East Bay rescue group welcomes racing greyhounds to help them find new homes
A Greyhound rescue group in Walnut Creek welcomes former racing dogs from out-of-country & out-of-state to find them new homes
A greyhound rescue group in WalnutCreek welcomes a dozen former racing dogs from Australia and West Virginia to help them find new homes. The founders and volunteers invited KTVU along when they went to SFO to pick up the dogs arriving from Australia on Thursday afternoon.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - A greyhound rescue group based in Walnut Creek is receiving a dozen dogs this week that were bred for racing.
While Golden State Greyhound Adoption has found new homes for these dogs, the founders said there are many more in the pipeline that will be available for adoption.
Four greyhounds were flown in from out of the country on Thursday afternoon.
Eight more will be driven to the Bay Area this weekend.
Stuart Homer, co-founder of Golden State Greyhound Adoption, with the help of volunteers, picked up the dogs on Thursday that were sent from Australia to the United States.
And despite being in a crate for almost 14 hours on a plane, the dogs were well-behaved and friendly.
The rescue group says the breed is ideal for families and even people who live in an apartment.
"There are many dogs that are needed to run a track and a lot of those dogs don't make it. And what do you do with those dogs? And that's where we come in," said Homer.
He and his wife have been rescuing greyhounds for 23 years.
"They could have gotten hurt on the racing track. They might be too slow. Who knows? In our case, we get really nice dogs from Australia," said Homer.
Greyhound racing is a big business in Australia.
The sport is illegal in most U.S. states.
All the dogs that have just arrived are already spoken for.
But there are plenty more.
For those interested in adoption, contact Golden State Greyhound Adoption in Walnut Creek to start the application process.
Elizabeth Colomello and her husband, Steve Poleri of San Francisco, have adopted 3 greyhounds from the rescue group over the past 10 years.
"They're like having a giant cat really. If you want a low active, there's this myth that they're hyper," said Poleri.
The couple described the breed as couch potatoes.
"They're just really friendly, happy dogs," said Poleri's wife, Elizabeth Colomello.
They say greyhounds don't require a lot of space, just a fenced-in yard.
Homer said the cost to adopt a greyhound ranges from $300 to $600, depending on if the dog is domestic or comes from Australia.
People who want to adopt go through a vetting process well before the dogs arrive.
"They all have different personalities. Some are more active than others, but they're all basically the same, nice chill dogs," said Homer.
Organizers said the greyhounds generally meet their new families the day after they arrive.
But the relationship with the rescue group doesn't end with the adoption.
People who've adopted with the nonprofit said there is a strong support network.
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Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU