How odd it is that this month seems to be a month for the girls. Girl greyhounds that is. We have seen Crash and Jonnie go home, but since then all the reserved/homed greyhounds have been girls! Normally we have a pretty even split between boys and girls with perhaps just a few more boys heading off than girls.

Perhaps then with a little luck December will be a month for more boy greyhounds to get chosen? We will have a lack of girls to choose from very soon as the last girl on our waiting list is due to arrive tomorrow. We still have a large and still growing number of boys waiting for a homing place and the next boy also joins us tomorrow.

If you are considering adoption please try to select your pet on the basis of their character, temperament and suitability to fit your lifestyle rather than on their sex, colour or size. There are many common mis-conceptions that sometimes lead people toward wanting a girl dog rather than a boy. In some cases that decision makes sense in others it’s not always the case.

DJ, just one of the many boys in our care who would like a home of his own.

To find out more and to hopefully give the boys just as much chance as the girls of finding a home please view our Boy or Girl page. All greyhounds deserve the chance of a home regardless of their gender, but please don’t rule out 68% of today’s available greyhounds just because they are boys.

Don’t let Lungworm kill your dog!

Please be aware of Lungworm, it’s a killer that many of you won’t necessarily have heard of. It is spreading fast in the UK and many dogs have already died from it. Don’t panic however as Lungworm is very easy to prevent and equally if diagnosed early it can be treated very successfully too. Late diagnosis of Lungworm does not always have a happy ending however.

The following link will take you to a Lungworm Information site. For preventative treatment of lungworm you will need to contact your vet. Treatment/prevention of  Lungworm is by prescription medication only.

Adopted Greyhounds – November

Crash, Jonnie and Zoe have been adopted in November.

Reserved Greyhounds:

Molly, Ginny, Poppy and Rita are reserved.

New Greyhound Arrivals:

Sonny and Josie are our latest arrivals. Two further greyhounds are expected 30/11/12. Please see our Greyhounds Needing Homes Gallery for details of all our available greyhounds.

Thank You:

During 2012 Penny and Adrian have raised the magnificent sum of £3420 for Greyhound Lifeline. What an amazing feat and we are truly grateful for their efforts. Penny and Adrian have raised the money through home made jam/pickle sales, car boot sales and by making/knitting small items to sell on a variety of stalls. On behalf of the greyhounds in our care we truly thank them. An amazing sum from a truly dedicated couple.

We would also like to thank those of you who have kindly donated items that we have been able to sell. Without those items, Penny and Adrian and indeed Saara who runs regular bric a brac fundrasing stalls would not have much stock to sell in order to fundraise for us.

Fundraising and Gifts:

We would also like to thank all the other people who work so hard to make our greyhounds’ lives that little bit better. We are extremely privileged to have the support of so many of you.

Gifts of dog treats, home made dog coats and even tins of biscuits/chocolates for our volunteer staff have been arriving early as Christmas donations. Smaller donations from copper collections in small containers have also been brought in. Previously children too have raised funds for us. We thank everyone who has put in the time and effort to generate a little something for the dogs. It really is the thought that counts and at times funds come from unexpected sources. It’s truly heart warming that there are so many of you out there that think of the greyhounds and make donations for their benefit.

Thanks too go to those of you who are selling items on ebay and donating a percentage of the sale value to us. This method is getting more popular and funds are coming in steadily.

We also now have an online donation method available if anyone prefers to donate that way. Just click on the orange “donate” button on the right hand side bar of this page and follow the instructions.

Let us assure you that Greyhound Lifeline are run 100% by volunteers. No wages are paid and funds are used entirely for supporting and caring for the greyhounds in our care. We are also a registered charity (a branch of the Retired Greyhound Trust, registered charity number 269668) whereby all expenditure has to be justified and above board to enable us to retain that privilege of charity status.

Holiday Season Homing Dates:

Please note that in the best interest of our greyhounds and to prevent the “dog for Christmas” scenario Greyhound Lifeline will not allow any greyhound adoptions to families with children in residence from Sunday December 9th through to Monday December 31st inclusive. The last homing day before New Year will therefore be Saturday December 8th. Normal homing will re-commence from New Years Day.

Christmas and New Year are particularly busy and stressful times for many families and it is therefore an especially poor time for most to bring a new dog into the home. In the case of homes where children are not resident we will view each case on it’s own merits with the best interest of the dog as the only criteria for a decision to be made. In exceptional circumstances we may, possibly therefore allow an adoption to proceed between these dates.

Please rest assured that we will still welcome viewings and reservations as normal throughout the holiday period with a view to adoption dates being set for 1st January 2013 or shortly there after. Home checks and adoption enquiries will also continue as normal.

Christmas and New Year Kennel Opening Hours:

Our Christmas and New Year opening hours will be the same as for every other day of the year that is from11am until 1pm daily.

Volunteer dog walkers (adults) are welcome every day – please however try to arrive at 11am for walking since late arrivals may find that there are no dogs left to exercise!

Please also note that due to a change in the terms and conditions of our insurance we cannot accept any volunteers or visitors under the age of 16 years without a parent or guardian supervising them at all times. Children aged 16 and 17 years old may be accepted on site unaccompanied by prior agreement only and once a signed parental consent form has been received by us.

Pet Blood Bank

Sunday December 9th is the date of our next scheduled Canine Blood Donor session. Those of you who have already booked an appointment thank you, you are lifesavers! There may be just a few appointments left, due to cancellations etc so if you are free and your dog qualifies as a donor then please give Pet Blood Bank a call on 01509 232222. Full information about what to expect can be found on our Pet Blood Bank Information page.

Christmas Appeal:

If you think you might be able to foster a greyhound then please read our Greyhound Fostering Information page.

Fundraise for us using eBay

You can now sell items on ebay and choose to donate between 10% and 100% of your sale price to Greyhound Lifeline. If you are an ebay member you could also simply donate by using your Paypal account. For ebay members only please visit their Sell for Charity page and enter “Greyhound Lifeline” in the Charity name area.

If you are a UK tax payer please also tick the Gift Aid box. Please read ebay’s terms and conditions carefully as we cannot be held responsible for any problems you may encounter. Could you sell your unwanted items and help us to buy food, provide veterinary care and generally look after the greyhounds in our care at the same time?

Interested in Adopting a Greyhound?

Enquiries should be directed by telephone or text message to Greyhound Lifeline

• For all enquiries:
  • 07769 348310

Or by email to enquiries@greyhoundlifeline.co.uk
Or Contact us using our Contact page