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Puppy love for rescue ‘hound helper

EVERY week Bankstown resident Genevieve Hartney volunteers with rescue greyhounds and says it’s worth it for ‘hound love’.

She travels to Camden to volunteer with rescue greyhounds and says it’s worth it for ‘hound love’.
She does the Saturday afternoon shift every week at the Greyhound Rescue (GR) kennels near Camden.
“Morning shifts in summer are 8-11am, while the afternoons are 3-6pm in summer, seven days a week,” said Genevieve, who started with GR two years ago.
“Volunteering has been an amazing experience for me. It’s really wonderful to see them come in from a trainer or the pound, either quite timid or unruly and teach them how to socialise and learn to be pets,” she said.
Genevieve decided to volunteer after dog-sitting a colleague’s two greyhounds from GR.
“They were so chilled out and the breed is misunderstood, so I wanted to try and help greys find their forever homes. It also makes me get off my butt, out of the house and into the fresh air,” she said.
She encourages other local residents to consider volunteering.
“You should definitely come and attend a shift! I guarantee you will enjoy yourself and leave knowing that you’ve done some good in the world,” said Genevieve.
She said her first shift was Christmas 2017.
“We gave the hounds their Christmas presents, toys which had been donated. It’s lovely to see how excited they were,” Genevieve said.
“Volunteering is crucial for so many organisations to continue functioning. If you have a spare few hours a week, I definitely encourage you to offer your time. Netflix will be there when you get back!”
For more details and volunteering, apply at greyhoundrescue.com.au.