Hello Everyone, thank you for supporting us through our journey and carrying forward the plight of the Greyhound. It has been a roller coaster of a year but, despite Covid 19 coming close to destroying us, we are still here.
January
January bought chaos into Hayley’s home. Hector’s saved four six week old Greyhound puppies. Many of you will have seen their pictures on Facebook. So cute but so lively! You will now find that Hayley does not find Greyhound pups so appealing after two weeks of discovering they are land sharks, termites and pooping machines!
We also went out in the snow in January to help another Rescue who had lost one of their dogs. Hayley and another team member went out in horrific weather conditions and a temperature of -4. Hector’s thermal imaging camera picked up a large heat source and he was found by his own Rescue in that area the next day.
February
February brought more sadness to Hector’s when we rescued an emaciated Lurcher called Rupert. Despite our best efforts, sadly a few weeks later this gorgeous boy took a downward turn and, following advice from our Vet, we had to euthanise him. He is no longer suffering. Then low and behold we all had a huge shock when we lost another angel. Star, our kennel boy, suddenly gained his wings. We all felt devastated after the loss of two precious souls in such quick succession.
On Valentine’s Day we had a very long day; 24 hours non-stop to save a boy from Ireland who had seen such trauma that he chewed his tail right through. Meet Davy.
Davy has come a long way, both emotionally and physically. He is now a happy go lucky boy, who loves his toys – even more his food! Davy is now relaxing, waiting for someone to love him and take him home.
Also in February, we had a funny looking Greyhound come into Hector’s care! You may remember Harry the Great Dane who we took in and found a loving home for with a lovely lady who was a fosterer for Daneline. He was around 11 years old and had Spondylitis. Harry found happiness and love for a short time, but sadly passed away only a few weeks later in his home.
Dreamer is our Gumtree girl who we managed to buy and save with your help. She was being advertised at only 4 years old and up for breeding. How could we possibly leave her?
These before and after photos show how much Dreamer’s life has been transformed. She is now in her forever home in Wales and living her dream with a little Whippet friend. This is a huge thank you to all as we could not have saved her life without your help.
April
On 2nd April Hector’s held its 2nd lock down Birthday. We wanted to celebrate being registered and saving lots of hounds, so we held a “Hook A Duck” event. Hector’s had the perfect dog for the job and Goldie enjoyed picking the winner.
May
This month we had lots of Greyhounds coming in from Ireland that desperately needed our help, so we kicked into action and off to Fishguard we went yet again to bring them home.
Tom our bouncy bundle of fun, was playing with his girlfriend Frankie in the paddock at the kennels when he decided to break every bone in his foot. Kate, our Orthopaedic Surgeon, completed very complex surgery and he is now on the road to recovery. He has to go back to the Vets two or three times a week to keep an eye on it, unfortunately incurring yet more expenditure for Hector’s. Poor Tom had to undergo two anaesthetics and has since lost lots of weight, so he is now on a high carb and protein diet to try and build him back up. His tastebuds have gone into overdrive and he has developed a fondness for Spaghetti Bolognese!
Shop Till You Drop
We are never guaranteed our British sunshine, so on our webshop we have decided to stock some easy packed holiday items and light weight rain coats.
There are lots of other lovely things for your Hound or yourself so pop over to the website and take a look.
Hector’s Mural
We had a visit at the kennels from the very talented Grace who painted a beautiful mural for Hector’s on the outside wall of the kennels. WOW it was amazing seeing her free hand work. Isn’t it just beautiful?! We are so lucky.
Garden Hazards
The worst of the winter weather has hopefully now drawn to a close and that only means one thing: owners and their Hounds will most likely spend more time in the garden. Unknowingly, common plants like tomatoes and lilies, as well as fertilisers and weed killers that we have in our gardens, can bring harm to our dogs at home. Some mushrooms can also cause sickness, as can the stones and pits found in many fruits. If your dog shows signs of having ingested poison by suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea or weakness, it is important to seek veterinary assistance.
