Dogs homed this month :

Katie

Hi there,

We hope this finds you well! Kari and myself have a small update on Katie (Wychwood Katie), who we had the great fortune to adopt from you almost two years ago now. She's genuinely the goodest of dogs and doing really well!

In the past two years Katie has continued to learn and developed into an even more amazing, surprisingly smart, very curious and incredibly affectionate dog. Most impressively, she now walks past small dogs, most cats and squirrels rather calmly and doesn't bark or pull any more. The only thing that will still get her, understandably, is a cat running away from her, but she's much quicker to calm down again.

She loves all people and wouldn't mind just stopping in the street for pets from random strangers, or (if you'd let her) just walking into their house for a good sniff around. She also loves all modes of transport including cars, trains, buses, the tube and walking or running. She'll pull you onto any tube if you let her, no matter if it's the right one, and then enjoys pets from everyone on it if it's up to her. Sadly some people are not too keen on big black dogs, so we're trying to teach her that she won't get pets from literally everyone on the tube or in a pub.

She's surprised us by the number of commands we accidentally taught her (just repeatedly saying the word when she was doing the action was enough for her to make the connection), such as hop hop (jump onto couch/bed), flop (laying down flat on the carpet), cross (crossing the street), let's go (let's go), walkies (a favourite of course), come here (that also has a hand signal she knows), Katie (same as come here but works faster), wait (to wait for her food), take it (to eat the food), back (to go back a bit), wanna go out (to go out into the garden), leg up (to get her leg through the harness easier), where is it (go sniff for hidden treats), what's this (eat/pick up bit of food she overlooked), mine (to let her know it's my food and she can't sniff it too closely) and probably some more I've forgotten. 

At night she's taken to sleeping in the hallway out front of our bedrooms in a little nook we made her with a dog bed and duvet cover, and generally won't whine unless we have guests sleeping over, as she doesn't get that she can't continue to get pets through the night from them. 

Also see attached pictures of the noodle :)

Best wishes,

Elisabeth and Kari 

Marcus

Hello everybody,

I'ts about a month now since we have picked up Marcus and about 4 months since we picked up Flojo. Time to send you an update of their new life in Belgium.

They are settled in very well very quickly and come along great.

Flojo is the sweetest girl at home, very calm and well behaved, outside it's miss dynamite, she is triggered by everything that moves and jumps in the air even on the leash.....I think it will get better

when she get's older.....

Dear Marcus is the sweetest, coolest, respectful gentleman you can imagine... He is very playful, cuddly and always happy, he has a bit of separation anxiety, he follows me everywhere....even to the toilet :)he collects my shoes, clothing etc..., but he has never destroyed anything so far.

 I had many greyhounds so far but he sure is one of the most easygoing I ever owned.

Both aslo come along very well with my big show greyhound BB( Blisfull Blake) , they play wildly together ( Flo and Marcus have to wear muzzles whilst playing because they get too excited.

We enjoy giving them the best life possible

below the official retirement pictures of MARCUS 😀

Abby

Abby's first week has been good. She's settling in really well considering the huge change in environment. She walks well and has started to make friends with some of the local dogs. Loves it when people visit as she has more people to make a fuss of her. Such a lovely little dog, always wagging her tail and following us around. So a good start to her life in her new home. :o)

Regards,

Paula.

Pippin was Meeko

He's brilliant, easy going, loving and fun. The last year has been an absolute joy! He comes everywhere with us, band practice, to the stables to look after my my very geriatric horse, camping, cricket games and the pub, as long as we bring his blanket (known as his parking space) he's more than happy. He gets on with every dog he meets and we have a sighthound group who we meet up for walks and zoomies with. Thank you so much for finding our best friend! We love him to bits. We bought him a greyhound plush toy at the stall yesterday who looks just like him.. we called him mini me!  

All the best to you, the staff and the doggos. 

Beth, Max and Pippin/Meeko

Teddy

Having a little snooze on the lawn in the sunshine. Then he loves his cuddles 

He's going to be a supper boy. 

Bonnie

Flo

Dear Staff at croftview,

It’s about 12 days since I moved to Belgium, I couldn’t be more happy….

When I arrived it was a bit overwhelming, 2 big boys and an old lady were already living in the house, The boys were very enthusiastic about my arrival,

Perhaps a bit too enthusiastic , so I had to put them in their place and they understood immediately that I’m not to be messed with 😊.

The old lady is a bit sick and wants to be left alone, she explained that very clearly to me…… so I have a little scar on my muzzle now.(nothing serious).

