Racing Greyhound dogs on the track are big business. A lot of money goes into betting and track building. But what happens to these dogs once they can no longer keep up on the track?
Greyhound racing dogs have very limited social skills as they have spent all of their lives in very sheltered and regimented lives. These dogs have never been exposed to everyday sights and sounds, cars, children, television, stairs, kitchen, and street noises. As a result, once Greyhounds are retired from the track, usually around two years of age, they are curious and frightened of their world beyond the racetrack.
Greyhound dogs make wonderful pets as they are very loving and gentle. However, for a retired race dog to go straight from the racetrack into an adopted home, they need a transition place to learn social skills.
I am grateful beyond words for the healing the dogs give.
Team Canine has partnered with Arizona’s 2nd Chance at Life Greyhound and Inmate Prison Program. The program takes retired race dogs, has them spayed or neutered, and places them in select prisons. At the Saguaro Correctional Facility in Eloy, AZ, lucky inmates get to work with Greyhound dogs. Dan King, founder of Fast Dogs-Fast Friends, is in charge of this innovative program. Brad, who works with Fast Dogs-Fast Friends, heads to the correctional facility and works with the inmates to train these dogs.
Because these dogs have never lived in a home environment, they must be taught everything from being housebroken to basic obedience tasks. Stringent qualifications are required to choose these inmates to be able to work with and train these extraordinary dogs.
The focus of this Fast Dogs-Fast Friends program is not just to teach the prisoners how to train dogs but also to learn how to be dog trainers. The inmates will receive professional training using a very gentle and compassionate method. If and when the prisoners are ever released, they will have valuable dog training skills that they can use to find employment.
Fast Dogs-Fast Friends hopes to expand to other correctional facilities and include more inmate handlers. Currently, the program allows eight dogs in the facility at all times. As soon as the Greyhound is ready for adoption and is adopted, new dogs enter the facility.
The value of this wonderful program is beyond invaluable. Greyhound dogs’ lives are saved, and the dog handlers learn about responsibility and unconditional love.
Published Feb 11, 2012 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Dec 19, 2024 at 9:14 pm