POPPY (No1) (named for racing as Elsa Something)
Sex/colour: Female White&brindle
D.O.B: 2001
Last recorded owner: Mr. Peter Debenham
Last recorded trainer; (presumed Mr. Peter Debenham)
Races contended: None found
Stadium: N/A
Last recorded race: N/A
Came to AfG: early 2006
POPPY (No:1) named by AfG, after we were made aware by concerned
neighbors of a Greyhound being left alone shut in a house for long periods.
We visited the property on 2 occasions, one in daytime, one early
evening but no one was home, though we could hear the Greyhound whining
and see her through the window.
We tried the back door of the property but it was obvious there was no
one at home.
We did notice neither the front or back garden were fenced off and the
garden was severely overgrown and neglected.
On our 2nd visit with great concerns for the welfare of the Greyhound,
we left a note with our contact details on.
The resident at the house contacted us, we told her reports had reached
us with concerns of her Greyhound being left for many hours why she was
at work and they had not noticed anyone walking the dog.
She asked us to come to take the Greyhound.
When we arrived it was obvious this was not a suitable home for a young
Greyhound.
It was a rented council house, the floors were bare floorboards which
were soaked with the Greyhounds urine.
The woman told us she got a Greyhound as she was told they slept all day
and did not need much exercise, but as she was a single mother and had
to work long hours, she was too tired to walk the Greyhound and had no
one else to look after her so left her for sometimes 12 hours a day and
the dog was not clean in the house (hardly surprising!!).
She had contacted Debenham to take the Greyhound back but he said could
not as he had no room at his kennels (no doubt because kennel space had
been taken by racing or breeding dogs!).
Again, she saw an advert in a local newspaper placed by Norwich
Greyhound breeder/owner/trainer Debenham, posing as the Racing Greyhound
Retirement Home (RGRH) a guise to be able to offload his unwanted
Greyhounds quickly to anyone who would have them.
There were no homechecks carried out by Debenham (if for any reason a
person was unable to travel to his racing kennels we expect the
Greyhounds were delivered whether a home was suitable or not), none of
the Greyhounds were neutered.
We had a suitable foster home for Poppy, so were able to get her signed
over there and then.
She had a walk up the road and was then taken to settle into her foster
home.
Poppy seemed overjoyed to be in a comfortable, clean spacious home with
a large garden.
With access to the outdoors and regular walks, Poppy proved to be clean
in the home.
Once Poppy had time to settle into her foster home she was neutered.
Poppy was good with all other dogs she met and was friendly with adults
and children.
It was not long until we found a wonderful forever home for gorgeous
Poppy, once introduced to the resident rescued Trailhound Micky, Poppy
settled into her amazing home.
Her adopters also had rescued horses, goats and chickens and as well as
lovely long walks, Poppy had access to a big garden with an enclosed
adjoining paddock to have hours of fun and freedom in.
No racing history could be found on Poppy through her ear tattoos so an
AfG supporter kindly contacted Debenham stating they had homed Poppy and
could he give info on her age etc.
Debenham said her racing name was: Elsa Something and she had never
raced and she was born around 2001.
None of this information could be confirmed from her ear tattoos or the
racing name given, so we could only assume Poppy was age 5 years.
Debenham perhaps did not remember that he palmed Poppy off to the house
we collected her from or that he refused when he was asked to take her back.
The good news for Poppy is neighbors showed concern for her welfare and
took steps to help her and that AfG were able to rescue her and help her
on her way to a great home with a great future.
Again Greyhounds like Poppy with no traceability and being given away by
the Likes of Debenham can just disappear off the radar.
Photos below, show Poppy settling into her new home with Micky.
Photos above show Poppy happy healthy and stunning and with Micky and
one of Poppy featured on the AfG 2011 calendar, photoed by Greyhound Watch.
