Dog racing is a dying sport, which means increasing numbers of Greyhounds need loving homes where they can be pets instead of working dogs or athletes.
One organization that rescues these furry friends is Friends of Retired Greyhounds.
Learn more about Friends of Retired Greyhounds and how they help these dogs find forever homes. Find out how you can volunteer with and donate to the organization.
Who Are Friends of Retired Greyhounds?
Friends of Retired Greyhound (FORG) is a non-profit charity that adopts retired Greyhounds in different animal shelters.
The volunteer organization has partnered with veterinarians to ensure these dogs receive enough care, disease prevention, and treatment.
Vets also keep all the Greyhounds in shelter homes vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and put on a balanced diet.
The mission of FORG is to find loving forever homes for these dogs while also working to educate the public regarding the breed. They also want to inform people about the lives of Greyhounds as professional athletes.
If you want to learn more about Greyhounds’ history and legacy, you can contact FORG. You can also turn to them if you’re going to foster or adopt a Greyhound.
For FORG, fostering is an enriching experience for individuals and families. It will teach you commitment and a lot of information about a normal pet’s life.
Most importantly, fostering lets you know that you helped a Greyhound find a loving home.
How Friends of Retired Greyhounds Started?
Friends of Retired Greyhounds was founded on the 12th of April in 2001 by seven friends. These individuals chose to start an adoption group to gather retired racing Greyhounds.
FORG was initially called FORgreyhounds, but their mission stays the same. Now they have more effective programs for fostering and adoption with the help of their donors.
The organization has expertise in this breed’s lifestyle, diet, health, and needs. It ensures that all the dogs are spayed, neutered, or have undergone dental cleaning.
All the Greyhounds also receive their full shots, fecal tests, microchipping procedure, and heartworm tests before they get fostered or adopted.
Some dogs also go to the Cell Dog Program until they get adopted by a suitable family.
Their years of experience have also helped them secure forever homes for their Greyhounds.
What Do Friends of Retired Greyhounds Do?
FORG’s adoption program is a crucial part of its charity. The organization ensures that everyone knows how beautiful Greyhounds are and that they deserve a second chance at life after retiring.
It’s not enough that FORG finds a family for every Greyhound. With a thorough evaluation, they need to ensure that the Greyhound is the best match for the household.
This begins with the adoptive parent filling out an application. Then, they need to wait two business days before receiving a response.
This adoption program includes a home visit and interview that will examine the lifestyle of the adoptive parents.
FORG also answers any question that the person has about the Greyhound. They will inform them of their role in transitioning these furry friends from athletes to pets.
Once the organization thinks the fur parent is a perfect fit, they can take their new baby home.
How Can You Help Friends of Retired Greyhounds?
There are multiple ways you can help Friends of Retired Greyhounds.
- Adoption – First, you can ensure there’s one less lonely Greyhound by adopting one. Fill out the application form and wait for the organization’s response.
- Fostering – you can also help by being part of the foster program. It’s an excellent way to help the athlete doggos transition into pets. Fostering also helps you find a forever home for these Greyhounds. You’ll be able to provide temporary care to shelter animals who need to live at home before adoption.
- Volunteer – You can also volunteer with the charity. Help with press materials, administrative tasks, and other duties to keep the organization thriving.
- Donation – Your donation could also help sustain FORG to feed, house, and provide healthcare to the Greyhounds. You can donate through their website here.
- Events – FORG also hosts multiple events throughout the year. You can check their events calendar to see if they have any upcoming ones you can join.
- Shop – Or you could purchase some goodies from their online store. All proceeds go back to the foundation, and you get cool merch delivered to you.
- Show Your Support Through Social Media – you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram to show your support. Like their posts, share them, and boost their engagements. This can go a long way to helping raise more awareness for FORG and these retired Greyhounds in need.
Do Something to Help Retired Dogs
All dogs deserve to live in a forever home, but retired Greyhounds deserve extra attention.
These dogs have worked hard to become professional athletes yet get abandoned the moment they are not capable of performing anymore.
We’re thankful for organizations like FORG that provide the love that these dogs deserve.
Donate to FORG to keep the Greyhounds in their organization healthy, happy, and excited to find a new home. Or you can volunteer with the charity long-term.
Take a look at some other special organizations to help in our Animal Charity Spotlight series and help them make a difference.