Greyhound Adoption

 

 

United States

In the United States, there are many greyhound adoption groups from which to choose a retired racing greyhound. Most reputable greyhound adoption groups require an application to be completed first. They will typically invite you to attend meet and greets where you can meet their available adoptable greyhounds. This is a great way to choose or be chosen by your greyhound. It is important to understand that because the greyhound is sometimes a sensitive creature, they may not often exhibit their true personality until they have had an opportunity to relax in a new home environment. It is always good to adopt a greyhound who has already been living in a foster home as this gives you the opportunity to talk with with the foster parent about his characteristics. But, if this isn’t possible, a greyhound can easily adapt to a new home environment with a little patience and understanding.  See Adjusting Your Greyhound to a New Home.

Because greyhounds come in many different colors and sizes, this should not be the only aspect in which to consider your choice. Personality is critical to the success of your selection. As with humans, different greyhounds have different personalities. Some are very outgoing, where some are more laid back and some are even timid, needing extra care to come out of their shell.

 

If you have children and desire a playmate for your children, selecting a more outgoing greyhound could be a better choice than one who is timid or wants to relax most of the time. Greyhounds are known for being the “45 mph couch potato”.  Although they have been bred to race, their daily activities at the race track consists of relaxing in their kennels a good part of the day. They are turned out at particular times each day to relieve themselves, socialize with other greyhounds, and race only one to three times per week. This is a routine oriented hound, so they love schedules and do extremely well in homes that provide this for them. Because they are crate trained, most greyhounds prefer the security of their crates, so leaving them in their crate when you leave your home is usually a simple task. There are some greyhounds, however that prefer the freedom from a crate, so be sure to ask this question when selecting your greyhound if this is an important consideration.

 

Europe

Greyhounds are prevalent across Europe. As mentioned in the the history section, greyhounds were brought to the United States from Europe during the 1800’s to be used for hunting jack rabbits in the mid-western United States to control the damage to farmers’ crops. It wasn’t until the early 1900’s, that the greyhound racing industry was introduced. Adoption groups exist through Europe to home greyhounds following their racing careers. Europeans are every bit as enthusiastic about their greyhounds as Americans are, so it seems to be a tight knit group world-wide. Facebook has opened a whole new way of connecting these greyhound lovers together. You can find many greyhound groups worldwide to join as a way of sharing heartwarming stories of greyhound adoption and rescue.

 

Australia

Australia is another country that enjoys the wonderful world of greyhounds. They too have many adoption groups that help to home retired racers. These groups can be found on the Internet.

 

Spain

In Spain, greyhounds are called Galgo’s  There are some really wonderful adoption and rescue groups that help to home the often stray greyhounds found on the streets and in shelters there. Greyhound rescue groups across Europe are also very involved in rescuing the Galgo’s. Hats off to the many caring people who work tirelessly to find and rescue the Galgo’s from Spain.