Such sad news, so sorry. Thinking of your family, run free handsome boy. xx

So very sad for Brin...taken far too soon. God bless him. Thinking of his family. Xxx

What sad news. Run free boy. Thinking of your family.

We are so very sorry to hear this. Run free Brin xxx
Thinking of Brin's family xxx
Bob, Orla & Mum

I took a call this morning to let me know that Brin sadly died under anaesthetic yesterday. He was being stitched after he and Zac had an incident whilst running. I am so sad.......
Sleep tight fella x

Delighted for you my lovely boy, and I just love your new name. Be happy. x

wonderful news for patrick and am loving the new name brin- have a fantastic life along with magic- now zac xxx

Fantastic news for Brin and Zak ( Patrick and Magic), wishing you a happy life together and best wishes to their new Family.X By the way love their new names. X

Such lovely news, love to Brin (Patrick) his new family and also Magic. Your sofa has arrived.
The New Icemaid Clan xxxxx (p.s He reminds me of our Georgie)

That is such wonderful news! Congratulations x

It's official now - I heard from the new owners of Patrick and Magic last night and they have settled really well so they are keeping them for good! I am really pleased for both of them x

Like has been said - we all at Daybreaks pride ourselves on offering help and advice .. we take great care to do thorough homechecks and point out the pitfalls as well as the joys of greyhounds, Ruth and all at the kennels go through a lot of it again when the dogs are viewed to double check the prospective owner understands what they're taking on and after the dog is rehomed our home checkers call again regularly to make sure all is well and call until the new owner and dog are settling together. Ruth, the home checker and my phone numbers are in the comprehensive rehoming pack which goes home with every new dog, the phone has an ansaphone which is on 24/7 and checked by Ruth almost 24/7 too. We are all happy to speak to new owners and give help and advice over a wide range of issues as we've all had greyhounds for many years so have usually gone through it too. The free training classes we offer are to encourage people to meet other owners and to help train their new greyhound as greys are very different to any other breed so need a special approach. I'm disappointed that Patricks owners didn't think they went home with much information but at least he's now back with us.

The one thing that stands out to me is that if you are having any problems with your grey,no matter how experienced you may be, PLEASE ask for help,either by ringing Ruth or putting it on the website as I am sure between everyone at Daybreaks we can come up with the right solution,to almost any problem,BEFORE it becomes too much to handle.I'm sure most people would love the chance to offer their help and advice to solve a problem,rather than air their "frustations" after the opportunity of a loving home is lost.

Sometimes things are not meant to be my son Dan is a friend of Jess and I know how much they loved their grey Pepper and miss her terribly. I hope with time the right grey will be out there for them as they were wonderful owners who adored Pepper who was taken from them before her time.In At some point I hope to see them again on the RGT walks -time is a great healer and I know they have much love to give another hound.Love to you all.

Hello Jess91. Firstly i am sorry for your mothers loss a dearly loved grey in such tragic circumstances', but secondly, I am am entitled to my opinion.

Nothing in my discussion was offensive just factual i still do believe that 5 days was not long enough and that you gave up on him too soon, contrary to what you think.

Perhaps you were looking for a replacement, which would never happen, which is why you returned him so quickly. You obviously thought you (or your mother) could cope but couldn't. Some people need longer than others. Some replace their dog straight away to fill the gap which eases their pain, and so get over their beloved pet quicker. some never get over it even with time.

However Can I ask you a question? who did you expect to 'Housetrain' the dog, the owner the trainer Ruth or himself! If you've had a greyhound, you of all people should know that these dogs come from kennels. They are kenneled for most of the day and for some their needs are very special, especially when it comes to rehoming. The dogs that are housetrained are very few, and usually have spent time in a home before and may be heading for their second or even third home. It was up to you to ask questions and you should have made sure sure this dog was right for you.

Anxiety is a problem with some dogs. Maybe you should have picked a more suitable time to home him, for instance School holidays when somebody could have been therefor company until he had settled and his stress levels eased, thus no fouling of the house, and you cant watch for toileting if you're not around.

