Latest GRWE news

Lovely Spencer

David Healey-Hutchinson, 06/04/2010

In April 2001 we found our lovely Spencer at death's door at M&S Cribbs Causeway.

We had nearly 9 years with him and he came to France where the French children loved him but three weeks after his return home he developed an enourmous lump in his tummy and left us on August 13th.

He won the top dog at Egington and raised a lot of money when we went out for GRWE.

It was such a blow for my wife that her dementia went very quickly downhill and she is now in a home here in Weston.

I still speak to my Spencer, who's ashes are in my garden under his favourite tree.

One day when I can I will get another greyhound because of all the dogs we had during our 53 years of marriage our Spencer was the only dog we had and he was so wonderful.

All the people in Calrance park were all crying when they heard he had gone. So another stage in our lives with Spencer has passed and now my wife can only remember him when I take his photo in for her.

Thank you for reading this, Dave

Jolly Dog & Cindy Woof

Shirley Burton, 26/03/2010

I recently lost my beautiful Jolly Dog, rescued by GRWE in April 2007 along with my beloved Cindy Woof. Originally from Essex, the girls found themselves in kennels near Torquay after their owner died. The girls were nine then and no one wanted them because they were old. So they came back to Oxfordshire with me and I am so glad I took them on.

They were my beautiful guardian angels and helped me through my most difficult time in life, and it was the best thing I ever did in life to take those lovely girls home with me.

We had a wonderful life together; lots of love and cuddles and fabulous walkies, and they had the softest beds a doggy could dream of – five duvets each I think, plus lots of cuddly toys!

Cindy was put to sleep on 19th September 2009. I had no choice as I couldn’t let her suffer. I have missed her every day since. She used to woof when she was happy, cute little funny woofs. She was a loving, endearing little angel and I did my best to get Jolly through the tough times that followed as I knew she had been Cindy’s companion since they were youngsters.

In the end Jolly’s heart failed and she was put to sleep on 13th March 2010. Jolly Dog was put to sleep in the garden on her soft bed where she loved to be most of all. It was a warm sunny day and my partner and I cuddled her while the vet gently put her to sleep. I could not let her suffer in order to hang on to her for a possible few more weeks, she was a beautiful big proud dog, and she deserved the gentlest passing we could give her. She went willingly and bravely and it broke my heart completely.

I know many people are scared of taking on old dogs because they don’t live long and the potential vet bills. My girls only lived on for another 2.5 and 3 years after I took them on, but it was the best and most fulfilling thing I have ever done in life. I would not change a thing.

Those two dogs brought so much love and happiness into my life and I will forever cherish the times we had.

I hope that Cindy Woof and Jolly Dog are playing together like puppies again at Rainbow Bridge, and that they are happy and surrounded by love.
Shirley xxx

Sammy

Carol Cox, 16/03/2010

Sammy (8 February 2000 - 12 March 2010)

Sammy came into my life on 6th November 2005 when I travelled down from Berkshire to Devon on a very wet and windy Sunday. He and Clemmy, my brindle girl, seemed to get along so in the car he went and home he came.

A big black and white splodgy boy, Sammy was petrified of my tall, adult sons, children and any wooden or tiled floor. On the skinny side when we brought him home, he soon filled out and had the softest coat ever. Gradually he came to realise my sons meant him no harm and would go up to them for a fuss.

Sammy was not the quietest sleeper; strange rumbling sounds would emanate from him as he slept soundly. He could have won prizes for nagging – dinnertime or walk time, he'd make quite sure I was aware of the time of day, head-butting me as I attempted to get coat on, collars and leads on.

Whenever I arrived home he would be there, barking out his greeting. Sammy was never the most elegant of runners; where Clemmy was streamlined elegance, Sammy seemed to have all four legs going in different directions!

Sammy was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in July 2008 and given six months to live. And so began a regime of tablets and regular checkups with the cardiologist. At the beginning of this year he slowly went downhill, and eventually his broken heart could go on no longer.

