I am a huge fan of Paws and Claws magazine. Which is why I was so excited to be asked to write an article about Greyhounds and why they are such amazing pets. Pick up your copy of Paws and Claws from all good pet stores, rehoming centres and anywhere animal related or you can read my article below.

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At the Animal Welfare League of Qld Hugo sat in the sunshine in his cosy bed watching the world go by. For 4 months he would see dogs come and go and would push himself up against his pen wall when people stopped to say hello, hoping to get a scratch and a little bit of affection. Although not his ideal environment Hugo was content, he was safe and his racing career was a distant memory.

Most Australians would be privy to Greyhound Racing – the national sport where long and lean dog’s race around a track after a stuffed bunny to win money for their owners. What you might not know however, is that around 20,000 Greyhounds are bred in Australia for the ‘sport’ of racing EVERY YEAR and less than half of these make it to the track.

 Thousands upon thousands of healthy, young Greyhounds are destroyed each year for no other reason other than they become surplus to racing industry requirements. There is a phenomenally high mortality rate for these dogs and a huge misconception about the temperament of the breed as a direct result of the racing industry.

Greyhounds make amazing pets. Gentle, quiet, and affectionate they are not considered a high energy dog and in fact when indoors, they will often curl up and take a nap. Greyhounds are good with children and often compatible with other family pets. The greyhound is not prone to excessive barking and is generally easy to housetrain.

Due to the lack of knowledge about this majestic breed, Greyhounds that are lucky enough to be surrendered to a shelter after their racing career finishes will often stay for months at a time watching potential families pass them by.

The Animal Welfare League of Qld currently has six ex racing Greyhounds currently calling their Gold Coast rehoming centre home. For ‘Hugo’ his new beginning came in early August when a lovely girl named Megan saw his photo online and knew she had to meet him. “A picture tells 1000 words and his photo was just beautiful. His eyes are to die for and I immediately fell in love”, she said.

Megan had never owned a dog before but says she can’t imagine a dog more perfect then ‘Hugo’. “He gets on so well with our whole family and is perfect with my 3 year old niece and 4 year old nephew. “He has the most amazing personality and is so well behaved. He doesn’t smell or shed hair, he is just perfect”.

AWLQ spokesperson Brooke Whitney said that the day ‘Hugo’ found a home the entire shelter stopped to wave goodbye and held back tears of happiness. “Hugo holds a special place in all of our hearts and we can’t wait for the days to come when all of our Greyhounds start their new beginnings in homes that will truly love them and treat them the way they deserve to be treated”.

Every one of the AWLQ Greyhounds has a unique personality. But they all have two things in common:

1. They are ex racers
2. They pine to be loved

‘Hugo’ loves human companionship. Any chance he got to lean on his dog walkers he would, he craves affection and is a real smoocher. This type of behaviour is typical of the breed which makes them an ideal family pet. “Greyhounds are faithful and loyal and adore their human families,” Brooke said.

The Animal Welfare League of Qld is known for their creative rehoming campaigns and their latest ‘Adopt Cuteness, Adopt a Greyhound’ had social media sites buzzing. “It was great branding for Greyhounds and our aim was to promote the positive attributes that they all possess”. “The Greyhounds currently in our care have a thriving support network online who share their photos, their stories and ask after them on a daily basis. Our supporters were so thrilled to see ‘Hugo’ find a home after months of waiting”.

The Animal Welfare League of Qld will continue to find homes for Greyhounds and be active in working with Friends of the Hound and other rescue organisations to help give these beautiful animals a second chance at a new beginning.

If you are looking to extend your furry family then visit the Greyhound’s at the Animal Welfare League of Qld. There are dogs just like ‘Hugo ‘waiting patiently for their new beginning.   Visit awlqld.com.au for more information or like the AWLQ on Facebook.

10Reasons you should own a Greyhound

• They are clean, easy to care for and gentle – even a child can handle a Greyhound.
• They rarely bark, usually only when something is wrong or when they get really excited. They are not generally suitable as a guard dog (however the size is generally a good deterrent).
• They are very social and can learn to live with other pets in your family
• A patient and tolerant dog, the Greyhound is usually very good with children and due to their calm, sensitive and friendly nature Greyhounds are very suitable as Therapy Pets for Aged Care facilities and special needs homes.

• They make great indoor pets due to their short sleek coats, the absence of doggy odour and  placid, sedentary nature
• A walk each day is more than enough to keep them healthy and happy.  A small yard is fine, particularly if they are getting regular short walks.

• Greyhounds tend to be “couch potatoes” and are content to laze around on their cosy bed or on the lounge beside their owners.
• They are toilet trained and are very tidy
• Their life span is approx 12-14 years