THE THINGS PEOPLE DO Many thanks to Pauline Jackson, her grandchildren Keeley + Zoe and some friends who went carol singing in their area (Barrow in Furness) before Christmas, they raised £51.23 going out for 2 nights in the snow to knock on peoples door and sing! Well done all of you!

THE THINGS PEOPLE DO Peter and Jackie Bacci two of our members from Dumfries, own a newsagents on the Whitesands and regular readers will know how pro-active they are in raising funds for DCGR. This time they have surpassed themselves!! Using their window as a means of display for our Christmas Cards, Calendars and Huggy Houndz, nearly £500 - yes five hundred pounds - was raised over the festive period in sales from the shop. Peter (picured in the shop) said, "it was a pleasure to help DCGR by raising funds and also raising the profile of greyhounds. You all do your own bit and we are very pleased to be able to do our own liitle bit here in the shop". Jackie was over the moon with the total and has even spread the word to Greece where her daughter lives!!  On behalf of DCGR - a big thanks to Peter and Jackie for their active support.

THE THINGS PEOPLE DO DCGR would like to thank the many people who have remembered the greyhounds at this time of year. Apart from the very successful Secret Santa appeal for our greyhounds in kennels during the festive period (appeal is still open), we have had a number of donations to the charity which deserve publication. Mrs Stokes (£30), Mr Bell (£100), Mr and Mrs Henderson (£100), Arthur Robinson ((£67.87 – sale of wooden mushrooms), Margaret Baisden (£23.68 - sale of pieces of Christmas Cake).  These are only a few examples of the generosity of our supporters and for this, DCGR are extremely grateful.

NCVS CHRISTMAS FAYRE, DUMFRIES - 5 DECEMBER Two of DCGR's supporters took a stall at the Nithsdale Council for Voluntary Services Christmas Fayre at DG1 on Saturday 5th December donating all proceeds to DCGR.  The ladies collected bits and pieces over the previous months with the intention of raising funds for Greyhound Rescue and didn't they do well.  Even although the Fayre was relatively quiet, the ladies still managed to raise over £160 for which we are extremely grateful. This comes on top of other supporters using their initiative and taking stalls at other events throughout Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria. If any of our members or supporters out there wish to take a stall at an event local to them, please contact Al or Graham who will be only too pleased to supply QUALITY bric a brac for a Tombola or for sale. We can also make arrangements for stock goods, charity tins and flyers etc. to be forwarded as well. Picture shows the ladies "manning" the stall.

MOFFAT CHRISTMAS FAYRE – SUNDAY 29TH NOVEMBER The last fundraising event organised by Graham for 2009 was at Moffat Christmas Fayre. This event was very good in promoting greyhounds as family pets and even better in financial terms.  Margaret manned the stall (Graham was wallpapering!!!) and Ann Thomson with Tiffy, Arthur with Pearl and Misty and Russell and Emma with Nellie attracted people to the stall. By all accounts, the event was a little quieter than last year but with the greyhounds being the “star” attraction in the Town Hall (after Santa of course) DCGR managed to raise a magnificent £268.  Graham is already working on next year’s programme which will be as busy if not busier, than last year.  The one remaining fundraising event of 2009 which is being organised by supporters of the charity with all monies being donated to DCGR, is the NCVS Christmas Fayre at DG1 in Dumfries. Anyone in Dumfries is very welcome to go along and support the ladies.

MONDAY 23RD NOVEMBER – TALK TO BARONY COLLEGE STUDENTS On Monday 23rd, Graham attended at the Barony College outside Dumfries to talk to a combined audience of HNC and HND students on Animal Welfare.  About 30 students were in the audience and they listened intently as Graham related the story of greyhounds, greyhound racing and DCGR. At the end on the talk Graham brought in Star, Poppy and Fleck and just about everyone came forward to stroke the dogs. This is the first event Magic had missed for a long, long time as he was suffering from an infected eye and was at the vet (turns out he has an abscess and is now receiving treatment). After the talk had concluded, a student came up and pressed a £2 into his hand as a donation for the greyhounds. A cheque is winging it’s way to DCGR as a “thank you” for Graham giving the talk.

Show Judge Terry Jardine trying to choose the winner! SUNDAY 22ND NOVEMBER – FUN GREYHOUND SHOW AND CHRISTMAS FAYRE There will be a separate page for all the results and photographs but this interim report will give readers a flavour of what happened.  Over 100 greyhounds brought their owners to the Show and what a day was had. There was plenty interest in the competitions and judge Tommy Jardine of Westsound Radio had a difficult task picking the winners of each class. Nevertheless, eventually he did choose winners and they went through to the Champion of Champions class at the end. After MUCH deliberation, Honey from Dumfries was “crowned” DCGR Champion of Champions with Lady from Carlisle chosen as Reserve Champion. The cash is still coming in but we reckon we have broken the £4,000 barrier.  The icing on the cake was when Graham was invited to participate in a live “chat” about Greyhounds and Greyhound Rescue on Sally Moon’s evening programme on BBC Radio Cumbria where he promoted greyhounds as family pets and informed listeners of the success of the “big show”.  Photographs and winners will appear on the website next week.

DCGR RE-HOMES IT'S 600TH GREYHOUND DCGR reached another milestone when we rehomed our 6ooth greyhound last week. Belle, an absolutely gorgeous blue 2 year old bitch was adopted by Alison Ferries and son Angus from Kirkcudbright who had been waiting for a few weeks for a "cat tolerant" dog. Graham and Margaret had been handed Belle a few days before and had fostered her until a suitable home could be found.  Following a successful "cat test", Belle was adopted by Alison who said, "it's like she has been here forever - she settled in so quickly". Margaret Hill who completed the adoption said,"Belle is one of the loveliest greyhounds I have seen and I would have been quite happy to keep her myself- she is an absolute doll". Al Todd, our Re-Homing Co-ordinator warned against complacency and reminded people that there are still many more greyhounds out there waiting for their own forever home.

DCGR are pleased to announce that the excellent stand up comic, Jason Wood is now a patron for the charity. Jason has made numerous TV appearances and recently appeared on 'The Underdog Show' a celebrity dog training show with rescue dogs from the Dog's Trust. Jason had been terrified of dogs since being badly bitten as a small child, but in the Underdog Show he was teamed up with a lurcher, Jim, and  it was obvious to all watching the show that Jason and Jim made an amazing double act. It was equally obvious that they adored each other, so much so that, when the series finished, Jason adopted Jim. " Jim has changed my life - he's such a loving dog and amazing company. I never get fed up with seeing him run so fast , he's just an amazing dog.' Jason and Jim are seldom apart and Jim even goes to gigs with Jason and appears on stage with him. DCGR is extremely glad to have Jason (and Jim) on board.

SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER – KIRKGUNZEON PRIMARY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS FAYRE A busy 3 days for Margaret and Graham and their pack started when they attended to local primary school’s Christmas Fayre on Saturday 21st November.  The weather was atrocious when Graham and Margaret set up the stall (inside thankfully) but it didn’t deter the local village population coming out to support the school. Jane and Margaret manned the stall but Magic was the “main attraction” and was always to be seen with children stoking him or giving him treats. Over £85 was raised for DCGR funds and through Magic, maybe a few interested parties as well.

HARRABY BROWNIES/GUIDES Graham and Al along with Chloe, Magic and Roma visited Harraby Brownies and Guides on Tuesday 17th November to tell them about greyhounds and DCGR prior to a sponsored walk being organised next year where it is hoped DCGR might benefit. The "audience" sat patiently as Graham then Al told them about the dogs and how many DCGR had re-homed and then they played a trick on the girls by bringing in Chloe (Chloe is an Italian Greyhound)first. After many oohs and aahs, Magic and Roma were brought in to show what "real" greyhounds looks like. Well the girls were all over them and as Graham had brought some treats for the girls to give the dogs, Magic and Roma were all over the girls also.  The picture shows "the pack" with Roma standing and Magic doing his usual - chilling out.

TALK ON GREYHOUND RESCUE TO CALDEW SCHOOL, DALSTON - FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER It's not very often DCGR gets asked to give a presentation on Greyhound Rescue to a school but nevertheless, Graham and Margaret along with Magic, Star and Poppy travelled to Dalston and spoke to a group of 30 pupils who had actually paid for a ticket to watch the presentation. Mrs Robinson from the school had it well organised and Graham did his usual by keeping the dogs "under cover" until the presentation was nearly complete. The pupils were enthralled as Graham related the story of DCGR and how many dogs they had re-homed in such a short time and when Margaret brought the greyhounds in, there was a tidal wave of school uniforms descending on Magic, Star and Poppy. True to form, the greys were totally chilled out, loving the attention (and the treats Margaret had brought along)as well as all the cuddles and tickles. The News and Star were invited along and took some lovely photographs of the children with the dogs.  DCGR would like to thank Caldew School for the invitation and for the donation, which will be sent off next week. The photographs show Graham in "full flight" as well as a shot of Mrs Robinson and Graham with Magic and Poppy.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - CARLISLE RACECOURSE - SUNDAY 1ST NOVEMBER In the 8th year of our existence, this must have been the wettest yet and yes, even worse than the Galloway Country Fair of 2007 although it still wins hands down for the muddiest. Graham telephoned the racecourse at 7.30am and was told it was definitely on, so he and Margaret along with Magic, Star and Poppy and the DCGR trailer + gazebo arrived at 10am after driving through torrential rain for 1 1/2 hours. We set up in the usual place but didn't put all the stock out as it would have been ruined by the rain. At 10.30am our hardy members turned up with their hounds and we feel we must mention them for their commitment in attending in such atrocious weather. We had Malcolm Burnage who travelled from Bardon Mill in Northumberland, Sue Neal from South Cumbria, Malcolm and Yvonne Warren as well as Ann Thompson from north Cumbria, Alan Riddick from Carlisle, Phil Davies from Hightae, Chris from New Galloway and Emma and Russell from Gatehouse of Fleet all with their rather wet greyhounds. It gave Graham and Margaret a warm feeling inside as they all said (unknown to each other) that they didn't want Graham and Margaret left alone to do the event. Well it rained up until about 2.30pm when it stopped ---- but then the wind started and it took 6 people to hold down the gazebo as we tried to fold it away. Not the best event for us but nonetheless, the Racecourse staff donated £100 to subsidise our lack of income and we believe an "on course bookie" also donated £40. A big big thanks from all at DCGR. Overall, our income for the day was over £325. The pictures show the happy bunch sheltering under the main stand and Malcolmsand Margaret at the "sales table".

