|
| Star, Timmy, Darth and Magic |
STAR – born January 1997
(MERRY
TIDINGS)
The story so far…………..
Star was NEVER meant to be a long tern foster dog but if you believe in destiny, she ALWAYS
was meant to stay with Graham and Margaret Hill, DCGR’s Events Co-ordinator and Treasurer respectively.
It was just over 5 years
ago, that Graham picked up Star in a car park at Gretna from one of our members, who had been given her by an owner from the
north east of England. By all accounts, she was only on the track once or twice,
but for the remainder of her life in that area, she was used for breeding and we believe that she has had at least 5 litters.
Star stayed with Graham
and Margaret (and Magic and Darth) for a week or so then was re-homed in Dumfries. Unfortunately, Star was returned to DCGR and
to Graham and Margaret, as her “adopter’s” home circumstances turned out not to be suitable.
A week or so later, Star
found an ideal home in Hexham for a year or so but due to her young owner leaving home to go to college, she was once again
returned to Graham and Margaret.
Her next home was in Parkgate
just outside Dumfries where she had a really nice time with her new owner and another greyhound called
Geordie – they were inseparable and thoroughly enjoyed each others company. Sadly, Geordie died of cancer and her new
owner met an untimely death herself.
Once again, she returned
to Graham and Margaret who by this time had Magic, Darth and another greyhound called Timmy. Timmy became the new Geordie
and when Graham and Margaret moved house to Kirkgunzeon (and a large field) Timmy and Star had a ball chasing each other until
they were totally exhausted. Magic and Darth were too “regal” to involve themselves in the chasing and just lay
on the grass watching the entertainment!!
Graham and Margaret had
already approached the committee of DCGR asking that Star be promoted to “long term foster dog” due to the fact
that she was over 10 by this time.
In the first year at Kirkgunzeon,
Darth passed away, Timmy had a leg amputated due to cancer and in the September of the following year, Star had lost yet another
“buddy” when Timmy died of cancer.
Star has had a traumatic
time over the years, but she has found stability and love with Graham and Margaret (and Magic) and she will stay with them
until the end of her days.
Commencing
in June, you will be able to read Star’s Diary instead of Katie’s
Diary due to the recent sad news we received about Katie.
|
|
| Star and Timmy at Moffat Meet a Greyhound Day |
|
|
| Star after Timmy |
|
STAR’S DIARY 1st to 30th JUNE
Star (and Magic) have had a really
busy month probably due to the fact that Graham is the Events Co-ordinator for DCGR and attends just about every event. This
month Star attended at Carlisle
City Centre (5th) to see Al coming in after his marathon walk; Longtown Gala Day (6th); Dogs Allowed
in Lauder (13th / 14th ); the Guid Nychburris Day Parade in Dumfries (20th) – WE WON!! ; Houghton Primary School Summer Gala (26th) and the Meet a Greyhound
Day in Moffat (27th). At all these events, Star has been very “stately” and once she finds out where
Margaret has put the mat, she soon settles down for a snooze. During this time as well, she has had to “put up with”
5 young whippersnapper foster greyhounds” that Graham and Margaret have invited into the house. These greyhounds have
been Nina (now with Chris and Brian), Molly (now with Tricia in Carlisle ), Sox now in the south lakes and Hondo and Poppy
who are still here. Star always likes to be the boss and soon puts them all in their place. She really is quite remarkable
for her age (13 in January) and really enjoys having a gallop in the field and having a bark at next doors Labradors . As
I write this, the heat is really quite unbearable and Star, Magic, Poppy and Hondo have found a nice cool place in the house
to curl up and have a nap. As an example of Star’s resilience was the Guid Nychburris Day Parade in Dumfries where
we all had to gather for 5pm for the judging even although the parade didn’t move off until 6.15 (nearer 6.30 for us).
