Help Olly the ex racer rescue move to Australia!!!

Hi, my name is Laura and I'm hoping you'll help me to raise some funds for a very special dog. His name is Olly and I first met him when he came to the rescue/rehoming centre where I worked.

He came to us in April 2023 after 3 years of being made to race on the track. Anyone who knows about Greyhound racing will know all about the physical and mental trauma that it can cause. Olly was no exception! Whilst he thankfully was still very good with people he did have some food aggression issues. We worked very hard with him and slowly he gained trust in that area. He was very much loved by staff and volunteers alike but sadly he didn't have many people interested in him. Then one day, some lovely people who had previously been fostering another of our dogs, found themselves ready to foster again! I couldn't resist mentioning Olly to them and explained his "quirks" to them. They weren't put off knowing that they would need to continue the work that had been started and jumped in with open minds and hearts.

So, 10 very long months after Olly arrived at the rescue, he was introduced to Jackie and Anthony. After coming to meet him a few times, it was finally time for Olly to go home with them on foster. He settled in slowly (not without a few issues) but Anthony and Jackie were very open to advise and took on everything we suggested. Their hard work, understanding and compassion began to pay off and the mutual love, trust and bond grew quickly.

The reason Anthony and Jackie had always fostered was because they had long terms plans to move to Anthony's native Australia. No plans had been set in place when they began fostering Olly but as time went on, the ball started rolling which brings us to now.

Anthony and Jackie simply couldn't bear the idea of Olly having to go back into kennels upon their departure to Australia and with very little interest in him they decided that life without him would be unbearable. So, after fostering him for 9 months, the decision was made that Olly would become an official member of the family!! Olly was finally adopted in November 2024. Of course, Olly has no idea what is ahead of him and what a wonderful life he will be living down under but Mom and Dad do! They are unbelievably excited to be giving him this opportunity and having him in the family for the rest of his beautiful life!

As you can imagine, the cost to transport a dog overseas is a very expensive one and comes with months and months of preparation and dedication. Certificates, vaccinations, health checks, import permits, quarantine arrangements. The list goes on. Not only is the process extensive, it is very expensive!

So this brings us up to date. Anthony and Jackie are currently looking at an overall bill of approximately £8k Obviously this is a huge amount of money to find, especially on top of all the additional cost of moving and shipping of all their belongings. But to them, Olly is worth every penny and they are determined to get him there. I can't help feel slightly responsible for this huge decision they have made and the financial burden that has fallen on them because I also fell in love with Olly and knew they would be a perfect foster home for him. Foster fails happen all the time but this one definitely has a big difference. Anthony, Jackie and I keep in touch regularly and I love seeing his gorgeous snoot in all the pictures they send ❤️

So here we are, 16 months down the line of Olly being in his forever home with his amazing parents and the bit where I ask anyone reading this if they would be able to help get Olly to Australia?!

Do you think you would be able help cover some of the costs? I've never done a go fund me before but i know they can have amazing outcomes. I've never known a dog deserve this opportunity more and can't imagine a lovelier couple to help continue loving Olly and giving him the most unbelievable life ever!!

Thank you for reading this (very long) story. Any amount to help towards getting Olly to Australia with his family will be hugely appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Much love Laura ❤️