CLUB

The Southeastern Greyhound Club has a variety of programs that provide members with opportunities to have fun with their Greyhounds, perform community service, and enjoy fellowship with other Greyhound owners. 

THE ORGANIZATION

PURPOSE

The Southeastern Greyhound Club’s (SEGC’s) by-laws declare that our purpose is two-fold: to provide Greyhound owners with a variety of ways to have fun with their Greyhounds, and to promote the breed by spreading the word about what wonderful pets Greyhounds make. Our members take these purposes quite seriously, and find more ways to fulfill both each year.

FOUNDING

The Southeastern Greyhound Club (SEGC) was founded in 1992 by a group of owners of AKC-registered Greyhounds bred for the show ring. Beginning in 1995, the Club grew tremendously when membership was opened to owners of former racing Greyhounds.

TAX EXEMPT STATUS

The Southeastern Greyhound Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to the Southeastern Greyhound Club in the United States (and also Southeastern Greyhound Adoption, a project of the Southeastern Greyhound Club) are tax-exempt to the extent provided by law.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CLUB

If you have general questions about Southeastern Greyhound Club that are not addressed in other sections of our site, visit our Contact Us page and select Club Inquiry.

JOIN THE CLUB

When you join the Southeastern Greyhound Club, you become part of a large and diverse fellowship of greyhound owners whose combined knowledge and experience in all things Greyhound is truly unique in this country. Tapping into that knowledge and experience, you can do everything from simply becoming a better Greyhound owner to growing into a devoted student of the breed. Club annual dues are $20 for one person and $25 for two or more persons in a single household.

Join or Renew membership now

club activities

The club has a number of ongoing activities. If you want to learn about a particular Greyhound subject or activity, there will be someone you can call on. This diverse collection of interests is what enables the Club to live up to its goal of offering “something for every Greyhound owner.”

GREYHOUND ADOPTION

The Club’s biggest and most popular program is Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA). The mission of Southeastern Greyhound Adoption/Greyhound Pets of America-Atlanta is to find good permanent homes for former racing Greyhounds. In furtherance of this mission, SEGA seeks to educate the public about why Greyhounds make good pets. Visit our Adoption page to learn more.

AGILITY

Agility is an exciting, fast paced sport where dog and handler negotiate a course of jumps, tunnels, seesaws, weave poles, A-Frames, and other obstacles. It is a test of speed, accuracy, athleticism, and communication. It is a pure adrenaline rush and nothing is more enjoyable than you and your dog working together as a team. Agility is an excellent activity for greyhounds that are high drive, food and/or toy motivated, and have energy to spare. It is also a great confidence building activity for those needing a boost in self-esteem. Visit Never Say Never Greyhounds or visit our Contact Us page and select Agility Inquiry.

ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY

The year always ends with the annual Greyhound Gala, a festive and elegant evening of holiday cheer. Approximately 50% of the cost of this party is paid for by your dues. Non-members who attend will pay a slightly higher amount.

ATHLETES HELPING ATHLETES 5k

Southeastern Greyhound Adoption’s annual Athletes Helping Athletes 5K run/walk is held to raise funds to support our efforts to help former Greyhound racers. Visit our Athletes Helping Athletes 5K page to learn more.

CLUB MEETINGS

Quarterly club meetings offer an evening of fellowship with other Greyhound people, along with the occasional speaker or educational program. The annual bring your Greyhound club meeting and picnic at SummerWind Farm is a summer evening of fun, food and the opportunity to see your Greyhound run and play with other Greyhounds in a large fenced area.

FACEBOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

The Facebook Discussion Group serves as the organization’s “meeting place in cyberspace.” The group is the place to post announcements of upcoming events, seek advice on a variety of Greyhound issues, tell funny stories, and mourn the loss of a long-loved hound. The list was founded and designed to be of and for the SEGC/SEGA community, filling a niche not offered by the more general Greyhound interest lists that are out there for all Greyhound owners. New adopters are placed in the group for the first 12 months following their adoption. After that period membership on the list is reserved for active volunteers and/or club members.

