someone a lovely pet and she doesn’t need a lot
of exercise. She will be coming to stay with us for a few days in June when her foster mum goes away. We are really looking
forward to having her back.
SNOWIE
Snowie is still with us. We have found that Snowie is
just a little wary of other dogs when she first meets them but once she gets to know them she is far better than she used
to be. She is a great dog and very affectionate with humans. We are still trying to socialise her with various other
dogs.
CHIC
We still have Chic. She shares a kennel with her daughter Snowie. We haven’t
had any problems with Chic. She gets on well with the other kennel dogs and we are hoping that the two of them could be homed
together but we are now thinking that perhaps this may not be possible but we still live in hope.
ALICE
Alice was a beautiful little dog who was with us only a short time. She died whilst being spayed. We have made
a little garden and have a little wooden cross with her name on it. We loved that little girl and were very upset when this
happened. Sleep well little one.
MAVERICK
Maverick has gone to his foster home and we believe
he is getting a little mischievous. He wasn’t any problem in the kennels and loved to play out in the paddock with the
other dogs and got on well with them all.
MINNIE
Minnie was only with us about a week before
she was re-homed. She was a lovely little girl and her new mum is delighted with her. She is living with a cat but we understand
that the cat lives upstairs and Minnie lives downstairs. Her mum is trying to socialise them so hope all goes well.
SAM
Poor Sam, he was so nervous. He just used to sit in the corner of his kennel and shiver. Mandy
did get him to take treats from her but he needs a lot of time spent on him. Unfortunately with having all the other rescue
dogs to look after Mandy could not spend the time with him so he has gone to a foster home where he can have 24/7 attention
and also live with two other greyhounds. We are having him back with his new friends for a few days in June and are looking
forward to seeing him again.
MERLIN
Merlin likes nothing better than to stand with his paws
on Mandy’s shoulders and lick her. He stares into her eyes. He is a big boy and just loves attention. He can be quite
boisterous. Mandy has quite a lot of bruises .
JACK
Jack is on the quiet side and was a little
nervous when he first came to us but soon came round after getting all the cuddles etc. He is also quite a big boy but would
make someone a great pet. He gets on well with the other kennel dogs and isn’t any trouble at all.
SAILOR
Sailor is a blue dog. Quite a big boy but gentle with it. He is also fairly quiet. He has a lot of kennel coat
to come out but we are working on it. He also gets on well with the other dogs. All he wants now is a forever home.
TAV
Tav is another big boy. He isn’t too keen on other male dogs but is OK with females. He
too is rather boisterous. But does quieten down after his walk or run in the paddock.
ANNIE
Annie
was the last to arrive and after only two days here she has been adopted. A sweet little girl but quite a lot of bad teeth.
She has had them removed today and will be going to her new home in a few days time. Mandy was going to leave her tea until
later as she was quite late in the day having her teeth out but she was standing there waiting for her tea and was most upset
that hers wasn’t anywhere in site so she had the usual chicken and rice which we give to all the dogs after they have
been to the vets. She wasn't prepared to let everyone else have their tea and not her.
As you can see we have
quite a few DCGR dogs in our care and if anyone out there would like to visit the kennels they are welcome but please telephone
first and let us know what time to expect you as we may be out walking the dogs.
OUR DOGS
We
had to go to Abingdon services the other day to re-home one of the dogs and before we set off I gave all our dogs a treat
each and with being in such a hurry I must not have closed the drawer where they are kept. When we got home the treat drawer
was open and in the living room was three empty packets. We buy the big bags of treats from B & M’s and there wasn’t
any left at all. That same day we had to go to the vets and we told them what had happened and we were presented with a bottle
of medicine to treat you know what. Luckily we didn’t need it but as Mandy said our house smelt like a rotten egg factory.
That’s all for this month. Sorry it was a little late but better late than never.
Margaret.
APRIL 2011
OLLIE
We are still waiting for the fur to
grow back where he was shaved for his operation. We have our doubts as to whether it is ever going to grow again or perhaps
we are always going to have a dog with a strip of fur missing.
BEN
Ben is still improving
and not as nervous as he used to be. We advise people to ignore him when they come in and he will come around in his own time.
It’s like curiosity killed the cat.