28th October - Donation to DCGR Our thanks go to Woof Beginnings (www.pleasehelpourdogs.co.uk) who have generously donated £200 to DCGR this month. Woof Beginnings was established to raise funds for, and raise awareness of ALL independent dog rescues supporting ANY breed of dog. If you want to know more about them their link is on our links page. Once again many thanks!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – TESCO, CASTLE DOUGLAS – SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER Thank goodness for the design of the Tesco store in Castle Douglas as their large overhanging canopy kept greyhounds and owners alike dry during the horrendous weather. We had so many dogs on display that Graham can’t remember them all but what a sight they were – all in their warm coats waiting for people to come up and say hello. Never mind, let’s try -  we had Magic, Star, Chalkie, Boris, Minty, Shiloh, Honey, Cassie, Nina, Daisy (from Bridge of Allan), Darcy, Davie, Maggie, Shadow, Duke and Eva (apologies if any have been missed out). Customers of Tesco absolutely loved the “line up” and the charity tins reflected this with an amazing £339 collected during the time we were there. Even better was the number of people who stayed a while to ask questions about the charity and how they could adopt a greyhound – watch out Al – a few phone calls coming your way!!  The pictures show Margaret and Chris sharing a joke with the hounds just lazing about, Donna from Tesco with some friends and Brian and Phil kidding on they are working but “having a rest”.

TALK ON GREYHOUND RESCUE - ST ANDREW'S CHURCH, MOFFAT - TUESDAY 20TH OCTOBER Graham and Margaret, along with Magic and Star and temporary foster dog Chalkie, attended the Women's Guild in Moffat on Tuesday afternoon to give a talk on greyhound rescue with the theme being "Justice" Over 20 ladies were present as Graham gave his presentation highlighting the "injustice" sometimes suffered by ex-racing greyhounds and how DCGR hope to redress the balance by finding loving homes for the greyhounds in their care. As usual, Margaret had set up a sales table at the rear of the hall and when Graham had finished, half the ladies headed to the table with the other half heading for Magic, Star and Chalkie. Over £70 was raised at this event with the DCGR Christmas cards being sold very quickly.  The picture shows Magic and Star (Chalkie was a little tired by this time and was resting in the car) with two committee members of the group, with the "Scales of Justice" in the background.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - TESCO, LOCKERBIE - 17 OCTOBER Marvellous weather in October!!! Yes we had it in plenty at Lockerbie for our first ever Meet a Greyhound Day at the local Tesco. At one point we had so many greyhounds on display, we nearly blocked the entrance, so Graham "split" resources to cover the other entrance as well. Yet again, the public were amazed at how well behaved our hounds were and so quiet and lazy they were, basking in the autumn sun on their mats and duvets. Over £220 was raised on the day which is remarkable as we were only there from 10am till 2pm and on top of this total, some more of our unique calendars and christmas cards were also sold. A big thanks to Tesco for allowing us to hold the event and a "pat on the back" for our members who assisted on the day.  Picture shows a general view of our "pitch".

DCGR CHRISTMAS WINDOW Courtesy of Jackie and Peter Bacci, two of our members who own and run a newsagents on the Whitesands in Dumfries, DCGR have a "Christmas Window" displaying our Christmas Cards, Calendars and Huggy Houndz. Jackie is very supportive of the charity and has offered her window any time we wish to promote anything greyhound related. Regular readers of the website will know "our partnership" won first place in the Guid Nychburris Window Dressing Competition in the summer. Picture shows a "side" view of the window as it is difficult to get a front view.

Sponsored Run 17th October Rhianna (age 10), Emily (age 10), Sian (age 7) all from Rockliffe Primary School, in Rockliffe nr Carlisle, did a magnificent 3 mile sponsored run around the village in aid of the greyhounds and raised a fantastic £70 for DCGR. The run was all their own idea and the picture shows them with some of Al's dogs after the run. Next stop the marathon! Well done and thank you!

TALK ON GREYHOUND RESCUE TO CARLISLE (SOUTH) ROTARY CLUB - 13TH OCTOBER Graham and Magic journied down to Carlisle on Tuesday 13th October (leaving Margaret at home packing DCGR Christmas Cards), to talk to the Carlisle South Rotary Club in the Shepherds Inn in Rosehill. After a light lunch, Graham commenced his talk to about 30 members of Rotary and limited his talk to the 20 minutes allocated. In a break from tradition, Magic was in from the start but as usual, a quick wander round the room to find a soft spot was enough exercise for Magic and he promptly went to sleep. The group were more than eager to find out about DCGR and when Graham finished, they were queueing up to ask questions. Even through the vote of thanks and the applause, Magic still slept!! The picture shows Calum Scot-Bewark. a Past President, "gingerly" holding on to Magic who by this time, just wanted to go home. A donation from the Rotary will be forwarded in due course.

ON HOLIDAY !!! Margaret and Graham took a well deserved break in early October and headed for Lake Como in Italy for a week. On the third day there, they took a ferry to the other side of the lake and visited a town called Bellagio.  While Graham sat on the lakeside and read, Margaret went shopping and came across an Italian lady with an ex-racing greyhound.  As she spoke perfect english, Margaret learned that the dog raced at Limerick in Ireland and she re-homed the dog only weeks ago via a greyhound rescue organisation in Italy – in fact, it was the only ex-racing greyhound in or around Lake Como. For those of you who know Graham and Margaret, one of their greyhounds is called Magic and you could have knocked down Margaret with a feather when in answer to the question – what’s his name, the lady replied Magic!!!  In addition to this, a fellow traveller from Linlithgow (Jean) on hearing of the work Graham and Margaret do and the success of DCGR, gave them a £20 donation towards our funds.  Even on holiday, Graham and Margaret are raising cash!!

DCGR CHARITY SHOP – DALBEATTIE – 1/2/3 OCTOBER Another successful Charity Shop in Dalbeattie with over £675 raised through the selling of donated goods.  As has happened in the past, people were queuing outside the shop as Margaret and Barbara Percy opened the doors to the public on the Thursday.  Over the 3 days, Liz Iken and Joy Allison from Dalbeattie, Barbara Percy from Gatehouse and Maggie Curtis from Brampton helped Margaret with setting up and sales and as usual, Graham was the “gopher”. Unfortunately there is no photograph this time as Margaret was that busy she forgot to take one!!!! Anyway, a big thanks to the helpers, those who donated some really marvellous items and to McKenzies for allowing us use of the shop.

PRESS RELEASE UK WEBSITE CAN SAVE DOGS' LIVES - please note there is a link to this website on our links page.  The RSPCA have recently reported that dogs are being abandoned in increasing numbers, thought to be as a result of the credit crunch.  Vet Help Direct, which is the equivalent of NHS Direct for animals, is free to use and helps dog owners to decide how urgently their dog needs to see the vet, cutting any delay in treatment for true emergencies and preventing needless out of hours call outs and the associated expense. Prevention is better than a cure and early intervention can ensure that dogs' welfare is preserved at lower cost.  All pet welfare organisations would recommend insurance and early diagnosis and there are many free resources available to help owners. Dog owners answer a series of simple, step by step questions and are given a priority rating from Self Care – treatment at home to Urgent – you need to contact your vet immediately and first aid advice is given that is specific for the dog's condition.  Google mapping and postcode proximity searching allows owners to find their nearest veterinary surgery, its opening hours and specialisations. Vet Help Direct is a UK initiative constructed and maintained by UK vets.  It has featured in many reviews and blogs, most recently scoring 5 out of 5 stars as the website of the fortnight in WebUser Magazine, 21 May 2009, even beating Jamie Oliver! Contact Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS (Veterinary Surgeon, founder of Vet Help Direct) susie@vethelpdirect.com 0845 4961204. www.vethelpdirect.com

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - SOMERFIELD, CARLISLE - SATURDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER What a change it is to have reasonable weather for one of our fundraising events! At Somefield (on Wigton Road, Carlisle) we had Magic, Star, Poppy, Tilly, Lady, Buster, Roma, Brendan, Molly, NOT forgetting Jet and Ted as well as an "unamed greyhound" (see addition to this report) waiting to meet the customers. Just about everyone stopped to say hello to the dogs and donate some cash in the charity tins. As the weather was so good, we started at 10am and left when the store began to get a little quiet at 3pm. Not only did the dogs have a great time being petted, our members also had an excellent time talking to members of the public and their fellow greyhound owners. During the time we were there, a number of information leaflets were handed out and over £296 was raised. DCGR thanks Somerfield most sincerely for their permission to hold the event and we hope we can do the same in 2010. A HEART-WARMING STORY AT OUR MEET A GREYHOUND DAY AT SOMERFIELD'S SUPERMARKET At our Meet a Greyhound Day at Somerfield in Carlisle on Saturday 26th, Jen Treasurer brought one of our homeless dog's to the event from Wetherall Animal Sanctuary where it is presently being kenneled. Just as she arrived, a lady visiting from Manchester, saw the greyhound and immediately fell in love with her. Unfortunately she couldn't take the dog as she already has 3 pet dogs but was very interested in her and asked her name. As the dog had just arrived into our care and didn't have a name, Graham asked what the lady's name was and she replied "Melanie". In "honour" of Melanie, we named the homeless dog "Mel" there and then, much to her delight. We are assured that "Melanie" is returning to Manchester soon and will take some unwanted goods along to a car boot sale and DCGR will get some of the profits. Picture show Melanie with Mel at the event.

