BOB (named for racing as Countrywide Bob)
Sex/colour: Male White with black patches
D.O.B: April 1999
Last recorded owner: Not found
Last recorded trainer: Not found
Races contended: 11
Stadium: Yarmouth
Last recorded race: 20.04.2002
Came to AfG: Early 2004
BOB was living in a council house, hectic to say the least, with a
couple with 11 children including a recently born baby.
The couple had approached AfG before when they saw us on events and once
we knew they were not Sighthound experienced and had so many young
children, we explained it was doubtful we would ever have a suitable
Greyhound for them.
We remembered them when they contacted AfG asking if we were able to
take their 5 year old Greyhound as he was not settled in their home.
We had a foster home available and arranged to pick Bob up.
We were overwhelmed by the chaos in the house and the conditions this
poor Greyhound was having to put up with, the noise,excitement and lack
of space in the house, to say the least.
Bob just looked ‘shell shocked’.
The information we received from the couple was they had required Bob
from a local rescue, they had him for several months and when they asked
the rescue to take Bob back, they were told, the rescue only had 14
kennels, all occupied with more Greyhounds due to come in.
Not only did this rescue feel this home was suitable for a Greyhound who
had obviously only known a life of racing and kenneling but were not
willing to take him back.
Bobs ‘owners’ were told to hang on to him or try to find another home
for him.
We cannot prove which local rescue Bob was acquired from (though we
have a very good idea), as we were only able to trace his racing history
back to Yarmouth stadium but no last registered owner or trainer was listed.
It would not be worth our while asking Yarmouth stadium to help us with
any information, as from our experience they have never been forthcoming
with any helpful information for AfG (even when we have had
cruelty/neglect cases in our care, traced back to Yarmouth).
Bob settled well into his foster home with other rescued Greyounds, he
seemed very ‘spaced out’ for want of a better description, we felt this
was due to his past from his last race at Yarmouth April 2002 until he
came into our care, not knowing where he had been in between and before
the house we collected him from.
We felt once Bob was settled into his quiet foster home, he would become
happier.
Sadly we felt things were not right with Bob.
We got him checked over by our vet (who is very Sighthound
knowledgeable) who stated his eyesight and hearing were fine but agreed
he was not alert or reactive to anything going on around him, which is
what we had noticed, with him having the company of the other hounds and
out on walks, he showed no interest with anything around him.
Sadly 3 weeks later, Bob had a fit, he was kept calm and comforted and
came around, then later the same day, another fit followed, by night
time with a 3rd fit, he was not looking to recover, sadly with no sign
of recovering from the 3rd fit, we had to take Bob to our vets that
night to be put to sleep.
Our vet said what Bob had suffered did not seem to be an epileptic fit
and as we knew nothing of his background, we do not know if or when he
had fits in the past.
Bob was diagnosed as ‘brain dead’ our vet explained there could be
several possibilities for what Bob endured, he could have been born with
a brain disease or developed one, it could be because of a head injury
which may or may not have been caused while competing in racing.
Bobs last race where he finished 3rd had the racing comment ‘baulked
first, middle’ this may refer to a collision with another Greyhound in
the race, we would not know for sure but he did not race again.
We will never know if Bob realised but he was cared for throughout this
dreadful time and even if he was not aware of his surroundings, he was
loved and was held and gently spoken to until his last breath.
Sadly we only have 2 photos of dear Bob as he was with us for such a
short time.