GREYFEST

Greyfest, the annual big get-together, includes educational programs, vendors of Greyhound related goods, fun contests, and the attendance of every possible size, color, and age of Greyhound imaginable.

GREYSITTING EXCHANGE

The Greysitting Exchange is a group of SEGC members, who are willing to pet sit your Greyhound(s) while you are away from home. This could be for a day, overnight, a weekend or for a vacation. Read the Greysitting Brochure for more information.

Who Can Use the Exchange?

The use of the Exchange is a benefit of your membership in the Southeastern Greyhound Club (SEGC). So, plan for the unexpected and join the club today! It is not necessary to be a Sitter yourself in order to use the Exchange, though of course the more SEGC members who are willing to sit for others, the better the system works.

How Does the Exchange Work?

All SEGC members can make use of the Exchange by contacting the coordinator (see contact link below), who will provide you with a copy of the current GreySitting Exchange Roster. The Roster is arranged by city to help you locate the closest sitter. You make your own sitting arrangements. Call or email anyone on the list, depending how far you want to drive. You may want to consider meeting with the Sitter before your departure date, to be sure you are all comfortable with the arrangements.

The cost for GreySitting is $5/dog/night for fellow sitters, and $10/dog/night for other SEGC members. There is an obvious benefit to being a member of the GreySitting Exchange!

Users of the service must supply their own and their vet’s contact information, their pet’s food, treats, favorite toys, crate (if necessary), bed (maybe more than one if the Sitter has a two story home) and medications plus instructions. All dogs must be current on their vaccinations. There is a GreySitting Agreement the Sitter may ask you to sign. It is not mandatory, but you should both be familiar with the contents. A copy will be sent to you with the current Roster.

How to Become a Member of the Greysitting Exchange

Contact the coordinator (see contact link below) to have your name added to the Exchange roster. The requirements are:

  • You must be a member of SEGC; and
  • You must have owned a Greyhound for at least six months.

The coordinator will provide you with the information that is needed. When your information is received and membership in SEGC is verified, you will be added to the Exchange roster and emailed a copy. This process may take a few days, so please plan ahead.

For more information about the Exchange, visit our Contact Us page and select Greysitting Exchange Inquiry.

LURE COURSING

Lure coursing is a humane sport that recreates the chase of the hare by the pursuing hound. The “bunny” consists of strips of white plastic attached to a continuous loop line that runs through a series of pulleys to simulate the zigzag path of a rabbit on the run. No wagering is involved! The dogs run for fun and the occasional ribbon or trophy. Coursing is not merely a race. Greyhounds and the other participating sighthound breeds are judged not only on speed, but also on enthusiasm during the course, agility in making turns, how accurately they follow the path of the lure, and their endurance in completing the course.

Some of our members enter their Greyhounds in these events, while others enjoy bringing their dogs to the field as spectators. It is a fun day in the country! For more detailed information, see How to Get Started in Lure Coursing, a magazine article by our own John Parker that originally appeared in Celebrating Greyhounds.

If you have questions about the sport, visit our Contact Us page and select Lure Coursing Inquiry.

OBEDIENCE TRAINING

Obedience training is good for all dogs including Greyhounds. Not only is a well-trained Greyhound a joy to be around, but training also helps to improve communication and the bond between the adopter and his or her pet. When searching for a training class to participate in, find one that is based on positive reinforcement. Visit Grey Matters Greyhounds or our Contact Us page and select Training and Obedience Inquiry if you have any questions.

PET THERAPY PROGRAM

Southeastern Greyhound Club’s Pet Therapy (“Patient Paws”) program is one in which volunteers bring their dogs to a chosen healthcare facility to provide interaction with the residents or patients. Our volunteers visit the residents in their rooms, in the hallways, and in common recreational areas, practically wherever an encounter can occur.  The volunteers assist their Greyhounds in spreading good cheer, tail wags, and warm hugs to all the patients. Join a group near you and make a difference in someone’s life!

