Testimonials

1. Testimonial 1: SASHA - Batabing
2. Testimonial 2: IZZY - DNR
3. Testimonial 3: DANDY – Token it Easy
4. Testimonial 4: CHARLIE – Charlie Kynawi
5. Testimonial 5: ANNA – Annalogue
6. Testimonial 6: TOM – Cowboy Country
7. Testimonial 7: DESTINY – Crazy Critter
8. Testimonial 8: DASH – DNR

SASHA - Batabing

Hi Kerry & Tammara,

We thought we'd send you an e-mail to up-date you on Sasha since tomorrow is the end of our "adoption pending". We can't begin to explain how much apart of our family she is. We tell people she's our "glove" as she fits in so well in our family and it just seems like we've had her forever.

She is just an amazing dog. We're sure you hear that alot. Our sons just adore her and she them. Every school morning is interesting - we have sooky time as Sasha doesn't like any of us leaving. And when I give the boys the hurry up Sasha likes to give her two cents worth as well..... so she's her mummy's girl!

She knows which keys are for the car, dad has a motorcycle so when he goes to work she just lays on the floor , BUT if anyone picks up the car keys she's waiting at the garage door for us and she's not a happy girl if she can't go with us.

She is also the un-official team mascot for the under 12's rugby union team and we are in the process of trying to get Sasha her own team shirt, we'll send a photo when we get one. All the kids just love her to bits. And she just loves cuddles.

Nana has just made her some PJ's which she thinks is great! And she loves her toys her favourite being a toy duck, but she does enjoy throwing the cat's toy mice around too. Sasha is very vocal when she wants our attention or needs to go outside when mother nature calls and she is very nosey..... her nick name being "nosey rosy". And she gets very excited when we have friends over and everyone is just amazed by her placid laid-back personality.

Sasha doesn't care too much for the other members of our family nor they for her, That's Goofy the Dachshund and Chow Mien the cat. They do their thing and Sasha does her's. Which is fine with all of us. But she does get along nicely with the fish and she doesn't care about Keegan our youngest son's mice.

But she is good company and we wouldn't trade her in for the world, she is just the best and we are so thankful that she's joined our family. Hope you like the photo. We'll send some more soon.

Regards,
Tom, Darlene, Dillion & Keegan O'Brien

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IZZY - DNR

Hi Kerry,

Izzy (now Peppy) has settled in very well. We have heard her make a little "woof" sound when playing by herself or when trying to get Dave (the Deerhound) to play, and she must be thinking that this is home because she could hear a sheepdog barking the other evening (on a neighboring farm) and she was telling it off in no uncertain terms!!

She is much happier outside and will voluntarily come to us for a pat and a snuggle, that's if she's traveling slowly enough. She loves "walkies" time and leads the way - no collar & lead needed now. She usually beats Dave to our turn-a-round point which is one of two dams depending which direction we set out in. Both dams are rather low at this time of the year and the edges are somewhat boggy by that doesn't deter Peppy. In she goes and splashes around then comes flying out and on several occasions has run straight into David who is by no means as agile. "Whoompaa", and the air rushes out of poor Dave! She just bounces off and continues on her merry way at speed.

I now cycle on our regular "walks" so that I can keep up with her and then we wait for Dave to catch up. On several occasions she has nipped at my calf while cycling (probably coz my leg was moving) so I have had to growl at her for this offence but generally she is very well behaved. She has started to do "normal" puppy things like dig holes and "kill" my slippers.

Why Peppy? Well when she was first off the lead and zooming around the only way I could get her to come to me was to call puppy, puppy, puppy in a high pitched tone and she would return. That got corrupted to Peppy and it has stuck.

She still paces when indoors and the cat has swatted her on a couple of occasions not because Peppy has gone for her (quite the opposite) but because the constant pacing upsets the cat and I think it is Lizzy the cat's way of telling Peppy to settle down!

She is a bit nervous at feeding time and will leave her bowl if approached while feeding but in general her appetite is excellent. As she is very active and because I have never fed something as small as her before can you give me some guidelines on how much I should be feeding her, please?

