Our new foster greyhound Leah

By Fatima |

Monday, March 29, 2010

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We just got the cutest new foster greyhound: a 9 year old little Leah :-) She arrived yesterday and has already sussed the house out, and found the comfiest bed!
She is very small: we weighed her yesterday and she is only 22.5 kg! She is smaller than even Lucy! Leah might gain a kilo or two yet, but she is a truly small girl.

She has raced years ago, but has been a pet for a while now (non-GAP greyhound). Leah has been very much loved in her previous home, where she lived with kids and a cat. Leah came to GAP as her owners had to rehome her due to health reasons though ...

Leah is just so well behaved, lovely girl, perfect in the house. She loves Louie and Lucy and keeps swapping beds with them :-)
She is very very affectionate, looks for attention and cuddles :-) She would be so happy to lie at your feet all day, as well as to go out and expore!!!!
Leah LOVES being inside (according to her previous owners, and we noticed it too). SHe goes out to toilet, sniffs around, has a quick spin around the garden and is back inside within a few minutes! In her previous home, she was left in the house when her owners went to work. She is happy to be on her own , loves her sleeps and rest, but needs a home where she will be in the house most of the day (not left outside -in the garage or similar shelter - for longer periods). But - she would have no trouble fitting through a dog door, being so small ! LOL


Leah has got truly amazing ears, which make her look like a dingo :-)
Check them out:

We took Leah to the park with Louie and Lucy, she really loves getting out and about. She is very fit for her age, she gets really excited when walkies time comes!

On the picture below: Louie (Charlston State) on the left, Leah in the middle and Lucy on the right

Leah in the park with Louie: (Leah is the one with EARS!)

Leah (on the right) with Lucy :-)


With Louie (Leah is lying down):


Louie (on the left) and Leah sunbathing in the conservatory:

Spider (Hatipov) in his new home with Betty and Don :-)

By Fatima |

Saturday, March 27, 2010

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Above: Spider with his new Mum Betty :-)

Handsome blue boy Spider (Hatipov) was adopted by Betty and Don Lever from Titirangi (Auckland) last month and we just got an update and photos :-)

Spider was trained by Canterbury trainer John Goode, who entered him in the GAP programme after he finished racing.

Spider's new Mum and Dad, Betty and Don, write:
We have now had Spider for five weeks and as promised we are sending you some photos. Spider is settling in to his new home beautifully, still a little cautious at times ... has lovely long walks each day and is in love with our cats. We are very excited because Spider has had his first bark tonight!
He sleeps in his own bed all night but in the morning he has a cuddle in our bed. He is very gentle with our grandaughter Georgina :-) Very special, lovely boy!
Below: Spider and Georgina :-)

Picture of the day: Ellie and her greyhound Chase

By Fatima |

Sunday, March 21, 2010

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I stole this gorgeous photo off Sonja's Facebook page tonight as it is a special day: it is Ellie's 10th birthday!!!!!!!!!
Ellie is Sonja's and Irene's little girl and she is 10 today! :-) It is hard to believe she is only 10 - as really, she is going on 21 :-)
Ellie is a dog lover, great company on greyhound walks, and a greyhound handler extraodinaire. A gorgeous little person, and this is coming from me - someone who is not really keen on children.
:-)
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE!

We hope you had a great day today!

Below: Ellie and her greyhound Chase (pic taken by Cate Marshall from Simply Grey)

Our gorgeous greyhounds at Manawatu Field Days, 18-20 March 2010

By Fatima |

Saturday, March 20, 2010

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We just finished participating in Manawatu Field Days in Feilding - it was a great fun and lasted for 3 days! Organizers say there were thousands of people there - we talked to so many of them and introduced them to our hounds.
We had a great attendance, many volunteers and their gorgeous hounds came to help (but they are not all in the pictures:I forgot my camera two days in a row (I am not a morning person!) so took pictures only today, on the last day...). Everybody was so well behaved, as usual! We got so many positive comments, and hounds got SO many pats and cuddles from everybody ! :-)
Pictures below :-)

GAP marquee and stand:

Gail with her girls Nelly (Clan Mary Lou) and Zoe (Fantasy Shifter):
Graeme and Tina (Wild Gunnadoo):

Lucy and Malcolm (Work Release) shared a bed :-)

My beautiful Louie (Charlston State) with Tina (Wild Gunnadoo)

Billy (Dynamic Keroma) was as cute as always (check out his tongue on the picture below): :-)

More posing from Billy: :-)







Lucy at what she does best :-)

Malcolm: "PR work is hard! A hound needs his sleep"

Cynthia's cute foster greyhound Denis (Uncle Denis) made some new friends:

And then fell asleep!

