Written by Mayuri Reddy, who also supplied the photographs
Sunday the 25th of September saw the second annual Great Global Greyhound Walk take place at Kenridge Park, Durbanville. This is an annual dog-walking event that brings together Greyhounds, Lurchers, other Sighthounds, and their owners to raise awareness of the breeds and show the public what wonderful pets they make.
There were dogs from Sighthound Rescue SA, Sighthound Sanctuary, and Greyhound Welfare SA at the walk. The Cape Town walk attracted 65 sighthounds! We were also honoured to host three Greyhounds from Honey’s Garden for Medical Alert Dogs. Eleven rescued Greyhounds have gone through the programme with Honey’s Garden and are helping their humans as service dogs. Through a raffle, we were able to gift over R3,000 to this great cause!
In South Africa, Greyhounds are often used (and abused) in hunting practices, with racing being less
common than it is in other parts of the world. This may make it difficult for a rescue Greyhound to join a home with small, fast-moving animals due to their prey-drive, but that said, puppies that are raised with cats and other small animals are able to live harmoniously with their furry friends.
Greyhounds cope well in small spaces, needing moderate exercise (they’re akin to sprinters – getting rid of their energy in short bursts), are generally not very vocal, and are low-shedding dogs. But be warned – they love to occupy sofas and other soft surfaces, including your heart!
P.S. What makes them even more special is that the majority of Greyhounds are the equivalent of universal blood donors for dogs!
About the organisations
All these amazing non-profit animal welfare organisations rely on donations to keep doing their fantastic work.
Honey’s Garden for Medical Alert Dogs
Medical Service Dogs make an enormous difference to the people on whom they rely, often to save their lives. Honey’s Garden, located near Philadelphia in the Western Cape, trains these dogs, many of which come from animal welfare organisations as rescues. To find out more, read the Happy Tails Magazine Article: Honey’s Garden for Medical Alert Dogs.
Greyhound Welfare SA
Greyhound Welfare SA exists to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome Greyhounds and give them a quality of life previously denied. For more information, visit their website at www.greyhoundwelfaresa.co.za and follow them on Facebook GreyhoundWelfareSA.
Sighthound Rescue SA (SRSA)
SRSA rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes sighthounds throughout South Africa. They also aim to educate the public about this oft-neglected breed. Although some of the hounds cannot be advertised for security reasons, SRSA always has dogs looking for great new homes. For more information, join their Facebook group Sighthound Rescue SA and follow them on Instagram sighthoundrescuesa.
Sighthound Sanctuary SA
Registered in 2017, Sighthound Sanctuary provides a safe place for rescued Sighthounds (and “honorary” Sighthounds) near East London. For more information, check out Happy Tails Magazine’s article, Sighthound Sanctuary SA.
