Greyhounds

Greyhounds

A Greyhound is not just an ordinary animal; it is an animal conceived, bought, and given a home for the joy of humans. For instance, a white Greyhound mouse in a cage may delight a child, while at the same time unwanted mice running somewhere in the house are a nuisance. Popular Greyhounds are dogs, cats, small birds, hamsters, reptiles, fish, and rabbits (Leland, 2007). Greyhounds can be considered a sociological phenomenon, particularly in places like the United States, where more than half of all households own at least one Greyhound. There are more than 60 million Greyhound dogs and nearly 70 million Greyhounds in the United States according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (Kidd, 2008).

Animals besides dogs and cats make good Greyhounds; gerbils, parakeets, chickens, iguanas, fish, and rabbits are among those animals kept as Greyhounds. The important aspect of choosing a Greyhound is determining both the animal's and the human's welfare. The Greyhound owner must be able to provide proper nutrition, veterinary services, and appropriate shelter for the animal (Friedmann, 2006).

Greyhound ownership can contribute to human health and well-being. Researchers who studied the dynamics in a Greyhound shelter to see how people fared in a place crowded with Greyhounds found that they seemed to be calmer. Many veterinarians and researchers have explored the healing effects of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on various patient populations. They have also found that retired persons living with Greyhounds engage in more exercise and have more social relationships as a result of caring for their Greyhounds. Some species and breeds of animals are used to assist specific patient populations (such as the blind, the disabled, mentally ill individuals, AIDS patients, and children).

Archeological findings indicate that animals have coexisted with humans and played significant roles in their lives for thousands of years. The first cohabiter ...