Our beautiful doggies

I thought it would be rather nice to introduce you to Matty and Nikki ~ our lovely doggies, who we adopted back in November 2011.

Nikki is the beautiful fawn lurcher and Matty is the extremely handsome black greyhound.

Our gorgeous greyhound, Amber, had passed away very suddenly in April 2011 and we were devastated.  It took quite some time before we felt ready to adopt another dog but it was a foregone conclusion that we would have another greyhound.

We had made some tentative enquiries about adoption with the Greyhound Rescue West of England (GRWE) one Saturday during that November.  The following day we received a phone call asking if we would like to make arrangements for a home-check ~ of course, we naturally said yes!  

On Monday morning we were home-checked and that evening we were told that we had passed their requirements.  On the Tuesday I met Matty; Adrian met him on Saturday; and we both met Nikki on Sunday ~ boy, did things move fast!

We had a long-standing arrangement to go to a gig Sunday evening, otherwise we could have kept them on that Sunday.  But they arrived bright and early the following morning and there we were, dog owners once more.

They both settled in straightaway and get on together very well, with only the occasional little squabble ~ usually when Matty treads on or runs into Nikki!

 

Sadly, they both have some physical "issues" ~ especially poor Nikki, as you will see if you look closely at these photos. 

Matty is now seven years old and has never raced.  He was kept in a shed on an allotment, I believe. He has a birth defect in that his front left leg is bent at the elbow, and he has suffered a cruciate injury at some time in his life, which although healed does cause some stiffness.  He also has an undershot jaw, bless him, which tends to give him a very "goofy" look! His tail is rather short for a greyhound and we were told that he had probably lost the end of it somehow ~ I have to say, though, that I think that he may well have been born that way. 

None of these injuries cause him any serious difficulties, and he loves his walks and food in equal measure!  Matty is a very happy chap who just seems to love life and people, although he is now very attached to me and gets worried when I go out.  Having said that, he doesn't actually become distressed as such, unlike Amber did.  I think that having Nikki as a companion (she is much more laid back about being left "home alone") helps him enormously. It has to be said that he isn't the brightest boy around and is rather clumsy and somewhat accident-prone!

Sadly, Nikki's history is rather more tragic.  I am sure that you can see how thin she still is, as well as all the scars she has.  She eats very well but seems to have reached a point where she just doesn't get any heavier.  Still, our vet has reassured me that she is perfectly fine at her current weight.  We don't know her exact age but think she is about six.

photo taken by Nikki's foster carer in Ireland

She was rescued by a GRWE volunteer in Southern  Ireland.  She had been abandoned, heavily pregnant and with horrific injuries.  The GRWE think that she was used in badger baiting; she had completely lost her lower lip and some teeth (and had to have further four or five removed, including all her canines), and has had to have surgery on her jaw. 

Nikki has had a broken left hock at some point, which has self-healed but not in the right position.  The bone in this leg also has shotgun pellets embedded in it.  She has masses of scars on her head and face, as well as her legs and body.

photo taken by Nikki's foster carer in Ireland

Nikki was even skinnier when she was rescued than she still is now.  Being pregnant with eight puppies, when she was already in such a sorry state, must have taken a terrible toll on her poor little body.

photo taken by Nikki's foster carer in Ireland

Whilst she was in foster care in Ireland she gave birth to eight gorgeous puppies (the whole litter survived), who have all been happily rehomed.  We have been told that she was a very good Mum who only needed a little help with the pups.  I look at her thin little body and wonder how on earth she managed to grow eight puppies, let alone give birth to them and they all survive.  My first sight of her made me cry ~ how can people be so cruel...

photo taken by Nikki's foster carer in Ireland

Look into those beautiful, kind, soulful eyes and tell me how anyone could have treated her in the way that they did...

She is, quite naturally, wary of new people but soon comes round.  She is a very affectionate little girl who soaks up love like a sponge.  Nikki's foster carer in Ireland very kindly sent me some of the photos (above) that she took of my baby girl whilst she was in her care.  They make me feel so sad and choked up.....how could anyone allow this to happen to such a beautiful, kind and loving little dog?

Thankfully, both Nikki and Matty's previous lives are behind them now.  They have a secure, loving home with us for what I hope will be happy and long lives.

I am so grateful to the Greyhound Rescue West of England  for all the wonderful work they do in rescuing and rehoming these beautiful creatures.

my two beautiful girls!