STRUAN
Struan is getting used to other dogs coming
into the house. He has a sniff at them then curls up on the settee and goes to sleep. He just gets very excited when anyone
comes and tends to jump up at everybody, something which we are trying to stop.
FRANKIE
Frankie
has had another trip to the vets at Penrith. He had another injection into his eye and the good news is that Gary doesn’t
want to see him for three months and then hopefully that will be his last visit. Fingers crossed.
GABBY
Gabby has also been back to the vets. No injections this time just another supply of drops. Gary says she will
now pass her driving test so that is wonderful news as she couldn’t see very well at all when we first got her. There
is still a little pigment left in one of her eyes but Gary isn’t worried about it.
BELLE 1
Belle
is still with us. She is a different dog altogether than when she came to us. Despite having lots of teeth out she can now
eat anything. She is proving to be quite a lively girl. She loves her walks and her cuddles. She waits for Mandy to let her
out of her kennel and then promptly empties the toy box. We had a second hand mattress donated for the kennels and Mandy has
put it down in the kitchen area of the kennels and Bell loves to lay upside down on it.
RON
The
result of the blood test on Ron was clear so he doesn’t have to have another operation. He is doing well in his foster
home.
SNOWIE
Snowie is a lovely girl. She is great with humans but is a little wary with
other dogs until she gets to know them. Arthur has had her at his house with Robert and Pearl and has also taken her to one
of the fund raising events. She has travelled in the car with Robert and Pearl without any problems. She is clean in the kennels
as are all the greyhounds we have at the moment.
CHIC
Chic who is Snowie’s mother is
a great dog. She gets on well with the other kennel dogs. Chic and Snowie have never been separated so it would be good if
they could be homed together. She is a lovely dog and loves her cuddles. She has played with the other kennel dogs when Snowie
went to Arthurs. We haven’t had any problems with her.
RUBY
Ruby has now gone back
to her foster home and we are really missing her. She is certainly quite a character. We now have pot holes in the garden
with buckets over them. She dug one of the flower beds up and needless to say as soon as we filled it up again she would have
another go at it. All our dogs have a treat and a cup of tea after there walk. I had put the milk and sugar into the bowls
and then went to answer the phone, when I got back all the dishes were empty. Our dogs have never got anything of the work
tops so we know it was little Ruby. She slept on the bed with me and really loved to snuggle up so much so that she had three
quarters of the bed and me hanging off the edge.
JUST A FUNNY BIT ABOUT THE KENNEL DOGS..
Mandy
and me took our dogs for a walk the other morning and left the conservatory door open. We had to take part of the fence down
whilst we were having some concrete-ing done outside the kennels and as Mandy thought she had secured the fence so that the
kennels dogs couldn’t get out. When we got back from our walk Mandy was in front of me and stopped dead when she got
the living room. There was Belle 1 and Belle 2 having a great time. Flower vase knocked over, ornaments being carried round
etc. They had got under the fence and went into the house and had a great time. Mandy secured the fence again and guess what,
mid afternoon and in they walked again. Now the fence has been re-enforced and wood put at the bottom so that they can’t
get out. They were most annoyed and let us know.
The concrete-ing has all been finished now and we are looking
quite smart. No need to walk through the mud when it rains.
The concrete base has now been put down and DCGR are
moving two kennels here this week so there will be more greyhounds coming to us. We are really looking forward to them coming.
That’s all for this month. Back again with the updates next month.
fmbleasdale@btinternet.com
MARCH 2011
OLLIE
The latest on Ollie is that we still
have a strip of fur that has not as yet grown back. We have found another small lump but the vet says just to keep an eye
on it for the time being. He has also been to the vet for a manicure as his dew claws were getting quite long and with them
being black we were not sure how much we dare clip off.
BEN
Ben is now growing more confident
when anyone calls to see us. He now goes to the door and then backs away and barks but he is definitely much better than he
was. As for being frightened of traffic we don’t have any problems only things like the dustbin cart or tractors but
he is much better with those.
STRUAN
Struan is OK at the moment. We always used to put him
in another room when Arthur came with Robert and Pearl as he used to grumble a little but we have now got him to be friendly
with them. Mandy says that we are gaining more experience with this as time goes on and we are having quite a lot of dogs
through our kennels. I think before we were too protective towards him.
