189 dogs got to race the Greyhound track for Pooch Racing in 2017.
This year has been the most successful for the annual Shoe Box Appeal, a fast-growing charitable initiative that sees rehomed greyhounds given a shoe box full of goodies for Christmas.
Cambridge greyhound owner and advocate Jenny Bartlett introduced New Zealand to the UK-based idea several years ago.
“We adopted it here to help retired greyhounds in foster care while waiting to go to their forever homes,” she said.
“A shoe box filled with toys, treats and something for the foster parent is put together. All the goodies in the boxes come from auctions, owners and others within the racing industry.”
Jenny said 2023 had been the most successful one to date, with 53 shoe boxes being distributed around the country.
She said the charity was continuing to grow. This year, the appeal also purchased toys for greyhounds currently waiting in Cambridge and Te Kuiti kennels to be rehomed. It also gave a donation to the Bay of Islands Rescue Animal Centre, and the Mayhounds Rehoming Agency for Hounds.
