#Greyhound Awareness Cork

[robert-the-greyhound]

One of us! One of us! One of us!

I was recently asked how many dogs are in our Rescue Hound Pack, and honestly, I couldn’t give a straight answer. Three years ago, I would have been able to answer 3, and named each as Molly, Robert and Cooper. After the amazing boom in Greyhound Adoption that followed the revelations of the RTÉ Documentary and Rescues tirelessly promoting Greyhounds as Great Pets, our numbers have soared. There’s rarely an event that we don’t hit double digits, and the amazing thing is, it’s a rotating collection of Greys! So I sat down and actually scanned back through the years to figure out a timeline of Rescue Hounds in Cork!

The first hound in the Rescue pack is of course Molly, the founding Hound of Greyhound Awareness Cork. For a period of time, Molly was the only grey flying the flag for the hounds. She is the OG G.A.C greyhound. We often describe Molly as a “gateway Greyhound”, as her small size and striking brindle coat make her very approachable to the public. Shortly before Robert came home, Cooper was adopted, though he didn’t really get involved in GAC until later on. Robert was the third hound in Cork active in the Awareness Pack, but due to his relationship with Molly and his dependence on her for comfort and support in those early days, he soon became just as recognisable as Molly in terms of the GAC pack. In those early days, many events were made up of just Robert and Molly, though they do make a striking couple, walking side by side with such a size difference! Gentle giant Robert and brazen brindle Molly turned many a head and stole many a heart. When Cooper joined the gang, the trio stopped traffic! He couldn’t always join the awareness events, but he was doing GREYT work on the adoption front, taking part in meet and greets and home checks.

For a time, it was just Molly, Robert and occasionally Cooper, when he wasn’t busy with the Rescue Front. But then came Ned. I was quite involved with Neds adoption story, in a round-a-bouts way! It started with an emergency appeal for a foster home, not for a greyhound, but for two collie puppies. These pups had just done a round in the ring with Parvovirus and needed a place to recover before going on to find their furever homes. So Robert and I volunteered. The pups were dropped to us in a very sorry state, and couldn’t be left unsupervised for very long. As such, I was relying heavily on support from friends to help. One friend was dropping a crate to the apartment for them, and when I was standing outside the block, two satchels strung over my shoulders, a puppy in each, I was approached by a young woman who swooned over the babies in the bags. She joked about minding them anytime, and when I joked about living across the street, we discovered we were neighbours! She lived on the ground floor, I lived on the top floor. She had no clue that there had been a Greyhound in the block for the past few months, and was enamoured with the two tiny puppies. As it happened, she did end up pet-sitting for a few hours one day, and applied to adopt one of the pups. She was turned down for the collie, but after learning about just how GREYT Greyhounds are as pets, she applied for a hound instead. Cooper and his pawrents did her home check too, and after passing, there was only one hound she wanted to bring home- Ned.

Anyone working in rescue will tell you that male greyhounds wait longer for homes than female greyhounds, likely on account of their size. Likewise, they will tell you that black greyhounds wait longer than any other colour Greyhound. So a Male, Black Greyhound like Ned tend to wait much longer than other dogs. In Neds case, he had spent just under a full year in kennels waiting for a home. Noodle Horse Ned, with his wonky micro ears, Roman nose and cross eyed gaze may have had to wait longer than most for his furever family, but when he found his Mom, there was nothing that could hold him back. He’s a giddy, excitable hound, with a plethora of quirks to go with his quirky look. Having two hounds in the apartment block brought a new lease of life to the area, and even after Ned and his Mom moved out, himself and Robert remain best furiends, hanging out regularly at dog friend pubs and swinging by each other’s gaff for cups of tea and sniffed bums! There was a bit of a lull after Neds adoption, but then came the Grey-plosion of Adoptions!