FRANKIE
He still
doesn’t have to have any drops or tablets but will probably still have to have the injection into his eye every couple
of months or so. We could have re-homed Frankie lots of times. Everyone falls in love with him. Little do they know what a
little imp he is.
GABBY
Gabby has been back to the vets at Penrith and he was nearly jumping
up and down because most ot the pigment had gone from her eyes. He was very pleased with the results and wants to see her
again in about six weeks. We have to carry on with two lots of drops for the time being but we are hoping that this will decrease
in time.
KATIE
Katie is still with us. I wish someone would give her a forever home. She
is such a lovely little girl and hasn’t been any problem at all. She gets on well with the other dogs. She loves to
be outside where she always lays in the paddock whatever the weather. She loves her toys and also lots of cuddles. She walks
well on the lead. She has been known to take her bedding outside so that she can lie in comfort.
Update
- Good news, Katie has got a foster home near Penrith and will be leaving us shortly. We will miss you loads Katie.
BELL
Bella Lou (Mandys pet name for her) is doing well now that she has got rid of all her bad teeth.
She is a lovely dog and sits in the paddock watching the world go by. Bell has not been any trouble at all and we wish we
could adopt her ourselves. The only things she wants out of life is lots of cuddles.
RON
Ron
has now gone to his foster home. He was a lovely boy and very handsome. He got on well with all the other dogs. Whenever we
took him for a walk he used to look up at us as if to say ‘am I doing alright’. When Ron was castrated the vet
could only find one so he had to have a bigger cut than normal. He has just had a blood test to prove if there is another
one and we are waiting the results. Hope he doesn’t have to have another operation.
SONIC
Sonic
is a girl and arrived with us on the 20th March so we have not had her for very long. She has got on well with the other greyhounds
and up to now we haven’t had any problems. She is quite a big girl, in fact I keep saying ‘he’. She is brindle
but has quite a lot of white around her chest and neck. She really does stand out. Sonic has also got a foster home and will
be moving on shortly.
MINNIE
Minnie had been handed back after being re-homed three years
ago. This was no fault of Minnie’s. She cried a lot for the first three days and wouldn’t eat anything. Poor Minnie
she was very homesick but the good news is that she has now found her forever home and is happily living with another greyhound.
Bless you Minnie, you deserve a lovely home.
SNOWIE
Snowie only arrived a couple of days
ago so we don’t know much about her. She is the daughter of Chic. She is white with black markings. And is about 4 years
old.
CHIC
The mother of Snowie who also arrived a couple of days ago. She is about 6 years
old and is white with brindle markings. More news about these two as we get to know them better.
MAX
We have had Max with us for a couple of weeks (Arthur’s foster dog) He lived in the house with us and our
other five dogs and we didn’t have any problems at all. It was funny the first and second nights because Mandy went
to let the kennel dogs out and Max went with her and went straight into the kennel which he used to have when he was with
us. The third night when Mandy went to the kennels Max just looked up at her as if to say ‘Why should I sleep in there
when I am nice and comfortable here’. He must have decided to have dinner, bed and breakfast for the rest of his stay.
RUBY
We have just got Ruby staying with us whilst her foster mum is away for a couple of weeks.
She arrived about 2-30pm and was on the go until 2am. She finally gave in and slept till 6-30am and then off we go again.
Needless to say Mandy and me are walking round with half closed eyes. She is definately a little live wire but she will get
into our routine shortly. (We hope). Think our dogs are suffering from lack of sleep as she was chasing about all the time
and our dogs are so lazy they couldn’t keep up with her.
That’s all for now. Be back again next month.
FEBRUARY 2011
OLLIE
Well the old boy is getting along fine after his operation. We are just waiting for the fur to grow back properly,
it seems to be growing in stages. He loves to waken me up during the night and to snuggle up in bed with me. The only thing
is that he pinches all the covers so I have to make sure I have my fair share before he gets onto the bed.
BEN
Ben is so much improved with his fear of people. It only takes him a few minutes to make friends. Such an improvement
from when we first got him but it has taken a long time for this to happen. We don’t know what he will be like at any
of the events but we will be trying him again as soon as they start.
