Sunday fun day for rescued hounds

LOCAL not-for-profit Friends of the Hound (FOTH) is urging dog lovers to consider adopting or fostering a greyhound this holiday season.

Once a week, rescued greyhounds and their humans from across the region convene to socialise and play. Friendships have been formed, both human and hound.

Owner of three rescues, May Tompson, said it was a wonderful group to be part of.

“We had heard about FOTH when searching for a new dog,” Tompson said.

“Our staffie had died, and we wanted a completely different dog as there were so many memories.

“Frank, our first rescue hound, was an absolute dream dog. Just beautiful, but when we first got him, we could barely touch him for the first year.

“Many of the dogs have trauma from their experiences. Then we got Sophie as a companion and were hooked,” she said.

Friends of the Hound founder Lisa White was first inspired in 2002 by a timid blue hound at Tweed Shire Pound.

The White family has since rescued and fostered hundreds of greyhounds, living in harmony with young kids, other dogs, cats, horses, and chickens on a small, rural acreage.

Zada inspired White to help more dogs, and in May 2003, she formed the Friends of the Hound Greyhound Adoption Group with help from Friends of the Pound (Tweed) Inc.

FOTH takes dogs from owners, breeders and trainers all over NSW, ACT and QLD and rescues them from pounds, shelters and veterinary clinics.

“Greyhounds are still being bred, caged, raced, injured, doped and routinely discarded or killed due to a commercial gambling industry,” the organisation said.

The weekend social group has grown organically over the last 18 months and comprises six or seven families and a dozen dogs who meet regularly.

“The group just grew by word of mouth, we never advertised or put it up on social media,” Tompson said.

“Some neighbours saw us walking our dogs, and we got chatting, and they were inspired to adopt too.

“We’re from all over the shire – Murwillumbah, Dunbible, Condong, Stokers Siding and other parts of the Tweed.

“It’s great to get together, and we always need more people who are willing to adopt,” she said.

The FOTH adoptive and foster parent register is at capacity. For more information on the charity and adopting or fostering, visit friendsofthehound.org.au