The adoption followed a difficult start to the year for McHale. <\/p>\n
Her eldest daughter, Glenda Rainey, died from Motor Neurone Disease in January, and her Christchurch-based daughter Karen Luskie noticed her mother was struggling with grief.<\/p>\n
McHale knew she needed to pick herself up, but when Luskie raised the idea of adopting a greyhound, she wasn\u2019t convinced that was the solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 90, darling,\u201d she told Luskie. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut you\u2019re a sprightly 90, Mum,\u201d Luskie replied. <\/p>\n
Luskie, who owns a greyhound cross, knew many retired racing dogs were still searching for homes.<\/p>\n
She told her mother a dog would give her some company.<\/p>\n
About an hour after their conversation, McHale received another call \u2014 this time from her granddaughter – Luskie\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n
She told McHale a parcel was on the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not for you, Grams \u2026 it\u2019s for your new addition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Only then did McHale realise her family had already set the adoption in motion.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo my beautiful family really coerced me into it,\u201d McHale joked to the Rotorua Daily Post. <\/p>\n
Dawnie had already settled into her new home after about a week. <\/p>\n
McHale said she had \u201ccertainly changed\u201d her routine but enjoyed having to think of another again after a period of living alone.<\/p>\n
The greyhound greeted her enthusiastically after bridge sessions – becoming such a talking point that less of the game was played.<\/p>\n
June McHale, 90, and 9-year-old greyhound Dawnie.<\/p>\n
McHale said it was \u201cwonderful\u201d how she had been welcomed into a community of greyhound lovers. <\/p>\n
The adoption surprised plenty of people \u2014 including greyhound industry veteran Jenny Bartlett.<\/p>\n
\u201cI beg your pardon?\u201d was Bartlett\u2019s reaction when she first heard that a 90-year-old had adopted a retired racer.<\/p>\n
In more than two decades supporting greyhound rehoming efforts, she had \u201cnever heard\u201d of such a thing.<\/p>\n
Bartlett had adopted six retired racers, served as president of the Waikato Greyhound Racing Club and founded the Shoebox Appeal, a charity that provides gift-filled shoeboxes of toys, treats and other goodies to fostered and rehomed greyhounds.<\/p>\n
The match between McHale and Dawnie was the \u201cicing on the cake\u201d.<\/p>\n
Dawnie was adopted through Nightrave Greyhound Adoptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the oldest dog you\u2019ve got?\u201d Luskie asked Nightrave\u2019s Rachel Ray.<\/p>\n
Nightrave had the \u201cperfect dog\u201d. <\/p>\n
Dawnie, formerly known on the track as Yarn\u2019s Sister, stayed with her owner-trainer, Bartlett said. <\/p>\n
She moved into foster care for about four months following the racing ban. <\/p>\n
Bartlett said prospective owners fill out an application detailing their lifestyle, living situation and any other pets they have. <\/p>\n
Rehoming agencies then carry out a home check to ensure the property is suitable before matching the family with a greyhound that fits their circumstances.<\/p>\n
Bartlett said they needed to determine people were \u201cgood enough to have one of our dogs\u201d.<\/p>\n
The dogs are desexed, health checked and assessed before being placed in a home, and Bartlett described greyhounds as \u201cfun\u201d and an \u201caffordable pet\u201d.<\/p>\n
A \u201cgreat network\u201d of support was available through agencies and fellow adopters.<\/p>\n
Bartlett said even in unpredictable circumstances, such as a \u201cfabulous job in New York\u201d which meant someone could no longer look after a dog, agencies would step in to help.<\/p>\n
Bartlett said rehoming greyhounds was nothing new, but the looming ban meant \u201cmore pressure\u201d as all of a sudden there were about 1500 dogs needing homes.<\/p>\n
Nightrave Greyhounds, Kiwikiwi Hounds, Greyhounds As Pets (Gap) and May Hounds were the official rehoming agencies, Bartlett said. <\/p>\n