Benefits

National studies have confirmed the therapeutic effects of animals upon humans. Pet therapy visitations provide a warm and comforting presence and a relaxing interlude to residents of healthcare facilities. Stroking a pet can aid in relaxation which relieves stress and anxiety and lowers blood pressure. It can also ease the loneliness of the elderly in nursing homes, and help children overcome allergies. Petting also encourages the use of hands and arms thus improving fine motor skills of the elderly and even handicapped children. Residents become more active and responsive both during and after a visit. Our visits offer entertainment and a welcome distraction and provide stimulation to the patients. We often engage in conversations with patients of their lost beloved pets. Patients who may not be friendly to others or to staff often come “out of their shell” when we are present with our dogs.

Click here to read an article from the March 2005 issue of Country Living. It’s not specific to Greyhounds but definitely is a tribute to pet therapy in general. Click here for a perfect pet therapy story.

Greyhounds as Therapy Dogs

Greyhounds are perfect therapy dogs due to their outgoing and friendly nature, gentle and docile disposition, and quiet demeanor. Their height makes them easily accessible to those confined to a hospital bed or those in wheelchairs.  Our dogs work as a team, searching out the next resident to visit and to provide their love to. Their reward is simple…a rub on the head, ear scratches, some “baby talk”…or even a biscuit! Yes, some patients even have their own stash specifically for our pups and they absolutely love it!

Greyhounds were also used as therapy dogs immediately after 9/11 providing comfort to the many rescue workers and the many families waiting to hear news regarding their loved ones near Ground Zero. And they are used in countless other settings–children’s hospitals, burn clinics, Alzheimer care facilities, assisted living facilities, VA hospitals…you name it, they’ve been there!

Our Responsibilities

As representatives of SEGC we provide a service to the residential healthcare facilities that we visit. We must follow the rules and regulations set forth by each individual establishment that we visit.

Patient confidentiality is maintained at all times. Our therapy dogs must be current on all immunizations and records must be provided to each location that we visit. They also must be clean and well-groomed.

Characteristics of good therapy dogs include the willingness to approach people, being well-behaved around people and other dogs, and being calm, tolerant and friendly.

Visits

We have several residential healthcare facilities in Atlanta and surrounding areas that we visit on a regular basis. Dates and times of our visits are included in our calendar. If you attend a visit, when arriving at your location for the first time, always take with you a copy of your dog’s vaccination records and let the host know to expect you. We will also occasionally visit area children’s hospitals. Special outings will be announced on the SEGC Facebook group and be included on the events calendar.

For more information about pet therapy, visit our Contact Us page and select General Inquiry.

Pope High School Greyhound Mascot CLUB

Over the last several years our SEGA Greyhounds and members have become a part of the Greyhound nation at Pope High School and we are officially the Pope mascot team.

For the home high school football games, typically SEGA shows up at 6:30 p.m. (for games with a 7:30 p.m. start). We have reserved parking in the back where the players and cheerleaders park. We get in free with a Greyhound and everyone is excited to see us. We usually stand or sit in the corner of the playing field and can leave whenever we wish once the game starts. Before the game, the cheerleaders each take one hound out onto the field and run with the greyhound in front of the team as they come out. The cheerleader then brings our hound back to us and we hang around as folks come and pet the hounds.

You can stay at the game for as long as you wish. Caution: if your hound is skittish in crowds or loud noises, this activity will not be enjoyable for him/her and is risky for them to be there in case they bolt and try to run or back out of their collar.)

If you have questions, visit our Contact Us page and select Meet and Greet Inquiry. We hope you’ll be part of our Pope High School Greyhound Mascot Club!

RUNNING MATES

The Running Mates program is designed to provide new adopters with an experienced Greyhound owner for post-adoption support. Visit our Volunteer page to learn more about the Running Mates program.

VOLUNTEERING

It takes a tremendous amount of individuals and labor-hours “behind the scenes” to receive the Greyhounds from the track, and to clean, feed, and care for the dogs prior to their adoption. You can get involved and assist our efforts to find these wonderful hounds good homes in a variety of ways. Visit our Volunteer page to learn more.