Prison Greyhounds

Prison Greyhounds Adopting out the often overlooked field trial racing greyhound; known in the midwest as the lurcher
We service Indiana, and *parts* of Ohio, Illinois.

Prison Greyhounds is a 501c3 (nonprofit) that finds appropriate homes for greyhounds and lurchers. This includes the retired racers, plus the farm greyhounds that never raced. Our most immediate (and newest) focus now is the greyhound lurcher mix. These lurchers are the forgotten underdogs of the greyhound world. Special focus continues to be given to those with special needs. We have always encou

raged the adoption of greyhounds that might get overlooked, perhaps because of age, medical history, past injury, a personality quirk. Now we add the promotion of the greyhound underdogs with mixed breed heritage. As the retired racers are becoming scarce and in high demand from adopters, our attention shifts to greyhound mixed lurchers that no one seems to notice. Our history, and our pro-racing position are fully explained below. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Prison Greyhounds is all-volunteer. Before the racing greyhound became scarce, our prison program helped to rehabilitate offenders before they were released into our community. A team of offender-handlers in Putnamville Correctional Facility transitioned the greyhound from professional athlete to family pet. The dogs provided a calming effect on the entire prison population. We covered the entire expense of this program; there were no tax dollars funding any part. We also covered all veterinary expenses, including spay / neuter, vaccinations, heartworm preventive, dental cleaning, and we still do. We paid for food, bedding, curriculum, toys, crates, all supplies for the dogs as well as their handlers. We provided curriculum, and volunteers to coach the offenders every week. We found responsible families that adopted the greyhounds upon graduation. However, in 2021 our prison program had to be stopped. Sadly, there are simply not enough available greyhounds, and covid stopped our prison fostering program even faster. The delivery of the remaining greyhounds is no longer on regular predictable schedule that is conducive to a prison program. Offender-dog handlers would remain idle between deliveries of greyhounds. So we now utilize only volunteer foster homes to transition greyhounds to their next forever homes. But this is how we came to be known as Prison Greyhounds. That is our history. PRISON GREYHOUNDS POSITION ON GREYHOUND RACING
Prison Greyhounds took the official position that we are “for responsible greyhound racing.” We arrived at this pro-racing stance years ago. We have worked with the racetracks and kennel personnel to find homes for their retired greyhounds. They entrusted their precious retirees to us. We have developed friendships, and a working relationship (not a combative one) with the racing industry. We have been inside some of the racing kennels, seen the greyhound farms where the pups are raised, visited the race tracks, known some of the trainers, owners, breeders. We believe greyhounds benefit from their life as a racer. And therefore, we believe their future adopters benefit from racing also. We trust the kennel workers to share with us the special needs or quirks that any of our dogs might have, if any. We want our greyhounds to be adopted by people who come to understand and love the breed and their unique characteristics, not because they “feel sorry for them”, not because they want to “rescue” them. The NGA greyhound does not need a rescue, just a retirement home.

Topper needs his "Home For The Holidays"!HELLO EVERYONE! Today I get my microchip so I am now ready to get adopted! (Top...
10/20/2025

Topper needs his "Home For The Holidays"!
HELLO EVERYONE! Today I get my microchip so I am now ready to get adopted! (Topper – black, male field trial greyhound, born Sept. 28, 2020; age 5. Small dog safe with most small dogs!!! Great with kids and teens, as well as adults. His field trial person was a teenager. He would be a great family dog. Topper weighs about 68 pounds. Topper is a friendly, happy, tail wagging boy. Pretty energetic still. He loves to run. Topper has a heart murmur (grade 2 out of 6) so he even saw a cardiologist, who said his heart isn't enlarge, and no medications are necessary. He will enjoy a good full life of zoomies and running off leash in his own fenced yard! Vicki says “Topper is just one of the happiest guys you will ever meet. To meet him is to love him.” If he gets real excited, he is a smiler! )

SANTA's other NEW ARRIVAL:Gingerbread! This is the 14-month old field trial girl who previously had no name. She arrive...
10/19/2025

