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registered charity in england and wales no.1069438 registered office 33 high street wraysbury middlesex tw19 5da uk patrons jilly cooper obe alexandra bastedo tel +44 01784-483206 fax +44 01784-482501 email info@greyhoundsinneed.co.uk website www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk september 2011 dear thank you for your enquiry about adopting a greyhound please read through this information and when you feel ready kindly complete the questionnaire attached at page 2 and return it to us and then we will be able to start the adoption process by arranging a home visit please do not complete the homing agreement attached at page 3 ­ this is for your information only at this stage we feel it is fair to point out that in line with other welfare groups who do similar work we would appreciate a donation of at least £125 on adoption of one of our dogs to enable us to continue to take in maintain and prepare for adoption with vaccination dental cleaning sterilisation etc more dogs in need if in the special circumstances of a dog not already having been operated ie straight from a dog track or being unsafe due to recent oestrus/heat we require you to undertake this including the dental cleaning as soon as possible and to arrange for the veterinary bill please to be sent to us for payment and for us to know that it has been done with best wishes the trustees of greyhounds in need founded by anne and arthur finch trustees carl boyde mrcvs terrance dickens martin humphery liz mason general manager carolyn davenport gin shop bournemouth sue north homing uk pat whipps treasurer geoffrey levy fca gin shop brighton christine page webmaster leigh dworkin 1

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to complete and send to us please greyhounds in need please do not be offended by this questionnaire we are anxious that the greyhounds should go to homes where they will be understood happy and cared for on their retirement they have served well as sporting animals and now deserve a loving secure and comfortable life we try to match the dog to the home please see below do you want a male or female what other pets do you have at home are all the members of the family equally keen to have a greyhound have you owned a dog before what happened to it do you have children what are their ages do you live in a house other flat which floor will the dog live inside as a family pet do you have a private garden is it securely fenced how many metres/feet in height are you sure that you can spare the time to exercise your dog where would the dog sleep at night where would the dog live during the day if you work how many hours would your dog be left alone during a working day if you work all day can you get home at lunch time to give the dog a toilet break what will you do with your dog when you are on holiday do you know a local veterinarian do you understand that it is your responsibility to take out reasonable pet insurance can you afford the following care annual booster £50 approx regular worming £15 approx dental cleaning £300 approx name address home telephone number mobile number email i am over 21 years of age and have read and understood the information contained in the greyhounds in need homing pack post code daytime telephone number fax number signature greyhounds in need 33 high street wraysbury middlesex tw19 5da date if you are interested in adopting one of our greyhounds please complete return this questionnaire to us as soon as possible 2

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registered charity in england and wales no 1069438 33 high street wraysbury middlesex tw19 5da uk for information only `greyhounds in need gin homing agreement in respect of the following greyhound pet name racing name ear mark microchip number d.o.b colour sex last vaccination date origin trainer tel +44 0 1784 483206 fax +44 0 1784 482501 email info@greyhoundsinneed.co.uk website www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk date of neutering last season thank you for giving a home to this greyhound the dog may have been rescued from abandonment may have suffered cruelty or become unwanted due to domestic upheaval or was simply retired from racing strenuous exercise may exacerbate old racing injuries most of these dogs have never been in a home before as we do not know their entire history we can give no assurance on any aspect of their temperament or long-term physical condition please refer to our guidance notes for greyhound owners 1 i am the new owner of the dog whose details appear at the head of this agreement 2 i acknowledge that i have received a copy of gin s guidance notes for greyhound owners and that this will be my guide in assuring a long and healthy life for my dog 3 i have made a donation to gin minimum £125 on adopting this dog as my contribution to the costs of sterilisation and other expenses i accept full responsibility for all regular and emergency veterinary treatment 4.i agree to consult gin if i need further help or guidance and that if necessary for this purpose i will allow a representative of gin to inspect the dog should the dog go missing i will inform the council dog warden the police and gin 5.i understand that in the event of my being unable to meet essential veterinary expenses,gin will on application by me give consideration to financial assistance any such assistance and its amount will be at the absolute discretion of the trustees of gin and will be affected by my having reasonable pet insurance in place 6.i will take good care of the dog as a respected family pet inside my home it will not be raced bred used for blood donation or sold in the event of my being unable to continue to give the dog a home i will consult gin regarding the dog s future 7.it is a legal requirement that the dog shall wear an identity disc carrying his/her address at all times signed name please print address please print date telephone signed on behalf of greyhounds in need email date white copy new owner green copy homing officer 3 pink copy head office

