Greyhounds
of the Verde Valley
If you’ve never heard of a 40 mph
couch potato, you haven’t met a greyhound lover.
Greyhounds of the
Verde Valley is an
all volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to placing retired racing
greyhounds in safe, loving, forever homes as pets, and provides foster and adoptive families and
their dogs with continuing support, workshops, and camaraderie.
Since its beginning in 2007 over 300
dogs have been adopted through GVV. GVV greyhounds come from Tucson area
racing kennels. GVV believes that
everyone has their own opinion about dog racing. Their purpose is to ensure
that these wonderful animals have a ‘Greyt’ retirement.
Greyhound owners claim their dogs are more intelligent, loving,
and gentle - and more beautiful - plus less aggressive than most other dogs. A
study by the University of Pennsylvania found that greyhounds are the least
aggressive and most docile of canines. They are also quiet. Attend the GVV
picnic and you will see a lot of dogs and hear little barking. The dogs are
polite and friendly to people and other dogs.
Greyhound Picnic
GVV hosts an annual picnic for greyhounds and
their families. Fun Run entries are clocked by a
radar speed gun. Other events included the “Diving for Dogs” contest to see how many hot dog chunks a hound could
fish out and eat in one minute, and the longest tail competition. The educational program was
“Training Dogs to Avoid Rattlesnakes.” Add great food for humans
and a wonderful day was enjoyed by all.
Besides their annual picnic, and frequent presence at the Camp Verde
Farmer’s Market they march in parades, and setup booths at adoption events, and art
shows.
Caring for a Greyhound
Monica Davis, GVV Founder and Adoption
Coordinator, explains that greyhound pups spend longer with their mother and littermates than other dogs
before beginning training at 18 months. They’re handled since birth, trained to
walk on a leash, and to get along with other greyhounds. They start racing at
two years and most dogs finish their racing career between 3 and 5 years of
age.
A racing dog’s first introduction to the new world of being
a pet is in a foster home.
GVV places adoptable greyhounds in foster homes to give him or her love, care,
and attention for a short period. Greyhounds need to be socialized to be ready
to “meet ‘n greet” prospective adopters. Dogs straight off the track need to be acclimated to our confusing
world: stairs, doors, strange noises, mirrors, children, cats, small animals,
pools, even car rides, and much more. And they need to be
introduced to the joys of treats and doggie toys. During foster time each dog
is evaluated. GVV supports the foster caregiver and all veterinary care during
this time to be certain each dog is healthy and ready for the right forever home. By the time a hound leaves for a forever home, GVV has taken care of spay/neutering and
the dog has been vet checked, teeth cleaned, wormed and is current on inoculations.
Greyhounds have been bred to sprint for short
distances, not marathons, and do not require any more exercise than most dogs.
Most do not jump and don’t require high fencing. They quickly adapt to house
training and can live in apartments and small homes as long as they are walked,
preferably on a schedule.
It is a tribute to their adaptability and intelligent nature,
how quickly most make the transition to a completely new style of living. From
the very start they are full of love and affection,
eager to please, and sensitive to discipline. A simple "No!"
will be more than enough encourage good behavior.
Historically, greyhounds have been bred for
racing and hunting and rarely suffer from health problems or genetic disorders.
But they are different from other types of dogs when it comes
to veterinary care and medicines. Due to their low body fat
greyhounds' livers absorb most medicines directly and they can die from certain
medicines and pesticides, including topical treatments for fleas and
ticks. Their blood chemistry is different and greyhounds can be used as
universal blood donors for other dogs.
Caring for a greyhound is much the same as
caring for any dog, with some exceptions. They need soft places to rest, for
they don’t have much fat to cushion their bodies. They need elevated food
dishes, pedicures, and dental care. They appreciate wading pools in summer and
warm winter clothes for cold days. Greyhounds chatter, called nattering, when
they are excited and may even nip softly at your fingertips. Most overcome
separation issues in a little time and GVV offers tips to speed up the process.
Adopting
a Greyhound
The first steps in adopting a racer is
to fill out an application (available online) and request a home visit. Next,
both the prospective adopter and the dog will be evaluated for compatibility. GVV encourages all adopters, fosters, and
supporters to read books about greyhounds. Each adopter signs a contract that
requires the dog to be returned to GVV if the owner can no longer keep the dog
- for any reason.
One recent adopter says, “We are happy with
our decision and feel the research was worth it. The people at Greyhounds of the
Verde Valley are sincere and helpful, the foster family has our gratitude, and our greyhound is well on her way to being a beloved family member. We just want to
thank everyone who dedicates their time to these beautiful animals, and we’re
glad to play a small part in giving a retired racing greyhound a home.”
Though many people call greyhound groups rescue organizations,
President Tom Reese emphasizes that Greyhounds of the Verde Valley rehomes, not rescues:
“We turn
professional athletes into
professional pets and companions.”
Excepted from the December - January 2015-2016 issue of the Flagstaff-Sedona Dog.
