Dave McManus wasn't quite convinced.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
His daughters Adelaide (eight) and Eleanor (six) were, but their father was sitting on the fence. So Dave and his young girls drove up the highway to Sydney from Wollongong early on Sunday morning for a face-to-face meeting with Pete.
When they returned home later that day, they had an extra passenger in the car.
They had made the trip to the annual Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) National Adoption Day (NAD) at the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney's Moore Park.
"We had driven up for the Adoption Day because I thought the best way was to be here see how he [Pete] goes with the kids," explained Dave.
"We were sitting on the fence about whether to adopt or not, so we were going to meet him and see what we thought, but he was so very gentle with the kids, and when they saw him, they loved him. It was instant.
"So it wasn't a hard decision. It was a pretty easy choice in the end. We're all pretty happy. He's going to fit in well with us and have a nice retirement. We have had big dogs before, a ridgeback and a kelpie, so the girls are used to dogs and the size doesn't spook them, and a greyhound is a lot more gentle than a kelpie.
"A couple of friends have had greyhounds and said they are great for kids, low maintenance and good company."
The McManus's don't have any animals for Pete to get along with, although Dave said they may be getting an axolotl in a few weeks.
When they saw him, they loved him. It was instant
- Dave McManus
While GAP hold more than 100 activations and adoption events throughout the year, the largest is the annual NAD, and Pete was one of a record 48 greyhounds who found new homes through NAD.
There were 40 adopted from the Sydney site, and another eight from satellite events at Casino and Bathurst.
"A number of adopters had pre-registered and had their dog already picked out, and lots of other people came along to National Adoption Day to be taken along on that journey, to find out all about having a greyhound as a pet, to experience the dogs here on the day, to explore a little bit and they'll be back," GRNSW CEO Rob Macaulay said.
"We saw lots of people from diverse cultural backgrounds, lots of people from all sorts of places in the world and they are all joined in their love for greyhounds.
"These might be the world's most perfect modern pet. They are apartment adaptable, they don't moult, they rarely bark, and you only have to walk them once a day. Those interested can go onto the GAP website and we've got quite a few to choose from, and more importantly, we can match potential adopters with the best dog for their circumstances.
"I say to some people who have particular needs, even if you have six cats, we can even train a special dog for that. We've got a dog for everyone."
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