STRUAN
Struan has had
a small red lump on his back leg, quite raised up but we have been keeping an eye on it. It has now lost its redness but has
left a little bald patch. He has also knocked off one of his toe nails. He had an injury to his foot quite some time ago and
the nail always grows back at a funny angle so every so often he knocks off the nail. We think it is a bit sore for a couple
of days and then he is OK again. It never stops him going for his walks so it can’t be so bad.
FRANKIE
Frankie has been for his eye check up again at Penrith and Gary the vet was pleased with him once again. He had
another injection into the eye (it doesn’t bother him) he is very good. He doesn’t need to go back for two months
this time so he is going a little bit longer each time. Still no drops or tablets. Frankie sleeps on Mandy’s bed with
a dressing gown over him. The other night she heard a funny noise and put on her light to see what was wrong and there was
Frankie, somehow or other he had got his head into the sleeve of the dressing gown. He had worked his way down the sleeve
and Mandy said it was on his body just like a straight jacket with his little head poking out at the end of the sleeve. I
didn’t see it but if I had done what a good photo it would have been.
GABBY
Gabby has
also been back to the vets at Penrith. Gary rang me the day before we went to tell me about a new treatment which he thought
would be beneficial to Gabby. We agreed to have this done but with the reassurance that it would not make matters worse. It
involves freezing the eye and this in turn brings off the pigment which was stopping her from see-ing so well. I came out
of the room with Frankie as I am not so good with anything like that and besides it took two vets and a nurse and Mandy to
carry out the procedure. Because Gabby is so good at the vets they decided to do it without an anaesthetic. Mandy said they
froze her eyes and this in turn does away with the pigment. She said the stuff they put in her eyes bubbled. Gary wants to
see her again in two weeks. He would have liked to have done more but thought that she had had enough for one day. He said
she was a first class patient. Her eyes were rather sore for the next couple of days and we had to give her pain killers so
we hope that it has been worth it.
BUDDY
Buddy went to his foster home. He has come back
to us for a few days while his foster mum has a few days away. Good to see him again.
LARKY
Larky
has now gone to his forever home where he is getting on great.
MAX
Max has gone to Arthurs
and is getting on well with the other two dogs. He is clean in the house. He has a toe missing so he walks with a bit of a
limp but this does not stop him doing anything. He is a very affectionate dog and will make a really lovely pet for someone.
FLY
Fly has also found her forever home.
CHINA
China
is still with us. She still loves her cuddles. She turned out to be a very lively dog but has now quietened down somewhat.
Hopefully she may be going to her forever home shortly. EDITORS PostScript - China has just been re-homed.
DANCER
Dancer has now found her forever home and is now called Dannie. She stayed with Al and Judy
for a while. She was great in the kennels and also with the other dogs. Good luck to her.
RUBY & GYPSY
We got Ruby and Gypsy next. What a sorry state they were in. They hadn’t the energy to go for a walk so we
used to just let them out into the paddock for a run round. After a few days of TLC and regular meals and treats they soon
came round. Ruby went to her foster home in Carlisle. We were sad to see her go but were consoled by the fact that we new
where she was going and know that she will be well looked after. Gypsy went to Al and has now been re-homed. We were very
sad to see them both go as we got really attached to them as they had to have extra care.
RISKY
Risky
really pulled at my heart strings. She was a great favourite. She was with us for about three weeks. What a wonderful girl. She
never put a foot wrong. She was quite a loner at first. She never mixed with the other dogs but used to sit by herself in
a corner of the paddock. Before she went to her forever home she did start to play with the others. Good luck to you Risky.
We miss you.
SOOTY
Sooty was only with us for about a week before he was re-homed. His family
came to pick him up and brought their other dog to meet him. There wasn’t any problems at all and both dogs got in the
back of the car as if they had always been together. Sooty is going to get a passport so that he can go on holiday with his
new family. Great.
KATIE
Katie arrived here at the end of January and is still with us. She
is a lovely quiet little girl. She just loves the attention of humans. She can never get enough cuddles. She cries when we
come out of the kennels and leave her. When we let her out into the paddock she lays by the gate just watching for us to go
out and cuddle her again. She really does deserve to have a forever home and will make someone a lovely pet.
BELL
Bell was the next to arrive. A lovely brindle girl. She was rather shy when she arrived but is now coming out of
her shell. She also loves her cuddles and her walks. She loves to be out in the paddock with the other greyhounds. The day
that Bell arrived Mandy had a look at her teeth. They were in a horrible state so it was straight down to the vets. The vet
was disgusted that her teeth were in such a state. We took her back the next morning and she has had most of her teeth out.
