Welcome to the
Greyhound Adoption Program (NSW) Inc.

Belle

We had always wanted to adopt a greyhound and are so glad we made the decsion to adopt little Belle. We fell in love with her the second we met her. She has settled in beautifully and has even made friends with my mum's poodle (who she likes to go walking with).

At first Belle was a little clingy and wary about her new environment but now she knows she is a big part of our family. During the day she spends time in her doggy house or sometimes lays in the sunshine watching the birds. She has a very large collection of toys that are so fun - sometimes she will just throw them around in the air or sit and chew until she finds the squeeking sound. She gets lots of yummy treats everyday (she especially loves pigs ears!) and will always show manners when she would like something.

In the afternoon she has her dinner and then spends some quality time with us - usually she will get all her kisses and cuddles and will then go back to sleep on her inside bed. After all the sleeping during the day she still looks forward to bed time!

Walking is always a fun time. Belle has recently learnt to wait patiently before walkies so her lead and muzzle can be put on. Once we are off, she walks perfectly and doesn't even worry about other dogs or cats that she might see on her trip. Most days, people will stop us and ask questions about her. Probably because she looks so pretty walking along.

All in all we are so glad that we made contact with GAP and became involved in the adoption process. Belle is an absolute treasure and we will always love her. I believe people dont know enough about these gorgeous creatures and there are a lot of misconceptions regarding their temperament and personality. They make such wonderful companions and will be an instant part of any loving family.

Belinda and Mark

Bonnie

We were lucky to acquire Bonnie in March 2014 just after her 7^th birthday. We have had dogs for many years and lost our last Sheltie to old age last year. We knew nothing about greyhounds but had heard something about greyhound adoption. We started to make some enquiries and filled out the adoption application on line the rest is history. The way the process was facilitated by Denise and others in the greyhound community was impressive. We first met Bonnie at the St Ives showground and found her to be a beautiful and quiet hound.

When we collected her in Sydney her Foster carer made the trip from Manly to East Lindfield to deliver her just to save us the extra trip. We took her home to Young in stages making a number of rest stops on the way. Once home Bonnie settled in quite quickly to a two walk a day routine and selected her preferred sleeping spots in the house. After a few days she started to come out of her shell and her friendly personality came to the fore. She related well to other dogs she met on her walks and loved mixing with the grandkids and their Cavalier King Charles. When we visited them Bonnie made herself at home after a few minutes and allowed everybody to walk around or step over her. We have had many different breeds of dogs but Bonnie just seems to lap up all the affection you can give her. We are both retired and find Bonnie the ideal companion.

The Adoption facilitators and Foster carers did an absolutely amazing job and cannot be thanked enough for their dedication and efforts. Bonnie has settled in very well and is perfectly happy running the household.

Cheers John and Moya.

Callum

My name is Callum. I have been told by lots of people that I am very handsome but you will have to judge for yourself from my picture.

I wasn't very good at racing so the nice people at GAP took me to find me a home. At first I was very scared at being left alone but after some special attention from my foster Mum I overcame that as long as I could stay inside (hey I'm not silly why have an outside kennel when I can curl up on the sofa).

After a while in foster care where I met cats (very scary creatures that hiss and spit a lot and have very sharp claws) and other dogs and lots of new things I was ready to go to a permanent home. One weekend I was taken by my foster Mum to visit my new Mum & Dad), their small Chihuahua cross called Jinx and their two cats Perry and Ali.

I was a little scared at first, the cats didn't seem to like me much though Perry did let me sniff him to say hello after a few days. Jinx is a little hyper and can be noisy, Mum & Dad are always telling her to be quiet, but she is really nice and even puts up with my clumsy attempts to play with her. She is so small that I am scared that I will hurt her but she doesn't seem to mind if I step on her by accident. She tries to steal my toys, even taking them out of my mouth sometimes, but I just steal them back when she isn't looking. Mum made me 2 beds but after a few days I noticed that Jinx sleeps on the sofa in the family room when Mum & Dad aren't there, so I thought that I would try it. Mum & Dad found me there and didn't tell me off so I think that it is OK, I also use the chair sometimes if I'm not in the mood to stretch out. On Mum's first day back at work I was a little anxious and my tummy felt bad, so when she got home I didn't want my tea and had a runny tummy. After a couple of days of special TLC from Mum & Dad I felt much better and when they went to work on the Monday I realised there was nothing to worry about as they would be coming home later.

