KENOSHA, Wis. — Seven dog tracks halted racing across the country last year, forcing hundreds of greyhounds into an uncertain future. With fewer tracks available for them to race, the sleek long-limbed dogs are now flooding the adoption market at a difficult time.
Economic hardships are preventing many dog lovers from adopting, and misconceptions about the breed scare away some potential owners, advocates say.
The number of tracks offering races has steadily decreased in the past decade, from 46 in 15 states in 2001 to 30 at the start of 2009. This year, no more than 23 tracks in eight states will operate dog races.
With so many dogs needing homes, Kevin Neuman of Overland Park, Kan., started the nonprofit , which he hopes will serve as a clearinghouse for greyhound adoption.
Despite their athletic training, the dogs are calm and easy to care for and do not require constant exercise, advocates say.
“If you want a dog to go play Frisbee with, this isn’t it,” said Kari Morrison Young, director of Arizona Adopt-A-Greyhound.
Greyhounds walk great on a leash, sleep 22 hours a day and are “couch potatoes,” said Rhonda Mack of Kenosha, Wis., who took in two dogs from the Dairyland Greyhound Park, which closed last week.
“They are very, very laid-back dogs.”
