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The adoption process is straightforward and simple. It is designed to insure that you get the dog of your dreams, one that will fit in well with your lifestyle, family and other pets. It is also designed so that your adopted greyhound will get the family of his/her dreams. Greyhounds can be expected to live in excess of 12 years. Please be aware that adopting a greyhound is a commitment for the life of the dog.
There are four steps in the process:
Before we can consider a potential adopter, we must receive a completed adoption application/contract and the $75.00 application fee. Thirty dollars of the application fee is nonrefundable. The application is designed so that we have the information necessary to find the right dog for you. Any preferences or specific requests you have with regard to the dog you would like to adopt (sex, age, etc.), can be indicated in the appropriate section(s) of the application. The adoption application also tells us about you and your other family members – human and/or animal.
We have a few requirements that must be met in order for us to place a greyhound with you. GPA/LA places greyhounds strictly as house pets, not as yard dogs. Greyhounds are inside dogs and must be kept in your home. A fenced yard is highly recommended and in some cases may be required. The fenced area need not be huge; even just a small area where the dog can be let out to ‘stretch his legs’ and eliminate off leash can be sufficient. If you do not have a fenced yard you must be able to walk your greyhound the 2 to 6 times a day that he might require. The adoption contract requires that when outdoors and not behind a fence, greyhounds are to be walked on a leash – with the other end of the leash attached to a person! The adoption contract prohibits you from tethering, racing, or hunting with your greyhound. Greyhounds placed by GPA/LA are prohibited from being or maintained as blood donors. All greyhounds are spayed or neutered prior to placement, and therefore cannot be bred.
You will probably be contacted numerous times, and quite possibly by more than one person, during the adoption process. It is also likely that your placement representative will schedule a visit to your home. The adoption process enables us to help you find the greyhound that is the most suitable to your wants, home environment and personality. It also enables both of us to determine whether a greyhound is the most suitable breed for you and your family, or if there might be a reason to put off the adoption until a later date. We do all we can to make every adoption a success story for the greyhounds and their new families.
The greyhounds we get into GPA/LA’s adoption program are healthy dogs, generally between the ages of two to five years. We virtually never obtain young puppies. Greyhounds come in a wide variety of colors, but interestingly the color gray (known as “blue”), is one of the least-common colors. GPA/LA places about an equal number of males and females; we’ve found very little different between the sexes, as male greyhounds tend to exhibit less “macho” behavior than many other breeds (i.e. leg-lifting, aggressive behavior). Males generally tend to be larger than females.
Although we try to comply with color preferences, we accept requests for specific colors primarily as preferences; if you have very specific parameters with regard to colors, age and/or trait combinations, it could take a long time to find a dog that meets all your requirements. The perfect greyhound for you is more likely to be determined by the dog’s personality and behavioral traits rather then by its color or sex. Greyhounds have widely varying personalities. While most greyhounds do fine when left alone others do not. Some greyhounds are extremely out going and others very shy. Some greyhounds like to roughhouse with the kids and others just want to put their head in your lap and be petted. There is a perfect greyhound out there for every responsible person who wants one.
Some greyhounds have very strong prey drives and cannot distinguish between a Pekinese or cat and a rabbit. If your family contains other pets, especially small ones like cats and/or tiny dogs, we strongly recommend that you make your current pet(s) the most important consideration and allow us a little more latitude with regard to other characteristics (especially color!). The less specific your requirements, obviously, the quicker we will be able to help you find the greyhound of your dreams!
Once all parties agree on the right greyhound for you, we will collect the remaining $125.00 of the adoption fee and arrange for you to pick up your greyhound.
GPA/LA realizes that you are making a long-term commitment to your greyhound and we want this to be an enjoyable long lasting experience for you both. To that end, GPA/LA wants to be there to support you. Should you have problems or issues that you need help resolving, our placement representatives and volunteers are just a phone call or email away. We also have many Meet 'N' Greets throughout Louisiana and Mississippi and you are invited to drop by with your greyhound for a visit and to chat about any problems or just to share stories with other greyhound owners. There is a monthly Meet 'N' Eat on the north shore and though reservations are required, everyone is invited. Our website has weekly tips from Howliweeze and recommended vets, kennels, and greyhound-friendly lodging. We also post news important to greyhound owners, as necessary. We also have a Yahoo Group, GreyhoundPetsLA where you can solicit advice and share stories with other greyhound-obsessed individuals. By early 2008, you will be able to purchase a multitude of greyhound safe toys, collars and accessories through our online store.
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To view and print the applications, you will need Adobe Reader installed.
Download it for free here.