helpful tips for adopting a greyhound dog
You have seen the clown-like and sometimes unusual looking Ex-racing Greyhounds on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
You have watched with joy as these silly and sweet hounds always seem to be sleeping upside down with their tongues hanging out.
Perhaps you have noticed the very active on-line Greyhound Community that is the most dedicated and accepting group there is.
Or where you live your local Greyhound Rescue seems like a kind compassionate group of volunteers that you would love to be a part of.
So just how does one go about Adopting a Greyhound Dog you ask?
I’ve broken this down to five easy to scan topics. If you need additional help, you can always contact us directly at The Lovely Hound.
is adopting a greyhound dog is right for me?
The first step I would take is determining whether or not the Ex-racing Greyhound is right for you and your lifestyle.
Here is the link to our Greyhounds Page that may provide some insightful information in helping you answer this. Don’t worry it’s a short page.
If you have an active lifestyle, a Greyhound may be perfect for you and if you are in fact more of a couch potato person, a Greyhound may also be perfect for you.
Confused?
Don’t be as there are some very active Greyhounds out there looking for their forever home as well as some wonderful Greyhound couch potato types out there.
No two Greyhounds are alike and you must always remember this.
Just because you see a cute and funny Greyhound on social media they may not be the one you get!
When my last Doberman Pinscher Chace passed away I swore I would never get another Doberman again or even another dog for that matter. But the kindly veterinarian who put Chace to sleep asked me to reconsider and look into adopting an Ex-racing Greyhound dog.
You can read about My Story here. Don’t worry it’s a short page.
I took the veterinarian’s advice and decided to look into adopting a Greyhound dog. I thought what the heck, I can just look into it and tell her that adopting a Greyhound dog wasn’t for me.
However, that is not what happened as the more I looked into Greyhound adoption (or Greyhound Rescue as it is also referred to) the more I wanted one.
Here are the five main things I did before I adopted Greyhound Sabrina:
I Googled Ex-racing Greyhounds because (to be honest) I knew nothing about them except seeing their cruel exploitation by the American Greyhound Racing Industry as portrayed on televisions shows like that of Miami Vice.
I took lots of notes and mostly focused on Greyhound health issues and Greyhound exercise needs. And yes, I thought after seeing them run around a track at 40 miles-an-hour that they would need lots of exercise. But I could not have been more wrong about that.
I contacted a Greyhound Adoption Centre near me and joined them on a walk. It was weird walking with about 50 people and 50 Greyhounds but I learned so much that day that if you have the opportunity to do this I highly recommend it.
I connected with a particular volunteer and would meet her for a walk with her and some of her friends with their Greyhounds. This was a great way to see how Greyhounds interact with other dogs (also known as normal dogs). In fact, when Sabrina first came home I would take her on these walks too!
I began combing through Greyhound Adoption websites of Greyhounds near me to see who was available and what type of issues Greyhounds had that may be considered negative. Some were reactive, didn’t like other dogs, others were friendly, funny, got along with small animals and some even liked cats and could live with them.
I also learned from one volunteer of her opinion that the Greyhounds from American Greyhound racetracks were treated much better than the ones from Australia, the U.K. and Ireland - so she recommended an American Ex-Racing Greyhound.
I then sponsored a Greyhound that was waiting to be adopted. I ended up sponsoring several Greyhounds and it gave me a sense of connection to these beautiful, intelligent and amazing creatures.
Sponsoring a Greyhound led me to finding my own beautiful Sabrina!
She had been racing in Florida, USA. Your can read about Sabrina’s Story here.
greyhound adoption Tip!
One of the best things I did was purchase a book entitled Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies on Amazon. You don’t have to be a big reader because you can scan the chapters that most interest you.
are there any available greyhounds near me?
I am on the west coast of Canada and I have listed the three closest Greyhound Adoption Centres to me.
Greyhound Pets Inc. (GPI) Washington State, USA
Greyhound Pet Adoption North West Oregon State, USA
Northern Sky Greyhound Adoption Association Alberta, Canada
I only have direct experience with Greyhound Pets Inc. (GPI) as this is where Sabrina my Greyhound was adopted from.
And with anything, you must do your homework and ensure you are dealing with a reputable adoption agency for Rescued Greyhounds.
Greyhounds are primarily coming from overseas as the USA has long since ended their live Greyhound Racing events (with the exception of two Greyhound racetracks in West Virginia).
But there are always returns due to a change in a family situation that prevents the Greyhound from remaining in its current home. There are even cat friendly Greyhounds needing homes.
If you can, take the Greyhound you are interested in adopting for a walk to see if you have a connection or not. Sometimes the large Greyhound Adoption Centre’s kennels can be noisy and stressful and the Greyhound is really nervous about making a good impression.
When I was at GPI looking to adopt Sabrina, they suggested I take her for the afternoon to see if I liked her. It was the best day I had in a long time. I fell in love with her that day.
greyhound adoption Tip!
