PSGA Adoption Process - Starts Here

Congratulations on your decision to see if a Greyhound is the right dog for you. This is the first step in the adoption process, virtual paperwork! We urge you to fill out the application online and read through the other documents. After you've been approved and selected a Greyhound, the Adoption Contract will contain your actual signature.  One more note: even though the application is sent online, we suggest that you print it out after completing it, but BEFORE you click the submit button just in case there are any computer glitches.

Our adoption fee is currently $200, which includes the veterinary exam with spay/neuter, full dental and vaccinations, worming, and a collar, leash and ID tag. You'll also get the dog's track muzzle and any racing paperwork that came with them.

Nervous about the adoption process? It's really not so bad. We are thorough, but we're not unreasonable about it! The application and a phone interview are the most important part of the process, and if all is good then the home visit is just a quick check to see if there's anything we can suggest about preparing your home for your new arrival. Seeing the household also helps us to understand better what kind of hound would fit best with you, your family, your other pets and your lifestyle.

What are the most common reasons for NOT placing a Greyhound in an applicant's home?:

Distance.  We have adoption reps as far north as British Columbia, but only as far south as Seattle. If you're further south than King County, please go to The Greyhound Project for a list of the several Greyhound adoption groups with representatives in Pierce and Thurston counties, and beyond. We may bend this rule for special needs dogs or for people who've adopted from us in the past. If you're unsure about whether you're in our adoption area, just ask!

Unrealistic expectations:
If you're looking for a dog that can spend a lot of time outside, or if you want a guard dog or a good off-leash dog, Greyhounds are not the right breed for you. There's nothing wrong with wanting those qualities, but Greyhounds are too heat- and cold-intolerant (and too good at escaping) to be kept outside, they're virtually useless as guard dogs, and sight hounds in general are notorious for their off-leash disappearing acts. No amount of training will change a dog's basic nature, so it's best just to do some more research to find what breeds are compatible with what you're looking for.

Fence height. We do require a minimum fence height of 4 feet. Sorry, no exceptions. Yes, we adopt to people without fences, but we find that those with low fences, even if they promise to leash-walk, will eventually end up letting the dog out into the yard as a convenience and then we have escapes resulting in tragedy. If you have a fence, it needs to be taller than the Greyhound!

Long work days. Greyhounds should not be left alone for more than 10 hours per day on average, and even that can be a stretch if they're an only dog. Greyhounds are social creatures, that is except when it comes to...

Multiple children under 7. Trust us, it won't be a good situation. About 90% of Greyhounds placed in homes with 2 or more small (pre-school) children will be returned. As sensitive and quiet dogs, they just aren't temperamentally suited to loud, active households with kids bouncing off the walls. They're retired, let them relax!

PLEASE - if you're interested in a particular dog but are more than a week or so from being able to bring a dog home, hold off on applying until you're closer to being ready. We just don't have the ability to "hold" Greyhounds for adopters for more than a week! Thanks for your understanding! 

If you'd like to be pre-approved to adopt from an upcoming announced "batch", you can submit an application any time. Just be advised that we won't start processing apps until a few weeks before the arrival of new dogs.

Thank you for your time. Very soon you may have a warm, loving, and appreciative new family member!

To get started: click on the Form 1 link first, after completion, you can review the other, read-only forms.  If you need to stop and return to the application later, just click the box in the upper right-hand portion of the form. The online Application Form will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Form 1: Greyhound Adoption Application - please fill out and submit online.

Form 2: Greyhound Adoption Contract - please review.

Form 3: Re-home Policy - please read.

Form 4: Greyhound Tips - please review; a copy will also be in the adoption packet.