GRNSW
Retired greyhounds will be retrained to serve as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) companion animals for Australia's Federal Police in a world-first initiative announced in Canberra today.
"This is a truly historic announcement, we are talking about a whole new career for our retired greyhound athletes to be trained for duty as a PTSD companion for Australian Federal Police Association members," said Greyhound Racing NSW Chief Executive Officer Mr Robert Macaulay.
"I could not think of a better match - the most loyal and loving animals in the world side by side with some of the bravest men and women in our country."
The ground-breaking program is a union between the Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA), Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) and Greyhounds Australasia (GA).
AFPA President Alex Caruana said his Association was "proud and happy" to welcome greyhounds and partner with GRNSW and GA for this innovative initiative.
"The psycho-social benefits of pet ownership in general, and support animals in particular, for people living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are significant," Mr Caruana said.
"Police Association members are at a significantly increased risk of acquiring mental health injuries, and also of those injuries developing into PTSD. "The typically busy operational work life of our members, coupled with socially isolating shifts and on-call rosters, means that they often find it exceedingly difficult to switch off and decompress after traumatic incidents. Highly-trained and decorated police association members invariably become broken and insular through no fault of their own.
"Meeting and bonding with a support animal gives them so much back over time in terms of independence, manageable routines, exercise and social independence. As an animal lover, I am personally thrilled that these wonderful dogs are able to help people in this way, and at the same time "retire" into a loving environment where they will be showered with love, trust, and lots of treats.
"We look forward to this partnership benefitting AFPA members, and other police association members around Australia."
AFPA members will also be given priority access to adopt greyhounds through Greyhounds As Pets NSW.
Today's announcement comes less than three months after GRNSW and GA announced a partnership to supply greyhounds as pets to the members of the Police Association of NSW. The early success of that program has led to GRNSW and GA creating a new career for greyhounds with the AFPA.
"When we launched the partnership with the PANSW we heard from a former officer that her adopted greyhound had significantly helped her with her struggles as a sufferer of PTSD," Mr Macaulay said.
"While still in its infancy, that program has already delivered successful adoptions, but importantly it also delivered us the learning that PTSD dogs are in demand.
"Working closely with Greyhounds Australasia chair Robert Vellar, we realised we had to take this one step further, and we have now been able to enter into an agreement with one of the pre-eminent dog trainers in Australia, Steve Austin, to retrain our retired athletes for a new career as a PTSD companion animal.
"This truly is ground-breaking. We are talking about a whole new career for retired greyhound athletes. The retraining of greyhounds for a career outside of racing opens the door to re-imagining the industry. It essentially creates a new career for any non-racing greyhound, and this is in addition to the demand for greyhounds as pets."
GA Chairman Mr Robert Vellar, a former police officer, has driven the union between police and the greyhound industry with expertise on both sides. He knows both the therapeutic benefit of greyhounds as pets and the comfort they can bring those suffering anxiety disorders. Having served as a police officer, he fully understands the mental strain of working on the front line, being exposed on a daily basis to harrowing and traumatic events, which can ultimately lead to officers suffering from PTSD.
"It is with great satisfaction that, together with our other stakeholders, we can announce this relationship with the members of the Australian Federal Police Association," Mr Vellar said.
"The aim is to facilitate the perfect partnership involving the welfare of these beautiful greyhounds, and the welfare of first responders.
"As a former police officer, I fully understand the trauma that police face in their daily workloads. Our experience has been that by adopting a greyhound as a loyal, forever companion, it will assist in the management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"Greyhounds are loyal, loving and low maintenance and we say if you want a great mate, adopt a greyhound."
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