Car Boot Sales raise money for DCGR Our grateful thanks go to Val Harcourt and her daughter Angela who have attended two car boot sales over the last two weekends, selling their own bric a brac to raise funds for DCGR. The good news is they managed to raise the grand total of £112! Well done both of you.

TALK ON GREYHOUND RESCUE - IRONGRAY PENSIONERS GROUP - 24TH SEPTEMBER Graham and Margaret along with Magic, Star and Poppy travelled a short distance on the 24th of September to give a talk on DCGR to the Irongray Pensioners Group at Shawhead Village Hall. The ladies and gentlemen of the group knew little about our charity but when the talk was over, their education was complete. For example, they thought that greyhounds needed a lot of exercise. Graham replied - wait until you see what happens when I bring them in, they will all curl up and go to sleep. True to form, Magic, Star and Poppy wandered about for a few minutes then all found their duvet in the corner and went for a lie down!! (see picture). As Graham was talking, Margaret set up the sales table at the rear of the hall. Over £55 was raised during the afternoon, with even more calendars being sold. The second picture shows Magic with Margaret Gordon (Secretary of the group) along with a member of the audience.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – TESCO DUMFRIES ( LOCKERBIE ROAD ) – 19TH SEPTEMBER A dull day when we arrived but the pleasure on people’s faces when they saw the array of greyhounds waiting to meet them at Tesco, brightened up the day. We had Tizzie, Nellie, Magic, Boris, Nina, Cassie, Minty, Shadow, Duke, Toby and Judy all waiting to greet customers to the store and didn’t they do well. Loads of customers stopped to say hello and the weight of the charity tins increased so much that Brian complained of a sore wrist and had to be given an empty tin!!  We arrived at 10am but as the dogs were getting a little tired, we left at 3pm but even as we were packing up, members of the public were still throwing coins into the tins. Over £300 was raised in the time we were there and a couple of people came down especially to see the greyhounds with a view to adopting - Al should be getting these phone calls soon. All in all, a very successful day. The pictures show a general view of our table just after setting up and a picture of Minty “sharing” a bed with Cassie.

Take you partners for ....... Maggie and Sue "being educated" in Scottish Ceilidh Dancing Emma and Loraine waiting for someone to ask them to dance!! Robert and Russell enjoying the "ambience" DCGR’S FIRST EVER CEILIDH – FRIDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER What a night – fantastic band, great Scottish dancing, excellent company, marvellous setting and a buffet to die for.  This was the first ever Ceilidh held on behalf of DCGR and wasn’t it a success!!  Over 180 people bought tickets to the Ceilidh (which was much higher than expected) and not a complaint was heard. Locharbriggs Social Club had an outstanding function room and it was used to great effect as members, friends and visitors danced the night away – you ought to have seen Graham and Margaret doing “Strip the Willow ”. – and Emma and Dee NOT doing Strip the Willow !! The band was excellent – John Caskie and Friends – and even our English cousins, unaware of some of the “moves” were ably assisted through the steps of each dance by John himself. There were three intervals (to allow some people to catch their breaths) when Ruth Clark’s cake was auctioned ((£67), the Raffle was drawn (£315) and roll the pound coin at the litre whisky bottle (£48).  DCGR would like to give a BIG, BIG thanks to Isabelle McManaman and her “team” including Norma Pearce, for their outstanding efforts in organising the event and making it such a success - here’s to the next one! The total income for the event was almost £2,000 giving a profit of over £1,500 (still counting).  (Graham even took the DCGR Calendars along and he was glad he did with more than a dozen sold.)  The pictures show some of the characters at the Ceilidh with suitable captions. DCGR would also like to thank McCrea Financial Services for their sponsorship of this event. Howard, Margaret, Sue and Yvonne - sitting this one out! Emma and mum Dee, having an enoyable time. One of Ruth Clark's infamous alcohol laden fruit cakes - it raised £67!! Margaret and friend Liz "in the counting house" counting the raffle money

MOFFAT PRODUCE MARKET - SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER Norma Pearce, our industrious member from Moffat, along with Margaret and Magic, manned a stall at the Moffat Produce Market at which they sold plants on behalf of DCGR. There was glorious weather with lots of people and everyone and I say everyone fell in love with Magic. The charity tin next to Magic raised over £60 and once the final tally is in, it should be well over £100. Another good event which raises the profile of DCGR and a big thanks to Norma for organising the stall. The picture shows Norma with Magic at the stall.

Caldbeck Meet a Greyhound Day - Sunday 13th September Yet again the weather stayed dry, warm and sunny, two days running who would believe it? Members and their dogs came from far and wide to Caldbeck, at one point we had 15 Greyhounds on show to the public, who were most impressed by their good behaviour and laid back easy manner. Over £140 was raised on the day, with the calendars once again being a very popular item. Our thanks go to Cath and Richard of Caldbeck Gift Shop and Tea Rooms for inviting us and for their generous hospitality during the day. The picture shows just a few of our members enjoying a quiet moment in the sunshine.

YARROW AND ETTRICK (SELKIRK) SHOW - SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER Graham and Margaret and 4 dogs set off from Kirkgunzeon at 6.30am for the 2 hour drive to Selkirk for their annual agricultural show and thankfully it was a gorgeous day. This is a relatively small show with a "family" feel about it where nothing is rushed and everything is at a nice easy pace. After setting up the stall, Margaret had a wander round with the dogs (Magic, Star, Poppy and Tazia) whilst Graham "educated" the local MSP (who had a stall next to DCGR) on our charity and the work we do. A little later, Viv and Jamie-Lee came to lend a hand with 2 "homeless dogs - Annie and Major. I think this is a record for DCGR re Annie. Viv picked Annie up at 6pm the previous day (Friday), brought her to Selkirk at about 11am. At about 12 midday, a lady was walking round and immediately fell in love with her and by the time Graham and Margaret were packing up to leave (about 4pm), Al had already received a phone call and subject to a home visit, she will be re-homed in the Selkirk area - A RESULT!! Apart from that, Many people stopped to say hello and nearly £80 was raised on the day. To top it all, Viv and Jamie-Lee entered Annie in the dog show and won 3rd place. The photographs show Margaret with the 4 greys just after setting up and Viv with Jamie-Lee and Annie and Major with the 3rd place rosette. This was the first event our calendars were on sale and we received a lot of positive comments. Quite a number were sold including one to a couple from Canada who have a greyhound at home - so a reminder to anyone out there, if you want a calendar for yourself or to give for a gift at christmas, you had better be quick.

VISIT TO MARGARET'S DOLL'S HOUSES - 8 SEPTEMBER As some of the DCGR regulars will know, Margaret Hill our Treasurer has a collection of Doll's Houses and Room Settings at her home in Kirkgunzeon. At a talk given by Graham to a Ladies Group from Castle Douglas earlier in the year on Greyhound Rescue he mentioned the "Houses" and as a consequence, the ladies asked if they could visit to see them. On Tuesday 8th September, 12 ladies arrived to be met with 5 greyhounds, 10 Doll's Houses and 5/6 Room Settings. The ladies had a very enjoyable visit and left a donation of £20 (one lady was so impressed by the behaviour of our greys she added £10 to the donation herself) giving DCGR a total of £30 for the visit. The pictures show one of the large houses and a room within that house.

TALKIN TARN - SUNDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER A disappointing turn out today after the success of yesterday at Asda. The only greyhounds on show were Star, Misty, Davie, Gemma, Magic, Poppy and Tazia along with lurchers Larry and Ragz. Having said that, the Tarn was VERY quiet and the weather a little drizzly. A few people did stop to say hello to the dogs and a few pounds raised in the charity tin. The picture shows Malcolm and Liz, Margaret and Al with some of the dogs.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – ASDA, CARLISLE – SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER To put it kindly, it was an “autumnal” day, when Graham, Al and Judy arrived at Asda in Carlisle to set up one of our new gazebos for our first ever Meet a Greyhound Day at the store. The staff at Asda made us very welcome and we set up on a paved area just outside the main entrance.  We were glad we brought the gazebo as it provided cover for humans and canines alike. Despite the weather, this was one of our more successful events as literally hundreds of people stopped to say hello and to pop some coins (even notes) into the charity boxes.  Al had quite a few long conversations with people interested in adopting and many, many people were interested in our work. At the end of the day, after emptying the rainwater out of the buckets and tins, we raised over £450 – a magnificent sum – and totally due to our magnificent dogs. DCGR would like to thank Asda for allowing us to hold the event and our members who gave up their time to make it such a success.  The pictures show a “team” shot just as we set up and a picture of Paul (Duty Manager) and one of the welcoming staff with Al and a few of our dogs.

