BEN (named for racing as Silverstream)
Sex/colour: White(with some brindle)
D.O.B: 09.08.1996
Last recorded owner: Not known
Last recorded trainer: not known
Races contended: None found
Stadium: N/A
Last recorded race: N/A
Came to AfG: mid 2006
BEN came into the care of AfG at age 10.
We were contacted by his ‘owner’ stating she could no longer look after him.
We were upset to see the state of neglect Ben was in when we called to
collect him.
The woman told us, she got Ben as a young un raced Greyhound from a man
who said he did not want the dog as he was no good for racing.
The information she gave us was, he was born in August 1996 as his
racing name was Silverstream.
She lived in Essex at the time and acquired Ben from Waltham Abbey (in
the county of Essex).
There were nearby licensed Greyhound tracks near the area at the time.
She later moved to Lowestoft in Suffolk, which is where AfG collected
Ben from.
We only had Bens ear tattoos and the information the woman gave us, from
this we found a D.O.B of 19th August 1996 but no racing name of
Silverstream or any racing history.
Sadly, how many Greyhounds like Ben have ‘slipped through the net’!
This is before microchiping became compulsory so the industry were not
obliged to microchip Greyhounds registered to race on licensed tracks
and as Ben had not raced, we doubt any retirement form was completed and
sent to the racing governing body. Ben is just one example how easily
unraced Greyhounds can become unaccounted for.
We are not aware how long Ben had been neglected for to be in such bad
condition but it would have been at least several months.
We had no vet notes for Ben as he had not been seen by a vet.
We had a comfortable foster home for dear Ben.
Once our Vet examined Ben, she agreed he was in a state of neglect,
which he had obviously suffered for a long period of time.
He was severely underweight with poor overall body condition, filthy
ears, decayed teeth and overgrown nails, he also had a flea infestation,
which he was treated for.
He then went along to settle into his foster home and as his previous
home had a cat, we found Ben showed no aggression to the foster carers
rescued chickens.
He was so bewildered and depressed and all he seemed to want to do was
to find a nice comfy bed to rest on.
Over the following weeks Ben was fed several small nourishing daily
meals, he was treated for worms, later increasing his daily food intake.
Bens overall condition improved steadily with the expert care he
received and we saw what a gentle friendly happy Greyhound he was, he
was joined by the rescued chickens who had free range of the house and
garden, neither showed any fear of each other and enjoyed several
visitors bringing their dogs to the home as well as meeting many dogs on
his daily walks.
It is such a shame dear Ben had to suffer so, until he found a home with
the love and comfort he so deserved.
AfG decided because of Bens age and as he was now finally settled and
happy, he could stay in his foster home as a permanent foster hound,
whereby AfG covered the cost of all his care.
Once Ben had gained condition we booked him in with our vet for a dental
and she could not believe the change in his overall condition, stating
there was no medical reason why he was in the state he was when we
rescued him, it was caused by a lack of care, lack of adequate food and
exercise
We did forward our concerns for Ben with photos and vet reports to RSPCA
who claimed to have visited the property, spoken to Bens previous
‘owner’ and stated they had no concerns for the resident cat and as the
‘owner’ had admitted she could no longer care for Ben and sought the
help of AfG to take him, that they had no grounds to make a prosecution
case.
Photos below show Ben when rescued at our vets in neglected condition
and gradually improving in his foster home.
Photos above show Ben happy, and settled with company of resident
rescued chickens and visiting hounds. Ben in his very senior years, was
featured on AfGs 2011 calendar photoed by Greyhound Watch.
