Want a pet? Take the greyhound

Sleeping on large plush pillows, Fred and Pat Sendra’s four greyhound dogs are the epitome of pampered pets.

But eight years ago, before the Costa Mesa couple adopted them, the dogs were not living in a loving home as they are now.

Gracie, Shadow, Willow and Dandy were racing dogs at tracks in Mexico and Colorado.

The dogs, forced to race in this gambling industry, were kept in cages and only let out a few times a day to relieve themselves.

Through their volunteer work at the Greyhound Adoption Center, a nonprofit rescue group in San Diego, the Sendras rescued the dogs and adopted them.

Dandy came from a track in Colorado, the other three from tracks in Mexico.

The greyhound racing business produces a surplus of dogs annually, Fred Sendra said. When the dogs are no longer useful and cannot run fast enough, most are killed, he said.

The Greyhound Adoption Center works with racing handlers who turn over the dogs to the rescue group.

The dogs are then taken to a facility in San Diego where they are cared for until they are placed in a loving home.

“I don’t mind people playing the lottery, but these dogs have no choice whatsoever,” Fred Sendra said.

The Sendras, life-long animal lovers, want to bring awareness to the group’s cause. Through their volunteer work, they want to dispel misconceptions about the elegant, gentle dogs.

For example, greyhounds don’t need to run or be kept outdoors. The best exercise for them is walking, and former racing greyhounds are strictly indoor dogs, the Sendras said.

“This is the ultimate house companion,” Pat Sendra said while petting Shadow. “They are such loving beings.”

The Sendras, both retired, began their volunteer work for greyhounds 10 years ago, when they were looking for a worthwhile cause they could do together. Their work includes answering questions from callers and helping find homes for the dogs.

They also take their dogs to schools in Santa Ana and San Diego to educate children about greyhounds.

The couple said they find the work rewarding.

In the decade since they began volunteering, greyhound racing has become less popular in the United States.

“The racing industry here in the U.S. is diminishing, but unfortunately in parts of Asia, in Thailand, it’s picking up,” Fred Sendra said. “They also breed a lot of dogs in Australia.”

When choosing to adopt a greyhound, Sendra advises to do some homework.

“One of the biggest things that we emphasize is to take time to understand the breed,” he said. “Don’t get a dog because it’s a fad or trendy. Get it because you really want a greyhound.”

For information on adopting a greyhound, making a donation or volunteering for the Greyhound Adoption Center, call (877) 478-8364 or go to www.houndsavers.org.