Wiggi - 2 year old female Black Greyhound

WIGGI

Wiggi is a 2 year old ex-racing greyhound girl who didn’t like the racing world at all and is now looking for a forever family to call her own. She is a dainty black girl who’s coat is a bit dull at the moment, but we hope it will improve once she is on a good diet.



~ Personality ~
Wiggi is a dear little girl, but right now is extremely untrusting of people. She is coming out of her shell ever so slowly and will approach you if you come down to her level and allow her to work at her own pace. Any sudden movements or noises and she will run away from you, terrified of what might happen. Wiggi is very stressed in the kennels and we hope to get her out and into a foster home at the nearest opportunity. This girl sadly won’t begin to make marked progress until she is in a loving home where she can be around people at close quarters in a calm environment. She is very interested in treats so we hope food is Wiggi’s key. We will update with her progress in the near future.



~ Other Animals ~
Wiggi is well behaved with the other greyhounds in the kennels and is polite in meeting other dogs of all sizes. Ideally she needs to go to a home with at least one other self assured dog already present to show her the ropes, and that people can indeed be trusted. She has not been tested with cats but this can be carried out prior to adoption if required.



~ In the Home ~
Wiggi has not been in a home environment before, so new owners will need to be a bit patient during the first couple of weeks and allow her time to settle in and learn the home rules. It generally takes 10-14 days for new greyhounds to start to settle down in a home, and really all they need is a bit of time and patience.

Wiggi is going to need a very special home with patient owners who will not rush her in her progress. She will come out of her shell when she is ready and feels comfortable. Because of her very timid nature, Wiggi would be happiest going to a home in a rural area with other dogs and no young children, who may frighten her. If you think you can offer this dear girl such a home, please contact us.



~ Out and About ~
Right now Wiggi is quite frightened of the big world outside her kennel door, and is reluctant to walk comfortably with you. Noisy traffic and bustling crowds scare her, and lots of work will be needed in this area to get her comfortable with such scenarios. Step 1 is for Wiggi to learn to trust the people around her, then we can work on building her confidence in the world around her. Like most greyhounds, Wiggi will not need a huge amount of exercise. She will be content with two 30min walks a day and perhaps a chance to stretch her legs offlead in a secure area once or twice a week.




**UPDATE: JULY 2011**

Dear Wiggi moved into a foster home recently, and the transformation in her personality has been just beautiful to see. She has made so much progress for her fosterers that we are happy to say she is now unrecognisable from her previous writeup.



~ Personality ~
Little Wiggi is no longer afraid and distrusting of people. She now loves them, in fact, and is very happy to come forward for hugs and affection. She is a very sweet, affectionate and lively lady who will continue to blossom once she finds a home of her own to settle in. She does still occasionally have brief moments of fright and will freeze if something spooks her, but if left alone for a minute or two she quickly recovers her composure and carries on without a fuss.

Wiggi has such a quirky endearing little personality. She has her fosterers bent double laughing on a daily basis! She likes to pick up her food bowl and empty it into a pile on the floor before eating. She now has a heavy, flat bowl to avoid lifting it and creating a twice daily mess for her foster carers! If she gets worked up about something, she makes little unusual moaning noises, as if she’s giving herself a good talking to!



**UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2011**

~ Personality ~
The special little Wiggi is continuing to blossom and progress in her foster home. She is the very definition of joyous, and loves to love life. You can't be around her and not have a smile on your face.

She also continues to be just that little bit quirky, and loves to ‘roach’ on her back with all 4 legs straight up in the air. She also loves to have her neck rubbed and will share Eskimo kisses with you on demand. She is very engaging with her foster parents, and they have taught her a special ‘Windmills’ game that they promise to teach to Wiggi’s new family so she can play with them too!



~ In the Home ~
Wiggi has adjusted excellently to the home life, and has never looked back on the stark kennels that she came from. She adores her home comforts and is very grateful for a soft sofa to roach out on. She is also very tidy minded and likes to pick up her foster Mum’s shoes and slippers and pile them neatly in her bed! She doesn’t chew or damage the shoes, just likes to collect them.

Wiggi has lost her ‘food bowl quirk’ and no longer tips over her bowl. She sits quietly while waiting to be fed and will start to eat on command. She is clean in the house and asks to go outside when she needs to. She is quiet throughout the night and right now sleeps in the living room with her foster brother and sister.



~ Other Animals ~
Wiggi has learned a great deal from her foster brother and sister greyhounds she’s sharing her foster home with. They have been instrumental in teaching her the do’s and don’t’s of home life – she would be lost without them. As such Wiggi’s absolute perfect home is one with another dog already present that she can lean on for reassurance in times of nervousness. She is learning that dogs come in non-greyhound shapes now too and is calm and mannerly when meeting other well behaved dogs. Her fosterers are continuing to socialise her with smaller dogs and she is learning quickly. She is not cat friendly, however.

~ Out and About ~
Wiggi is very good when out and about, and continues to get even better each day. Sudden loud things such as gunshot or fireworks will frighten her, but she is in general a very well-adjusted hound now. When she greets you, she pushes her head in between your arm and body so that she is in prime position for a good hug.

~ Where Am I? ~
Wiggi is currently in foster care in Hertfordshire, UK. She can be homed anywhere in the UK, but please note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to meet and collect her.

~ Want To Adopt Me? ~
Wiggi is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, de-flea'd and wormed and a homecheck will be required as part of the adoption procedure.

If you are interested in adopting or short-term fostering Wiggi, please email me (Tam) for our adoption application form and information pack. Emails are usually replied to within 24hrs. Thanks!


~~ KERRY GREYHOUNDS UK ~~

Kerry Greyhounds UK is a small voluntary organisation that is based in Norfolk, England. It focuses on rehoming unwanted Irish greyhounds, as huge numbers are bred in Ireland each year and homes are few and far between. KGUK operates through a network of volunteers spaced over Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. We can look after approximately 30 greyhounds at any one time in both kennels and foster homes.

Each dog is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and given a full veterinary check before being adopted (unless stated otherwise).
We assess the suitability of all home offers, and we have homed greyhounds in Ireland, the UK, Central Europe and the USA.



If interested in one of our hounds, please EMAIL me for our adoption application form and information pack. Once you have filled in and returned the application form, we will then contact you via phone or email to discuss adopting one of our hounds in more detail.

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. I can be contacted through the following email:

Emails are usually replied to within 24hrs.

Thank you.
Tam
KGUK Volunteer