Lewis heads to foster.

Let me introduce you to the beautiful Lewis who recently landed in our care from a stray pound environment.
Lewis we think is a Saluki Greyhound Collie cross. Lewis is a beautiful lad with the most wonderful nature and although entire before landing in our care was kenneled with a teeny entire male terrier in the pound and got on with him fabulously well.
Lewis is going to be a wonderful addition to any family and today he starts that journey by moving into foster care.
Huge thanks to Rose Marie his new foster Mum and Ben and Kizzy his current canine companions and also Nicky for collecting him from the kennels and getting him on his journey

Good luck beautiful and im sure you wont be waiting long! In fact if Lewis proves to be as well behaved in the home as he has been at the kennels and around other dogs we may just already have a home in mind!

The very beautiful Tasha.

Tasha is a Greyhound Collie Bedlington cross who also came in from a home environment for falling out with the other female dogs in the home. Again Tasha is a beautiful girl with all good basic commands and would love a home as an only dog with someone around all or most of the time or with a male companion.
Tasha is currently in the kennels in Stoke on Trent and we are also willing to consider a foster home for her.

Jessie

For now let me leave you with a couple of the new arrivals.

Jessie is an 8 year old Bedlington Whippet girl who recently landed in our care from a home environment after starting to fall out with the other resident female dog.
Jessie needs a home either as an only dog with someone around all or most of the time OR with a male companion. There was a male dog in the home and she has always got on with him well.
Jessie is a beautiful girl who will be a wonderful additon to her new home.
She is currently in the kennels in Stoke on Trent and we are also willing to consider a foster home for her.

Time flies when your having fun... erm!

Well I cannot believe that I have neglected the blog for so long!

The last twelve months in the life of Greyhound Gap have been hectic and this blog has remained somewhat neglected and alongside that means so have you the readers of both this and the website. For that I duly appologise!

I hope to endeavour to blog and update from now on at least once a week. I really do not think that I can manage as many posts as I was hoping to make beforehand but will try to keep you all update as regularly as possible with the comings and goings of the rescues day to day occurances.

Lisa x

Mad few weeks!

The last few weeks have been soooooo busy so I will try to add a big blog post now whilst I have five minutes!!

Beauty our lovely girl landed safely in our care and then promptly had 9 puppies! The pups are now nearly 4 weeks old a6 girls and 3 boys and are ALL doing well. They will hopefully be heading to foster at six weeks old as Madam Beauty isnt to be fair Mother Earth and is already getting a bit fed up with them. They are just about starting to wean and are playing around in their food having the time of their life. Photos will follow in the next couple of weeks promise!

The Show!

Well..... erm, madness, mayhem and caos are the only words to describe the day and that was just the weather! If it was anything it was persistant!! 8 hours solid it threw it down with no let up! At one point we very nearly cancelled but on arriving alot of loyal volunteers were already there and waiting.

By 11pm when registration was due to start we were thinking eep! What if no one comes? Come though they did in droves. Everybody stuck with the weather and more importantly us.

The day was a HUGE sucess and we managed to raise a fabulous £3000.

We cannot thank all those who turned up on the day enough. Its because of the dedication and loyalty of you all that Gap is the rescue it is!!

Alot of people expressed their upset as they didnt set out for the day thinking we would be forced to cancel sooooooooo. WE ARE DOING IT ALL AGAIN!

We have set a date for a second show this year on September 16th same time same place. We look forward to seeing you on the day.

Some photos will be added to the blog shortly and also an article on the newspage.

General day to day comings and going are the same many dogs have joined us in the last few weeks and many have gone off to fabulous new homes.

I promise now these last few weeks are over and done with to try and blog again more regularly starting with some pictures of the kennel hounds this weekend!!!

Thank you all again for your continued support and for reading this blog.

Buy one get some free!

Frustrated : defeated: disappointingly unsuccessful; "disappointed expectations and thwarted ambitions"

Sometimes its hard to know how honest to be on a blog. After all its an insight into the rescue but do you keep up the upbeat front or give out a true definition of exactly how things are on a day to day basis? I dont even know if people log on and read the blog there isnt often comments left on the entries so that can lull you into a false sense of spill your guts type scenario. Maybe I should find the time to keep a real personal to me blog so as not to allow it all out here. But would people appreciate that or would they more appreciate the truth just how things at the moment seem to be?

Well the truth at the moment is its hard, frustratingly hard, in fact mind blowingly disatisfying hard and its scary! The calls are coming in more and more the amount of dogs in serious danger seems to be ever on the increase and everywhere I turn its the same answer no room! Once again Gap have had to close the doors to intake, its not just us, all the other rescues we work closely with and have an admiration for are all at the same stage, it did seem to clear a little a month or so back but now it just seems even more desperate than ever before.