Kelly was the next hound to join the group, a sweet brindle houndie with very soulful eyes. She’s a gentle girl, UNTIL there are treats around, then she will hound you until she has had her fill! Alfie, another black male was the next dog to join in the awareness events. Having two black males in the group was refreshing, considering how hard they are to find homes for! Amira, a niece of Roberts, was the next to join the group, followed by another niece of Roberts, Fleek. You’ll notice quite a lot of Roberts nieces and nephews joining the group over the next few years. This is due to the prolific breeding of Roberts father in the Irish Greyhound Scene. I don’t know exactly how many pups that dog has had, but every second hound seems to be related to Rob in some capacity! Baby Blue Coco joined the pack next. Coco never really raced, due to the fact she is missing a toe. It took a bit of figuring out to get her comfortable walking, but a single bootie has done the job well! We often get questions from passersby asking about her shoe, and the shocked response of her missing a toe never gets old! Sassy Sally started to lend her voice to the cause around this time, stealing hearts and treats alike from every human she met. Golden oldie Naomi started to attend events shortly after Coco. She’s the most salt and peppered of our houndie pack, but full of life and love! Sadie was the next hound to make an appearance at events, followed by Stevie and then Ruby. Stevie and Ruby are unique amongst Greyhounds in that they are some of the few hounds that seemed to have missed the memo about Greys supposedly being 45km/hr couch potato’s! Both hounds are always switched on, ready to go go go! Luckily for them, they both came through a phenomenal rescue who knows exactly how to match hounds to households. Ruby ended up with a family just as loopers as she is! I’ve never met a whole family so bubbly and outgoing! Stevie found a home with a rather athletic man who can give her the time and energy outlets she needs. Trust a marathon runner to be able to deal with a dog who could likewise run a marathon! Big boned brindle beauty Allie was the next hound to attend the events. Allie was probably the heaviest set Greyhound I’ve ever met. She had the broadest shoulders and strongest chest I’ve seen to date. Despite her string stature, she was affectionately known as the local “Tiger Dog” by neighbour children. Unfortunately Allie passed suddenly a few months after her adoption, but we will ALWAYS count her as a member of the GAC pack.

Alongside Allie was Riley. Riley was adopted before Allie, and was actually the hound that inspired Allies adoption, but as they live across the country, they technically joined after her. Molly (differentiated from Brindle Molly as Black Molly) and Jess were the next pair to make an appearance. To Adopted siblings, these two black hounds fly the flag for the darker coated dogs! Marley and Dody were both in foster at the same time here in Cork, but Marley was adopted prior to Dody and hence, I will count him before his foster brother, Dody was adopted to a household with a second hound, Sandy and the pair have attended a few events since. Pepper, another salt and peppered hound, was the next to make regularly appearances at events. Alongside greying Naomi, these pair make for a very striking pair. They also remind us of how many hounds don’t get to grow old, and how few older hounds make it to rescue kennels. After Pepper, the lovely Layla added her number to the group! Compared to the three hounds we started with, having such a varied pack of hounds, all safe and adored, was mind blowing, and the numbers only continued to grow!

Bubbly Maizey added her giggly, wiggly self to the cause. Poor Maizey is covered in scars, including some rather nasty head wounds, but that doesn’t stop her from being a literal ray of sunshine at any given chance! Squiggle was the next hound to lend their paw to the cause. Hailing from Australia, one of the few countrys where Greyhound Racing is legal and rampant, Squiggle, the hound from down under brings to light the international element of our cause. Around this time a second Pepper joined the group. To mark a difference between the Peppers, this Pepper is often referred to as Black Pepper. Black Pepper is a bit younger that Other Pepper, and is a Divil for the treats! She’d give Kelly a run for her money when it comes snacking! There was a boom in black hound adoptions around this time with two more black dogs, Yuki and Izzy joining the pack respectively. The number of black greyhounds being adopted is really heartwarming, considering the volume of black coated dogs in the racing industry. And whilst every greyhound in a home is one less greyhound potentially on a knackery floor, there’s always an extra little bit of happiness for the black coated dogs. Vinny, a striking dusty brindle was the next to make an appearance in the pack. Unlike the other hounds who generally have a grey or white mask, Vinny has a black one, which to me, gives him a very mischievous look! Huge Hound Balder is the next GAC pack member, a HUGE dog towering over even Robert! There are very few hounds who top Rob height wise, but Balder definitely is one! After Balder, came a duo of Cedric and Penny!

