lurcherdan

Some great items here for an excellent cause

Not at all; we're pleased to be able to support the great work of the Oldies Club. Last chance for everyone to grab some tickets. Official deadline is today, but as long as we receive payment by Friday it shouldn't be a problem

Not long left now to buy tickets...

As part of SWT's oldie month, we are holding a virtual raffle with funds being used to provide a grant to the excellent work of the Oldies Club. This is a virtual raffle, with numbers being allocated by email, or pm. Each number costs just £1. You can have as many numbers as you like. The closing date for buying tickets is Wednesday 24th February 2010. First prize - An A4 portrait of one of your beloved companions kindly donated by the talented Wendy Paulton, (mooandboo) Many of us have her delightful work adorning our walls http://www.freewebs.com/wendypoulton-portraits/ . Second prize - A Kitsch Collar voucher for £30 kindly donated by Kitsch Collars, http://www.kitschcollars.com/ Third prize - A beautiful greyhound lover’s address book The draw will be made on 27th February 2010 at the Trustee meeting in Leeds. Payment methods Cheques and POs - made payable to Sighthound Welfare Trust and posted to SWT Raffle, 95 Celtic Crescent, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2TD. Internet banking please e-mail [email protected] . Paypal payments can be made by signing into your paypal account and clicking the option "send money to" [email protected]. Please remember to add on the PayPal fee http://ppcalc.com/ or pick the option to pay the fee yourself, by choosing the personal tab and opting for gift. If you are not a member of SWT’s forums, please make sure you give a valid email address or your address. Promoted by Daniel Peter Alec Hassell on behalf of Sighthound Welfare Trust, both at 95 Celtic Crescent, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2TD. Small societies lottery registered by West Dorset District Council under the 2005 Gambling Act.

This appeal closes tomorrow. Please donate if you can: Paypal payments can be made by signing into your paypal account and clicking the option "send money to" [email protected] Please remember to add on the PayPal fee http://ppcalc.com/ or pick the Gift option so we do not incur fees. Please let us know your username/name and address and that your donation is for San Anton.

The success of Sighthound Welfare Trust’s latest galgo coat appeal means Sighthound Welfare Trust has helped keep galgos in Spain warm this winter. SWT launched an appeal for funds in mid October and in just two and a half weeks that the appeal ran the charity collected over £550. This enabled us to sponsor 144 coats through a project run in the Netherlands by Elsbeth Endel. This follows the 165 coats that the charity sponsored in February, meaning over 300 coats have been funded by Sighthound Welfare Trust during this year. Elspeth Endel said “I am absolutely speechless and so touched by the generous donation that Sighthound Welfare Trust has just made to our galgo-sponsor-coat project. Winter is coming, the end of the hunting season is coming, and the circumstances in Spain have not altered a bit since last year, so you can imagine how happy the Spanish shelters are with the warm, water-resistant galgo coats we supply them with.†A huge thank you to everyone who helped by sending money in from across the globe, it is so wonderful to have the support of so many people. And some pictures for you all:

Don't forget this ends tomorrow evening

Last day today, closes at 9pm

There are now just under 48 hours until the SWT auction ends, on Thursday 26th, 9pm. You can visit the auction via the online charity forums; http://www.sighthounds.org.uk/forums There are over 280 items and there have been in excess of 600 bids placed so far. This really is the place to get everything from Christmas presents to dog friendly holidays. If you have already bid, don't forget to pop by and check to see if you have been outbid. If you haven't been over and seen the auction yet, you really don't know what you are missing out on! Of course this auction is to raise funds so that Sighthound Welfare Trust can provide grant funding for the excellent work of Tailends, so please bid generously. Sighthound Welfare Trust Registered charity no. 1114709

Yes, sorry should have made clear that it's only open for members. Registration doesn't take long and as Zico's mum says, is well worth it

