They’re basically used
for the racing industry
and then discarded.
But then when you research
the nature of the breed,
they’re just
a beautiful dog, and
a really good family dog.
Welcome, loving viewers,
to this edition of
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
as we visit
the all-volunteer,
non-profit group
Friends of the Hound
which is based in northern
New South Wales,
Australia
in the small town
of Tweed Heads.
Friends of the Hound
specializes in rescuing
and re-homing greyhounds
and serves its home state
and the South East parts
of the state
of Queensland.
In Australia
20,000 greyhounds
are bred each year
for the cruel sport
of greyhound racing
where betting occurs.
After only three
or four years
a dog’s career is over
and they often
will be euthanized
as they are no longer
wanted by the dog racer.
Friends of the Hound
desires to see
all greyhounds live out
their natural lives
in peace and happiness.
To date the group
has saved the lives
of some 300 greyhounds.
Let us now hear from
the founder and president
of the group, Lisa White,
on how
Friends of the Hounds
came to be.
We went to
the local pound here
to join the local
animal rescue group
“Friends of the Pound,”
and whilst I was in signing
all the paperwork,
the kids and my husband
went out and were
looking at the dog pens,
and when I came out,
I saw this beautiful blue
greyhound sitting there
in one of the cages.
And I happened to say,
“Oh, what a lovely dog,”
as I was walking past,
and the pound keeper
overheard me
and said, “Oh,
don’t look at that dog,”
and I said, “Oh, why?”
And they said,
“Oh, it’s a greyhound,
it’s here to be destroyed.”
And I just grabbed the kids
and walked off.
But all afternoon,
and all night, the image
of that dog’s face
stayed in my mind, and
I just couldn’t forget her.
So I went online
and I looked up
“greyhound rescue”
and all about greyhounds.
There was a lot of sites
from the UK and America
where there’s
lots of greyhound
adoption agencies.
And there’s a few
in Australia
that I looked up.
And I went back
to the pound the next day
and I inquired about
getting that dog released,
and it was only through
luck, and fate, I think,
that she was released to us,
and she was the first
greyhound ever released
from Tweed Pound.
She was a very timid dog.
They actually told me
that on the paperwork.
It said that she was
too timid for racing,
that’s why she was being
put down at the pound.
She was just a very
easy going, very sweet,
affectionate dog.
Zada was the reason
why I got involved
in greyhound adoption.
She was the first greyhound
our family adopted.
When we got Zada
and we realized
what fantastic dogs
greyhounds were,
it inspired me
to do more for the breed,
and help some more dogs.
So I approached
Friends of the Pound
about doing
Greyhound rescue, and
they were very happy to
have someone onboard
that would specifically
rescue and re-home
the greyhounds.
We then went
and adopted another dog.
Zada was rather timid,
so we then went
and adopted another one
called Bimby, and
he was our promo dog,
and we started doing
the greyhound rescue.
Greyhounds are excellent
at helping those
who are disabled
and love to
provide companionship.
We next meet Alexis
who was aided by
Friends of the Hound
and then became
a volunteer for the group.
We’re here
at the nursing home with
Alexis, Hally, and Eva.
We’re just about to find out
how this trio
all came together.
Alexis can you please
tell us how you adopted
this beautiful dog
for your grandmother?
Sure, after Nan
had a stroke
a couple of years ago,
she was looking for
a large, easy care,
low maintenance,
low exercise dog
and so I did
a lot of breed research
and found out
that particularly
in the US and the UK,
greyhounds are used a lot
both as therapy pets
and also for people
with limited mobility and
who need an easy care dog.
So I contacted
Friends of the Hound and
spoke with Lisa (White)
and she confirmed that
that’s what they are like.
We went along
to visit four of them and
choose Hally as the one
whose temperament
most went with what
Nan was looking for.
We relied a lot on
Lisa’s recommendation
because she had
so much experience with
re-homing the greyhounds.
We couldn’t have been
more pleased.
She’s been
absolutely fantastic.
And, has this started
a love affair?
Have you gone on
to adopt any more?
Absolutely,
I’ve always had big dogs,
but had nothing to do
with greyhounds.
And when we got Hally,
it was just fantastic.
I actually
started volunteering with
Friends of the Hound,
doing events
and that kind of thing.
And then I adopted
another dog called Kane
who I do
Pets as Therapy with.
Hally also does
Pets as Therapy,
where we go into
nursing homes, hospitals,
go to homeless events,
senior’s expos,
that sort of thing.
