Greyhound Ranch
Adoptions, Inc.

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Adoption Process

SO YOU WANT TO ADOPT A GREYHOUND? HERE ARE SOME RANCH GUIDELINES TO ASSIST YOU:

  • All greyhound placements are on a first-come, first-served basis

  • All greyhounds are adopted by application only

  • If a greyhound is to be adopted by a family, children must be over twelve years old

  • The adopting family must agree that the greyhound will be an indoor pet only

  • We are committed to each dog for its entire life; all greyhounds must be returned only to GRA if they cannot remain in their adoptive home

  • If we do not have a dog to fit your application, we will search through our vast network of adoption groups to find an ideal match

THE ADOPTION PROCESS

Once that you have made the decision to adopt a greyhound, you can fill out and submit our on-line Adoption Application. Please provide as much information as possible as it will help us decide if a greyhound is the right breed of dog for you. We ask for comprehensive information, but we only want to make sure that you find the best match so neither you or the dog will be disappointed. We want our greyhounds to find life-long homes.

ALL of the greyhounds that are listed on our featured dogs page are at our kennel or in foster care in our program. These dogs may no longer be available when you ask about one, or they may not be the greyhound that would best fit into your home and lifestyle after we have reviewed your application. We suggest that you keep an open mind about adoption first and after your application has been approved, we will then discuss with you what dogs are available and which one(s) may fit your application. While we do not insist that you take a certain dog (we will suggest more than one that might fit your application). If you insist on starting off with a demand for a certain dog (if you are a first time adopter) you will be disappointed and you should work with another organization.

One important part of our adoption process is conducting a phone interview and home visit. This is so that we can put together a “family profile” for determining if one of the greyhounds we offer would be most suitable for your lifestyle. During the home visit, we will want to meet your other pets, your children, and to find out if you will have children visiting your home, or if you will be taking your greyhound to places where it will be around small animals and children. This is important in the evaluation process. We will be asking lots of questions, but we want to be absolutely sure that the greyhound we place will be in it’s forever home. Therefore, we will be honest and open about our recommendations for you.

Once you have completed the adoption process, we will check the availability of the greyhounds in our program and take the necessary steps to schedule a meeting with you so that you can meet our available dogs.

The greyhound you adopt will receive (at a minimum):

  • A thorough washing and grooming

  • Spaying/neutering and dental

  • All vaccinations including heartworm testing

  • Toe nail trimming

  • First topical flea/tick preventative

  • The first heartworm preventative

  • Micro chipping (if applicable)

  • Pedigree and racing information (if available)

  • Leash, collar and muzzle

  • A booklet full of information to help you care for your greyhound

  • Introduction to home life if in foster care

  • Beginning of house training if in foster care

The goal is to find the right greyhound for you. We want our adoptions to last the lifetime of the dog!!! We are flexible and try to accommodate all of our adopters and we work on a case-by-case basis. We do not advocate one way or another regarding how long a dog should be fostered, as we have found through experience that one way is not better than another when it comes to finding great homes for our greyhounds. We choose to work with each adopter (and greyhound) individually which means that we focus only on what dog best fits your home. We do not try to “over sell” or “sugar coat” the information we provide about each greyhound we place. We supply detailed and honest information about each greyhound’s personality and possible issues and requirements.

You’ve Been Approved – Now What?

Once you have been approved, you can then schedule a visit to meet our available dogs and to discuss which dog will best suit your family. If we have a dog that fits your household and you want to adopt that dog, you can either take the dog home at the time of your visit (if you have all the supplies you need) or you can speak for your new dog and pay a deposit that will be applied to your adoption fee when you pick your dog up. By speaking for your new dog, we will give you up to seven days to purchase your supplies and reschedule a time to take your dog home. Please note: Once you get to this stage of the adoption process, you must take a dog within seven days of making your choice. We cannot hold dogs for adopters because that interrupts our schedule for bringing in other dogs and it puts undue pressure on our volunteers who are fostering. Please make sure that you can take a dog once you have made your choice. If you cannot take the dog you want in the time frame we offer, that dog may be placed with an adopter who is ready to adopt.

