Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue

Today, Blog the Change for Animals is joining Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue  and asking us all to use our blogs "to promote the life and death difference that consumers can make by adopting a dog instead of purchasing through a pet store or breeder. Millions of dogs are euthanased each year while waiting for their forever home"

Now I'm not looking to get into an argument with folks about buying dogs from reputable breeders. Mums accept some people do and they have reasons for it. Mums like to adopt, that's their personal choice.  However, if you are looking to get a dog and you feel able to consider adoption, please please do. 


Some of you will have read my post last week about my life as a racing greyhound. Unfortunately I didn't know about this campaign then, as much of what I said is pertinent to it. 


Last year The Retired Greyhound Trust  rehomed  4120 greyhounds, (I was one of them!) but given that over 10,000 retire each year and many aren't good enough to become racers in the first place, there are a lot of dogs that aren't so lucky. 

Now, being a retired racer myself, I may be a tiny little bit biased about the fact that adopting one of my many friends is the best idea you'll ever have! But if you don't believe me talk to my Mums. Mum adopted her first hound    Flynn, and I think it's fair to say from day one she was a greyhound addict! She says crack cocaine has nothing on  us (allegedly......ahem...) Whilst Mum adores all dogs and would happily own other types/breeds she says she can't imagine life without a greyhound at her side (or on her lap.....)


I think a lot of myths about greyhounds have been exploded over recent years but for the uninitiated, here are a few facts:

• They need very little exercise. Most are happy on 2 x 30 mins a day, though they'll go much further if you want them to.
• They can curl up to the size of a ball
• They can stretch to the size of double bed
• They bark much less than many dogs - some hardly ever
• They have a gentle and kind nature
• Many live happily with cats and other small furries. (Yeah I know, I know... but Flynn lived with 4 different cats and 2 rats in his time and was friends with them all!)
• You've never been truly loved until you've been loved by a greyhound
• They are bigger couch potatoes than you could ever dream of being
• They look you in the eyes and smile at you
• The first time you see your hound in full flight, you'll cry at the sheer beauty of it. 

See, I'm smiling at you!

All dogs deserve a kind loving home, pedigree, mutt or retired working dog, but non more so than the greyhound. Being a racer can be a very hard life and sadly many dogs have been subjected to appalling cruelty. Mum says she can't really remember why she decided on a rescue hound when she got Flynn; she only knows it was the best thing she ever did. 

Please adopt your next dog if you can. Or you can help in other ways:

• Donate to a local dog rescue organisation
• Foster a dog
• Volunteer at a local shelter or rescue organisation
• Spread the word by sharing this post across all forms of social media.

Thank you. Deccy 

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday (16/11)

Well what else can I do? I don't have a pocket to keep a handkerchief in...

Wordless Wednesday

"Sniff Sniff.....Ah, Labrador 2011.... a very fine vintage......"

In Memory of Flynn

Hello there, it’s Deccy’s Mum here. Under normal circumstances, my beloved son wouldn’t let me anywhere near his precious blog, but he’s a big hearted lad and he knows that today is a little poignant for his other Mum and me.

Today would have been Flynn's 13^th birthday. He passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on 25^th May this year. One minute he was eating his dinner in the sunshine, the next he bolted across the lawn like a bullet from a gun and then collapsed. Within 10 minutes he’d gone. Just like that. We couldn’t believe it; still can’t sometimes. We walked around like zombies for days. If I functioned at all, it was on autopilot. 12 ½ isn’t exactly young but I had such high hopes of him making a grand old man. He’d never had a major illness, he was fit and well as far as we knew. I guess it just wasn’t to be.

He always slept at the side of the bed and even now, half asleep in the middle of the night, I reach out to stroke his soft silky ears before I remember that he’s not there and never will be again. He took to sleeping very soundly in his latter years and sometimes my nocturnal ear tickling would startle him, causing him to leap in the air with a mighty growl, fangs flashing, until he realised it was just his old Mum. He would then spend the rest of the night gently licking my hand by way of an apology for nearly causing me to have a heart attack!

I remember the first time I met him on 26^th December 2001 at his racing kennels. There he was, this huge yellow smelly misshapen greyhound with a broken tail. I took him for a walk, or more accurately, he dragged me along frozen country lanes for half an hour, nearly pulling my arms from their sockets. I said I’d think about adopting him and went home to discuss him for hours on end.

 I have faults..many many faults but I like to think that I’m not shallow. Well, I might be about shoes and cars and trashy TV, but not about important stuff. I knew if I didn’t take him on just because he was going to be a bit of hard work and maybe he wasn’t at the front of the queue when the good looks were handed out, I would never be able to live with myself. I didn’t realise at the time, but he stole a piece my heart at the very first meeting.

I took him home in January 2002, collecting him from his kennels the day after he’d been neutered. He was still walking a bit like a recently dismounted cowboy! I was working freelance at the time and had decided to take some time off to settle him in. In my mind I was thinking about 4 weeks. In the end it was 10 weeks before I went back to work. People kept asking me when I was going back and I would insist that Flynn needed a bit more time. In truth it was me that didn’t want to leave him. Even then I needed him every bit as much as he needed me.