After some days I quickly picked up the routine… Eating, sleeping, walks, cuddles….

My brothers can play free of the leash during our daily walks in the dunes and on the beach but my dad says it’s a bit too early for me since I don’t react well to my name.

I’m looking forward to the moment where I can chase my brothers and see who’s the fastest…

I’l the house it’s paradise for me, there are several sofa’s & comfortable foam dog beds available, but as you know I’m quite cheeky and sometimes I even check if the bedroom door is open and then I sneak into my dad’s bed

Each morning around 6 am I can climb into bed with my dad under the duvet…. Than we have a nap until it’s time to get up ( for him) because I could stay much longer, I adore the warmth of the duvet on top of me…😊

In the evening my brothers sometimes share the big sofa with me and then we sleep in a synchronic position( I’ve put a picture and some others of this in attachment).

I really took the right decision to look behind and be disqualified from racing…This life here in Belgium is my thing… no more stress….

 I will end my newsletter with an anecdote which took place last Sunday………. My dad was completely shattered….

Dad was working outside in the backyard, I was playing in the garden with my brother Django.

When dad wanted to go inside he couldn’t find me anymore, He was totally panicked and started a search for me, he thought I had escaped from the garden one or the other way and so he warned all the neighbors , police etc………

After two hours he came back home exhausted and half frozen because it was very cold and windy  , when he put his bike in the garage he heard some noise, he opened the sauna and there I was….I had been sleeping on a comfortable bench , nice dry and warm 😊😊😊😊😊)

I did not react when he was calling me because I don’t know my name very well 😊😊😊😊

Why would I run off….. the garden is well fenced and I have the best life possible….. He almost hugged me to death when he found me….

Big kisses  and thanks to all of you for the good care while I was at Croftview

I hope you continue to find similar homes for all retired greyhounds.

FLO

Louis

Hello everyone at Croftview

I thought you’d like to know how Louis is getting on. We go to dog training classes once a week which he thoroughly enjoys, especially, meeting up with his friends and in particular Milo a dachshund - he is so sweet with him, getting down to his level. I’m so proud of him as he attained his bronze certificate - he is so well behaved at training but in an open field it’s another matter - Louis comes when he is ready not necessarily when called, but we are making progress. He is the most vocal greyhound we’ve had and likes to wake us up with his version of the dawn chorus getting Poppy (aka Fly) to join in too - she’s not quite so tuneful though. We love him dearly and he’s such a “goofball”, always with a smile on his face. 

Sally and Erica

Maddie

We spent Christmas in Wales with our dogs - first Maddie's holiday.

She had a great experience!

Maddie is my princess and I cannot even imagine do not have her in our family.

She acts like a royality - when I work from home she stays next to me all the time and do not always wants to go for morning walk with Milo - too early for her! Garden is the solution then!

Maddie has voice too and her own opinion on where to go and what to do, and won't let you forget about meal or snack time! But all with great manners.

We simply love her, and she is getting perfectly well with Milo and all other dogs at walks.

Thank you once again and all the best for you and all Your Greyhounds,

Best regards,

Joanna

Magic

 The first day and half has been great she has slept on her own all night with no accidents and has been clean in the home, she has been on a couple of walks and seen a few dogs the experience has been positive with this, but not had any close contact as of yet, she just seems to be stimulated when they run about. She spent  2 occasions on her own for about 1 hour and settled with in 4 mins. She has been a pleasure to have as of yet and has been very forgiving us being a bit nervous. 

We would both like to thank you and the team for all your hard work and dedication! She’s the best dog so far (I’m sure her little quirks will appear soon) hopefully see you soon for a nail clip and a cuddle. 



Tim



Ross

Hi Stacey,

We would be delighted to share Ross’s journey with you.

As you can imagine having that first week off with him was invaluable, the first night went okay with a couple of toilet accidents that we knew to expect. He slept well all night as he was exhausted from his journey, he particularly liked the sofa, where he spends a great deal of time.

He has settled into a very happy routine, loves our other dog Megan and is best friends with my daughters 8 month old lurched bitch who comes to visit him once a week.

Apart from the initial toilet accidents house training has been relatively straight forward and painless.

He is such a happy and loving boy and is a joy to spend time with, I can honestly say he has made the normal miserable January the best January we have ever had. 

His confidence is increasing everyday and he particularly enjoys a walk down the canal.

I genuinely feel he loves us as much as we love him, and cannot imagine being without him. We are so grateful to the greyhound trust for allowing us to adopt Ross into our family.

