No “Harry Potter and the Greyhound” is not the title of J K Rowling’s latest book but she does have a greyhound called Sapphire.
Greyhounds are one of the oldest and versatile breeds of dog. They can be traced back to the Pharaohs who had some and there are references to them in the bible. Celebraties who have had greyhounds include Prince Albert and Queen Victoria as well as Frank Sinatra to name but a few.
The greyhound is thought to have originated in southern Arabia where the birth of a greyhounds was more prestigious that the birth of a baby girl! That’s quite a reputation to live up to. However a baby boy was more important than the birth of a greyhound.
Greyhounds were built for speed with a very deep chest, flexible spine and very powerful hind quarters, long legs and along tail. They have narrow heads and the whole body is streamlined to cut down on wind resistance.
Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog in existence and according to the Guinness Book of Records in 1994 a greyhound reached 41.83 miles per hour!
However when greyhounds retire from racing they turn into lazy couch potatoes who love to loll around and get fussed.
They make great companions and perfect pals for elderly couples or elderly people who live on their own as they do not require a huge amount of exercise once they have retired. They also get on brilliantly with children and many retired racing greyhounds find homes with young families.
The Retired Greyhound Trust work tirelessly to raise funds to help care for greyhounds while they wait for homes.
If you want to offer a retired greyound a home please contact the Retired Greyhound Trust on 0844 826 8424 or log on to their website www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk
Alternatively you may want to sponsor a greyhound for as little as £5 a month.
