From Anatomy Lab to Greyhound Advocate
When Dr Jan first met a Greyhound, it wasn’t in a home, a park or even a veterinary clinic. It was in a university anatomy lab.
“I walked in and there were multiple tables, with a dead Greyhound on each for our anatomy class,” she says.
“Healthy-looking dogs. It was overwhelming.”
At the time, Jan was a veterinary student at Sydney University, driven by a lifelong love of animals and a deep sense of responsibility to protect them. She had grown up with dogs, inspired by a grandfather who wrote poetry about animals and believed that they deserved kindness, not cruelty.
 |
| Where it all began: Dr. Jan meeting Greyc for the first time at Greyhound Rescue in Bargo, NSW |
Today, that Greyhound is Greyc.
With National Greyhound Adoption Month running throughout April, Jan encourages anyone considering a new dog to look at the 'gentle giants' of the canine world.
For those ready to meet their match, special nationwide adoption events are being held over the weekend of April 18–19, providing the perfect opportunity to see their social and quiet nature first-hand.
Finding Her Calling: The Evolution of a Career in Care
Jan always wanted to be a vet, even when practicalities got in the way.
“I hated science. Chemistry, physics — I just didn’t get it. I actually gave it up and thought I’d become a lawyer like my father.”
That changed one afternoon on Sydney’s northern beaches, shortly after she’d got her licence. Jan came across a dog that had been hit by a car. Strangers were gathered around, doing their best to help.
“I remember thinking: ‘I need to be the person who knows what to do’.”
 |
| From theory to practice: Dr. Jan’s decades of experience in the clinic have always centred on compassionate care, no matter the breed. |
She went back to school, switched to biology, and eventually fought her way through veterinary science — even taking a year off university to study chemistry and physics at TAFE so she could keep up.
“It was hard,” she says. “I’m very sensitive. Veterinary training in those days involved doing things that didn’t always sit comfortably with an animal lover. It was quite traumatic. Luckily a lot of things have changed now.”
That included euthanising her first animal — a Greyhound. Trainers would bring in their unwanted Greyhounds for the students to practise euthanasia on.
“I still remember holding his paw,” she says. “He was gentle. Sweet. That was when it really hit me what these dogs are like.”
Life on the Margins
For much of Jan’s working life, Greyhounds existed on the edges. At the RSPCA, she encountered them again — this time as blood donors, housed quietly out the back, called upon to save other dogs’ lives.
“They were well-treated, but they weren't living in homes either. They were just… there.”
Like many vets, Jan never actively chose most of her dogs.
They arrived by circumstance — a German Shepherd abandoned by flatmates, a one-eyed Pomeranian who needed care, a Cavoodle returned to a pet shop because of a heart condition. Animals, she says, have always found her.
But after her Cavoodle died young, Jan realised something had shifted. “For the first time in my life, I thought: ‘I can actually choose the dog I want’.”
Treating a beautiful Greyhound patient called Hoover and sponsoring a Greyhound through her business contented Jan’s thinking. She knew what her next dog would be.
Softness and Firsts
During COVID, Jan made the trip to ‘Greysland’: Greyhound Rescue’s kennels at Bargo, just outside Sydney.
“And then I met Greyc.”
Greyc climbed into the back of the car, lay down, and slept the entire way home.
 |
| Greyc exploring the natural world, sniffing through tall grass and enjoying her retirement from the racing industry. |
“When we arrived, she went straight out to the yard, did a wee, and that was it. She just fitted.”
Greyc had never seen stairs. Didn’t understand what a dog bed was. Had no idea what toys were.
“I had to put treats on the bed so she’d step onto it,” Jan says. “She’d just lie on the floor otherwise. She’d never known softness.”
“She’s the calmest dog I’ve ever owned,” Jan says. “She’s quiet, gentle, undemanding. She’s like a cross between a dog, cat and a horse.”
Greyc rarely barks. She’s content with walks and long naps. She greets Jan every morning with quiet devotion.
“She’s just easy. And joyful.”
From 60 to Zero: The World’s Fastest Couch Potatoes
Jan is quick to dispel common myths.
“Most Greyhounds don’t need endless exercise. They’re sprinters, not marathon runners. Two walks a day and a soft bed? They’re thrilled.
“They’re ideal for apartments and townhouses. They’re clean, quiet, affectionate, and — contrary to their racing image — most are quite relaxed. Most people are shocked by how lazy they are.”
As a vet, she does recommend seeking out a Greyhound-savvy veterinarian, as the breed has specific medical quirks. But she’s unequivocal in her advice:
“If you’re thinking about a Greyhound, adopt through a rescue. You’ll be matched carefully, and you’ll know what you’re taking on. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
A Global Problem for a Gentle Breed
Like many adopters, Jan’s advocacy grew alongside her love for her dog.
“When you live with a Greyhound, you start wanting to know where they came from,” she says.
What she learned disturbed her. Each year, thousands of Greyhounds are bred for racing in Australia. Only a fraction ever make it into homes. Many are discarded when they’re no longer considered profitable. Hundreds are killed or injured during racing each year.
After retiring from full-time veterinary work, Jan finally had time to act on her long-held animal welfare convictions. She became involved with the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, supporting campaigns to improve welfare standards and to work towards an end to greyhound racing in Australia.
“It’s about shining a light on a system that causes harm — and showing that there’s a kinder alternative.”
Jan is particularly troubled by the fact that Greyhounds and other sighthounds are mistreated well beyond Australia’s borders.
“It’s heart-breaking,” she says. “These dogs were once revered. Now, all over the world, they’re abused because they’re seen as disposable.”
In Spain, tens of thousands of Galgos — close cousins of Greyhounds — are abandoned or killed by hunters at the end of each season. Rescue organisations like Galgos del Sol work tirelessly to save, rehabilitate and rehome these gentle dogs.
“These dogs are gentle,” Jan says. “They don’t fight back. They freeze. And that makes them vulnerable. It’s a global shame. Such a sensitive, loving breed, treated so cruelly.”
A Hopeful Future
National Greyhound Adoption Month is about exactly that: hope. Across Australia, independent rescue organisations work tirelessly to rehome dogs like Greyc — dogs who have never known a couch, a toy or a family, but who adapt with astonishing grace once given the chance.
Jan believes every adoption is quietly powerful.
“When you bring a Greyhound into your home, you’re not just gaining a beautiful companion,” she says. “You’re changing the ending of their story.
“She’s living proof of what these dogs can be — and what they deserve.”
written by Sue Osborne, CPG Volunteer, March 2026 for Australian Dog Lover
About Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds
Learn more by visiting:
Do you have your own "happily ever after" story? In an industry often marked by hardship, sharing tales of hope and healing is vital. If you have a story of adopting or fostering a Greyhound, CPG would love to hear from you.
Please email your stories & images to info@greyhoundcoalition.com.
Follow the journey:
Instagram:
@coalitionprotectgreyhounds
How to Help
If you want to adopt, foster, or donate, please visit these organisations:
