By XAVIER SMERDON
AS A racer Romy the greyhound was less than good, but she will always be a winner in her owner Fran’s eyes.
Back when she was known as Snazzy Fizzle, Romy lost all three of the races she was entered in.
Luckily, Fran Stivey from Werribee had decided she wanted a new best friend and adopted Romy through the Greyhound Adoption Program in Seymour.
“She was so good right from the word go,” Ms Stivey said.
“She’s a very loving dog. A lot of people are worried they will be too big, but she is just so gentle and affectionate.”
Ms Stivey contacted Star after it was revealed that a Werribee vet had created an online petition that had gone viral, calling on the exportation of greyhounds to China to be stopped.
“I thought that was just dreadful. I wanted to gather them all up,” she said.
Animal Welfare Manager at Greyhound Racing Victoria who run the Greyhound Adoption Program, Dr Linda Beer, told Star the dogs made excellent pets.
“There are a lot of misconceptions that they are athletic and need a lot of exercise when in fact the opposite is true,” Dr Beer said.
“They are a sprint athlete, so they run very fast for about 30 to 40 seconds and then they need to have a lay down. In general they are very lazy.”
Dr Beer said all dogs rehomed by the Greyhound Adoption Program had their temperaments assessed so they could be matched with the perfect owners.
As for Romy, no amount of lost races will stop her from being a champion as far as Fran is concerned.
For more information on adopting a greyhound visit gap.grv.org.au
