Retired greyhounds Piston and Lenny proving opposites attract

By Jordan Gerrans

They say opposites attract and that is most certainly the case with retired greyhounds Lenny and Piston at Gordon Park in Brisbane.

Lenny is regarded as an ‘old soul’ while the younger Piston is boisterous and full of energy.

Despite their differences, they make it work well together living under the one roof with Jordan Nye and his partner Sophia Chang.

The couple bonded over their mutual interest in greyhounds.

Chang had Lenny as a companion before Nye adopted Piston, who raced as Baby No Go, through the Greyhound Adoption Program in Queensland. 

Piston initially was welcomed into Nye and Chang’s house through GAP’s Host a Hound foster program but after a short time, they knew he was there to stay. 

“I've wanted a greyhound for a really long time and we've become fast friends,” Nye said.

“In my application to GAP, I put in a bit about myself and my living situation and the guys at GAP match you up to what they think is the best fit.

“Once he got here, I think within a week we were pretty set on keeping him.”

Piston has called Gordon Park in Brisbane’s north home ever since. 

When he was known as Baby No Go, the black dog raced right across the Sunshine State, competing in Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Ipswich and Capalaba.

He went to the races on 53 occasions for 14 minor placings. 

While Baby No Go did not triumph in a race on the track, Nye believes he is winning at life in retirement after stepping away from racing in August of 2024. 

“He is boisterous and inquisitive,” Nye said.

“He settled in straight away and came out of his shell within minutes of arriving at our place. 

"He's very curious, he's very loving, very cuddly and he'll usually rest his head on us.

“He's very intent in seeing what we're doing, follow us around the house and just check us out to see if any treats are involved.

“They're very gentle dogs, greyhounds. They're big lovers and they've been great.

“They're perfect pets. It's very rewarding to give them a nice home life, it feels good.”

Lots of work goes in behind the scenes to match up adopters with retired greyhounds and GAP Queensland Rehoming Manager Lisa Kohler is glad to see Piston thriving in retirement. 

“These are retired racing athletes and the GAP transitions them from retired life and racing life into the pet home,” Kohler said. 

“With the number of dogs that go around racing, we certainly try and look for pet homes for them.

“There's so many different personalities in a greyhound and we try very hard at the GAP to match suitable dogs to suitable families.

“They're very loving, they're very loyal, they're very fun, they're very quirky and they're very entertaining.”

The GAP’s facility at Churchable prepares retired racers their transition into their adopters’ homes. 

“With our program at GAP, we have a house where we put dog’s upstairs, we get them used to different noises such as kitchen noises,” Kohler said.

“We put the ceiling fans on and a whole range of different things that we do to try and transition them into the home.

“They make great family pets. They're very loving, they're very loyal. They come in all different sizes, colours and different personalities.

“We will always try to match one that suits a family's home situation.”

Nye’s love of the greyhound breed stems from his grandparents being involved in the sport in Darwin many decades ago.

They passed on the interest in greyhounds to Nye’s father and he has taken it on with Piston and Lenny alongside Chang.

Chang adopted Lenny back in October of 2023 and while he is a bit different to his housemate Piston, they get on well.

“Lenny's a bit of an old soul, so he puts up with Piston but otherwise they are very friendly,” Chang said.

“They're good together, they enjoy spending time together. Lenny is very calm and is interested in routine. He's very loving, very gentle and always wants to be close by but not heavily involved.”

Chang and Nye both encouraged anyone interested in adopting a greyhound to purse it.

“They're great to keep you company,” Chang said.

“You often have those little, small moments of joy that you don't think about in the taking care of them process. But, in between all those tasks, you will have those little happy moments and happy memories that you'll have forever.

“Lenny's brought a lot of positive things to my life and I wouldn't have changed anything for the world.”

April is National Greyhound Adoption Month and Racing Queensland will highlight a number of former race dogs thriving in retirement throughout the month.

Click here to meet greyhounds available for adoption and apply to adopt online.