We will now briefly pause
for a message
and when we resume,
we’ll learn more about
Friends of the Hound.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
on Supreme Master
Television,
where we’re speaking with,
among others,
Ms. Lisa White,
president and founder of
Friends of the Hound,
which rescues
and re-homes greyhounds
throughout the state
of New South Wales and
in the South East parts
of Queensland, Australia.
While waiting for
a loving family
to take them in, many of
the rescued greyhounds
stay with Ms. White
on her large property.
This one here is Cleo.
This is Lizzy and
this one here is Patty.
And Patty and Cleo are
litter sisters that
we rescued last week.
And I also picked up Lizzy
last week.
They were all
surrendered to us
from Greyhound trainers;
they weren't racing
anymore.
Actually all these guys
weren't actually cut out
to be race dogs.
The two sisters are
three years old and
Lizzy's only 20 months old.
And when you say,
"cut out," what, they just
weren't fast enough?
These guys actually
didn't have the mentality
it takes to be race dogs.
They weren't
as interested in chasing
as dogs need to be
to be race dogs.
So they were surrendered
to us.
Most of the dogs
we source are local dogs,
from Northern
New South Wales
through to Brisbane.
But we have taken dogs
from far and wide.
I've taken dogs
from other states,
as far as Tasmania,
throughout
New South Wales and
throughout Queensland.
So wherever there's
a greyhound in need,
we try to help.
They breed
20,000 greyhounds a year
in Australia for racing
and the wastage
is just enormous.
They finish
their racing career
at age three to four.
But only half the dogs bred
actually make it
to the track.
So we're talking about
a lot of young dogs
that don't have a life.
The catch phrase
I use for these dogs is,
for greyhounds it’s
"the quick or the dead."
Because basically that's
what it comes down to.
If they're not needed
for the racing industry,
most of them are put down.
So there's a great need
for our work out there,
and there's a great need
to raise awareness
about them as pets,
because they actually
make such a fantastic
suburban pet.
They're quiet.
They're a big dog
but they're so quiet.
They don't need
a lot of exercise
and they're really easy
to have around.
So they actually
suit a working family
in a suburban yard.
Babette Angell is
a dedicated volunteer
for Friends of the Hound
and works with Story Dogs,
a program that
has been implemented in
some local public schools
in northeastern
New South Wales.
Sammy,
a Friends of the Hound
rescue dog,
gladly helps out
with Story Dogs.
Let’s now learn more about
this splendid program
for children.
Babette,
you’re here with Sammy,
and you’re off to your
Story Dogs program
at the local school.
Could you tell our viewers
a little bit more
about this program?
This is a voluntary
organization that started
up in Murwillumbah,
based on an American
and British program that
goes into primary schools
for grade 2 students
that are slow at reading.
And the idea is
that you have
a specially trained dog
that goes into the classroom
or the reading area
or the library, and
has a one to one session
with slow readers.
The dog does all the work,
he does all the listening
and I do some of the talking.
And the children
get more confidence
if they’re slow readers
to read to the dog, because
the dog just sits there
and is non-judgmental.
And the children
interact with the dog.
And a lot of children
who are slow readers,
never have seen a dog
or patted a dog,
and the dog has to be
very gentle and
listens to the children.
And you allow the children
to brush the dog
and pet the dog.
And he comes
into the conversation,
like you might say,
“Oh, Sammy didn’t really
understand that word,
can you say that again?”
Or “Sammy didn’t hear
what you were trying
to say, can you read that
again to Sammy?”
Or “Shall we read
together for Sammy?”
Or “I’ll start off reading
and then Sammy wants to
hear what you can say.”
Or you might say,
“Tell Sammy
about that story
another way,” depending
on what the child wants.
So the child gets to
interact with the dog
and the dog sits
on a special mat
with the child,
and you sit down too, and
you read with the dog.
And does Sammy just sit
there patiently and listen?
He loves to be in the action,
he likes to know
what’s going on.
And, I think it’s very good
for a greyhound
to go into a school,
because that will
get the message across
to everybody
that greyhounds
are very gentle,
and good with children.
We thank Ms. Lisa White
and Friends of the Hound
volunteers for helping to
save the lives of so many
magnificent greyhounds
in Australia.
Please join us tomorrow
on Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
for part two
of our interview with
Ms. White and others.
For more details on
Friends of the Hound,
please visit
Friendly viewers
thank you for being with us
for today’s program.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment
after Noteworthy News.
