Steve and Richard have been a huge support over the past few years and have given many dogs a loving home and a chance to be part of their family.

Here's Steve with a little bit about how it all began;

"Back at the beginning of March 2020, we adopted a two-year-old male Lurcher Crossbreed, called Doug, from the RSPCA. Having initially settled in well, things took a downturn when I came down with Coronavirus. Seeing and sensing a weakness in "the leader of the pack", Doug's behaviour rapidly began to change - he wouldn't obey the simplest and most reasonable of commands, he'd sit on the sofa or armchair and refuse to move over or make way for either Richard or myself; same thing at bedtime - he'd sprawl across my bed and refuse to let me in it.

Richard and I knew things couldn't continue like this. As my health improved, we sought advice and were recommended to consider introducing a bitch to the household. This, it was claimed, would give Doug another focus and, because in many cases bitches were often the more dominant in a multi-dog household, help reset the pecking order.

So, the following March, after lockdown restrictions were lifted, we visited Greyhound Rescue North East with a view to re-homing a bitch of a similar size and age to Doug. When we were introduced to Rosie we fell in love instantly and hoped she would be a perfect fit. She was - but not instantly.

By nature, and like many greyhounds, Rosie is gentle, timid and laid-back. Doug, on the other hand, was a typical Lurcher - bounding, playful and energetic. Doug, with the best of intentions, would constantly pester Rosie to play, whether she wanted to or not! Eventually, Rosie relented and a mad half-hour ensued in the back garden and, from that point on, the pair were the best of friends - but very much on Rosie's terms! She subtly laid down her terms of friendship with Doug and asserted her position. Amazingly, Doug accepted this without opposition and consequently his behaviour returned to normal.

Throughout this initial bonding process, the team at Greyhound Rescue North East offered total support and were always only a telephone call away. Little did we anticipate, at that point, that Rosie would be just the first dog we'd decide to re-home from Greyhound Rescue North East . . . "

21/04/2025