GREYHOUND WELFARE AND RE-HOMING REPORT
BY DR GAVIN GOBLE BVSC, GENERAL MANAGER, GREYHOUND WELFARE AND RE-HOMING
VACCINATIONS FOR GREYHOUNDS The Code of Practice requires all greyhounds to have a current C5 vaccination. Please speak to your veterinarian about when your greyhounds are next due for a vaccination and ensure your Kennel Cough vaccine is up to date. Just a reminder that the vaccination requirements for acceptance into GAP are more specific, so please check with GRV if you are planning to get a vaccination for this purpose. These requirements are also on the GAP page of this magazine. In addition to recording your greyhound’s vaccinations in its Greyhound Record, please also provide GRV with copies of your vaccination certificates for GRV to upload into FastTrack so there is a permanent record. This is particularly important if you are considering, or are already, breeding from your greyhound. These vaccination certificates are required to keep the Pink Card active.
GRV’s Desexing and Dental Scheme
Surrendering greyhounds to a shelter
GRV’s Desexing and Dental scheme launched on 1 July 2021 has approved more than 300 applications.
Surrendering a greyhound to a council pound is a breach of the Code of Practice for the Keeping of Racing Greyhounds. A council pound can either be a council-run facility or a facility run by another organisation (including an animal shelter) that contracts to the council. If a participant is considering surrendering a greyhound to a shelter (i.e. not a volunteer re-homing group) all racing connections they must check with each of their local councils to determine if that shelter is acting as the contracted pound to their municipality. For more information on retiring your greyhound to a shelter visit: https://greyhoundcare.grv.org. au/retirement-from-racing/#shelters.
While it is going extremely well, it is critical to point out that the scheme requires the dental treatment to be done at the same time (unless the teeth are already in good condition). If the teeth need a lot of work, you will need to discuss this (and the likely costs) with the veterinarian before they start surgery - please do not proceed with just the desexing without attending to the teeth. If in doubt ring GRV to discuss first. The other important point is that the scheme is for greyhounds either retired as a pet to a participant or before the greyhound is rehomed to a member of the public. Once rehomed into the community the greyhound will no longer be eligible as it is critical that they are desexed prior to rehoming. Visit https://greyhoundcare.grv.org.au/rehoming/desexingand-dental-scheme for more information and application forms.
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