FBGS - Success Stories

Spotsy and Caitlin on a very hot day waiting for the BBQ Phew it's a long way up these stairs to bed, better

to get started. Thanks to Jenny for these two brilliant dogs. have a little sleep here (Caitlin)

Harry came to live with us at the end of May and settled in within minutes of being here, as he lay on the sofa, all four legs in the air. He also has fitted in well with his new brother and sister, Sophie the British bulldog and Bandit the Springer spaniel. The kids all love him and he loves all the attention he gets.

I have been in my new home for nearly a week now and I am getting my feet under the table very nicely thank you. My new people are suckers for a wag and a slobber and I don't mind obliging.

One thing though I said to the girl I live with Jem that as I am big and a boy I think I should be the boss , but she said NO I was here first and you will just have to do as I say.

No respect some girls . I have never met Mr Muffin but I have read his blog and I quite agree with him about girls!!!!!

I get my own back though , when she isn't looking I collect up all the toys and put them on my bed , ok she takes them back when I'm not looking , but we won't mention that.

Well I have to go and have a nap now its very tiring all this typing. Will send some better photos soon.

Just a little update on me, Spud - please find attached a photo of me enjoying the sun and the sofa. Settled in brilliantly, love my family and they love me! Looking forward to lots of fun and outings this summer, can't wait.

Lily is doing absolutely wonderfully, her character has really come out, now that she has been with us for a while. She loves everybody (whether they like it or not), she fetches her coat from the utility when you say it's time for a walk, (getting it away from her to put it on is another matter). Zak's toys are great for a ''tug of war'' between her and Zak. She absolutely loves the car, just as well because we don't go anywhere without them, although she's usually asleep before we get to the end of the drive! Chasing round the garden in circles at 90 miles an hour, with Zak in the centre looking on, (he's given up trying to keep up with her) is another favourite. All in all, I think we can say that both Lily and ourselves are very, very happy with life, we could not imagine life without her, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. Here is a photo of her favourite sport!

I have been doing a lot of work with Honch and Snowey with my son’s puppies (you may remember I told you we had a Staffie and a Labrador in the family now) and they are coming on really well. Even though the pups don’t live with us it is very nice that they can now come round without fear of being eaten!!!

Snowey is

a little bemused by the Staffie as Dotty is very in your face, but he just gives a little grumble and takes himself off to his bed. Honcho thinks that Dotty was sent for her to chase and scrap with and they both end up exhausted from running around the house and garden!

We haven’t had Bouncer (the Labby) here yet, but we meet up regularly in the woods where they have started to ignore him completely just as they do my mum’s miniature Schnauser.

Snowey is still quite needy in that he needs constant cuddles, but he is becoming more confident by the day - he is such a joy!! Honch has also started to change and is less aloof than she was, in fact she too is now very loving. They are totally inseparable now and follow each other everywhere, true partners in crime and if one of us walks too slow and they lose sight of each other they panic (bless!) They are like an old married couple.

I am so glad we took Snowey to keep Honcho company but I have decided there is no place in the house for a Christmas Tree this year as I am sure it would be trashed when the pups come to visit and everything goes mad! Besides my tree space is now taken up by Greyhound beds. To be honest we are really looking forward to our first Christmas with them… especially as it is the first Christmas since my sons moved out, and we will be on our own with new kids. The best is yet to come!

I have re-homed two greyhounds from Fen Bank. We spent some time letting my existing two elderly greyhounds get accustomed to them so when they came home they settled in happily. This strategy worked really well and Bernice and Seamus were good friends with Tigger and Missy from day one. However Joey was a very different story.....

