A second dog? Tyrone

Since I began volunteering at the Kent Greyhound Rescue (KGR) centre back in January 2022 I have seen a lot of retired racing dogs come in and luckily a lot have found forever homes.

Greyhound racing in Ireland and the UK isn't the "Sport of Kings", a moniker associated with horse racing, it's far more down beat than that.

It's a very tough business and spits out dogs that don't do what the owners and trainers want, that's to win races and make money. It seems the latter is the most important part.  

Most of the dogs that come through the charity, are from the Republic of Ireland. Many arrive in very poor condition indeed.  As a charity KGR feeds them up, assesses them and then hopefully recoups some of the money spent by asking for a donation. The charity also runs a shop to sell things that dogs' owners might like to buy. Leashes, collars and beds etc. Not everything is for greyhounds and their sighthound cousins but for all dogs.

But a second dog?

We already have Reggie, who we rehomed from The Dogs Trust in 2014. He's been with us and is loved very much. In fact, he has just become a Belgian citizen, and has a three year Belgian Pet Passport. Luckily for him that since Brexit the cost of travel to the EU have shot up.

Reggie asleep in the Moho!

I don't want to replace him!

Anyway, I digress.

Over the last year and a half I have worked with many dogs. A couple of them have caught my eye as being the perfect companion for Reggie.  A kind of little brother to teach all the bad habits we have let him get away with! :) Luckily 99% of them have been lucky to get a home of their own.

But one has been a constant. He is called Toastie at the moment. His name was Tyrone and he is another Irish dog.  Incidentally, so was Reggie!

Tyrone with me in the KGR Barn

He has been rehomed once about a year ago and came back as he was "too boisterous".  Hence his name change!

He was a 2 year old dog.  He had only been used to living in a kennel. He had no experience of living in a house.

Anyway. he and I have a bond and so I have asked if I can foster him in my house. He is used to being in a home where he is now at the KGR HQ, but I think he would prefer to live a quieter life than with up to a dozen other greyhounds and lurchers.

On Thursday (June 29th) after my volunteering visit I am going to bring him home for a visit to see how Reggie reacts to a new dog in the house.

I have been on the internet and found some good advice from the world famous Battersea Dogs Home. 

So Thursday will be the make of break day.  

On the positive side Reggie has met other greyhounds in the street and doesn't have a problem with them. There is one rehomed from Sittingbourne track down the road that he seems okay with. The test will be if he objects or not having another dog in our house, aka his territory.   

That Battersea info sheet on the website will be invaluable.