The harsh reality yet again is that with 37 dogs and babies on the way (more about that later) we just cannot take on anymore both due to finances and manpower. At the moment we have a fabulous group of dogs, alot of them are easy and laid back, alot need a more specific home but im a big believer in that perfect home is out there for everydog. At the moment though we seem to have an owness on people looking to home small whippety x or cat friendlies which we dont have them many of. Greyhound homes seem to be low on the ground.

The last fews days have been horrendous there has been a permanant knot in my stomach and feeling of impending doom although lol some of this may be due to the fact the show is now only a week away and im already doing the what if that happens what if this happens routine. I do it every year and every year it goes as well as can be so really I need to get over it.

I still think that that as far as rescues go we are blessed, I have one of the strongest main teams behind me that any rescue founder could possibly have and the most sincere hard working volunteers in the world. Our dogs although still waiting for that perfect home are indeed lucky to be surrounded by such true love and dedication.

So onto the main week in general......

On Saturday we once again headed to the kennels to have a nosey and interact with some of the new intakes. The new intakes being three puppies and a female whippet who were left tied up in a village locally to us the week before. They are all beautiful. The whippet heads to foster tomorrow but as said earlier we have an owness of homes waiting that she will suit so now its time to find the right one after assessing which would best suit her. The puppies have all headed off to foster now so thank you to the transporters for stepping in once again at short notice and helping us get them safely instilled.

Sunday saw us heading off to Coventry to attend the Canine Capers day in the Memorial Gardens. It was lovely to catch up with people again and although sadly it got washed out by 2pm we managed to still raise a staggering £120 towards the continued bills and care of the dogs.

Intake wise we have one new arrival. The carrier of the babies mentioned earlier. Beauty if a sweet little lurcher girl who is heavily pregnant but still was up for sale on front row of a well known *animal sanctuary* thankfully for her a vet nurse visited got her out and had the good sense to call us for help. Beauty is now settling into foster care over in the High Peaks and we are just waiting for the call to say that her precious cargo is on its way. We are hoping that she doesnt have to many and is able to cope with her brood as she isnt in the best condition herself and is currently a very confused little girl. How can anyone offer her for sale.... Buy one get some free? It just totally beggars belief to me.

Having a housefull already meant that Beauty wasnt able to head over to myself so the mad dash panic was on to find her somewhere safe to be with someone with previous whelping experience! Thank you so much Sharon for stepping in at short notice and taking this baby home to the safety of your home. You do not know how greatful we all are your a star! More updates on this lady as the pups arrive.

Also an update on our current newest oldie arrivals......We are pleased to report that the beautiful Vixens surgery went well. She has now undergone her spay and had the lumps removed and the news is good her lumps were nothing nasty and not anything to worry about. Its hard to imagine that tumours the size of grapefruits could be nothing to worry about but we are so greatful that they arnt. The news is looking very positive and she will shortly be able to look for her special forever home.

ALL at Greyhound Gap would like to take the time to thank everyone who wished her well, helped with donations and allowed us to give that beautiful girl that others had given up on the chance to safely, happily and more importantly in GOOD health continue on with the rest of her life. Her gums are healing nicely and fingers crossed we may not need the third lot of surgery to remove more teeth. We are all over the moon to have been able to give this girl a fresh start.

How much better does she look now?

Our latest oldie ..... A couple of weeks ago we took an old girl from another pound situation. They werent sure whether we would want her or not as they aged her around 8 and with a mouthful of rotting teeth. Well Wonkey Wendy as she has been affectionatly named by her foster family has now also undergone her surgery. Sadly for Wendy she has had to have all her teeth removed meaning that now she is totally gummy. Still she will be better off for it as they really were foul and some had you been brave enough you could have pushed out with your fingers. She has also bounced back remarkably well and is making a full recovery. Amazingly since the removal of the teeth all other poor bits seem to be getting better and she now has a new spring in her step bless her.

Look at that little face.

Wonkey Wendy.

I find it so sad. We found out that Wendy isnt actually 8 she is 11 years old in June. She is housetrained, does stairs and had already had some of her teeth out so she has been a pet before and at sometime obviously been loved. How on earth did this girl end up as a stray picked up and then placed in a council pound?

Mayhem Madness & Hysteria!

Well at least that is what its starting to feel like since last time I blogged!! With only three weeks to go till the show, homing slow and dog intake as fast as ever somedays it feels totally insane and as though everything is going on around you.

There has been so much happened in the last two weeks so I will just try and do a quick run down.