Penny was actually a former foster of ours, one of our shortest fosters to date! She found her furever home here in Cork with a family who decided to take on two hounds at once! Penny and Cedric are good for one another. Penny joins hounds like Stevie and Ruby for that ✨crackhead✨ energy, whereas Cedric is so mellow he often melts into the floor. Poor Cedric can be a bit nervy at times though, so having confident, outgoing, love the world Penny at his side helps him tackle those issues, whilst Cedric provides a pawfect anchor for Penny’s away with the fairy’s attitude! And then we add our first Tri-pawed to the pack- Champ! Champ may be down a leg, but he still landed on her feet with his furever family! He is another stark reminder however, of how few hounds make it out of the industry after injury. In 2021, 154 Greyhounds were killed on Irish Tracks, over half of those dogs had suffered “hock injuries”. Champ is living proof that even if the leg won’t heal well, amputation is an option and the dogs live happy lives afterwards. After Champ, Nessa is the next hound to take part in Awareness Events. Gorgeous Nessa is such a free spirit, happy to go where the flow is and soak up the attention and ear rubs! Speaking of ears, Annie with the Ears is the next hound in the pack. Annie has the most amazing, wonky, descriptive ears of any hound I’ve ever met! In their resting position, instead of folding flat in the typical “rose ear” of most greys, Annie’s flop forward, like a little bow on each side of her head! Vogue, true to her name with her model good looks, is the next hound to join the pack. Vogue really could be on the cover of her namesake! The next GAC addition is Daphne, named for the Scooby Doo character, not the recent Bridgerton show, Daphne is a foster failure! Daphne has big shoes to fill, looking after the late-Allies Mom, but is doing a wonderful job so far. And the newest member of our pack, handsome houndie Freddie! Another MASSIVE dog, Freddie is warming up to rescue life slow and steady!

And I think that brings us up to date… so far! I’m sure I’ve missed a dog or two, compared to the three dogs we started with, the 40+ dogs is getting hard to track! Looking back at those starter events, where it was just Robert and Molly, having double digit attendance at more recent events is mind blowing, especially considering that it’s a rotation of dogs! I’m also more than sure that I’ve not got the order 100% correct, as I’m basing it off social media appearance as well as memory, which can get a little blurry looking back over three years of Greyhound’s and Greyhound Awareness! So here’s to three years of Greyhound Adoptions here in Cork, and here’s to many many more!

TW: #Dog Injury, #Dog Death, #Rescue Dog, #Animal Neglect

#greyhounds #greyhound #greyhoundsoftumblr #greyhoundsmakegreatpets #greyhoundsaspets #irishgreyhound #rescuedog #rescuegreyhound #petsnotbets #rescuednotretired #Greyhound Awareness Cork #GAC #Ireland #Greyhound Pack #Pack of Dogs #Squad Goals #Dog Squad

[grey2kusa]

Greyhound love story

“Robert is my first dog as an adult and I'd be lost without him. He was very nervous until we started meeting up with Miss Molly for protesting and awareness events. Robert has come leaps and bounds in the past year, but he couldn't have done it without help from his Molly! Even the sound of her name has him wagging his tail! Molly is a brazen brindle who runs Greyhound Awareness Cork, and her confidence and sociability has really made an impact in Rob.” — Zoe-Louise Doyle, Ireland  Read more greyhound rescue stories at grey2kusa.org/rescuestories

#greyhound #greyhounds #dog #dogs #dog rescue

[usashirtstoday]

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[loprofessionaltrajectories-blog]

PROJECT REVIEW - YEAR THREE, SELF DIRECTED PROJECTS

AFTER THE RACES

This was my second self directed project.

After the Races is an out of home advertising campaign, created to encourage people to view ex-racing greyhounds as no different to other dogs and consider rescuing one. The campaign draws attention to rescue greyhounds being no different from other breeds, once given time and love. The campaign hopes to spark an interest in the topic of greyhound rescue, and then direct's those interested to search for After the Races online.

I was really happy with how this campaign turned out. I feel like the OOH adverts look really professional, especially when mocked up.