SANTA's other NEW ARRIVAL:
Gingerbread! This is the 14-month old field trial girl who previously had no name. She arrived all the way from Oklahoma! So Santa named her Gingerbread. (After the holidays if her adopter wants to just call her Ginger, Santa said that's okay.) She is snow white with gingerbread colored spots! And just as sweet as her name. She has a whole lot of NGA in her, except Daddy was a greyhound mix. She did give a grumbly growl to baby Edith for being so whiney in the red van. So we think Gingerbread is the more confident of the 2, acting as the mother, but time will tell. You can't judge a greyhound from the first day they arrive. They have both entered into a new world, transitioning from the sport of field trial racing to the life of a future family pet! Santa assured them they will love it. And they have Volunteer Vicki and her elf helpers to guide them on the way. They both need a "Home For The Holidays" so we are going to find out a whole lot more about these 2 in the days ahead. Ho ho ho! Do you have a new dog on your Christmas wish list?

Santa's NEWEST ARRIVALS:Edith has arrived and is looking for a "Home For The Holidays"! Yesterday, there was a field ...
10/19/2025

Santa's NEWEST ARRIVALS:
Edith has arrived and is looking for a "Home For The Holidays"! Yesterday, there was a field trial race pretty close by. So American Lurcher Project sent Vicki in her little red van to pick up both Edith and Gingerbread! The greyhounds thought it was Santa Claus himself coming to fly them away! And maybe it was - Santa does have quite a few disguises. Edith was pretty confident, until the magical van reached the retirement kennel where they stopped off for check-in and loving. Edith was not too sure about getting out of the magical van. She was hoping that she could just magically arrive in a new forever home. So Vicki had to help her out of the van. Edith was reluctant to enter the strange building. It did not look like Santa's Toy Factory. She whined a little. But she discovered that the staff inside had some great neck scritches for her! Just the right spot! So she knew at that moment they were really elves in disguise. (Edith is only 12 months old. She was born a field trial greyhound on 10/8/2024. Her field trial owner realized that "Edith just won't make a field trial racing hound. But she can be a great family pet." We will learn more about her, including how she feels about kids and cats. All that is too soon to know, but we expect at her young age she will probably be cat safe.)

DOG DAYS AT THE MAZE closed down early! Our tent blew away!!! So we will just post a few more of the new adoptables here...
10/19/2025

DOG DAYS AT THE MAZE closed down early! Our tent blew away!!! So we will just post a few more of the new adoptables here instead. Thanks for organizing this event for us Stephanie & Piper!

Black Diamond (Cashel’s Black Diamond) – This senior guy is our Holiday Surprise! A very special, striking black gem of ...
10/18/2025

Black Diamond (Cashel’s Black Diamond) – This senior guy is our Holiday Surprise! A very special, striking black gem of a greyhound with white diamond frost on his face. We didn’t know he was coming! One day out of the blue we received a request from a lady who has been fostering him since July. He was born May 22, 2016 so he is 9½ years of age. Black Diamond is 100% greyhound, he has both NGA blood (racing blood) as well as AKC greyhound, from Irish descent. Registered thru AKC, but not with NGA. (Not that it matters to an adopter!) A young lady in Ohio bought him from a greyhound breeder in Colorado when he was a 6-month-old pup. Fast forward 9 years – the owner gets married and the new husband is not a fan of canines, and they move to a new home that is not conducive to big dogs. So the greyhound was trying to make his way back to the breeder, as the contract required. But he got sidelined midway in Noblesville because transportation is always the challenge. So Prison Greyhounds has now been entrusted with the rehoming of Black Diamond. An arrangement that everyone was happy with. First step was to confirm that Black Diamond really is as friendly, confident, outgoing, congenial as we were told. Both with humans as well as other dogs! He will chase cats though – and that is also part of the problem because his “short term” foster home has 5 cats, 4 greyhounds, and 1 doberman that already live there as residents. Step 2 is that Black Diamond will see Dr Carter this week for his NEUTER, as well as probably 1st dental ever, senior wellness panel, and microchip. Why the greyhound was never neutered before is another mystery from his past. The only other thing that a new adopter might have a challenge with is that he does not crate well. He is used to free roaming, and he will counter surf or raid the trash, if left unsupervised and precautions are not taken. He is very food motivated – loves anything edible! But this holiday season, whoever finds Black Diamond napping under their Christmas Tree will have many good memories for the years to come. He will still need time to transition into a new house, but the affection he gives will be priceless. Applications being accepted now, keep following his story to find out how his happy ending will unfold.

