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 

Running For His Life.....

Today I wanted to give you a bit of an insight into my life before I retired and came to live with my Mums. 

Some of you already know that I am a retired racing greyhound. I was known as Barrigone Bank and was born in Limerick, Ireland in May 2007. I only had one other registered litter mate, which is unusual. My Mum had 7 litters in 8 years totaling 54 registered pups. The largest litter was 11 and the smallest, other than mine, 3 - when she was 10 years old. Mum thinks it's possible there were more pups in my litter, but they were too weak to be of any use...... Even my sibling can't be traced after his / her registration in Ireland.   By March 2009 I was at a racing kennel in Derbyshire, England being trialed at Hall Green Racing Stadium in Birmingham. I had a couple of trials in Ireland in December 2008, but other than that it's unclear what happened to me before I went to Derbyshire. All we know (according to the trainer's webpage) is that I was acquired from Hall Green sales "not in the best of conditions" - Mums hate to think what that might mean....

Barrigone Bank - Champion Racer......!

I had my first full race at Hall Green on 26th June 2009 (I came 4th) but by 18th July I'd won my first race. The records show that I had my last race at Hall Green on 4th November 2009 and then I disappeared off the scene until 6th May 2010, when I began racing at Monmore Green in Wolverhampton. Mum says she assumes the 6 month break was down to some significant injury. I raced at Monmore until my retirement in February 2011. Again, we aren't really sure why I was retired (aged 3years 9 months) but we believe that too was down to an injury. 

While trying to fill in the gaps in my history, Mum came across this video, taken at Hall Green on 24th July 2009, when I was just over 2.  This was the sixth race of my career - another 55 were to follow. I am in trap 2

See..... I'm a champ!

Hello, it's Declan's Mum here.

I just wanted to make it clear, that the showing of this video does not in any way mean that I endorse greyhound racing. There is no doubt that greyhounds love to run, but for me, professional greyhound racing is riddled with problems. 

Greyhound racing is a business; people are in it to make money. The desire to find  the highest performing dog that will make money on the track and then be a valuable bitch or stud dog leads to massive over breeding. Around 25,000 pups are registered in the UK each year. That's registered not born. Many are culled at a few days old. 

To make this feel a little more real, here are some facts about Deccy's family. His father, grandfather and great grandfather sired over 11000 pups between them. The number of pups that make it to a racing career isn't really known, but a survey by Greyhound Watch estimated that it's around 52%.  So what happened to Dec's 5500 relatives who didn't become racers? Some may have found homes, many weren't that lucky. Of those that become racers, a recent BBC documentary estimated that 25% are rehomed when they retire. On that basis 1375 relatives got lucky. 4125 didn't. So of those 11,000 + pups it seems reasonable to assume that half never made it and their fate is unclear and of those that did over 4000 were most likely destroyed  at the end of their career. 

Around 10,000 greyhounds retire each year in the UK and the level of cruelty that some endure is truly appalling. Many years ago, before I had Flynn, I was in touch with a rescue group who had just taken in a badly injured greyhound. She had been dumped on the motorway after having her ears burnt off - so that her owner could not be identified by her tattoos. 

 Responsible owners/trainers will keep their dogs as pets or find them a home through rehoming organisations such as Retired Greyhound Trust. But this only accounts for some of the greyhounds retiring. Many others are abandoned, euthanased or brutally killed, while some may be exported to continue racing in appalling conditions abroad, while yet others are used in medical research or vivisection. In 2006 a man from Sunderland in the north east of England was accused of killing up to 10,000 greyhounds over a 15 year period for £10 a time. The method of execution for those poor dogs was a bolt gun, a weapon that fires a metal bar with enough force to shatter the toughest skull. 

There are hundreds of cases of cruelty recorded, and not just towards dogs at the end of their careers, or who didn't make it in the first place. It is beyond my comprehension (or perhaps I just don't want to think about it) why a so called "trainer" deliberately terrifies and physically hurts a dog to try and make it run faster. I am aware of several greyhounds who bare the scars of old cigarette burns. Declan has a few unexplained scars on his side and I've a pretty good idea what they are. Flynn had his tail broken. Generally I am known as a bit of a wishy washy liberal but my anger knows no bounds when I hear how some of these loving and gentle dogs are mistreated. 

All dogs deserve a kind and loving home, be they pedigree, mutts or retired working dogs. But if there was ever a breed that deserves a safe and comfortable home for the rest of their lives,  it's the greyhound. Okay, so I'm biased, what can I say! But if you are considering a getting a dog, you could do an awful lot worse than a retired racer! 

Mr Couch Potato!

Please don't forget to send your entry for my   Tuneful Farting   Olympic event! You only have until Midnight GMT on Wednesday 18th July. Click HERE if you need more information. Send your entries to declansdogsblog(AT)gmail(DOT)com


So far we have entries from:

Target 

Madi

Sasha

Goose

Molly the Wally

Jake & Baby

Bouncing Bertie

Puddles

Nola

Bridget

Daisy, Bella & Roxy

Sarge 

 Beachnut

Roo

The Houston Pittie Pack

Maggie & Zoey

Rubie

Lily Belle

Bert

Dougall

George the Lad

Lassiter Chase & Benjamin

Stella & Rory

Susie 

 Sidebite

Deccy's First Gotcha Day!

This was taken at Monmore Green Retired Greyhound Trust before we ever met Deccy. In fact it was this picture that made us go and see him! Well who could resist?! We didn't know until later that he was Flynn's Great-Nephew. We decided it was fate that we should have him!

We met him on a Sunday and agreed to have him on a weeks trial starting on the Wednesday. On the Friday I discovered a small lump on his tummy that I thought should be checked out, so took him back to the rescue kennels. They wanted their vet to check him so I arranged to meet them at the track on Monday. Over the weekend, a few people expressed concern that it might be the beginning of something serious or cost a lot of money long term. We couldn't possibly be that attached to him yet, so maybe he should go back and we should look for another dog? It was then that we knew he was ours. It is testament to what a lovely affectionate dog he is, that less than a week in and we wouldn't have given him up for the world! The lump turned out to be an umbilical hernia, which is very common, and was rectified by a small operation organised by Monmore Greyhound Trust. 

Taken Sunday 3rd July 2011 at our very first meeting. Not that he seemed that impressed with us!

Dec with Dom - the first Greyhound friend he made after kennels.

On his first holiday in Northumberland. He was singularly unimpressed with the beach. (Beryl would think he is such a wuss!)

His first Christmas. 

Come February, love was in the air!.......

Deccy and Beryl on their first date on St. Patrick's Day

His 5th birthday in May was celebrated in his own inimitable style!

We've had our ups and downs, but  he's come a long way in a year. Of course there is still the somewhat sticky issue of KC. For those of you who don't know, Deccy came to us having passed his "cat test" in kennels. We can only assume that he was very soundly asleep or drugged when they let a cat anywhere near him! 

In reality, I don't think this will ever happen, but he is a lot less reactive than he once was.....

Some of you will remember this "unfortunate little incident" ahem....

A very happy Gotcha Day to our boy Dec! A few days in and we couldn't bear the thought of not keeping you. 1 year on and life without you is unimaginable. We love you very much mate!

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!

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!