His character is great, although he is completely obsessed with stealing our things including clothes, he absolutely loves roast chicken on a Sunday as well as as his new favourite haggis.

It took only two weeks for Ross to feel truly at home which is remarkable when he had only known kennel life.

I hope these words help, photos below

Best wishes 

Sian and Lucas 

Ruby and Paddy

I wanted to let you know that Paddy and Ruby have settled into their new life very well. Ruby is a bit naughty and seems to have the devil in her sometimes - she picks up anything and runs off with it and if you aren't quick enough, she chews it to pieces! Paddy is quite laid back and although he can be a little naughty, he is not the instigator but he does join in!! They are both getting a little bit better on the lead but it is a work in progress.

Thank you for letting us have them - our lives are certainly enriched now they are part of it.

I have attached a couple more photos of them enjoying their new life.

Kind regards 

Debbie O'Brien

Maddie

Hello,

Maddie  is happy and clever girl and we love her a lot!

Maddie got a lot of confidence, likes to meet new dogs and their owners on daily walks.

Stairs aren't an issue anymore. She plays with our dog Milo in the garden, but likes long walks in the fields the most and taking naps in her comfy beds after.

Brave

Brave in his new home

Amy

Hi

A picture of Amy and Zara relaxing after a run round the garden. I don't know why Zara prefers the inverted position!!!

John and Jean

Bright

Hello Croftview.

Just to let You know that Bright arrived to her forever home in
Aalesund. The trip vent well, and Bright has impressed
with the way she coped the journey. She maybe thought that the undersea
Euro tunnel was a bit scary, but everything was OK when she was cuddled
and held her paw.

The plan was to stay overnight in Hamburg, but due to traffic jam in
Belgium for several hours, we decided to go on, and have several brakes
along the way. Then we stopped the next night in Sweden, and Bright
stayed at a Hotel, she behaved like a dream, and slept like a stone,
without a sound, all night long. Bright ate all of her breakfast, and
seemed to be very pleased. She also slept most of the hours in the car,
and has not chewed on anything. After Sweden we crossed the mountains on
the way home, and Bright did experience snow, which was quite exciting.
When we arrived home, Saturday evening, it was time to meet Barry. It
was a success Barry was very happy, and tried to play at once they met.
It was a super match. Bright have already went for a couple of walks in
the neighbourhood, but most of the time she has rested in all of Barry's
beds. This morning Bright has been to the mandatory meeting with the
vet, for chip registration, deworming and weight . She is 27.9 kg.
Bright seems to settle very well. She is sleeping all-night, resting
even in the sofa, and play and run in the garden. Sending a few pictures
from her journey, more to come.

Once again we have to thank You for adopting a fantastic dog from You,
and all the work that You have done to give us this opportunity. We will
very soon give more information about how Bright and Barry are going on.


Best regards

Britt, Torgeir, Barry & Bright.

Liam

Hi

Liam has relaxed enough to leave his bed tucked away at the side of the sofa and use the rug in the centre of the lounge. We are seeing a cheeky side sometimes too. Loves his walks and is getting better around other breeds of dog. He adores being fussed. There are enough of us to keep him happy with that. 

Thank you for letting us have him. He has fitted into the family very well. 

Diane Muzio

Paddy and Precious ( now known as Ruby)

Hi All

Just thought I would send you some pictures of Paddy and Precious (who we have name Ruby) settling into their new home.

They have both been quite challenging on the lead but there have been improvements over the week!

Ruby is quite independent whereas Paddy is very clingy at the moment. They have completely different personalities but they are both absolutely delightful and they have fitted into home life very well. 

Our house feels like a home again with our new fur babies 😊😊🥰

Best wishes.

Debbie and Andy O'Brien

Mr Blue

 Hello!

This is just a brief note to let you know Mr Blue is doing really well. He's energetic (especially in the mornings) and loves his walks, even longer ones. Sleeping downstairs away from us has gone perfectly so far with no accidents. So far, we've not left him alone in the house at all. When we're both out of sight (working or whatever) he tends to whine a little bit but only at first before he goes to his bed, and we've been making sure to check in on him so he knows we're always going to come back. No separation anxiety. He's very affectionate, and can't get enough cuddles, and so far he's doing well with sounds such as the coffee machine and kettle and TV.

Training is going a bit slow as he is not strongly food motivated, but he does like chicken!

we couldn't be more pleased to have him.