However Ruth and the 'team' at Daybreaks are second to none, (you would have to search very hard to find a disgruntled customer of hers) with all the advice you could ever wish for honest, solid and truthful, She loves all the dogs in her care and takes re-homing very seriously. If you didn't act upon advice given (and i'm sure it was) or didn't ask questions, or for extra help who's fault is that?

Keep up the good work Ruth and the team, wishing you many more successful homings, these dogs can't do it without you. For every unhappy homing there are many happy ones.

Sorry if my first comments have caused blame to be laid upon you Ruth, they weren't meant with intent.

Good Luck in your new home Patrick, in the right one you'll be settled in real soon' you'll see. xxxx

Keep up the good work Ruth, best wishes to all the team and good luck to Patrick in his new home.

Something to be glad about......took my beloved Daisy for her first overnight stay at a friends house - 3 months after I rehomed her. Daisy dog is still very nervous girl, loves to travel, hates to arrive!. Took her bedding duvet and a few toys. And food and treats of course. She would not let my chum touch her, only before we left this morning did she put her nose up for some fuss. Strange house, sounds, smells, but she was a golden girl. Slept all night, not a peep and clean as a whistle. So lets here a big cheer for Daisy. I read about Patrick and in my heart I think better hes back with Ruth. In the big scheme of things wee and poo can be cleaned up. And all greys respond in time with love and kindness and routine. They may not be perfect. But who is? xx

This is really sad but I can only add weight to Ruth's comments. When we had Walter we had some real wobbles as despite us both being 100% certain we wanted him, nothing quite prepared us for the first week of having a stranger in our house. If we felt like that then Walter can only have felt ten times worse, not least of all because I was making mistakes with him left right and centre! We made a lot of calls to both Ruth and Fiona and I would be lying if a didnt say a couple of times I wondered what the hell we had done. But Ruth and Fiona, and Julie were really supportive and we worked through it. I am not being judgemental about this particular case at all but just want to emphasise how much help there is to get you through some of the inevitable challenges. Ruth and the team want to help you to make it work. We still have the odd wee from Walter (even up your leg hey Ruth!) but he has come on so well over the last 3 months, he is unrecognisable from the boy who first came here in December. We are still on a journey with Walter but the rewards are unbelievable.

I'm sorry if I offend some people but I was really gutted by the earlier comment. I have never known a place where so many people are prepared to lend their time help and advice in order to find these beautiful dogs suitable loving homes. When I first came to daybreaks I fell on love with the beautiful Nana but as I was advised that she needed the company of another dog during the day and was advised which greys woild be more suitable to be an only dog. Ruth and Rob even took the time to bring Jak and Lucy to our home to how they would react to our Lovebirds who are extreemly noisy and naughty when they want to be. All the volunteers gave lots of advice about which dog they thought would be the most suitable and because of this I ended up with my beautiful boy Jak who I love very much. I was also given advice during the fist few weeks while we all settled into our new home routine and I knew that if I was in need of any advice I only had to put a note on the site and an answer or more would soon be forthcoming. Not every homing is going to be successful it's just one of those things and it can get very emotional but to critisise he very people who offer so much dedication time and patience is not good. Rant over now.

Whilst I can understand Jess91 wanting to give her side of events I think the comments made by mutty22jaf was good solid advice and given in a positive way and by no way demeaning or criticising so I fail to see why you singled out those comments.

Whilst I am very sorry at your loss of a beloved dog surely you would have realised that a rescue dog be it greyhound or otherwise can come with 'issues', if you bought a puppy you would still have to train it not to wee inside the house, not to destroy things, and that it too may have separation anxiety and that whatever way you got another dog time and devotion would be needed. You were getting an ex racing greyhound from a trust surely you would have realised that this dog had spent all its life in a kennel and would not be housetrained, did you really need to be told this? I am not a volunteer or personal friend of Ruth or anyone else at Daybreaks but I am an owner of a grey taken from Daybreaks and I do NOT agree that your mom was given very little information, I came home with literature and Ruth sat with me and told me what she knew about the dog i was about to adopt, good and bad points. If it was an issue that Patrick was not house trained maybe you should have considered taking a dog that had already been re-homed and was used to a home environment. If you do not point out these issues how are people supposed to help you choose a suitable dog? I don't mean this to sound like an attack and I am sorry that Patrick did not work out for you but to put the blame onto Daybreaks is totally out of order.

