Owners/Trainers

Greyhounds As Pets is the industry run program responsible for assessing, fostering and re-homing retired racing greyhounds or those not suited to life as a racing dog. We are also involved in the education of the general public on the benefits of having a greyhound as a pet.

Greyhounds As Pets is committed to continually improving the program for participants. As such, we have been successful in making Pre-Assessment Sessions more readily available (meaning you don’t need to wait as long to have your dog assessed).

There are limited appointments available at pre-assessment sessions and owners and trainers who miss out on a spot will be put on a waiting list and contacted should there be any cancellations for that session. If not, they will be booked in for the next available pre-assessment session.

Pre-assessment Process

Prior to the day

Step 1: Contact us via phone (02 4357 2817) or email Sue on swestrup@grnsw.com.au.
Please refer to the calendar section for locations and dates for our pre-assessment sessions

Step 2: Return necessary paperwork via email, fax or email

  • Greyhound Details Form
  • Current C5 vaccination certificate (administered within the last 12months and at least 7days prior to pre-assessment date)

Step 3: Once all the paperwork has been received, we will contact you to confirm your appointment. Please note there is a maximum of two (2) greyhounds per owner, per session.

On the day

Please bring along the following:

  • Greyhound(s) to be pre-assessed; clean and flea free
  • Race paper/card
  • Original C5 vaccination certificate if not provided previously
  • Muzzle

Locations

Greyhounds As Pets is currently conducting pre-assessment sessions at the following venues:

  • Newcastle Greyhounds
  • Richmond Race Club
  • Dapto Race Club (occasional)
  • Bathurst area (occasional)
  • Tamworth (occasional)

Greyhounds As Pets will not conduct pre-assessments on race or trial days/times. While we understand that many people may have a preference for their greyhound not to be pre-assessed at a racetrack, our research has indicated that the venue of the assessment has no bearing on whether or not a greyhound passes the pre-assessment.

Outcomes

If your dog is successful at pre-assessment, we will be able to take the greyhound on the day.

If your dog is not successful, our staff will provide feedback and suggestions to work on. You can book your greyhound in for re-assessment in the future if you wish

Things to keep in mind

  • We highly recommend a minimum 4 week let-down period from racing/trialling to enhance their chance of being successful in their pre-assessment
  • We will not assess a female dog that is on season; please contact us to reschedule if required
  • For participants who are located considerable distances from our assessing venues, please contact us for more details.

Ways to prepare your greyhound for GAP pre-assessment

  • Introduce him/her to other animals under controlled circumstances, such as other dog breeds/sizes, cats, horses, caged birds, poultry etc. When doing so, please ensure your greyhound is muzzled and on a lead
  • Introduce him/her to unfamiliar people and children (always supervised)
  • Have the greyhound spend time loose in a backyard environment and time in the house with different surfaces (floor boards, tiles, stairs)
  • Have the greyhound walking nicely on lead by your side in a variety of environments (e.g. on street, past your local school or shopping centre etc)
  • Decrease his/her exercise requirements and adjust daily routine. Most adopting families will not wake up at 4:30am to walk their dogs!
  • Get some weight on your greyhound to compensate for potential weight loss due to environmental changes;

Finally, should you have any questions, please contact us on 02 8767 0534 and we will be more than happy to help.