Racing Greyhounds - where will they all go?

In all, seven Greyhound race tracks closed in 2009, with several of them closing on New Year's Eve, December 31st. Rescue groups have known about the closings for a few months now, and have been scrambling to get everything "in place" before the hundreds of dogs became available at the end of the year.

Read more:
As Dog Racing Drops, Greyhound Adoption Need Rises
ABC news

I have never been to a Greyhound race and did not realize that so many racing tracks were closing at the end of the year. In fact, many tracks all over the country have closed in recent years due to changing laws and declining business. My family elected to adopt a retired racer because of Lotsie, a beloved Greyhound that I adopted twenty years ago who still lived on in our hearts and conversations.

It was love at first sight when the rescue volunteers brought Argos to meet us during our home inspection. He was one deemed "cat safe," and that is a necessity in our house, even if our cats aren't always playing it safe.

Adopting a retired racer
We heard about the track closings - hundreds of dogs would soon flood the rescue networks - and a little bit about track life from the rescue group. We learned that retired racing Greyhounds have no idea what stairs or windows are and that many of them are "counter-surfers" - crazy about food. All true for Argos. Lotsie had never raced and was a picky eater; not a counter-surfer or one to get in the garbage. So we had a few new things to learn, as did Argos. I have now read many web sites and books to get up to speed about helping a retired racer acclimate to home life.

Not for everyone
I will be the first to say that Greyhounds aren't for everyone or every lifestyle. They are  unique. They are interesting from a veterinary standpoint in that their bloodwork panels are different than other dogs, they handle anesthesia and some drugs differently, and because of extremely low body fat, care must be taken both in the winter and summer to prevent problems with temperature regulation. They may have dietary issues or loose bowels, often due to stress.

Learn more:
The Ohio State University Greyhound Health and Wellness Program
This is an amazing program and great resource for veterinarians and vet students to learn more about Greyhound medicine, especially as more Greyhounds find homes off of the track.

Getting to know Greyhounds
Greyhounds do fit with me and my family, though. They are quiet, clean, and basically just like to sleep all day, like a cat. Watching them run and play (fenced areas only!) is beautiful to see. Contrary to popular belief, they aren't high energy, must-do-lots-of-running-every-day dogs. Many make wonderful therapy pets. They thrive on gentle attention.

Many can live happily with cats and small pets. Adoption groups work hard to screen each dog's "prey drive" for small animals. According to this rescue group, 25% have no prey drive, 50% are curious but trainable, and 25% cannot be placed with small animals.

Greyhounds as a whole are not watch dogs (they rarely bark) and are not aggressive to people. Some dogs should not be placed with young children primarily due to the sometimes unpredictable activity and noise that come with young children.

So what about all of those Greyhounds?
Many people have never seen a Greyhound up close. One way to learn more about these dogs is to locate Greyhound rescue groups in your area. Many of them host "meet and greets" at local fairs and pet supply stores such as PetsMart and Petco.

If adoption is not an option, consider fostering a dog. Fostering is very important for retired racers. They have never been in a home with stairs, windows, other (non Greyhound) pets, and all of the regular things found in a home situation. Fostering provides valuable training and acclimating time for these dogs.

Finally, as for all shelters and rescue organizations, volunteering your time, donating cash, food or other much-needed supplies always helps animals in need.

Related Reading

• Adoption and rescue resources
• Online Pet Adoption Guide: Help for those considering adopting a pet

Photo: Argos the Greyhound looking out the window © Janet Tobiassen Crosby DVM

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