I have not seen that twinkle in David's eye for a long time. Even though he can't keep up much, he is certainly enjoying her company and he is a lot more active than he has been in a long time.

Thank you for Peppy.

Tracey and Bevan

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DANDY – Token it Easy

Hi Kerry & Tamara,

Just giving you a weekend update on Dandy.

He is pppeeeerrrrfecttt !!

He has settled in very with the family and copped his first slap on the face within 5 minutes from Sparkle the cat. I felt so sorry for him because he is so gentle.

He slept in the laundry on the first night with his bed and on Saturday he found a spot in the lounge which is quite secluded and cosy. We have made this corner for his bed and he slept there all night on Saturday night without a peep.

We have given him a nickname already……snoop dog. He went up to my 19 year old daughter's bedroom, promptly took her BIG brown teddy off her bed and trotted outside and proceeded to play with it. It was so funny. He randomly picks up socks, toys etc and just trots around the house with them. In the mornings he has his energy burst and gets so excited when he sees me. My 21 year old son has taken to him and the whole family adores him so much.

Dandy is a gentleman…..when I go outside with him he always stays back and waits for me to go in the door first. He truly is a big gentle, placid loving boy and we all adore him. My daughter took him for a jog today and said it didn't even feel like he was on the lead. She is not a huge animal lover and for her to take him for a jog and scratch his ears for him……well that in itself is a win.

Tonight he is lying on his bed and Sparkle is in front of the heater. About 20 feet away from each other and neither one knows the other is there. JJ

Anyway... just thought I would let you both know he is doing exceptionally well and has slotted in so nicely.

Speak soon,
Tracey & Geoff Sutton

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CHARLIE – Charlie Kynawi

Good Morning Kerry,

It is coming up to 4 months since we have been blessed with Charlie, and I wanted to let you know that everything is going splendidly.

I have been to the local dog training class - Dog Logics at Stoneville - and it was a great learning opportunity for me, as the instructor had once owned a greyhound herself and had trained her to CDX level. Jacquie firmly believed that it would take me YEARS to train Charlie to even sit on command, as it took her 18 months to teach her greyhound, whom she had from 8 months of age.

I was so excited to be able to show her that in just 6 weeks of very casual training at home I had managed to work so well with Charlie to get him to want to sit for me when I ask him, or when he wants something. I was so proud when he sat on request in class, and she was so amazed, and a little peeved too, I imagine.

He is now looking fabulous, shiny black coat, weighing in at 41 kgs, and keeping the weight on nicely.

He has a new best friend, a play buddy called Fergy, red kelpie, 6 months old and totally mental, who belongs to a friend of ours. He keeps trying to mount Charlie, and Charlie just lets the pup know when he has had enough of his pestering. This little kelpie is learning his heel-training manners from Charlie, for which the pup's owner is grateful.

My big plan for this year is to work more with Charlie in order to be confident enough to enter into Obedience Trials. I have been reading heaps about dog behaviour, like the Dog Whisperer book, and Playtraining your Dog - which is written by a woman who has greyhounds and has them winning obedience trials regularly.

The nice thing is that even though I am doing all the obedience training with Charlie, he is so very attached to our son Duncan. They are always found cuddling up on a bean bag in the evenings, or Charlie will go in and smooch his way onto Duncan's bed in the mornings.

He is such a lovely dog, and the neighbours keep commenting how quiet he is. The best thing right now? Charlie is an excellent snake hound - he flushed out a nest of brown snakes for me last month, and after the mother slithered off into next doors yard, where they 'dealt' with it, he kept on barking like mad at the old log until all the babies had gone. He has also been fabulous at alerting us to the presence of a huge huntsman right above his nest indoors, and a very vicious butterfly that landed on his water dish. He is very funny too, and most evenings will go crazy and run around the property like a mad thing while we wander the garden, making us laugh.

We are so delighted with Charlie and he is a great ambassador for the greyhounds species, and everyone who meets him has the chance to change their sour opinions about greyhounds.

Regards,
Robyn

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ANNA – Annalogue

Hi everyone at GAP

I thought I would let you know how Anna is going.

