Meanwhile, at greyhound racing tracks....

By Fatima |

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

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According to GAP Kennel Managers, this winter has been the best one for adoptions - ever since GAP began. So many people from all over New Zealand have had a chance to adopt a greyhound, and so many greyhounds have found their retirement homes.
It is so wonderful that New Zealand dog owners are becoming more and more aware of  racing greyhounds' superior breeding, soundness, pedigree and amazing temperament - and it shows, as adoption applications keep coming in! :) From all over NZ, from all sorts of families -which is great, as there is a greyhound out there for everyone :) Yes, some of them might have to wait a bit for their hound - but he/she will come :)

So it has been busy on this blog -featuring dogs for adoptions, pictures, videos, writeups, and then, uploading updates from newly adopted dogs. Sometimes I feel I am only doing this blog, all day long! :)
 For all of you new owners who have sent me updates - if your new greyhound has not been featured on this blog yet, please forgive me! I will get there soon, I promise! I must admit I have been slightly snowed under with updates -which is good :)

But this particular post is not about that....
Many of greyhound trainers (and their staff) help GAP transport newly adopted greyhounds all over the country  - and as I said, due to the sheer amount of material I have to post on this blog,  somehow I never managed to find  time to acknowledge them and thank them here on this blog.
But , for all it is worth, one post I have been planning to write for a long time is the one dedicated to our lovely trainers. And today, finally, here it is! :)

Tomorrow, I am off to Wanganui greyhound track to pick up some GAP incoming dogs , and also to drop off two newly adopted greyhounds, who are catching a ride with trainers to their new homes. Tomorrow, trainers helping with transport are Waikato trainer Ian George (taking one of GAP greyhounds to be adopted in Hamilton) and Auckland trainer Glennis Farrell (taking one to Auckland).
And how amazing is this: Ian George did not have space in his van initially, as he was bringing his racing dogs down to Wanganui track, to race and trial, and then driving straight back. But, when he heard that a GAP dog needed a ride, he scratched one of his racing dogs off the trials, making space for a GAP retired greyhound.  I thanked Ian and his lovely wife Natalie profusely -but I have to say again: thank you both SO much for all your help. You guys are wonderful -we are so grateful. 

I won't name all the trainers and greyhound handlers who help us transport dogs all over the place  - there are just too many. You know who you are - I just want you to know how much we appreciate your help. 

I do happen to have a couple of pictures I took of trainers/handlers picking up and dropping off dogs, so here they are (you can click on photos to see full size):
 

Luke, who works for Amberley trainer Rosemary Blackburn, brought young Mahal up -
 here he is with Irene , GAP Kennel Manager (this was at Palmerston North track, only a few weeks ago)
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And a GAP greyhound Ringo (Law's Hill) caught a ride down with Luke, to his new home in Christchurch. This is an odd photo - but you can sort of make out Irene putting Ringo in the van kennel in which Mahal came up :)
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Ringo all settled in the van. Btw, you can see the bedding hounds have in there -and why they are used to soft beds and whatnot :)

At this point, we heard that Ringo's trainer was there aswell, racing his dogs! We thought it would be lovely if he and Ringo caught up once more, before Ringo's trip to his retirement home. So here are Dave MacAuley and his ex-racer catching up again:

Hello stranger! :)