I had just lost Seamus to bone cancer after only a few months with me, when Jenny rang to say that they had a dog who had returned twice to the kennels and was very unhappy and could I help. I couldn't say no! Well Joey came over and stayed. The first time he was left while I was out for a couple of hours he managed to open a sliding door and had a fight with my old dog Tigger. Tigger came off worse but fortunately only had minor injuries. Joey was very confused and unsure of his position in the group, but he craved love and attention. He did not know about indoors and outdoors which as you can imagine caused problems - he puddled everywhere and sprayed almost every piece of furniture. He was then found to have a problem with his back and one back leg which which must have caused a lot of distress. In conjunction with Sandra I tried everything to stop the weeing, we then thought of a cage for him whenever he was left alone. This was an amazing success; whenever he was let out when I got home he went straight into the garden and the cage became his space and he felt secure. In fact he sleeps in it most days and no accidents since !!!!

As I said before, the first time I left Joey he opened my patio doors; he now knows the shoes I wear when I go out and if he wants me to hurry up he will bring them to me. If he can't find those he will bring me his lead. He has a wonderful personality and loves being with me, he tells me when he wants to go into the garden, needs more water and also brings his bowl for his dinner. Doors are generally no problem and he can let himself out of almost anywhere. He is very intelligent and loves playing. There are always going to be situations where we will have to be careful as he really does not like children or small furry animals. These things have unfortunately been learnt from his past conditioning.

Joey is now a part of my family and is great friends with Bernice. Tigger can't really compete as he is nearly 12 and just watches him as if to say 'stupid boy', but Joey is now settled and so happy. I did wonder if I could cope with him but all I can say is persevere - your efforts will be rewarded a hundred times over.

Here are some photos of Girlie, she came to us in April and has settled really well with our blind yorkie Sophie. She likes nothing better than running in the fields or on the beach.

Our thanks to all at Fen Bank especially Jenny who guided us to this wonderful dog, she has completed our lives.

A lady rang the Sanctuary in great distress because her husband had left her and she was now working full time, and as a result her beloved dogs were being left for long periods of time. We promised to help and subsequently received a very long letter with every possible detail about the dogs which were clearly very loved indeed. Subsequently we took the dogs in and promised to try and home them together. After several weeks a home offer was made by a long term supporter of Fen Bank who had just lost her elderly boy and wanted a staid older dog - it was love at first sight and Larkey went home and became Malarky and shortly afterwards Girlie too, was fallen in love with and fell in love with her new family too. The previous owner has kept in touch with both sets of owners - so now five people and two dogs are ecstatically happy - just as it should be, for all the lovely greyhounds who pass through Fen Bank!

Darcie is absolutely fantastic! She came in and had a good sniff around the house and garden. We introduced her to her new beds and has quickly decided that her favourite place to lay is in the children's play room - with and without children inside.

We took her for a walk after a couple of hours because she seemed to be wanting to have some fun, she had a good look about, saw some rabbits in the field but seemed vaguely interested, no interest in chasing them, any yappy dogs she saw she just turned the other way. She came back and we gave her a bath, which she tolerated very well.

She was relaxed when the children came home from school, she had all her tea of complete food and sardines and was content to laze about all evening. She slept all night without a whimper and seemed to enjoy her 6am walk. Since then she has had breakfast and is now lazing on her bed in the play room. We are amazed and delighted that she seems so content at such an early stage.

A few days later, and Darcie continues to settle in well, and we are starting to see a lot more playfulness! She is such a beautiful, kind dog who has captured our hearts completely. She is equally at home with our parents, who were with us last week. For Rebecca and I there is a feeling of great contentment, and for the boys she is like a sister. They love nothing more than sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons, each with one hand stroking her.

She has started to shed some hair, probably because of the central heating effect, but is eating splendidly. We have discovered that while she likes some grated cheese on her food, she LOVES Brie! Such expensive tastes!! She walks really well on the lead but we haven't taken her off the lead and won't do for quite a while yet.

Saturday 13th June 2009

Rusty's first full day at Fen Bank

Sunday 13th September 2009

Rusty wins Waggiest Tail and Best Fun Dog at Fen Bank Dog Show

Rusty had been found dying on waste ground in Grimsby. Read more about his amazing recovery. WARNING! Graphic images.