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10 Volunteer-Run Organisations We Love That Support Greyhounds
So, why does everyone seem to be making such a hullabaloo around greyhound rescue these days? Do you feel like you hear about sighthound fostering and adoption, perhaps more than you hear about other dogs that need rescuing? There’s a heavy focus in Australia on greyhound rescue because this beautiful breed is over bred for racing, meaning there are lots of hounds in need of a loving family!
If you're here for a Hound-Tee for your very own long-dog, you probably know a little bit about what life can be like for greyhounds before they find their forever home. Greyhounds are over-bred for racing and are usually let go well before they turn five, so there is an overflow of greyhounds needing care in Australia. And we reckon that’s a pretty big deal, which is why we have so much love for the volunteers who give their time and passion to organisations to help match greyhounds with the right family.
These gentle giants are surprisingly low maintenance; they sleep up to 18 hours a day and don't need as much exercise as you might imagine! The most intense part of fostering or adopting greyhounds is typically helping them adjust to their new environment as they slowly learn it is safe and loving.
How can I support greyhounds in need of care?
The four main ways you can help are to:
Foster – take a greyhound in and help house-train and socialise them for a few weeks or months until they are placed in a forever home (or until they become your #FosterFail and you keep them).
Adopt – welcome a greyhound into your family permanently and enjoy all the derps, zoomies and roaches to come!
Donate – funds donated to organisations could go toward vet work, medications, kennelling, transport or other things that help get rescue hounds into homes and keep them healthy in between.
Volunteer – volunteer to help match hounds with homes or ask how you can best support an organisation with your time. Create awareness within your local community by spreading the word and encouraging like-minded friends to do what they can.
9 organisations we love that support greyhounds
These 9 organisations around the country are doing luff-ly work to support this often-misunderstood breed, and we'd love it if you checked them out or supported their cause!
VIC
Gumtree Greys primarily supports rescued greyhounds from the East Coast of Aus, Victoria. They have a strong network of existing fosterers but always need more. They also fundraise when they can at community markets and have heaps of educational content on their website.
Amazing Greys has been a Melbourne-based, volunteer-run group since 2011. While searching for a foster home for each hound, this group will manage any necessary vet treatments such as de-sexing, vaccinations and teeth cleaning.
Grey Greys have been rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming hounds since 2017. This volunteer-run organisation helps pair snoots with loving foster homes and continues to assess them for the right forever home. Fostering through Greyt Greys is free, and the organisation covers any vet bills or accessories, such as leashes and muzzles.
NSW
Based just south of Sydney, Greyhound Rescue NSW matches hounds with homes in NSW and ACT. They have a Hounds Helping Humans program which takes hounds into aged care facilities, or visits workplaces, schools and universities to offer 'bark breaks' – what's more relaxing than patting a big goofy doggo?
Friends of the Hound Inc. rescues greyhounds from pounds, shelters and vet clinics where possible and takes in dogs from greyhound owners, breeders and trainers from all over NSW, ACT and QLD.
QLD
Located in South East and Central QLD, Love A Greyhound is a not-for-profit charity group that finds homes for hounds and runs events like greyhound walks and sausage sizzles to raise funds and connect the community of hound-loving hoomans.
I Want a Greyhound, or IWaG, runs out of QLD and helps to educate the community that greyhounds can suit almost any family if you find the right match! They accept tax-deductible donations and find foster homes and adoptive families for hounds in need.
TAS
This Tasmanian farm is home to 250+ rescued animals! From pigs and ponies to rats and sheep, Brightside Farm is a sanctuary for any animal that needs rescuing and care. They take in many greyhounds that fit in happily on the farm. You can support them with a tax-deductible donation!
WA
As this Western Australia-based group says: "Adopting a greyhound won't change the world, but the world will change for that greyhound." We believe your world will change for the better, too, and the more hounds happily re-homed into loving families, the better the world will be. Greyhound Adoptions WA accepts all greyhounds and cares for them until they've found a home, no matter what.
SA
Based in South Australia, Kennel2Couch believes no home is complete without a greyhound (we second that!), and they help relocate hounds Australia-wide. They work hard to prepare your greyhound for the needs of your home if you're willing to adopt, such as if you have a cat or bird your hound needs to learn to be around, Kennel2Couch can help get them there.
Wherever you are in Australia, there’s a good dog that could use your luff and help. So from us at Hound-Tees and on behalf of all the doggos you’ll help by donating, fostering or adoption: Thank aroooo!