Auburn Journal : Top Stories

'Greyhound Hotel' open to orphaned dogs
Auburn home doubles as a refuge for former racing canines

If you were an orphaned greyhound, Shana Laursen's foster home for ex-racing dogs wouldn't be a bad place to go.

"This is the Greyhound Hotel," said her husband, Andy Laursen, giving a tour of the foster home on the couple's north Auburn property Saturday.

The building is air conditioned with heated panels in the floor and can house 14 dogs in separate fenced pens.

But the only better place for the dogs would be a loving, permanent home.

So far, 60 dogs have been adopted from this facility. Many of them returned Sunday for a Reunion of the Greyhounds.

Shana Laursen started serving as a foster greyhound mom last year for Greyhound Friends for Life, a Bay Area-based group that helps find homes for ex-racing dogs. Group members say greyhounds are over-bred by the racing industry and cast-off the minute they fail to be profitable.

"We've had to get creative about getting the message out there," Laursen said of her efforts in spreading awareness about greyhounds' need for homes. "I take them walking in neighborhoods that might be condusive to owning greyhounds and they draw a lot of attention. People start asking questions."

Colleen and Brian Thornton, of Mountain View, Calif., adopted their grey Chloe in November.

"She's such a mellow, low-maintenance dog," Colleen Thornton said at the reunion. "Everyone who sees her thinks I must have been walking her all day. And she doesn't bark, which is great about greyhounds."

After reading an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about adopting greyhounds, the Thorntons were attracted to the idea of giving a home to the ex-racers.

They were referred to Shana to find a greyhound that was a perfect match

"It's such a wonderful thing she has done here," said Susan Netboy, founder of Greyhound Friends for Life. "She's one of the best foster moms ever."

Laursen is able to take more dogs than most foster homes, which can only take two to three at a time, she said.

"With this kind of facility, she can be very active in adoptions and match the right dog to the right person," Netboy said.

The Journal's Michelle Miller can be reached at michellem@goldcountrymedia.com.