Without doubt (and in our biased opinion), greyhounds make the most fantastic pets. You only have to look at the zillions of photos out there depicting pet greyhounds either curled up on the sofa or lying with its four feet in the air! They attract attention from everyone without doing anything, such is their presence.
In fact greyhounds have a royal heritage. Princess Diana attended her first greyhound charity event at Wembley racetrack in which a greyhound, named Hardy King, owned and bred by HRH the Princess Royal, finished unplaced in an open race, 22nd April 1988. Undoubtedly such famous ownership will have not only endorsed but boosted greyhound ownership during this time. In the late 1980’s large racing crowds attending each week were commonplace and the sport was enjoyed by the masses.
Finding forever homes for these majestic racing stars has always been a difficult task, but as soon as one myth has been put to rest, another comes along and we must start all over again. You could argue it comes with the territory, but what we home finders did not foresee was the depleting market available for finding new adoptive owners.
Stadia packed with racegoers are heaven sent. Here we can target audiences with awareness, let them touch the hounds, have open discussions, advertise in race cards, provide retired dogs wearing coats saying they need a home – who can resist? Today there is no pressure to fill the tracks like before. The racegoers pound is a bonus not a necessity. Dwindling patrons impacts on our small charity and many others around the country. So, the question is how do we find more homes for our ex racing greyhounds?
Well I suppose the answer is we keep doing what we can and ask for help from whatever source we can find.
This year our association with Pets at Home in Crayford has come to an end, as our reign as their nominated charity is over, but it has been so worthwhile for us. On 23rd February 2020 we were presented with a cheque for £3,200 from the Crayford store for which we are extremely thankful and grateful.
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