We think she has about five teeth left, but now that her gums have healed she doesn’t have any trouble eating. We have
a couple of volunteer dog walkers who come on a Saturday and they have fallen in love with her but unfortunately they are
in rented accommodation and their landlord won’t let them have a dog. They will be moving shortly and then they will
definitely have a dog.
LADDIE
Laddie arrived the same day as Bell. He was quite a character.
He was only with us about a week and a half and has now gone to a foster home where there are two more dogs. He was a mischievous
one. Good luck to his foster parents.
RONNIE
Ron has only been with us for a couple of days.
He gets on with the other greyhounds and walks well on the lead. He has the habit of eating his food before Mandy can get
it mixed. He is a very handsome boy and reminds us very much of Max who now lives with Arthur. More about Ron next time.
During the recent gales our isolation kennel blew over and we would like to say a big thank you to Al and Graham who
have now erected it for us and have also bolted it down.
As usual comments to fmbleasdale@btinternet.com.
JANUARY 2011
Apologies for not getting
a December issue of the diary but we were rather busy looking after the foster greyhounds in our kennels. Anyhow here goes
with what happened during the festive season etc.
OLLIE
Ollie went for his operation and
came through it with flying colours. (Thank goodness) He did stay in the vets overnight because when we went to pick him up
he just collapsed on the floor. We were quite upset about this and asked the vet to keep him in overnight. He had been the
last on the table and had not come round properly from the anaesthetic. We picked him up the next morning and it was a different
story altogether, his little tail wagged and he was so pleased to see us. He did have to have a drain in his side and it was
rather messy. When it came to bedtime we didn’t want him to go into the bedrooms so having purchased a couple of airbeds,
we blew them up and spent the next fortnight sleeping with him in the lounge. Anyhow things are now back to normal and Ollie
is back to his old self. We are just waiting for the fur to grow back.
BEN
Ben did get his
staples out of his leg and it is now healed up OK. He now barks at everyone who comes to see us but it is not taking him as
long to make friends with people as it was a few months ago. He really is much improved with his fear of people etc.
STRUAN
Struan is still the same old couch potato. Leave me alone and let me sleep is his motto. He
can be mischievous and charge about up the hall when it is time for his walk. He loves to meet new people but does tend to
jump up to say hello, so be warned if you pay us a visit.
FRANKIE
Frankie has now come off
his eye drops and only has to have an injection in his eye about every five weeks. We are keeping a close watch on his
eye as we don’t want him to go backwards. He doesn’t like going into the vets but as he goes with Gabby he follows
her in.
GABBY
Gabby is getting to be a little imp just like Frankie. She has also been back
to the vets. She has nearly perfect sight in one eye and the other is improving. She has injections into both eyes every five
weeks or so. She goes up to the electric fire now which has a glass front and she now thinks that there is another dog in
there. When it comes to supper time Gabby thinks that she should have a Bonio like the others but believe me it takes her
about half an hour to eat it with only having three teeth. We usually get her something softer but she always wants the same
as the others. She loves to munch away on a rawhide chew but doesn’t make much headway but at least she’s happy.
ALL THE DOGS
This is just a little extra as we don’t know who is responsible but we went
to meet Al at Eaglesfield the other day to hand over Hughie to go to his new home and when we got back the postman had been.
Right down the hall and into the lounge was littered with paper. Viking direct had sent Mandy a new catalogue and I think
every page had been shredded. We could hardly see the carpet. Mandy’s tax disc for her car had come but luckily it was
all in one piece. I just wonder who was the culprit.
JOHNNY
Johnny has now gone to his new
home and we believe he has settled in well. He was a great dog and we wish him a long and happy life.
RED
Red has now moved on to his forever home and we get regular updates and photos from his new mum and dad. We are very grateful
to them as he was a great boy who we were sorry to see him go. He now has a couple of sisters to play with and we are happy
that he has got a great home where we are sure he will lead the life he deserves.
STAN
Stan
moved on to a foster home before he went to his forever home. We know that he was great in his foster home but have not heard
how he is in his forever home.
HUGHIE
Oh what a great dog. He came to us at the end of November.
