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[VIC] Greyhound Adoption $75 from GAP Victoria - Desexed, Vaccinated, Microchipped, Temperament Tested, Lead, Collar and Coat

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Greyhounds - lots of bad press over the years. I adopted one 5 years ago and discovered these beautiful animals.
There are many rescue organisations, I'd like to highlight GAP (Greyhound Adoption Program) Victoria - from a Facebook post today:

"Yes, it's true. Our adoption fee is just $75, and for that you get a greyhound who is desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, temperament tested, and who also comes with a lead, a collar and a coat. Not to mention a lifetime of unconditional love. If that's not a bargain, we don't know what is"

What many don't know is that Greyhounds are extremely lazy couch potatoes. They don't need much exercise (they prefer small bursts) and actually make perfect apartment dogs. Some of the bad press over the years would apply to any dog who is treated as horrifically as some bad trainers out there do (I'm sure there are good ones too). Go to one of their adoption days or next time you see one being walked, go and meet the dog and see how lovely they are. You can get ones that are good with cats and kids also. Probably not suitable for those with a rabbit.

Just to 'OzBargain' this, a Greyhound might live for 10 years - that's roughly $0.0008 per hour not including other expenses for unconditional love. To supercharge your deal, set up a street race for all the dogs in the street, $10 entry, winner takes all (check no other greyhounds in street).

Mods - please move to forum if this isn't considered a standard deal.

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  • +26

    And who says you can’t put a price on happiness? We love our GAP grey too.

  • +19

    Beautiful animal the Greyhound.

  • +15

    We don't have a greyhound but adopted an older dog just over 2 months ago. Best decision.

  • +8

    Great dogs and great deal. I would have a greyhound but I don't think they would keep up with our two (a BC and a Brittany). Our BC we adopted as an adult and it's so much better than having a puppy! They're already trained (to some degree), less biting etc., and generally have settled down a little.

    Of course if you are going to adopt a dog, remember that the adoption fee is only a small fraction of the total cost of ownership. Greys are big dogs so I assume would eat a lot, then there's flea and worming, vet checks, council registration etc. Not to mention the cost if they develop serious medical problems later in life.

    • +5

      You're correct on the cost over the lifetime of the dog – it's not just about the adoption fee. Yearly vaccinations will probably match or top $75, buying good food will easily surpass this too.

      Curious why you wouldn't think a greyhound would keep up? From my experience, greyhounds and whippets are happy being lazy, but they are also happy to be pretty full on around other dogs.

      • It's not energy so much as stamina. We do a 1 hr run every day during the week and generally 2+ hrs each weekend day.

        • just to clarify, do you mean running at in sprinting? Our just jogging?

        • @OnlinePred: dogs running, us walking (beach on weekdays, usually hiking on weekends).

        • +6

          @magicmoose: Wow that's impressive! My poodle runs for about 300m then gives up and becomes a rock.

        • +1

          @OnlinePred: that's hilarious! Ours would run until they passed out if we let them :)

        • +3

          Ah, right. While the stamina probably won't ever match your BC, we have a whippet and used to go motorbike riding on a farm, she would run for about 20 minutes originally but gradually got more and more fit until she'd be okay for an hour. She obviously wasn't sprinting the entire time, but she didn't give up towards the end. You can do things to increase their stamina, but they won't exceed something like a BC.

        • +1

          I used to have a whippet and a little bike with a big box on the front. Generally she'd run along for about 10km all up, maybe in different stages, then I'd put her in the box. We'd go exploring tracks and wetlands (East Gippsland). Not really an adventure dog though. Sometimes I'd cross a creek, if it was cold she'd be sitting at the side of the creek not wanting to get her feet wet. After making fun of her, I'd have to go back and carry her. Whippets seem so much the same as greyhounds.

        • @poohduck: yeah, whippets are a mix between a greyhound and a terrier. They’re great dogs. They do get really upset if left alone though.

