Post by CampWhippet on Mar 23, 2006 22:08:11 GMT -5
After Racing Career, Greyhounds Find New Homes
Posted 3/2/2006 06:00 AM
Agency works to break misconceptions about the kind of pet these dogs make.
Story by Beth Gorczyca Email | Bio
Denise Davis counts the numbers of greyhounds she loves by the thousands.
In 1989, she and her husband, John, co-founded Greyhound Rescue Inc. and have spent the years since placing retired racing dogs with families throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
"They really do make great pets," she said from her Gerrardstown home.
As the greyhound racing industry flourishes in West Virginia, more and more breeders are placing their dogs with adoption agencies after they retire from racing. And that is causing both the number of adoption organizations and the number of retired race dogs in peoples' homes to increase dramatically.
"The one thing I tell people is if they adopt a greyhound and take it out for a walk, expect to be stopped because you are walking a celebrity," said Judy Arthur Dulaney, who runs WV Greyhound Adoptions in Charlton Heights. "People have questions. They want to know all about these dogs."
And one of the biggest questions is what kind of pets they make. Both Dulaney and Davis answer that one through personal experiences. Davis adopted a retired greyhound, Stacy, 17 years ago through a classified ad in the newspaper. Dulaney got her first greyhound, Cinder, about 12 years ago while photographing dogs at a track.
"I didn't want a dog, but of course I brought one home," Dulaney said.
The key to greyhounds, both women said, is that although they are fairly big -- 60 to 80 pounds -- they are very good indoors. Because they have only one layer of fur, they don't shed a lot. They don't have much of an odor, and they like to sleep ... a lot.
"I call them love dogs. They just like to snuggle with people and lay down next to them. They aren't good watch dogs -- they'll lick a burglar to death -- but they are very loving," Dulaney said.
And because the dogs typically are a few years old when they are adopted, the greyhounds that Dulaney and Davis place typically are leash trained, spayed or neutered and already have grown out of their hyper-puppy stage, teething on everything and bouncing off of the walls.
"But they are still trainable," Dulaney said. "When they go into a house, it's the first time they've ever been in a house. They don't know how to do steps. They've never seen a TV. And they may not be housebroken. But they are crate trained, and they can be housebroken in a weekend if the owners know what they are doing."
Davis and Dulaney said a misconception they often hear is that greyhounds can't be placed in homes with children or other animals, be they dogs, cats or other critters. That's not the case, they said. Both women said greyhounds are typically very good with children and sometimes are tolerant of cats.
"And they've always been with a bunch of dogs," Dulaney said. "They were with a bunch of dogs in their litter, then they were with a bunch of dogs when they were at school, then they were with a bunch of dogs at the kennel. Some of these dogs have never been by themselves."
Davis said another misconception outside of the greyhound adoption world is that the retired racers need a huge yard to run around in and constant exercise. She said that's simply not true.
"They need at least a walk, but I've placed greyhounds in apartments and they are fine," she said. "They really don't need a lot of exercise."
But if a new owner wants a dog that can run or jog with him, Davis and Dulaney said that can be arranged.
"We want to make sure they fit well together. If it's a dog that is really active, we'll make sure it goes to an owner that wants a dog like that. If someone needs a dog that is a little more mellow, we can arrange that, too," Dulaney said. "I'm like match.com for greyhounds."
Posted 3/2/2006 06:00 AM
Agency works to break misconceptions about the kind of pet these dogs make.
Story by Beth Gorczyca Email | Bio
Denise Davis counts the numbers of greyhounds she loves by the thousands.
In 1989, she and her husband, John, co-founded Greyhound Rescue Inc. and have spent the years since placing retired racing dogs with families throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
"They really do make great pets," she said from her Gerrardstown home.
As the greyhound racing industry flourishes in West Virginia, more and more breeders are placing their dogs with adoption agencies after they retire from racing. And that is causing both the number of adoption organizations and the number of retired race dogs in peoples' homes to increase dramatically.
"The one thing I tell people is if they adopt a greyhound and take it out for a walk, expect to be stopped because you are walking a celebrity," said Judy Arthur Dulaney, who runs WV Greyhound Adoptions in Charlton Heights. "People have questions. They want to know all about these dogs."
And one of the biggest questions is what kind of pets they make. Both Dulaney and Davis answer that one through personal experiences. Davis adopted a retired greyhound, Stacy, 17 years ago through a classified ad in the newspaper. Dulaney got her first greyhound, Cinder, about 12 years ago while photographing dogs at a track.
"I didn't want a dog, but of course I brought one home," Dulaney said.
The key to greyhounds, both women said, is that although they are fairly big -- 60 to 80 pounds -- they are very good indoors. Because they have only one layer of fur, they don't shed a lot. They don't have much of an odor, and they like to sleep ... a lot.
"I call them love dogs. They just like to snuggle with people and lay down next to them. They aren't good watch dogs -- they'll lick a burglar to death -- but they are very loving," Dulaney said.
And because the dogs typically are a few years old when they are adopted, the greyhounds that Dulaney and Davis place typically are leash trained, spayed or neutered and already have grown out of their hyper-puppy stage, teething on everything and bouncing off of the walls.
"But they are still trainable," Dulaney said. "When they go into a house, it's the first time they've ever been in a house. They don't know how to do steps. They've never seen a TV. And they may not be housebroken. But they are crate trained, and they can be housebroken in a weekend if the owners know what they are doing."
Davis and Dulaney said a misconception they often hear is that greyhounds can't be placed in homes with children or other animals, be they dogs, cats or other critters. That's not the case, they said. Both women said greyhounds are typically very good with children and sometimes are tolerant of cats.
"And they've always been with a bunch of dogs," Dulaney said. "They were with a bunch of dogs in their litter, then they were with a bunch of dogs when they were at school, then they were with a bunch of dogs at the kennel. Some of these dogs have never been by themselves."
Davis said another misconception outside of the greyhound adoption world is that the retired racers need a huge yard to run around in and constant exercise. She said that's simply not true.
"They need at least a walk, but I've placed greyhounds in apartments and they are fine," she said. "They really don't need a lot of exercise."
But if a new owner wants a dog that can run or jog with him, Davis and Dulaney said that can be arranged.
"We want to make sure they fit well together. If it's a dog that is really active, we'll make sure it goes to an owner that wants a dog like that. If someone needs a dog that is a little more mellow, we can arrange that, too," Dulaney said. "I'm like match.com for greyhounds."
