Retired greyhound helps south Northants schoolgirl overcome severe phobia of dogs

Elle-Mae Bryce from Hartwell had suffered from cynophobia (a phobia of dogs) following two bad experiences as a toddler, but her dog-loving parents didn’t want to give up the chance to have a pet dog as part of their family.

After a chance encounter by Ella-Mae’s father Brendan, with Towcester-based professional greyhound trainer Frank Gray, the family now have the dog of their dreams. Frank from MakeIt Kennels heard about Ella-Mae’s phobia and helped the family adopt three-year-old Beans.

Brendan said: “We’d have to cross the road if any breed of dog was approaching us as she was simply petrified. My wife and I had talked about getting a dog again to help overcome her fear but we had never considered a greyhound.

“I deliver gas for a living, and had a drop off at Frank’s kennels where I asked more about rehoming retired greyhounds. From there we visited the kennels a few times and then introduced Ella-Mae to Beans which was a big moment.

“She was so calm and gentle, we really could not have asked for a better dog to help our daughter overcome her fear. Beans is the first greyhound we’ve owned, and Frank and his team were fantastic helping us find the right dog.”

They adopted Beans, aka Make It Cold Beans, a three-year-old black greyhound recently retired from the sport after a highly successful career.

During her 13-month racing career, Beans raced 35 times, won six races and competed at Open Race level, which is the highest grade of competition in UK greyhound racing.

Her career was abruptly ended in August when she fell in a freak accident during a trial at Oxford Stadium where she broke her central metatarsal. An operation to fix the injury was carried out the following day and she has since completed a full rehabilitation programme.

Trainer Frank said: “Beans made an excellent recovery from her injury to the point where she was fit to race again after completing her rehab, but when Brendan told me about his daughter Ella-Mae we knew Beans was the perfect dog for them. We carried out some routine checks and welcomed the family to meet Beans at our kennels.”

Brendan added: “Beans’ loving and placid character provided the perfect answer in helping Ella-Mae overcome her lifetime fear. She’s settled into retirement really well. She has a scar on her right back leg from the fall but she’s as good as gold and is in a fantastic new routine.

“People see greyhounds racing at extraordinary speeds on TV and assume they need lots of exercise. The reality is they’re the total opposite and unlike other working breeds such as spaniels, huskies and Labradors.

“Beans is the sloth of the dog world and will sleep at least 18 hours a day. She’s fantastic with other dogs and children too and we’re so pleased to have found her.”

With the sport now recording a 94.4 percent rehoming rate, Brendan is now encouraging other prospective dog owners to consider adopting a former racer.

Further information about how to adopt a retired greyhound yourself is available via the Greyhound Retirement Scheme at the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (gbgb.org.uk).