The old ones are the best !

Dawn · Guru

The old ones are the best !

Jennifer · Master

I agree Dawn, i love the oldies, they have so much character

A few folk have pm'd me to say "have i seen Jet" on the rehoming pages and when i looked, i could see why. He is always the double of my Toby - folk who know Toby will see the resemblence

This is Jet

This is Toby

Anyone else think they look similar? Toby was stray aswell, found on the streets of Portobello (near Edinburgh) on Christmas eve 2000

evilshiddenclaws · Old Hand

spooky resemblance there.

i like the older ones aswell, the lurcher i rescued from the pound must have been about 10 when i got him. he was the best dog ive ever known

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

They both look like wise old men, I love the grey eyebrows smile

Katie · Master

Jennifer wrote:

He is always the double of my Toby - folk who know Toby will see the resemblence
The resemblance is uncanny

PeterE · Old Hand

They look so lovely and gentle. Daz is getting the white eyebrows and he's only six. I think they're so dignified yet comical you have to laugh.

Peter

Sunny girl · Master

I can agree the oldies make great pets.

Zoe was meant to be 5 when she was handed over to GAL last year. She came to us as a foster dog and I quickly realised she was a lot older. When Dave met her he agreed and put her at about 8, which means she is about 9 now.
She is such an easy little dog, from day one she has been no hassle and is happy to sleep the day away.

Sunny is coming up 7 now and I can honestly say the oldies make great fun family friends.

Errrr nobody has told my two they are getting on and they can still run round and play like the youngsters.

scoobcleecook · Master

The resemblance is uncanny!

I agree on the "oldies" front. We'll have had (moaning) Myrtle 2 years in May (she was found as a stray). She's 12 at the moment (will be 13 in September), puts the young uns in their place and tries to terrorise the cat (who just ignores her). She's as swift as lightning when there's food to be stolen, and woe betide the dog who tries to get on the (our) bed with her! The landlord at our local pub keeps chewsticks behind the bar for 4 legged customers. Our other mutts will wait to be given one, but not Myrtle - she nips through and helps herself!!! I was watching her in the garden today, she was obviously suffering from Spring fever, and was running about like a youngster!

As you can guess from these ramblings, we love her to bits, and she's been an absolute joy to look after.

Our first 2 dogs lived until they were 13 and 14 respectively, so we've been "into" veterans for a while anyway.

Long live the oldies!!!!

Jean

Sunny girl · Master

Its a shame the old ones get over looked. If they are old and black they have even less of a chance.

Some dog homes still put healthy dogs down if they do not find a home in time. This really upsets me but I know deep down you can't save them all.
Poor Sparky (homeless page) is in Lothian Dog home and I read his time is running out, Sparky has been there for 4 months and is a black greyhound so the odds were always against him.

Being black shows up his grey more and makes him look a lot older than he is.

I really hope a home can be found for him in time, the poor boy deserves some love in his life.

Landess

Jennifer · Master

Sunny girl wrote:

Some dog homes still put healthy dogs down if they do not find a home in time.
Poor Sparky (homeless page) is in Lothian Dog home and I read his time is running out,
I really hope a home can be found for him in time, the poor boy deserves some love in his life.

Landess

That is such a shame, i hope someone can take him short term until he finds a forever home. Poor boy

Santas Little Helper · Master

Could Sparkie be "advertised" on this site?

http://www.oldies.org.uk/

Sunny girl · Master

What a great website.

There's lots of greyhounds on it already.

Landess

Jacqui · Fostering Co-ordinator * Follow-up Co-ordinator

Sparky doesnt seem to be listed anymore? Does anyone know why?

Katie · Master

I heard a rumour that he had been PTS, can anyone confirm or deny this, I would hate to think that it was true!

evilshiddenclaws · Old Hand

yes it is true, he was pts on monday. i held him while they did it.

Katie · Master

evilshiddenclaws wrote:

yes it is true, he was pts on monday. i held him while they did it.

OMG How awful, poor Sparky i hope he gets loads of Cuddles where he is now, please tell me he was ill, I don't think I could bear it, to think a healthy Greyhound has been put down because noboby wanted him. I'm in tears just thinking about the poor lad.

evilshiddenclaws · Old Hand

its half true, he had lost alot of weight and had a few kennel sores on him. we had rehomed him a couple weeks back and he came back to us with two punctures on his back, i think he had been let off the lead and allowed to fight with another dog.

he should have been saved but i couldnt take him, my own dog is picky with some dogs and he didnt get on with sparky. otherwise i'd have had him in a flash. i feel like **** just now so i'd prefer if people didnt blame me for this, i didnt want him to be pts.

in the end its his welfare that was discussed, hundreds of dogs are in his situation every day and if it wasnt for fosterhomes hundreds more would be aswell..

he was a dog not suited to kennel life... i'd like to think he no longer suffers now...

and i want to thank dave again for all the help he provided in advertising him.

i hope this post doesnt get deleted, if it does i understand.

Rocky is in good health just now.. his time wont be up until absolutly nesesary, if i protested about sparky, i protest even more about rocky now.

-- Edited by evilshiddenclaws at 12:07, 2007-04-05

Dawn · Guru

evilshiddenclaws wrote:

i feel like **** just now so i'd prefer if people didnt blame me for this, i didnt want him to be pts.

I'm sure no one will blame you at least you were there to hold and comfort him at the end.....that shows you have a big heart, you did your best by him. Like you said there are hundreds of dogs in this situation each day, we cannot save every dog and sadly this is a fact of life.

Amanda · Master

At least you were with him and showed him love at the end. Fingers crossed for Rocky.

I wish they could all be saved but the numbers that are born each year and the homes available just dont add up. Until something is done to control the mass breeding there will be a lot more Sparkys cry

Jacqui · Fostering Co-ordinator * Follow-up Co-ordinator

When he was no longer listed I had a horrible feeling this was why.

Of course no one would blame you - and I'm so glad to hear that you were there to comfort and cuddle him at the end - it's a very difficult and brave thing to do.

And your right, at least now he isn't suffering. (easy to say - although i'm in tears typing this wishing we could save them all.....)

Dave · Enlightened One

....such a shame for Sparky, it's a sad fact that even with all our resources GAL, at times, just can't find the space to take that extra dog. I'm really sorry for Helen that the only help we could offer was some advertising on our website, hopefully we can generate some interest in Rocky (and the other 84 dogs like him that are currently in our care...)

Jacqui · Fostering Co-ordinator * Follow-up Co-ordinator

Not to detract at all from the terribly sad news of poor sparky - but I've just heard some good news - one of those 84 may be getting a home right next door to me!

I spoke to my neighbour last week who said she was interested in adopting a greyhound and I told her about GAL, she's just told me that she is getting a visit from GAL tomorrow - so fingers crossed that some lucky grey is about to get a forever home - and Annie may be about to make a new friend

Thistle · Old Hand

Hi, I have just read this thread about sparky, its devastating to think of the sheer numbers of unloved dogs being PTS every year. Its also sickening the sheer amount of money that the betting industry makes from greyhounds racing is deemed more important than these animals welfare. Sad day.

Christine Young · GAL Newsletter Editor

I've just caught up with this thread too. I'm so sorry that Sparky was pts instead of getting the good home he deserved. The same thing happens to thousands of unwanted dogs every year and it breaks my heart! But as Amanda says, until mass breeding is regulated better and restrictions put in place, putting healthy dogs to sleep will carry on.

Christine