Volunteer Guidelines


First of all, we want to thank you for taking time from your busy lives to help us and more importantly, to help the greyhounds. With all of us working together, we can make a difference in the number of these wonderful animals who find loving homes. In order for us to be as consistent and professional as possible, we have put together some guidelines for everyone to follow while we are in the public eye.

  1. Going Home Greyhounds History: Going Home Greyhounds (GHG) is an all volunteer, non-profit greyhound adoption organization that was founded by Jane Drellow and Ruth Patrick in 1995. GHG became incorporated in August of 1997 and acquired its 501C3 status for 2002. It now takes the cooperation of a dedicated group of people on a daily basis to keep up with all aspects of adoption demands.
  2. Racing Policy: While we agree that each volunteer has every right to his or her feelings relative to racing, GHG is a pro-racing group. When representing GHG in any capacity, please do not put forth your personal political views.
  3. Greyhounds: As much as we welcome everyone’s desire to volunteer, you need to ask yourself if your greyhound will enjoy this as well as make a suitable meet and greet helper. Does your greyhound seem comfortable around strange people? Is your dog safe with small animals approaching them? Will they tolerate small children hugging, pulling, or sitting with them? Are they space intolerant and growl? This should be a fun day for you as well as your grey, not to mention the liability issues at hand. Remember that you can be fined $300 on the spot if you do not have your county license tags on your dogs collar! Please make sure you have the correct type of collar on your greyhound (martingale or humane choke).
  4. Schedule: If you have any questions regarding your schedule, need to change your day, or simply can’t make it, please call the Meet and Greet Coordinator ASAP!!!!! We also need to know if you plan on bringing an extra person or dog along because some store managers or event organizers limit us to only two dogs and two people. Please refrain from coming to any Meet and Greet location with your dog(s) unless you are scheduled to volunteer at that event. Our liability insurance only covers those people and events that we have scheduled. If you are scheduled for a specific shift, we would appreciate it if you stay the entire time so no one is left alone.
  5. Where to Stand: The general public must be able to access our pamphlets and entire table. Please stand off to the side, stay close to the table, and keep in mind that you are more approachable when you are standing rather than sitting. Many people are simply casual browsers and are only interested in looking at pictures or petting the dogs, so please try to refrain from using a “salesman technique” or telling too many stories about your own dog, unless of course you’re asked.
  6. Keep Answers General: We have found in the past that placement seems to improve (dog not being returned) if we are not so extreme in our opinions about how perfect this breed is for adoption. Of course we all think greyhounds are the ultimate companions, but not all are as easy to adjust to home life as others, and not everyone may be as willing to work through transitional problems. Be aware that all greyhounds may not behave exactly like yours and try to make that a point when answering questions (i.e. “My dog does this “______” but not all greyhounds may be like mine”). Let people know that we try to learn as much as possible about each dog in foster care so we may match the right dog with the right family. It’s helpful for the more seriously interested adopter to know that some dogs go through separation anxiety when being left alone if they do not have other pets or work long hours, and that not all of them are good around small children or small animals. If you do not know how to answer a question, please don’t hesitate to just say “I don’t know.” No information is better than misinformation! Feel free when you get home to call and ask what an appropriate answer may be for the next time.
  7. Donations: If you notice someone putting a donation in the canister, please thank them. Please be sure to leave the donation bin securely on the table so people can get to it easily and remember to keep it in your sight. If someone asks you what the donation money is used for, you can tell them it is used for foster dog care and helps defray our operating expenses. You can re-read the tri-fold pamphlet if you have forgotten, and reassure people that everyone involved with GHG is a volunteer – there are no paid positions. Last, but not least, please refrain from counting the money until you are home.

Thank you for all your help!