He just loved human company, got on well with the other dogs and was a real pet. He wagged his tail so hard that he split
the end of it and despite numerous trips to the vet and Mandy and me doing everything we could, he had to have part of his
tail amputated. This didn’t seem to bother him at all. The vet advised us to buy Manuka honey when we dressed it as
it has very good healing properties but sadly it didn’t work for poor Hughie. He used to tell us when it was feeding
time by howling till he got his meals. Hughie has now gone to his new home. He is going to live with another greyhound, a
lurcher, a Yorkshire terrier, a poodle and two cats, so good luck to you Hughie, you deserve the best. There was certainly
tears when he left us. Thank goodness Al didn’t see it or we wouldn’t have heard the last of it, but there again
there have been tears shed at each one leaving us.
BUDDY
Buddy arrived half way through December.
We thought we were going to have a bit of trouble with him as he was very lively and always wanted to jump up and nearly knock
us over, but now he has settled down and is a very loving dog. He was kennelled next to Hughie and we feel that he is missing
him so we have had a juggle round with the kennels and he is now next to Max. They all love to play out in the paddock together
and have been enjoying the snow. We believe Buddy will be going into a foster home shortly where he will get the chance to
experience home life.
LARKIE
Larkie is to be the dog of the month for January. He is a pleasant
little dog who only has half a tail. He was brought to us on 23rd December and was quite a shy boy but is now enjoying playing
with his toys etc. He has been walking with all the other rescue dogs and has not been any trouble at all. Larkie will be
leaving us shortly to go to his foster home and then hopefully to a forever home.
MAX
Max
arrived on 24th December. Another great dog. No problems at all. He will hopefully be going to stay with Arthur and Agnes
until a home is found for him. He walks well on the lead and has a habit of putting his head against your leg when walking
and then looking up at you as if to say ‘Am I doing OK’.
FLY
Fly arrived with
Max on 24th December. What wonderful Christmas presents for us. Fly is a gentle little girl who just loves to be cuddled.
She puts her legs around you and hugs you. She has now gone to stay with Al and Judy before going to her forever home.
CHINA
China is a sister of Fly’s and is of the same temperament. Loves her cuddles.
The thing we found most surprising was that when offered a treat she didn’t know what to do with it. She didn’t
even know to take it out of our hand, but that has all changed now as she has learned to eat them. She was quite timid but
is now coming round. She loves to walk very close to you. More about China as we get to know her better.
DANCER
Dancer is another sister to Fly and China. She is not as timid. She likes to explore when out walking. I don’t think
she has been walked out on the road before as she is mesmerised with everything. Again more about Dancer as we get to know
her better.
I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who donated things for the dogs for Christmas.
They had a great time. Santa (Al) came with their presents just before Christmas.
That’s all for the diary
this time. Hope you all enjoy reading it.
All the Best to you all for 2011 and especially the doggies.
As
usual comments to fmbleasdale@btinternet.com.
 November 2010
Well hear I am again with the November issue of the diary but first of all may I say a big thank
you to all the members who emailed me to say how much they enjoyed the first one.
OLLIE
Well it was Ollie’s tenth birthday this month. We found a lump on his shoulder which grew quite quickly so
it meant a trip to the vets. The vet believes that it may be a fatty lump but it is under the muscle. If it is left it will
probably interfere with his walking and we have been advised to have it removed. He will have a drain in it for two or three
days after the operation and we have been warned that it is quite messy. He is going for the operation on Monday 29th so we
are feeling quite upset but after the vet examined him he was pronounced fit enough to have it done. Poor Ollie he isn’t
a bit of trouble and he is going to hate being separated from us. We will probably come out of the vets in tears, but fingers
crossed he will be OK.
BEN
Ben has also been in the wars,
he had been chasing around in the garden and came in with a piece taken out of his leg. We had only just come back from the
vets after having taken one of the rescue dogs to have his stitches out (more about that later) so back we went again and
Ben had to have six staples in his leg. Of course he wouldn’t leave it alone and took one of the staples out himself.
We had to bandage it up every night and took it off during the day when we could keep our eye on him. He is going to have
them taken out this Saturday (that’s if he doesn’t get at it again and open it up).
STRUAN
Not much to report about Struan apart from the fact that he is still as mad as ever. He just likes to lay on the
couch and sleep when he isn’t acting the fool.
