Adoption Guide

Greyhound Pets, Inc. always represents the dog’s interests and will not place a dog in a risky or compromising situation. If you are unable to agree with our requirements, please consider another breed or whether a dog is right for your family.

Household agreement

All adults in the household must agree to the adoption.

Living and safety conditions

The dog must:

• Live inside the home, not outside.
• Be kept solely as an inside house pet, and not used for racing, hunting, or research
• Never be staked, tied up, or chained to any structure.
• Wear at all times a martingale collar bearing a Greyhound Pets, Inc. ID tag, an owner ID tag, and a local pet license tag.
• Be kept in good health and at proper weight and fitness.
• Receive regular health care, including at least an annual veterinarian examination, current vaccinations, teeth cleaning, and intestinal parasite tests.

Some Considerations:

• It can take several weeks or months (sometimes up to three months) for a dog to adjust to its new home.
• Other pets in your home and their compatibility with other animals
• Greyhounds want to be with you – they do not do well being separated from their human companions.
• Time you are away from home. If you are gone long hours (10+) during the day, a greyhound is not for you.

Securely Fenced Yard

If you live in a single-family home or property with a yard, then your yard must be securely fenced to protect your dog when it goes outside to exercise and relieve itself. Your home visit representative will work with you to determine if your fence is safe for a greyhound.

The fence requirements are:

• Minimum height is 5 feet.
• Electric, invisible, or barbed wire fences are not acceptable.
• All gates must be secure.
• A door to your house must open into the securely fenced area.
• Your fence must be in good repair, with no missing parts or boards.
• Certain types of fencing are not acceptable because a greyhound can slip through them, or they are unsafe for greyhounds.
• There should be no obstacles near the fence that a greyhound could use as a jumping point to get over the fence

Apartment, Condominium, Townhome

If you live in an apartment, condominium, or townhome, then you must provide a copy of your lease or condo association rules that show you are permitted to have a greyhound or large dog.

GPI reserves the right not to place a greyhound under 3 years of age, or one deemed as high energy, in a condominium townhouse, or apartment, due to their expected energy levels and activity needs.

Cat Trainable & Small Dog/Animal Trainable

November 2024: We continue to have a shortage of cat trainable dogs. We periodically receive a few cat trainable dogs. If you would like to be put on our waiting list for a cat trainable dog, please submit an application and get your home visit done. Depending upon your home situation we may have a dog available or it may be some time before we have one available. Once we have your application we can best advise you on the current situation for a dog suitable for your home. Thank you for your patience.

We have successfully placed greyhounds in homes with many different types of animals, including chickens, birds, reptiles, small dogs, and dogs of another breed. However, many dogs are not compatible with small animals, other breeds, or other types of animals. We ask that you work closely with our adoption representative to ensure that the right dog is chosen for your environment.

There are many people with cats looking to adopt greyhounds. If you do not have cats, we ask that you adopt a dog that is not cat trainable.

The most common questions we get are related to cats. Read our most frequently-asked questions related to Cats & Greyhounds.

Children

GPI reserves the right not to place greyhounds deemed not kid friendly in a household with young children.

Please read our most frequently-asked questions related to Children and Greyhounds and download our guide.

Policy Exceptions

Exceptions to the previous policies may be considered for a particular dog. Exceptions to the previous policies must be pre-approved by the GPI Board President (or his/her board of director’s designee) AND the applicable Regional VP.

Notifications to GPI

If your greyhound becomes lost or missing, you must call the Greyhound Pets, Inc. toll-free phone number and keep GPI informed of the status of the lost or missing dog. Refer to the section on Lost Dogs for information on helping find and getting assistance in finding your lost dog.

If, for any reason, you can no longer keep your dog, you will immediately return the dog to Greyhound Pets, Inc.

If you move residence, or change your contact information, you must inform Greyhound Pets, Inc.

When your greyhound passes on, you must inform Greyhound Pets, Inc.