Jinx and I go for walks together twice a day and on weekends we sometime visit the beach or a big field where we meet other dogs and lots of people that stop to say hello, that's great fun. Jinx is really funny when we eat breakfast and tea she scoffs hers and then stands underneath me waiting for me to drop something (she thinks I don't see her but I know she's there), I'm a bit of a messy eater so she gets some extras if she's quick.
I really love my new home and would really like to thank the people at GAP for finding me such a nice family. I'm sure there are lots more greyhounds out there like me who would also like to find a nice family to look after them, so if you're looking give GAP a ring.

Chaya / Cassie

Ken and I have always had German Shepherds and our most recent family member Osiris (Ozzie) turned out to be a handful with terrible separation anxiety from Ken, it didn't matter if anyone else was home. Our neighbours weren't thrilled about the constant barking and we certainly weren't thrilled with him trying to dig his way to China.
Most of Ozzie's problems stemmed from his mum abandoning him at 4 weeks. So after discussing the idea of getting another dog to give him someone to play with, we settled on trying to find an older female dog for him as a bit of a mother figure. Ken had a brilliant idea and suggested a retired greyhound. I had never had them and didn't know much about greyhounds. Ken had family who had them so had grown up around them and he loved them.
We contacted GAP and luckily a foster carer nearby had a 2 ½ yr old female named Cassie. The only unknown was how she would go with children. So we decided to meet on neutral ground with Ozzie and the kids (a 2yr old and 6mth old). From the moment I saw her I wanted to take her home, she got on well with Ozzie and had no problem with the boys cuddling her and playing with her ears.
We took her home 2 weeks later and within 4 days she had settled letting everyone know which lounge suite was hers, how she liked her cuddles, and that chasing a ball was way beneath her dignified manner. We changed her named to Chaya-Sar as we have several Cassies in the family and it was becoming too confusing. Since having her we could not consider another breed. She is pure love and affection. Her demeanour is prim and proper while she is happy to boss Ozzie around. 6 months later Ozzie has settled down amazingly, our vet is in love with her and says we could not have asked for a better family dog. She and our cats have an understanding; she won't chase them if they don't run. I would have to say that adopting a retired greyhound and saving a dog like her is the best thing we have ever done. If this is something you aren't sure about, just try it, they are the most loving calm and adorable dogs with those cute eyes that can break any cold heart. Go for it you won't regret having a greyhound in your home.

Eve

My wife Sharon and I have always loved dogs but working full-time and the British weather had always meant owning a dog would not have been fair. However our move to Sydney a couple of years ago reignited our desire to get a dog. We moved to a new leased property in Cremorne which would allow us to have a dog. But what breed? Then one day Sharon read an article about greyhounds making perfect pets. Neither of us had ever met a greyhound and initially, I in particular was a little wary, having this typical misconception of a greyhound being for racing only. However as chance would have it, a friend of a friend had recently started fostering a greyhound through GAP and a meeting was arranged. And who should we meet but Eve.
Born on Christmas Eve '99 (hence the name) she'd had a brief and unsuccessful racing career and had been retired. Looking at her now it's easy to see why she didn't make the grade - she's such a gentle dog, a real sweetie. We quickly made the decision that Eve was the dog for us and with the fabulous support of GAP, she arrived on our doorstep in late May this year.
Four months later and we're greyhound devotees. She is absolutely the perfect dog for us - she never barks, she's great on the lead (never pulls), loves other people & dogs and just chills in our garden when we're out at work. In the house she loves to sleep in her beanbag and keep an eye on us. Walking her can be quite an event since people are forever stopping us and saying what a striking and beautiful dog she is. She also has this look which just melts hearts. Recently she spent a week in a kennels whilst we were on holiday and when we picked her up, the staff commented that she was a joy to look after (they can't wait until the next time).
So if you're ever down Cremorne way and in Primrose Park, or down Sirius Cove in Mosman (another favourite haunt of Eve's - she loves to lie down in the water), and spot a white and black greyhound, then come over and say hello. As you can see in the photo, she loves dogs, big and small.