  • +8

    We got our Greyhound from GAP at $75 a few years ago. Money well spent :)

  • +13

    Up voted. Greyhounds seem great pets for city lifestyle. And chip, coat and collar all for $75?!

    Most people assume Greyhounds need to eat a lot of food, but they do not. Depending on weight, generally Greyhounds eat 2-4 cups a day.

    Also here is (apparently) 25% off pet insurance for greyhounds -
    https://bowwowinsurance.com.au/a-special-offer-for-your-grey…
    *inbe4: I am not affiliated with this company and I have never used this company because I don't own a greyhound :'(

    • -2

      My 4kg poodle eats 2-2.5 cups so your are very wrong there.

      • +1

        My 33kg grey eats about 4 cups as recommended for her weight BUT she is capable of eating much more, especially if we accidentally leave her treats lying around and find an empty packet 10 minutes later…or when mum can't resist feeding her some leftovers.

      • Whoa, my 16kg BC eats less than that.

        What brand are you feeding?

        • Science Diet digestive atm :-S

        • The only BC I can think of is Border Collie, is that what your bc is?

        • @thedude23: yep :)

        • +4

          @magicmoose:

          16kg BC? Is this a…border collie FOR ANTS?!?

        • @thedude23: maybe a bit more, since we adopted her just before Christmas I've only weighed her on the bathroom scales with the old weigh yourself with and without the dog trick.

          She is fairly small for a BC though. Quite slim too.

        • @thedude23: Thanks. I woke my wife up laughing at this.

      • +1

        We have a large greyhound. 3-4 cups is about right.

        • Yea I see now, my bad, I guess it greatly depends on what you are feeding them.

        • Is this dry food?

        • @thedude23:
          Yes, Eukanuba Large Dog. (FYI, the difference between regular and large is they add extra supplements for joints)

      • +2

        It depends on the food. If you buy a less premium food then you may be feeding more to get a similar caloric intake. For example we used to feed our dog an average brand of dog food until I read how bad it was. I feed him half as much now with a much better food.

        • +3

          Cheaper foods often contain "fillers" such as corn, which have almost no nutritional benefit for dogs but make the price per kilo lower. However, once you factor in the difference in serving size, something like Black Hawk is barely more expensive than the supermarket stuff.

          Eating less also means your dog will poop less, so it's a win-win.

        • +1

          @magicmoose: I used to get any chicken that was on special. They can eat bones and everything, as long as it's raw. Also, skippy mince, you can get it for people and animals in the supermarket. Dry food and canned food are pretty poor for health, esp. teeth.

        • @poohduck: I've wanted to get raw chicken with bones but am worried about salmonella…

        • @VickiePumpkin: dogs can't or don't get salmonella, apparently because their digestive tracts are too short (without being too blunt, it's out the other end before it can do any damage).

          We've been giving our dogs raw chicken and eggs for years and have never had a problem.

        • -1

          @magicmoose: Gee, my dog used to eat it when it was green and slimy - it didn't make any difference to her. It has to be better than can / dry food.

      • Must be average food.

        Our 30kg bulldog gets 2 cups a day of Meals for Mutts grain free.

        • Its science diet digestive. I guess it depends on the dog. Our little miniature poodle requires at least 2 cups of actual food a day otherwise it loses weight. And by actual food I mean home made, not from a bag etc - so if it was a bag, it would need more.

        • @OnlinePred:

          yep science diet is crap. full of fillers.

        • @anzacpaul: When you have a dog with IBS, every other food is crap as they contain so many random oils and preservatives. That's why we cook our own dog food, and the vet still recommends 2 cups of it per day for our 4kg dog.

        • @OnlinePred:

          I would've thought a food with less fillers would've been better for a dog with IBS.

          Something like this might be worthwhile? http://www.mealsformutts.com.au/cn-vital-cool-health-holisti…

          it isn't cheap, but you would be feeding your dog very little of it a day.

          It costs us a little over a dollar a day to feed our 30kg dog.