That'll be great if you are able to donate, just send to the email above

Looking forward to this; an excellent event for a great cause

I've just taken delivery of our new SWT cotton shoppers - and they look great These 100% cotton bags are great for shopping, dog walking and well...pretty much anything. Unlike their plastic alternatives these bags are reusable and have the stylish SWT logo on one side! Here they are: (And for size comparison, with A4 sheet of paper). They are £3 each if you only want one, but if you want 2 or more, they're only £2.50 each. P&P will be £1 for upto 3, and £1.50 for upto 5. If you want more, please pm for a postage estimate. To order, please pm me or email; [email protected]. --------- Payment can be made in any of the following ways: Cheque to Sighthound Welfare Trust, 95 Celtic Crescent, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2TD Paypal to [email protected] (Please remember to add extra to cover paypal fees) Internet banking – please ask for details Please include a note with payment stating your username (and that you are ordering from the Refuge) and that it is for SWT cotton shoppers

Fan of Sighthounds? Fan of Facebook? Become a fan of Sighthound Welfare Trust on Facebook. Sighthound Welfare Trust is pleased to present our facebook page. It has all our latest news and awareness updates, photos of hounds we have helped and information on the charity. The page also has its own wall and discussion area for fans together with areas to upload your pictures and videos. You can find us on Facebook – we hope to see you there too. http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Sighthou...ust/28310121441

There is a good update about it all in the SWT News Hound - http://www.rykat.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=41424 In May it was announced that Britain’s flagship stadium was to close by September. Walthamstow has seen its totalisator turnover fall 35% since 2001. In July, however, the All Party Parliamentary Greyhound Group (APPGG) has pledged support for short-term lease options that could reprieve greyhound racing at The Stow. It was also reported that there could be a consortium to be led by Australian millionaire, Richard Codd, to offer the property developers - to whom the land has been sold – over and above the price they paid in order to ‘Save the Stow’. Most recently it appears that this campaign has lost momentum and no more meetings have been planned with the company who purchased the land in May, until after the track’s closure on 16th August. The track is now closed and it does seem very unlikely greyhound racing will return to Walthamstow. The last race was on Saturday.

Guardian's article, Walthamstow's finally gone to the dogs welcomes comments. Here is the comment I added: It is such a shame that in all the media coverage of the closure of Walthamstow 99.9% of the coverage has been misty eyed nostalgia. There is a much more pressing issue in all of this - the greyhounds. Isn't it just very sad that in a nation of so called animal lovers, a building which is a manifestation of animal exploitation is called a "national treasure"? Sighthound Welfare Trust welcomes the closure of Walthamstow track; it is an indication of a declining "sport" which systematically exploits the gentle greyhounds. How much of that £2.9bn do the greyhounds actually see? Very, very little. The organisations that rehome these dogs when they are abandoned or simply surplus to requirements, just because they can no longer race, do an admirable job - and have little or more often no money from the industry. Last week The Guardian quoted Lord Lipsey, Chair of the British Greyhound Racing Board as saying that animal welfare concerns are no longer a blemish on the sport. The man must have his head buried in the sand. Anyone genuinely concerned about the welfare of greyhounds knows that the welfare issues are far from being resolved, especially as at least 20 greyhounds disappear each day, unaccounted for and presumably killed - by an industry that professes to care for the dogs. If Lipsey can now look himself in the mirror then he needs a new one as the current one is obviously warped, just as the statistics that he continually trots out are. Lipsey also makes parallels with politics and greyhound racing. I can make one also. The greyhound racing industry is just spin, spin, spin. It is a great shame that over this whole issue The Guardian has failed to acknowledge the welfare issues, see through the spin of the BGRB and provide greater balance in their reporting. So whilst people might be sad that greyhound racing will no longer be at Walthamstow, I will be happy in the knowledge that it is one less track on which greyhounds are racing for the lives. Danny Hassell Trustee, Sighthound Welfare Trust (Registered Charity No. 1114709)