Regards,

Marty

Lennon

 Hi we hope you are all well. Verity wanted to send you some pic and a few words on Lennon. He has settled in really well and likes to go for a walk in our local park and then sleep on his bed in the front room!! He likes to play with his toys in the garden but its never long before he takes them back to his bed . Thank you so much for interducing us to Lennon we love him soooooooooo much. 

Boycie

 Boycie says bonjour from France

Kacie

 Hi there,

We thought we'd just drop you a line to let you know that Kacie has settled in so well with us. She's turned into a proper pet now and is always very waggy for her walks and when we get home. She really is a star and we often get comments on how beautiful she is. 

Thank you for letting us bring her home, we all love her to bits. I've attached some photos as well for you. 

Thank you! 

Simon, Rachel, Emily and Jessica 

Ashleigh

 HI Its Ashleigh making the most of my new retirement home at the isle of sheppey and have sent you some snaps of my many walksat the seaside countryside, I am getting better with other breeds of dogs each day and some cats , But still get exited with small one,s

now again. I want to be a good girl ,so still working hard at it with my new owners. Getting four walks a day which is fun and my first walk

of the day is at 6.30 in the morning which is with my new mum. My last walk is with my new dad at 10.30 at night, This is my best walk as

it,s dark and i see things in the shadows !! Which is like going hunting. As my dad says. Got to go now as going to bed now as you know 

it,s hard work sleeping 20 hrs a day. My mum loves me and says i am a pretty girl which makes me happy.

Love ASHLEIGH. XXXXX

Ashleigh

 Hi Julie 

            Just to let you know how Ashleigh is getting along. She is settling in really well and is clean indoors, she loves the walks where we take her 

             especially along the sea wall she quite likes the seagulls. Ashleigh has made a friend with a Labrador called Holly. There are a few cats 

             where we live and she is gradually getting used to them, and the same with small dogs, there is still a bit of work to do. At first at night she   

             was waking up but now that she knows where we are she sleeps ok. Ashleigh has been to the vet and was weighed and was 27. 5 kg and 

             was checked over by the vet. Also she has had her teeth cleaned by Canine Services, and now she has pearly whites 

             She's a lovely little girl and loves loads of fuss and of course she loves her food and her new bed. We will bring her to see you soon so you can

             see how's she's doing. 

                                      Thanks for finding us our lovely girl Ashliegh

                                                      From Allan and Jean Pope.

NuNu aka Sid

Just to let you know that NuNu formally known as Sid is living his best life in Switzerland! Thank you for all your good work and allowing us to adopt these very special dogs.
Laura Taylor

Lilly

Hello Stacey, Jo and all,

I am delighted to let you know that Lilly has settled very well with us and is now a much loved member of our family. She is such a wonderful character and makes us laugh all the time especially at 'walkies' time when she goes mad dancing around in front of us,rushing off to get her lead and muzzle.

Her stamina has massively increased over the weeks and she now has two half hour to forty minute walks a day( hot weather permitting of course, the heat has led to some frustrating days for her as she lives for outings with us). I say walk, but once we get on a woodland path, which she loves, she is on a mission and I have to run with her!

She still loves to snooze in the afternoon of course and we have discovered she loves Classic Fm and visibly sighs when a sweeping piano concerto is on🤣. If we pop out for a couple of hours she is fine with her music on and has always been fantastic at night. Some mornings we have to wake her up.....

Food was tricky at first as we tried to get some weight on her but once we realised she has little interest in food in the mornings and prefers to have her main meal in the evening we were away, although we still have some days when she eats very little, not surprising in the warm weather.

She is a very gentle dog and has been wonderful with our grandson but let's just say we still need to clear the front garden of the local cats before we exit the house!

Kind Regards

Jackie O'Connor

Miska

Dear Stacey 

Thought you and colleagues might like to see the attached photo of Mishka taken early this morning. 6 months on and she has settled very well indeed and much enjoying life and of course an absolute pleasure for us.

Best regards 

Stephen Hazell-Smith 

Larry now Louis

Hi Stacey,



Louis (aka Larry) is settling well. A few wee accidents when he arrived but he was clean over night and ate his breakfast up well too.  He’s also made himself very comfortable !! 

Kind regards

Sally

Tom

Hi Alison and Stacey,

We hope you are both well. We just wanted to send a little Tom update to you along with some photos since bringing him home.

Tom has settled in really well and he claimed the sofa as soon as he walked through the door! Despite crying most of the first night, he has slept through till 6-7am every night since. We have left him a few times on his own (the longest being 2.5 hours), but he does cry a lot so we're trying to build it up slowly. Thankfully there aren't many occasions where he has to be left on his own.