"Santa" Smokie: I am changing my name, just for the holiday season. I added the "Santa" part! I would love to be a reind...
10/18/2025

"Santa" Smokie: I am changing my name, just for the holiday season. I added the "Santa" part! I would love to be a reindeer pulling Santa on his sled so maybe I get some adoption attention. Santa can check his list to see who is naughty and nice. I only want the NICE adopters of course. And a fenced yard big enough for me to run zoomies in. And a bed inside the house, which means no cats inside. And no kids either. Other big dogs are fine but not required. I love toys also! Part of my problem, one big reason that no one has adopted me still is that I am in a kennel fostering on the Indiana, Ohio border. Very few people want to make the trip. I could be happy even as the ONLY dog. As long as I have YOU, and a bed inside, and even some leash walks. I love hiking! My personality - friendly, I like to study you at first and then quickly become your friend. Sometimes I bond quicker to women -- but not always. My very best friend from the past was a guy named Bob that I raced for. But I really am an affectionate, inquisitive guy. I travel in a car pretty good also. (Santa Smokie is a 4 year old field trial greyhound. A greyhound lurcher. Watch the video on our website to see the races he competed in. Born 7/3/2021. He weighs 70 pounds. FULLY vetted and microchipped. His adoption fee is $300.)

10/17/2025

Needs a Home For The Holidays!
MOOSE is coming soon to Prison Greyhounds in Indiana. Moose is a 5-year-old black male. Born 11/22/2019. A nervous traveler so he retired from racing - he gets up and down, whines, etc. (Racing required long hauls from NY to Ohio!) Good with barn cats and small jack russel dogs. Gets along good with other dogs. Described as a true lover! Adoption Applications and requirements can be found on our website! Wonderful opportunity here for adopters!

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NGA finds her Home For The Holidays!Wanda (MCU Wandamxmoff) – Meet Wanda! NGA greyhound 53B-75670. Only 6 races, all at ...
10/16/2025

NGA finds her Home For The Holidays!
Wanda (MCU Wandamxmoff) – Meet Wanda! NGA greyhound 53B-75670. Only 6 races, all at TriState, zero wins! But she still had an adopter choose her in time that she will celebrate Thanksgiving in her new house! She was born 5/31/2023, so she is 2-years-old. Wanda is a little girl with a big personality. She might come off as shy at first, but don't be fooled. As soon as she adjusts to you (maybe in a day or 2) she will be your best friend. And your entertainment. Did we mention she howls? Sirens and some other noises (like us going "oooo" at her) cause her to let out a long, musical howl at the sky! Wanda loves other dogs, but she should be kept away from cats. They are too tempting! She loves to run her crazy zoomies in the yard, and then when she is done, she will scrape out a little bed in the sand and plop right in for a nap. When the sun is out, she will also lay flat in the sand and bake like a cookie in the sun. After her initial adjustment period, Wanda will follow you around everywhere you go and want to take part in everything you do. She's a super sweet girl and loves everyone she meets once she is used to them! (Adoptions of NGA greyhounds are only approved for previous greyhound adopters in our area. Adoption fees start at $800 and vary depending on West Virginia vetting costs. All of our NGA greyhounds are coming from Wheeling Island, one of the only 2 remaining NGA greyhound racetracks left in America.)

JAKE needs his HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!Jake - He was surrendered on 8/30/2025 to American Lurcher Project with his litt...
10/15/2025

JAKE needs his HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Jake - He was surrendered on 8/30/2025 to American Lurcher Project with his littermate John from his original owner in Hillsboro, Ohio. Jake’s original owner had gotten into some circumstances that he was not able to care for the dogs. He asked for help, and American Lurcher Project responded. (These photos were taken when he arrived in August.) ALP was entrusted with several of his hounds, and Jake is the last to adopt. Jake was born May 2022, so he is 3. Jake is very tall, long, and arrived way too thin. His weight was 68 pounds on arrival. Like his littermate, Jake got extra food and supplements. The former owner of John and Jake planned to use them for hunting. They were NOT field trial racers. A new chapter in their lives has begun. Jake is still waiting at Celina Pet Center and available for pre-approved adopters to meet him or foster him. (But no “foster-with-intent-to-adopt” please!) He has a tendency to get “happy tail” so he needs either an arrangement with a great dane sized crate (during his transition towards no crating at all), or perhaps an exercise pen. He needs a little more space than the typical greyhound crates. A small crate can bring back his “happy tail” wounds. Worth noting - Jake is very calm and easy to walk. Jake is obviously only part greyhound, as you can tell from his coloring. (We don’t know what the rest of his is and I am personally a skeptic of all those DNA tests that some of you love to do! So we will not be testing him!) He loves people and is good with bigger dogs. We have not yet had a chance to test Jake with small dogs nor with cats. (Littermate John was previously adopted to some of our folks. He settled in right away and because of the way he mastered the stairs on first attempts we suspect they both had access to a home previously.) Submit your application through the Prison Greyhounds website.

