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New Greyhound group to meet in Millsboro July 23

Senior sanctuary aims to foster, adopt retired dogs
July 21, 2016

A new branch of the Florida-based Greyhound Pets of America Senior Sanctuary will be hosting an inaugural meeting at PetSmart in Millsboro Saturday, July 23, and they are actively searching for foster families.

As co-founder and president of the new Delaware chapter, Lewes resident Dee McKimmey says she recently relocated to Delaware and decided to open a chapter of the GPA sanctuary here when she saw there was already a community of greyhound lovers established.

“Since I’ve been here I’ve met so many other people with greyhounds, it’s amazing,” McKimmey said. “We think Sussex County in particular will be perfect for this because there are so many retired people here, and really it’s a perfect match for a retired person because they are so low maintenance.”

The senior sanctuary aims to adopt out senior and retired greyhounds who are are transported from Florida, where there are 11 active greyhound race tracks. McKimmey said her own love affair with the breed began after she adopted her first greyhound, Bold Energy, nearly 15 years ago.

“Once I got my first greyhound, I was hooked,” McKimmey said. “They are loving dogs, they rarely bark, they are very light shedders, they don’t smell. They are 45-mile-per-hour couch potatoes.”

The new organization does not yet have the infrastructure to begin adopting the retired race dogs, broods and family pets from Florida who need homes, she said. First, McKimmey said her new group needs to build an index of foster families to house the dogs before they can be adopted. The organization does, however, have a book full of animals that are currently waiting for homes, which they will have at the first meeting, so she expects to be able to start transporting and adopting them out once they have foster families screened.

 “All the dogs from our groups are microchipped, spayed, neutered and have had dental attention. They come with a clean bill of health,” she said. “We can recommend foods, and we cover everything from A to Z when we do home visits. Greyhounds have different medical needs; we talk to the people all about that when the time comes.”

Greyhounds typically live 13 to 14 years, McKimmey said, and the sanctuary is for those ages 7 and older. The GPA senior sanctuary does not require foster families or adoptive families to have a fenced-in yard,  but the dogs do need to be walked daily, like any other dog.

The new nonprofit organization operates solely off donations, so McKimmey said they will be accepting donations at their inaugural meeting, and these funds go toward transporting the animals, and providing food and vet services for those animals who will be adopted. Donations are tax-deductible, as are the $225 adoption fees.

There is no cost for foster families as the dogs are up-to-date on shots and the organization provides food, but any potential foster family or adoptive family will have a home visit from the senior sanctuary to ensure the dogs will be safe and cared-for at their new home.

The GPA senior sanctuary’s inaugural meet-and-greet is slated to run from 1 to 3:30 p.m., Saturday at the Millsboro PetSmart, located in Peninsula Crossing, near Lowe’s.  For more information or to access applications to become a foster or adoptive family for senior greyhounds, call 423-244-4361 or go to www.gpaseniorsanctuary.org.

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