The following is an excerpt from the website of FastFriends, a greyhound adoption organization.
Why adopt from FastFriends?
Your greyhound has been acclimated to home life.
Greyhounds who come directly from the track, or who go from the track to a kennel, have never experienced life inside a home. A dog adopted in this way will have to go through a number of adjustments, from learning to walk on tile, to disregarding the noise of the television, to learning to relieve themseleves outside.
We are one of the few groups nationwide that places its dogs in foster homes for a minimum of two weeks prior to adoption. Here, experienced greyhound owners help the dog adjust to all the little things about life in a home that we take for granted.
Greyhounds have all the advantages of breeding and training when it comes to being a good pet, according to FastFriends greyhound adoption organization.
Your greyhound is carefully matched to your preferences and lifestyle
We develop profiles on every dog in foster care. An experienced volunteer helps each of the foster families complete a comprehensive questionnaire of each dog’s habits and traits. We let you know what we know about the dog, even the less attractive traits, so that you can make an intelligent decision.
Our adoption process, which requires you to fill out an application, meet with a placement representative and view possible adoptive dogs, may seem like a lot of work, but remember that you’re planning a relationship that will last 10-plus years. Isn’t it worth taking the time to make sure you’re getting a dog that will be just right for your family?
A local veterinarian recently complimented our foster-care program. She had adopted two greyhounds from the laboratory in which she worked. Even though she had worked with the dogs, she learned very little about their temperaments, as it turned out. The first hound did work out great, but the second one has not fit in well at all. She feels that a program like ours would have helped her find the best match for her family and lifestyle.
You get a knowledgeable, friendly support network
When you adopt from us, you join a family of greyhound lovers who delight in the joy experienced by new adopters. Your placement representative, your greyhound’s foster family, and our other volunteers are happy to share with you what they know about greyhounds and about adjusting to life with dogs in general. A new dog, however wonderful he is, changes the dynamic in the home. He alters to some degree all of the human and animal relationships. This means that you’ll inevitably have questions and needs, especially in the first few weeks. It’s a great relief to know that folks out there know what you’re going through and are ready to help and encourage you.
You can always turn to someone who knows your greyhound
When you adopt from us, you can be assured that the foster family knows a lot about your greyhound and can help you through questions or difficulties that can arise in the early days of adoption. You don’t have to try to explain what your dog is like over the phone to someone who has only seen him in a kennel.
You’re adding a greyhound to your family that has run out of options
Our dogs come from the Caliente race track in Tijuana, Mexico. This track is governed by the American racing system. In fact, many of these dogs started their racing careers at American tracks. Sure, we could get dogs from Arizona. But dogs from these tracks who aren’t adopted stand a chance of being sent to another, lesser-grade track. Greyhounds that don’t make the grade at the Caliente track basically have nowhere else to go. We are the only local group committed to take dogs only from Caliente, and we take more from that track than does anyone else.
Why do we focus on track dogs? Thanks to the tremendous efforts of volunteers across the nation, most retired American—bred racing greyhounds do find homes. Current statistics indicate that about 80-85% of the 30,000 greyhounds leaving the track each year are adopted. Our goal is to increase this percentage to 100-percent placement for the available dogs. For the most part, we take as many dogs from the track as we can house and place, month after month, constantly looking for more foster homes to keep up with the constant supply coming from Caliente. We have a very good working relationship with the track owner and manager, who will call us when the pet kennel is getting too full to let us know we need to pick up dogs very soon, and somehow we find a way to make it happen. If we take in a dog from another source, usually that means one less dog we can rescue from the Caliente track. The Caliente greyhounds are great dogs, by the way. Retired Caliente dogs typically are between 18 months and 5 years of age, in good physical condition, beautiful and loving. They’re retired in most cases because they’re a bit slower than the other dogs: maybe they run 44 miles an hour instead of 45.
Your greyhound always has a home
Should a greyhound not work out in a home, or should your lifestyle change radically and you can no longer care for your greyhound, we always take the dog back and find him a new home. With us, you never need worry that your dog will end up in a shelter if you can no longer keep him.
FastFriends Greyhounds
Greyhounds placed through our program usually are between 18 months and four years old. These ex-racers are intelligent, quiet, clean, gentle, good-natured, adaptable dogs who adjust readily to their new home environment. They are eager to please and respond positively to any attention. They seem grateful for their new homes and regard their new owners with never-ending affection. They do not require a great deal of space to run, as many people think, but they do need exercise. Inside the house they enjoy curling up in a corner on a soft blanket.
While our prime directive is to take dogs from the Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico, we have taken dogs from Arizona, Colorado, and Idaho on occasion. We also rescue racing greyhounds left at local animal shelters. Our first commitment is to former racers, but we will try to help any hound in need.
Greyhounds spend most of their lives in the company of other dogs, their trainers and handlers. Greyhounds have all the advantages of breeding and training when it comes to being a good pet. Their sociability generally makes them great with other pets (including cats!). Their temperament makes them wonderful companions. Their intelligence and breed make them perfect house pets, clean, quiet, and a loving companion. Whether you are a family looking for a playful friend, or an individual looking for a devoted companion, a well-mannered greyhound could be just the pet for you. Because greyhounds have been raised in kennels, a careful introduction into a suitable home environment is a must for successful placements.
For more information, visit greytdogs.org .