She is an absolute delight, the perfect companion, affectionate, obedient and just plain loveable. I am so pleased and happy to have her. She loves to snuggle up on the settee and never tires of cuddles, tickles and pats. She insists on being were I am if she can – leaving whatever comfy spot she is snoozling in to follow me when I get up and leave a room. When I'm out of sight at the cat end of the house, she sits at the kiddy gate or lies on her bed just near the door watching for me to reappear.

Anna has acquired a collection of teddies and other soft toys from family and friends (welcome gifts from her Grandma, mostly), which she carries around, pounces on and throws about with much glee. We've tried playing ball, but she just doesn't get it. Her friend Ziggy at work shows her how it's done, but Anna can't see what all the fuss is about. She does, however, like to race around the back yard, skidding around and leaping over plants, and digging up the soil. Marvellous fun. And we love going for walks – though I think Anna would love it more if we could sometimes run together flat out! She just laughs at the slow-coach at the other end of the lead.

After we sorted out the initial problem of travel sickness, she now travels happily to work most days and behaves herself impeccably at work – well most of the time. The woman I work with has a three year old standard poodle, Ziggy – and the two of them seem quite happy together, though Ziggy gets a bit jealous when Anna gets pats and cuddles from her mum. On the days when she can't come to work with me, she stays at home in the kitchen / family room where she has her bed, sleeping most of the day I suspect. She has set off the house alarm a couple of times by getting behind the curtains and making them billow out – that was a bit exciting. So now we bypass the sensors in her part of the house when she is home alone.

Piewacket, the 17 year old Miss Crotchety Cat, is slowly getting used to Anna. We still have cat rooms and dog rooms, but putting a kiddy gate between cat and dog parts of the house has been a good strategy, because now Piewacket can see Anna, and is getting used to her being about. At first Piewacket could not set eyes on Anna without having a hissy fit, with her hair standing on end and growling and yowling at the top of her voice. Now she quite happily watches Anna from the end of the hall without any fuss. She even ventures almost to the family room door to have a sly look, as long as Anna isn't looking back. When Anna is outside she will even come into the family room to have a sniff at Anna's bed. So, we're still working on Cat-Dog relations, but progress is being made.

We had a bit of a health scare a little while after she came to me. The vet diagnosed PANNUS, an auto-immune eye disease that was beginning to occlude her right eye and would have left her blind if untreated. Now, a month later the vet is very happy with progress and we're down to drops and ointment once a day – a maintenance regime for life. And, as yet, there's no sign of the disease in her left eye. Ultra violet light exacerbates it, so we have doggy sunglasses for long periods outdoors in the summer. Anna isn't sure whether these match her film star looks – but we're working on it.

Thanks again for sending me my delightful Anna.

Kind regards
Pauline Arnold

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TOM - Cowboy Country

Hi Kerry & Tammara,

I thought I should let you know what a great pet Tom has turned out to be, from day 1 when I collected him from you at Cannington he has been the perfect pet and a great source of entertainment. Being such a seasoned traveller he fell asleep in the car on the way home and he has continued this laid back approach to every aspect of home life - his ability to fall asleep under any circumstances is now legendary amongst my family and friends.

Having owned large breeds before it is refreshing to see a dog that seems to have such a joyous outlook on life - whenever Tom hears me collecting "doggie bags" from the cupboard he presents himself and sits down until I put his leash on and then bounds down the hall towards the front door, in spite of his obvious excitement about going for a walk he always knows to sit down and let me unlock the door and let me go through first. Luckily there are several dog parks within easy walking distance to my house and Tom usually lets me know which one he wants to visit by the direction he takes from the front gate - he is a pleasure to walk and never pulls on the lead unless he has to investigate an interesting smell along the way.

He has already made some canine friends in my street and has some doggie pals in the form of Zippy and Bosley the Pugs from over the road - Tom has already been on a few play dates there (Ziggy's backyard is much bigger than mine) and it is great to see the three of them bounding around after each other before collapsing on the lawn for a nap. Given Tom's size he is a great ambassador for this misunderstood breed, many dog owners I have met are surprised at how mellow he is.

