A dog that does not race well may retire from racing when it is just two years old. Until the 1980s, most racing greyhounds were euthanized at the end of their careers. By some estimates, this was as many as 60,000 dogs a year.

However, during the 1980s, a concerted effort was made by the dog racing industry and by animal rights groups to allow retired greyhounds to be adopted. The efforts began slowly; in 1991, for example, there were about 52,000 greyhounds born, but only 7,000 were adopted. However, thanks to the efforts of more than 200 adoption groups, more and more dogs are being placed in homes after they finish racing. Additionally, the number of puppies born each year has decreased.

The American Greyhound Council says that about 90 percent of all retired dogs are now either adopted or sent to breeding farms to retire. Those dogs that cannot be placed in adoption or breeding programs are euthanized by licensed veterinarians following guidelines from the American Veterinary Medical Association. However, the Council says, "The industry has committed to reducing breeding and expanding adoption efforts until 100 percent of all adoptable greyhounds can be placed in loving homes after retirement."

The American Greyhound Track Owners Association (AGTOA) has donated money to adoption groups in order to make sure that dogs are adopted, and a number of individual tracks have contributed to the effort as well.

Although a family may sometimes adopt a pet directly from a racing owner or from a track's in-house adoption program, it is more likely that the process will be handled by an independent adoption group. Because these groups are located all around the country, it is not necessary to live close to a track in order to adopt a dog.

It typically costs anywhere from $100 to $250 to adopt a greyhound. This usually includes the cost of surgery for spaying or neutering.

While all dogs have their own personalities, greyhounds are usually gentle and are good dogs for children. This may be partly from the fact that they have been around humans all of their lives -- veterinarians, trainers, track officials, racing fans -- and so have learned to get along well with diverse groups of people.