She was quite the thing walking round the streets of Dumfries with people cheering the dogs, bag pipes playing and even following
a float playing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” for 1 ½ hours. Boy – didn’t they all sleep well
the following day and Star, Magic and Hondo all got an extra special breakfast of toast and liver pate!!. Touch-wood, her
health is fine, she is eating well and getting as much exercise as she wants. Next month will just be as busy so click
on “Star’s Diary” at the end of July for more information
|
|
| Star on her mat at Houghton Primary School |
|
|
| Star (with Magic in background) in a fully laden car going to an event |
|
|
| Star (front left)"dressed up" for the Guid Nychburris Day Parade |
|
|
| Picture of Star with Magic and foster dog Nina |
|
|
| Picture of Star with Magic and Sox at Thirlestane Castle in Lauder |
|
Diary to 31st July 2009
Another month gone by and Star
has been as busy as ever. She has attended the Dumfries Meet a Greyhound Day on the 4th of July, Kirkcudbright
Plant Fair on the 11th and 12th , a talk to the Loreburn Retired Group on the 21st , the
Meet a Greyhound Day at Kirkcudbright on the 25th and the Presidents BBQ on the 26th . Again,
no problems with health other than the fact she was STUNG BY A BEE and her face and throat swelled so mush she looked like
a Labrador !! A quick visit to the vet and she was right as rain the following day. As readers will know, Margaret and
I also foster greyhounds and over the last month we have had Hondo (now re-homed) and Poppy with us. Poppy is suffering from
a back problem (trapped nerve) and is undergoing acupuncture treatment, but it doesn’t stop her running. Of course if
Poppy runs, Star has to run too but she is becoming “fly” in her old age and where Poppy runs in large circles,
Star just runs straight. She is still eating well and is very active for her age. When we gave a talk to the Loreburn Retired
Group, Star was the star-attracting more attention then Poppy or Magic. At the outdoor events, she still loves to get attention,
but is quite happy to lie on her duvet and wait for people to come to her. At all the events, she has been the oldest there
but like the rest of the greys present, she is more than happy to be stroked and given treats. This was especially true at
the Kirkcudbright Plant Fair when we were asked to do some parades in the arena. After the parades were over (we had 29 dogs
in one of the parades) people were so “struck” by the dogs that we received some really generous donations and
once again, Star received plenty of attention. With our new promotional DVD now available, it was nice to see Star in
the film, relaxing at home on her favourite bed.
The photographs show Star at
some of the events.
1st
- 31st August Instead of Star wearing her waterproof coat this month, I think she needed water-wings!! Her events
this month included the Gatehouse of Fleet Gala (dry but very windy), the Dalston Show (remarkably good weather), the Border
Gathering (showers), the Galloway Country Fair (Very, Very wet) and the Keswick Show (Very, Very, Very, Very wet) Nonetheless,
Star took it all in her stride. She also had plenty company this month (other than Magic and Poppy) when Nina, Cassie
and Tazia all stayed at various times. Star really is extremely tolerant of these young whippersnappers and when they
start running, she is not far behind. Graham and Margaret usually get down to their caravan Haltwhistle for a few days but
with the weather and the events, it has proved impossible in August – maybe September will be better. As I write this,
it is pouring yet again and the dogs have that look on their face which says, “why
can’t I get out to run about” . However, when you open the door, to do so, 4 noses peek out about
3 inches and when they feel the rain, it’s the Michael Jackson Moonwalk backwards into the house!! Honestly, let’s
hope that September has better weather and I can get some “proper” outdoor shots of Star for her next entry.
Star’s health is as good as ever and you would not believe she will be 13 in January.