Onyx: I settled in pretty fast. Even my Foster Dad Andy was impressed. He says I am not a shy dog at all, I just need a ...
10/14/2025

Onyx: I settled in pretty fast. Even my Foster Dad Andy was impressed. He says I am not a shy dog at all, I just need a day or so to size up my surroundings. I can be pretty chill for my age. There are 3 NGA greyhounds here to show me how wonderful life in a house is. And although I was nervous on arrival, I an doing very well in my transition to a house pet. I still need to get cat tested, but that should happen next week when the "Cat Volunteer" gets home from vacation. I am actually expected to be cat tolerable or cat workable. Oh the suspense! I was born on Christmas Eve. This next one I will turn 3 years old! Where will I be hanging my stocking? (Onyx is a friendly, easy going field trial greyhound. He is 63 pounds. Once he knows you are his friend, the fun starts!)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (with or without your hound!)
10/13/2025

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (with or without your hound!)

Topper – black, male field trial greyhound, born Sept. 28, 2020; age 5. Small dog safe with most small dogs!!! Great wit...
10/13/2025

Topper – black, male field trial greyhound, born Sept. 28, 2020; age 5. Small dog safe with most small dogs!!! Great with kids and teens, as well as adults. His field trial person was a teenager. He would be a great family dog. Topper weighs about 68 pounds. Topper is a friendly, happy, tail wagging boy. Pretty energetic still. Found running loose in the woods. He was found limping, and then was surrendered on 7/8/25 to American Lurcher Project so he could get the vet help he needed. It turned out to be pretty minor. The vet took x-rays and found that he had an infection in two toes on a front foot. The limping stopped as soon as he got the antibiotic he needed. He loves to run now. Topper has a heart murmur (grade 2 out of 6) so he even saw a cardiologist, who said his heart isn't enlarge, and no medications are necessary. He will enjoy a good full life of zoomies and running off leash in his own fenced yard! Vicki says “Topper is just one of the happiest guys you will ever meet. To meet him is to love him.” If he gets real excited, he is a smiler!

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Our Story- A new race. A new life.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Prison Greyhounds is an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit organization. We are both the adoption group, and the group that runs the prison foster program. We bring up retired racers that are in the prime of their life, and match them with specially selected offenders within an Indiana prison. (All of our prison greyhounds are inside one Indiana prison; Putnamville Correctional Facility.) The dogs will be fostered, loved, and learn good house manners. Upon graduation, we adopt the greyhounds to forever homes in our community. Their offender-handlers gain job skills and teamwork experience. This program offers many rehabilitative benefits to the handlers before they are released into our community. A team of offender-handlers will transition the dogs for life outside of a racing kennel, thus ensuring a more successful adoption. The dogs provide a calming effect on the entire prison population. We provide curriculum, volunteers to coach the offenders and all necessary supplies including dog food, bedding and leashes, and transport from Florida. We pay all veterinary expenses, including spay / neuter treatment, full dental, all vaccinations, de-worming and heart-worm preventive. We find responsible families that will adopt the greyhounds upon graduation. The handlers then receive a new former racer to repeat the process. We also promote the adoption of harder to place greyhounds that retired from racing injuries, or those with physical challenges. These special greyhounds often get overlooked. We foster these ex-racers in volunteer homes. We are an independent adoption group, not affiliated with any other prison foster program. We believe that greyhounds (and their adopters) benefit from their life as a racer, and we support responsible greyhound racing.

For information on how to adopt from us, if you are local (Indiana) please visit our website. www.prisongreyhounds.org Our adoption process, and the adoption forms, can only be found on the website.