Sighthound Welfare Trust are pleased to present their latest edition of SWT News Hound. It has charity news, information on our latest grants, awareness updates and fundraising information. News_Hound_August08.pdf As ever, we appreciate any feedback and suggestions for future editions

Sighthound Welfare Trust has just received information about Reading greyhound racing stadium. It is set to shut in October. However Stadia UK believe there is a future for greyhound racing in the city. http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/speedway...shut_in_october

Sounds a great idea - best of luck with this

Thanks for all your lovely comments Here's hoping SWT continues to go from strength to strength

Yesterday a team of SWT volunteers braced the cold and wet to hold the first of our Dorchester Street Collections this year in the high street. Despite the weather and only being there for 2 1/2 hours we were able to raise £117.38 Today I ran the 2 mile Dorchester Fun Run and came first place!! So far we have rasied over £50 in pledges (but it's not too late to donate, if you would like to pm me for details or email [email protected])

SWT is pleased to present our first edition of NEWS HOUND April Edition News update Awareness update Limerick's latest lurcher Ben: Sighthound in the spotlight Coming events and more... NewsHound_April08.pdf The next issue will follow in May and depending on the response from these first two editions we will either continue with News Hound monthly, bi monthly or quarterly . Please provide feedback, comments and suggestions; it's all very welcome

Sighthound Welfare Trust has just been informed about this. Please spread far and wide: Vets’ secret trade in dog body parts A clinic is killing healthy dogs and secretly selling their body parts to Britain’s most prestigious veterinary college for research, an investigation has found. The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has a financial agreement with a vet’s practice which provides the organs from dogs on a regular basis. An undercover reporter posing as an owner found that staff at the Greyhound Clinic in Essex agreed to kill greyhounds for £30 each even though he told them the dogs had “nothing wrong with themâ€. The clinic is then paid by the college, which specifically insists the dogs must be healthy before being euthanased, for each animal from which it supplies parts. The RVC, which is the oldest and largest veterinary college in Britain, admitted that it had a number of similar financial agreements with other clinics to provide specimens. The practice has “horrified†the RSPCA and animal welfare campaigners and even one of the heads of the greyhound racing industry itself. The sport has been criticised for failing to explain the fate of thousands of greyhounds which retire from racing each year and then disappear without trace. Alistair McLean, chief executive of the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC), the industry’s governing body, said he was “flabbergasted†by the trade in body parts. “This is completely and utterly unacceptable,†he said. “It is quite scandalous.†The RSPCA said: “We are shocked by this evidence which appears to show an opening for greyhounds to be systematically destroyed for profit. We certainly would not like to think that there was a financial incentive to ending a pet’s life.†Maureen Purvis, of the campaign group Greyhounds UK, compared the practice with that of Burke and Hare, the19th century bodysnatchers who killed people to provide corpses for dissection. “What this clinic is doing is the canine equivalent of that,†she said. “It is just absolute butchery.†Although the rules governing vets allow them to use their discretion on putting down healthy animals, in practice most are reluctant to do so. The NGRC states that its trainers should put dogs down only as a last resort. “Even a broken leg can often be mended but some trainers see it as simply more cost effective to have it put down,†said a racing insider. It is now apparent, however, that some veterinary practices also have a financial incentive to put dogs down without any medical reason. The Greyhound Clinic is in an Essex hamlet which is in effect a “greyhound villageâ€. The clinic’s immediate neighbours are the kennels of at least six NGRC-registered trainers, two greyhound retirement homes and a practice racetrack. The undercover reporter called the clinic and spoke to Donna Atkins, the practice manager, saying he had two greyhounds he wanted putting down because he “had no room for themâ€. The reporter asked if the clinic ever took blood from the dogs before killing them and Atkins said the Royal Veterinary College sent people once or twice a week to collect blood from dogs being put down, she said. When the reporter called back, Atkins said: “We are going to take the glands as well. Is that okay?†The reporter said it was, but emphasised that his dogs were not old and there was nothing wrong with them. “That’s fair enough; that’s not a problem,†said Atkins. “So it’s 10.15 tomorrow. Bye.†When the reporter arrived the next day, two students from the RVC, who introduced themselves as Demi and Rick, were waiting. The reporter, who said his dogs would arrive shortly with his brother, explained there was “nothing wrong with them†but the students appeared uninterested. Asked why they wanted the dogs’s lymph glands, Demi said: “We take tissue from healthy dogs and we look at the cells and put them in an artificial environment and use that to further our research.†The reporter left but not before paying Atkins £60 in advance to have the fictitious dogs put down. He was not asked to sign any forms and was at no time asked his name, phone number, address or any details as to why the dogs should be destroyed. He also asked Atkins if the RVC was paying the clinic to take body parts. “No, no, we work in conjunction with them. We all work together from all over the place. It’s part of their learning,†she said. John O’Connor, 65, head vet and director of the clinic, told the undercover reporter, who was now posing as an employee of a company wanting to procure canine organs, that he had an “exclusive†commercial contract with the RVC until November. After that he would review the situation and expected “at least £30 per canine partâ€. When contacted later by The Sunday Times O’Connor initially denied a financial agreement with the RVC but subsequently admitted invoicing the college at £10 per dog and being paid. He claimed that he had been paid a few hundred pounds since he began supplying the parts three years ago and that he intended to pay the money to charity. O’Connor said he put down dogs only if they had medical problems or showed aggression and said he would not have euthanased the fictitious dogs. An RVC spokesman confirmed it had an agreement with the clinic but said owners should be issued with a form “to indicate their acknowledgment†of their pets’ fate. “The decision to euthanase an animal must only be taken when both owner and vet agree and the owner has given written consent.†http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3466712.ece

