Susan, Skyler and Snoopy are Walking with the Greyhound Trust
Susan Tompkins is a Project Manager at our office in The Maltings. She has two greyhounds, Snoopy who is five and Skyler aged seven, who she says are couch potatoes and can sleep for around twenty hours a day but are always up for a walk. To combine some exercise with raising money for a good cause, the three of them are taking part in Flash’s Memorial Walk, organised by Greyhound Trust Humber.
“Flash was one of the trust’s dogs that had health issues and
sadly died three years ago,” says Susan. “There are branches of the Greyhound
Trust all over the country and they rescue thousands of dogs each year from the
racing industry. This walk raises awareness and money for our regional branch.”
Flash’s Memorial Walk takes place annually alongside other
fundraising activity that are spread throughout the year. People who volunteer
at the trust get involved in the event, as well as those who have adopted dogs
over the years. There are usually anywhere from twenty to forty dogs in
attendance, including a few that are waiting to be adopted.
“It's a good way of starting to socialise the dogs and prepare
them for home life,” says Susan. ”A lot of them have never been in a house
before and don't know what a TV, washing machine or stairs are, so events like
this help them to get used to people and places.”
Flash came to the Greyhound Trust in September 2015, and at just
two years old he was still a baby in every sense of the word. He had never run
a race due to corns on the pads of his feet, so whilst under anaesthetic for neutering
he had the corns removed by an excellent vet. After a few weeks of recuperation
and frequent dressing changes, Flash made a good recovery and his corns seemed
to have gone. The lovely pup was ready to go up for adoption and find a family
to spend what should have been a long and active life making them laugh, but it
wasn't meant to be.
In January 2016, Flash suddenly collapsed whilst out on his walk
despite there being no signs of illness. He was rushed to the vet, where he was
put on a drip and assessed – he appeared to be completely paralysed yet was
still aware of his surroundings. After a few months of additional visits to the
vet and even getting the NHS involved, the problem still evaded the experts. A
second collapse followed and Flash underwent treatment; he was all set to see a
neurological specialist for an MRI scan, but sadly passed away mere hours
before the trip.
This really is a heart-breaking story but it’s very beautiful
that Flash’s memory lives on in the form of the memorial walk. Donations are
only taken by sponsorship form, so if you’d like to sponsor Susan you can find
her in The Maltings and add your name to the list. If you’d prefer to donate to
the charity as a whole, they hold a Greyhound Trust monthly lottery,
with prizes ranging from a fiver to a whopping £10,000. All money raised goes towards
upkeep of the kennels, vet bills and general caring for the dogs.
Everyone at SGS wishes Susan a very
enjoyable walk with Snoopy and Skyler, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed for
nice weather on Saturday 17th August.
P.S. We can now say that this event raised a whopping £900 for the charity!
P.S. We can now say that this event raised a whopping £900 for the charity!
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