There is a very large Sammy-shaped hole in my life and the house is strangely quiet. I was utterly devoted to Sammy and he to me. Bless you my darling boy, you meant the world to me and always will. RIP Sammy - run free at Rainbow Bridge.

Carol

Bobby Spencer, September 1997 - March 8th 2010

Lesley Spencer, 09/03/2010

We took in our beautiful Bobby (Pots) after GRWE asked us to rehome a very beautiful but depressed red brindle aged 5. We were his third home and it was obvious he just wanted to be loved. We had only just taken on Indy but how could we turn down a dog that needed our help? So he moved in with us and his sister Beau & brother Indy and never gave us reason to regret that decision.

Bobby was just adorably handsome, rather gangly and lanky and almost looked like he had an extra few inches bolted on to his rear end!! His personality began to emerge and he was just the sweetest, quietest, affectionate and loyal boy - but wow was that dog lazy!! We nicknamed him Mr Duvet as even out walking he had to be dragged round - even on the shortest walk. His loyalty was unfailing and he protected us in his own way and had a special "boys" bond with Mark.
He was such an easy dog and he had 7 holidays in Norfolk and loved the beach - but one quick chase of the ball was enough as it was just too tiring to do more. A couple of years later we lost Beau and Bobby became depressed again so Chester moved in closely followed by Ted. The four boys got on so well and Bobby never had a telling off in his life.
He developed bad arthritis in his hips a year ago but medication saw his mobility deteriorate only slightly and he had a good quality of life. His weight was always a problem, trying to get him to put it on was a constant battle and we tried all sorts of supplements and piled as much into him as we could. He was always a bit skinny and as he got older he got worse, but he was happy and that’s all that matters.
Bobby loved our move to the country and settled so well - that was Bobby, no trouble at all. Sadly, we lost Indy 5 months ago but it wouldn’t have been fair to introduce another grey as Bobby was also getting tired and didn’t need any "Bright Young Thing" pinching his favourite fluffy rug - he loved that rug!! Then his mobility deteriorated further and we stopped walking him a few months back which helped - he hated walking anyway so his prayers had been answered!! Sadly he had things going on internally and we had to do the right thing. He had Beau and Indy waiting for him and that gave us comfort and we knew he was ready - we could see it in his eyes so we set him free.
It was an amazing privilege for 7 and a half years Mr Pots - you will always be our beautiful Bobster, our Gentle Giant, our Wolfie.
Always and Forever
Mummy, Daddy, Chester & Ted
xxxxxxxxxxxx

Goodnight to a very special girl

Jan Lake, 15/02/2010

Rosebud was my first "proper" rescue. In those days, back in 1999 (eek!!) GRWE only had one set of central kennels and there was very little room..............

I bought Rosebud from the pound for £50. It was a terrible place where in the winter dogs died of the cold and were found frozen to the floor in the morning. They would never have let me have her if they had known I was from a rescue so I lied about my name and address and brought her home with me.

Rosebud was simply terrified of life itself. She was bald and skinny, and if you even looked at her she cowered and weed. She was a pitiful sight, but the psychological damage was much deeper. She lived with me as a foster for a few months until she was well enough to be homed.

She would have stayed with me, but I was posted to Guernsey and couldn't take her with me. I found a home for her with a wonderful family who lived close by, and Rosebud - now re-named Lolli had THE most wonderful life a dog could wish for.

It was the best thing I ever did for her, as she was utterly adored by Sally and her family, and wanted for nothing. Sally became a great friend of mine, and Lolli was soon followed by Saffie a beautiful fawn greyhound.

Lolli became GRWE's "pin up girl" and has been on our Friends leaflet and re-homing posters for several years, showing the transformation from sad little girl with the fearful eyes to a beautiful, much loved girl.

Lolli never forgot her past, and whatever horrors had befallen her were never far from her mind in new and unfamiliar situations. Someone had a lot to answer for............

Aged 13 years old, on Thursday this special girl left us for the Bridge She has left a massive hole and her family are utterly devastated.