Tom recently took a 3 hr trip down south to see my parents although he was asleep by the time I got onto the freeway and missed all the scenery on the way there. Once we got to my parent's farm he was able to run freely in the fenced back yard which he really seemed to enjoy - there are a lot more trees and wildlife down there but he took it all in his stride. I think that my parents were glad when I finally took his squeaky ball from him as he would grab it and run madly around until he had to drop it and get a drink from the fountain, only to immediately grab it again and take off for another marathon session. While we were visiting dad and I made a wooden bed frame for his mattress that sits about 50cm off the ground so Tom can walk straight onto it and jump off really easily - it also enables him to nibble to top of his traffic cone chew toy without having to move around too much - Tom is all about energy conservation.

I always try and take Tom out with me whenever possible so he can experience as many new things as possible, he is a regular sight in Mt Hawthorn on Saturdays and always gets a long walk around Britannia Reserve where he meets lots of other dogs. After his walk we go to my favourite cafe where I discovered that he has a fondness for coffee - I now know that he can't be trusted to guard my Long Mac while I collect my the second part of my order - as always Tom was very considerate and did not knock the coffee over - being tall has it's advantages - and he even left me about 1cm of coffee in the glass once he'd had his fill. He has managed to drink cups of coffee off the bench at home while I have been distracted elsewhere but his guilty look always gives the game away before I see the evidence for myself, apparently he'd choose coffee over water any day of the week.

As a solo dog living with a single guy Tom is great, I could not have imagined that he would be such a great pet and despite a few little indiscretions I could not imagine a better pet. Unlike the other neighbourhood dogs Tom never barks (unless he wants me to wake up and let him outside) and has never been aggressive to any dogs he has met. At the end of a long and stressful day there is nothing more rewarding than having Tom meet me at the door and wait patiently for me to get showered and changed before a nice leisurely walk before dinner. He is the ultimate stress free pet and the most amazing dog I could have hoped for.

I hope that Tom and I will continue to be able to educate people about what great pets Greyhounds are, they really are so maligned in the community - I think that the way Tom is winning over the locals in my neighbourhood the outlook will be very positive.

Best wishes

Johnathon Noonan

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DESTINY - Crazy Critter

Hi Kerry,

After a long waiting for greyhound adoption, we've got Destiny (Crazy Critter) as our new family member.

We all agree that it is a worth waiting period for this beautiful angel. Since she moved into our house, there is no problem on how she behaves and it shows us how she's been trained just to live with us. She can get along well with all of our family members and she seems to be more attached to me and my girlfriend.

She just follows us everywhere when we are outside, in addition we can even walk anywhere without using the lead (if it is not prohibited by law) as she always walk beside us without anything to take her attention from us. In my opinion, she is the most wonderful and obedient dog we ever had (We had raised more than 15 dogs).

We would like to thank you for both of your and Tammara dedication for doing such a wonderful thing and thank you once again for sending such a wonderful gift from heaven to us. Please continue your job as I think it would be good for someone else to have a wonderful opportunities like me with the greyhound.

Regards, :D

Chayapon Chomchaiya (Boom)

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DASH - DNR

Kerry,

Dash (the dog formerly known as Lark) has settled into our household very well over the past fortnight. She has quickly learnt that our cat McLovin is the queen of the house and any discretions on Dash’s part will result in a swift slap to the face.

She spent her first few nights sleeping in the lounge room and quickly realized she could get away with sleeping on the couch when we weren’t in the room! It was quite funny to watch her jump off quick smart when I woke up in the morning and told her off. She now sleeps in with us as the cat appears to now tolerate her existence in the house and allows her to sleep in the bedroom.

My wife was a bit unsure about adopting a Greyhound at first due to their size and misconceptions about their nature and took a lot of convincing to even get to the adoption stage. However she is well and truly a Greyhound convert and loves Dash to bits!

She is a delight to walk but after about 45 minutes it all gets a bit too much for her and she falls straight to sleep when we get home.

Dash is an absolutely sensational dog, I couldn’t have hoped for a better companion animal. I’d like to thank both yourself and Tammara for setting us up with such a wonderful creature and for your tireless efforts in promoting such a lovely breed of dog!

Warm regards
Daniel
Rangers, Parking & Community Safety

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