Cost of an Adopted Greyhound

We have often been asked about how much it costs to have a greyhound. While we can’t say exactly, we estimate that a single greyhound can cost up to $1,000 per year to provide food, preventative medications (for heartworm, fleas and ticks), scheduled vet care for immunizations, toys, etc. This is typical of other large breeds of dogs. In addition, it is highly recommended that you have the following:

Crate: To make your life as well as your greyhound’s life easier, it is important that you use a crate in the beginning. We require that all of our adopters have a crate ready for when they take their greyhound home. We recommend a wire dog crate (48″ X 30″ X 33″). Since they are used to being in a crate at the track, this will help them transition into your home (which should be done gradually). A greyhound will feel more secure in the crate until the period of adjustment is over.

Bedding: A large dog bed is great for your home. However, for crates, a thick comforter or heavy blanket works well and can be washed easily if it gets soiled. A greyhound likes to “nest” and find a comfortable spot. Whatever you use, it should be soft and comfortable – they are thin skinned and need the softer bed.

Martingale Type Collar: Because of their thicker necks and thinner heads, a greyhound cannot use a regular dog collar because it will pull off easily. You will be supplied with a proper collar from us, but you must remember to always use the typical greyhound collar. There are lots of places on-line where you can find great collars!

Raised Food Bowl: (Approximately 12-18″) from the ground to prevent digestive problems. You can also put a food bowl on a bucket or raised platform. You do not have to spend a lot of money to buy the best raised food bowls.

THOUGHTS BEFORE APPLYING TO ADOPT A GREYHOUND:

Your decision to adopt a greyhound is a major step for you (and the dog) and it should not be taken lightly. If you have previous experience with dogs in your life, then you understand the commitment and responsibilities. However, there are some important aspects of greyhound adoption, in general, that you need to consider before taking the next step. You must understand the unique characteristics of the greyhound breed first and decide if a greyhound is the type of dog that you are looking for.

Greyhounds will come to you as adults. They have already been socialized at the track and that is their only life experience. They have spent virtually their entire lives around people and in the company other dogs, so it should not be a surprise if they suffer from separation anxiety if they are suddenly left alone. They aren’t familiar with toys, small children, small pets other than dogs, stairs, and navigating through a house. They aren’t familiar with walking on tile floors or other slick surfaces, and they have never been around mirrors or windows. Large open spaces may confuse them at first. Their whole world has consisted of the track, their turn-out pens, and their crates. All greyhounds coming in to our group are fostered. However, you must still remember that you will have to do the necessary training to get your greyhound used to being in your home. Many people make the mistake of thinking that an adult greyhound in foster care will automatically walk in to a home and know what to do. We make sure that all potential adopters understand their commitment and are willing to follow through on the necessary training before we moved forward to place a dog.

Although they are crate and leash trained, they are not used to relieving themselves on a leash and they will surely have accidents in your house until they learn that it is like their crate. Since they have never had anything of their own, they may not know how to share at first. They also do not know that the food on your counter or in your trash can is not meant for them. They are not used to being awakened by touch and may react in a defensive way. They can be overwhelmed with too many people and too much attention at first as they have never had this experience.

The good news is that greyhounds are gentle and docile and creatures of habit. If you are truly committed to your new dog, you can easily get past the initial “settling in” period and find that you have one of the best companions you could ever hope for. Generally speaking, the up side to greyhound adoption is that they are highly socialized and they love people and other dogs. As puppies, they spend much more time with their mother and siblings and are given plenty of time to do “dog” things like run, chew, play, bark, sniff, etc. Because they have been trained at the track from the time they were puppies, they learn quickly if given the right amount of time and attention. They are used to small spaces (because of the time they have spent in their crates) and they don’t need or take up a lot of room. Because of this, they actually require less space than other large-breed dogs. They have short coats and seldom shed and they lack the oils in their skin that create doggy odors. Unlike other large-breed dogs, greyhounds are not prone to hip dysplasia or other congenital diseases.

Most importantly, you must remember that the greyhound you adopt is being given a second chance at life and you are the person who will be responsible for this. If you remember how your greyhound used to live and are ready to make the commitment to give it a good home, you will be rewarded beyond your expectations. You may not feel comfortable with the questions we ask, but keep in mind that we want to help you through the process and to ensure that a greyhound is the right breed of dog for you. We not only want the greyhound to find its forever home, but we want your success to be a testimony for greyhound adoption!!! The volunteers at the Ranch are willing to work with you to find the right dog and provide follow up support after you adopt. We will gladly answer any questions you have along the way and address any concerns. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Please note: Please take the time to read ALL of the pages on our web site before submitting your application to adopt.