I have since continued to run the instagram account for this campaign, I’ve got brilliant feedback about the adverts from the greyhound community, and am continuing to share rescued racer success stories. Since sharing the campaign online, I have been asked by The Greyhound Awareness Cork to create posters for their protests using the same style, as they want to approach the subject from a different angel to what they usually do.

I’ve also got a copywriter working with me on the project now, who asked to get involved, and she’s asked me to work with her on an idea she has for a children’s books about greyhounds!

[robert-the-greyhound]

The Aftermath; Rising of the People.

The airing of "Greyhounds, Running for their Lives" was a real turning point for Greyhound Welfare Activists in Ireland. It was a literal key to a locked door we had been trying to pick with a hairpin for years. It brought to light the dark underbelly of the Greyhound Racing and Coursing Industries on a national viewing platform. Finally, the world REALLY saw the Truth.

I remember my mother calling me the day after. She was very upset, and said she had to turn the last part off due to the incredibly distressing images and videos. My mother has always been a rather sensitive soul when it comes to Animals. She'll watch a horror or slasher film where guts and blood fly but changes channel when Bondi Vet comes on as she doesn't have the stomach for it. But after watching two parts of the documentary, she was truly shaken at what was happening in this country and abroad, all off the back of her taxpayer money. I remember her saying how she had listened to me and my rants but more-so in a "that's nice honey" kind of way. Seeing everything I'd claimed on the national broadcaster platform really brought to light all the information I had previously shared.

She wasn't the only family member to reach out. Having moved across the country from my extended family years prior, I was very much outside the loop of family chattering. But uncles, aunts, cousin's, they all sent messages or called to chat about the Documentary, ask after Robert and ask what THEY as individuals could do to help. And they weren't the only ones.

Messages FLOODED into the Greyhound Awareness Cork Pages, as well as Roberts personal social media. Outraged citizens wanted to know what they could do to help. At first, we didn't really know what exactly to tell these people, messaging in their hundreds. It was like a dam had broken and flooded our little River valley of awareness events and protests. Now instead of a handful of dedicated Greyhound Activists, we had half of Cork looking to lend their voice to the voiceless!

So we organised a Rally. A march through Cork City Centre. A demonstration that we, the people, are ANGRY and won't stand for the continued systemic abuse and neglect of Irish Greyhounds.

The day of the March was incredible. Arriving on Grand Parade to see hundreds of people standing where previously only a dozen had was breath-taking. Seeing dozens of rescued greyhounds where before we were lucky to have three or four was likewise inspiring, though it once again drew to light the reality of just how few greyhounds made it out of the industry into loving homes.

Robert and I were invited to lead the way, alongside fellow greyhound advocates and rescue hounds Farloe, Molly and Cooper. There was a short speech to begin before we marched, moving up Grand Parade, down Oliver Plunkett Street and back up Patrick's Street. People stopped their shopping and joined us, or leant their support vocally, joining the chants of "There's No Excuse for Greyhound Abuse" or "You Bet, They Die". The support was truly incredible.

The one thing I remember clearly that surprised me at the time was the raw emotion. Animal cruelty always seems to strike a chord with people, but having been speaking up for Greyhounds and aware of these issues for so long before they were made public, I had started to become a little numb. There was always another case of horrific abuse. Another death on the track. Another rescue begging for help for the "take them or ill get rid of them hounds". Another dog turning up in Spain, Pakistan or China. Always more abuse, death and neglect. But standing in Cork City Centre, my best fur-iend Robert by my side, surrounded by hundreds of people yelling their support for the cause, I actually felt emotional.

The March for Greyhounds through Cork City harnessed the new found limelight brought about by the RTE documentary and the the industry and the movement even further into the public eye. There were multiple photographers trailing along the march, photographing the event. Likewise, there were news reporters, recording and streaming the march, taking interviews and asking everyone and anyone for a comment. The answers were all the same; We are here for the Dogs. The thousands of Greyhounds culled annually in pursuit of profit. The 6000 innocent lives lost every year. We are here, and our demands are clear- We want an end to the abuse of Greyhounds on the back of our taxpayer money.