The auctions are finishing tomorrow - http://cgi3.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...undwelfaretrust

Well it’s certainly been a very busy 2007 for Sighthound Welfare Trust. We’ve been very busy raising funds and awareness and now is a great time to look back over what we’ve been up to this year: In the first couple of months we saw our Emergency Fund swinging into action to help sighthounds in need in UK, Eire and Spain: Tigre - Kimba (Spain) Tigre, a 5 month old galgo, had been found in a very desperate condition after being involved in a road traffic accident on the outskirts of Cadiz in Spain. People ignored his plight, leaving him to suffer in agony. A volunteer from Kimba Refuge took him straight to a veterinary surgeon who operated on him immediately. The full impact of his injuries became clear. He had a tibial fracture and severe wounds to his hind quarters. SWT was able to send £200 immediately from the emergency fund to assist with the initial veterinary costs. We followed up with an Appeal through our forum, sending a further £600. Miraculously little Tigre healed well and was flown to Germany where Greyhounds in Not would find him a suitably loving home. Rose - Dog Rescue Ireland (Eire) Rose is a young fawn greyhound. She was found sheltering in a shed having been abandoned. Mange had stripped her of most of her fur, leaving her skin itchy, sore and bleeding. She was malnourished and in need of veterinary treatment to combat infection that had taken hold of her. In this condition she was taken in by Bernie of Dog Rescue, Ireland. When SWT heard about Rose, we responded immediately and sent £200 from our emergency fund to help pay the veterinary bills for Rose. Happily she made a full recovery and has been found a loving home in the UK. Toby - Greyhound and Lurcher Welfare Rescue (UK) Toby, a very young lurcher pup, was found abandoned in a field in Somerset. A trustee for GLWR discovered him, emaciated and very poorly and she took him straight to her local veterinary surgeon. He was so dehydrated he was immediately put on a drip. He was taken under the wing of GLWR. SWT stepped in with a payment of £250 from our emergency fund to help ease the burden for GLWR. Toby has made a full recovery and now lives on a farm with his new family. Then there are the grants we’ve made thanks to our successful auctions over the year: Valentine Auction = £750 to Greyhound and Lurcher Welfare and Rescue Summer Auction = £920 to Orchard Greyhound Sanctuary Winter Auction = £810 to Tailends There were certainly some sad stories with sighthounds that really tugged at the heartstrings: Scarlett Scarlett was a 6 week old puppy, the sole survivor in her litter. She was taken into the care of Greyhound Gap where she could be kept warm and comfortable while her problems were investigated. She had a very severe flea infestation causing anaemia. Her belly was so full of worms, it resembled a hernia. Her most dangerous problem, was threatening her life. She could not keep her food down. The diagnosis was either a congenital fault that had caused a tear in her oesophagus or trachea or these problems had been caused by compression. She needed to be seen by a specialist vet immediately if she was to be saved. It was also found that she had two broken ribs and another cracked. The specialist vet diagnosed vascular ring anomaly. She was put on a critical care plan. This meant her feed was closely monitored intravenously and tests were carried out for liver and kidney damage. Once nourishment could get through, Scarlett’s oesophagus began repairing itself, a miracle in itself. After many scary weeks, where