KESWICK AGRICULTURAL SHOW – MONDAY 31ST AUGUST Graham and Margaret towed the DCGR caravan from Kirkgunzeon to Keswick on Sunday the 30th and were a little perturbed when tractors were at the main gate to tow people IN to the showground. The ground was waterlogged in many places and when Graham asked to be towed to pitch 27, he was told “don’t worry, just pick a dry spot”. He began to get a little worried when he had 3 pitches to the left of the caravan unfilled as well as 2 pitches to the right. After setting up, Graham, Margaret, Magic, Star, Poppy and Tazia settled down for the night. At about 3am, the heavens opened and that was it until they left at 5pm. The rain just came and came, the water rose and rose until eventually, the showfield was a mud bath. The Show jumping was cancelled and obviously members of the public thought better of attending. Graham phoned Al and asked him to cancel anyone else coming as the conditions were atrocious but Ann Thompson, who stays not too far away, decided to come along with Tippy anyway.  Not a lot of people there, therefore not a lot of cash raised (over £70) but we got many thanks for making the effort.  Great fun getting towed off !!  The mud was that deep that the tractor was creating a sunami of mud as we travelled towards the exit.  The pictures show Ann and Margaret with Tippy and Tazia (Magic, Star and Poppy comfy in the caravan) as well as a side view of the caravan surrounded by water.

MOFFAT PLANT SALE – SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST Norma Pearce, our Honorary Life Member from Moffat, took along some of the plants she had “nurtured” over the past few months to Moffat Town Hall where she offered them for sale to members of the public, with all proceeds going to DCGR. Moffat obviously had the better weather as over £140 was raised for DCGR funds as a result of Norma’s efforts.  If we say that Norma is over 80 years of age (exact age is an official secret) it goes to show that age is no barrier to raising much need cash.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - AMBLESIDE – SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST Yet more inclement weather met Al and Judy and our group of hardy volunteers as they held a Meet a Greyhound Day outside “Paws by the Lake ” in Ambleside. Although it was the August Bank Holiday, the poor weather obviously kept people indoors so the event went rather slowly.  Nevertheless, a number of people did stop to say hello to the greyhounds and to donate some cash into the charity tins.

CAN COLLECTION – 16TH AUGUST - MORRISONS SUPERMARKET, CARLISLE Compared to the “ Galloway ” team, Audrey and Wendy with the “Morrison’s” team had absolutely luxury. Nice and warm inside the store with plenty of pictures for people to see. Morrison’s were VERY good to DCGR allowing the charity to sell some bit’s and pieces specific to greyhound rescue and that couldn’t be bought elsewhere. It was really busy during the day and it very pleasing to know that Morrison’s customers were so interested and so generous to the charity.  Over £150 was raised in financial terms but in terms of promoting greyhound rescue, the “advertising is incalculable. A big thanks to Audrey and Wendy for organising this event on behalf of DCGR.

GALLOWAY COUNTRY FAIR – SAT/SUN 15TH / 16TH AUGUST Due to the REALLY bad weather forecast for the Friday, Graham and Margaret(along with Magic, Star and Poppy) and the DCGR caravan AND a couple of the recently purchased gazebo’s, drove up to Raehills between Dumfries and Moffat with the intention of setting up on the Thursday and boy were they glad they did. Thursday was lovely but Friday was absolutely torrential rain from the minute it got light in the morning, right through to lunchtime on the Saturday!! Al and Judy with their pack came down on the Friday afternoon and we ate dinner in a 14ft caravan during torrential rain with 4 adults and 7 dogs all trying to get comfortable!! Al and Judy and their dogs rigged up an inner tent within the new gazebo’s and we settled down for the night. Saturday morning, guess what – torrential rain again and we were going to do a “parade of greyhounds” in the arena at 10.30. Well, true to form and despite the weather, 20 greyhounds resplendent in their waterproof coats, braved the elements.  Not a lot of people in at that time, but those that were, certainly appreciated our endeavours. We had a bit of a flap on the Saturday night when Nellie from Gatehouse suffered an horrendous injury when playing in the arena, but swift action from Russell, Al and Margaret got her to the Miller’s vet in Lockerbie extremely quickly. It was actually touch and go whether she survived the injury but as I write this on Monday, the update is extremely encouraging. Although dry overnight, Sunday wasn’t much better re the rain. One good thing was that a lurcher show was programmed for the day and as it was very wet, we sold quite a few waterproof coats!!  The Sunday parade was attended by 18 greyhounds and again, waterproofs were the dress code for the day. Luckily it cleared up in the afternoon and many people stopped to say hello and to ask us questions.  As an aside, we actually re-homed our 573rd greyhound the Saturday when Fred was adopted by his new owners. The climax of the 2 day event (for the human’s anyway) was the appearance of the Red Arrows who were spectacular. Overall, we raised in excess of £550 but if we included the adoption fee for Fred and other bits and pieces not connected with the event but raised because we were there, the total is nearly £700. We would like to thank a local trader (Laxdale) for providing us with a prize for our Christmas Raffle as well as helping Margaret to push our car and caravan up a steep incline on the way out when Graham lost traction on the muddy conditions. The pictures show a variety of views of the stall and dogs as well as “Susie” having a nap on one of the portable seats and the Red Arrows doing a flypast.

BORDER GATHERING - DUMFRIES - SUNDAY 9TH AUGUST Yet again, the weather forecast was wrong. We were meant to have rain all afternoon and Graham and Margaret set up the stall in the "wet weather" configuration, but the rain never arrived. It was so nice that we have never seen so many people at this particular event before.  Maybe it was the appearance of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers that encouraged the people of Dumfries to come out in their droves but yet again, maybe it was Magic, Star, Poppy, Shadow, Duke, Robert, Misty, Pearl, Dixie, Daisy, Shiloh, Honey and Sky!! At the last minute, we were asked to do a parade of re-homed greyhounds and at it's conclusion, Graham asked any children to come out and say hello to the dogs. Well, a tidal wave of kids approached our dogs and they (the greys) behaved impecably. No doubt because of the dogs, our income over last year was up 100% (over £120) and DCGR would like to thank the members who took the time to come along.  The picture shows a general scene of our stall area with members of the public stopping to say hello.

Westward Dog Show, Wigton - Sunday 9th August   After a wet and very windy start the weather cleared up and the people and their dogs arrived for the dog show. The DCGR stand was not very busy, though some people did stop to admire the dogs and put some money into the charity tin, in all £100 was raised on the day, mostly from sales. Our thanks go to Bev, Alan and Anne who all turned up with their dogs to support us.

Car Boot Sale   Our thanks go to Pauline Jackson and her family, who did a car boot sale with the left overs from the Market Stall they had in Barrow a couple of weeks ago. They made £72.25 in just 2 hours, which was then added to by Pauline's Coalman and the builders who were working at her house, so that the grand total donated to DCGR was £100 - well done!

DALSTON SHOW – SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST What a difference from last year. In 2008 the DCGR caravan AND Graham’s car had to be towed off the field due to the rain and mud. This year, it was wonderful. No wind, lot’s of warm sun and plenty of people to admire the dogs – and what a lot of dogs we had. DCGR would like to thank all those members (too many to mention) who turned up to help promote greyhounds as family pets. At one time, we had so many people stopping to say hello to the dogs that they blocked the passageway!!  Over £380 was raised on the day which is almost double what we raised last year at the same event. It just goes to show that the greyhounds are the main attraction.  On top of that, Al has a few follow ups to do so all in all, a terrific days work. The pictures show Margaret with the stall on the Friday night, A “team” photograph early on the Saturday morning and Chloe (the Italian Greyhound) and Robert (a large ex-coursing greyhound) out of the sun in Graham’s car

Readers of the site will know that DCGR won the Retail Section of the Window Dressing Competition AND the Geordie Dyer Trophy for the best Walking Entry in the Big Parade at the recent Guid Nychburris festival in Dumfries. The picture shows Roland Proudlock, the parade organiser presenting the trophy to Margaret Hill who is attended by Dhariat Gibson and Kirsten Zillwood (along with Magic, Star and Poppy) as well as Jackie Bacci (and Tazia) who kindly allowed us to use her shop window, holding the rosette and certificate for the Window Dressing Competition

DUMFRIES SHOW – SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST Margaret and Graham took the DCGR caravan down to Park Farm in Dumfries early on the Friday morning, so Margaret could get back to Dalbeattie Forest to look for the “lost” Chloe. As a result, Graham had plenty of time to set up the stall for the following day. He was extremely glad however that the awning was up because the rain was bucketing down. On the Saturday morning, Graham awoke early and took Magic for his morning constitutional and then the wind and torrential rain arrived and stayed for at least 2 hours.  The grass turned extremely muddy and Graham wondered if he would get a knock on the caravan door similar to Al’s at the Cumberland Show. At opening time, the rain had somewhat abated and although wet, the crowds came in.  As we were next to the entrance, we had a LOT of attention from the public from the word go and we were kept extremely busy for the rest of the day. There is something to be said for 16 greyhounds standing (or lying) in a line, waiting quietly for someone to come up and say hello!!  The event was successful both in financial terms and in “enquiry” terms and a few home visits will be organised during the next week or so. A big thanks to the DCGR members who braved the weather to support the charity.

GATEHOUSE OF FLEET GALA - SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST August? - you wouldn't have believed it. Nonetheless, a hardy bunch of members turned up to a VERY windy Gatehouse of Fleet Gala, so windy that the DCGR gazebo has gone to the great gazebo cemetary in the sky.  Having said that, the Gala was as busy as ever and our stall did remarkably well considering. The main attraction was of course the dogs but close behind was Graham's Domino Tombola which attracted children and adults alike. This event is what we would consider a "traditional family gala" so lot's of families were there out to enjoy themselves and spend a little money. Overall DCGR raised over £140 which was up on last year. A big thanks to Margaret with Star and Poppy, Phil and Yvonne with Shadow and new dog Hugo, Tracy with Rocky, Barbara and Ted with Eva and Chris and Brian with Nina and Cassie for spending the full day there and to other members who popped by to say hello.  The picture shows the stall being set up before the parade and associated crowds descended.