Rosebud/Lolli was truly a special girl - a jewel among so very many dogs whom I have met and loved.

Her memory will live on, and through our literature Rosebud will continue to help so many more dogs find loving homes - truly a fitting Legacy for such a special girl

Goodnight princess it was pleasure to know and love you x

Brig

Steve & Joy Buckland, 02/12/2009

On 17th July 2009 we were introduced to Brig who we understand had been in kennels for several months after leaving the race track. As soon as we saw this beautiful boy, black with a touch of grey and white, who greeted us with the waggiest of tails, it was love at first sight.

Initially he did not like the car but after a while with the help of special treats he would leap straight in and enjoy stretching out in the back. It was wonderful to see him running around the fields and he soon learned “recall” and would “stay” on command. Eventually he applied doggy logic and did not wait until recalled but would return quickly for his treat!

In the house he loved visitors but once greeted he would curl up on his bed with a long contented sigh (no doubt listening to us singing his praises).

Sadly within three months Brig was diagnosed with a very serious disease and was hospitalised for 12 days. The nurses made a great fuss of him and he was pain free and quite bright. We brought him home the day after his sixth birthday but within four days, on the 23 November, complications arose and Brig was put to sleep in his most favourite place, his bed.

We feel so sad for Brig that he had such a short time to enjoy the freedom, love and care he so deserved. He was the most wonderful, big-hearted, friendly, loving boy and there is an enormous void in our lives but we know that for a short while he was a very happy boy and we were honoured to have him with us.

Amber Hansford

Lucille Cavadino, 31/10/2009

Amber was a very beautiful and loving Golden Retriever who went to Rainbow Bridge in August 2009. Although not a greyhound, she deserves a special place on the GRWE website as a dog who took a scared little greyhound called Abi into her heart and gave her love and comfort as she herself lived through her final months. As you can see from the pictures they were the best and most beautiful of friends.

Although Amber is no longer with us her love lives on as her mum and dad, Debbie and Chris, have decided they would like to adopt another greyhound to help fill the space Amber has left. A fitting tribute to a very special girl.

Indy 1996 to October 12th 2009

Lesley & Mark Spencer , 14/10/2009

With heavy heart and much sadness we had to let our treasured Indy go to the Bridge last night after his body decided to stop being able to support him.

Indy came into GRWE in 2002 and had come in from a North Wales pound in a near death state. He wasn’t expected to last the night, however Indy proved everyone wrong and recovered so well he was able to get a shot at finding a forever home - he did have "issues" he would kick off at anything on a walk - we were warned but we didn’t let that stop us as once we had met him that was it.

Indy was rehomed to us in July 2002 to keep our little Greyhound Girl Beau company and they hit it off immediately and we fell in love with Indy from day 1. He had a vulnerability about him that was adorable and eyes like pools of chocolate, he quickly became my little shadow and was so well behaved in the house - different story outside of the house!! We nicknamed him Mr Ben as he turned into a different dog once out on his lead and had to be muzzled as he would take anything on and many walks were spent shoving him into hedges or quickly turning back to avoid other dog walkers - especially collies - I think he only hated Hedgehogs more. We wouldn’t have changed him for the world though as he was just Indy and deserved nothing but love and a forever home.

Indy became a real Diva as he got older and would actually hyper ventilate if he couldn't get "his" bed, all the others had to move for him and we gave in as he was of course the oldest! Indy gave us so many stories to tell and so many special moments to remember we wouldn’t know where to start. He had seven wonderful holidays with us down in Norfolk and that’s where we believe he was at his happiest - you could see it in his face as he ran on the beach - it was like he had come home.

We moved house this July to the country and although he tried he took weeks to settle, his body was starting to slow down but he did his best and enjoyed his country walks and the large lawn he now had which he shared with his brothers Bobby, Ted & Chester.

His mobility deteriorated at the weekend and despite nursing him and seeing some improvement we knew he was tired and could never regain the quality of life he once had - he was 13 and it was his time. We will bring his ashes home and plant them under something beautiful to match his personality (in the shade as he hated the heat).

