| FACTS | - Greyhound puppies can be worth up to £6000
- But when they're around four years old they are considered past their racing best and therefore worthless
- Around 25,000 greyhound pups are registered every year in the British Isles
- An estimated 10,000 greyhounds look for homes each year, though the unofficial figure is thought to be much higher
- Greyhounds only need two 20-minute walks a day
- Greyhounds adapt well to home life and are very gentle-natured
- Across all three Battersea kennels more than 11,000 dogs and cats were rehomed in 2004
- Across all three Battersea kennels 48 per cent of lost dogs and cats were reunited with their owners
- Across all three Battersea kennels the average intake per day is 22 dogs and seven cats
- It costs more than £700 to care for each dog and cat at Battersea
- Homing a dog or cat from Battersea costs £70 and £40 respectively, which includes vaccination, flea and worm treatment, microchip, free bag of food and three months of free vet care
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***See the Battersea Old Windsor photo gallery via the top right-hand link*** Many of us enjoy greyhound racing at Reading's Smallmead Stadium, watching the dogs race after a mechanical hare and even having a little flutter. Many of us may also be aware of the plight of greyhounds once they've literally run their course and are too old to be a canine athlete. Stories abound over dogs being shot, hung and having their throats slit when they are no longer of any use as a racer. Particularly in Ireland and Spain greyhounds are put on the scrap heap in the most horrendously cruel manner. At Battersea Old Windsor kennels three dogs from Spain arrived who were found chucked down a well. The well contained skeletons of other dogs. It's amazing the dogs survived and only by their whimpering did someone discover them. Battersea Old Windsor had 115 greyhounds arrive in 2004, all needing a home. Considering the above these dogs are the lucky ones whose trainers are kind enough to try and rehome them. In total 10,000 greyhounds a year are used for racing, though unofficially the figure is probably five-fold. After around four years the dogs become too old and it isn't uncommon for dogs to retire earlier due to injury. Fans of greyhounds are doing their best to dispel common misconceptions about the creature in an effort to rehome more of them. Because of their racing past many people assume that greyhounds aren't suited to home life, but in truth they are very adaptable. Says Battersea Old Windsor dog rehomer Marion Jones: "There are a lot of misconceptions about greyhounds. People think they need a lot of walking and they need large homes. People also think they look emaciated and that because they're ex-racers that they need a muzzle. But in truth greyhounds are very adaptable dogs, needing only two 20-minute walks a day, though if you wanted to go for one long walk that would be fine as well. When they are racing they go at speeds of 45 miles an hour, but what they can't do is run and run and run; they're sprinters." She adds that after racing the dogs have no trouble settling down as family pets because they are such mellow and affectionate animals who are just eager to please. Their sweet nature means that they're also very good with children. It is true that most greyhounds will run after wildlife if you take them out, though many of them wouldn't know how to kill an animal as they've only ever been trained to chase. Most of them lose this instinct after settling down into family life. They are usually good with other dogs and don't bark very much. They are quick to house-train and are clean animals. They only have one layer of fur so they only need a small amount of grooming. Says Miss Jones: "Greyhounds date back to the pharaohs and used to be classed as a royal breed in our country, so it's unfortunate that greyhounds have gone down in the stakes and have been put bottom of the list of dogs."
Greyhound fan Cath Poppy, who has had Trigger for nearly three years, said: "Once you've owned a greyhound you'll never want to have another dog." With more people spreading the good word about greyhounds as great family pets and companions, let's hope that more retired greyhounds can find loving homes. Battersea at Old Windsor
Priest Hill
Old Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 2JN
Tel: 01784 432929
Opening times:
10.30am to 4.15pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10.30am to 3.15pm on weekends and bank holidays. Battersea at Old Windsor receives no government funding and relies on donations and legacies. Contact the centre if you're interested in becoming a kennel sponsor.
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