More cute "Uncle Denis":


And last but not least, Gail's gorgeous boy Teddy (Gold Amore):

Another update on our foster dog Oscar !

By Fatima |

Thursday, March 18, 2010

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I just got some wonderful pictures from Oscar's new Mum Jennifer. :-)
Jennifer and her husband Henry adopted Oscar's litter brother Astro about a year and a half ago, and Gracie (Gracie Rose) shortly after.
When Jennifer heard that Astro's brother was in GAP, well, she could not resist!!!
It is so wonderful to see litter-brothers Astro and Oscar re-united :-)
Pictures are below. Oscar (Unplugged) is a handsome tan doggie , his brother Astro is black , and Princess Gracie is the cute white and black girl.

Below: The trio:

Below: Osks with his teddybear

Gracie:

Astro, Gracie and Mr Spurs The Cat :-)

The Shakespeare play stars: Gracie and Luuca

By Fatima |

Thursday, March 11, 2010

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I just got a wonderful writeup from Cate Marshall from Simply Grey (www.simplygrey.co.nz) , whose little greyhound girl Gracie is currently starring in a Shakespeare play in Christchurch! (thanks a million Cate!).

Cate says:

From starring with Crowded House on stage, to becoming champions in the show ring. From excelling in many different sporting events to working tirelessly at GAP events. Now Shakespeare!


Above: Grace (Two Clouds) at work :-)

David Sheard, Director, has cast two Simply Grey and GAP stars for the upcoming Shakespeare's Richard II production. The two dogs, Luuca and Grace, have been cast as the Queen's dogs and are doing a fabulous job – they absolutely love the stage. They try and catch as much rest as they can during their busy schedules of rehearsals, hair and make up, styling and photo shoots!

I have to wonder if our hounds really thought this is what their retirement would be about!
If you would like to find out more about the show running from 24th March - 30th March please visit www.courttheatre.org.nz or check out the GAP website for more details.
We encourage all that can make it, to come along to this fabulous night of entertainment - I have had the fortunate opportunity to sneak around "behind the scenes" (no pun intended) and I cannot speak more highly of this production. A most stunning example of amazing talent. David Sheard has kindly offered his generous support to Simply Grey and will be donating a portion of proceeds from ticket sales to our project so that we can continue raising the profile of greyhounds throughout New Zealand. Thank you David!

Below: opening night, the Queen and her beloved pets(Luuca, Rachel Walsh and Grace)

Update on our puppy Lucy :-)

By Fatima |

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

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Our little puppy Lucy has definitely come a long way in a short time she has been with us :-)
I thought to post some of her pictures and write a few sentences about her life now.

Louie LOVES her -it is so wonderful to see two of them having fun, sleeping together, sharing a car seat and running around Feilding parks. Louie even lets her share the holy of holies: his couch!
Louie has always been very happy with just humans and cat for company -but with Lucy, he is even happier! He now has 'his puppy', his sidekick that he can teach how to run, how to steal food and how to get on the couch :-)

Lucy has never raced, and sometimes Louie looks at us asking:" Will SOMEONE break this puppy in for racing? She has no idea how to race! I cant do it all myself! When are her trials starting? " :-)

Lucy is not even 2 years old yet, a puppy really, and in racing age :-)
As all young greyhounds , she LOVES to run and does need more exercise than your typical retired racer -who has done it all and is a true couch potato! Lucy has offleash exercise for at least for one hour every day, most days longer than that. She has filled in and gained some weight, but it is all hard muscle, because of all the exercise she gets. On pictures below (both taken by Sonja), she has just been swimming with Sonja's and Irene's racing girl Shawn; they are both wet, and you can see all Lucy's new muscles - doesn't she look amazing?



Lucy relaxing on her favourite duvet:

Lucy has also started doing RALLY-O with Rachel, and she is GREAT in it! She has already had her first trial:

I just realized i have no pictures of Louie and Lucy together! I will have to take some asap and post here.

Gail's foster greyhound Malcolm (Work Release)

By Fatima |

Monday, March 8, 2010

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I just got this cute picture from Gail.
Gail says: "Malcolm is a gentle soft giant. Loves his food, his bed, and is very well behaved boy. He gets on very well with other dogs, and will settle quickly into his forever home".



But it is not all about sleeping!!! Check out this picture of Malcolm winning a race in Wanganui a few years ago (click on the picture to see full size):

I am fast!

Picture of the day - Fleet (Fleur Noire) helping with house renovations!

By Fatima |

Thursday, March 4, 2010

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LOL! :-)
(you can click on the picture for full size!)