A FORMER Portland resident and his Weymouth wife have put their hearts and savings into rescuing dogs on the other side of the world.

Peter Flann, who grew up on Portland, now runs charity Greyhound Rescue in Australia with his wife Janet.

They are part of an international rescue campaign to save racing greyhounds in Macau, China.

Peter said: “Janet and I married at Chickerell in 1963, having been in the same class at Weymouth Grammar School.

“We still have family living in the area now.

“Janet was involved in animal rescue when we were in Weymouth.

“We helped find places for 30 greyhounds taken as a result of an RSPCA case and once you’re involved, you realise how wonderful they are.

“We borrowed $10,000 against our home to re-home them all.

“Some of the rescue greyhounds have foster carers whilst others, in kennels, cost the charity $100 per dog per week.”

Despite the cost, Peter and Janet continue to rescue more greyhounds because they don’t want to leave them to die.

Janet said: “I feel so sorry for the dogs when they come to us, that’s why we take so many.

“One of our dogs, Freckles, was at the pound when Peter went to collect another dog and saw her.

“He said to me: ‘I just looked in to her eyes and couldn’t leave her’.

“And so we kept taking the dogs.”

Janet said that the rescued dogs are often no more than four years old but are no longer needed for racing.

Others, who are unsuitable for racing, can be even younger when they are taken to the pound to be put down.

Peter said: “According to news reports, 383 greyhounds were killed last year at Macau’s Canidrome, the only dog track in China. “The dogs are former racing greyhounds and are killed when they are no longer profitable or are injured; there is no adoption programme. We are proud to take a leadership role in this international campaign.

“This is one of the dog racing industry’s dirty little secrets and needs to be revealed.”

“In an effort to raise awareness we are joining other non-profit organisations in the UK and across the world in an attempt to rescue a single greyhound from the Canidrome.”