Patch is a three and a half year old greyhound who came to live with us about eighteen months ago. Initially, due to the fact that she had been a racing dog and never experienced living in a house, she was very timid and scared of everything. She was even scared of the curtains being drawn. Within a few weeks, she gained confidence and settled well into the family home and routine. She would come to let us know if she needed to go into the garden and we had very few accidents in the house.

Patch would get excited about going for walks and was happy to explore her surroundings. Although still quite nervous, she would welcome visitors to the house with sniffing and licking, before settling onto her bed. Patch loves sleeping in her bed by the fire, or in her little 'cave', a gap where a cupboard should be in the kitchen.

We had Patch spayed and, as she is a fit healthy dog, she recovered quickly.

Unfortunately, about six months ago, Patch and our other greayhound were attacked by two Patterdale Terriers whilst out for a Sunday walk. The attack was prolonged and vicious, leaving both dogs and myself extremely distressed and Patch with horrific injuries. Both dogs were rushed to the vets, but Patch's injuries were so bad that she needed to be given anaesthetic, stitched and kept in at the vets. The terriers had ripped through her skin and into the muscles in her back legs. She really was a mess. Throughout the attack, Patch didn't try to bite back once. She really is a sweet natured dog.

Six months on and Patch is a very unhappy dog indeed. She shakes excessively when it is walk time, will screech loudly if we try to move her by her collar and pulls to get back into the house for the duration of the walk. She constantly looks behind her when out and is so nervous that she doesn't even want to go into the garden to go to the toilet. This has resulted in her wetting in the house more and more frequently at night. Unfortunately, as the attack happened not far from the house, we cannot walk her on another route. We have to revisit the site of the attack on every walk and this is proving too difficult for her to handle. Patch spends most of her time in her bed. Some evenings she is settled, others she spends pacing between the living room and kitchen.

It is with great sadness that we have come to the conclusion that in order for her to be happy, she needs to be in a new environment. Patch is a gentle, loving dog who would benefit from a quiet household with no children or other dogs. She needs an owner to give her love, patience and reassurance and to love her as much as we do. She deserves a loving home and will make a quiet, gentle and faithful companion. We will be really sad to see her go, but feel she deserves to be happy.