Ricky
by Kim Dane
Ricky is 12 years old. He is still very fit and active and loves to run. He raced in Victoria for nearly four years and his race name was Mr Sagatious. He won his owner nearly $70,000!! We adopted him through GAP VIC when he received his green collar (he passed all tests and was found to be kind and gentle with humans, other dogs, cats, birds etc) We had to train him to use stairs as he spent his life unfamiliar with them. Ricky is very quiet and barks maybe twice a week, especially if I have forgotten to let him in! My son was raised by Ricky's side, we never worried about safety as Rick proved himself to be fully trustworthy very quickly. We adopted a Dalmatian girl who lived with us for two years and her and Ricky were very close. We have recently adopted a cat and Rick welcomed him with open paws. We have other animals such as sheep, alpacas and a pony, and often gather altogether. He loves to sleep and will sleep anywhere I am, including right out side the bathroom door! Spock
by Spock via Rosalie Saville
My name is Spock from the ‘Starship’ Brightside and I am an ex racing greyhound. I lived my first two-and-a-half years in a one-by-one- metre cage. Lucky for me I was one of very few greyhounds that are saved. I was surrendered to Brightside Animal Sanctuary because I couldn’t run fast enough. I loved all the farm animals at Brightside including the pigs, chickens, dogs and cats and I happily and gently played with them all! My mum and dad Rosie and Ken came to visit and fell in love with me they say I am the perfect companion. I love my dachshund brother Nugget and my sister Megs the cat and I hope to live long and prosper! Alfie
by Anna Burke
Alfie and his litter mates were rescued by Small Paws Animal Rescue in Richmond, Tasmania. They never raced. I adopted Alfie when he was nine weeks old. I'm a clinical psychologist and I have a rescued white boxer named Zoe who is a certified therapy dog and comes to work with me to support disability and mental health clients. I decided to train Alfie up to join Zoe. When Alfie was seven months old we travelled to Victoria and he too became a certified therapy dog and a year later he is doing amazingly well at his job! We would love the muzzle law to be changed though, it looks very odd having a therapy dog that wears a muzzle!! We have a Facebook and Instagram page called Rainbow Paws https://www.facebook.com/ZoeAlfieTherapyDogs/ And @rainbow_paws_aat on instagram Richmond
Richmond has the pleasure of living at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary with director Greg Irons. He is friends with the pigs, and most of the goats (though a bit wary of the butting one), and can be trusted near all the rescued native animals. Greg spoke at the Hobart Rally to End Greyhound Racing in February 2016, and Richmond came along with him.
‘We don’t live in a time in which we need to make animals run and place money on them to have fun,’ Greg says. ‘We now know about the way greyhounds are kept and trained, and the sheer amount that are euthanised, simply because they can’t run fast enough. ‘Greyhounds have the most beautiful temperament and amazing personalities: I’ve yet to meet an aggressive one. They are great town dogs because they sleep all day, and absolutely fantastic ‘lap dogs’. They are the most gorgeous, gorgeous animals on the planet and I think once you meet one you can’t help but reconsider greyhound racing and whether it’s something that should happen.’ Zari
Zari was adopted by Deb Fleming, the founding executive producer of the ABC’s Australian Story who has retired to Tasmania. Deb previously owned two pet greyhounds in Queensland.
Zari was part of a litter born with abnormalities in the front legs. Her feet splay out from the ‘ankles' at an endearingly odd angle. Most pups in this situation are euthanised because they are unsuitable to race. But Zari and her litter mates were saved. Now Zari is queen of all she surveys on Deb’s three acres near Cygnet. Daisy and Scratchy
A vignette by Chris Champion, editor, Tasmania 40°South magazine
Daisy is growing up. My lovely girl is no longer a puppy. She turned three recently, which is 21 in human years, and perhaps her new-found maturity is in response to the bone I gave her shaped like a key to the house. Not really, I just made that up, but perhaps this is a business idea ... coming-of-age presents for canines. Where was I? Oh yes, Daisy's new maturity is being displayed in many ways, the most obvious being her reaction to thunder. Thunder frightens her. While Scratchy yawns and goes back to sleep, the sound of thunder has Daisy seeking out human company. She hides under the desk if I am working, presses up against my leg if I am moving about the house, snuggles in as close as possible if I am sitting on the sofa. But that was then, when she was young and silly. These days, when she hears thunder, Daisy tears up and down the house barking at it. My little girl is growing up. But she still has a way to go. |
Our boy's name is Scratchy. His dad was a champion racing greyhound in Ireland and his mum was a champion racing greyhound in Australia. He was one of a litter of eight and his seven brothers and sisters are successful racing greyhounds. Scratchy won one race, but it wasn't a big one. It was in a small country town before a crowd comprising mainly dust and flies. We don't know how many starters there were in the race. Possibly one. Not long after that Scratchy was retired, and then he came to live with us.