Sharon and Andy

Gypsy

 Although we thought that we had read everything to learn about adopting a greyhound, we were still unprepared for the Gypsy's arrival in our household.

During her settling in she watched everything quietly, clearly absorbing all the details of our lives that she needed to know. The cat was unknown territory to be avoided at all costs, no eye contact, and a quiet departure from the dog bed, with averted gaze, each time that the cat took up residence there.
Now she is a confident cheerful waggy, watchful member of the household, unnervingly familiar with all of our routines and what they mean.. keys.. going out, bike helmets, perhaps not. Morning waking,.. a walk, Cutlery rattling. Dinnertime, our toilet visits.. what an opportunity for a pat!
Most days she is easy to find, just turn around and she is right behind you. Other days, she is basking in a sunny spot, with her best mate, the bossy cat. Gypsy is a soft, gentle calm creature with a personality all her own.

This is the testimonial from Dr Bronwyn Gould, who lives at Paddington with her adopted Greyhound "Gypsy".

Horrie / Horse

It has been a a few months now since we came and collected Horse, who is now answering to a nick name of Horrie and I thought I would give you an update on how he is going and also some photos. Horrie has definitely settled in to be a part of the family. I must admit I was slightly concerned at first as to whether he would be happy with us, but by the way he plays and smiles (I never thought I would believe that a dog can smile, but Horrie certainly can) I think he is.

>Horrie is spoilt by all (not too badly) and has been treated to a few bones, a biscuit everyday and he even gets home cooked dinners! He loves to sit on his bed and sniff the air whenever mince, sausages or just about any type of meat is being cooked in the house. He walks twice a day except for when it is windy, and this suits me too. Horrie tends to be afraid of little dogs and will lean against you while pretending to be tough, and is indifferent to larger dogs. He is quite happy to wag his tail and ignore them as he passes them in the street. He is excellent on the lead and very well behaved. When you get his muzzle out it is like all his Christmas' have come at once, and he gets very excited - every day.

He has only barked 3 times - twice at our door bell which we have discovered frightens him, so we are getting him used to this by showing him it will not hurt him, and the third time a door banged closed in the night and scared the wits out of him and us!

He is physically very well. He has put on weight, is up to date with his flea, tick and worming and is just about perfect at 36-37kgs and his coat shines. He loves being brushed and even shuts his eyes and sighs when you do this for him. We have only had one accident where Horrie somehow cut his foot open - slightly. No stitches were required, but bandages were on for a few days.

We have taken him on family outings to AFL matches and for cafe lattes ... he is very at ease with this and tends to take the time to nap. We always take a treat and water so he can have something as well.

We are very happy to have Horrie as apart of our family, thank you for selecting Horrie as the greyhound for us, I can not imagine our house without him now. I hope he is happy with us too.

Shiloh and family.

Jeff and Ellie

We have had Jeff, a greyhound cross, for 7 years, and we have had Ellie from the GAP programme for 6 months. They are beautiful dogs, naturally fit and healthy, affectionate, calm and gentle. They are wonderful with our many grandchildren, and don't have a mean bone in their body (except for the sneaky ice-cream steal!).
I hope that many people will decide to adopt these lovely dogs, not just because it needs to be done, but because they are the best dog companions you could have.

Warren

Kate

Kate came into our lives in December 2004. She accepted us straight away, but at first you could tell that she was not fully at home.

After about two months, though, the change was dramatic, and now she is fully part of the family.

During the daytime she sleeps on a small mattress which is soft, being made of foam and covered with cotton, folded double, in the lounge room. At night she sleeps on two folded quilts alongside our bed. Most afternoons my wife Barbara has a sleep and Kate knows, and often joins her on the bed.

Even though we have only a small backyard she occasionally runs around it incredibly fast, but she saves her energy for her walk time, which is about 6.30 in the morning for about 20 minutes, and 5 or 6 in the afternoon, depending on how hot it is, for about 40 minutes.

She thoroughly enjoys her walks, and sniffs out lots of treasures, at times moving so fast I am nearly trotting, and other times stopping for a good sniff. She relates well with most other dogs and she walks so well on the lead that the slightest tug gets her back in line.

