Monday, August 31, 2009
Retired racing greyhounds hoping for homes
ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times
Nona Nelson's greyhounds, Dexter (left) and Coral
JOHN W. ADKISSON I The Roanoke Times
Sara Orrick, director of Star City Greyhound Adoptions, runs the Roanoke adoption kennel.
Five slender greyhounds, their needle-shaped snouts sporting plastic muzzles to protect their thin skin, waited their turn to jump into the back of Sara Orrick's well-worn Dodge Ram truck.
On a humid Sunday morning, while the choir at the church across the street was likely singing its final hymn, Woot, Beanie, Tressel, Sil and Fanny settled in for the 6-mile journey to find a new home.
Almost every Saturday and Sunday, about a half dozen dogs from Star City Greyhound Adoptions participate in a meet-and-greet at PetSmart at Valley View, hoping to capture the heart of potential adopters.
Orrick, 48, a former veterinary technician, is the organization's director and its only employee. For the last 10 years, she has placed hundreds of retired racing greyhounds in homes.
She usually has about 40 dogs in residence at the kennel on Mount Pleasant Boulevard in Roanoke. Some hounds were once winners, but most were losers at the sport that they were bred for. Orrick herself owns five greyhounds.
She speaks about the adoptees like a loving foster parent -- Bob is sweet but needs discipline and cannot live in a home with kitties; Sil is friendly but will likely do best in a calm home environment; Gift won't leave the kennel without a hat.
Orrick lives in a small apartment above the kennel and, except for breaks given by volunteers, she cares for the dogs around the clock.
"This is what I feel like I am called to do," she said. "The most endearing thing about greyhounds for me is their total love and devotion to their people. They bond closer than any breed of dog I have ever owned and their greatest desire, besides Fig Newtons, is to just be where you are."
Finding the right fit
Once Orrick and the hounds arrived in the shopping center, volunteers Sandi Wise and Carolyn Davis, both greyhound pet parents themselves, help her unload the dogs, set up the portable wire pen and lay down mats on the sidewalk in front of the store. With virtually no body fat, greyhounds need a soft place to land.
Woot (racing name PB's Wootinforu), a fawn-colored 4-year-old, was on her toes from the beginning of the day. This Sunday was her first time at a meet-and-greet and she was intrigued with the table at the end of the pen where T-shirts and dog collars are for sale and a donation jar resides.
Video: Greyhound adoption gives dogs a second chance
Video by John W. Adkisson | The Roanoke Times
"We rely completely on donations and adoption fees," Orrick said of her nonprofit group. "And we are just keeping our heads above water."
Tammy Atwell of Radford and her niece Harley Atwell, 15, stopped to see the dogs and talked to Orrick about Comfort, the greyhound that the Atwell family would be taking home in a few days. Comfort would be their second greyhound and a house mate for Storm, the hound they adopted from the rescue group two years ago.
"Greyhounds are like potato chips," Orrick said. "You can't stop with just one."
My husband and I are proof of that. We adopted Dexter from the group four years ago. We added our second hound, Missy, in April 2007, only to lose her to cancer four months later. We brought our third greyhound, Coral, home in November 2007.
Atwell said the friendly and affectionate hounds are a perfect fit for her family.
"They are really good with my grandchildren. I think they are the best dogs with children," she said. "I don't think I can go with any other dogs now. They are just too good."
Each hound is vetted to determine how well they will fit in individual homes. Orrick said part of the adoption process is to "talk to the people and get a feel for them and help pick a dog that is good for the situation."
A nibble, but no bites
Orrick gets most adoption dogs from the farms, kennels and rescue groups near Tri-State Casino and Resort's racetrack in Cross Lanes, W.Va. Through a network of contacts, she has taken in dogs from as far away as Florida, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Orrick said she places about 100 hounds annually, mostly in central and Southwestern Virginia. Through the Web site petfinder.com, she has connected with adoptive families from as far away as New Jersey.
On the day I spent hanging out with hounds, several greyhound adopters stopped by to say hello, including Brian Wimmer of Roanoke, who adopted Diamond in May.
"She's adjusted very well," Wimmer said of Diamond.
Greyhounds fresh off the racing circuit have a lot to learn about living in a home. Most have never walked on carpet or hardwood floors. They must be taught to navigate stairs. Orrick said new adoptees are likely to sprint head first into glass doors.
A couple asked questions and spent time getting to know 7-year-old Sil (racing name Silver Mountain). They took the handsome white-and-black hound for a 10-minute walk around the shopping center parking lot.
When they brought him back, the woman didn't want to let go of the leash. But they needed to think about it. Sil went back in the pen with the other hounds.
That was the only new nibble. Orrick had a few pending applications, but said overall adoptions are down about 10 percent this year. An adoption costs $250, which covers spaying or neutering and some vaccinations.
At the end of the day's public appearance, she loaded up the five dogs and several bags of donated food --it takes 70 pounds of whatever food she can get to feed the dogs each day -- and headed back to the kennel to turn out the other dogs.
Next weekend, she'll be back with five or six different hounds hoping to start their new careers with a family and a nice sofa.
ERIC BRADY | The Roanoke Times
Coral is the third greyhound that Nona Nelson has adopted. Here, she smiles for the camera.
