The annual Greyhounds As Pets (GAP), National Adoption Day (NAD), has not only proven to be one of the most popular in the event’s history, but also the most successful.
With this year’s event billed as the biggest of its type since GAP was founded in NSW in 2008, large crowds flocked to the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney’s Moore Park on Sunday, with GAP also staging satellite NAD events in Bathurst and Casino, resulting in a total of 48 greyhounds finding new homes, surpassing the previous biggest NAD result of 41 greyhounds rehomed in 2018.
In Sydney an incredible 40 greyhounds were adopted on the day, with the likelihood that many more greyhounds will be in new homes in the coming weeks, as a result of people attending Sunday’s event.
“It has been a brilliant day,” CEO Rob Macaulay said. “A beautiful Autumn day and people came out in their droves from near and far to attend and see these wonderful greyhounds.
“A number of adopters had pre-registered and had their dog already picked out, and lots of other people came along to National Adoption Day to be taken along on that journey, to find out all about having a greyhound as a pet, to experience the dogs here on the day, to explore a little bit and they'll be back.
“It is a very different crowd from lots of our adoption days whether it be Newcastle or Bathurst or Wagga or wherever we might be. It’s a very different market for this day in Sydney with more people living in apartments, so for instance they look for a different style of dog.
“Our GAP staff know more about our wonderful dogs than ever before so they are really able to talk specifically about each and every dog to ensure that you get the perfect dog for your situation.
“And we saw today lots of people from diverse cultural backgrounds, lots of people from all sorts of places in the world and they are all joined in their love for greyhounds.”
It took just a matter of minutes after the event began for the first greyhound to be adopted with Brianna and John Digby having driven from Lochinvar in the Upper Hunter to add Lenny to their family, and from that moment there was a steady stream of adoptions throughout the day.
“But for those who didn’t find their perfect pet today, or those who are interested but weren’t able to make it here today, don’t despair. We've got a dog for everyone,” said Mr Macaulay. “As you know, these might be the world's most perfect modern pet. They are apartment adaptable, they don't moult, they rarely bark, and you only have to walk them once a day. It's fantastic.
“Those interested can go onto the GAP website and we've got quite a few to choose from, and more importantly, we can match potential adopters with the best dog for their circumstances. As I say to some people who have particular needs, even if you have six cats, we can even train a special dog for that.”