HAPPY GOTCHA DAY!

I am sure there will be many of you who will have seen our campaigns over the last 20 months to get our longest stayer Elf into his own home. We tried everything but because he feared other dogs and needed a lot of time and patience he unfortunately remained on the “shelf”.

We could not see him go through another Christmas in kennels, so we decided we had to do something to help him.

Home Run Hounds Greyhound Charity, you may not know works with Greyhound Charities in many countries and our Romford Branch not only homes dogs in the UK but also works with homing groups in the US and Canada, one of which being American Greyhound who it was agreed would take Elf as one of a group of 6 that would travel over to them in Chicago at the end of October.

Prior to any dogs going abroad biographies are produced for each dog along with photos and full medical histories provided to the US group, so they know all about the dogs and can place them into exactly the right foster or permanent home for that dog’s needs.

Thus, arrangements were made to transfer Elf down to Essex and with a trainers help with transport for which we are grateful, he arrived down with our Romford Branch in mid-October, and the flight was booked to take Elf and other HRH Greyhounds to their new homes at the end of October.

The local vet came and completed the US paperwork and a week later returned for the final fit to fly health check. This has to be completed within 10 days of travel and states that the vet considers the dogs are indeed fit travel. If they are not fit, they are not sent.

At the end of October our volunteers took Elf and the other Greyhounds to their VIP departure lounge at Heathrow, the American Airlines animal reception centre, where Elf and the other greyhounds were treated to chicken dinners and lots of play and fun out in their paddocks with their team.

The following morning Elf and his friends was transferred airside and final paperwork and health checks completed before they were loaded into their large travel crates and placed onto the aircraft last. The crates used are very large wooden crates, they have water and deep vet bed in which also have plenty of air holes and wire screens so dogs can see out.

The Charity then awaited the confirmation of departure from Airpets and following hours of tracking the flight we could see their safe arrival in Chicago.

To ease the dog’s passage on arrival the customs brokers clear the dogs for US customs MID AIR so once the dogs landed after a short paperwork and health check on arrival at the animal handling facility in Chicago the dogs were released to the team from American Greyhound who were eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Once in the US teams hands the dogs were fed and watered, given some more yummy chicken, exercised and then went off with their new families. Whether that’s a foster or permanent home.

Elf’s new family has fallen in love with him and as soon as he arrived home he decided that he really loved their bed and made himself right at home!

Elf has now been in the home 4 weeks and continues to settle well into his new American life as you can see from the pictures.

Working with the US/Canada groups mean that we can give long term dogs where we have tried everything to find them homes in the UK can have a chance of great homes and if ever things don’t work out with a family the dogs are returned into foster care and rehomed.

Home Run Hounds will NEVER put a dog to sleep because we cannot find it a home and use suitable excuses to justify that decision. Home Run Hounds Charity with your help through donations paid over £1400.00 to find Elf a home.

That’s what we do…. As a VOLUNTEER LEAD Charity where every penny goes to the Greyhounds in our care.

ELF …. HAVE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL AT HOME RUN HOUNDS.