Greyhounds have been used as racing dogs for decades, but when their careers end,
thanks to one special shelter in San Diego County, they have a second chance
at life.
The Greyhound Adoption Center is committed to quality adoptions and good
care for dogs in the process of transitioning from track dog to house pet.
They're on the race track, they're not of anybody's used afterward. They
deserve a family and they deserve to be loved and make up for all the times that
they were not loved.
The point behind our program is to
get a permanent home for each dog that fits that dog and also fits what the
people are looking for. When that match is made it is sweet heaven.
Greyhounds are truly emotional creatures who just want to be loved. People see race dogs
with muzzles on and so very often they assume they must be aggressive dogs.
The truth is that greyhounds are very well adapted to pet life. They can live with
children, they're obedient.
They're great apartment dogs because they are the 45 mile-per-hour
couch potatoes, so you take them on a quick walk, they're pretty much
good for the day. They want to lay down and relax.
They're actually very affectionate dogs.
They like to sit on the couch with you. They're really seeking attention out .
The staff and volunteers here do
important work to help train, rehabilitate, and socialize these
kind-hearted canines in hopes of getting them adopted.
And when the dog comes here from the track life,
they haven't seen a lot of people, so it's really important
that we socialize them, because they need to learn how to live with the family.
possibly live with other animals and be able to go out in the community.
We like to spoil them, give them nice, soft beds
and get them ready to find a good home.
If we don't do a quality job with an adoption, and that includes helping the
adopter as much as helping the dog, then we're not doing anybody any favors, so
it's about the quality more than the quantity.
Darren's passion for saving Greyhounds began 30 years ago.
I found out about greyhounds in the
US and couldn't just turn my back on that, so I started to take dogs in and to
find them homes and still doing it.
For Darren and these Greyhounds, it's all about trust.
In their early life as track dogs, that trust has either never
existed, or it's been eroded, so it's our job to kind of find that little avenue
to the dog's heart and understanding.
So by getting them to trust, we also make
them adoptable too.
Kevin Gutierrez is here today to adopt a sweet Greyhound named Anouk.
Hi, Kevin, how you doin?
Hi, how are ya?
I'm doing great. Anouk's very excited that you're here, as you can see.
I'm excited to take him. He's the one.
I was looking for a dog that was very relaxed,
so then I came in and I saw Anouk and fell in love.
We had a bunch of kids here yesterday and Anouk was our greeter.
He went down to the park with me to say hi to the kids
and he was awesome with them.
Such a good boy.
I know that that's super important in your family.
Yeah, we have nieces and nephews. We want them both to be safe.
Both the dog and the kids.
After a few laps together in the pen,
Kevin is ready to take his new pooch home, along with the center's training
videos and other helpful resources.
Praise him a lot because he's not jumping up.
Good boy!
We really appreciate our people. Without you taking the dogs,
we wouldn't be able to help so many so it's great.
Looking forward to just relaxing, being able to have a dog, a companion.
Staff tenderly evaluate and work with these elegant animals and are constantly
impressed by the dogs emotional intelligence.
They give back to us on an emotional plane that,
until you experience it, you would never believe it could be reality.
Dogs coming from abusive environments turning into happy
healthy pets. That's a reward in itself.
With his dedication to saving every Greyhound
that crosses his path,
Darren is truly a hero.
Darren has a really big heart and his commitment is
endless to the Greyhounds. He's a dog whisperer,
but especially a Greyhound whisperer.
He just has a way with the dogs that nobody else does.
But Darren feels he'd never be able to
save the Greyhounds without his devoted team.
They bring with them knowledge,
skill, enthusiasm, and love for the dogs, and an empathy for their plight. We're
very lucky to have the people we have.