Adopt a Greyhound month
Greyhound Rescue’s kennels are full! If it’s time for you to get a dog, it’s time to consider a Greyhound…
Greyhound Rescue (GR) has declared April to be Adopt-a-Greyhound month. So, this seems like a perfect time to talk about greyhounds as a family pet.
Greyhounds don’t need huge expanses of living area. A suburban backyard is fine and they can live in units with daily exercise. They are dogs which must sleep inside due to their very fine coat. This means they are sensitive to extremes of temperature.
Some greyhounds are cat and small dog friendly, while all are low maintenance and unlike many large breeds, have no hip problems. Like all sighthounds (examples of which include the whippet, the borzois and the Afghan hound), greyhounds should only be let off the lead in enclosed areas. Otherwise, you won’t be able to catch them if they take off!
They make great pets for all ages and are gentle 70-km per hour couch potatoes. They only need a 20 minute walk each day, unlike most other dogs, but will enjoy more. They have no doggie smell, shed little hair and seldom bark, being calm in nature.
NSW state laws require greyhounds to wear muzzles when in a public area. This is based on the assumption that the dogs have been trained to chase (and possibly harm) small animals. If you see a greyhound with a muzzle on – try not to judge!
Greyhounds can become Greenhounds to avoid muzzling requirements. They wear a green collar to indicate they don’t need to be muzzled, having satisfied various requirements. There’s lots of information on the web about this process. All states, except the ACT and Tasmania, have similar programs.
Here’s a video of some of the latest Greyhounds up for adoption…
Adopt-a-Greyhound Month
So, given they’re such great family pets, why has Greyhound Rescue felt it necessary to declare April to be Adopt-a-Greyhound month? With hot debate last year about the racing industry and ongoing abuse revelations, they say the number of greyhounds in need of homes is growing by the thousands.
While there are greyhound rescue bodies all over Australia, Greyhound Rescue finds homes for their hounds in Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong. They’re also one of the few rescues which has kennels. This facility provides a home for the hounds while foster carers are found, or, while the dogs wait for adoption.
So right now, Greyhound Rescue’s kennels are full with over 50 dogs! They’re spreading the message of greyhound adoption awareness to ensure that 100 percent of these greyhounds find their new family.
People who are interested in adopting or fostering should complete an application form. This is available on Greyhound Rescue’s website – www.greyhoundrescue.com.au.
Their greyhounds are de-sexed, vaccinated, micro-chipped and heartworm tested – all for only $200 each during the month of April.
Greyhound Rescue suggests that if you can’t adopt or foster, but want to help, you can buy virtual dog food, sponsor a hound, or buy GR merchandise, also via their website.
You can also see pictures and descriptions of all the gorgeous dogs they have waiting for homes on the site. I’ll wrap up this post by letting a couple speak for themselves –
“Hi I’m Esme! I’m six years old and sociable around other dogs, although I draw the line at cats. A gentle short constitutional is all that is required, the rest of the time I’m happy to nap so I won’t be much trouble at all. I’m also child friendly but would be very happy to live the quiet life in an apartment. I will know exactly what’s going on around your neighbourhood. You can think of me as your security officer, poking my nose between the curtains just to make sure we’re not missing out on anything.”
“Hi, I’m Ziggy and I’m two years old. I’m very friendly and will give you a big smile, I’m good with other greyhounds, but I haven’t hung around any other doggies yet, so I’ll need some socialising. I am great with kids, although I can be a little timid around loud noises so would be best in a quiet household. I am too energetic at present for an apartment so would be best suited to a backyard.”
“We both would like to say — please don’t forget ‘April is Adopt-a-Greyhound month’!”
Dear Dr Jo – you’re truly a lifesaver. No doubt someone who reads your blog will adopt or foster one of our guys! Thanks from Greyhound Rescue and a big, smoochy kisses from our hounds.
I can heartily recommend getting greyhounds – I had my two for just over six years and they’re everything that the post says they are.