We seem to yet again have a pile of new arrivals landed with no sign of other dogs already waiting moving on out. The kennels are once again stuffed to the gills, dogs in foster homes have more specific homing needs so that is backing stuff up, and general gridlock seems to have set in. We have been fortunate enough though over the last week to move another five *more level* dogs over into foster so fingers crossed it wont be long till their perfect home comes along and others can go in behind them.

The show season has now started with a bang and we have had quite a few general fundraisers on this weekend.

Sunday saw us all at Halewood RSPCA where a fabulous £200 was raised to this months bills, Monday a tabletop sale added another £72 and the Beastly Beasts hit Salcey Forest for a 2 day event raising another fabulous £190.

We currently have in our care 3 young puppies deerhound crosses who were found tied up in a village in Derbyshire at the weekend and they are hopefully shortly moving to foster homes! What on earth is wrong with people? They were left alongside a pedigree whippet bitch who is currently serving her 7 days before moving over.

Vixen today goes in for her second round of surgery to remove the mammory lumps and spay a little sooner than we hoped but there is more lumps looking to be developing so better sooner than later.

Will update later when she is back from the vets.

I will try to update more regularly on the blog over the next few weeks but things are just so mad busy! The website is though being kept up to date and the Special appeals and current homeless was done yesterday.

Gearing up for the weekend....

How on earth can it come around again so fast? I just have no idea where this year is going and have to keep pinching myself to believe we are almost into May!

This weekend yet again is going to be manic! I thought last weekend was more manic than usual but how wrong could someone be!
There is all change yet again on the dog front. The lad that was due to arrive with us from the Northern pound has now gone to Dogs Trust thankfully.... this is because we needed to make way for another poundie girl who is estimated to be over 8 plus and buzzing yet again with a serious mouthfull of rotten teeth she is landing tomorrow. We are also welcoming a young lad from Lancaster way this weekend who is coming as a boarder on behalf of Lurcher Link. www.lurcher.org Kaye and I work very closely and she is as full as we are yet again! Sadly the doors are going to have to shut again and its heartbreaking but we once again have no room. The vets bills and kenneling bills this month are horrendous and we have to work out away to raise yet more funding than we are already busting our gut with our fabulous team of fundraisers and supporters to try and bring in. Its so frustrating! People are fantastic and they only have so much to be able to give and we totally understand that and need to push forward and find more unique ways of getting us out and about into the public eye. Any suggestions please someone let me know!

On the fundraising note though we do have a couple of thanks you's to say! Last weekend a group of our girls including Vixens foster Mum held a two day Meet and Greet at Pets at Home Stafford.

During the course of the two days and thanks to public generosity they managed to raise a fabulous ....

£245.72 pence

Thank you ladies and gentleman!

Also on a more painful note.... out on a transport run last week I got a text from Laura who along with her husband Pete adopted a dog from us a beautiful collie x lurcher called Marley.

The text simply said " Pete has started Marathon Ok if he completes it should be about 350 coming to Gap!"

Horrified I rang her! I hadnt realised he was running it, after asking her if he was mad she confirmed that yes indeed he is but he would be fine.

We got news later that poor Pete had had problems with a weak knee at 8miles but with sheer grit and determination he carried on and finished bless him. Pete you are a bit of a hero. He he is gritting his teeth and waving to the crowds. Also the next morning refusing to move out of bed with Marley slapping a helpful paw on his face trying to get him to change his mind. You can also see Tyler Marleys full collie brother assisting!

Also a massive thanks have to go out to Kate Davis and the team at Npower Stoke on Trent for helping to raise a fabulous £50 with help of the training department your all stars! Npower also supported us at Christmas with a wonderful donation of food and bedding for our homeless hounds.

This weekend is going to pass by in a whir of dog walking, homechecking, transport runs and fundraising and is going to be just as busy weekend for the team as usual!

Vixen Update - Round One

Over the course of the week we had been running tests to make sure that Vixen was up to health to undergo the first round of her surgery. Her water showed she had a slight urine infection which we suspected and her bloods showed that her creatin levels were slightly raised to 160, 150 was normal on the vets machine but nothing to overly worry about.

After speaking at length to Jessica the vet we decided to place her on a drip an hour before surgery and keep her on it throughout the duration. Her treatment actually started on the Monday with the first of her injections to stop her progressing if she is indeed in whelp, the second being done after surgery Tuesday.

Poor Vixen had a bit of a time and it was necessary immediatly to remove 14 teeth in one go and 14 teeth in one go indeed Jessica did remove. Naturally she was a little wobbly yesterday, very sore and forlorn and generally tired and feeling sorry for herself. She did the right thing though and rested up well.

