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Great Global Greyhound Walk is coming to Gippsland at Agnes Brereton Park, Traralgon on 24 September 2023

LVGG, an informal collective, is organising the 2023 Global Greyhound Walk in Gippsland. Founded in Nov 2022, it has quickly grown to 22 dogs attending monthly walks from Agnes Brereton Reserve, covering a 3km path along Traralgon Creek.

By news@gippsland - 12th September 2023 - Back to News

Latrobe Valley Greyhound Group (LVGG) is hosting the 2023 Great Global Greyhound Walk in Gippsland. The group is an unincorporated group that meets several times a month for walks and activities in and around the Latrobe Valley. The Group began in November 2022 with 3 Greyhounds and a Whippet and has already grown to an average of 22 dogs attending monthly walks.

Aligning with the 'Say Hello' campaign the core mission of Latrobe Valley Greyhound Group (LVGG) is to foster a safe, inclusive space, starting with a warm welcome joining the community

LVGG purpose

The purpose of Latrobe Valley Greyhound Group ( LVGG ) is to:

• Provide a safe and inclusive environment to socialise our pet Greyhounds
• Support new owners as they transition their Greyhound to life as a pet
• Increase Greyhound Adoption in the region through support of local adoption agencies
• Represent Gippsland through participation in the Great Global Greyhound Walk

The Great Global Greyhound Walk began in 2010 with the aim of promoting Greyhounds as pets and it went International in 2014. In 2022, 10 620 Sighthounds participated in 432 walks in 29 Countries. Currently, the Gippsland walk in Traralgon is one of 8 registered in Victoria and 37 Walks in Australia for 2023. Australia contributed 1,763 sighthounds in 59 Walks. The theme this year is 'Flags' and there will be prizes for best dressed Greyhounds.

Our Walk leaves from Agnes Brereton Reserve at 9.30am and will return approximately 3 km along the Traralgon Creek path. The Adoption Day will be held from 10.30am at Food Co. and will include a range of activities and stalls, including the Mobile Vet and a Dog Wash. Everyone is welcome to come and find out more about rehoming a Greyhound from Toongabbie Lodge and Racing 2 Rehome.

Gippsland on global stage

Gippsland will be represented on the global stage when through participation in the 2023 Great Global Greyhound Walk in Traralgon on
Sunday 24 September.

LVGG are calling for all current Greyhound owners across Gippsland to join them and be counted in Gippsland's contribution to the Worldwide figures. Our aim is to have 50 greyhounds walking in our inaugural year.

Say Hello to a Greyhound

The Latrobe Health Assembly's Hello. Campaign has partnered with LVGG to showcase the impact of a friendly Hello. can have on our community. There is no better way to say Hello. than by walking a Greyhound and joining a Community Group.

Social connections play a vital role in our mental health and overall wellbeing. They help prevent mental illness and enable us to live fulfilling lives. These connections include the friends we confide in, the family we belong to, and the community we call home.

Community bonds thrive

In less than a year, the Latrobe Valley Greyhound Group has fostered a strong sense of community. The group now has over 110 online members and around 30 people and 20 dogs attending monthly walks. Group organiser, David Roberts, says the group is very welcoming and inclusive and always keen to welcome new members, with or without Greyhounds. "We are passionate about our hounds and rehoming. Regardless of anything else, that bond brings us together," he said.

Mr Roberts said, "We have a diverse group and are spread across the age spectrum. The largest cohort, at:

• 30%, is those aged 25 - 34 years, followed by
• 22% in the 45 - 54 years, while we have
• 8% of members over 65 years and
• 7% between 18 to 25 years

"Joining with the hello. Campaign makes sense as it is one of our core purposes to create a safe and inclusive environment, with new members welcomed with a hello, followed by numerous contests that extend through a walk and finish with a coffee until next month where we start again," Mr Roberts said.

Greyhounds as pets

Greyhounds are becoming increasingly popular as pets with over 160. Greyhounds registered as pets in Latrobe City already. Numbers are expected to grow as rehoming organisations such as Racing to Rehome and Toongabbie Lodge continue to actively recruit people to adopt a greyhound and the racing industry continues to birth more dogs than they rehome.

Greyhound Racing Victoria's 2022 Annual Report stated that 2956 Greyhounds were rehomed across the State in 2021/22, while 4886 pups were registered in the same period. Greyhounds make great pets as they are very gentle, loving, and placid. They require little grooming, rarely bark, sleep most of the day and only need short periods of exercise each day, meaning they are well suited to many types of households including properties with small yards.

Greyhounds are also being increasingly used as companion and therapy dogs in schools and nursing homes and with the NSW Police Association recently establishing a welfare program to match retired Police with retired Greyhounds.

Get healthy with a Greyhound

We all know that owning a pet has significant health benefits, but for founding member of the Latrobe Valley Greyhound Group, David Roberts, this message goes back over 40 years. Roberts' father, Ron, was encouraged to take up greyhound ownership as part of his recovery from one of Victoria's first Kidney transplants back in the late 1960's.

According to the Latrobe Valley Express in 1975, Ron was advised to take up Greyhound ownership as part of a 'get fit' and recovery campaign by his surgeon.

Greyhound Adoption

If you'd like to find more about rehoming a Greyhound, the LVGG would love to invite you to come along on the day and chat with an owner or one of the Adoption Agencies attending. For more information you can search for the event on Facebook or contact David Roberts on 0468 431 731.

Pictures from Latrobe Valley Greyhound Group Facebook page.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com