Greyhounds As Pets is the industry run program responsible for assessing, fostering and re-homing greyhounds retired from the racing industry at all stages of a greyhounds lifecycle. From puppies all the way to those retiring as athletes! We are also involved in the education of the general public on the benefits of having a greyhound as a pet.

Pre-Assessment

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 preassess@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 12 months and at least 7 days prior to pre-assessment date) and also have had at least the first injection for C7 (Canine coronavirus/ leptospirosis) not less than 7 days and not more than 14 days prior to assessment. The second C7 injection will be administered by GAP if the dog comes into the program within 2-4 weeks after the initial dose, otherwise, you will need to have it administered before coming in.

Step 3: Once all the paperwork has been received, we will contact you to confirm your appointment. Please note there are 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 and evidence of C7 vaccination if not provided previously
Muzzle

Locations

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

Riverina – Wagga Wagga
Western Districts – Bathurst
Metropolitan and Southern NSW – Londonderry Adoption Centre
The Hunter – Wyee Adoption Centre
New England – Gunnedah

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 then book your greyhound in for re-assessment in the future once your greyhound is pet ready.

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 (floorboards, 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 4:30 am 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 1800 696 377 and we will be more than happy to help.

Homing Assistance Scheme

We have a new Homing Assistance Scheme, which is a single rebate scheme for all retired GWIC-registered greyhounds. You can receive additional rebates to provide comprehensive care up to $850.

Racing Injury Rebate Scheme

This scheme is an important part of the greyhound industry’s ongoing commitment to improving welfare outcomes for racing greyhounds by preventing unnecessary euthanasia of greyhounds in NSW and providing greyhounds which are physically healthy and behaviourally sound the opportunity to live out their natural life span as a companion animal.

The scheme recognises that the treatment of some of the more serious injuries can be expensive. An owner may consider euthanasia to be the only option to safeguard the welfare of the greyhound, because the cost of the required treatment/surgery is prohibitive and without such treatment/surgery the greyhound would suffer unnecessarily. This scheme provides the greyhound owner with financial assistance, if needed, to ensure that a seriously injured greyhound receives appropriate veterinary care and treatment including surgery if required.

The scheme also enables participants to obtain an accurate off-track diagnosis/prognosis for their seriously injured greyhound, so that a fully-informed decision on appropriate treatment can be made.

As part of the scheme, GRNSW will pay veterinary costs of up to $2,500 (incl. gst) for the diagnosis and treatment of an injured greyhound (and more in exceptional cases where approved).

Eligibility:

Your greyhound must be registered with the Greyhound Welfare Integrity Commission (GWIC) or another recognised Greyhound Racing Authority
Injury must be sustained on a NSW greyhound track during a race meeting or qualifying/club trials
Races or Trials must be staffed by GWIC On-Track Veterinarian and/or NSW Registered Greyhound Club Manager at the time the injury was sustained
The owner/trainer is responsible for presenting the greyhound to a vet registered with the appropriate State Veterinary Board for off-track assessment, diagnosis and treatment

Approved applicants will be reimbursed for the invoiced amount or payment can be made directly to the vet.