Greyhound As Pets WA is on a mission to encourage and enable pet ownership by providing safe, healthy greyhounds to homes throughout the state. We sat down with two greyhounds and their adopted owners to get insight into what it’s like to have a retired grey in your home.
Sandy and Bodi
Greyhounds were once a breed Sandy would have never considered. But after adopting her beloved Bodi — her first retired greyhound — she’s realised she couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Give them a chance. Don’t think of them as being that dog out there running around the track. They are nothing like what I’ve experienced in a dog before. I’ve had golden retrievers and labradors, and greyhounds are so much more chilled and friendly. I would take another one if I could, but my house isn’t big enough for two,” Sandy said.
Sandy finalised her adoption of Bodi only a few days ago, four weeks after she initially fostered him.
“Greyhounds As Pets had a meet and greet day, so we called in to have a look and they were super relaxed. I signed up for a dog on Saturday and got the call up to foster at lunchtime on Monday,” Sandy said.
“The only concern I had with getting an older dog was that it comes with all its bad habits. But after being at the meet and greet, and chatting to everyone, we got the impression that we weren’t getting a dog with bad habits.”
Anxiety, as well as mobility and vision disabilities, are daily struggles for Sandy, but having a dog has changed her life for the better.
“I feel less anxious and have a sense of purpose. You can’t stay in bed all day because you have to get outside, feed and look after your animal,” she said.
Her psychologist and two support ladies had been asking when she was planning on getting another dog. They said they would help look after her new furry friend, but Bodi has turned out to be the perfect companion.
“Bodi is gentle, cheeky, clever, and just so calm. After meeting and living with a greyhound, I’ve learned that they are actually the perfect dog for older people. They aren’t under foot so you don’t need to worry about the fall risk, and they aren’t yappers.”
“His relaxed nature surprised me — how chilled-out greyhounds actually are. There’s none of that high-energy running around, which works really well for me. That’s probably why they matched us. If all greyhounds are like this, they are such good dogs. I got so lucky.”
Kathy and Oscar
Mister personality, clumsy, and full of energy is how Kathy describes her beloved greyhound, Oscar. But he’s come a long way from when she and her husband adopted him from Greyhounds As Pets in November.
“He’s become so bubbly and affectionate, and just loves saying hello to everyone and other dogs,” Kathy said.
He’s Kathy’s third greyhound, which says a lot about her love for the breed. According to her, from the moment Kathy found him on the Greyhounds As Pets website, it was love at first sight. She just couldn’t resist him.
“What I love most about Oscar is his loveable personality, he’s such a kind dog. He’s also so gentle with little children, it’s just gorgeous to watch. He would have been the best therapy dog,” she said.
“The adoption process was quite easy. They have a list of dogs up for adoption and you can put your preferences and filters up. You foster them for four weeks initially to make sure they fit into your family, before making the final decision to adopt.”
Since then, Oscar has been the perfect fit for Kathy’s family; even helping rehab her husband to get him out walking again after a motorbike accident. Oscar also enjoys going to the pub once a week, which Kathy jokes will be the catalyst for many other greyhound adoptions.
“If you’re considering adopting a greyhound, just do it. Once you get one, you’ll never look back. They are just magnificent dogs. A lot of people have a misconception about them and think they’re aggressive, but they’re not at all. They’re not high maintenance, great with kids, and just really cruisy. If I could design the perfect dog, it would be a greyhound.”
Thinking about adopting a greyhound?
The adoption fee for all greyhounds is just $200.00. This includes a dog that is vet-checked, vaccinated, microchipped, de-sexed, wormed, and updated dental care. It’s a small price to pay to find your new best friend and give a greyhound a happy forever home.
There are two ways that you can go about adoption — a straight adoption or fostering with a view to adopting. The latter involves introducing a behaviour-tested greyhound into your home and gently easing them into their new life before welcoming them into your family on a permanent basis. Dogs who’ve already been through this process in a foster home are available for a straight adoption.
But if you don’t have the ability to commit to a dog long term, you can foster a dog instead. The program is usually for four weeks (per dog) and all food and medical costs are covered.
GAP WA is run by Racing WA as part of its commitment to ensure the best level of care for greyhounds at all stages of their lives. When a greyhound retires from racing, at any age, RWWA aims for every healthy and behaviourally sound greyhound to be rehomed.
