Retired Greyhounds Racing For Home
By Laura French

At the end of the racing season, five-year-old greyhounds reach mandatory retirement age. Other dogs might also be retired depending on their record at the track.

That’s when organizations like Northern Lights Greyhound Adoption (NLGA) step in. In late July, a volunteer from Kansas City brought 11 dogs to Minnesota for placement by NLGA. Vida and Jemma are two retirees who will soon start new lives as cherished companions.

The first stop for all NLGA greyhounds is Foley Boulevard Animal Hospital. Jemma and Vida are given baths, physical exams and treatment for parasites. Dental problems are prominent because of the high-protein track diet, so new arrivals have their teeth cleaned and are started on a regimen of daily brushing and weekly sealant. All dogs will be spayed and neutered before they’re adopted.

Finding homes is a year-round activity
While all of this is happening, NLGA is busy finding homes for the new arrivals. NLGA works year-round to interest and educate prospective owners through activities like “Meet and Greets” at local pet food stores. There is often a waiting list to adopt these dogs, especially for cat-friendly greyhounds.

Among the people on this year’s waiting list were Cricket and Jeff. They already own two greyhounds, Indy and Windsor, and recently lost their third greyhound to cancer. “Three was a good number for us,” Cricket says. “It seemed to balance out.” With two male dogs, a husband, two sons and a male cat at home, Cricket is definitely looking for a female.

By coincidence, Vida is a full sister of Windsor. Just two days after Vida’s arrival, Cricket, Jeff, Indy and Windsor all make the trip to the Foley Boulevard Animal Hospital to meet her. If that meeting goes well, the next step will be to offer Vida a foster home, with the goal of permanent adoption. “The fostering program is a win/win,” Cricket says. “The dog gets acclimated into the house, and we see if it fits into our pack as a whole.”

Meeting the new family
Vida is escorted into a small exam room crowded with people, dogs and cushions. The two male dogs take turns saying hello. Vida is “very quiet compared to what we’re used to,” Cricket says. They’re used to Indy, who is not the typical greyhound “couch potato.” Talkative and lively, Indy is “always going to be a puppy,” Cricket says.

By the end of the first half hour, Vida has quietly made the rounds of the people in the room, saying hello and accepting attention. She and her brother have posed for a photo that highlights the family resemblance, especially in their striking amber eyes. If Vida does well with Phoenix, the family cat, it seems likely that she’s found her permanent home.

Jemma, meanwhile, has gone into foster care with Patti, a long-time NLGA volunteer. Patti won’t be adopting Jemma, but she will begin the process of teaching her things that new retirees don’t know: How to climb stairs, go for walks and live in a house with ceiling fans and vacuum cleaners. Patti has provided foster care from 10 days to several months. “It’s better not to keep them too long — for the dog and for me,” Patti says. Two weeks is optimal.

Foster care
Jemma was kept as a breeding female after her racing days ended, which may have provided her with more exposure to humans and home life than the average newly retired greyhound. “Maybe she’s just older and more worldly,” Patti says. Other than “a little whining when she wants something,” Jemma has fit easily into the household routine — unlike an earlier foster dog who would jump onto the kitchen table to keep an eye on Patti whenever she went into the backyard.

“They bond fast with whoever feeds and walks them,” Patti says. “If a family member feels left out, I tell them to share the chores or put treats in their pocket.”

Vida’s bond with her new family is apparent 10 days after their initial meeting. She’s learning about toys. Outside, she chases them. Indoors, she’s “a little timid about making them squeak and talk,” Cricket says, but she piles fuzzy toys up on her bed and sleeps on them. She knows her name and is doing well with the “lay down” command. Indy and Windsor are teaching her how to climb stairs and what the “out of the kitchen” command means.” She’s “happy and wiggly” with people and “has enough spunk to hold her own against the boys,” Cricket reports.

And the cat? Phoenix seems undaunted by the new addition, and Vida hasn’t shown any predatory instincts. “I tried to put all three dogs on the bed to take their pictures, and Phoenix jumped up into the middle of the mayhem,” Cricket says.

Settling in
“I’m not trying to be all sunshine and roses,” Cricket says, “but I just don’t have any complaints about Vida.” Even with a smooth transition, Cricket will devote all her time to the dogs for the first few weeks. “I have the luxury of being able to work with them because I know the payoff is big if I do,” she says. “If I just crate her all day, it’s that much harder for everyone to get acclimated.”

While Vida is settling in to her permanent family, Patti drops Jemma off at the home of a prospective owner. “I’m rooting for her today,” Patti says as she waits to hear the new owner’s decision. That evening, she gets good news — Jemma has a home. In fact, after meeting Jemma, the adoptive family didn’t even look at the other two dogs they were considering.

Patti will check in with the family occasionally and answer questions as needed. “Usually after a month or two, they’ve settled in,” she says.

For more information about adopting a greyhound, visit the NLGA Website.The FAQ page has a “behind the scenes” link to photos of the process for new arrivals.) The Website provides dates and times for “Meet and Greet” events. You can also see NLGA dogs at the Minnesota State Fair on Labor Day.

Look for the article Adopted Greyhounds Make Fast Friends on the front page of the Saturday's Classifieds, August 9.

Laura French is a freelance writer who lives in Roseville with three cats — Gracie, Tennessee Tuxedo and his pal Chumley, and Sofie, whose breed(s) will forever remain a mystery.