Fresh from winning a prestigious exhibitor's award at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) team is preparing for what is expected to be the biggest and most successful adoption day on record.
On Sunday, April 14, GAP will host its annual National Adoption Day (NAD) at the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney's Moore Park. To coincide, GAP will also host regional adoption day events in Bathurst and the Northern Rivers.
"We have added a couple of regional events this year to National Adoption Day, as obviously, not everyone can make it to Sydney on the day," GAP's director of rehoming and adoption programs, Jamie Palmer, said.
"National Adoption Day in Sydney is always a massive event and all indications are this year will be no different. We will have 50 dogs attending and will again offer the special fee of $75 (instead of $250), which includes desexing, vaccinations, post-adoption support from the GAP experts, and a lead and collar.
"But more importantly you get one of our amazing dogs and for people who don't know, greyhounds are the most empathetic and gentle souls by nature who love people.
"They love being with people, going for a walk, out on an adventure or simply lounging around sleeping. They are so easy to instantly fall in love with, as those attending on April 14 will see."
While GAP continues to successfully rehome greyhounds each year, it is dedicated to finding new rehoming pathways and ways to give back to the community through training and placing companion greyhounds. NAD has always been one of the most successful avenues for people looking for a greyhound as a pet, with many greyhounds finding their new homes over the past five years through GAP's matching process at and before NSW NAD events.
"I think one of the reasons behind the success of the day is that we centralise all the greyhounds, we have a large number of staff there to give you all the information you need, and the event is a real family day with other activities at the venue such as dog shows, educational pieces happening with dog behaviour, and entertainment for the kids," Jamie said. "There is also the opportunity for people to bring their own pet down and see if they are a good fit with one of the greyhounds.
"We have already had a lot of inquiries, and I'd encourage anyone interested to hop on to our website, and if you find your match, you can apply right now so that you don't miss out on the day."
National Adoption Day comes after GAP won the 2024 Commercial Exhibitor Award for best stand in the Pet Pavilion at the recent Sydney Royal Easter Show. Now a regular in the pavilion each year, the GAP stand is a popular destination for show visitors, with patrons keen to pat a greyhound and find out about what magnificent pets they make.
"It's a wonderful honour and reward for the hard-working GAP team who have manned the stand throughout the duration of the Royal Easter Show, but more than anything, it shows the appeal our beautiful animals have with the general public," CEO Rob Macaulay said.
Head to gapnsw.com.au for details, to see GAP greyhounds, register for the day and get an event Dogologue via email featuring the greyhounds, or apply to adopt.
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