She is much loved, and is the ideal dog for us. She does not jump up on people, even though she loves them all. She rarely barks, and is extremely gentle with Barbara, which is good as Barbara is in a wheelchair full time.

Kate is terrified of thunderstorms, and retires to the back room or the bathroom, and shakes and pants until it is over.

We are so pleased with our decision to adopt a Greyhound, and wish GAP a lot of success at finding more homes for our fast friends.

John Young

Nikita

Just want to let you know how much we are loving having Nikita/Nikki in our lives.  She is such a gentle funny playful girl, loves frolicking with her toys (squeaky soccer ball the favourite) and going for walks (possibly because dinner follows the walk), but most of all loves lying full stretch beside my desk as I work. 

Greyhounds don’t curl up!!  Or on her back next to the wall with legs up in the air.  Not real elegant. 

She’s very good about not getting on furniture (except the old outside sofa, which she’s taken over, as you can see in the photo) and so far absolutely reliably toilet trained.  She’s loyal and will generally come when called.  

All dogs are conversation-starters out on walks, but Nikki is particularly so – so many people want to know about her or have a story about someone they knew who had a greyhound.  We are enjoying getting to know her.

Nina

 We adopted Nina from GAP NSW two months ago and what a gentle and gracious addition to our family she has proved to be!

For us, she seemed to fit in immediately and smoothly. For her, I think it took quite a few weeks before she felt safe and at home but she has certainly come into her own.

She is quite the lady! Polite, gentle, loving and loyal - I can see why Greyhounds were the dogs of pharaohs & kings! We have a 22 month old son and she is wonderful with him! We meet lots of other dogs out on our walks and she loves to say hello to them all. With the crazy over-boisterous ones she just quizzically looks at them as if to say "must you carry on in that uncouth manner?!"

She has enriched our lives and I would not hesitate to recommend a Grey to anyone!

Oscar

We are so happy with the way Oscar has settled into our family. In the last month or so his personality has really started to emerge and we are seeing a different and much more playful side that he had previously shown. Our most reluctant child is now his greatest supporter!!!
He is determined to ensure the property remains cat free and has developed venetian blind marks on his snout, from being a sticky beak, to ensure they don't wander on to the property. We have also noticed he takes great joy in chasing cats in his sleep which we find amusing to watch!

Oscar is very affectionate with our family and is perfect for older children like ours. He seems to know that Saturdays are a slower day and greets us in the morning by stealing shoes and seeing who will play chasings around the house with him.
Walks are certainly one of his great joys, as is sleeping preferably upside down across any walkway so as not to miss out on anything that may occur. We also noticed in the early days that he thought David's favourite chair was his. It took some time and creative energy to change this perception but we think he finally has the picture.
Thank you again for all your work and encouragement. We are thrilled with our puppy – just a little boy in a big body! We recommend greyhounds to everyone who we come in contact with. We are very impressed with the program and are looking forward to the day when muzzles are a thing of the past.

Thanks again

David, Chris, Laura, Cameron, Emma and Kieran

Sally

(The arrival of an "Angel")
Sally is special, even by Greyhound standards. She must be; her trainer told me she had refused to submit to various directives that Sally should be put down. She had not been successful at racing - she was too small and too slow. Despite the fact that the trainer had many Greyhounds, her reply was, "I am not going to let a dog with a nature like hers be put down!"
And so Sally came to us - at two and a half years of age. That was five years ago.
Far from being aggressive with cats, Sally was absolutely terrified of Cyrus, our very stupid Chinchilla. She wouldn't even look at him or go near him - much less walk past him. It took about two weeks for her to do that - and only then, if she were staring deliberately at the ceiling, whilst so doing. However, she soon learned that he posed no threat. Now they lie together by the bedroom window, snoozing.
Her initial timidity was not helped by the fact that, three weeks after we got her, she was attacked by a Rottweiler. Unlike Sally, that dog was neither leashed nor muzzled - funny that? But despite that bad start she has grown in confidence over the years and is no longer scared of dogs she hasn't met before.
In fact, Sally has garnered quite a "fan club" in our local park. Other dog owners adore her. Some of them even admonish their own poor dogs with, "Why can't you be like Sally?" She walks beautifully, never pulls, is calm and completely lacking in aggression. And she loves people. She really prefers to "talk" to the human on the other end of the lead, rather than her doggy friends.
Everyone who enters the house, whether known to her or not, is greeted like a long-lost friend and given the most ecstatic welcome. So I am afraid, like most Greyhounds, she is no guard dog! A stranger is just a friend she has never met before.
And the title "Angel"? That was bestowed on her by someone who was well qualified to judge, the very lovely Jodie O'Shea, from Aussie Pooch, who was very sadly lost to us as a result of Bali. Vale Jodie, Sally misses you, as do we all.