|
| Star (in background) with Magic flat out as usual |
|
|
| Star at the Keswick Show before the rain with Magic, Poppy and Tazia |
|
|
| The "old girl" nice and comfy in the DCGR caravan at Keswick |
|
|
| Star (with Poppy) enjoying the sunset at Dalston, the night before the show |
|
|
Star's Diary - to 30th September 2009
A fairly quiet month for Star as the fundraising
events are tailing off towards the end of the year. Nevertheless Star made it to a few including the Selkirk Show and a Meet
a Greyhound Day at Somerfields in Carlisle. In addition, she "helped" Graham at a talk to a pensioners group just
outside Dumfries. Star's health remains fine with no problems whatsoever. Some of you may have noticed the thin blue collar
Star wears and have wondered what it was. Well, we are making no recommendation but in Star's case, it seems to work,
in that it is a "magnetic collar". Although most of the photographs in this diary are of Star lying down, she still
is very active and continues to run about her field when she gets the inclination. At nearly 13, we think that the "magnetic
effect" of the collar has helped her stay mobile. One of the photographs shows Star wearing her "designer
wooly jumper" at Somerfields on Saturday 26th September. She does feel the cold a little and when Margaret Bleasdale
(one of our members) knitted some, Star was first in line to buy one. Doesn't she look smart!! The other photographs were
taken during the month and include Magic, Star and Poppy "resting" at the pensioners group talk and Star having
a lie down on 3 beds as Margaret does the "hoovering". We have included an "archive" photograph of Star
in her prime at 11 along with Magic, Timmy (deceased) and Darth (deceased) which was taken in 2006 at Kirroughtree Forest
near Newton Stewart at a Meet a Greyhound weekend.
1st to 31st OCTOBER Another relatively busy month for Star’s family, especially
as Graham and Margaret have decided to adopt foster dog Poppy. Last year, Graham and Margaret had 4 greyhounds but with the
deaths of Darth and Timmy, Poppy will bring the pack up to 3. Star has no problems whatsoever with Poppy, despite Poppy’s
“condition” which makes her very restless. Star’s health remains very good and with the recent “Indian
summer” this month, she was regularly seen in the field having a gallop around. The 3 events she attended this month
were Meet a Greyhound Days at Tesco in Lockerbie and Castle Douglas and a talk given by Graham to the St Andrews Church Women’s
Guild in Moffat. The two outdoor events were a little cold, so Star only came out “for public display” a couple
of times with the remainder being spent curled up on her duvet in the back of the car. Star has been down at Graham and Margaret’s
caravan in Haltwhistle for 5 days enjoying the “fresh” Northumberland air and watching the rabbits running around
a neighbouring field. Graham and Margaret took a break to Lake Como this month and Maggie from Brampton came to Kirkgunzeon
to look after Star, Magic and Poppy as well as her own 2 – Mel and Misty. Again, no problems whatsoever and Maggie enjoyed
looking after the pack of 5 totally chilled out greyhounds.
|
| Star with Magic and 'new' dog Poppy, with Margaret at Tesco in Lockerbie |
|
|
| Star after "making her bed" to get more comfortable |
|
|
| Star (looking the wrong way) with Magic and Chalkie and Margaret at Tesco |
|
|
| Star waiting for some homebaking at a talk given by Graham in Moffat |
|
November/December 2009 With very few events these past two months other than “the big show”, Star has been
enjoying good health and the comfort of her new bed she got from Santa. Those who were at the show would have seen her in
the Long Term Foster Dog Parade and she doesn’t look anywhere near her 13 years of age. The only problem we can see
is that the strength in her back legs seems to be waning. With this ice and snow we have at present it is very slippy and
where Magic and Poppy can correct themselves when they feel their legs going, Star unfortunately can’t and invariably
lands on her bum in a very unladylike position. A couple of times we have even had to help her up as she couldn’t manage
herself. Those who have visited our house will know that it is an “upside down” house with the bedrooms on the
ground floor and the living-room/kitchen etc on the 1st. Whether it is due to her age or the fact that she is using
up some of her strength keeping upright in the snow, Star is now finding it a little difficult climbing the stairs.
We hope that this is just a temporary “blip” and once the snow and ice go away, she will be back to normal. The
pictures show Star in the snow (couldn’t find her own coat so she is wearing an old one which is a little shorter) with
some “friends”.
