Heartbreaking But Lee Will Battle Back After Floods

Just for a moment Lee Rodgers dared to believe - that just like 12 months earlier - she had been spared from the rising flood waters.

Lee had realised the danger of the rising river behind her Shanes Park property the night before and evacuated her team of greyhounds to a friend’s property, but when the water had reached only skirting board height, Lee thought she had escaped any major drama.

“We evacuated last year but for five days the water sat just below the floor of the house,” Lee explained. “It went through the kennels, but not the house last year.

“This time it came through on the Thursday, the week before last, and was hitting the skirting boards. We thought we were over it. 

“We actually started moving stuff back into place and had people coming to do testing for the moisture in the walls to make sure it was safe to be in there … then, it came back with a vengeance.”

Like many in the area Lee sought refuge at the Richmond racetrack where she kenneled all of her dogs - racing, retired, pups, broodbitches - and slept on an inflatable mattress. She sent her two teenage children Ryan and Jessica to stay with their father then settled in, waiting to be able to get back into her house to assess the damage. 

When she returned to her property looking to see what might be able to be moved and saved, she was wading through waste deep water.

“It’s gone through the whole house, everything from halfway up the walls has to be ripped out,” she said. “The only thing it didn’t touch, furniture wise in the house, was the fridge because it was just up high enough.

“But, you know what, at the end of the day we got out of it. We may have lost pretty much everything in the house, but the kids got out, the dogs got out, and we’re doing a lot better than some. You have to look at it that way.

“So many people have lost absolutely everything, and people have lost their lives. We’re doing alright.”

Like a number of clubs in flooded regions, the Richmond club was a haven for several trainers and their dogs during rising floodwaters.

“We’ve had a number of people staying here, some people bringing dogs to stay, and at one point our kennels were full - 96 dogs,” Richmond manager Leanne Barnes said.

“We also had some local German Shepherds from a Training Centre, the Hawkesbury pound brought about 20 dogs here, and we had some GAP (Greyhound as Pets) dogs and of course racing dogs. We all just banded together through it.”

Lee spent much of Monday back at her home, pressure cleaning the kennels. The house won’t be ready to live in “for many months” however.

“It will take quite a while I’d imagine with the number of insurance claims out there, so I’m going to bring in a portable home, just so I can try and get back to some sort of normality,” she said.

“I’m lucky, I have had numerous phone calls and messages and everyone been amazing. And I can’t thank the Richmond club and Greyhound Racing NSW enough, they have both been absolutely awesome.”

On Sunday at her ‘temporary home’ on the Richmond track, Lee had two runners engaged up the straight. Both dogs - Bega Boy and Polish Pierogi (pictured) - won.

“When the first one (Bega Boy) won, I just burst into tears. I think it just got to the point where I let it all out,” Lee said.

“The second one was a shock. I hadn’t been able to trial him, and he hadn’t raced in 8 weeks. I guess it also shows that the dogs are feeling content and settled and that’s the main thing at the end of the day.

“Any win is a good win, but ones like those on Sunday, mean that little bit more.”