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Initial contact with NOGAP is usually done by
e-mail or telephone. But it usually happens after visiting with one of the
NOGAP Hounds at one of our events or Sunday Playgroup. If you contact NOGAP
by e-mail, basic information ONLY will be discussed within the e-mail. This
e-mail MUST be followed up by a telephone call.
Whether you contact NOGAP initially by telephone, or if you call after
e-mail contact, your call will be answered by a knowledgeable adoption
representative. What we have come to realize is that most individuals who
contact NOGAP have done their homework, and have already done quite a bit of
research on their own prior to contacting NOGAP. Most of our adopters know
someone who has a Greyhound and have talked with them about their hound, or
they have already visited at an event.
Through this initial screening, which includes asking specific questions
regarding your family, your living environment, your family's activity
level, and other pertinent points, we learn more about you and your family.
We are also able to determine whether proper consideration has been made by
your family in its decision to add a Greyhound companion to your family.
Although you may feel some of the questions are intrusive, please realize
that they are asked for very important reasons - first, to make sure that
your family is making an intelligent and knowledgeable decision regarding
adopting a Greyhound, and second, to make sure a NOGAP Hound will be placed
into a loving and caring environment. Although we firmly believe that there
is a Greyhound for every family, we do realize that not every family makes a
good candidate for Greyhound adoption.
During this initial conversation, general information about Greyhounds is
discussed, and you are encouraged to become more educated about the breed
through internet research, obtaining and reading books with information
specific to Greyhounds; i.e. Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies by Lee
Livingood and Adopting the Retired Racing Greyhound by Cynthia Branigan. Lee
Livingood's web site “Running With The Big Dogs” (www.retiredracinggreyhounds.com)
is also an invaluable source of information on the breed. Also during this
conversation, specific Greyhounds may be discussed with you. During this
first step in NOGAP’s adoption process, you will be asked to complete and
mail in an Adoption Application to provide our adoption representatives with
more concrete information on your family. The Application can either be
mailed or delivered to us at one of our events. Remember, if you are a
renter, either house or apartment, you must send in written verification
from your landlord that you are permitted under your lease to own a dog over
60 pounds.
After your completed Adoption Application is received and reviewed, you will
be contacted by another member of NOGAP. This adoption representative will
address much of the same information which was covered previously, with one
important addition: you may be speaking with the foster parent of one of the
NOGAP Hounds which we feel would fit best within your home situation! This
gives you first-hand knowledge of that particular Greyhound's behavior, and
gives the adoption counselor a chance to talk to the potential adoptive
family of a NOGAP Hound they have grown to love and care for!
After this second conversation, both NOGAP and your family have a pretty
good idea if an adoption is going to take place. But, it's not over yet!
A NOGAP representative will be contacting you within the next day or two to
make sure everything is going well and answer any questions that you may
have. Remember that adoption day is very exciting and sometimes a little
scary. You will be given a lot of information and it may take some time to
absorb it all.
Through adopting a NOGAP Hound, you have become a part of NOGAP’s extended
family. NOGAP’s commitment to your family and that NOGAP Hound does not end
at the adoption; this is ONLY the beginning. NOGAP has made a lifetime
commitment to caring for that Greyhound, and if anything ever comes up which
you have a question or concern about, don't wait until the situation gets
out of control. No matter how trivial or insignificant the problem may seem,
we encourage you to contact us.
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