The march went smoothly, with little to no hassle outside of a few snide comments from pro-racing passers-by. The morning after, our story and mission was the headline for every local paper. Photos and videos of the march were all over social media. It was a resounding success. Our first BIG event had worked out perfectly, raising awareness and pushing for an end of the plight of greyhounds.

Even the day after the march, the messages kept coming in. The public were riled up and people wanted to know what else they could do. Writing letters to local reps didn’t seem to satisfy that itch. Sharing information on social media didn't feel personal enough. People wanted to physically go out and protest, so that's what we did. We organized another trackside protest. And the turnout was phenomenal.

Previous trackside protests had been a few dozen people at a push, with a handful of dogs if the weather allowed. Now it was a highly organised event, needing high vis jackets and a team of organisers, the whole of GAC was run ragged keeping everyone in check.

That protest was an emotional one, and one of the only times we changed from a silent protest to a vocal one. It was better to organize the outrage into a single cry than try and corral the outbursts. There’s always one or two that get too riled up and start yelling “scum” or trying to spit back at those driving into the track, those few individuals who get so emotionally charged they lose sight of the end goal of a peaceful protest and lash out instead for some immediate satisfaction. To prevent said outbursts, we organized into a single cry “there’s no excuse for greyhound abuse”. Pauline McLynn once again joined us, giving a short speech which I streamed Live on Roberts Instagram for another hundred or so viewers. The support really was incredible.

And it didn’t stop there. After the initial outrage and flood of support had broken the dam, a steady river of messages and requests came in, and so began what I can only describe as the Greyhounds summer tour of Cork.

TW: #Animal Abuse #Animal Death #Dog Abuse, #Dog Death, #Drugs, #Animal Rights, #Protest

Photo Credit: Karl Kachmarksy

#Greyhound #Greyhounds #GreyhoundsMakeGreatPets #PetsNotBets #RescuedNotRetired #IrishGreyhound #GreyhoundsOfTumblr #Animal Rights #greyhoundsoftumblr #Ban Greyhound Racing #End Greyhound Racing

[robert-the-greyhound]

Making Friends and Influencing People, The Greyhound Tour.

After the initial outrage and push for protests and marches had died off, myself and the humans of Greyhound Awareness Cork changed tactics. We no longer needed to stand in one spot every weekend trying to get people to stop so we could pass on some facts about Racing to try and change their minds, they already knew the facts and wanted to know how to help. So we changed the game plan. It was time to mobilize.

After spending time in Mollys presence for the last few Months, Robert was ready to face the world in such a capacity. He no longer baulked at passing traffic or shyed away from outstretched hands. With Miss Moly by his side, he was bomb proof! And so, we packed the two hounds up and started touring Cork and beyond!

We hit Bantry farmers market, setting up shop right in the middle of the plaza, with placards and posters in a perfect circle, covering all sides. Bantry featured in the RTE documentary in a negative light, playing host to the Ferry that brought hounds over to Whiddy island for Open Coursing. Unlike Coursing organized by Coursing Clubs, Open Coursing features the terrorizing of Hares in their natural habitat, and rarely features a Vet or Regulatory Officer to ensure proper treatment of Hound and Hare.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the community in Bantry were disgusted with the portrayal of their hometown in such a poor light, and many a passerby stopped to chat and pet the Hounds, adding their voice of support and wishing for change. There were a few locals too who scoffed and walked by, or yelled at us across the street, the usual cat-calls and jeers of "get a job" or "wasters". Those who did yell were looked upon by neighbors with a disapproving eye.

We often say that a single mind changed by these Awareness Events is a marked success, and I don't think I've ever seen it in such effect as the Awareness Event in Bantry. Halfway through the event, a young boy, no more than 11 or 12, wandered over. He asked to pet the hounds and was delighted of course by Robert and Molly and their gentle kisses and head bops. He told us his cousins raced Greyhounds and that he'd been to the track a few times, including for his communion but he'd never actually been able to pet them before. He then asked what was so wrong with Greyhound Racing. When dealing with children at these events, or online, caution is obviously needed. So we simplified it down to a more child-friendly form, explaining how the Greyhounds often didn't have a good life when racing, and could suffer injuries or be treated badly if they didn't win. The child nodded and wandered off, only to return half an hour later with a gang of similar aged boys with him.

