Adopt a Dog

Download the Adoption Application

Application created with Adobe Acrobat

Step One

A greyhound isn't for everyone, and not everyone is qualified to adopt. Greyhound adoption is a lifetime commitment. The dog should not be considered as a rental to be returned at the first inconvenience. Please consider your adoption choice carefully; then reconsider. This information packet sets out the requirements that must be met for adopting a greyhound, as well as the basic realities of greyhound ownership.

Determine if a greyhound is the right breed for you and your family. If you're interested in a gentle, loving family companion who will be a housedog, you're our kind of adopter. However, if you're looking for a "yard dog" to reside in a doghouse, or intend to keep the dog outdoors for extended periods of time, then a greyhound is not the breed for you.

Why do you want a greyhound? If you're simply into "looks" or think it's the "neat thing to do," you need to do further research. On the other hand, if you've admired and become acquainted with greyhounds that are owned by people you personally know, you're on the right track.

Are you looking for a housedog and a family companion? Our dogs are placed as house pets, and are the finest companions you could ever want. They are strictly indoor dogs, as they have short fur and a low percentage of body fat for insulation. Are you prepared to have a large dog living in your house? They don't have as much physical presence as other large dogs, but they are tall and have long legs! Greyhounds range in weight from 50-65 pounds for females; 65-85+ pounds for males. The dogs stand 23 to 30 inches tall.

How much time do you plan to spend with your dog? If your answer is 10 minutes a day and a few hours each weekend, you're "barking up the wrong tree;" get a cat or a gerbil. Greyhounds are loveable and social animals; they crave human companionship and want to be with their family. Most of them think they are people, not dogs. As previously outlined, they are not outdoor dogs.

Is your yard COMPLETELY enclosed with a fence, preferably 4' or taller, and is it accessible directly from the back door of your house? If not, one must be in place before your application will be considered. Greyhounds have two unique traits that make them greyhounds: the urge to chase and incredible speed. As a member of the sight hound family, they can see things as far away as half a mile. They can reach speeds of 40+ mph in about 3 strides. When their attention is focused on the object of their chase, be it blowing paper or actual prey, they put on blinders and insert earplugs, becoming totally oblivious to everything else around them, including you. For this reason, greyhounds must never be allowed off-leash except in a fenced area.

Are you willing to make a lifetime commitment to give a greyhound your best for the rest of its life? The average racer is worth $2,000 by the time it ventures onto the track at 16-18 months old, and is typically in the range of 2-5 yrs old when adopted. Greyhounds have a life span of 12-14 years. Are you willing to commit to the care and responsibility of owning a greyhound, including all vet and health care expenses, for the next 10 years or more?

How much do you expect to pay for a greyhound, and what are your anticipated costs over time? Be totally honest with yourself. If your budget only allows an extra $20 per month for dog expenses, this probably isn't the time to adopt a greyhound. After the non-refundable adoption donation of $200, you can realistically expect to pay food costs of $25/month. Then there are the emergencies than happen (we figured in $20/month over the long term). The various stuffed toys, dog biscuits and other treats such as vanilla wafers, add up to another $15/month. Annual expenses for a greyhound are approximately $700-900, including such things as emergency and regular vet bills, heartworm checks and preventative, flea preventative, yearly rabies and other shots. Are you financially able to commit the funds necessary for greyhound
ownership?

Do you have young children? A more appropriate question would be, does your child/children know how to behave with animals? If you have children under the age of 5 and are interested in a greyhound, we will use our total discretion on whether or not to place a greyhound in your home. In some cases, we would ask that you postpone the adoption until the children are older. Greyhounds are usually good with young children, however, they are very strong and some can be afraid of the behavior displayed by active toddlers. These dogs cannot tolerate rough play due to their sensitive skin, sleek fur and little body fat. Their natural speed, strength and athleticism do not combine well with babies or young children, who could easily be tipped over
by a playful greyhound.

What other pets do you have? Greyhounds have spent their entire lives in the company of other greyhounds. They are friendly and sociable by nature. While they quickly adjust to other breeds of dogs, they are natural hunters and have the potential to inadvertently hurt small animals. Cats are about the same size as the racing lure. Do you currently have cats or small pets under 30 pounds? With time and care, most greyhounds learn to accept other animals as members of the family. However, some of them have such a high prey drive that they must live in homes without cats
or small pets.

