Secret is an example of the beautiful dogs that Greyhound Rescue and Adoptions of Tampa Bay works with. Secret is a brindle and white male, born 3/25/06, and he's ready for a loving home. Secret is a sweet active young man and still has the mindset of a puppy! He's strong on a leash but is learning to walk nicely, and while he's not cat-friendly, he gets along beautifully with other greyhounds and with the Italian greyhound in his current foster home. He's still learning manners, like how to stay off the counter-tops! A fun, energetic boy, Secret is hoping the right family will come his way soon. Wouldn't he look perfect under the Christmas tree with a red ribbon around his neck?
Greyhound Rescue and Adoptions of Tampa Bay or GREAT works with racing trainers and owners who want to place retired dogs, as well as taking in dogs from shelters. They cover a wide territory in Florida including, Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough, Polk, and Southern Hernando counties. Foster homes provide temporary care and time to evaluate each dog, along with helping them transition from track life to companion animal. GREAT's objectives, besides finding homes for their rescued dogs, are to educate the public about the breed and heighten awareness about over-breeding of greyhounds for racing, and the mass euthanasia that results from that practice.
GREAT has a very informative website that includes a history of the greyhound breed, adoption information, an events calender, newsletter, photo and video galleries, helpful links, and breed merchandise. Their adoption fee of $200 includes blood work, spay/neuter, vaccines, heartworm test, fecal test, full dental, microchip, collar, leash, muzzle and GREAT tag. GREAT doesn't typically place dogs in homes with children under the age of six, but does make allowances in certain situations. On their website is a page devoted to senior and special needs dogs. They offer a unique program called Care For Life, to encourage people to adopt older dogs and animals with special needs. The program helps adoptor's cover costs for certain medications and procedures that pertain to medical conditions the dog has when it's adopted. Candidates are chosen for this program on a case by case basis.
As with all rescue groups, GREAT relies on volunteer support and donations. Non profit groups need us now, more than ever. GREAT has an extensive adoption event schedule at various locations in the Tampa Bay area. Check out the "Meet and Greet" link on their site for times and dates of adoption events. One of their biggest fund raisers of the year is starting Nov. 28. That weekend and almost every day in December up until Christmas eve, they will have volunteers wrapping packages at the Carrollwood Barnes & Noble Booksellers at 11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway, and at the Brandon Barnes & Nobles at 122 Brandon Town Center Drive. Now, that's what I call great volunteerism! (pun intended) If you are one of those people who hates wrapping gifts, here's your chance to have someone do it for you and help out a good cause at the same time. The best way to determine when GREAT will be available at both locations is to check out their event calendar, at www.localendar.com/public/GREAT.
