Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-24T04:37:17.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Characteristics of ex-racing greyhounds in New Zealand and their impact on re-homing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

JB Thomas ,
NJ Adams  and
MJ Farnworth
JB Thomas*
Affiliation:
Animal Welfare and Biodiversity Research Group, Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92025, Auckland, New Zealand School of Psychology, University of Waikato - Tauranga, Private Bag 12027, Tauranga 3143, New Zealand
NJ Adams
Affiliation:
Animal Welfare and Biodiversity Research Group, Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92025, Auckland, New Zealand
MJ Farnworth
Affiliation:
Animal Welfare and Biodiversity Research Group, Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Private Bag 92025, Auckland, New Zealand School of Biological and Marine Sciences, A426 Portland Square, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: Julia@foxx.co.nz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A small proportion of greyhounds surplus to the racing industry are entered into specialist re-homing organisations to be re-purposed as pets. Records of 835 greyhounds, from New Zealand Greyhounds as Pets, were used to investigate whether pre-adoption characteristics (age, sex, racing record, reason entered) and management factors (temperament test result, foster and trainer effects) had a bearing on re-homing success, and comparisons were made with shelter studies. Re-homing greyhounds as pets is very successful with 85.5% ultimately successfully re-homed. Only 2.9% fail as a result of failed adoptions and 11.6% fail the initial temperament test and are therefore not considered for adoption. Greyhounds were more likely than shelter dogs to pass an initial temperament test and be adopted, and less likely to be returned after one month. However, adopted greyhounds were just as likely as shelter dogs to be returned after six months. Logistic regression revealed the youngest age group (< 25 months old) were more likely to pass the initial temperament test than older greyhounds. The re-homing success of greyhounds subsequently made available for adoption was not affected by age, but a sex effect was evident with females more likely to be successfully re-homed than males. Whether or not a dog had raced had no significant effect on the likelihood of successful re-homing. Greyhounds passing the temperament test with a basic pass were less likely to be successfully re-homed than greyhounds scoring a higher pass indicative of lower prey drive. Further investigation of the validity and reliability of the temperament test is warranted.

Keywords

ageanimal welfaredoggreyhound racingre-homingtemperament test
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , August 2017 , pp. 345 - 354
Copyright
© 2017 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Atkinson, M and Young, K 2005 Reservoir dogs: Greyhound racing, mimesis and sports-related violence. International Review for the Sociology of Sport 40(3): 335–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690205059953CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, SL, Litster, A, Weng, HY, Walker, SL and Luescher, AU 2012 Investigating behavior assessment instru-ments to predict aggression in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 141(3-4): 139–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applan-im.2012.08.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackwell, EJ, Twells, C, Seawright, A and Casey, RA 2008 The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 3(5): 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.10.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colgan, B, Neil, C and Foy, L 2013 New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association, Independant Welfare Review pp 1–56. WHK: New ZealandGoogle Scholar
Diesel, G, Pfeiffer, DU and Brodbelt, D 2008 Factors affecting the success of rehoming dogs in the UK during 2005. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 84(3–4): 228–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2007.12.004CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diesel, G, Smith, H and Pfeiffer, DU 2007 Factors affecting time to adoption of dogs re-homed by a charity in the UK. Animal Welfare 16(3): 353–360Google Scholar
Duffy, DL, Hsu, Y and Serpell, JA 2008 Breed differences in canine aggression. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 114(3-4): 441–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elliott, R, Toribio, JALML and Wigney, D 2010 The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) in Australia and New Zealand: A survey of owners’ experiences with their greyhounds one month after adoption. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 124(3-4): 121–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2010.02.006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fogle, B 2000 The New Encyclopedia of the Dog, Second Edition. Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
GAP 2014 Greyhounds As Pets Annual Report (Year ending 31 March 2014). GAP: Wellington, New ZealandGoogle Scholar
Huggins, M 2007 Betting, sport and the British, 1918-1939. Journal of Social History 41(2): 283–306. https://doi.org/10.1353/jsh.2008.0024CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lord, LK, Yaissle, JE, Marin, L and Couto, CG 2007 Results of a web-based health survey of retired racing greyhounds. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 21(6): 1243–1250. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2007.tb01945.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madden, R 2010 Imagining the greyhound: ‘Racing’ and ‘rescue’ narratives in a human and dog relationship. Continuum 24(4): 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2010.486473CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marston, LC and Bennett, PC 2003 Reforging the bond: towards successful canine adoption. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 83(3): 227–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(03)00135-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marston, LC, Bennett, PC and Coleman, GJ 2004 What hap-pens to shelter dogs? An analysis of data for 1 year from three Australian shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 7(1): 27–47. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327604jaws0701_2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marston, LC, Bennett, PC and Colemon, GJ 2005 Adopting shelter dogs: Owner experiences of the first month post-adoption. Anthrozoös 18(4): 358–378. https://doi.org/10.2752/089279305785593965CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGreevy, PD and Masters, AM 2008 Risk factors for separation-related distress and feed-related aggression in dogs: Additional findings from a survey of Australian dog owners. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 109(2-4): 320–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2007.04.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McMillan, FD, Duffy, DL and Serpell, JA 2011 Mental health of dogs formerly used as ‘breeding stock’ in commercial breeding establishments. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 135(1-2): 86–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2011.09.006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mornement, KM, Coleman, GJ, Toukhsati, S and Bennett, PC 2010 A review of behavioral assessment protocols used by australian animal shelters to determine the adoption suitability of dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 13(4): 314–329. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2010.483856CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patronek, GJ, Glickman, LT and Moyer, MR 1995 Population dynamics and the risk of euthanasia for dogs in an animal shelter. Anthrozoos 8(1): 31–43. https://doi.org/10.2752/089279395787156455CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rooney, NJ, Gains, SA and Bradshaw, JWS 2007 Behavioural and glucocorticoid responses of dogs (Canis familiaris) to kennel-ling: Investigating mitigation of stress by prior habituation. Physiology and Behaviour 92(5): 847–854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.06.011CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, KD and Mills, DS 2006 The development and assess-ment of temperament tests for adult companion dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 1(3): 94–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2006.09.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, KD and Mills, DS 2007 The effect of the kennel environ-ment on canine welfare: A critical review of experimental studies. Animal Welfare 16(4): 435–447Google Scholar
Thompson, KF, McBride, EA and Redhead, E 2010 Training engagement and the development of behaviour problems in the dog: A longitudinal study. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour: Clinical Applications and Research 5(1): 57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2009.09.013CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, DL 2004 A review of environmental enrichment for ken-nelled dogs, Canis familiaris. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 85(3-4): 307–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2003.11.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, DL and Hepper, PG 2000 Prevalence of behaviour prob-lems reported by owners of dogs purchased from an animal res-cue shelter. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 69(1): 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00118-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Žák, J, Voslářová, E, Večerek, V and Bedáňová, I 2015 Sex, age and size as factors affecting the length of stay of dogs in Czech shelters. Acta Veterinaria Brno 84(4): 407–413. https://doi.org/10.2754/avb201584040407CrossRefGoogle Scholar