Below you will find the answer to many questions you may have about the regional GAP program including how to place a dog on our program.

 

Will regional gap take on any greyhound?

 

Providing you have a greyhound with a sound temperament that you believe will genuinely make a great pet, we will endeavour to accommodate your request. All greyhounds placed through us should possess an even temperament (i.e. Not aggressive or extremely timid) and be sociable in the presence of other dogs or people.

 

The best train of thought is, are you comfortable handing that dog over to the lady at the supermarket to live at her home and for her to take it out for a walk (with the correct work put in by yourself prior or a foster home if available of course)? If not, then we can look at other options for you so just let us know as we are here to help your dog.

 

The majority of dogs re-homed by Regional GAP will go to family homes in suburbia, often with other pets, and must be able to walk with their owners around local streets and parks without difficulty. Every greyhound we adopt should be safe around small fluffy dogs (e.g. Maltese Terriers, Pomeranians) by the time it is ready for adoption in the event they see one walking down the street.

 

This may require some investment of time by trainers and owners to work on the socialisation of the greyhound. We do have retired couple homes and single homes apply, however they usually have grandchildren coming over and other dogs visiting so the more socialisation they have, the quicker they are to re-home.

 

What happens when my greyhound is accepted?

 

We ask that you book the dog into the vet you chose in your application for desexing, vaccination, and have its teeth cleaned. You will be copied into an email to the vets authorising this procedure allowing you to book the dog in. GRNSW will cover the costs associated with this treatment.

 

Please notify Louise at lamey@grnsw.com or text 0429 114 968 when you have made this appointment. When placing the dog with the Regional GAP we will ask you to sign the transfer of ownership papers for the companion register and these forms can be collected from the track office. You are also required to complete paperwork for GRNSW.GWIC advising them of the dog’s retirement. Please make sure you are aware of GRNSW‘s requirements in this respect as it is your responsibility to lodge this.

 

Once the dog is fully recovered from their procedure (approx. 2 weeks) we will be in contact to discuss the next step with the dog. This may include filling in a document of a self—assessment or waiting until we can assess the dog.

 

If space is available in a foster home, they will teach your greyhound how to live in a home with a family and other pets. They will also learn basic obedience, skills and manners to prepare it for life as a pet, however foster homes are hard to find so a lot of this work may need to be done by yourself — again, the better prepared your dog is in everyday situations the quicker the re-homing process is.

 

What will it cost me to have my greyhound re-homed through Regional GAP?

 

A nominal donation (to be set by your club) per greyhound applies to trainers/owners entering a greyhound in to the program who are financial members for over 1 year of an existing rural club. If you are not a financial member please contact us for other alternatives.

 

What can I do to assist my greyhounds‘ transition from racing dog to the

family pet?

 

There are a number of things you can do to ease your greyhound‘s transition into a pet lifestyle while you wait for a home or foster placement. These might include:—

 

• Get the dog used to spending time loose in the backyard - pet homes do not generally have kennels and runs.

• Teach the dog to walk nicely on a lead by your side.

• Introduce him/her to new people and particularly children under supervision.

• Take him/her out on street walks to the park or shopping centre, or beside busy roads etc.

• Bring him/her into the house for short periods of time.

• Introduce him/her to stairs and slippery floor surfaces like tiles, linoleum or polished floorboards.

• Introduce him/her to other animals, under controlled circumstances - cats, other dog breeds, horses, caged birds, poultry, etc.

• Decrease his exercise requirements. Most adoptive homes will not get up at 4:30am to walk the greyhounds, so start getting the greyhounds ready for this.

• Sometimes greyhounds can lose weight due to stress when changes to their environment occur. If your dog is currently maintaining race weight try to increase their weight by 0.5-1kg to help the foster family manage the dog’s ideal weight.

 

What‘s my part in the rehoming process?

 

Regional GAP if different to a GAP centre such as Western Sydney as we don’t take the dog from you, as we don‘t have the facilities, and you are involved in all aspects of the dog‘s placement and adoption. You will get to see the application for the dog and we will have you contact the prospective home to have a chat to see if you feel it‘s the right home for that dog.

 

If you‘re happy with the application, we ask you to arrange a time to meet the new home in a neutral location away from your home (the tracks can be used for this if needed) and ask that you contact Louise on 0429114968 with the meeting time and place. You will be the point of call for the new family if they have any issues/questions once the dog is placed, as you know the dog better than anyone.

 

You will need to create an easy to manage diet for their new home that suits your dog to ensure they don‘t lose weight in their new life. A general rule of thumb would be kibble based with a bit of meat. The new homes are used to easy dog feeding routines, not complex ones.

 

How long is the waiting time once my greyhound goes onto the program?

 

This will vary depending on the availability of foster homes and the right forever home based on the dog‘s needs. The more work put in by you beforehand will make the rehoming significantly quicker. Homes can take a few weeks to a few months depending on the dog‘s needs and the applications coming in.