What kind of "end" have your former pets met? If you've left dogs at the pound and abandoned cats at your last residence, you certainly won't be trusted with a greyhound. If there were extenuating circumstances, explain them thoroughly. Please be aware that we are very particular about how and where we place our greyhounds. You may feel as though you are adopting a child, and as far as we're concerned, you are; they just happen to be four-legged-children. Obviously, we are interested in the long-term health and safety of all our greyhounds, and will do all we can to ensure that you will give your dog the best possible life as a member of your family for as long as he or she lives.

Please do not consider greyhound adoption if you are unable or unwilling to make a lifetime commitment to the dog or adhere to the guidelines and requirements above. Our organization is dedicated solely to the interests of the dogs and will not allow them to be put in risky or compromising situations. Tragic incidents have occurred when people chose to ignore the rules and guidelines. We have been involved in greyhound adoption for many years, and although there is no such thing as an expert when it comes to these dogs, we have a pretty good handle on what we're doing. Race The Wind reserves the absolute right to refuse adoptions. If these terms and conditions are too restrictive or unacceptable, you need to consider another breed.

These pages are only a brief overview of greyhounds. On the internet, you will find a number of websites maintained by the various adoptions groups across the country. Most of them have numerous categories, including history of the breed, information about their lives during racing years, color charts, hints on adopting, recommended books available to purchase or read, and what to expect when you adopt. Most important of all, there are pictures, pictures, and more pictures; many of them in home settings from the adopters who have already discovered this wonderful breed.

Does a greyhound sound like the dog for you? If so, proceed to the next step of the adoption process.

Step Two  Complete the application ...

...and return it to:

Race the Wind Greyhound Adoption, Inc.
624 South Bluff
Wichita, Kansas  67218
316-685-1709

Your application will be carefully reviewed and your references checked. You will receive a phone call from an adoption representative to discuss your application, ask for additional information or to clarify items on your application. The members of our group are all volunteers, with jobs and family commitments elsewhere, so please forgive us if we aren't immediately available at the exact moment you call. Leave a message, and we will get back to you as soon as reasonably possible. Every effort will be made to process your application quickly, as we realize you are excited about the prospect of adopting a greyhound.

Once the application is approved, an appointment will be scheduled for you and your family to visit the adoption kennel and meet the available greyhounds deemed as candidates for your household and lifestyle. In many cases, arrangements for a home visit will be made, especially if there are other pets and/or cats involved. The adoption representative will bring a dog(s) to your home to see how your family interacts with him/her. All members of your household should be present for the home visit, if at all possible.

This will give you an opportunity to see and spend time with a greyhound in person. During the home visit, we will be looking for potential problems concerning the dog's safety and comfort, sometimes suggesting ways to resolve them, as well as getting to know more about you, your family, your pets and your lifestyle. This important step allows us to match personality and behavior traits to what an applicant wants in a dog. Some people may feel this is a lot to go through, but we believe that getting a dog involves major commitment and adjustment. We care about each and every one of our greyhounds, and want them to go into homes where both they and their new owners will be happy.

Step Three - Let a greyhound adopt you!

When a match is made between family and greyhound, you are closer to greyhound ownership. If the dog not been neutered or spayed, an appointment will be scheduled with the vet. At this time, a deposit of $50 is required. In approximately 10 days (less for males), the dog will be ready to join your household. If your chosen dog has already been altered, the waiting time will probably be less.

A time will be set up for you to pick up your new family member, complete the remaining paperwork, and pay the adoption donation of $200 (or remaining $150, if applicable). You are now ready to take your greyhound home. Congratulations! You are new parents!

Step Four - Follow up

You must understand that we don't simply send dogs to new homes and forget about them. We periodically call to see how they're doing because we care about the dogs and hope to involve the adopters in promoting future greyhound adoption. We also appreciate receiving updates from you, as well as pictures for our scrapbooks.

In addition, we may occasionally visit your home to check on the dog, answer any questions you might have or assist with problems that might arise. Such visits may occur without advance warning to ascertain that you are faithfully adhering to the mandatory requirements of keeping the dog strictly as an indoor pet and not leaving it outdoors for extended periods of time.

Please understand that if we find the dog that has been entrusted to your custody is not being cared for properly and the dog's health or safety is in question, we reserve the right to take the dog back. We will do so if necessary in order to protect one of our dogs.