About Us

In 2014, a group of greyhound enthusiasts attended an event in the United States that featured a speaker from Ireland discussing Irish Greyhounds, we were hooked! After supporting the greyhound community for over a decade, we wanted to know more, and more importantly, we wanted to explore the possibility of bringing these amazing hounds to North America once they were ready to retire.

A year later, in 2015, Finding Loving Irish Greyhounds Homes Together (FLIGHT) was formed under the auspices of Greyhound Trust & Alliance (GT&A), an organization created in 2009 that had a long history of working with, and supporting greyhound groups across Canada and the United States. GT&A was a southwestern Ontario-based organization whose volunteers had decades of experience working with retired racers and an extensive network of professionals dedicated to the care and well-being of these amazing sighthounds. In 2021, FLIGHT expanded its mission to include salukis and saluki-crosses from the Middle East and we became FLIGHTS – Finding Loving Irish Greyhounds Homes Together and Salukis.

Since opening our doors in 2015 (it took a bit of time to get that paperwork completed), FLIGHTS has grown in leaps and bounds, almost doubling our placements with the support of partner groups year over year in North America.
The response and demand has been so amazing, that FLIGHTS has overshadowed GT&A as an organization, and as such, GT&A decided to take an indefinite hiatus so that volunteers could focus solely on FLIGHTS.
If that news was not exciting enough, we announced that starting in 2021, FLIGHTS would offer direct adoptions to approved individuals/families within Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Check out the links on this website on how to apply and bring a new hound into your life.

So what did that mean?
In 2018 an earnest pair of volunteers packed their bags and headed to Ireland to learn and discover firsthand what the life of an Irish racing and coursing greyhounds were like. We met with the people involved in both industries, kennel owners, breeders, farms, adoption groups, a greyhound sanctuary and veterinarians to better understand the differences and similarities of Irish greyhounds versus their American cousins. This new found knowledge has been encompassed into the information shared with prospective adopters.

NEWS FLASH!
They’re coming to America!
In 2019, we received a communication from then President Rory Goree of Greyhound Pets of America – National (GPA National) asking about how they could get involved and move retired Irish greyhounds into adoptive homes in the United States. FLIGHTS assisted and supported the launch of GPA National’s own initiative to help find homes south of the border for these retired Irish athletes. With FLIGHTS support, GPA National and its associate groups have welcome thousands of greyhounds since 2019.

How does it work?
FLIGHTS works directly with its partners to identify sighthounds for inclusion into the adoption program. Our wish is to promote sighthounds as the beautiful and loving canine companions that they are, and who deserve to find loving forever families. When bringing Middle Eastern salukis and saluki crosses to Ontario, FLIGHTS works with its partners in Doha to identify hounds that also deserve to find loving forever homes.

One of our goals is to ensure each sighthound that comes into the FLIGHTS’ program has the same support and safety net that greyhound adoption agencies in North America have traditionally provided. FLIGHTS draws on the experience of its volunteers to support all hounds and approved families coming into the adoption program, provide the guidance and assistance required.

Show me the money!
Funds raised by FLIGHTS goes towards airline expenses, medical and transportation costs necessary to relocate greyhounds from Ireland and salukis from Qatar. We strive to keep costs to a minimum, and we can’t do it without the ongoing support of the many organizations and individuals who support our fundraising activities. THANK YOU!

NEWS FLASH 2023!
They’re coming to Canada.

With Covid playing a key factor and the CFIA placing a ban on a 100 countries, not allowing groups to bring rescues into Canada as of September 28, 2022, the years worth of time working with Racing2Rehome in Australia, and Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) had to be tabled while we rushed to try and save as many Salukis in Qatar as we could before the ban took effect.

We are launching 2023 in a big way, working with both entities to start bringing in retired Australian greyhounds into Canada! This is a massive achievement for FLIGHTS, to the best of our knowledge we are the first group in all of Canada to be able to say we have built solid foundations with both Ireland and Australia to help support both countries find forever homes for their retired greyhounds!

With this announcement we have changed the name slightly to be more representative of us, we are now FLIGHTS – Finding Loving International Greyhounds Homes Together & Salukis

FLIGHTS is a Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI),  Irish Retired Greyhound Trust (IRGT), & Irish Coursing Club (ICC) Recognized Responsible Adoption Group.
FLIGHTS is also a Racing2Rehome (R2R) & Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) Australia Recognized Responsible Adoption Group.
FLIGHTS is also acknowledged by the World Greyhound Organization.