Hello Jess91, I am really very upset to read your post so would like to explain a few things to address your comment.

I am always as honest as I can be about any of the dogs in my care to anyone when they are viewing, especially their bad points as well as good.

I explained how I had had Patrick at my house and that he had kept me up all night crying following his operation and how he had toileted in my house however being a very scary experience for a nervous dog I had expected this. I explained how he would even scream if you approached him too quickly.

I called your mum a few of days after taking Patrick on trial to ask how he was doing to be told that he was going to be returned the next day. I can only do my best in advising people on how they are when they are at Daybreaks but this is also an environment they feel secure with which I always explain. I am always there to offer support and advice if it is asked for or needed. It is a fact that these dogs have lived their whole lives in a kennel and therefore it is impossible for them to be housetrained and this is something that can take a while for them to learn. We give out a homing pack full of information in addition which reiterates the information verbally given also.

I know how upsetting it is to lose a dog and know how upset your sister and mum where when they visited as I spent a long time with them. I left a message for your mum to check how she was after bringing Patrick back as she was clearly upset, but sadly this call was not returned. I can only apologise for what has happened and hope sometime soon your family can come to terms with losing a precious family member.

I am the daughter of the lady who returned Patrick after only having him for five days. I would just like to say a few words after having read some of your comments, in particular, those posted by mutty22jaf. We do have experience with greyhounds. Our first and only grey, Pepper, left us last October due to bone cancer after being with us for 6 years. As this was our first dog, and such a tragic way for her to leave us, the trauma resounded heavily with us. Earlier this year, my mum decided to have a look around the kennels for a new grey. We were feeling more optimistic and mentally ready for a new dog. So we chose Patrick. Unfortunately, my mum was not told he was not house trained, and she was left to take him home with very little information. He suffered from extreme separation anxiety and messed very frequently in the house. After five days, my mum was unable to cope. Deep down she realised she was not mentally ready for a new dog, a new dog can never replace my Pepper and probably never will. Combined with the arduous task of house training Patrick, and making sure he was not left alone too long (difficult due to my mum and sister both having work and school commitments) my mum decided it was best to return him. He would find a better home, with people who CAN put the time and effort in that we were unable to do so, due to our circumstances. So, in short, we did not give up, we tried our best, and I would appreciate people to consider the possible circumstances before jumping to conclusions. Thank you.

Well done to the lovely Patrick and magic - it sounds as though you both have a fantastic new home so happy for you xx

I have heard from the family who took Patrick and Magic and they are doing really well which I am over the moon about.... they have certainly landed on their feet :-)

I was at Daybreaks taking Henry hoem on trial when I saw Patrick being returned. It's such a shame when an animal is returned but rather they are in the right home than the 'wrong' one. Our pooch has the odd accident in the kitchen, a gentle "a a" and then take him out the the garden is all that's needed. Signs are there for toileting as stated below and we found a winning routine. We use a crate at night-they cry if they need to toilet and are 'safe' at night when no one is about to keep an eye on them (this is the first time these animals have ever been in a home and it is all so new and overwhelming for them, new sights, sounds, smells, routines etc). For the first few weeks take poochy out every hour and say what you want them to do. When they do it say the phrase whilst they are piddling and reward with lots of praise and 1 treat for wee, 3 treats for poo. Make the reward something they love (cheese or chicken for Henry). They soon get the hang of it!
It would be super to hear how he's doing and I wish his new owners all the very best. Helen

to the new owners if youve never had a greyhound before, listen to the advice that Ruth and her team give you. Look for circling whining restlessness pacing up and down all signs of needing to go. Take the dog out several times a day and night, especially before you bed him down for the night, if possible for 5 minutes at a time, often and show him where you want him to toilet . Harsh as this sounds when he has toileted outdoors in your garden don't remove the poo straight away this only tells a dog that you are not pleased with where he has relieved himself . Take him back to the same spot so he quickly learns the spot you want him to toilet in. Give him a small treat it doesnt have to be huge, with lots of praise. Soon he will settle into the routine. If he soils any area of the house soak up with a towel first and then thoroughly clean with a mild solution of bio washing powder or gel, (be careful on wool carpets). Don't feed after 7pm until he has learnt the routine. Although dogs should always have access to water, whilst toilet training it may be best to restrict the amount given at once, as some dogs get anxious in there new surroundings (panting) and so the need to drink more. Its not rocket science just patience and kindness needed and i'm sure you will be rewarded and never look back. Oh and if Patricks new owners are experienced with greyhounds then i'm sorry i am just trying to help, for you this will be a piece of cake as you already know. Good luck Patrick you handsome brindle boy, hope this time it all works out for you, be good and love your new life. xxx