        • @anzacpaul: Thanks for that, but I now cook fresh food for our dog which is infinitely better than packaged food (very spoilt dog now..). It depends on what unsettles their stomach, and sometimes after their stomachs have become irritated, they need a simple meal such as chicken and rice or the science diet which is made to settle their stomach.

          I don't believe the science diet is that bad as you can see how much filler is in the food through the excrements, and although home cooked provides the smallest excrements, the science diet isn't as bad as some wholefood packaged foods I have given.

    • +1

      Also here is (apparently) 25% off pet insurance for greyhounds -

      promo expired (in 2016 apparently)

    • We use bowwow and they are great. Our vet allows us to link our bowwow account with them and they send the paperwork directly to bowow and we get a cheque a few weeks later.

  • +25

    A best friend for the next 10 years for $75? That is a perhaps the best bargain I have ever seen on Ozbargain.

    • +4

      best friend who poops, eats your food, and sheds their hair all over your home

      • +2

        Not sure why this was negged so heavily. It's all true isn't it? You're either a dog person or not and I respect that, but they all poop, eat loads and shed hair.

        Edit: Taking nothing away from the OP, this is a great initiative and if I didn't live in an apartment and had a reasonable size backyard, I would consider it.

        • +1

          Because it's a totally pointless and inane anti-dog comment in a thread about dogs?

          I'm pretty sure anyone thinking of adopting a dog knows that they eat, shit, and shed hair.

        • +1

          @magicmoose:

          Not really pointless particularly on a site about bargains. The cost to maintains a dog far exceeds the $75 so it's worth mentioning at least, even though the deal is clearly a bargain.

          Dogs in an apartment is a no go for me. I've had friends who had them, they can't ever seem to get the smell out. But reach to their own though.

        • +3

          @magicmoose:

          it's not anti-doggo, its factual-doggo.

        • @b2dz: i think it is similar to an airfare deal. e.g. $200 airfare to Bali but you could spend 5 times more on accomo, insurance, food etc.

        • @paaj:

          Yep agreed, certainly worth a discussion.

      • Just like my (soon to be) wife…

      • +19

        My girlfriend eats, shits and sheds more hair than my greyhound…

      • +3

        These guys don't shed much hair.

      • +1

        Sounds like every best friend I've ever had.

  • +3

    My daughter just got one the adoption held in geelong..nice colouring..

  • +10

    My grey sleeps roughly 16 hours in the day, laziest thing ever. They really are couch potatoes.

    • Apparently you really only need to give them sprint exercising and then they will kip out a lot.

  • +3

    we had two in the past, fantastic pets, they can work up to have good stamina and they're fast but are happy to just laze around so ideal house pets generally. WAY less hassle than most other dog breeds, some can be total guts some can be picky just like any dog, most are bone idle sleep machines! Would have another one in a heatbeat but have to let current dog settle in first!

  • +12

    Greyhounds are great pets. Very lazy, friendly, they don't bark much, and they don't need much exercise (walking for 15 minutes a day is enough). The only downside is the amount of space they take up when they're lying on the floor, which they do a lot.

  • +3

    What an awesome initiative, and a great deal too

  • I really wanted to adopt one as a companion for my current dog, but the conditions seem rather restrictive:

    http://gap.grv.org.au/greyhounds-muzzles-off-lead-public/

    They must be muzzled in public if not wearing the green collar (which is workable) but the killer is that they're not allowed off-leash even in off-leash dog parks unless specifically designated as okay for Greyhounds.

    Does anyone know if there is a map or list of 'approved' off leash areas?

    • +1

      Yeah that's really unfortunate, especially as they're generally such gentle dogs. Some do have quite high prey drive which I suppose is the reason for that rule, but then Salukis and other hounds should have the same rules!

      Still, it's not like they need hours of exercise to be happy ;)

    • +1

      Hey - at slipping tracks is the place to let them off. I let mine off in a Baseball field too which is fenced - that's fine. I see others off lead too. I questioned GAP about this and they said it's partly because there is a risk they'll go after something like a rabbit which could be traumatic at the playground, but at the pace they move, they can be dangerous if they run into someone. Although I swear mine sees in slow motion when she's at full pace!