FRANKIE
Frankie
is a little imp. He just likes to eat the meat out of his own dinner and then thinks he can go round everybody else’s
and eat theirs. He has also been to the vets. He has an eye condition and has to go to the doggy eye specialist at Penrith.
He has been on steroids and eye drops but thankfully has now finished with the steroids and is only on the drops but has to
have an injection into his eye about every six weeks. Sounds awful but he never flinches as the vet freezes the eye first.
I had to go out off the room the first time he had one as I’m not very brave but when Mandy told me that he didn’t
bother I stayed in the room the next time.
GABBY
The good
news about Gabby is that after the eye treatment she is having her sight has improved quite a lot so she can now see, not
as good as the others but at least she can see better than she did. She is also on drops and has to have both eyes injected.
We first noticed that she could see better when she saw herself in the mirror in the bedroom. She stood for quite some
time looking at ‘the other dog’ in the mirror.
She’s still a little thief, she pinched a chocolate
éclair which I was going to eat after my dinner. We have also decided that it is no good watching any animal programmes
on TV as she thinks the dogs are behind it and considering we only bought the TV about six months ago we don’t want
to chance her knocking it over.
JOHNNY
Well Johnny went
to stay with Arthur and has lived up to his reputation of being a real gentleman. Hopefully he is going to his forever home
shortly. Arthur has brought him a couple of times to see us and we have also seen him in the shop.
RED
Red is in our kennels and is another handsome gentleman. Al brought
him to us during October along with Stan. They are both in the kennels at the moment. Red had to go to be castrated and it
was horrible putting him back into the kennels when we collected him but with five already in the house the kennels was the
quietest place for him. He was fine. He has also had a problem with his back but on Al’s advice we met up with a chiropractic
and he is now OK. Just a simple turn of his body and we couldn’t believe the difference it made to him. If anyone out
there is thinking about adopting another greyhound then they should consider Red as he really is a big softie and will make
someone a really great pet. He hasn’t been any trouble at all. He will be four years old in December. What a lovely
Christmas present for him if someone was to adopt him.
STAN
Stan
was a big favourite of Al’s. Stan is only about two and a half. He loves human company and is quite a lively boy.
Both Red and Stan get on well with each other and we always walk them together. I would think that Stan would need plenty
to keep him occupied as he is very alert, but of course like all greyhounds is a real love. Mandy and I will be sorry to see
these two dogs go as they are no trouble at all but we would be pleased to see them go to their forever homes.
Well
that’s all for now and as usual comments would be appreciated.
fmbleasdale@btinternet.com
September to October 2010
I have been asked by Al and Judy to write about our own dogs and the foster dogs that will be passing
through before they hopefully go to their forever homes.
First of all I would like to introduce myself and my family.
My name is Margaret and I have one daughter, Mandy. Mandy has always wanted to work with animals so when the opportunity arrived
for us to buy a house with kennels in Lockerbie we took the chance and moved here nearly twelve months ago. We have spent
most of our time renovating the kennels which turned out to be a lot bigger job than expected but it has been worth all the
time and trouble and Happy Houndz is now open and Mandy is fulfilling her dream.
We first became interested in
DCGR when we met them at Gretna Gateway. They were having one of the fund raising events. At that time we said that if anything
happened to our dogs we would definitely adopt a greyhound. Sadly we lost our greyhound Kenya just over two years ago
which left Ollie, our lurcher all on his own.
We contacted DCGR a few days after our loss and then followed the home check etc.
BEN. We adopted Ben,
who was and still is a rather nervous dog. We were told at the time that it could take up to two years for him to lose his
fear of just about anything, cars, people, children, sudden movements etc. etc. Those people who have met Ben know that he
is still a nervous dog but is much better than he was.
When we attended the Christmas Fair at Rockcliffe, we were delighted that Ben got third prize for the nicest
coat. While we were there we spoke to Al about adopting another dog who would perhaps help Ben to come out of his shell. The
following day he rang to say that he had just the dog for us. One that was not domineering but wasn’t frightened of
anything.