Our boy is a greyhound with tiger stripes. The technical name is brindle but our little neighbour Jake calls him a tiger and we like to think of him like that too. His roar is definitely worse than his bite though.
Our boy is gentle. All greyhounds are gentle, but Scratchy takes it to new levels. When he walks up and lowers his head and asks for a scratch in that special place at the base of his ears, he does it with all the force of a growing mushroom.
Our boy is a softy. Greyhounds are pack animals and it is important for humans to establish pack leadership. After that, it is up to the dogs to sort themselves out for the minor placings. Daisy, our second greyhound, established authority over Scratchy about three minutes after arriving in our house, but she didn't have to try very hard. About the only thing that disturbs his equanimity is if Daisy tries to muscle in on an ear scratch.
Greyhounds are the second-fastest land animals on Earth. Scratchy likes to run occasionally, and when he does it is beautiful to watch. But most of the time, if he has to move at all, he does so at a pace rivalled only by some of the slower tectonic plates.
Except in matters of food. When it is dinner time, Scratchy can move from sofa to dog bowl at the speed of thought, passing cheetahs, Ferraris and F18 Hornets on the way.
Our boy has epilepsy. He was started on one phenobarbital tablet twice a day, but the dose has had to be raised to two tablets twice a day. The incidence of seizures is reduced, but he still has them. We try to tell ourselves, when it is happening, that he is not in pain, but epileptic fits are distressing things to watch. We just try to keep him away from anything he could hurt himself on, and we wait, and afterwards we care for him with infinite tenderness as the fog slowly clears and our boy comes back to us.
Our boy is a greyhound with tiger stripes. The technical name is brindle but our little neighbour Jake calls him a tiger and we like to think of him like that too. His roar is definitely worse than his bite though.
Our boy is gentle. All greyhounds are gentle, but Scratchy takes it to new levels. When he walks up and lowers his head and asks for a scratch in that special place at the base of his ears, he does it with all the force of a growing mushroom.
Our boy is a softy. Greyhounds are pack animals and it is important for humans to establish pack leadership. After that, it is up to the dogs to sort themselves out for the minor placings. Daisy, our second greyhound, established authority over Scratchy about three minutes after arriving in our house, but she didn't have to try very hard. About the only thing that disturbs his equanimity is if Daisy tries to muscle in on an ear scratch.
Greyhounds are the second-fastest land animals on Earth. Scratchy likes to run occasionally, and when he does it is beautiful to watch. But most of the time, if he has to move at all, he does so at a pace rivalled only by some of the slower tectonic plates.
Except in matters of food. When it is dinner time, Scratchy can move from sofa to dog bowl at the speed of thought, passing cheetahs, Ferraris and F18 Hornets on the way.
Our boy has epilepsy. He was started on one phenobarbital tablet twice a day, but the dose has had to be raised to two tablets twice a day. The incidence of seizures is reduced, but he still has them. We try to tell ourselves, when it is happening, that he is not in pain, but epileptic fits are distressing things to watch. We just try to keep him away from anything he could hurt himself on, and we wait, and afterwards we care for him with infinite tenderness as the fog slowly clears and our boy comes back to us.
Missy
by Penny Blight
I am Missy's very proud 'first mum'. Missy came straight to us after ending her racing career. I had recently lost my beautiful greyhound Grace, also a rescue, from osteocarcinoma. She was only 2.5 yrs old. Missy bounced straight into home life and immediately bonded with my other grey, Dolly. My husband used to call her "corgi hound" because she is relatively "short" for a greyhound!
Like all these beautiful gentle dogs, Missy made us laugh every day. Cheeky and gentle she had us in fits of laughter with some of her antics. She loves to hoard shoes and we always knew to look in her bed if we were missing any. She never once chewed them, just "gathered" them. She would walk straight past with a shoe in her mouth, very pleased with herself, and totally ignore you! She also loves to lie on her back and "sashay" her way across the carpet. She lived in harmony with our other dogs and chooks.
