Greyhound rescued from jailed trainer's farm in Burton Fleming given new home

A couple who adopted a severely underweight greyhound that was rescued from squalid conditions at a dog trainer's farm say they immediately "fell in love".

Six-year-old Jet was among more than 30 dogs discovered in "disgraceful conditions" at greyhound trainer Rebecca Perkins' farm in Burton Fleming, near Driffield, East Yorkshire.

Five dogs were already dead. Four others had to be put to sleep.

Perkins, 42, of Hunmanby Road, Burton Fleming, pleaded guilty to three animal cruelty offences against a total of 38 dogs. She was jailed for 36 weeks and banned from keeping animals for life.

Jet's new owners, Steph and Shaun Miller, said they were on the lookout for a greyhound after their whippet died just eight weeks ago when they spotted Jet being walked by RSPCA staff.

Steph said: "I am disabled and greyhounds don’t actually need that much exercise. They are gentle dogs and not very high maintenance.

"We went to meet him and fell in love straightaway."

Jet's weight has now more than doubled from 13kg to a healthy 29kg. He had 19 teeth removed and has scars on his body from sores.

Steph said: “Due to my disability, having a dog companion is paramount to me. We don’t have children, but we have always had dogs."Jet was previously a racing greyhound, running under the name Zanzibar. He won his last race in September 2021 in Sheffield.

On the jail term handed to Jet's former owner Rebecca Perkins, Steph said: “I don’t understand the sentence, particularly as the law changed recently and those convicted of animal abuse can get up to five years."

Perkins, who had been a greyhound trainer for 17 years, signed all the dogs in her care over to the RSPCA.

The surviving dogs are continuing to recover.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.