 STAR’S DIARY – JANUARY 2010 It’s now official – Star is 13 years of age and celebrated
her birthday with some nice Tesco mince and a little gravy – her favourite. She really is doing remarkably well
considering although it is fairly obvious she doesn’t like the cold and prefers to be well wrapped up when going for
a walk (don’t we all). Graham didn’t take her to the Meet a Greyhound Day at Asda due to the cool wind so
she hasn’t really been anywhere exciting since last year, however she still gets to meet the visiting greyhounds when
they come to Kirkgunzeon. The one occasion she was out visiting is when Graham and Margaret gave a talk to the Ae Allosorts
at Ae Village and none of the audience could believe she was 13. Her health is still pretty good although whether it
is selective hearing or a little deafness creeping in, she needs to be told 2 or 3 times that her dinner is ready or it’s
time for a walk. Unfortunately she suffered a minor injury to her tail poor thing, when it got stuck between her plastic
bed and the wall. Margaret and Graham thought she was having a heart attack or something serious as she was screaming the
house down without any apparent reason. It was only when Graham looked behind her that he saw the cause of the pain and although
there was a little blood, a doggie treat soon took the pain away. She is also beginning to drink more water than usual,
so a trip to the vet is on the cards pretty soon, just to make sure everything is ok. The picture shows Poppy, Magic
and Star out for a wander at Kirkgunzeon.
STAR’S DIARY
– March 2010 Apologies for not reporting for a while but the bottom line is that Star is doing remarkably well and
there was (and is) nothing to report. She is more than happy that the snow and ice has gone and from time to time in the nice
weather, she can be seen going for a gallop in the field for all of 20 seconds!! Well she is nearly 13 ½ . She accompanied
Graham and Margaret along with Poppy and Magic to a talk in Kirkcudbright and was also at the MAG day in Carlisle although
she was quite happy to sit in the car and allow people to come and say hello to her!! Last weekend but one, Graham and
Margaret had 7 greyhounds in the house – all bitches (except Magic - lucky boy) but it’s amazing that they all
seem to recognise that Star is the Alpha female and appear to do what they are told when she gives them a bark. If any of
our readers come to our events, please make a point of saying hello to Star as she really is one – a Star. The
pictures show Star down at Millport visiting Graham’s sister and one of Star on a sunny day at Kirkgunzeon beside Margaret’s
newest garden ornament.
STAR'S DIARY April/May
Well the old girl is still
as healthy as ever and has had no problems since the last update. She has been to most of the fundraisers this year although
Graham and Margaret have been ensuring she gets her morning and afternoon snooze either in the DCGR caravan or in the car.
She still enjoys a regular walk, especially at Graham and Margaret's own caravan in Haltwhistle, near Hadrian's Wall
where there are plenty of routes to take. With the recent spell of good weather, she can be seen wandering about the garden,
annoying next door's labradors (she doesn't like them for some reason)and then finding her duvet/bed for another snooze.
The pictures show Star (with Margaret, Magic and Poppy) out for a walk near Hadrians Wall and 2 further
photographs of
her in her "usual" position.
STAR'S DIARY - UPDATE TO END OF July
Apologies to everyone for the lateness of this report but with holidays
and events, it's been difficult to sit in front of the computer and get the information down. Star is as good as ever
despite her "mature" years and although not as lively as she would like, she still has a canter round the field
here in Kirkgunzeon. She has "controlled" two foster dogs since my last report - Teal and Maddie and while Graham
and Margaret were on holiday, Jane Elliott, ex-secretary of DCGR, dog and house sat Magic, Star and Poppy along with her own
two, Maisie and Fleck. Star really likes the new company and she seems to perk up when "new" dogs come to the house.
She has been to a few events recently and certainly likes the attention she gets when we tell people she is nearly 14! The
last event was the Presidents BBQ on Sunday 25th July when 79 greyhounds including Star, were roaming about free. She was
a little "barky" at the beginning as she didn't understand why all these young whippersnappers were running
about doing what they wanted but she soon got into the way of things and had a run herself before heading back to the DCGR
caravan for a rest. The pictures show Star lying in the sun on her duvet during one of the sunny days we had recently and
one of her helping Margaret and Carol-Anne sorting out a donation of women's lingerie we received last week.
|