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guidelines for new owners of retired greyhounds thank you for offering a loving home to this most abused and undervalued breed of dog in england at one time they were permitted to be owned only by kings and noblemen and to kill a greyhound was a capital offence they are the dog of dogs gallant gentle generous and ever grateful for love care comfort and companionship we will be asking the new owner to sign a homing agreement page 3 which will safeguard the dog s interests for the rest of its life it will state that the dog will not be used for personal gain for racing or for breeding living with other pets ex-track racing dogs have not been in a home all racers have been trained to chase small moving furry objects so great care must be taken with regard to their contact with cats or small dogs some dogs are safe immediately they are retired others respond to detraining others can never be trusted a muzzle can be used on the positive side greyhounds are very well mannered on the lead and will not tug and are generally very happy kept on the lead walking beside you do not let your dog run free for at least three months or more or even never until you are quite sure that he/she will come back when called they do not need vigorous exercise by nature they are very lazy and in addition they probably have joint toe and muscle injuries from racing and should only have gentle exercise their injuries will then not normally be apparent as companion animals living with babies and children there is no reason why dogs and babies should not co-exist happily and safely if you are expecting a new baby start training your dog to stay out of any no go areas of the house as early as possible introduce new items such as cots car seats prams etc as early as possible in order to get the dog used to them it also helps if you can get a recording of baby sounds so that when the baby arrives the dog will not find it strange never leave a baby alone with a dog however much you think you can trust the dog always praise and reward your dog when it behaves well around the baby so it will accept the baby is nice to have around as children grow they should be taught to respect the dog never touch it suddenly especially if it is asleep not to pull it s tail or poke little fingers in eyes and always to allow it to have it s own space greyhounds often become a child s best friend toilet training needs to be done sensitively in the kennels the dogs are usually clean in their sleeping area but regard the floor as the toilet some adapt immediately to the notion that the floor of the house is taboo and that they must be taken outside others need patience understanding and encouragement and time to understand the new regime frequent attention to taking the dog outside hourly during the first day and praising him/her when he/she performs may be all that is necessary punishment after the accident indoors serves only to frighten the dog and perpetuate confusion panic and more accidents diet a greyhound has a sensitive physiology and may not be able to eat all he/she needs in food just once a day it may be best to divide the meals into three smaller meals per day usually they are not greedy and should be given all they want as a racer they are usually kept underweight and should be fatter as retired dogs the sacro-iliac joint and ribs should not be visible a well-fed dog makes a happier more restful companion bitches generally should weigh 24-29kg and males 27-32kg 4

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generally the dog should have a soft bed of its own somewhere to retreat from the children and hubbub of the home where he/she will not be disturbed it can be an old duvet eiderdown or settee cushions their leanness necessitates protection of the bony prominences and joints over which sores and swellings can develop it is a legal requirement that the dog should wear an id tag at all times even in the house and particularly during the very vulnerable time when the dog is being transported somewhere a greyhound collar should be put on high up the neck at the narrowest point and fit snugly it is a good idea to have a house collar which remains on at all times inside and outside complete with id tag which has your name address and telephone number it is a legal requirement for an id tag to be worn at all times for nervous and/or strong dogs a harness should be used in the early days after adoption of course you have to leave your dog at home while you go to work go shopping or other places that a dog cannot go when your dog is new to the family routine he needs to learn that when you go out you do come back so try not to leave him too long at first try going out and returning after about 5 minutes at first then 10 minutes and then longer most will learn quickly but do remember that they will need a toilet break and cannot last all day give your dog proper care and you will have a friend for life sometimes helps to have two dogs can be looked after in apartments if the owners are dedicated enough to take the dog out 3-4 times a day especially late at night and early in the morning a garden must be fenced 2 metres high if the dog is alone in it they can jump when motivated but are usually too lazy potential diseases in dogs there are three major infections affecting dogs in the uk today ­ parvovirus hepatitis and leptospirosis all should be controlled by vaccination these must be kept up to date please consult your veterinary surgeon worming adult dogs should be wormed every six months if you are interested in finding out background information about your ex-racer please visit www.greyhound-data.com if you have any problems please contact greyhounds in need 33 high street wraysbury middlesex tw19 5da tel 01784 483206 fax 01784 482501 e.mail us at info@greyhoundsinneed.co.uk www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk 5

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