Return to Article List | Submit an Article
Retired Racers as Pets
 |
When a Greyhound is injured or is too old to be useful on the track (usually age 3 or 4), it's post-career options are very limited. Some of the dogs are used for breeding, some will go into pet homes, some are sold for research, but many of them are killed. There are no accurate statistics, but the HSUS states that 40,000 Greyhounds are either killed, sold to labs or abandoned.
There are a great deal of these dogs that make it into rescue groups to be placed into pet homes. Greyhounds make incredible pets. Their temperament is wonderful and they get along well with children. They're not much into rough-housing, so it is preferred that children are aware not to play rough with them.
A lot of people believe that a retired racing dog would destroy their home running around and knocking things over. This is very untrue. A retired racer is extrememly mellow indoors, and is actually a couch potatoe. When they're outside, if they see something move, they will chase it.
The rescue group will be able to let you know about the temperament of the dog you are going to adopt, as well as inform you about any special health needs that the dog may have. These retired racers have been through a lot in their life, so rescue groups are seeking wonderful loving homes for these dogs. If you're interested in adopting a retired racer, please visit our Greyhound Rescue
page.