Hi Louise,

I am glad you received the photographs.  Steffie was left behind on the side of the road by some gypsies who were parked behind the university.  It was a new unfinished road with no through traffic and boulders had been placed at the entrance to keep further gypsies from parking there.  I got a call on Christmas Eve morning that a greyhound was howling near the university and I   prepared some food and  drove down there as I thought I would be able to pick up the poor thing quite easily as the  weather was bitterly cold, - 6 during the night and below freezing all day.  I found her without any trouble as she was sitting on a mattress on the side of the road in the middle of all the debris left behind by the gypsies.  However when I approached she ran off and would not come near me.  I left some food and water near her mattress and went and did some last minute shopping.  I returned with Niamh at 4.30 p.m. and we tried to coax her with food and soft voices.  However, she still hid in the trees and ran as we approached. We then decided to make her a little shelter with her mattress as a cover and some old tyres and carpets and even a fridge to support the effort.>It was very sad leaving her behind howling in the dark and freezing cold.  On Christmas day Niamh brought her hot food early in the day and I went  in the afternoon and left how turkey and potatoes and gravy.  She came down to eat but ran away if I went near her.  I had to go home on Christmas night and think of her in the freezing cold.  However, I could see that she looked fairly well and had no mange or body sores.  On St. Stephen's Day I was very busy and Niamh went in the morning and returned early in the afternoon as it was starting to snow.  When she arrived at the site there  were men there with dogs and a van and trailer.  She thought they were looking for the lurcher.  The poor thing ran down the  field when she saw the men and she curled up in a tight ball at the side of the hill.  Niamh followed her quietly and got down on her hands and knees.  She managed to come close to her and while talking  to her she lay down near her and put her arms around her.  She had her mobile phone in her pocket and she managed to telephone me.  I left the house immediately and found her 45 minutes later still lying in the frozen grass with her arms wrapped around the little lurcher.  It was just starting to snow and we cried with happiness when we managed to lift her in our arms.  She was too terrified to walk and we carried her all the was down to the car.  The men had gone by this time.  We called her Steffie after St. Stephen.  As you can see she is a beautiful  Irish lurcher.  Her coat is long and her face is striking.  She is very nervous but she is improving every day.  She needs a loving  home where she will learn to trust people once again.  She is only about a year old and we hope she will have a long happy life.

It is wonderful to be able to start the New Year with a happy story.  I often think of the frightened greyhounds that we have not been able to catch.
Happy New Year to everyone at Greyhound Friends.
Best wishes,
Marion.