The President’s Party   The fourth President’s Party was held at Arthur and Agnes’s house at Waterbeck on Sunday 26th July. The weather forecast for the day was for high wind and rain but arrangements were so far advanced that it was decided to go ahead whatever the conditions.  As day dawned it was raining and it continued on, and occasionally off, until late afternoon.  Despite this, thanks to a collection of awnings and a canopy, people were able to stay mainly dry. Dogs were not so lucky (or sensible) and there were a few ‘drookit’ creatures wandering around. Due probably to the bad weather numbers were down on last year with 87 people and 79 dogs in attendance.  It was too damp for a bonfire but there was a successful Treasure Hunt for the kids, a Huggy Hound competition run by Liam Nicol, the usual Duck race with a bit more water than usual, and the Flower Power competition in which the ‘Flowers’ were well watered! The BBQ, comprising rolls with sausage or burgers, accompanied by salads, was very popular. Everyone agreed that it was the best they had ever tasted, excelling even the high standard of last year! The rainy conditions meant that for some of the time members sheltered under trees or in the gazebos and it has been said that they now know each other a lot better! All in all the day was a great success – despite the poor conditions - and Arthur and Agnes would like to thank all who came. Particular thanks are due to the helpers (too numerous to name individually), without whom this event would not be possible, and to the suppliers of the food, all of which was provided free.   Should his swamp, formerly a garden, recover in time, the President looks forward to repeating the event in 2010, and who knows, with a little luck and a fine day, we may even get the elusive 100 dogs!   Photographs by Leslie Murdoch will be available in due course.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - KIRKCUDBRIGHT - 25TH JULY At one point we had 19 greyhounds on display at our annual Meet a Greyhound Day at the Harbour Car Park in Kircudbright and didn't they attract the locals and tourists alike. We had beautiful weather and a stunning backdrop to what turned out to be a very profitable event. Graham had advertised the event on Westsound Radio and number of people made a specific journey to come and see us. Apart from that, the Wickerman Festival was on that weekend which made the town busier than usual.  We met one lady from the Edinburgh area who saw us last year and told us that on returning home, she adopted three (yes 3) retired greyhounds. Over £150 was raised on the day as well as a possibility of a re-homing and a couple of home visits. The pictures show a "team shot" of members and their "greys" before they got too tired and one of a few of the dogs "crashed out" on the duvet.  As one visitor said - "it looks like carnage on a motorway with all those bodies lying about - are you sure they are still alive?" DCGR thanks all who took the time out to come along and a special thanks to two of our members from the Channel Isles who were on holiday and brought Leila and Lester to the event.

TALK TO LOREBURN RETIRAL GROUP - TUESDAY 21ST JULY Graham and Margaret along with Magic, Star and Poppy journied into Dumfries on Tuesday 21st July to talk to the members of the Loreburn Retiral Group and were met with an audience of over 60 despite the inclement weather. While Graham completed the talk, Margaret set up the "sales table" and the dogs were waiting in the wings for their cue to appear. After 40 minutes or so, Margaret brought in Poppy, Magic and Star to plenty of oohs and aahs. The vote of thanks was given by a Lady who used to have greyhounds as pets and she was very generous with her comments about DCGR. Over £100 was raised on the day for DCGR funds for which we are extremely grateful. The picture shows Star being "petted" by 3 of the ladies.

Saturday 18th July - Barrow in Furness Tombola & Tedbola   Our thanks go to Pauline Jackson and her 'helpers' Ruth Clarke, Pauline Smith and Pauline Park for raising over £320 at Barrow in Furness Saturday Market and this despite the fact that the town centre was very quiet on the first Saturday of the school holidays. All the money raised was from a tombola and tedbola (for the children), using gifts donated by members of DCGR and friends. Well done!

MOFFAT GALA DAY PARADE – SATURDAY 18TH JULY We had 12 greyhounds on parade for the Moffat Gala Day Parade but it was an extremely long day for the dogs and we didn’t complete the whole route. For a reason unknown to us, the parade stopped on the main street and as we were at the rear of the parade, we didn’t know what was happening. What was happening was the crowning of the Gala Queen and the presentation of prizes for the days events which meant we were stationary (without knowing why) and not hearing anything for quite a while.  Unfortunately the judging took place without us knowing or even being ready to be judged so we didn’t have all the gear on, the banner wasn’t up and the music wasn’t on. Nevertheless, we won 3rd prize in the “small vehicle class” even although we thought we were in the “walking class”. The 3rd place gave us a cash prize of £10 for which DCGR are most grateful. Our thanks go to Chris, Brian and Connor, Graham and Margaret, Dee, Sharon , Scilla, Dhariat and Susie and Colin (and all their greyhounds) for supporting us at this event. The most positive thing about the whole day was the general public who were “fair taken” with the dogs on display.  The photographs show various scenes from the event.

CUMBERLAND SHOW – SATURDAY 18TH JULY Yes the above date is July!! Graham and Margaret towed the DCGR caravan down to Rickerby Park in Carlisle on the Friday leaving a dry and bright Dumfries behind them but what a difference when they reached Carlisle . In English it is called “TORRENTIAL” in the language of the Scots it is called “STOATIN”. The heavens opened and what a downpour it was.  On reaching the event site, it was obvious that it had been raining for sometime as some vehicles were already stuck up to their axles in mud with some being towed by tractors. Any way, with some care, Graham managed to get the caravan to our pitch and started setting up in the rain and mud. Al along with Alan and Bev Riddick came later and assisted in erecting the gazebo but by then, the whole event area was a quagmire. We then left Al at the caravan (he was staying overnight|) with everything set up for the following day. However on reaching Annan on the way home to Kirkgunzeon, Graham and Margaret met blue skies and dry roads once again. At 6.00am in the morning, Al was wakened by the police and organisers to say that the show had been cancelled due to the rain, mud and rising nearby river. Remember – this is July!!! Al with the help of Alan Riddick, struggled to get everything back in to the caravan and eventually made it out on to dry land. Al of course is well suited to the water being ex Royal Navy. DCGR hopes that this isn’t an indicator of what is going to happen throughout the rest of July and August.

Kirkcudbright Plant Fair – Sat/Sun 11th / 12th July It was with some trepidation that Graham and Margaret towed the DCGR caravan to Kirkcudbright on the Friday night before the event started. The weather forecast was not good and their mood was somewhat gloomy. The plan was that Al and Judy and 6 dogs (yes six!!) would stay in the caravan over the next couple of nights although Al was going to sleep in a tent he had brought along. Well the Saturday was absolutely beautiful with plenty of sun and the two parades we had organised certainly were certainly a hit with the crowds. A great number of people came along to see the dogs at our stall and weren’t they the stars once again.  Graham had arranged for 19 greyhounds to be in attendance and they really were on their best behaviour. Overnight on the Saturday was a different matter.  High winds and torrential rain hit the event site and although Al, Judy and the dogs were extremely cosy, some of the neighbouring gazebo’s took off into the ether!!!  Again, and although the weather forecast was to be showers on the Sunday, it turned out to be another dry day and not too hot for the dogs. On the Sunday, Graham had arranged for 29 greyhounds to be in attendance and boy, did the crowd love them. No barks, no growls, no pulling on the lead – just 29 totally laid back greyhounds and lurchers for the public to admire. The parades were super drawing many positive comments from the audience. DCGR would like to give a big thanks to Gavin from Westsound Radio for assisting in the parades by allowing the use of his sound system for our CD’s and for taking part in the (fun) judging. At the end of the weekend, DCGR had a lot of interest in re-homing a greyhound as well as raising in excess of £700 including a magnificent donation from the organisers of £250 for providing “entertainment” in the arena - their website for details of further events is www.summerfestivities.com.  The pictures show a variety of shots taken over the weekend including Al in his shorts!!!  One picture for those who have not attended one of our events before is our “flying dog” which makes it easier for members to identify our stall when we are in crowded area.

Yvonne from Hightae and Jane from Aberdeen (formerly Dumfries) with Hondo Homeless dog Poppy taking everything in her stride Norma from Moffat holding onto a very active Poppy! MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – DUMFRIES – 4TH JULY Our fame obviously preceded us after our success in the Walking Section of the Guid Nychburris Parade 2 weeks ago. It was amazing how many people saw us in the parade and yesterday, came over to the stall to say hello to the dogs – and what a selection we had. Present were, Magic, Star, Poppy, Hondo, Pearl , Misty, Fleck, Jamie, Shadow, Willow , Cassie, Nina, Honey, Shiloh, Dixie , Daisy and Tazia (apologies if any have been missed out). Weather was relatively good and the town was fairly busy which added to the attention the greyhounds were getting. In these days of economic darkness, we didn’t hold out much hope for the charity tins but boy were we wrong. Over £320 was raised on the day so a big round of applause from DCGR to the people of Dumfries .  We were such an attraction that 2 families from Canada (at different times) came over to say hello as well as 4 young American tourists who couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw all the dogs. A VERY good day for DCGR and a thanks from Graham for turning out in force to help raise cash.  Pictures show a selection of scenes taken during the day.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - MOFFAT - SATURDAY 27th JUNE A day of trials and tribulations!!! Al was at Keswick, Graham was at a Table Top at Castle Douglas and Margaret was at Moffat for the annual Meet a Greyhound Day - or that's how it was planned to be. Firstly, after dropping Margaret off at Moffat with all the gear, Graham quickly returned to Kirkgunzeon to load the car for a table top sale at Castle Douglas. On arrival, Graham was met by Chris and Brian to say that although it was widely advertised in the town and people were actually coming to the Parish Church Hall - THERE WAS NO-ONE THERE!! It had obviously been cancelled and the organisers hadn't thought to phone us. Margaret then got a call from Al to say that even although we had a permit from the Council for the Meet a Greyhound Day in Keswick, the Market Inspector wouldn't allow DCGR to set up as we needed permission from the market people as well!!!! Al had to set up well away from Keswick Town Centre which meant we were not as busy as we hoped we would be. Watch this space for further developments!?! On the other hand Margaret and Norma set up at Moffat as usual and along with regulars Phil and Yvonne, Arthur, Viv and a few newer members, they admirably manned the information table. Not as busy as usual but nonetheless, nearly £85 was raised on the day. Picture shows the table with Arthur, Norma Phil and Yvonne along with greyhounds Pearl, Misty, Hondo and Shadow.

