Meet your next four-legged flatmate
Think you need a sprawling backyard, endless weekends at the dog park and the energy of an Olympic athlete to own a greyhound? Think again.
South Australia’s greyhounds are getting a new home of their own – and it could be the place where you meet your next four-legged family member.
Greyhounds As Pets SA is opening South Australia’s first dedicated Greyhound Adoption Centre at 55 Cardigan Street, Angle Park, creating a purpose-built space where greyhounds waiting for their forever homes can relax, receive care, stretch their legs and meet the people who might take them home.
The centre officially opens this month, with the community invited to celebrate at an Open Day this weekend.
And yes, there will be plenty of dogs to meet.
Designed with greyhound wellbeing at its heart, the new centre features comfortable kennel areas, indoor and outdoor spaces, enrichment and socialisation areas, as well as dedicated spaces where prospective adopters and foster carers can spend time getting to know the dogs.
Because finding your perfect dog isn’t always about choosing the breed that looks cutest in your Instagram feed. Sometimes, it’s about meeting one particular dog and discovering that the connection just clicks.
Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) SA manager Steven Weinert says the centre was created to put the dogs first while making it easier for potential owners to discover what life with a greyhound is really like.
You might like
“We wanted to create a space that was designed completely around the dogs – somewhere they can feel comfortable, receive individual care and enrichment, spend time with our staff and volunteers and, most importantly, meet the people who could become their future family,” he says
For anyone who has always assumed greyhounds are all speed, stamina and high-maintenance energy, their reputation as household couch potatoes might come as a pleasant surprise.
While they’re famous for being incredibly fast, greyhounds can be calm, affectionate and happy to spend a good chunk of their day lounging around at home.
That makes them worth considering for a range of households – from established renters and homeowners to couples, families and those who are entering the empty-nest stage of life.
And if you’re a young professional who loves the idea of having a dog but has been put off by visions of sacrificing your entire weekend to long walks, a greyhound could be worth investigating, too.
The new centre is designed to help people do exactly that – investigate.
“You don’t need to walk through the door already knowing you’re going to adopt,” Weinert says. “We want people to come in, meet the dogs, ask questions and spend some time with them.
“Sometimes it’s simply about meeting the right greyhound and making that connection.”
That low-pressure approach is part of what makes the centre more than simply a place to find an available dog. It’s a chance to learn about greyhounds, talk to people who know them and work out whether fostering or adoption fits your lifestyle.
And for anyone who isn’t quite ready to make the full-time commitment, fostering offers another way to help a greyhound adjust to life in a home environment while they wait for their forever family.
The opening day is a pretty good excuse to come along and meet the residents, too.
Running from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, August 22, the Open Day will feature dog-focused vendors, a free sausage sizzle, complimentary coffee for the first 200 attendees and plenty of opportunities to spend time with the greyhounds.
There’s also an extra incentive for early adopters: to celebrate the opening, the first 50 adopted greyhounds will come with an additional $600-value package, including seven days of free boarding each year for two years at the GAP kennels.
After the Open Day, the Greyhound Adoption Centre will be open six days a week, from 10am to 4pm, closing on Tuesdays.
So, whether you’ve spent years saying “One day I’ll get a dog”, you’re looking for a companion for a quieter household or you simply want to meet a greyhound and see what all the fuss is about, this could be your sign.
You might walk in thinking you’re just going to have a look.
You might walk out with a new best friend.
Greyhound Adoption Centre Open Day is on Saturday, August 22, 11am–2pm at 55 Cardigan Street, Angle Park. Entry is free.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