      • +1

        there is a risk they'll go after something like a rabbit which could be traumatic at the playground, but at the pace they move, they can be dangerous if they run into someone

        plus plus plus this, they ARE beautifully friendly lumps but they are bred to chase and as flat out as they can go.

        • And WILL outrun whatever it is they're chasing!

  • +4

    If we ever get a dog, it will be a greyhound.

    My only worry about getting greyhounds is that you provide a friendly out for the greyhound racing industry, and it's a really shit industry for the dogs to spent any time in. Then again, I have been advised that the people in that industry don't really give a shit if theirs a friendly out and just find ways to dispose of the dogs through other means if there's no post racing adoption plan.

    • +3

      people in that industry don't really give a shit if theirs a friendly out and just find ways to dispose of the dogs through other means if there's no post racing adoption plan.

      Very much this. Sadly a lot of "retired" greys (most?) meet sadder ends :(

      • +1

        yep… if you want to feel horribly sad, google the percentage - then there's plenty that just "go missing" too.

        • +2

          To be fair it's no worse than what happens to race horses, dairy cows, or laying hens.

    • -6

      Curious to know who has advised you of this as they are either lying or duped by animal right organisations like PETA.

      In the past 3 years I've not only met greyhounds for the first time, I've thoroughly investigated the situation for myself. Not by reading propoganda. I've been to the race tracks, watched races & trials, gotten to know many owners & trainers personally, seen their kennels, helped in the dogs care (feeding, bathing, training & health care). I've personally assisted in the rehabilitation of a number of them at my home.

      The truth is the far majority of owners & trainers:
      absolutely love their dogs
      have a comprehensive knowledge and provide an exceptionally high level of care
      are devastated when they loose one
      want good homes for the ones who can be rehabilitated

      For example, one trainer i know has more non-racing greyhounds than his greyhound pets. He is one of many who doesn't want to risk surrendering them as the requirements to pass rehoming is ridiculous and he can't know if they would get a good home. Like many dog lovers - his dogs are his life.

      • +1

        You don't have to read PETA reports, there have been some horrible mainstream reports on Grey Hounds being used in experimentation and where they have had their ears chopped off and the bodies dumped. I'm not saying this is something many owners do, but this does happen.

        Part of the problem is where you breed, and teach, a dog to chase a lure for it's formative years you can never really trust it when it is off leash to not chase something it shouldn't. Hence the restrictions the dogs have in off leash parks.

        I love seeing the grey hounds around but if I wouldn't trust one around my small fluffy dog or my cat.

        Good on the people who adopt them though these dogs deserve all the love they can get. It would be just nice if they were just pets rather than "betting" machines.

      • +3

        Curious to know who has advised you of this as they are either lying or duped by animal right organisations like PETA.

        A greyhound rescue group I am choosing not to name. I raised this as a concern when looking to adopt a greyhound.

        Absolutely love their dogs

        Horse shit. People who "absolutely love their dogs" don't give them away when they are past their athletic prime.

        want good homes for the ones who can be rehabilitated

        Right… because an animal requiring rehabilitation to adjust into a normal life is healthy? What happens to the dogs who can't be rehabilitated?

        Not sure if you were trying to make your cause worse, but you definitely did.

      • Quality sockpuppet for the industry by the way.

        Member Since 12 hours 14 min

  • +5

    Greyhounds are the best pets. We adopted our 2nd greyhound from GAP last year. Best dogs ever.. So loving and well behaved.

  • +8

    Adopting Greyhounds is awesome, but GAP not as much. They're actually run by the greyhound racing industry (as is the green collar certification*) so the money goes back into the originating problem. I recommend http://www.greysrescuevic.org/about/about/ if you're in Vic, or an equivalent company in your state not affiliated with the racing industry.

    *This requirement to get the green collar bas been approved for no longer being required, but has not yet been signed into law.

