Waite Park, MN

Retired Racers find a new home in Minnesota - Waite Park Petco Greyhound Meet & Greets

Greyhounds make wonderful pets, we know we have several friends who have adopted a Greyhound or two. Built for speed some people think that they need to be able to keep up with these amazing animals in order to own one, but there is no need to keep up. Greyhounds are built for fast short runs, unlike other sporting dogs, they can enjoy a sprint or 2 and are then very content to go relax. Check out Bonn doing what he loves best, lounging on the deck.

Greyhounds are long, lean and FAST! Second only to the Cheetah a greyhound can run 45 MPH. They also are calm, relaxed animals who make devoted companions. They will need to be let out several times a day, but as we have seen they are highly intelligent and become accustomed very easily to the to the household schedule. There are several dog parks in central Minnesota that are perfect for allowing your Greyhound to get a good run in everyday.

If you are thinking about getting a dog, and have an interest in adopting a retired racer check out one of the areas Meet and Greets, you might even get to meet Bonn. Here in the St. Cloud area every other weekend at Petco (35 Waite Park Ave North in Waite Park MN) the Greyhound Pets of America - Minnesota gives you the chance to meet these former racers. There are other Minnesota Greyhound Meet & Greets so check out the link to find a location near you, you might just find your new best friend.

Great care is made by the Minnesota Greyhound Pets of America to ensure that each retired racer is placed in a home where the personalities will be a good fit. Most Greyhounds are just fine living with cats and do fantastic with children. One of our friends has 2 retired racers and 2 children. The kids and the Greyhounds enjoy running in the back yard tiring each other out, it seems to be a good system (mom & dad love it.) 

This first video is from The Greyhound Project who also works to help these former racers find a new loving home and is just to funny not to share: 

This next video is cute and shows that you do not need to be a sprinter to keep up with your Greyhound.

Just a few minutes south of St. Cloud is a secluded acreage surrounded by corn and bean fields, and known to a few hundred people, as the Waite Park Rifle Club. A members only club, the gated property is heavily bermed, and features multiple safety and security features geared toward the safe use of firearms.

There are three distinct areas at the club. The Trap Range, Rifle Range, and Pistol Range. A range house contains clay target launchers for the adjacent trap range, as well as a log for signing in and a range flag to signify the range is active.

The rifle and pistol ranges contain earthen berm target enclosures that are within the greater perimeter berms of the range, thus providing a redundant safety factor. Safety is number one at the club, and every member helps to re-enforce the safety rules, to prevent accidents. All good hunters and sports persons know that the person most likely to get hurt if safety breaks down is a close friend or family member.

Hunting and shooting are a part of life for many here in Minnesota, and a place to practice is as important as a place to hunt. Some trap and skeet shooter do not hunt, but enjoy the sport for test of skill, and the company of the good people they shoot with. The range is a place for honing skills, learning and networking with others. Every person I have met at the range has been open about sharing and inquiring, always curious about the others experiences. Good stories are often told at the Waite Park Rifle Club.

The Rifle and Pistol Ranges feature covered benches to provide shade and keep the rain off. Distance to targets go from short range pistol to 100 yard rifle range. As deer season nears the 100 yard range will get busy with hunters sighting in rifles, or testing to make sure their old friend is still accurate.

Classes are conducted by the Certified NRA Instructors (National Rifle Association) at the club, to familiarize new shooters with the safe and proficient use of firearms. We welcome the newcomers to the club and to the sport. If you have any interest in the shooting sports, I recommend getting in contact with the NRA for instruction in the safe use of firearms. www.nra.org Leagues at the Waite Park Rifle Club include Trap, Small Bore Rifleand Pistol Silhouette, Action Shoot, Pistol Bullseye, and Vintage Military Rifle Match. If you want to know more about the Waite Park Rifle Club you can go to their web site at www.waiteparkrifleclub.com for events calender and membership information.