Thundergreys are go - can you spot who is who? Rescue Pod 1 with some rescued Huggy Houndz This lady, who stays in the west of Dumfries and Galloway, has taken part in One to scare the children with! Two of our more active members - they look better with the masks on! DCGR DOES IT AGAIN For the second year in a row, DCGR won the Geordie Dyer Trophy for the best entrant in the Walking Section of the 2009 Guid Nychburris Day parade in Dumfries on Saturday 20th June. 18 of our members who are “game for a laugh” and not embarrassed to dress up and walk in front of literally thousands of people, dressed up as characters from Thunderbirds - International Rescue do the delight of the crowds.  We had 13 greyhounds on display all wearing bibs with the legend “I’VE BEEN RESCUED” as well as Rescue Pod 1 (Graham’s DCGR trailer based in Kirkgunzeon) and Rescue Pod 2 (Al’s DCGR trailer based at Rockcliffe) and didn’t the people of Dumfries love it!  We all met at the Maxwell Memorial Hall in Kirkgunzeon to get “dressed” and light refreshments were supplied by Margaret, Judy and Scilla. When we took a “team photograph” outside the hall, the local bus passed and you should have seen the looks on people’s faces as they saw the greyhounds and our members. The weather was very kind this year and we had stiff opposition from other entrants in the Walking Section but hey – we’re Greyhound Rescue – we can cope with the competition. The parade was the biggest (and best) ever with entries from many local organisations and charity’s. Graham would sincerely like to thank the 4 “Lady Penelopes”, the 2 “Brains”, the 2 “Parkers” and the 10 “Virgils” for giving up their time – you all know who you are and a big thanks also from DCGR for helping to promote greyhounds as family pets. This has been a good event for us this year because readers of the website will know we won 1st prize in the Retail Section of the Guid Nychburris Day Window Dressing Competition as well. What about next year?  Graham is going to suggest to the organisers that if we win it next year for a third time, we get to keep it – but somehow we don’t think they will allow that.  Anyway, Graham and Margaret are thinking hard for 2010 and have a couple of ideas already. One of the two "Brains" we had on Saturday Margaret, Judy, Dhariat and Kirsten as Lady Penelope

Midsummer morning in Gatehouse of Fleet.  20 June 2009. We had hardly finished setting up the DCGR table and a gazebo (kindly provided by the Tourist Information office) in the car park before the first of our visitors arrived.  In the photograph a lady from Hastings is talking to Brian just after 9.15am.  Later Ted and Barbara arrived with Eva to keep us company and we had a steady trickle of visitors through the morning; not only local people but a number of interested tourists including some from Canada , Poland and Ireland . At 1.30pm the gazebo had to be returned and Gatehouse car park emptied apart from the local teenagers.

Calendar Competition Results   Firstly, a very big thank you to Christine from Blendbetters pet food suppliers at Westlinton near Carlisle, who had the extremely difficult (her words) task of choosing the winner! After four long days Christine managed to choose a winner and 7 runners up!   The winning dog was Rebel from Lancashire and the runners up were, Katie from Loch Maben, Lady from Carlisle, Fregus from Lancaster, Ted and Prince from Orton and last but not least Beth and Jack from Girvan.   Congratulations to the winner and runners up - Christine wanted everyone to know that she would have picked them all if only we would have let her!

DCGR WINS FIRST IN WINDOW DRESSING COMPETITION Every year Dumfries holds it's Guid Nychburris (Good Neighbours) event - avid readers of this website will know DCGR won the Walking Section of the "Parade" last year. This year, using one of our members shops - Jackie Bacci Newsagents in the Whitesands, Dumfries, DCGR entered the Window Dressing Competition. The theme for all the entries was "Homecoming 2009 - Robert Burns" and Margaret Hill dressed the window with some old Scottish artefacts (no not Graham), some Tartan, whisky etc along with some Huggy Houndz and I LOVE GREYHOUND signs.  The centre piece was an adaptation of the poem "To a Mouse" which had been changed to "To a Greyhound", written on lining paper and aged with tea. The judges thought the idea was terrific and DCGR (and Jackie) won FIRST PRIZE in the Retail Section and was narrowly pipped at the post for the overall champion which is Retail and Non-Retail together. The layout of the front of the shop does not lend itself to a complete photograph of the entry but Graham tried his best and the shown pictures give you a rough idea of the layout.  If you are local to Dumfries, pop down to the Whitesands and visit the shop. Jackie will be delighted to see you.

Sunday 14th June   On Sunday14th June, Ruth Clarke our South Cumbria representative and member Pauline Jackson went to a car boot sale with items they had collected and had donated to them for DCGR, they raised a fantastice £165 for the charity. Many of the gifts were brand new and have been put on one side for a planned tombola stall in Barrow market some time in the coming weeks, so if you live in the Barrow area, keep an eye out for them! A big Thank You Ruth and Pauline for all your hard work.

Magic after winning Best Veteran Margaret & Sox winners of Dog Most Like Owner DOGS ALLOWED - LAUDER - 13th/14th JUNE We nearly had it all.  Got sunburned on Saturday morning and were met with torrential rain, thunder and lightening in the afternoon and on Sunday, dry and warm in the morning and torrential rain in the afternoon. Despite this, Margaret, Graham, Magic, Star and Sox made the most of it, promoting greyhounds as family pets. On the Sunday, we even met some greyhounds that had been re-homed locally by DCGR as well as some greyhounds re-homed by local welfare organisations. The setting at Thirlestane Castle was stunning and if you click onto Star's Diary at the end of the month, you will see the castle in all it's glory. DCGR entered 3 of the competitions and walked away with 2 "firsts". Magic won the Best Veteran and Sox and Margaret won "the Dog that Looks Most Like it's Owner" One good thing about the event was that we picked up some ideas on how to raise funds from other charities that were there, one of which was baking doggie treats and selling them for £1 per bag. Overall, DCGR raised over £150 in sales but the charity tin was disappointing (£4.95). The pictures show the stall just after we set up, Magic "celebrating" his First Place in the Veterans Class and Margaret and Sox (both wearing I NEED A HOME bibs) after winning the Dog that Looks Most Like it's Owner class.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT JAZZ FESTIVAL – Saturday 13 June 2009 Having manoeuvred the Greyhound Rescue trailer into place on The Mound in Kirkcudbright and just got the display/sales table assembled, a Jazz Festival organiser arrived to tell us that traders and displays were going to be set up in the Soaperie Gardens (by the Parish Church) instead.  So we had to pack up, attach the trailer to the car and move down the road.  We were given a choice of sites so we decided to set up our spot close by the main gate; this turned out to be a good position, not only being on the parade route, there was a steady stream of people passing by from 9.30am to just after 2pm (end of music) and we were all kept busy with sales, in excess of £225 was raised on the day, information and greyhound chat.  A short shower at about 10am was followed by a dry cloudy warm day – just right for the 7 greyhounds in attendance.  Only two other charities set up stalls, RNLI and Macmillan Nurses. The happy band of volunteers at Kirkcudbright were Brian and Chris with Cassie; Cilla with Daisy & Dixie; Linda and John with Jasper & Chalky; Ted and Barbara with Eva; Tracey and daughter with Rocky.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY. MARKET HILL CAR PARK. CASTLE DOUGLAS . Saturday 6 June 2009. Brian & Chris set up the stall earlier than advertised by 9.30am on a very cold wet and breezy morning; the reason was that the previous two weeks Castle Douglas had been in full swing by early Saturday morning with the car park area rapidly filling.  But this morning there were very few people about and those we saw for the first hour were scurrying past wrapped up and bent over again the wet and wind, rather like images in a Lowry painting. Cassie held her ground against the weather (being well wrapped up like us) and fortunately by the end of the first hour the wind had dropped, the rain eased somewhat and the first of the volunteers and dogs started to arrive.  We had spells of being busy but on the whole it was a disappointing day for enquiries, but despite that we did get a collection of over £90 in the boxes.  By 2.30pm there were only a few folk about and frankly the cold and wet got the better of us by then so we decided to close down, pack everything in the car and put the heater on. Volunteers on the day (owners and 12 dogs) included Pat with Sky, Tracey and family with Rocky and Nina, Sandra with Tomas, Linda with Jasper and Chalky, Ted with Eva, Cilla with Daisy and Dixie. Also Claire from Girvan, who also brought a home made liver cake which was very much appreciated by the 12 dogs present that day.

LONGTOWN GALA - SATURDAY 6TH JUNE It was cold and windy, but fortunately dry when DCGR turned up at Longtown for their Annual Gala Day. Margaret and Graham with Magic, Star, Bridie and Sox arrived at 9.30 and were soon joined by Wendy and Audrey as well as Arthur with Robert and Pearl. Not a lot of dogs on show when the crowd came in following the parade of floats at 1.30 but once again, the greyhounds acted as magnets for the public as everyone wanted to say hello to them. Quite a few leaflets handed out and by the time Graham and Margaret got home, Al had even freceived a phone call!! Just over £100 raised on the day, for which we are extremely grateful. Picture shows the DCGR team of humans and dogs. If you look closely, Arthur has an ice cream while Margaret is wearing gloves and ear muffs - not bad for the height of summer!!!

