My Greyhound Space

What is a Greyhound?

One of the oldest types of dog, the Greyhound is not the first breed that springs to mind when seeking a new pet.

Greyhounds were depicted on the walls of tombs in Egypt and even on the walls of a 6,000 year old temple in Turkey.

Blessed with the most amazing eyesight, they are part of the family of dogs known as sighthounds. This group of dogs, which includes the Afghan Hound, The Borzoi, Saluki and Whippet, hunt by sight rather than by scent. In some ways it could be said that they're cursed by their wonderful sight and amazing turn of speed.

They're used for hunting, particularly Hare coursing and of course, racing. This is where the problems lie. The sheer mindless cruelty of some members of the racing and hunting fraternity beggars belief.

Although it must be said a lot of owners of working Greyhounds are scrupulously caring and kind, there are far too many others who treat their dogs like inanimate objects and literally throw their dogs away in the manner of an old bicycle. Some ex-racers end their lives in the most hideous manner, often at the hands of the hunting fraternity. Others, considered by many to be the lucky ones, are put to sleep by a vet.

The problem is that a dog that can live until it's 12 to 14, only races for a few years, possibly two to three, and is then unwanted. Some small racing kennels keep the dogs as pets but these are the minority.

It's fortunate that Greyhound rescue centres have been set up all over the world and large numbers of these lovely dogs have been saved.

I sometimes look at my two gorgeous "Greys" and think that ones just like them are being beaten and tortured to death in countries such as Spain and elsewhere.

So, what is it like to rescue a Greyhound?

Sometimes when your Greyhound arrives, a certain amount of rehabilitation is required. You may be one of the fortunate majority, and take in a happy healthy hound. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Our two were totally different in nature and condition. One was lively and quite unruly, whilst the other was a sorry sight, painfully thin and terrified of his own shadow. When we took him for his first outing something of his past was revealed: he was terrified of sticks. We live near the coast and during the summer, children are everywhere with crab nets. The poor animal was cringing behind our legs whenever he saw a crab net or fishing rod

It seems that when his racing career came to an end he "fell off the radar" for around 18 months. During this time he became emaciated and acquired a number of scars, some of which are without doubt due to entanglement in barbed wire. He'd obviously been used for coursing.

Eighteen months on, you would not believe he's the same dog. He's put on around 10 kg in weight and is a pleasure to own. We were told that after six months we would have a very different dog. This was true, and ownership of our Greyhounds has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives.