Colorado Greyhound Adoption

If you are a Colorado resident who is interested in adopting a pet, why not consider Colorado greyhound adoption? After all, most of your neighbors have either a Golden Retriever or a Labrador, so why not do something different. Besides, Greyhounds are a loyal and loving dog breed. They are so loving, many “Greyhound parents” refer to the adoption process as “chipping.” This implies that for some people, one Greyhound is never enough, just as one potato chip will never satisfy. Want to know what makes these dogs so special? Read on.

Most Greyhounds are bred as racing dogs. When they are ready to retire, there is no room for them in their former kennels. In the past, when their “time had come,” the trainer would take them to the back of the kennel and shoot them in the head. Fortunately, in the past ten years, Greyhound rescue organizations have convinced racetrack owners to bring their dogs to the various rescue shelters throughout the US.

Some Greyhounds will not have a racing career. The dogs are given five initial races, which are referred to as maiden races. During this period, the trainer will assess whether or not the dog has racing potential. If the dog does not show promise, he or she will ideally be brought to a greyhound adoption shelter.

In June of 2008, there was only one Greyhound racing track in Colorado. Called Mile Hi, it was located in Commerce City. Their racing season usually began in April and ended in September. However, due to financial constraints, they decided to end their season in June. While they claim that they will re-open in June in 2009, at this point, it’s purely speculative.

This poses a problem for the kennel owners. Some are licensed to race their dogs in other states. Others are not. A kennel owner cannot afford to house and feed their Greyhounds for months on end without receiving any income. This means that many owners will have to close their kennels, and send their dogs to Greyhound shelters. However, the shelters have limited space.

Contrary to popular belief, Greyhounds are not skittish, nor do they require hours and hours of daily exercise. In fact, if they were human athletes, they would be sprinters as opposed to marathon runners. After a walk, a Greyhound has a remarkable ability to curl up into a fetal position and snuggle into a small spot on the couch. As such, people refer to them as 40-mile-an-hour couch potatoes. While they may be athletic, Greyhounds are not trained to climb stairs. Some will pick it up intuitively. Others will require your patience.

Most Greyhounds do well with children; some do not. The staff at the adoption center will advise you as to which dogs work best with kids. Cats might be a different story. In a Greyhound race, the track owners put out a wind-up toy. This toy looks like a cat or a bunny. Since Greyhounds are sight hounds as opposed to scent hounds, the toy inspires them to run faster. The faster racers, which in some cases have a high prey drive, may not be cat safe. However, some will do just fine. Greyhound adoption agencies will test the dog by using a live cat. Don’t worry; the cat will be quite safe. The Greyhound either will be wearing a muzzle or be kept on a leash.

There are a number of Greyhound adoption agencies in Colorado. You can usually view their available dogs on their website. The adoption process may involve a visit to your home by a member of the staff.

If you want to adopt a fast friend, adopt a Greyhound!

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