Sunday's National Adoption Day (NAD) event in Sydney will be the largest public show of available greyhounds for adoption since Greyhounds As Pets NSW (GAP) was founded in 2008.
A record 50 greyhounds and 30 GAP staff have been booked for the annual drawcard – to be held at The Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park between 10am and 4pm – as part of the Dogs in The Park NSW event.
Fifty greyhounds of all shapes and sizes, each with their specific traits highlighted to allow for a perfectly matched home, will be available for their transition to pet life.
Thirty expert staff from GAP will be present, each available to answer questions from potential adopters and anyone curious about the joys of having greyhounds as pets.
"National Adoption Day in Sydney is always a massive event and all indications are this year will be no different," GAP's Director of Rehoming and Adoption Programs Jamie Palmer said.
"We will have 50 dogs attending and will again offer the special fee of $75 (instead of $250) which includes desexing, vaccinations, post adoption support from the GAP experts, and a lead and collar.
"But more importantly you get one of our amazing dogs and for people who don't know, greyhounds are the most empathetic and gentle souls by nature who love people.
"They love being with people, going for a walk, out on an adventure or simply lounging around sleeping. They are so easy to instantly fall in love with as those attending on April 14 will see."
While GAP continues to successfully rehome greyhounds through adoption events each year, the team is dedicated to expanding new rehoming pathways that achieve the ultimate goal for Greyhound Racing NSW: to transition every retired athlete into pet life.
New pathways have recently included the Aussie Mates rehoming program in the Unites States of America and the ground-breaking PTSD program where retired racing greyhounds have been trained as companion animals with stunning success for front-line workers such as police.
Throughout each year the GAP teams conduct more than 100 activations and adoption events across the State, but National Adoption Day each April has always been one of the most successful avenues for people looking for a greyhound as a pet.
"I think one of the reasons behind the success of the day is that we centralise all the greyhounds, we have a large amount of staff there to give you all the information you need, and the event is a real family day with other activities at the venue," Jamie Palmer said.
"There is also the opportunity for people to bring their own pet down and see if those pets are a good fit with one of the greyhounds.
"We have already had a lot of enquiries and I'd encourage anyone interested to hop on to our website and if you find your match, you can apply right now so that you don't miss out on the day."
Visitors will also be able to experience dog shows, educational pieces from respected dog trainers dealing with dog behaviour, kids' face painting, market stalls, and the event is also run in conjunction with the opening day of the Kidz Fest event in the venue's Showring.
Full details of National Adoption Day can be found at www.gapnsw.com.au. Visitors to the site can also see all the GAP greyhounds, register for the day and get an event Dogologue via email, featuring all the greyhounds who will be at the event, and also have the opportunity to beat the NAD rush, and apply to adopt their next family member immediately.