Scarlett had to be repeatedly wormed, she is at last starting to grow and behave as a normal puppy. Her growth rate has been severely stinted but it remains to be seen if she will become a full size greyhound. Her veterinary treatment costs were in excess of £2,000. Sighthound Welfare Trust immediately granted £500 towards her bill. Scarlett still has a few problems but she is now putting on weight and happily socialising with other sighthounds in her foster home. Cassie Cassie, a young greyhound was discovered in July 2007, at the edge of a railway track in Castleford, suffering from horrific injuries. It is thought she had lain there for at least 24 hours before being discovered. Veterinarians were unsure if she was able to survive an operation initially but after rest and rehydration they decided to try to save her. Amongst other injuries she had a compound fracture to the front left leg and cuts to the body and had to undergo an operation to have the leg pinned. She also required lots of TLC. Whitehall Dog Rescue was concerned that they might not be able to afford the total cost of treatment, over £1,500. SWT stepped in and granted £250 to help this poor girl. Cassie has made a full recovery. With all the other grants, our total of grant funding this year is £5379.50 We had some great message of thanks for all our work and generosity of supporters: “Thank you for your wonderful donation to help with veterinary treatments. I can not tell you what a difference this will make to us. Please pass our thanks to everyone involved. We are very grateful.†– Angela, Tailends “Your grant will pay for the average veterinary cost of rescue and rehoming of one dog through GRWE. This will include; kennelling and transport, neutering, dental and general health check, microchipping and muzzle and post homing support. Many thanks for your support†– Tony, GRWE “How kind of you to support GALA. £300 makes a big difference to a very small organisation like me . GALA is virtually a ‘one man band’. I take the dogs and organise their well being…Once again thank you very much for £300 which is a lovely boost to our funds and enables me to help other greyhounds needing a safe future.†– Sue, GALA “One behalf of all at Greyhound Gap, thank you to everyone at the Trust for their generosity. The money will go towards our kennelling bills, helping us get dogs out of danger and into safety. The support of people like yourselves goes a very long way to helping Gap continue its work and the generosity of your members is much appreciated.†– Angela, Greyhound Gap Now we look ahead to 2008: We hope that we can rely on all your continued support for 2008 to make it our most successful year yet. There will be a review of the Emergency Fund will take place to ensure that we can respond even more swiftly to help some of the most needy sighthounds and their rescuers. A review of the charity’s Governing Document will also take place to ensure that it continues to be relevant to our work and allows the charity to develop. New avenues for fundraising and raising the profile of the charity will be explored. Changes will take place to the forums to ensure that we are streamlined with the new website that will be launched with much more content, to become a one stop site for all things sighthound! But all our work this year and progress we hope to make next year is/will be only possible due to the generosity of supporters who give their time, money and skills in a whole range of ways. Many thanks to all here on the Refuge who have supported the charity. So SWT would like to say: A very Merry Christmas to all our Supporters & Best Wishes for 2008