Very exciting news I couldn't,t believe it when Ruth said that both you and magic had gone but well done I,ve got a good feeling this time be very happy my lovely boy xx

we willkeep every think crossed for u be good boy love all

Oh Patrick this is such lovely news. I really hope it works out for you this time my poppett. xx

It always amazes me how many of our glorious dogs do cope on their own- they have always had a greyhound friend for all their life then they are retired, taken into a strange weird world but then expected to cope on their own with all this scarey world around them, and the only familiar thing - their new person, leaves them alone at times :(. Most of them do settle - some are fine straight away, some need help to be confident on their own and some always need another doggy companion- when we lost my last lurcher after 7 years with me my grey girl was 'ok' but not happy- she'd always had a doggy friend when she lived with me so I got her another lurcher pal and she was much happier and relaxed :) J x

Patience and understanding is what is needed with these wonderful dogs. We've had Logan for 14 months now. He suffered severe seperation anxiety for at least the first 8 - 9 months! He still has the odd mistake now but we just need to remind ourselves of the life they lived in the racing kennels and that will never leave them overnight. But I would say that the love and affection you get from these fantastic dogs more than makes up for all their mistakes. I'm sure that if they could talk they would say "please forgive my mistakes, I am trying to adjust to my change in surroundings as best I can, but I really to appreciate you giving me a lovely retirement" Please don't give up on these wonderful dogs.

WE HAVE HAD MEGEN(SPOT) 6MONTHS NOW AND WE STLILL HAVE ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE , IT DOSE TAKE TIME TO TRAIN THESE DOGS BUT I WOULD NOT BE WITH ONT ANY OF THEM ALL 5 GREYS AND THE PUP

I'm sorry but 5 days is not near long enough to say that you have tried with a dog. When i first got our greyhound I constantly watched her, looked out for signs circling pacing etc and took her out several times a day for 5 minutes at a time until she settled and understood where to toilet. Let us not forget that these dogs have been kenneled all their lives and know of nothing else . They see our house as an extension to their kennel. Therefore with patience and kindness they eventually learn what we expect of them, but it takes time. These dogs require extra time to adapt, they are thrown into a totally different world and given up on far too soon. Never mind Patrick there is a home out there for you, you'll see.xx

Ahhh you poor boy. Hopefully you'll be snapped up again soon xxx

Patrick is absolutely gorgeous and it's so sad that he's back. He seems happy to be sharing with Tina, and he really needs the reassurance and security of some company. Big cuddles for you my lovely boy. x

Never mind Patrick- I have to say all my greys were like this to start with but I found given a week or two this usually settles as they become more confident in their new home environment and realise they are stuck with you foreverxx

oh Patrick, that is upsetting to hear....never mind, cuddle up to Tina and be certain that there is a special family somewhere just waiting to find you. x

Not to worry Patrick, hopefully your forever home is just around the corner. xxx

Poor Patrick has just come back from a trial in a home where he has been since Saturday. Sadly he had separation anxiety and was toileting in the house.

We have paired him up with Tina and he has settled back in and seems very content with his new friend.

Sorry to hear you have had another sleepless night Ruth...I am sure if Nora and Patrick could talk they would say a huge thank you for your endless love and care for them. xxx

I collected PAtrick from the vets yesterday following his castrate. He has had a very unsettled night but seems much better this morning. I think he will sleep most of the day today back at the kennels with being up all night - you might find me asleep alongside him too!!!!! :-)

Patrick you are such a quick worker well done superstarxx

Well done that was very quick!

That was quick! Well done Patrick. xxx

What a handsome boy xx

Wow Patrick that was quick work !!!
You look a real beauty !