STRUAN. We travelled to
Rockcliffe and met Margaret who had brought Struan. We took the dogs for a walk together and as everything appeared to go
well so we took Struan home with us. It never ceases to amaze me how well greyhounds get along with each other. Struan is
a very lazy dog and likes nothing better than cuddling up on the settee with either Mandy or myself. He does have the occasional
mad few minutes when he lets of steam and charges about the house like a lunatic. We just stay where we are until he decides
‘that’s enough’ Both Margaret and Arthur have witnessed this and Arthur’s comment was ‘that
dog is mad’. Our hall is about 15 yards long so he bounds up and down there and into the living room where he jumps
from one settee to the other and re-organises the furniture.
FRANKIE. The next dog we got was Frankie. Al rang us about a week before Christmas to see if we could
help out as Frankie was being returned. We agreed straight away, so the following day Margaret turned up with Frankie. Poor
Frankie wasn’t very well so the first job was a visit to the vets. The vet said that he had a slight temperature which
could have been the reason for the poorly tummy but it could also be stress. We decided to keep him in the utility room which
we thought would keep any infection away from our other dogs. That idea didn’t work as we have a barn door and as soon
as we opened the top part all dogs were saying hello to each other so of course Frankie came into the house. I think we knew
after a couple of days that we would like to adopt Frankie. He is such a loving little chap. He just likes to be near us all
the time. He is rather mischievous and likes nothing better than tearing up his fluffy toys. Needless to say whenever we go
into the kitchen he is there waiting by the cupboard to see if any treats are coming his way. Anyhow we have now adopted Frankie
so within twelve months our family has grown once more, but it still doesn’t stop there. Once our kennels were
completed we offered DCGR two of our kennels for the homeless greyhounds which were gratefully accepted so we are now helping
out the homeless greyhounds.
Our first two residents were Millie and Gabby. They had been taken to the vets to
be put to sleep.
MILLIE. Firstly
I will tell you about Millie. She is 9 years old but didn’t act like it. I think she was happy that she was at last
living in a home instead of kennels. She arrived with very sore feet and we were advised by the vet only to walk her on grass.
Luckily the farmer who owns the field at the back of our house said we could take the dogs in there for there exercise, so
that solved a big problem for us.
We only had Millie for a few days and then she was re-homed here in Lockerbie.
We do still see her and her feet are more or less back to normal and she is perfectly happy and content living with an elderly
lady who thinks the world of her.
GABBIE.
Now for Gabby. She is 8 years old and she arrived with only about five teeth and couldn’t see very well. After Millie
went to her new home we decided to let Gabby come into the house but it was a struggle to get her back into the kennels at
night so of course after a couple of nights she got her own way and stayed in the house. We tucked her up on a bed in the
lounge and we didn’t hear a sound from her till the next morning. This lasted for a few nights then as she found her
way round the house she decided that she wasn’t going to stay by herself (the other dogs always either sleep in the
bedrooms or in the hallway) so now Gabby does the same. Even though we understand that Gabby has spent all her life in kennels
she wakes us up if she wants to go out. She hasn’t got out of the habit of wanting every bit of food available. The
other day Mandy and I were just having a sandwich for our lunch and as I was sitting down Gabby made a dive and I was one
sandwich short. When we took her to be spayed the vet extracted another 2 teeth so she now only has 3 teeth left but manages
to eat most things. She finds her way around the house now without bumping into things. It’s hard to think that she
doesn’t see very well. She is at present having treatment for her eyes and they do look a lot better than when she arrived.
The latest update on Gabby is that we are being allowed to keep her. Frankie looks after her and they have now got the name
of ‘the terrible twins’. They wake us up in a morning running up and down the hall at great speed.
JOHNNY. We are also looking after Johnny who is going to be fostered
by Arthur but he is at present taking a short break. He is 7 years old and is a big brindle boy who has been handed back to
DCGR. How anyone could hand him back I will never know as he is a great big softie who just loves attention and cuddles.
He also grins at us. Rather off putting when you see it for the first time. He will do this anytime he is being made
a fuss of. He has been in the kennels all the time and hasn’t been any bother at all. During the day Mandy moves his
bed to the kennel doorway and he lays there watching the world go by. Anyone who adopts Johnny will have a truly wonderful
dog.
That’s all for now until we get more foster dogs and I will give you an update on the permanent residents.
Any comments about the above can be emailed to me at fmbleasdale@btinternet.com
I would appreciate it you could tell me if you have enjoyed reading this.
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