Discover the gentle soul of a greyhound at adoption event

Mr McDonald adopted Monica from the non-profit group Greyhounds As Pets around nine months ago and said she was the perfect companion.

He said greyhounds were an often misunderstood breed and, far from being full of energy, were "more like a lazy cat".

"They are lazy, they self-groom. Monica's happy place is the couch, and she sleeps for more than 20 hours a day," he said with a laugh.

"Their behaviour is more like a cat. It's as close as you can get to owning a cheetah without a licence!"

Mr McDonald, from Tanja, was sharing the good news ahead of an adoption event being held by GAP in Batemans Bay this weekend.

GAP will bring around 10 greyhounds to Petstock on February 1 from 9am until noon, hoping to match them with suitable new homes.

Each dog will only cost $150, which includes desexing, microchip, vet checks and immunisations, and registration with the local council.

After adopting Monica through GAP last year, Mr McDonald couldn't praise the group enough and had only positive things to say about the breed.

"They are great companions. They have a very kind soul and are quite sensitive," he said.

"They are good at picking up on people's moods.

"Growing up on a farm I had greyhounds. Then I had a cattle dog, a border collie cross, for around 15 years.

"My circumstances changed and I got a cat, but when I moved back to a farm I thought about a greyhound again.

"Border collies take a lot of time and energy, which I don't have as much of these days.

"I take Monica for a 20-minute run and then she's happy to lie about the rest of the day."

GAP is the not-for-profit arm of parent company Greyhound Racing NSW.

However, Jamie Palmer, GAP's director of greyhound rehoming and adoption, said events such as this Saturday's adoption day were a great way to showcase the breed and educate communities that greyhounds were not all about the racing industry.

"They are retired athletes, but they live a life much longer as a pet than they do racing," Ms Palmer said.

"People go to school for a few years, but you don't call them a student for their whole lives - it's not all of who we are."

She said there were particular benefits of having a seamless link between the racing industry and rehoming.

"When you adopt a rescue dog in other areas, you don't know the history of that dog," she said.

"Whereas we know their full history, their lineage.

"We also spend a lot of time assessing the dogs and then matching them to families, which seems to really work."

For more information on Greyhounds As Pets, visit gapnsw.com.au.