Families, couples, singles, those living in apartments, in houses or on some land, the adopters at the National Adoption Day (NAD) rivalled the greyhounds for diversity.
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The annual Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) event on April 14 not only proved to be one of the most popular in the event's history, but also the most successful.
Large crowds flocked to the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney's Moore Park, with GAP also staging satellite NAD events in Bathurst and Casino. The result by day's end was a total of 48 greyhounds finding new homes, surpassing the previous best NAD result of 41 greyhounds rehomed in 2018.
But the day was about so much more than numbers, with a theme of joy and affection as each greyhound found its new family.
Jo Cunningham and her daughter Abbie had been thinking about getting a dog for some time and decided to make the trip from Beaumont Hills, in Sydney west, to attend the Adoption Day, and now Jai is a new addition to their family.
"We're very excited. I've been thinking about it for a matter of months and I saw the Adoption Day and thought it was a great opportunity to come out and meet some of the dogs," Jo said
"There was definitely instant attraction to Jai. We met a lot of lovely dogs here today but there was something about Jai that caught our heart."
"He's a great colour, and [we love] his nature," Jo said.
"He seems very sweet. All the dogs seem sweet, but he just seemed so very calm as well.
"I've always loved greyhounds. We don't have any other pets, so he's got all the love coming his way."
Potential adopters came from far and wide with Brianna and John Digby coming for Lochinvar in the Upper Hunter to claim their boy Lenny. It was the first adoption of the day, with the couple signing papers for Lenny just as the event kicked off.
"This has been planned for months in advance. Ever since we got married last year. We always knew we were going to adopt a greyhound," John said.
"The people at [GAP] Wyee were really very helpful in trying to find out which dog would be a good dog for us," Brianna said.
"Then we heard that this Adoption Day was coming up so we wanted to jump on it. They told us to make sure we get here early as it looked like it was going to be a really big event, so we needed to get here and make sure we got our dog. So we did and we've got Lenny, and we're super excited.
"He will definitely be spoilt at home. We have just built a property in Lochinvar, with a nice big back yard for him to enjoy."
While many were able to find the greyhound just right for their circumstances, GRNSW CEO Rob Macaulay said there was still an opportunity for those looking for that perfect pet.
"We've got a dog for everyone," he said.
"Those interested can go on to 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. 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."
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