The first time he met his Granny (my mother) she looked a little startled and said something like “what an odd looking dog; only his mother would love him!” He was tall and very long. A bit like a stretch limo, he looked like he’d been cut in half and had an extra mid section inserted! It was therefore testament to his gentle disposition that she became his biggest fan. He always came with me when I went to stay with her, and often when I awoke I would find that he wasn’t in his usual place next to my bed. I would find him lying next to my mother, being fed digestive biscuits and  gently berated for dropping crumbs. She sent him money for his birthday and he always got a Christmas card. (My family are all slightly barmy when it comes to animals – I love them all the more for it!) He adored his Granny and losing him broke her heart too.

Most of us have big upheavals in our life from time to time and I’ve certainly had my fair share. There have been times when I really couldn’t have cared less about myself, and cliché it may be, but Flynn gave me a reason to get up in the mornings. He never judged, he just loved me. Our relationships with other humans can be complex; good and bad, genuine and fickle but there is a beautiful simplicity  about our relationship with our pets. We love them and take care of them and in return they trust us completely. It may take a while to get there but it’s all the more satisfying for it. The trust of an animal is the most precious gift we can be given and even on dark days I can’t help but feel just a little bit good about myself.

I was able to spend the last 12 months of Flynn’s life at home with him and I will always be grateful for having that time with him. I’m glad that he had a happy and safe home in the last years of his life. That is mainly thanks to his other Mum. I don’t think either Flynn or I would have done too well without her unending love, kindness and generosity. Flynn loved her. Scrap that; he idolised her. So do I.

This is an ink drawing of Flynn - broken tail and all - done by other Mum last Christmas.
I treasure it. 

Flynn was a dog in a million. I loved him to the ends of the earth and back. As Greyhound Gardens said yesterday about the loss of their beloved Roxy, we miss him more than words can ever express. But Declan helps. He really helps. To say that he has a few more issues than Flynn is a bit of an understatement but I really hope we’ll get there. Just like I told Flynn all those years  ago, he’s found his forever home now and whilst I have any choice in the matter, I’ll take care of him for the rest of his days.   

It’s been nice to meet some of Declan’s blogging pals. Maybe he might let me guest blog again sometime... but I’m not holding my breath!

Flynn
17th October 1998 - 25th May 2011

Oh the Indignity of It.......

Well, summer is pretty much coming to an end now and where most normal people's thoughts turn to log fires and cosy evenings, my Mum's thoughts turned to baths... "It's our last chance Deccy" she said, reaching for the Tea Tree shampoo. Fortunately (for her, not me) I didn't know what this meant as I've not had a bath at home before, so I stood and watched ever hopeful that a large knuckle bone or at least a rawhide chew would appear. But no! There I was admiring my tomato plants when a whole watering can of warm water gets tipped over me. Then there's a load of smelly shampoo (nothing pleasant like fox poo) gets rubbed in and my unmentionables are scrubbed with a sponge... not that I have any unmentionables anymore, but that's not the point.

The final indignity was being dried with some new towels Mum had bought just for me. Except they were red, and she hadn't washed them first. So I'm not blue and white anymore, I'm blue and pink. The only saving grace is that she couldn't find the camera. It's bad enough with the cat laughing at me. I just hope it wears off soon or I shall only be going out under the cover of darkness.

Great Greyhound Gathering National RGT Show

STOP PRESS!

The 2011 Great Greyhound Gathering will be held at Nottingham Racecourse, Colwick Park, Nottingham NG2 4BE on Saturday 17 September. For more information, visit http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/Great-Greyhound-Gathering-2011/

A fun day out for all the family, and great way to find out all about owning a Greyhound! Remember, Greyhounds make wonderful pets; my humans couldn't live without one - especially me!

KC Won't Play!

Just sharpening my claws Declan!

KC and I are still kind of rubbing along, but you wouldn't exactly call us close, you know? It's really not my fault; I'd like to play with her but what can I do when she disappears in a puff of smoke when she sees me?

Mum says "play" is not pinning her to the floor with my rather fat nose, but hey Mum, we can iron out minor details like that later can't we...?

It's a shame that KC won't talk to me as I've had a few ideas about hiring her out for Halloween, what with her being jet black and everything. I'm just trying to ease the family finances but Mum keeps muttering something about it practically being akin to prostitution. Oh she does over-react. Perhaps I'll set up another site called "Pimp My Cat". Heh Heh Heh!!!!!

Anyway, Mum's latest idea is to put KC on a harness, put me on my lead, bribe her with tuna and me with gravy bones... and see if we can stay in the same room without KC having a hissy fit or me having uncharitable thoughts about cat club sandwiches. I'll let you know how we get on........

My New Winter Greyhound Coat

I'm thinking of getting some black boots and
a white beard and getting a job as Santa Claws!

Greyhounds need coats; lots and lots of coats...

