Sign up for GAP Newsletter
* = required field

This Skite’s no show-off. Yet…

Alexandra, her husband Mark, and their son Tom all welcomed Skite, the all-black greyhound, into their home in Parkville two weeks ago and they are already in love.

“We all fell in love with him the minute he arrived. Of course, it was a very new and strange world for him so, while curious, he was certainly nervous about various noises and movements. The sound of the dishwasher, the train crossing dings and blasts, the trams, birds galore, glass doors and windows, slippery wooden floors and rugs, etc. etc.! We took things slowly and he is still adapting but is going really well. We’ve kept his world small, as advised, but now increasing daily. The terrific analogy of the Amish child in New York City is so apt,” Alexandra explains.

The family also had to do some adjusting, like not leaving any food too low down or Skite will help himself.

It took the family two years to consider adopting a new dog following the death of their beloved Kelpie/German Shepherd cross who lived to the ripe old age of eighteen. After spotting an abundance of greyhounds in her neighbourhood, Alexandra started talking to owners to get an understanding of their nature and the more she learnt the more she decided the breed was the right fit for her and her family.

“The fact they don’t need a huge amount of exercise and would be content without a big backyard were seen as positives for my husband Mark.”

Having Skite around during the Melbourne lockdowns has also been a positive for the family: “We are lucky. We live in a lovely house in a great area, work from home and generally are well off. However, with all this time there was something missing and Skite has filled the spot. He has found his forever home we hope. Lockdown has been the ideal time to settle him in to the area as it is much quieter than usual, so it is giving him time to adjust. We would love to be showing him off to friends but not being able to do so is also a positive for Skite!”

For anyone still on the fence about bringing a greyhound into their lives, Alexandra has the following words of advice: “It has been a learning process but that is just part of the ongoing journey and we just love having a dog in the house again – and Skite is just perfect! GAP is also an amazing organisation and all those with whom we have had contact had been so patient and helpful. The literature provided is very good as was the unexpectedly low adoption price.”