The
Office
Our facilities are located in Southwestern Ontario, near to
Mount Elgin, on a 3 acres grass/farm land. We have our office building, and
our home separated from the kennel, the kennel yard, and the exercise yard.
A laneway of 1/4 mile leads to the back of the property where there is a large,
and beautiful 50+ acres lake hosting several species of wild birds such as
ducks, and Canada geese, and other wild animals.
It is quiet, and peaceful yet it is only about 10 minutes away from Canada's
busiest express freeway, Highway 401.
In the nice weather many families from London, Ontario, and the surrounding
area come out on weekends to walk their Greyhounds, have a picnic, and just
to relax. 
The
Kennel and the Kennel Yard
The
kennel building is a barn. About two thirds of the building has been partitioned
off, insulated, and painted. A center aisle separates the crates of the males
from the crates of the females. It also makes turn-outs very easy. There are
eleven "stalls" in total, and each stall can house up to five Greyhounds
in individual crates. The stalls are six feet wide, and eighteen feet deep
with cement floors for easy cleaning. The crates are located at the back of
the stalls which allows us to use the front part of the stalls to turn out
the Greyhounds for visitors to see, and pet before deciding on the ones they
wish to take out into the yard for a walk.
This part of the barn is heated, and air-conditioned for the comfort of all.
Large exhaust fans keep the air moving when heat or air-conditioning isn't
necessary. The front entrance to the kennel is a room the full with of 40'
by 15' deep. It provides us with a quiet place to talk to visitors before
entering the kennel. On the left as you enter the room is the refrigerator,
freezer, food storage, and preparation area, water heater, and pressure system.
On the right is the laundry area with 2 washers, 2 dryers, bathtub, and storage
area for the blankets, and towels. It also includes an electric furnace, and
air-conditioning system. This area also contains 4 large wire crates for borders
or for Greyhounds that are going to or coming from the vet.
The area front of the kennel is fenced, and leads to the large exercise yard
placed at the side of the kennel. A cement pad at the front door provides
a pleasant area to sit, and relax with the Greyhounds. Flowers planted in
the flowerbeds bordering the kennel and the exercise yard provide wonderful
colors, and fragrant, and the Canadian and American flag represent our bond,
and friendship.
The
Exercise Yard
The
exercise yard is approximately 50 feet wide and 140 feet deep. It is enclosed
by a 4 foot wire fence. Over fourty tons of sand had been spread over the
area to a depth of six inches. Trees along the West side of the yard provide
ample shade during the hot summer days.
Greyhounds come
out to the yard in groups of 2-3-4 depending on the number of dogs in each
stall. They are always muzzled when released into the yard. Amount of time
outside depends on the weather, but usually it is 10-15 minutes. Morning turn-out
starts at 8:00am followed by breakfast. Afternoon turn-out is at 4:00pm followed
by supper. Last turn-out of the day is at 10:00pm followed by cuddle time,
a treat, and then tucked into bed for the night. When the weather is nice
the Greyhounds are let out around noon in large groups for a play time 2 or
3 times a week for about 30-60 minutes. All of these large groups outings
are supervised in the yard.
During the play
time Greyhounds are given the chance to socialize with each other. It gives
us a great opportunity to see "who is getting along with who" famously,
and who are the ones that should not be placed, and adopted together. We can
observe their personalities, and their social interaction skills up-close
and personal that helps us to make decisions in providing recommendations
about their adoptions. After a long period of time "tearing up"
the exercise yard, the Greyhounds come back from the yard with as much enthusiasm
as they had when they went out. This is particularly true on a rainy or cold
days.