They all gathered around the dogs, petting and stroking them. We didn't interact much with them as a group, but I did listen to their conversation. Without our prompting they were discussing the dogs and Greyhound Racing. They were talking about the dog they had seen "doing cartwheels" on the track, and one boy queried what happened to him after he was carried off. You could see the cogs turning in their heads as they put two and two together. They left after taking in their fill of greyhound cuddles, and I count that as the notable success of the Bantry awareness event.

As a group, Greyhound Awareness Cork was invited to Limerick by a group of individuals who wanted to expand and establish a similar group in Limerick. They had been in touch over social media and email, but struggled with the concept of an awareness event, how to go about setting it up and how to be both approachable and informative. In writing, an Awareness event seems pretty straight forward- pick a public spot, bring a couple of Greyhounds, and get chatting to the passers-bys, but in practice, there are often moving parts that can make or break an event.

So we whisked Molly and Robert up to Limerick, where they did what they do best- make friends and influence people. Dozens and dozens of people stopped in their shopping to pet them and have a chat. It was a prime example of a successful event.

We continued with trackside protests, back in our traditional peaceful and silent format. Instead of focusing on our local Curaheen Track, we started to venture out to Youghal track. Youghal Track at the time was running a promotion of free entry to the track to try and boost attendance. Even prior to the RTE documentary, Youghal track had been in complete decline. A combination of an old, dilapidated structure, older clientele and more attractive family-orientated activities located nearby had started to push Youghal closer to the edge of shutting down. It almost did, after receiving a fire hazard report, but due to local council action, managed to stay afloat.

The protests outside Youghal Greyhound Track almost felt redundant. There were more people standing outside protesting than actually attending the meets, even with the free entry grab. Youghal track moved away from public meets in the months following, converting almost entirely to SIS racing, which is streamed across the world. Many tracks have gone this route in recent years in desperate bids to stay open.

As well as the tours of Cork and beyond, we continued with our Cork City events. We started a petition for the public to sign, urging local councils to call for the phased ban of Greyhound Racing and Coursing. We continued to allow the hounds to advocate for themselves, showing off just how great they are as beloved members of the family and not just as 'race dogs'. We strolled along markets, visited dog friendly establishments and exhibits, attending community events and overall kept our presence strong in the community.

As the dust settled from the RTE documentary, it became clear that many, many people had turned their backs on the "sport". Sponsors had pulled out en-masse, leaving Greyhound Racing high and dry when it came to prize money and race meets. Pressure was on from the public eye to step up and do more for the dogs at the heart of the industry, dogs that had previously been tossed aside as wastage.

The pressure from the public led to governmentally mandated change within the industry. An increase in the implementation of the traceability system, more comprehensive testing of race dogs for performance altering substances, pressure on trainers to at least try and home the dogs who were deemed surplus to requirements, etc. On top of the pressure to rehome instead of dispose came an increase in people offering Greyhounds a space on their couch, catalyzed in part by those Greyhounds and Rescues who had been promoting Greyhounds as the Greyt pets they truly are for years before hand. This led to a notable increase in the Rescue Hound Population here in Cork....

TW: #Animal Abuse, #Animal Death, #Animal Neglect, #Dog Death, #Dog Abuse, #Dog Injury, #Drugs, #Doping, #Protest.

#Greyhounds #Greyhound #Greyhounds make great pets #pets not bets #rescue #rescue dog #rescue greyhound #rescued greyhound #rescuednotretired #couches not cages #winning hearts not races #ban greyhound racing #end greyhound racing #greyhound welfare #animal rights #animal rights activist #ireland #irish greyhound #this runs deep

[robert-the-greyhound]

~Meeting Miss Molly; the start of an Era~

After the first few uneventful weeks at home, Robert had hit a number of roadblocks. He was developing seemingly random and spontaneous fears and phobias. He was scared in his own home and it broke my heart. So we reached out both to the rescue for some support and to a local greyhound, the brazen brindle Molly that had gatecrashed the meet and greet event!

