With the planned phasing out of greyhound racing in NSW from July, there will be countless numbers of greyhounds in need of rehoming.
Loretta Stanfield from Hazelbrook wanted "to do her bit" and decided to adopt three-year-old greyhound Mickey.
She's been getting a few unusual looks when she takes him out for a walk, and the most common question she is asked is "won't the greyhound eat little dogs?"
"I wish I could say to everybody ‘change your views about them 'cause they are not going to eat your tiny dogs,’" Ms Stanfield said.
She has three small dogs, and Mickey has settled in well with them all.
"He is so gentle," she said.
"He loves to sleep 20 hours a day. When he slept so much I thought he must be sick but he wasn't."
Ms Stanfield said she has never liked greyhound racing. "I'm passionate about animals," she said. "I got to save one that may not find a home. I might reach a few people and someone might save another one."
Ms Stanfield adopted Mickey through the Greyhounds as Pets (GAP) program, through Greyhound Racing NSW.
A GAP spokesman said most of their dogs were between two and five years old.
“For many people, greyhounds make wonderful pets. They are gentle, good-natured and low-maintenance animals that require less exercise than people think and are very clean, quiet and affectionate,” he said.
“Greyhounds that come through the GAP program have all been behaviourally assessed for suitability as a pet and have undergone a minimum six weeks of foster care. In addition to this, our greyhounds are vet-checked, vaccinated, microchipped, desexed, intestinally wormed, heart-wormed and lifetime registered with council.”
The greyhounds are also part of the Greenhound Approved Program, receiving their Greenhound muzzling exemption prior to adoption, so they don’t have to wear a muzzle in public.
The greyhound racing ban has attracted strong criticism from industry groups. The Baird government has said the decision will not be reversed and is awaiting advice from John Keniry, head of the Greyhounds Transition Taskforce, as to how it should support the industry through the closure. His report is expected in mid-October.
Meanwhile, the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Association has taken action alleging legislation banning the industry in NSW was unconstitutional. Supreme Court action is also underway challenging the report that led to the industry’s ban.
There are several groups that adopt and foster greyhounds. For more information on adopting a greyhound through GAP, visit www.gapnsw.com.au.