Wetheral Open Day - Saturday 6th June   With three events running on the same day, dogs and their owners were spread thinly on the ground, so a very special thank you to those few members who did turn up to support us at Wetheral, despite the weather! You will see in the picture that even the dogs had their winter coats on! There was a lot of interest in the few dogs we did have with us and at one point there was quite a large crowd around us, all watching Kia playing very daintily with a small Jack Russell Terrier puppy. The sales table and charity tins raised just under £200, so a big thank you to everyone.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - CALDBECK - SUNDAY 31ST MAY Glorious weather for 2 days in a row - what is happening!!! Not many greyhounds for the public to see today but nevertheless, they were the stars once again. Whilst Jack Russells and Labradors and Collies were walking past pulling their owners, the greyhounds were totally chilled out lying on their duvets. We had Magic and Star along with Gemma and Davie all the time, with visits from Sally, Jet and Jack. It really is quite pleasant to be able to sit out with the greyhounds rather than beeing huddled under a gazebo out of the rain. DCGR would like to thank Richard and Kath from the Gift Shop for hosting us and we were delighted to raise nearly £140 through sales and charity tin.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – TESCO EXTRA DUMFRIES – SATURDAY 30TH MAY “Wonderful weather, generous people and excellent location.” That’s the quote that Graham gave to staff at Tesco following the highly successful event at Cuckoo Bridge , Dumfries . Over £320 was raised on the day along with 2 definite home visits and a goodly number of leaflets handed out.  Although not as many dogs attended this event – we still had Magic and Star as usual, Shiloh and Honey as well as Boris and Minty. As the weather was very hot, there was plenty of water on hand for the dogs and Graham had arranged an “appearance rota” where only 2 greyhounds were in the sun at any one time, with the rest in reserve under the shade of a nearby canopy. After 12 midday, the angle of the sun was such that the entrance canopy of the main store provided shade for the dogs that were left. Due to the hot weather however, Graham decided to call a halt to the event at 2pm. The pictures show various scenes of the event including one featuring Ailsa, a member of Tesco’s staff.

"A TEAR TO A GLASS EYE" Our regular readers will know that Katie, our long term foster dog who stayed with Chris and Brian (and Cassie) died recently and Cassie has not been herself lately. On the other hand, Star, another long term foster dog who stays with Graham and Margaret (and Magic) can be a proper little madam sometime - mostly with other bitches.  Well at Cream o' Galloway last weekend, Cassie was lying on the mat minding her own business when Star, who is uncannily like the late Katie, lay down beside her, putting her head over Cassie's back. We tried a couple of times to get a photograph without success then Maggie Horan was successful with this shot. Quite emotional for all who knew Katie.

Question - What are the cows looking at in Kirkgunzeon?   Answer: - Magic and Star having a run!!

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND 23rd/24th MAY - CREAM O GALLOWAY ICE CREAM FACTORY, Nr Gatehouse of Fleet Two days of contrasts met our hardy volunteers on the Bank Holiday weekend at Cream o Galloway. Saturday was wet, cold and miserable and the dogs were feeling the cold so much that they were wearing their coats! What a difference on the Sunday - warm, sunny weather and very, very busy. Just about everyone entering the grounds stopped to say hello and as a result, our charity tins were much fuller than last year. It must be said that not only the humans enjoyed the various flavours of ice cream, but our dogs thoroughly enjoyed it as well!! Graham has designed a new Domino Tombola that can be utilised for all sorts of things from cuddly toys to alcoholic drinks and didn't it do well with over £50 being raised. In total, nearly £200 was raised for which we are extremely grateful. The pictures show the set up just after we arrived and Magic, Star, Cassie and Eva enjoying the sun. On top of all this, a member from Edinburgh, Sheila McCulloch came along and donated £150 she raised selling her home made cards.

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND - CREAM O GALLOWAY - SUPPLEMENTARY If you throw a small pebble into a pond, it's amazing how far the ripples will travel. The picture shows Kirsty from Suffolk with her greyhound Elvis. Last year Kirsty was on holiday in Galloway and visited the ice cream factory when we held our Meet a Greyhound Weekend last year.  She was so taken on the plight of the ex-racing greyhound that on her return to Suffolk, she made enquiries with her local greyhound rescue organisation and hey presto, Elvis found his forever home. As Graham keeps saying, the money is important but not as important as spreading the word and the more Meet a Greyhound Days there are, the more homeless dogs will find a home. Kirsty made the point of coming up again this year so she could tell us the story and show Elvis off to the public - well done Kirsty

HOLYROOD PALACE GARDEN PARTY - SATURDAY 23RD MAY DCGR was honored to be invited to the Lord High Commissioner to the Moderator of the Church of Scotland's Garden Party at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on Saturday 23rd May and we were represented by our Vice-Chair Lorraine Nichol and her husband Robert and our Treasurer, Margaret Hill (Graham was fundraising at the Cream o Galloway Ice Cream Factory). This was an ideal opportunity to "network" and Margaret had a few flyers in her handbag just in case anyone required further information. The picture shows the DCGR threesome enjoying the hospitality.

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND - GRETNA GATEWAY VILLAGE - 16TH/17TH MAY Gretna seemed quieter than usual over the 2 days we were there - maybe the weather forecast kept people away - but it turned out to be dry if not a little cool in the fresh wind. There were 20 greyhounds for the public to admire on the Saturday and 12 on the Sunday and weren't they the stars once again. Plenty people stopped to say hello and to throw a few coins in the charity tins once they had spoken to the dogs. 2 very generous members of the public even put £20 notes in the tins. Over the two days, DCGR raised over £480 which is exceptionally good considering the economic climate. More importantly, a few people are seriosly considering adopting a greyhound in the future and took away some information. The pictures show a "team photograph" taken just after setting up on the Saturday as well as a shot of Rosie (a homeless greyhound) and Magic (an experienced eventer) crashed out in the back of Al's car.   SUPPLEMENTARY One of the most avid readers of our website is Tilly Skelton from Newcastleton.  It is alleged that she can identify each dog on our homeless gallery and give it's colour and weight. Maybe we should enter her for Mastermind and her "specialist subject" would be "The Homeless Gallery from the website of Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue".  When she knew we would be at Gretna, she badgered her dad to take her and here she is with brother Findlay and a pack of our homed greyhounds.

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY - PETS AT HOME DUMFRIES - 10TH MAY What a change in the weather from the previous 2 days!! Dry, warm, sunny and no wind - perfect conditions for a Meet a Greyhound Day. Over the 6 hours we were there, we had 12 dogs to "show off" to the public and didn't they do well. We have said it before and will say it again - the dogs are the stars. Pets at Home made DCGR very welcome and even donated a "goodie bag" of treats and toys that we can raffle, so a big, big thanks to Andy, the Manager and Claire, who assisted us on the day. Over £155 was raised at this event but more importantly, loads of people took away flyers and are considering a greyhound as a family pet. Thanks once again to Pets at Home and the members who gave up their time. Picture shows our members and dogs with some staff from Pets at Home

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND – TESCO CARLISLE – MAY 8TH / 9TH     Wet and windy weather met Graham and Margaret with Magic, Star and foster dog Molly as they set up the Meet a Greyhound Day at Tesco in Carlisle on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th May. Despite the weather, the greyhounds were a REAL attraction on the Friday and when Arthur (with Robert and Pearl ), Inger with her pack and Tricia, with recently re-homed Misty came along, it became really busy. As we were all out in the elements with the dogs, Audrey and Wendy from Carlisle (see following story), were positioned inside the store, collecting much needed cash from sympathisers. Over £230 was raised on the Friday. Unfortunately on the Saturday, Graham and Margaret were left to their own devices with Magic, Star and Molly and Wendy and Audrey were “doing there bit” inside the store. As the dogs were extremely tired (see photograph) and the weather turned really nasty, they decided to call it a day at 2pm. The income for the Saturday was again over £230 which was quite excellent considering. Apart from the financial income, a good number of people took away flyers, we have 1 definite home-check and a lady is considering starting up a standing order. Taking everything into consideration, a quite excellent event (despite the weather) and we hope Tesco consider inviting us again. Pictures show 2 views of the “table” and one of Magic and Molly “crashing out” on a duvet

MEET A GREYHOUND WEEKEND – TESCO CARLISLE– MAY 8th / 9th – SUPPLEMENTARY If ever there was an illustration of the saying “you don’t need to have a greyhound to be a member of Greyhound Rescue” then Audrey and Wendy (pictured) are just that!! Both ladies come from Carlisle , are dog daft and just love greyhounds to bits. Although their circumstances are such that they cannot have a greyhound, they are eager and willing to help DCGR in just about any way they can to promote greyhounds as family pets and to raise much needed cash. Audrey and Wendy came along on both days at Tesco in Carlisle and assisted by “controlling” the charity collections just inside the main entrance to the store from 10 in the morning through to the conclusion of each day’s event. On behalf of DCGR a big thanks. So anyone out there without a greyhound but willing to lend a hand to assist “the cause” – contact Graham at 01387 760577 or Al at 01228 674127 or have a look at our Events page and come along to one and introduce yourself.

KIRROUGHTREE FOREST – 2/3/4 MAY Graham has decided never to trust the weather forecast again!! When he checked a weather site on Wednesday, it was forecasted to be heavy rain on the Saturday, heavy rain on the Sunday and heavy rain on the Monday. Well 1 out of 3 isn’t too bad. The weather on Saturday and Sunday was glorious and what a number of dogs were on parade on both days – too many even to try and remember. The strange thing was that the majority were black and white, which makes a change from the usual black. Anyway, lot’s of people came to see us but the so called “credit crunch” seems to be biting as our takings were well down from last year – in fact by almost 100%. Nearly £150 was raised over the 2 days – only 2 because the weather was so bad on the Monday that Graham and Margaret packed up at midday as there wasn’t even a single car in the Visitors Centre Car Park. One good thing came about on the Saturday as prospective new adoptive parents came to see Graham and Margaret’s foster dog Mollie and subject to a Home Visit this week, Mollie will have found a new home. Members be aware however that Arthur’s dog Robert has taken over from Lewis, his previous greyhound who sadly passed away recently, in that Robert has a penchant for lifting his leg against anything that is static including Brian and Chris’s lunchtime sandwiches!!! Picture shows some of the members who supported DCGR on the Saturday.