Angela

Sally mark 2

Sally came into our lives 5 months ago and it feels like she has been with us forever.She just has so much love to give and we give her so much love back.

Sally loves her walks and runs on the lead and she is very polite when she meets well behaved dogs, we try to stay away from dogs that run at her as this gets her nervous. Sally has two great friends we sometimes walk with, 2 tiny Italian Greyhounds.
She is very intelligent, on cold winter mornings she won't get out of her cosy bed and just stays snuggled with a great big smile on her face.
Our family could not imagine life without her - everyone should adopt a Greyhound!

Shan and family

2010 update
We have now had her for nearly 3 years and every day she amazes us.
Her nervousness with other breeds of dogs has gone and she has many doggy friends. Sally loves her visits to the farm and with dog proof fencing she gets her freedom to have a run and play with the cattle dogs and paddles in the dam. The other dogs swim into the middle of the dam and Sally stands in the shallows splashing and barking at them, she likes to feel the ground under her feet.
Sally is now a Delta Pet Therapy dog too and loves to visit her friends and get lots of cuddles and treats. She is also a TV star as she has been filmed for Playschool at one of the facilities she visits. I will let you know when this will be aired (July 2011) she is great with the camera!
Sally has now been to 3 visits to my son's school and the boys love hearing about her and Greyhounds and she loves the cuddles.
Sally has transformed many peoples lives and with her calmness and beautiful communicative eyes she makes people very happy! Thank you GAP for all the work you do for Greyhounds, we are so lucky to have Sally in our lives.

Tiger

As an adult I have had 4 cocker spaniels. I thought they were the best breed of dog ever.  Recently I lost my last one. Last year my daughter had told me about greyhounds and how they sleep a lot and do not need much exercise!

 I looked up Greyhound Adoption Program and there were photos of available hounds. One in particular (Tiger 5) I thought was truly stunning and fell in love with his stature and looks. We sent off an application form and started reading all about greyhounds.  I had never met a greyhound and when my housemate and I were introduced to a girl greyhound during the “assessment process” for us to become suitable adoptees, I was stunned by the pure gentleness of the breed.

I needed to have a new fence built and so the waiting time before we could get our greyhound took over a month. In the meantime I had gone to Easter show where I met lots of greys and definitely fell in love with the breed then. So calm and gentle.

While waiting for fence to get built I prepared the house for the arrival of my grey. I had bought 3 extra- large dog beds – one for the lounge, one for the study and one for the bedroom. Bought some fluffy squeaky soft toys.

The great day arrived and we were told that Tiger 5 was still available.

Looked up his race record and his racing name was Sally’s Hero. Had a number of podium finishes but not as brilliant as his mum who was a great champion,

I spoke on the phone to his foster parents who told me all about Tiger and how they would have changed his name to Shadow as he followed them everywhere. I went to pick him up and for the hour I was with the foster parents, he had his head on my lap. He had chosen me. He was so sweet. 

Brought him home and he settled in so very quickly. Whenever we move room he follows me lie down on his bed in that room. He definitely is a Shadow.  So funny being with such a big dog and a short walk is enough exercise for him. He has met lots of dogs on his walks and I am educating the humans about the amazing qualities of greyhounds.

He learnt very quickly (like after a couple of days) that first thing he gets to eat is some chicken necks; he won’t go outside till after he has been given his snack. 

He has the most lovable temperament. He puts his head on your lap when watching TV and I am sure he falls asleep in that standing position for a few minutes.

Tiger is loved so very much and has brought an amazing amount of joy into our lives.  I would recommend a greyhound as being the most amazing family dog.

Lorraine Fox and Aaron Lee.