Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary Visit: Our Experience

The team were very excited to be heading to Lincolnshire to visit the dogs (and the staff) at Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary. We were met with an abundance of fields and as we approached the fens... the fresh scent of the countryside! Once we pulled up, Ian, the Chair of Trustees, greeted us with a beaming smile and an apology for the paint on his t-shirt, showing us that it was a working kennels and always on the go!  

We headed towards the sound of barking; their lunch had just been served by one of the lovely volunteers. We met Mick, the kennel manager, and Claire, who works part-time at the kennels. The hospitality was excellent, and we instantly got chatting about one thing we all had in common... greyhounds!  

We were told about the history of the homing centre, learning that their new kennels had been built in the past year, paid for by donations from the public and generous gifts from supporter’s wills. The charity has moved on a lot since it was founded in December 1997 by Sandra Davis.  Back when the sanctuary opened, the three musketeers (Sandra Davis, Mandy and Shaun Hooker) were working tirelessly to get the kennels up and running in order to home as many greyhounds as possible.  

The History of Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary 

In 1998, they became a registered charity and began their first year of homing greyhounds, attending fundraising events and gaining presence in the local area. That year they homed 15 dogs, but it was particularly hard for the kennels as they relied solely on donations from the public and trainers to help feed the greyhounds. It was clear even when we visited the sanctuary that it’s a people driven charity and without the volunteers and others’ generosity, the kennels wouldn’t have managed. 

Mick, the Kennel Manager, gave us Sandra’s book Sanctuary in the Fens, which explains the entire process of starting up. Throughout the book, Sandra constantly mentions and thanks all the people who helped along the way, including Mary Evans MBE, who became the first patron in 1997 and founded Lizzie’s Rooms for the dogs to sleep in.  

Annette Crosbie is also recognised for her generous contributions- she bought Fen Bank its first telephone, fax machine, and van to transport the greyhounds. And of course, there’s a special mention for Nana Kate, Sandra’s mum, who, at the age of 92, pitched in as much as she could to help get the kennels up and running. Learning all about the history of the kennels made the visit even more special.  

Exploring the Kennels and Meeting the Greyhounds 

Once introductions were over, Ian led us to the newly built kennel and runs, and we were complimentary on how well kept they were. Each greyhound had their own kennel and run to go in and out as they pleased. The day we visited was quite warm, so the dogs enjoyed relaxing inside their cool and clean kennels. After spending a few moments getting acquainted, each of us chose a different greyhound to cuddle. 

We offered to help in any way we could and before we knew it, Mick handed us a few leads, and together we made our way to the large, enclosed field behind the kennels to walk the dogs.  

It was a lovely field that allowed us to walk at our own pace and chat about the dogs, learning all sorts of things such as their homing process and the quarterly visits from Pet Blood Bank when all greyhounds in the kennels at the time will donate blood if they’re able to. It was lovely to hear, and we’ve been invited to be there next time they’re coming. It will be exciting to see how it works. 

Bonding with the Greys 

We ended up walking all of the kennel residents between ourselves and the Fen Bank staff. It was very relaxing, and spending time with the dogs was lovely. They each had their own unique personalities! We especially took a liking to June, Lilly and sweet Oliver who had been in the kennels for 3 years looking for his forever home. He was quite shy around us but, with Claire by his side, he did let us stroke him.  

After that we spent some time in the paddocks and played with some of the dogs! It was so interesting to see how some of the dogs weren’t bothered about playing with us and preferred cuddles while others wanted to play and zoomie around the paddock. It really does go to show; there is a greyhound out there for everyone.  

Behind the Scenes at Fen Bank

We enjoyed taking lots of pictures, videos and selfies with the dogs. Our tour continued and we got to see the food store cupboard with all manner of donations in. We couldn’t quite believe how generous some people and business were to the sanctuary. Mick constantly expressed his gratitude for the kindness they received.  

We then went into the feed room where all their dinners are prepared. Some greyhounds were on specific diets so the room had whiteboards for the dogs showing what food they could and couldn’t eat. They even had a food trolley to pop the dog bowls on and go to the kennels to serve up dinner. 

This is where we learnt that the sanctuary has lots of volunteers who help with various tasks. From people who come just to feed the dogs, to those who walk the dogs or take them out on days outs, or people who enjoy sitting in the lounges and having a cuppa and cuddling them!  

We couldn’t get over how there was a real sense of community within this homing centre, and it really shone through with the stories we were hearing from Ian and Mick. We also got to see the annual volunteer meet up and see just how big of a family this sanctuary was! 

 Image taken from Fen Bank Greyhound’s Volunteer Day 

A Special Moment in Rob’s Lounge

We finished off our visit with some cuddles with Lincoln the greyhound in Rob’s Lounge which is a room that is set up to be a home environment, so the greyhounds get to experience sounds like the TV, hoover and the sofa before they get to do the real thing! 

The visit was amazing, and we learnt so much about Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary and the people who have helped to make it the successful homing centre it is today! We even learnt that Sandra has had it written in the deeds of the property that the land is only to be used for homing of retired greyhounds. How marvellous is that?  

We can’t thank Ian, Mick, Claire and the rest of the team at Fen Bank enough for allowing us to come and visit the centre. It was a real treat and to be sent home with some goodies such as Sandra’s book, greyhound pens and cards alongside some beautiful greyhound poems, made it even more wholesome.  

Get Involved with Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary

We’re looking forward to partnering more with Fen Bank and assisting with homing as many of their dogs as possible. If you would like to know more about Fen Bank, or even visit for yourself, head over to Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary website and sign up to their quarterly newsletter- it’s packed with fascinating updates and stories!