Adoption Process

Adoption Application Prison Greyhounds (revised April 2023)

Adoption is a process: First you research.  For greyhound lurchers, there is no book, but applicants must watch a video “The Introduction to the Lurcher Class”. After research, submit a written application. We will quickly acknowledge receipt of your application. If we think we can help you, we will invite you to submit the $20 Application Fee so we can start the approval process. You will be assigned an Adoption Representative to guide you through the process. Expect a brief phone conversation, followed by a home visit to ensure that your home will be matched with the hound (of your choice) that is the best fit for your family. Often the process is accomplished in less than 2 weeks “if” the applicant has done their homework. It also depends on the availability of our volunteer team. Thank you for your patience. After all, a successful adoption is forever!

There are some applications we cannot accept. If you are younger than 25, if the primary applicant is not financially independent or is a full-time student, if you live in a community house or dorm, if you live in an apartment building, if you have an electric or invisible fence, or if you want to obedience train your dog to enable you to walk him off leash in an unfenced area, we will quickly let you know a greyhound / lurcher  is not the breed for you.  (Please note that we SOMETIMES adopt to people who have NO fence, but you will probably go to the back of the wait list. We will need to wait until we receive a hound that will do well in leash-walk only homes. The majority of greyhounds and lurchers do better in a fenced yard.) We will not adopt to those who are simply out of our area. We service Indiana, and some areas on the west side of Ohio. It depends on the driving range of our Adoption Representatives, the volunteers that we ask to do the Home Visit.

Next, if we think you have a good chance of getting approved, we will invite you to send in a $20 nonrefundable Application Fee to begin the process. (Do not send the fee until we request it.) This fee does NOT count towards your Adoption Fee, it is separate. We charge this fee because we value our volunteer’s time, which is our most precious resource. This fee reassures us that you have done your homework. It is also nonrefundable if we never find a hound for you.

If you are applying to adopt a greyhound mix lurcher, you must watch the video “Introduction to the Greyhound Lurcher” .

So the time to submit your written application is after you have determined through research that these are the dogs for you!  Do not wait until you think we have “the right hound” on our AVAILABLE list, or that dog will probably be adopted by someone else who is ahead of you in the approval process. So we suggest that you get “pre-approved” BEFORE meeting the right hound. Then you can be ready in advance when the right hound becomes available.

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We try to post every available hound as soon as possible, but sometimes our social media volunteers can’t keep up!   The most frequent lists and updates are posted on Facebook. Out of respect for our Foster Folks’ time, we do not ask them to communicate or meet with potential adopters until you have been completely screened (pre-approved).  We do not accept holds on dogs while you are still going through the approval process.

Your assigned Adoption Representative will schedule a Home Visit. They will bring a greyhound or lurcher along. We require everyone living at the residence, adult or child, to be present, as well as all pets. We also ask that BEFORE YOUR HOME VISIT, you must read our own Adoption Handbook. This is how we can maximize the home visit to ensure a more successful adoption. You may download it here:
Adoption_Handbook Oct 2022 (Bringing Your Retired Racer Home)

During your approval process, please be aware that we often have several people watching any one of our hounds.  We cannot (will not) tell you if there is another family interested in your desired hound.  That hound can be adopted by someone else at any time in the process prior to your approval.  We hate to disappoint, so we encourage everyone to get pre-approved as soon as you decide that this breed is for you!

We require adopters and volunteers to subscribe to our E-news communications. You subscribe through the link found at the bottom of our website page. This is the only way that you will get details on local events such as our next New Dog Day, Greyhound and Lurcher Play Dates, meet ups, and much more concerning adoption and ongoing support. Not all events are announced on Facebook

Adoption Fee: Lurcher adoptions are $400, NGA greyhound adoptions are $500. Our adoption fee helps to offset the expense of transport, spay/neuter, dental cleaning, heartworm/parasite meds, microchip and vaccinations. Each hound’s vetting schedule is unique as to how long after arrival they require updates. Your hound will be kept current on parasite treatments and preventives from the day he arrives into our care. Upon adoption, hounds receive a new martingale collar with matching 6 foot leash, first month of parasite meds and plastic muzzle for playing in the yard with other hounds, or for introductions to your cat.  The adoption fee is nonrefundable, but fully transferable, if your hound proves to not be a good match for your house. After your new hound goes home with you, your Adoption Representative will contact you again to ensure a successful transition.  We are there for you. This is not just a monetary transaction. If for whatever reason it does not work out, you MUST return the hound to us.  We can help you find a hound who is better fit for your lifestyle and family. Everyone wants each hound to be happy in his forever home. We also want YOU to find the best match for your family.

Adoption Application Prison Greyhounds (revised April 2023)