Speaking to her foster Mum today though it seems that you really cant keep an old dog down and her spirit is already shining straight back through. Edie one of Vixens foster Mums permanant dogs was out spinning and playing in the back garden and Sandra had to go and get Vixen out of the fray when she decided she might like to chase and spin too! Way to go Vixen glad that the spark we knew was in there is still flickering and igniting!

She needs time to recover now before we remove the tumour and undergo the spay. One things for sure as said before if any dog will come through it without fuss or drama its her.

Other news.....

Brodie the brindle lad tied up in a field wont be joining Gap as he has had a fabulous home offer via the dogs home. An elderly gentleman has lost his companion and he will be going to join him.

The black whippety boy still has three days to go but his transfer up to us once his time is up if not reserved has already been managed so we may see him Saturday.

We are also welcoming a black greyhound male from a pound up North into the fold shortly and another girl with a bit of a colourful history......

A few weeks ago we got sighting reports of a black greyhound girl wondering in Warrington living rough in fields. To cut a long story short she was finally caught by volunteers from three organisations and has since been with WAW (Warrington Animal Welfare). The owners were notified but hadnt bothered searching for her (she was wearing a tag) and it transpires she has been out there since January can you believe it? She has to be one of the fattest hounds ive seen so no wonder the local farmers were getting a little cheesed off!

Other new arrival Stan is settling in well in foster care. Stan also a WAW dog has been languising in private kennels but needed a foster based rescue to progress him to a new home. Stan is a spooky boy who it was reported by his owners urinated himself everytime they had visitors to his home. Thankfully we arnt seeing that. Poor boy is a typical overly spooky hound but is handling all that is thrown at him well. The only time we have seen him wet himself is out on a walk when some idiot threw a repeater firework towards them. Mind you, Caroline his foster Mum said that she nearly wet herself too as did her hounds who are usually bomb proof with fireworks so we cant hold that against him!

On the leaving us point. Selwyn left for a new home Monday and reports are that he has settled in fabulously well. Cleo went today and reports are that she is keeping her new brother in line laying down the law and showing who is boss so fingers crossed for that!!! Robson is moving onto a new home in Overseal tomorrow. He is proving to be a little clingy and whiney but his new home has experience with difficult dogs, they dont need to leave him till we have worked through it and he is comfortable and if all goes well although ive said foster now so we can support them through it I dont think he will be leaving. Friday see's Bengy one of our current hounds head up to WAW as he has more chance of finding a home with a mixed breed rescue! Bengy looked like a lurcher when he was sent over by the dogs home but now looks more like a fat pointy lab since he has got back up to weight and health. Saturday also sees Sadie heading to a permanant home back where she started in Stoke can you credit it? This little girl is an angel and her new family are going to be so in awe of what a sweet little girl she is. She will have a new hairy brother called Oscar who is so going to love having a new friend to play with.

Also..... YET AGAIN! We are pleased to announce that Sue who recently failed at fostering with Jake putting her up to five has caved and said she wants her current foster oldie Sasha to stay! As Sasha is such a wonkey donkey and a little bit of a Madam she is staying on a foster hound basis with us continuing to look out for her medical care. Sue yerrrrr mad and Sasha behave sweetie!

Busy week all round again then for a change!

Here, There & Everywhere!

Sunday was yet again another busy day with another early start!

First port of call was kennels at 9.30am to pick up Jade! Jade was due to make her way down to foster with Liz in Ipswich and so her mammoth journey began.

Nicky and I safely arrived with her at 11am at Donington Park Services where Jackie met us to take her onto Cambridge Services to meet Liz and Kev for the last leg of the journey! Jade travelled like a dream and has settled into Liz's with her hounds like she has always been there. Thank you all for your transport help it was greatfully received.

Then saw a mad dash back to Stoke! It should have all timed perfectly for our 1pm homevisit but sadly well as usual things went a little cock eyed. Whilst at Donington I received a call about a dog that needed help so thankfully due to the internet wonders I was able to get online from the service station area and sort it. It was nearly 12pm when we left.

Thankfully we were only 15minutes late after having whizzed into the house grabbed Lottie and whizzing straight back out. That was closely followed by a 3pm homevisit and then yet another trip back up to the kennels to deposit towels and donated bedding.

I finally got back into the house around 5.30pm and was norty! Myself Nicky Carl and my son sneaked off to the Hollybush Inn in Denford for tea! I really couldnt face cooking lol.

Arriving home at 8pm I followed up that evenings phone calls and crashed into bed about 11.30pm. Suprisingly I went out like a light...... that was till 2am when my son woke me up as he was really unwell. Bang went the rest of my sleep!