About Greyhounds
For centuries Greyhounds have been bred to hunt by outrunning their
prey. They are the world's fastest breed
of dog and their speed is simply breathtaking.
Years of breeding for speed have given them graceful and athletic
bodies. The need to think quickly while
running has increased their native intelligence and their ability to make
independent decisions. Since they were
bred thousands of years ago to hunt in packs and take down the game before their
humans caught up with them, they have never been accustomed to heeding human
commands while running. Now that hunting
is no longer their job, their lifestyle as racers is quite different. What has not changed, however, is the fact
that they are still wonderful companions because they are raised with lots of
human contact from the day they’re born.
Greyhounds placed though GPA Tri-State are usually between 2 and 5 years
old. They stand between 24 and 31 inches
tall at the shoulder and weigh between 50 and 90 pounds, females generally being
smaller than males. Greyhounds come in a
variety of colors including black, red, blue (gray), fawn, various shades of
brindle and all of those colors broken with white.
There is nothing unique to Greyhounds that prevent them from getting
along with other pets and children. In
fact, Greyhounds are often more gentle and more patient than many other
breeds. While peaceful by nature, adult
supervision is the key to integrating them into families with small pets and
children.
Greyhound ownership is a serious responsibility. Our policy is to ensure that anyone who adopts
a Greyhound will be capable of, and willing to, accept that responsibility.
Adoption Process
Application: An adoption application can be found online
or you can contact us and we will send you one.
Complete the application, being sure to include the references requested. Then you may submit your
application by mail or fax.
Application Review: We will review your application and then
contact your references. The next step
will be for a Local Representative to contact you. We will answer any questions you may have at this
time and will schedule a home visit at a time convenient to all members of your
household.
Home Visit: During the home visit, the Local
Representative may bring a Greyhound along to visit so that you and your family
have the chance to see and interact with a Greyhound in your own home. This visit gives us the opportunity to talk
with you one-on-one about the joys of adopting a retired racing Greyhound, and
helps us determine what type of personality would best fit in with the family’s
lifestyle, schedule, etc. Everyone
living in the home is asked to be present for the home visit.
The Local Representative will need to tour the home/yard with you and
help point out any possible safety issues that may need to be corrected before
bringing a Greyhound home.
Application
Approval: If your application is
approved, the Local Representative will speak with you about the Greyhounds we
have available and which one(s) might work well with your family.
The Wait: The adoption process can take several
weeks. If we currently don’t have a
Greyhound that would be a match, please be patient. A wait of a few weeks compared to the years
of enjoyment and love the right hound will bring you will be worth it!
Please keep in mind that not all individuals or homes are right for a
retired racing Greyhound. Submitting an
application to GPA Tri-State is not a guarantee that you will be approved to
adopt a Greyhound.
Research. While your
Application is being processed, please continue your research. Even though we think Greyhounds are some of
the most wonderful dogs on the planet, they are not for everyone. To help you
determine if a Greyhound would fit into your home, read books about Greyhounds
and use the Internet to visit other Greyhound web sites.
Adoption Donation
The adoption donation of $250 goes towards fostering expenses including
the costs incurred for spaying or neutering, dental, heartworm check and
preventative, parasite testing/treatment and vaccinations as necessary. Adopters receive an adoption manual,
martingale collar and leash set, GPA Tri-State ID tag and turnout muzzle with
their adopted Greyhound.
To start the Adoption Process, download and fill out our application and
return it to the nearest GPA Tri-State Local Representative.
Requirements
INFORMATION
AND REQUIREMENTS REGARDING ADOPTING GREYHOUNDS
Note: Families with children under the age of 6
are strongly urged to read Childproofing your Dog by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson.