What Matters Most?

I still remember my first home visit 27 years ago with regards to possibly adopting a greyhound. One of the reasons I got involved with greyhound adoption was my impression of how the home visit was conducted. Not once was my religion asked about, not once was my view regarding greyhound racing questioned. The adoption volunteer conducting the home visit was concerned with the environment that a potential greyhound would be living, if there were other pets, and most important if those living in the home would genuinely care for the greyhound and truly offer it a forever home.

Over the years I have traveled to attend greyhound events literally from sea-to-sea and have met thousands of greyhound adopters. I have met pro-racing adopters. I have met adopters who were against racing. I have met greyhound adopters with no opinion on racing and simply loved their greyhound.

All the greyhounds with regards to the three categories mentioned above had one thing in common – a loving home & family.

Today there is an obvious shift in greyhound adoption & racing industry to only send greyhounds to groups who publicly declare themselves as “pro-racing" (with extra bonus points to those that politically and financially back the movement to save greyhound racing) flooding the chosen groups with available dogs or holding greyhounds for a period of time while many greyhound adoption groups who have loving forever homes lined up and waiting are not sent any dogs nor are those families given the chance to adopt the, in my opinion, most wonderful dog in the world.

I sometimes wonder if (as the saying goes) "it's all about the dogs" or has it now become "it's all about the beliefs". A family is only worthy of the chance of adopting a greyhound if they are of the approved mindset?

I hope as Florida winds down the remaining tracks will put an enormous effort into quality of home vs. the group and homes racing views, and help those that believe in the importance of placing the greyhounds into loving forever homes takes precedence over the stance. Personally, I fear that the stance has become the priority and believe that will put a risk on the quality of homes available to the ex-racing greyhounds. Will adoption groups be forced to hold on to their adoptable greyhounds in fear that unless they adopt out as "instructed" they will forfeit access to any adoptable greyhounds going forward?

Is not a forever loving home for the ex-racing greyhounds the reason many of us got into this in the first place?