I love her very much and am so grateful she now has such a fantastic life with Fran and Paddy (and Milly the cat). I had met Fran about 4 yrs ago and we became great friends, babysitting each other greyhounds when the need arose, so it was a foregone conclusion Missy should join her buddy Paddy in the Chambers household when I went to the UK. They already loved each other.
by Fran Chambers
Miss 'Flashdancing Princess Missy' (11 years old now, did a great job in our video. She is the most gentle delightful being. And yes, she still steals shoes....goes to the cupboard, gets one, walks past me with a smile on her face...never wets them or chews them, just puts them down and looks up at me....I love this girl.
I am Missy's very proud 'first mum'. Missy came straight to us after ending her racing career. I had recently lost my beautiful greyhound Grace, also a rescue, from osteocarcinoma. She was only 2.5 yrs old. Missy bounced straight into home life and immediately bonded with my other grey, Dolly. My husband used to call her "corgi hound" because she is relatively "short" for a greyhound!
Like all these beautiful gentle dogs, Missy made us laugh every day. Cheeky and gentle she had us in fits of laughter with some of her antics. She loves to hoard shoes and we always knew to look in her bed if we were missing any. She never once chewed them, just "gathered" them. She would walk straight past with a shoe in her mouth, very pleased with herself, and totally ignore you! She also loves to lie on her back and "sashay" her way across the carpet. She lived in harmony with our other dogs and chooks.
I love her very much and am so grateful she now has such a fantastic life with Fran and Paddy (and Milly the cat). I had met Fran about 4 yrs ago and we became great friends, babysitting each other greyhounds when the need arose, so it was a foregone conclusion Missy should join her buddy Paddy in the Chambers household when I went to the UK. They already loved each other.
by Fran Chambers
Miss 'Flashdancing Princess Missy' (11 years old now, did a great job in our video. She is the most gentle delightful being. And yes, she still steals shoes....goes to the cupboard, gets one, walks past me with a smile on her face...never wets them or chews them, just puts them down and looks up at me....I love this girl.
Barney
by Clarissa Hope
This is the kind, gentle face of my precious greyhound Barney. He failed time trials. Usually greys who have no capacity to earn money as racers are 'disposed of'. That's right - whatever way you try to sugar-coat it - hundreds of young, healthy dogs like him are KILLED every year, just because they can't ir won't run fast enough.
Thankfully, Barney was rescued and is now a beloved member of my family. Instead of being locked in a cage, his days are filled with affection, attention, comfort and joy. I don't know whether I think that greyhound racing should be banned outright, but I DO know that dogs like my Barney do NOT deserve to die! That is why I am attending the rally on 7th February.
This is the kind, gentle face of my precious greyhound Barney. He failed time trials. Usually greys who have no capacity to earn money as racers are 'disposed of'. That's right - whatever way you try to sugar-coat it - hundreds of young, healthy dogs like him are KILLED every year, just because they can't ir won't run fast enough.
Thankfully, Barney was rescued and is now a beloved member of my family. Instead of being locked in a cage, his days are filled with affection, attention, comfort and joy. I don't know whether I think that greyhound racing should be banned outright, but I DO know that dogs like my Barney do NOT deserve to die! That is why I am attending the rally on 7th February.
Lucy Lu LU
by Matt Appleby
Lucy is one of those dogs that everyone loves. We take her to the dog park near our place and Lucy seeks out every person for a pat or a cuddle. Everyone comments on her smooth fur and her calm temperament.
We have young kids queuing up to take her for walks around the park even though she wants to be (and should be) off-lead! No one is afraid of her if we ‘forget’ the muzzle she’s forced to wear. There’s the rare snap at another dog if they really get in her personal space, but no more or less than any other dog at the park.
Nine-tenths of the day she lays around on a bed and only gets worked up when food or a walk are on offer. It’s hard to believe she was once a racing dog but she is great to watch when she goes for fang around the yard! Nothing competes with the greyhound!
Lucy is one of those dogs that everyone loves. We take her to the dog park near our place and Lucy seeks out every person for a pat or a cuddle. Everyone comments on her smooth fur and her calm temperament.
We have young kids queuing up to take her for walks around the park even though she wants to be (and should be) off-lead! No one is afraid of her if we ‘forget’ the muzzle she’s forced to wear. There’s the rare snap at another dog if they really get in her personal space, but no more or less than any other dog at the park.
Nine-tenths of the day she lays around on a bed and only gets worked up when food or a walk are on offer. It’s hard to believe she was once a racing dog but she is great to watch when she goes for fang around the yard! Nothing competes with the greyhound!