All tools and equipment should be stored safely to avoid accidental injury, and ponds or water features should be barricaded or covered to safeguard clumsy Greyhounds from accidents. It is also a good idea to regularly check and maintain boundaries as it is amazing how small a gap a large Greyhound can escape through!
Summer
Summer will soon be here and, with it, hot temperatures which are a danger to your Greyhound, as they do not have a lot of body fat, have just one layer of fur and lack the insulation to cope with heat that other dogs have.
Never Ever Leave Your Greyhound In Your Car Unattended: Leaving car windows cracked open does not work. 10 minutes in a car with an outside temperature of 75ºF equates to 100ºF inside the car.
Walking: In hot weather try to walk your Greyhound in the early morning. Do not walk during the heat of the day. Even early evenings are still hot, especially pavements that have heated up during the day. Use the five second rule to check the temperature of the surface – place the back of your hand on the ground and if you cannot hold it in place for five seconds, it is too hot for your dog to walk on.
Artificial Grass: Be aware that artificial grass can heat up to the same high temperatures as pavements.
Water: Always take water with you in the car, on your walks or on an outing. You could also take a squirt bottle of water to mist your Greyhound.
Bandana: Take a bandana or small towel on outings and wet it, then drape it over your Greyhound. This will act like an evaporative cooling for your dog. Once the material gets warm, remove it and repeat. Do not leave a warm cloth on your Greyhound as it will trap the heat.
Outside: Supervise your Greyhound when they are outside in the heat and limit the time they spend outside. They will continue to run and play, and will not stop even if they are overheating.
Shade: When outside with your Greyhound seek out shade for yourself and your Hound if possible. Also, avoid allowing your Greyhound to stand on tarmac, concrete, asphalt, artificial grass etc as these surfaces hold heat and Greyhound’s pads burn easily.
Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke: Heat stroke is very dangerous for all dogs. Signs of heat exhaustion include excessive panting, skin red/flushed/hot to the touch, ear leathers hot to touch, weakness in standing/walking and fainting. Call your vet immediately and make attempts to cool your Greyhound down. Wet towels with cool water and apply to your dog, particularly the head, groin and armpit areas. The towels will become warm in 2-3 minutes so remove, repeat and reapply.
Fundraising Ideas
We now have fundraising idea packs if anyone would like one. Do you have an attic full of clutter, could you do a car boot sale, or sell a few cakes at work, or do a sponsored dog walk. Every little bit helps. So, if you could help us help them, it saves another dog’s life.
Arts And Crafts:
Are you good at making things? Could you make something to help the dogs? We have set up a Crafts For Hector’s Facebook page. Please take a look.
Collecting Tubs:
Could you please a Hector’s Collecting Tin in your local shop, chip shop, hairdressers or vets and empty it every couple of months?
Alison’s 100 Mile Challenge
Just 16 weeks after the birth of her beautiful baby, from Monday 7th to Monday 14th June Alison Jones is going to walk/run/jog 100 miles in 7 days, which is the equivalent distance a Greyhound would cover in its racing career.
Kerry Owen’s Sponsored Virtual Cycle Ride
Kerry is one of Hector’s most dedicated supporters and fundraisers and has cycled many miles to raise funds to help the Greyhounds. This year, because of Covid restrictions, she is doing a virtual cycle ride. Between 2nd June and 4th July she will cycle 1,083 miles, which is the equivalent mileage from Land’s End to John o’Groats.
Events
As the country opens up we are getting back to the new normal. Hector’s have started bringing the dogs out to events and collections again. Please keep a look at social media and our website events for updates.
Annual Dog Show
Hector’s popular Dog Show will be held on Sunday 22nd August at Oswestry Show Ground, Park Hall, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4AB. Judging will start at 12.00pm. This event will be much more than just a dog show but we are still in the planning process now that restrictions have been lifted so keep an eye out on our events page.
We hope everyone stays safe and well, and has a good Summer.
From Hayley And The Trustees