May Heaven’s love always
shine upon all of us.
My husband and I just saw
Friends of the Hound
on the Internet
and we would just like
to help the cause and we
just love the greyhounds;
we saw they needed help.
I think greyhounds are
very restful dogs.
When you come home
from work
they’re glad to see you,
they bounce around.
You give them a treat,
they lie down
and they’re quite happy
to just be with you
wherever you are.
Welcome, beloved viewers,
to Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
for part two
of our program profiling
the all-volunteer,
non-profit group
Friends of the Hound
which is based in northern
New South Wales,
Australia
in the small town
of Tweed Heads.
Friends of the Hound
specializes in rescuing
and re-homing greyhounds
and serves its home state
and the South East parts
of the state of Queensland.
In Australia
20,000 greyhounds
are bred each year
for the cruel sport
of greyhound racing
where betting occurs.
After only three
or four years
a dog’s career is over
and they often
will be euthanized
as they are no longer
wanted by the dog racer.
Friends of the Hound
desires to see
all greyhounds live out
their natural lives
in peace and happiness.
Their motto is “Adoption,
Not Destruction.”
To date the group
has saved the lives
of some 300 greyhounds.
With the racing dogs,
a lot of the dogs we rescue
come in with injuries
from racing – (Right)
broken toes mainly,
and muscle injuries
are quite common.
We have had leg fractures
that have stopped the dog
from being a race dog
but aren’t interfering
with their ability
to be a pet.
A lot of the dogs come
in poor condition.
I mean they’re
skinny dogs anyway,
but a lot come in
very, very poor condition.
So the first thing we do is
feed them up,
treat their injuries
if they have them,
and get them healthy.
Most of our dogs are
surrendered by trainers.
We do rescues from
local pounds as well.
The dogs are just collected
from the trainers
and brought home here
where they're given
a couple of weeks
assessment and we
get their vet work done.
And Lisa,
when you bring them home,
what's the first step
of your process?
I take them
into the kennel area
and just get them used to
a new surrounding.
Some of these dogs
have been bred and
lived in the same place
all their lives.
Most of them
are used to living in
a two-by-one-meter cage.
So we put them
into dog runs,
we take them out,
we walk them around.
We just let them settle, just
give them time to settle.
After a few days,
most of them seem
fairly relaxed and happy
and then
we start the process
of assessing them
with the other dogs.
They go through
a period of assessment
just to get used to
being pets and
to see how they interact
with other animals.
I've got other dogs here;
I've got a rabbit
and chickens and horses
and three young kids.
So it's a great environment
to test the dogs out and
to see how they interact.
So once we know
what the temperament
of the dog is,
then they get put out
into foster homes.
So we have a list of people
that have volunteered
to take the dogs into
their home temporarily.
And do they have
any special requirements
for the foster home?
Basically they just need
a secure yard.
They need
just time and love
to spend with the dog.
I mean
the safety of the dog
is of utmost importance.
And we try
and match each dog
to a suitable foster home.
(Okay) So we have
foster homes with kids,
foster homes with cats,
foster homes
with other dogs.
Some dogs are playful,
some aren’t.
So we basically try and
just match the dogs up
to a suitable foster home,
which will allow them
to flourish and
get used to being a pet.
A valuable member of
the Friends of the Hound
team is the long-time
Tweed Coast
veterinary surgeon
Dr. Merridie Fury.
Dr. Fury has attended to
many of
the greyhounds rescued
by Friends of the Hound
over the past eight years
including providing spay
and neutering services
in preparation
for re-homing them.
As far as an animal
to work with,
they’re delighted animals
because they trust you,
they let you work
with them,
they’re easy to deal with,
they’re a really nice animal
to work with as far as
being a vet is concerned.
And they’re very nice
placid animals.
Some of them have come
from Lisa (White) and
some have continued
to be clients here after
they’ve been re-homed
and the people really
adore them.
One special thing
from my point of view
is that greyhounds
are almost considered
the universal blood donors.
I’ve used some
of Lisa’s greyhounds.
I’ve rung her up
and said, “Lisa,
I need some blood,”
and she’ll bring across
a greyhound and they
donate blood very well.
When Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants returns,
we’ll learn about
Friends of the Hound’s
Pets In Therapy program.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
on Supreme Master
Television,
where we’re spotlighting
Friends of the Hound,
which rescues and
re-homes greyhounds
throughout the state
of New South Wales and
in the South East parts
of Queensland, Australia.