    • Yep - completely agree. Any greyhound away from "wastage" is great. Some of these other organisations are awesome. Something needs to be done by the industry and I do believe that GAP is trying but perhaps there are better organisations. You can get a greyhound from anywhere and get it tested by GAP too to get the green collar in the interim. I don't know who enforces it though - it's not a Council law - I've never been pulled over by the feds when walking my dog :D

    • +1

      They still need homes. Not defending them but it seems a better outcome than being put down.

    • +3

      yeah - I see that with GAP it is normally a profitable business. They use volunteers to socialise them in their homes. The cost here in Tassie is $250 for one, $450 for two; so I think that's the normal cost. I won't pay that here because I believe it is profitable. I think this program should be fully paid for by the greyhound industry. I'm sorry that this industry is still legal.

  • +1

    love our GAP boy, had him 5 years now!

  • Would a 90sqm apartment suit one of these, or would it be too small? I wouldn't want to confine the dog to something too small for them.

    • I guess ask them. The website says they have dogs to tailor to many environments/situations. Im looking into maybe foster care to see how they go in my appt.

  • You want cheap speed? Cause this is some very cheap speed.

  • +2

    Adopted a grey from GAWA (greyhound adoptions WA) last year and it was the best $350 I have ever spent. Walk once a day, doesn't shed hair (great for people with allergies), friendly to all beings big and small and loves cuddles.
    I would highly recommend a greyhound to anyone who is able to give them the love that they deserve.
    Not all greyhounds are the same as mine, but alot of them are and seeing as temperament testing is included in the price, what can go wrong?

    • +1

      Fellow GAWA 2x adoptee here.

      I don't know if I can go back to any other breeds after having two of the silliest (and most loving) dogs I've ever met.

      They eat 4cups of food a day with some raw meat.
      Get walked every few days, played with every evening. Other than that, they love to sleep, relax, sunbake, get cuddles and then sleep some more.

      WARNING
      They will attempt to sleep on every comfortable item they can find. YOUR COUCH/BED/PILE OF CLOTHES will be commandeered for the sake of their comfort.

  • Excellent / \

  • Are they suited to Melbourne's cold climate, with their short coats? I would worry about them being outside on a winter's night when it's less than 5C?

    • +1

      Hey - yeah they wear coats (they come with one) and you can get them on eBay etc. Mine lives in hers throughout winter. I forgot to mention that they're very clean dogs too.

      • Agreed, I live in Melbourne also and love our Greyhound. We bought her a Greyhound coat from Elitehound and this does the job perfectly in winter, much nicer than the cheap one they supplied her with.
        Just keep in mind, you should not let your Greyhound off lead, unless this in a fully fenced off area, they aren't like regular dogs and are not safe around cars off lead.

    • I see plenty in Melb parks. being walked on frosty winter days and evenings. poor dog

      I wonder if they will get along with my grumpy cat.

      • Some are cat-friendly, some are not. Take a look at the listings which will tell you if the one you like is cat-friendly.

  • Wish SA did it at this price, would be too good for the other half to say no…maybe.

  • Can I keep a greyhound if I also keep pet chickens?

    • Something to ask GAP. They're wired funny. Mine sees a cat and doesn't flinch, possums inside our backyard are in trouble if not up the tree unfortunately, outside when walking, possum isn't a threat. Rabbit, she stands up on her back legs then just wants to go and then will have (hilarious) dreams where she is chasing them.

      Maybe if chickens are there first it may be ok. Talk to gap. They're very helpful.

    • We have chooks and a greyhound. We keep the chickens in a coop though and only let them out when he is not in the yard. He's isn't bothered by them at all. They have gotten out a few times and he didn't chase them or anything. If they are together I suppose it's all good until one of the chickens run, then the instincts take over and the dog will likely chase it. If you can keep them separated I would say fine, otherwise probably not a good idea.

    • On the website there's a "livestock tolerant" tickbox. See if your adoption sites also have that option?

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