Although we're big dogs we have very short fur and very little fat on us so we really feel the cold. General rule is, if you need a coat on to go out, then so do I. That's unless you come from Newcastle and you're really hard and go out in December in shorts and a T shirt. I'd want a coat.

As I said, lots of greyhound coats for every possible situation...

I have a mac in case it's wet but not cold. A fleece in case it's cold but not wet, A towel coat in case I'm wet and need drying and lastly my brand new bright red Blizzard Jacket! This is fleece lined and waterproof and is in case I fancy an Arctic expedition.... or a trip to Northumberland. 

Mum got my new greyhound coat from Jan's Greyhound Gifts. She's been getting Greyhound gear from the site for over 9 years now and reckons it one of the best value and most reliable places on the net. I'm just very keen to encourage Mum's liking for shopping. After all I've only got four leads and three collars, and I'm seriously wondering if I need a baseball cap..........

A Dogs Thoughts On Holidays

Uncle Flynn and his black pudding birthday!

I’m really looking forward to my holidays!

My humans are taking me to Northumberland in a few weeks time. They took Flynn there a couple of times and he loved it. Hated the sea and the beach but loved the battered black pudding apparently! Mum hopes I might be a bit more confident than he was about the sea, but I won’t be able to be let off my lead this time, Mum can’t trust me yet! Greyhounds should never be put on extending leads as we are way too strong and fast. I’m still pretty young and fit and can get close to 40mph in three strides. I could break my neck and Mum would have a dislocated shoulder, or worse. Mum’s bought a training lead that she can wear draped over the shoulder and is hands-free, which will give security and me a bit of freedom. I’ve told her to pack her wellies and plan on some paddling!

Mum says there’s a great Sunday market at Amble where you can buy fresh fish from the quayside and she also got the best dog bed Flynn ever had from there too! Yeah well.. I bet it wasn’t as good as my bed; it’s huge! Mum keeps muttering about needing to build an extension to put it in, but she is prone to exaggeration. We do like to stretch out, do us Greyhounds and as you know, we really like to sleep. I’ve told Mum, if she doesn’t want to lose the couch completely, she’d better buy a spare whilst we’re there..

Dozing...

I always do my best thinking when I'm sleeping

I've been thinking.. I have a lot of time to think when I'm lying on my big soft bed. Mum thinks I'm asleep, but I'm just pretending. Rumours that Greyhounds sleep for 22 hours a day are ridiculous. I never sleep for more than 20 hours..

People have lots of misconceptions about dogs like me. They think we need loads of exercise, well I beg to differ!. I packed all the strenuous exercise I need into my racing career. A couple of 20 minute strolls twice a day and the odd gallop when we have somewhere safe is fine thank you very much. And if you want to take me out in the rain I rather cleverly velcro myself to my bed.. I don't eat that much either for a big lad. I weigh about 32kg and stand at 70cm to the shoulder. 4 mugs of good dried food a day, some nice tit bits thrown in ( you can't beat liver and carrots -yummy!) and the odd pigs ear treat and I'm perfectly happy. Best of all greyhounds are the soppiest dogs! Mum says she thought Flynn was daft until she met me. There's nothing wrong with being cuddled, kissed and generally adored, that's what I say... Well I think I've worn myself out, so I'll catch you later.

Welcome To Declan's Dogs Blog!

Hello, and welcome to my Dogs Blog, I'm so glad you dropped by!

Let's get the introductions out of the way shall we. 

My name is Declan, I'm the handsome chap in the photo, and I’m a retired racing Greyhound. I live with my two humans and our cat, KC.

I was born in Ireland in 2007- my racing name was Barrigone Bank back then, and I came to England to race in the Midlands. I was quite good at running and had 61 races until I was retired in February 2011. After that I was sent to the Wolverhampton Retired Greyhound Trust re-homing kennels, where I did my best to look terribly handsome and get myself adopted by a lovely new family. Luckily my mum came along, fell in love with my stunning good looks and winning personality and took me home in July 2011.

I’m the second greyhound that my family has adopted. Mum says that greyhounds are addictive; once you’ve had one you can’t give us up! Sadly she lost her first dog Flynn in May this year. He was 12 ½ when he died and Mum had had him 9 years. Flynn was actually my great uncle, although mum didn’t know that when she first saw me. We didn’t really look alike, except Mum says there’s something very familiar about my nose.. I think it’s just the way I stick it in everything!

You may think that Flynn and I being related is a bit of a spooky coincidence, but when you know that my granddad, Larkhill Jo had 7344 pups and my great granddad, Staplers Jo had 4158, you can see it’s not unusual to find Greyhounds years apart that are related. You can also see why there are so many of my pals out there looking for safe loving homes.

Anyway, I’ll tell you all about what it’s like to live with a greyhound and about the adventures I plan to have with my family. My humans are taking me on holiday to the seaside soon, so I’m dead excited as I’ve never seen the sea. Mum says I’ll have to take my lovely new snuggly walking-out jacket so I don’t get cold.. Mum’s eh?!

That’s all for now. I hope you’ll come back and see me. Maybe I can convince you to adopt another great dog just like me. Remember, Greyhounds make wonderful pets!