We love you Indy Mindy, you were the best ever Fawn brindle boy, a Maverick and an individual and our lives wont be the same without you. Run free with Beau at the bridge and wait for us and your brothers. Free again and safe in Gods arms - you made us proud to be your mum and dad - we had an amazing 7 years - thank you for every day you shared with us. .

Xxxxx

Ted - good bye to a very special boy

Somerset Re-homing Team, 15/09/2009

Ted was a very special boy who came to us from a dog pound a few years ago. We never knew his history, but he was a with us a very long time and held an extremely special place in our hearts.........

Ted had an awful time in the pound, and came to us with a whole lot of baggage. He had been kennelled in the pound with multiple dogs all chucked in on top of each other fighting for food, and the horror of what he had been through never completely left Ted. In all honesty he was one of the most troubled dogs we have ever had in our care, and re-homing him brought with it its challenges – until he met Fiona that is............

It’s not every day we meet someone who wants to commit to taking a dog with “issues” but we (and Ted) are lucky that Fiona did! He won her over, and soon began to settle with her and Chris, together with their little doggy family. Fiona and Chris worked hard with Ted to show him that the world wasn’t such a scary place and made huge progress. A few months later we met them at Westonbirt Doggy Days and Ted was already a different dog; far more chilled out and relaxed. Amazing what a difference there was in him already............

And so it went on. Training classes and socialisation, ably assisted by human and doggy pals, Ted did it all. Recently he hadn’t been well, but he was given the best of care by Fiona and Chris and was so very much loved.. For two years and eight months Ted had the very best care and the very best home, and was loved and cherished until the end......

Sadly a huge lump came up on Ted's shoulder, and an emergency trip to the vets confirmed the worst possible news. Fiona and Chris made the brave decision not to let Ted suffer, and had to let him go to the Bridge

Thank you to you for being prepared to open your hearts to Ted and for giving him the best possible chance of happiness. I just wish he had met you sooner......

And to Ted - run free as the wind and be happy at the Bridge big man xx All our dogs are special, but some take with them a piece of our hearts when they leave us, and you were truly special x

Goodnight Brodie James

Julia James, 15/09/2009

It is with enormous sadness that I have to inform you that our precious boy was put down on the 13th August 2009 after contracting bone cancer in his rear leg. My daughter Johanna James adopted the beautiful 'Brodie' from Newton Abbot in 2006, a Deer Hound X he was a big lad, big in size and big in gentleness and affection.

In 2007 he came to live with me due to my daughter entering full time training as a Mental Health Nurse. He joined my other two rescue dogs, my Lurcher I adopted from you in 2001, my other dog is a Westie (RSPCA). The three dogs hit it off, Brodie was a 'stag' amongst dogs, he never put a foot wrong, his presence will and is sorely missed, I wished he could have lived much longer, but I know he had a wonderful life with us and he was very happy.

Run Free Brodie x

Thank you
Julia James

Night Night Gyp (Spring)

Gyps family, 16/08/2009

After seeing Gyp (Spring) on the GRWE website we forgot all about getting a girlfriend for our Greyhound Oscar.
As a fifteen year old lurcher Spring appeared calm, gentle, obedient and easy to give a home to during his last few months.

Well Gyp fooled us all and turned out to be a stubborn old git!!!!

He peed all over the house, climbed on the furniture, mounted all female dogs and tried to bite others.

Due to Gyp's age, it had been decided that Gyp wouldnt be put through a GA for castrate but after three months of his behavious and several phone calls to Kelli we nearly gave him back.

In a final attempt to sort some of his issues GRWE paid for Gyp to be castrated.

Thankfully this worked and Gyp was in fact a loving ,gentle fantastic dog who was a star on several meet and greets.

Over the last few weeks as Gyp turned sixteen, his body finally started to give in.

After a last walk and a bacon sandwich the vet helped him peacefully drift off to sleep at home in his bed.

Thank you Kelli for making us persevere, it was so worth it to have that last year with him.

From Sarah, Stu, all the kids and Oscar

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