While many of us are real dog lovers, not everyone is such a big fan of canine companions. Some people live with cynophobia, the fear of dogs or, more generally, canines.
British schoolgirl Ella-Mae Bryce, eight, has been severely scared of dogs following a couple of negative experiences as a toddler. But her parents are dog lovers, and always wanted to bring a dog into the family.
After a chance meeting between Ella-Mae’s father Brendan and professional Greyhound trainer Frank Gray, the family now have a dog of their very own. Thanks to Frank, from MakeIt Kennels, the family have since adopted three-year-old Beans, the Northampton Chronicle reports.
A Real Phobia
“We’d have to cross the road if any breed of dog was approaching us as she was simply petrified,” explained Brendan about his daughter’s phobia. “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.”
Bouncing Back
Black Greyhound Beans, full name Make It Cold Beans, retired recently after a 13-month racing career. She raced 35 times, winning six races, and competed at Open Race level, the highest grade in the UK.
However, last August she fell in a freak accident and broke her central metatarsal. After an operation and a full rehabilitation program, she’s back to her best, however.
“Beans made an excellent recovery from her injury to the point where she was fit to race again after completing her rehab,” said Frank, “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.”
And Beans’ “loving and placid” character has helped Ella-Mae with her phobia, Brendan explained. “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.”
Certainly, it looks as if Beans has found her forever home.