The adoption program
involves taking the dogs in,
assessing them,
getting them used to life
as a pet in the foster home.
And then every dog
that’s adopted out
goes on a two week trial
to their new home.
We try and match the dogs
to a suitable home
and everyone is happy
because we want it
to be for life.
Friends of the Hound
has a Pets
in Therapy program
where volunteers and
greyhounds visit hospitals,
rehabilitation centers,
and nursing homes
to bring joy
into the residents’ lives
and help them heal.
Alexis Mulhearn,
a Friends of the Hound
volunteer, now describes
how Kane and Hally,
her two rescued greyhound
canine companions,
comfort the lonely.
The dogs are much better
than I am at telling,
which patients need what.
They decide
who they want to see
and where they go
and away they go.
So they’re very
intuitive guardian angels.
Very intuitive,
very intuitive,
(it’s) very interesting
watching them interact
with different people.
Sometimes,
in both the nursing home
and the psychiatric unit,
I’ll see somebody
who I think,
“Gee, that person’s
having a bad day.”
And the dogs will
pretty much ignore them
and go up to somebody else
who I think looks Okay.
And the minute
the dog walks up,
that person will wrap
their arms around them
and start crying,
and I think “Wow!
How did they know?”
(They are) much more
intuitive than I am.
So I don’t worry now;
I just let them do
whatever it is
they want to do
and I’m hopefully trying
to get a bit more intuitive
and a bit more like them.
Friends of the Hounds
relies on foster carers
like Babette Angell
to look after
rescued greyhounds until
a wonderful family who
wants to adopt a canine
is found.
This is Leroy,
my foster dog.
And how old is he?
He’s four.
And has he been
to the beach?
He likes the beach,
and he was very nervous
about going into the water.
He wouldn't
go in the water.
But now
he'll just go in the water,
and step right
into the waves, more so
than the other two.
So he's gotten
more confidence now.
To provide support
and encouragement
to people working with
gentle greyhounds,
Friends of the Hound
has created an annual
greyhound picnic day.
This year’s event was held
at the Murwillumbah
Showgrounds
in New South Wales.
We’re hosting a big
Greyhound Picnic Day,
where we’re getting
lots of people who
have adopted their dogs,
plus the people that are
currently fostering dogs
to come along
and mingle with
all of the hounds
and have a lovely,
lovely afternoon,
where we get to
meet the other dogs
and talk to other
greyhound devotees.
Supreme Master
Television
was invited to come for
the picnic and met some
of the terrific attendees,
humans and canine alike.
Could you tell us
a little bit about Gracie,
how you became involved
with her?
Oh, we’ve had Gracie
now about
five and a half months;
we’ve always had
pound dogs in the past.
I work with Lisa (White)
who’s president of
Friends of the Hound,
so I knew a lot of the work
she was involved with.
(Right) And also
she’d had greyhounds
visiting patients
in the hospital I work at.
And I thought they were
a beautiful dog, and
I persuaded my partner,
let’s look at a greyhound.
So at the time Lisa knew
she was available
and very timid
and probably knew that
she’d be the only child
in the house for a while,
and her being timid,
and us been shift workers,
and one of us home
nearly all the time,
it was suitable for her
to come to us
on a trial period.
But, yes, the first two weeks
was trying, but after that
everything fell into place
for us.
Well, Lacy we’ve had
for two years
and she came to us.
We don’t know what
her previous history was
but we encouraged her
to run and enjoy life,
and we take her down
to the leash free areas
of the beach,
and she just races
up and down
and enjoys socializing
with other dogs.
We close
today’s program with
Ms. White’s kind message
for all our viewers.
I think everyone
should meet a greyhound.
I think everyone should
have the chance
to meet one of
these gorgeous dogs,
pat one of these dogs
and then I think
that those that do
and know the breed,
will fall in love
and want to help.
And that’s what we find,
most people when
they meet these dogs,
they’re just amazed by them.
We deeply thank
Ms. Lisa White
for taking the time
to speak with us
about her work
and share the
wonderful characteristics
of greyhounds,
as well as the volunteers
and foster carers
we had the opportunity
to interview
about their experiences.
Australia’s greyhounds
truly have a friend
in Friends of the Hound!
For more details on
Friends of the Hound,
please visit
Thank you for joining us
on Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment,
after Noteworthy News.
May each little star
in the sky
brighten up your world.