Posted: April 1, 2009, 5 a.m. EDT
The spotlight will shine on retired racing Greyhounds during the month of April, which has been designated as National Adopt-a-Greyhound Month.
The Greyhound Project of Boston, Mass., launched the initiative for the first time this year. Organizers seek to draw attention to the large numbers of Greyhounds who retire from racing each year and are cared for by rescue and adoption groups throughout the United States as they wait to be placed into permanent homes.
Melissa Cook, Project board member, said the organization expects to see the numbers of retired Greyhounds in need of homes to increase in the coming months as racetracks in some states close as a result of new legislation to ban dog racing. Additionally, the country’s economic crisis has resulted in fewer adoptions and more surrenders to shelters because owners can no longer afford to keep their Greyhounds and other pets.
To spread the message of Greyhound adoption awareness, the Greyhound Project created a series of public service announcements about the topic. The 30-second television ads are set to air on stations across the country during the month of April.
The main goal, Cook said, is to increase Greyhound adoptions and find new homes for more of these former racing dogs. By releasing the TV ads, the nonprofit hopes to erase misconceptions about the breed and highlight some of their lesser-known traits, Cook said.
What many people may not realize about Greyhounds, she said, is that they’re great companions for seniors as well as families with children. Through the ads, she added, the public will get to see the breed’s gentle, graceful side.