Steps for First Time Adopters:
- Fill out an on-line application or print one out from our website. On-line applications are our preference because they are easiest for us to
review
and maintain in our files.
- Once your application has been received, you will get a response from our Application Coordinator. All adults living in the home need to read
Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies by Lee Livingood (available in libraries, book stores, and our web site store) before we can proceed with your
application. We will contact your veterinarian to ensure that all current pets are up-to-date on vaccinations; ask if you use heartworm prevention for
your dog(s) and that they (as well as your previous pets) have a documented history of vet care.
- Once all adults have read the Dummies book, you can set up a time and place for your interview with one of our screeners. This can be done over the
phone or at the screeners' house. Bring questions with you and we will go over a lot of greyhound information which will help ensure this is the
right breed for you to adopt. We will talk about what type of greyhound personality you are looking for as well as other important characteristics. If
you have other dogs, we also need to make sure they have compatible personalities. This step helps us find a dog that suits your desires in a canine
companion as well as your lifestyle. You will learn about our Going Home Greyhounds' support system that's set up to help you through all stages
of your dog's life. All family members are encouraged to participate. If you have children between 3 and 5 years old, we will also cover information
that will help everyone to live more peacefully together and show them how to properly interact with not only a dog, but specifically a greyhound. We
try to make this process both interesting and enjoyable. Expect this to take about 2 hours.
- If you have children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old, we will do a home visit accompanied with dogs. Not all dogs are good with children and
all children are not good with dogs. We will ask specific questions of the kids (that would have been discussed during the interview) and will observe
not only their behavior with the dogs, but each parents reaction to things that need to be corrected. Remember that most greyhounds have never been
around children before let alone lived with them. This step may also be accomplished by your family visiting a foster home instead of us coming to your
house, or both.
- Once your family is approved for adoption, you will receive a copy of our New Owner Guidelines. It's a written version of the information
discussed during the interview as well as some additional handy, detailed, and valuable information to keep at your fingertips.
- Now it's time to check the web site for available dogs. When you have decided which greyhounds you would like to consider for your family, we
will discuss their personalities with you and give you the contact information of the foster family if we feel their foster may be a good match for you.
Next, you can plan a visit with everyone in your family (current dogs included) so you can spend some time interacting in an environment where the
greyhound is comfortable. Our biggest challenge is matching the right greyhound with the right family the first time.
- When you have found the right match for your family, you will make arrangements to pick up your new family member and sign the adoption agreement.
This will take place at either the foster family's home, or at Tender Touch Veterinary Hospital in Wexford because that is where we are kennel
licensed to hold adoptions. Please read our adoption agreement on-line prior to signing and make certain you understand it.
- You will receive a follow up phone call about a month after adoption to see how things are going, then again 8 months later. It's an opportunity to
ask for advice about any transitional problems or just to tell us how much you love your dog! Remember that you can also call or contact us at any time if you
have questions or problems in the interim.
Steps for Previous Greyhound Adopters:
- Fill out an on-line application or print one out from our website. On-line applications are our preference because they are easiest for us to review
and maintain in our files.
- Once your application has been received, you will get a response from our Application Coordinator. We will contact your veterinarian to ensure that
all current pets are up-to-date on vaccinations; ask if you use heartworm prevention for your dog(s) and that they (as well as your previous pets) have
a documented history of vet care.
- We will mail you out our updated New Owner Guidelines so you can review them before talking to one of our interviewers. Once you have done that,
you
can contact our Application Coordinator to set up a time for your update and review.
- During the review we will discuss new things that we have learned about greyhound health issues, food, behavior, as well as talk about what type of
greyhound personality you are looking for in a new companion. All adults are expected to participate, but all aged family members are welcome. Expect
this to take about 45 minutes.
Follow steps 6, 7 and 8 above.
* NOTE: Please know this process is taking place mostly because it's a way for us to continue a close relationship with our adopters as well as keep
everyone educated with new information. As much as we'd like every GHG adopter to be automatically approved for re-adoption, we need to ensure each
greyhound is being cared for properly over its lifespan physically as well as mentally. If you have previously adopted a greyhound through another
group, we will call them for a reference before approval through GHG is granted.
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