We check in with our adopters regularly after they’ve headed home with a hound from Greyhound Rescue. Sometimes they need advice or have funny anecdotes to share about bed fails or zoomies. Other times, the story of their new life with their houndie companion makes us ugly cry into our greyhound-themed bedsheets. The beautiful story of Nala and her parents Gavin and Elise is definitely one of the latter!
“When Greyhound Rescue first called us, they described Nala as not an elegant greyhound, but as a quirky, cute one – they could not have been more right,” said Elise.
“She has an endearing overbite, and expressive grey eyebrows in contrast to her black fur – we always know what she is thinking!
“We sometimes call her Nervous Nala because she tends to worry about everything – but the most rewarding part of the adoption has been watching her confidence grow! After being cautious of water, unsure about enrichment challenges, and shy meeting new people, she now faces each new experience head on with us by her side.
“We brought Nala home ready for a fun, new chapter in our lives with our new dog and then two weeks later we found out we were pregnant, and our new chapter was going to be bigger than we originally thought! Nala was the first living thing to know about the pregnancy and waited with me under the tree for Gavin to come over so I could tell him the good news.
“Nala would sit with me while I was experiencing my morning sickness to make sure I was OK for those first few months. As we build up our life to welcome our first baby, it has been lovely to think about and plan for our family of four – Nala will always be our first fur baby!
“Nala’s favourite time is when she realises that we’re leaving our apartment as a family. She practically sprints down the stairs with her tail wildly wagging and looks back up at us at each landing as if to say: “Come on slow pokes!! What’s taking so long?? There are adventures to be had!”
“Her favourite place to walk to is the local IGA. She will always try and steer us in that direction or downright refuse to walk in any other direction – our theory is she knows where the roast chicken is cooked!
“The laziest, most loveable and lankiest of companions – we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend getting a houndo in a heartbeat. Nala is just like a giant cat – she sleeps all day long and is never in your face unless you want her to be. She is gentle and always gets loving reactions from people on the street. The sweetest companion we could hope for.
“The adoption process with Greyhound Rescue was so personable, the team really listened to our lifestyle and matched us with the perfect greyhound. There is a real sense of community and everyone is so committed – they do this for the dogs and are always striving to improve the lives of the current and ex kennel kids.
“Nala didn’t come without her troubles, she was a little reactive and had problems being alone, and greyhound rescue gave us so much time and advice to make sure that Nala had the best start to retired life. We couldn’t have done it without their support – we truly feel like they are partners in this with us for the long haul. Thank you, Greyhound Rescue!”
Can’t foster or adopt but want to help? Join our volunteer family and work directly with our hounds or sign up as a ‘Help A Hound’ sponsor and start their new life right!.