The rescue gave us some advice regarding desensitizing and assured us it wasnt abnormal for some of the hounds to go through a spooky phase. Molly's owner reached out and offered to meet up, perhaps the company of another greyhound would help guide the way for Robert, plus it would be good for Molly to spend some time with other hounds, they were few and far between at the time.

I was invited along to something called an "awareness event". It was in the city centre so I wouldn't need to travel far, and if things went belly up, I could scoot off home with Robert in a heartbeat. And so Saturday morning came around, I gave Rob a good brush down with a strong rubber mitt to try and spruce him up a little and off we went to meet miss Molly!

We rocked up to the meeting spot to see a simple but effective layout. The "awareness event" consisted of a half dozen placards balanced around the edge of a section of the street and a handful of information flyers, all with bold statements like "Doped with Cocaine" or "Raced to Death". There were three women at the meet and slap bang in the middle, perched on a slab of Vet bedding, was little Molly, wearing a bright red vest with the words "You Bet, We Die" in white print. Introducing Robert to Molly resulted in the first proper tail wag I'd seen in my boy! He was smitten, leaning against her, following her around like, well, like a lost puppy! Despite the fact he towered over her, he stuck his head underneath hers and found comfort and support.

Whilst Rob leaned on Molly for support, taking in the traffic and people going by, I asked her owner and the other women question after question after question. And they were more than happy to oblige me! I also asked some questions about the placards, and was disgusted at the answers.

They claimed the Greyhound Racing industry was cruel, rotten to the core. Dogs were apparently being killed for simply not being fast enough, shot over minor treatable injuries, doped with class A drugs like Cocaine. Sold to countries like Pakistan and China. It sounded like something out of a horror movie.

I was a little skeptical at first, it had to be just a few bad apples right? Surely letting Greyhounds Run was ok? It couldn't be all that bad could it? In the back of my head was the stories my father had told me of walking his own hound through the countryside fields, which seemed a far cry from the situations being described to me now. But the more I was told about the state of the Commerical Greyhound Racing Industry, the damage and abuse being done in the name of profit and the thousands of Greyhounds suffering on the back of it, I only had to look at my own dog to realize there was at least some truth in it. Robert may not have been actively abused like the dogs you see on the DSPCA commercials but the systemic neglect, lack of socialization and harsh housing conditions had broken my dog, and it was up to me as his new owner to put him back together. I took one of the leaflets and wrote down the name of their group; Greyhound Awareness Cork and Rob and I went on home to do some more research and fact checking. He didn't spook once at the traffic on the way back.

A few Google searches confirmed the claims of GAC, there it was, article after article, case after case, post after post, video after video, the mountain of evidence of the issues inside the Commerical Body of Greyhound Racing and its sister-sport of Hare Coursing. I was disgusted. Sick to the stomach.

The following week I lifted Robert over the threshold to attend another Awareness Event, this time as a participant.

And so, the power couple that is Robert and Molly was formed. Every week, Robert made bigger and bigger steps in his journey. His issue with thresholds vanished after he followed Molly into a dog friendly cafe. His problem with traffic vanished into thin air with Molly standing calmly by his side ignoring the cars. New People and Places were no longer a source of anxiety, but a source of curiousity, something to be examined, sniffed and sometimes, licked!

It would be a lie to say all his issues disappeared, or that it happened overnight. It took multiple meetups for the switch in Roberts head to turn from scared to curious, and some things, like the blinds in the kitchen, would forever override that switch. But with Molly by his side, Robert began to learn 'How to Dog', and me, the human at the end of the leash, learned more about the industry that had produced him only to discard him when he no longer turned a profit. The further he came out of his shell, the further my resolve strengthened.

The Irish Greyhound Industry may have produced my beloved dog, but they had exploited and scarred him, both physically and mentally. It had clearly changed since my father's days decades ago, and was no longer the family hobby that might make you a few quid and let the dogs run, it was a gambling body, built on overbreeding, doping, culling and exploitation of a gentle, ancient breed. And so began our journey as Greyhound Welfare Activists.

TW: Mention of #Animal Abuse, #Animal Neglect, #Drugs.

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