DCGR are pleased to announce that Monty Halls has agreed to be a patron of the charity, alongside our long standing patron Annette Crosby OBE - see picture below taken in Bristol this week, of Monty with one of DCGRs re-homed greyhounds Skye. Monty who most recently appeared on the BBC in his series Monty Halls Great Escape, has a rescue dog called Reuben who appeared in the series with Monty and almost stole the show!

Meet A Greyhound Day - Barrow in Furness Saturday 25th April   Local members from the Barrow area turned out in force to support the DCGR Meet a Greyhound Day in Barrow Town centre on Saturday 25th April. The weather stayed dry and over £240 was made on the day. A special thank you must go to Zoey and Kayleigh who emptied their money boxes out to raise the total to just over £252. Also three home checks have been arranged as a result of the day!

MEET A GREYHOUND DAY – STRANRAER – 25TH APRIL What a beautiful day!! Sunny, warm and dry from the minute we arrived at 10 am until we left at 3pm. On the way home however, there was torrential rain and even thunder and lightening so we were really, really lucky. There was a nice selection of dogs for the public see as Magic, Star, Chalkie, Jasper, Rocky and Cassie (sad to see Katy not with Cassie after her recent death) were as usual, on their best behaviour. Although not overly busy throughout the day, it was constant as members of the public stopped for a chat or to say hello to the dogs. Financially, the people of Stranraer were very generous, with nearly £200 donated on the day, which was well up on last year. On the homing front, it was difficult to say, however a few leaflets were handed out to the public.  The pictures show some members of the public stopping for a chat just as we had set up and a wheelchair bound young man from Stranraer called David, meeting a greyhound (Magic) for the first time.

Saturday 11th April - Carlisle Town Centre   Despite a poor weather forecast, the day stayed dry, sunny and fairly warm. Carlisle town centre was very busy, with the annual continental market in full swing and the public keen to meet and stroke the greyhounds, at our meet a greyhound day. Lots of members and their dogs came and went throughout the day, ensuring there were always at least five or six dogs for the public to meet and at one point there were over 15 dogs there. Over £600 was raised on the day and our thanks go to all our members who spent time at the stand, without your help we couldn't do it! The picture shows some members of the public meeting the dogs and talking to Al.

ANNAN COFFEE MORNING – 4TH APRIL It was bit chilly and windy in Annan for the coffee morning on Saturday 4th April organised by some local supporters from the Annan area. There were plenty of stalls to keep people interested from Books to Tombola and from Home Baking to Guess the Age of the Teddy although arguably, our member’s greyhounds, Magic, Star, Robert, Pearl , Katie, Cassie, Dixie, Daisy, Varee and Harvey were the main attractions.  Although not exceptionally busy, there was a steady flow of customers through the doors which kept us all active for the 2 hours. At the end of the day, we recruited 1 new member with 15 membership forms handed out, the possibility of 2 new homes, the offer of assistance if DCGR were to open our own charity shop in Dumfries (This will be discussed at our next committee meeting) and unbelievably, over £850 was raised and donated to DCGR. What a start to the new financial year!!  DCGR would like to thank members Isabelle McManaman and Norma Pearce for organising the event and the team of ladies and gentlemen who manned the stalls in support of the greyhounds – well done!!  The pictures show the function room ready to receive customers prior to the doors opening as well as some really comfy greyhounds!

WOMAN’S GROUP - CHURCH OF SCOTLAND – CARLISLE On Wednesday 1st April, Graham and Margaret journeyed to Chapel St, Carlisle to give a talk on Greyhound Rescue to a ladies group in the Church of Scotland hall. Over 20 ladies attended the talk as Graham extolled the successes of DCGR in Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria , whilst Margaret set up a sales table at the rear of the hall. There was plenty of laughter as Graham told them about our fundraising and promotional escapades such as the Hadrian’s Wall walk in fancy dress and our winning entry at the Big Parade in Dumfries when we were dressed as “hares”. The thanks, given by a member, congratulated DCGR on their sterling work in re-homing greyhounds. Nearly £40 was raised on the day, which was the first fundraiser of the new financial year.

CHARITY SHOP - DALBEATTIE- 26/27/28 MARCH For the third year in a row, DCGR had been donated so much quality goods that we decided to have a 3 day charity shop in Dalbeattie, courtesy of McKenzie’s Ironmongers. Over the 3 days, Margaret (our Treasurer) and members Jane Elliott, Liz Iken, Scilla Dennis and Barbara Percy, ably assisted by box lifter Graham, manned the shop and what a success it was once again. As usual, there was a queue at opening time at 10am on the first day and right up to 4pm on the Saturday, we were still selling items. Our total for the 3 days was nearly £600 which included an anonymous donation from a local resident of £100 who was delighted at the work DCGR does in re-homing ex-racing greyhounds. Hopefully and if we get more donations, we will take the charity shop for a further 3 days towards the end of the year. This is the last fundraiser of the financial year and what a way to end.  DCGR thanks everyone who donated goods and who assisted at the event. Picture shows Margaret and Jane with 2 prospective customers admiring the goods.

Wednesday 11th March Yet another talk for Graham and Margaret, this time to the Castle Douglas Ladies Club on Wednesday 11th March!!  About 20 ladies listened intently to Graham talking about how DCGR was set up, how we fundraise and more importantly, the greyhounds. As usual, while Graham was speaking, Margaret set up the sales table at the rear of the hall. Also present at the talk was Pat from Castle Douglas with her new adopted greyhound Sky, who is absolutely adorable. At the conclusion of the talk, Magic, Star, Jack and Sky entered the hall and everyone in the audience had a wide smile on their face. As the greyhounds met everyone, Graham was answering many questions on the breed. In the vote of thanks given to DCGR, the spokeswoman congratulated DCGR on their innovative ways of raising the profile of ex-racing greyhounds and our unique ways of raising cash. Nearly £40 was raised on the night for which we are extremely grateful.  The picture shows the ladies of the club with Pat and Margaret and of course our well behaved greyhounds.

Monday 9th March On the evening of Monday 9th March, Graham and Margaret along with Magic, Star and foster dog Jack, went along to Blackford Primary School near Carlisle to give a talk on DCGR to the ladies of Blackford WI . Taking time off from his Re-Homing duties, Al came along to lend support with Roma and Molly. As is usual now, the dogs were left outside until Graham and Al completed the talk and to the enjoyment of the audience, 5 rescued greyhounds came in to say hello. The ladies were full of compliments about the work of the charity and the excellent behaviour of the dogs.  Margaret had set out a “sales table” at the rear of the hall and including a donation for the talk  DCGR raised over £55.  Our thanks go to the ladies for their generosity and for their hospitality.

26th February 09 Graham and Margaret have been involved with DCGR since the beginning and over the years have looked after quite a number of greyhounds with different temperaments and characters. The last week however, has been a first! They are fostering their largest ever greyhound and their smallest ever greyhound at the same time. For those that know their resident greyhound Magic, they will appreciate that he is a fairly large boy at 34 kilo, but their most recent, Jack, is 40 kilo+. On the other hand there is 18 month old Sky (yes she is fully grown) who is 23 kilo. Sky can actually walk underneath Jack. It really is quite funny to see Sky, who is very playfull, trying to get the big boys Jack and Magic to play with her but they are extremely tolerant and not a cross word has passed between them. Both are advertised in the Homeless Gallery. The picture shows Jack and Sky together in Graham and Margaret's field.

Thornhill Beavers On the evening of Tuesday 10th February, Graham and Margaret Hill with Magic, Star and foster dog Secret, travelled to Thornhill to meet the Thornhill Beavers.  The Beavers had undertaken a sponsored torchlight walk and decided to donate some of the cash raised to DCGR.  They also collected some tins of dog food for our homeless dogs. On arrival at Thornhill, Graham said a few words about greyhounds and then lined all the children up so that they could give the dogs a "treat". The greyhounds loved all the attention and were on their best behaviour (as usual). At the conclusion, DCGR were presented with a cheque for £80 as well as about 30 tins of dog food. Well done the Beavers and a big thanks from all at DCGR (and our Greyhounds) for their support. The picture shows Margaret with the Beavers and Magic, Star and Secret.

Castle Douglas Parish Church On the evening of Tuesday 3rd February, Graham and Margaret along with Magic, Star and homeless dog Secret, travelled to Castle Douglas Parish Church to give a talk to the Guild, on Greyhound Rescue. Over 20 members listened intently as Graham recounted the story of DCGR and it's successes as Margaret set out the "sales table". At the conclusiuon of the talk, Magic, Star and Secret entered the hall to meet the audience and had to be immediately steered away from the food table!! As usual, the greyhounds played to the audience walking around everyone to get a cuddle. At this moment in time DCGR have some really excellent items for sale (most of them still in their original boxes) and the picture shows "the rush" to pick up a bargain. We also went with over 20 of Margaret Bleasdale's hand knitted scarves and only came back with 5!!! Margaret is a member from Silverdale in south Cumbria who knitted 60 scarves for DCGR and we started selling them at the Show in December and now only have 5 left. The other picture shows the daughter of an audience member admiting Magic. In financial terms the event was excellent, raising over £170 for the evenings work.