SOUTH BETHANY, Del.- One local organization is seeing its' applications to adopt greyhounds dwindle.Â
Greyhound Pet Adoptions of Delaware president Sandi Roberts says the group is projecting it will help around 30 to 35 dogs get adopted this year. Just three years ago, that number was closer to 50.
Roberts says they need to have more applicants than available dogs to make sure the dogs can get to the proper home. When a greyhound retires from racing, GPAD makes sure the dogs go through a foster program to learn the dog's personality to match it with the right home.
When there's no applications to adopt, Roberts says the number of possible foster homes drop too.
"It's a difficult to transition them from being a track dog to being a pet," she said. "So if you're asking somebody to do that for two weeks, most people will say, 'Sure, I can do that.' But if you're saying it could be two months or three months, then, you know, a lot of people are reluctant to make that commitment."
Greyhound racing is legal in every state except Idaho. Roberts added that a lot of the tracks have closed down- and that to her knowledge, there has never been one in Delaware.Â
As for what is causing the decline in applications, GPAD board member Gail Rys says there could be multiple factors, including the lack of awareness, less dogs available as the tracks close, or misunderstandings about the breed.
"We had so many applications at the beginning of the pandemic," she said. "A lot of those old myths have kind of resurfaced, like, they're pretty dominant that they're hyperactive, that they need a lot of exercise. And that's just so not true."
Rys added that the greyhounds rely on public meet and greets and events to get adopted. Greyhounds are not a common breed in shelters, and are typically bred to race- not to be sold.
The group currently has two dogs in the foster care system, but both are expected to be adopted by two applicants.
Roberts said she is hopeful that she can get more retired racing dogs from a track in West Virginia before the annual Greyhounds Reach The Beach event in Rehoboth Beach in October.
More can be read on Greyhound Pet Adoptions of Delaware on their website.