He has been a little fussy with his food and his poos are often loose, so we've decided to try Tails as you mentioned his previous owner recommended them. The first delivery has just arrived so we'll see how he gets on with it (we're hoping it will help with his wind too)! 

We've been brushing his teeth weekly. We took him for a dental check up and have been given some dentisept to help his gums. We will also take him for a professional clean at some point so will look into the lady on the Isle of Sheppey you mentioned.

Tom absolutely loves his walks and does get super excited beforehand, so we're trying to find ways to keep him calm to avoid too much jumping and zoomies as he is a big boy and doesn't realise how powerful he is! We thought we might have to reduce our walking slightly, but he loves walking so much that we're probably doing more than we used to which is great. We always make sure we stop for breaks in inbetween for him to rest on longer walks though and he often makes lots of friends at pubs.

He also loves sitting in our garden and although he does sometimes like to check on the rabbits next door, he hasn't shown any interest in jumping fences thankfully. He has become a bit better with cats and foxes over time when we are out on walks (although always remembers where he's seen them before), but he usually does like to look at them for a while, so much so that he actually walked into a lamppost on one occasion! When he is not out walking and getting a good fuss from everybody he meets, he spends most of the day lying by our sides whilst we work and even joins in on a pilates class once a week!

On his 6th birthday he was thoroughly spoilt with some steak, a dog-friendly cupcake and lots of cuddles.

Overall we have completely fallen in love with Tom and so have our families and neighbours (he has the reputation as the most handsome greyhound in the neighbourhood)! Our parents also take every opportunity they can to spend time with their new grand-dog who they adore.

He really is the perfect match for us so thank you so much for introducing him to us and also for all your help and advise. We couldn't have expected him to fit better into our family and he is loved so much already. We hope we've made Tom as happy as he has made us 🙂

Meeko now Pippin

Hello to everyone at the Harvel Greyhound trust.

Max and I just wanted to update you on how Pippin (previously known as Meeko) is getting on. 

Pippin has settled in brilliantly and is a joy to have around. He loves walks with his new friends Sammy the spaniel and Lucy the fox terrier. He has also proved himself as a pub dog and loves a chance to have a nap while mum and dad have a pint! He is always up for adventures and has taken all new experiences in his stride. He loves a Sunday morning snuggle on the bed and charming every new human or dog he meets. We are planning to take him camping soon and have found a local greyhound walk for some more outings!

We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us find our best friend. Who knows.. maybe in a few years we will back to find Pippin a little sister.. you guys are right.. greyhounds are very addictive!

The work you all do is amazing, thank you for giving us such a lovely experience and ongoing support.

All the best,

Beth, Max and Pippin

Xxx

Petal

I just thought you might like a picture of Petal.

She’s settled in beautifully, and enjoys her walks by the river – although she’s disappointed if we don’t meet any other dogs, especially if she sees them but our paths don’t cross! Her greatest love, though (given she can’t eat all day) is the sofa.

Yours, with thanks,

Lindsay

Crackle

Dear Croftview

I hope all is well with the kennels.

It'll be 2 years this month since I homed Crackle and I thought I'd send you the attached for you to see how well her socialising has gone. The malamute Richie is her best friend and they have play dates twice a week. She has many other dog friends - greyhounds, Romanian sheepdog, chihuahua, terrier and lurcher - to play with and loves meeting new people and tries to follow them up the street until they give her a fuss.

It was a tough time for her during the first 18 months as it turns out she's terrified (to point of trembling) of gun shots, ice-cream vans, fireworks etc and initially the farmers bird- scarers. However, she now tolerates the bird-scarers for the most part and recovers more quickly when something has spooked her.

She rarely sleeps during the day and is always looking for something exciting to do! Crackle is a really mischievous/funny character and is loved and admired by everyone. She's certainly livened up my home.

Best wishes
Sara

Kate now called Grace

All,

Kate, now called Grace, has settled in as quickly as I’ve ever known any of our hounds settle in.

She is doing fine.

As I said earlier, eating, sleeping, relaxing, playing, going out to garden, toileting, climbing the stairs – all fine.

We met other breeds on our woods walk today and she reacted ok.

We introduced her to Marley, another greyhound who stays with us, and all was fine.

Danny and she get along well…

Mickey

Here’s a few of the pictures we’ve received from Mickey, John Lee and Andrea Fuggles

Mickey was one of our longest stay dogs at just over 2yrs. It’s fantastic to see this nervous boy doing so well in his new home.