The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) finds loving family homes for retired greyhounds. Established in 1996 by two veterinary nurses. GAP is owned and managed by Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) and is the largest greyhound rehoming agency in Australia. It operates out of a facility located 90 minutes north of Melbourne’s CBD in the town of Seymour and has an adoption centre in Tullamarine.
Greyhound welfare is the highest priority for GAP. GAP works to ensure the highest standards of care for greyhounds and positive rehoming experiences for the owners, greyhounds, and adopters, promoting greyhounds as fantastic family pets.
Victorian racing greyhound owners are responsible for planning for the retirement of their greyhounds regardless of whether the dog has had a racing career. Many find homes for their greyhounds privately through family and friends. GAP provides adoption opportunities six days a week and also holds regular adoption events and community focused promotional activities across Victoria.
To rehome a greyhound through GAP, a racing owner must book a pre-entry assessment (GAPPEA). A greyhound cannot undertake a GAPPEA until it has completed at least 4 weeks of wind-down from racing-related activities, be fully vaccinated to a minimum standard and be desexed.
Changes to GAP bookings
From 1 October 2023, only greyhounds that are both desexed and no longer racing will be able to be placed onto the GAP pre-entry assessment (GAPPEA) waiting list. This is to ensure that only greyhounds that are ready for a GAP assessment are on the waiting list.
In early November 2023, any greyhound that is not desexed and/or is still racing (i.e. is located with a Trainer with an activity of ‘Training’) will be removed from the GAPPEA waiting list.
Desexing: GRV must receive the desexing certificate. Please do not rely on your veterinarian to forward the desexing certificate to GRV.
To apply for funding for desexing and dental treatment click here.
Some veterinary clinics have waiting lists for desexing, so GRV suggests you book in early. For a list of veterinary clinics click here.
Please note the above changes only apply to the waiting list (i.e. where the greyhound has no allocated assessment date). Those greyhounds with an allocated assessment date will not be affected, although desexing is mandatory prior to their assessment.
From October 2023, the GAP transfer of ownership form will be replaced by an online form – more information will be included in the email when you book your greyhound onto the GAPPEA waiting list from October onwards.
The GAPPEA determines the greyhound’s behaviour and reactions to smaller dog breeds in a controlled environment. If the greyhound passes, GAP will take ownership of the greyhound and bring the greyhound into its kennel facilities.
Once at the GAP kennels, the greyhounds are veterinary checked and subjected to additional observation and temperament testing under the GAP Behavioural Assessment (GAPBA). The aim of this assessment is to gather as much information about each greyhound to establish their suitability to live safely in the community as a pet with people and other dogs and animals. It provides the opportunity to see how comfortable and relaxed they are with a range of day-to-day activities including meeting a number of different breeds of dogs. This assessment along with the program that a greyhound then undertakes, allows GAP to establish what type of home will be best suited to each individual greyhound.
Once a greyhound passes the GAPBA they will quickly become available for adoption. The information collected by the assessors, kennel staff and volunteers all help the GAP Adoption Team match a greyhound to its new home.
All adopted greyhounds who pass the GAPBA are given a GAP Green Collar. The GAP Green Collar is hand made in Victoria and has a unique collar number which is registered on GAP’s database alongside the details of the adoptive owner.
In other cases where the greyhound does not pass their assessment, the greyhound may undergo further training through our foster care program, behavioural rehabilitation program or our highly successful Prison Pet Partnership Program.
For information about GAP please go to http://gap.grv.org.au/
To book a greyhound for a GAPPEA please go to https://gap.grv.org.au/about-gap/intake-model/.
