Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Greyhounds, sighthounds, and other dogs in the US and abroad need responsible homes. Dog overpopulation is a problem in many parts of the US as well as abroad due to poor spay/neuter practices, irresponsible ownership, dumping and overbreeding. Greyhound Friends provides a shelter and adoption matching, spay/neuter surgeries as needed, and public education/awareness raising to combat overpopulation and promote adoption.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Greyhound & other canine adoption
Our primary goal is to find homes for retired racing Greyhounds. As Greyhound racing winds up in the United States, we are expanding our reach to help out the suffering greyhounds from the meat markets in China & the hunting Galgos of Spain. Ireland also has an overpopulation of Greyhounds that need rehoming.
We have also rescued some Podencos from the Azores and many mixed breed dogs and puppies from Kentucky.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Mass Animal Coalition 2023
External reviews

Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of animals euthanized
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Greyhound & other canine adoption
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We are a no kill shelter and have strict protocols and multiple sign offs required for any euthanasia. One very ill dog euthanized in 2022 with surrendering owner consent and vet recommendation.
Average number of days of shelter stay for animals
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Greyhound & other canine adoption
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Number of dogs spayed or neutered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Greyhound & other canine adoption
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Every dog is spayed or neutered before being adopted unless it is a puppy.
Number of animals rehomed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Greyhound & other canine adoption
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The CDC ban, end of greyhound racing in Florida & the pandemic has created a shortage of dogs in the Northeast
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
To find loving homes for dogs in need, primarily retired racing greyhounds and other sighthounds.
To rehome dogs at risk due to owners no longer being able to provide care.
To promote animal welfare through educational outreach, especially to youth.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
As Greyhound racing has wound down in the United States, we advocate for & help greyhounds and other sighthounds worldwide. Particular emphasis is on dogs in Ireland, Spain, the Azores/Portugal, China, Qatar & Kuwait where overpopulation and lack of animal welfare enforcement is still lacking. We also take in and adopt out domestic (US) dogs, particularly from south-central states where spay/neuter rates are low, adoption demand lags, and local shelters cannot keep up with the level of need.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a kennel facility that is specifically built for sighthounds and can easily accommodate smaller breeds. We bring in dogs from rescues outside New England for rehoming. We have formed an International committee which has formed rescue/adoption/rehoming collaborations in several countries. We also partner with local and out-of-state organizations to help rehome dogs in other states.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have successfully completed over 10,000 adoptions since 1983 and hundreds since our reorganization and reopening in 2019. This includes limited but ongoing operation through the COVID lockdowns and restrictions. We have brought in dogs from China, Portugal/Azores, Ireland, and Qatar. The 2021 CDC ban on importing dogs from 113 countries has hampered our ability to rescue dogs from China, Kuwait & Qatar, but the loosening of those restrictions has made it possible to resume rescue efforts there. We are working with a partner in Spain to begin transports as soon as conditions permit.
We have also partnered with rescues in Kentucky and North Carolina to bring in dogs that are difficult to rehome there due to low demand and high need.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Greyhound Friends Inc
Board of directorsas of 05/16/2023
Ms. Catherine DeNorscia
Greyhound Friends
Term: 2019 - 2023
Denise Levesque
Greyhound Friends
Paul Curley
Greyhound Friends
Samantha Dexter
Greyhound Friends
Michael Simon
Greyhound Friends
Regina Moyer
Greyhound Friends
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.