The reality is the more of a genuine connection you can make with a potential Greyhound Adoption Centre the better your chances will be to adopt a really great dog!
What if i am not ready to adopt a greyhound dog yet?
There are many things you can do while you are awaiting the right time to begin the Adopting a Greyhound process.
And the good news is that most of them are fun!
Volunteer. You can work in the kennel, you can care for and walk Greyhounds awaiting their forever home.
Attend Greyhound events at your closest Greyhound Adoption Centre such as Fun Runs, Meet and Greets, and Annual Fundraisers.
You can donate money (big or small it all matters) or items the Greyhound Adoption Agency needs.
Sponsor a Greyhound that has been waiting a long time for their forever home.
Foster a Greyhound who has special needs or one that is new to your country and needs to be in the real world.
greyhound adoption Tip!
Follow one or two Greyhounds on Instagram to see what you can learn about the lifestyle of those particular Greyhounds and their families. You can also reach out to them and ask them any questions.
It does not matter if you live in Canada, Switzerland or Italy there is always a friendly Greyhound account who will chat with you.
my one negative experience in adopting greyhound dog
This is the only negative experience I went through in adopting a Greyhound.
I went to two Greyhound Meet and Greets at the PetSmart in Victoria, BC put on by the Northwest Canadian Greyhound League (NCGL).
I met many gentle and sweet Greyhounds and Galgos and their kind guardians. They invited me to come to one of their Greyhound group walks at the local lake, which I did. It was so fun and informative.
I then donated a generous dinner for two at a very well known restaurant to be an auction item for their Silent Auction fundraiser for incoming Greyhounds.
I still had some questions, despite my research and time spent with greyhounds and their guardians. So I contacted NCGL to ask my questions. They refused to answer my questions until I completed an application. So I did. Then I asked my questions again. This time they said we don’t answer questions unless you pay us a non-refundable $75 fee.
This didn’t seem right so I wrote them a letter explaining that I just gave them a considerable prize for their silent auction. Additionally, asking them to waive the $75 due to this generous donation.
Guess what happened next? They didn’t care. No money no answers!
If you come across this issue with either this group or another group I suggest you run and run very far and very fast!
Don’t ever let anyone else’s agenda prevent you from adopting a racing Greyhound - it is not personal and has nothing to do with you.
greyhound adoption Tip!
Don’t be confused with the Greyhound Adoption lingo.
Adoption and Rescue can be interchanged as they both mean the same thing. Rescue is typically used by the Anti-racing groups. I am vehemently against the cruelty of Greyhound racing but I usually use the word Adoption. Although Sabrina is considered a Rescued Ex-racing Greyhound.
The Pro-racing groups or Pro-racing Greyhound owners/trainers will use the term Retired when they refer to an Ex-racing Greyhound or Racing Greyhound.
And some folks just use the word Retired rather than Rescued.
This can become a very heated debate but I am only interested in assisting those folks who are interested in adopting Greyhounds.
my experience during the greyhound adoption process
This is a typical process to adopt a greyhound at Greyhound Pets Inc., seattle, wa, usa (and my personal experience)
Fill out and submit an application (money will not be required at this stage of the process).
You should expect a telephone interview from the Greyhound Adoption Coordinator to find out about your family, your lifestyle and any other pets you may have. This is not the time to be secretive.
If you haven’t heard from them do a friendly follow up, just in case your application was not received.
The next step is usually a home inspection. This is typically done by a highly-trusted and very experienced volunteer.
They are looking for suitability of you and your home for a Greyhound. They are also looking for red flags. The home inspection typically includes a visit from the volunteer and their Greyhound.
Once you are approved, you should make a list of what Greyhound or Greyhounds you would like to meet from the Available Dogs List on their website.
Some Greyhounds will require a six-foot fence. But don’t be discouraged because many do not.
Some Greyhounds are not suitable for an apartment or town-home. Again, don’t be discouraged as most Greyhounds I know live happily in big cities in apartments.
As soon as you have this done, then it is time for you to book an appointment at the Greyhound Adoption Centre to meet your Greyhound. Remember to take him or her for a walk, if it is permitted, to give you a chance to relax and for your potential new family member a chance to decompress.
If you have children or another dog, you will be required to have them attend the adopting greyhound appointment. Best to verify this first.
Once you have your chosen Greyhound, you will pay the Greyhound adoption fee, obtain all the necessary documents for health and border crossings (if applicable).
It’s that easy.
Remember to please keep your expectations realistic. Some Greyhounds take longer to adjust to pet life than others. Don’t give up on the one you have chosen too soon! Remember most Greyhounds have spent years literally running for their lives and now they are expected to just become a pet and know how to do pet things.
Some will assimilate in days, others weeks, months and perhaps longer.
Greyhound adoption Tip!
Attend a Meet and Greet or other fun event to get to know the organization you plan to trust to help match you to a Greyhound and who will be there if you need help