Talking Couch Potatoes

After the WA greyhound racing inquiry hearings… we needed a moment.
A breather. A debrief. A bit of honesty. 💭

In this episode, we talk about:
🐾 What it was actually like being in the hearing room
💔 The emotional toll behind the scenes
❓ The questions that mattered (and the obfuscation!)
⚠️ The reality that can’t be avoided: dogs WILL be injured and killed racing.

We also reflect on the people behind the advocacy — the volunteers, the foster carers, the adopting families, and the greyhounds themselves 🐕 who have changed so many minds just by being in our homes 🏡

And yes… there’s still a bit of classic Talking Couch Potatoes chaos in there too 😅🐾

A big welcome and thank you to our NEW sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts 🍽️ https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/
Delicious food made with grocery store ingredients 😋

🐕 Foster of the Fortnight: Toby
✨ Gentle
✨ Affectionate
✨ A little quirky (the best kind 😄)

Looking for a calm, dog-savvy home 💛
If you’ve ever thought about adopting… this is your sign 🐾
📅 April = Adopt a Greyhound Month = https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/

Get your Nanna Bingo tickets here 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/nanna-bingo-the-wedding-with-free-the-hounds

#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #AdoptAGreyhound 🐾 #GreyhoundRescue #EndGreyhoundRacing 🚫🐕

This week, Matt & Mel chat with Bec – long term foster carer, cat tester, and all-round legend, who has helped over 50 greyhounds transition from racing life into loving homes. With the help of her cat Lynx, Bec also tests greyhounds for prospective adoptive families with cats.

This episode is equal parts eye-opening, heartwarming, and inspiring.

✨ What you’ll learn:

🐈Why many greyhounds can live with cats (and how it’s tested)
🏘️What makes a greyt foster carer
❤️‍🩹The reality of life after racing
🐾Why patience changes everything for these dogs

💛 PLUS:
Greyhound Adoptions WA urgently needs foster carers...even short-term helps save lives. https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/fostering/
👉 If you’ve ever thought about fostering… this is your sign.⚡

🎟️ And don’t forget:
👰Nanna Bingo Wedding Fundraiser – Sat May 16 Tickets on Humanitix! https://events.humanitix.com/nanna-bingo-the-wedding-with-free-the-hounds
Laughs, live and silent auctions, BYO food and a cheap bar...all for the hounds 🐾
Thank you to our friends and sponsor Henry Houndwear 🐕what all the best dressed hounds are wearing! https://henryhoundwear.com.au/

This week on Talking Couch Potatoes, Matt & Mel are joined by an absolute legend in greyhound rescue - Lisa White, founder of Friends of the Hound, operating in Northern NSW and Queensland. 🐶💙 https://friendsofthehound.org.au/What started with one greyhound she couldn’t forget, Zada, turned into more than 20 years of rescue… and thousands of lives saved! 🏆In this episode we talk about:👀 what rescue really looks like behind the scenes❤️‍🩹 the emotional (and financial) cost of saving injured racing dogs💪 why so many adopters become lifelong advocates🧐 whether greyhound racing can actually be reformed🚨 and why this moment - especially in WA - matters more than everThis one is powerful, emotional, honest… and full of hope 💙Listen, follow and share, to help us raise awareness 🎧And dont forget your tickets for Nanna Bingo WEDDING 👰 here https://events.humanitix.com/nanna-bingo-the-wedding-with-free-the-houndsCheck out Toby, our Foster of the Fortnight, through Greyhound Adoptions WA https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/And as always, many thanks to our wonderful sponsors Henry Houndwear what all the best dressed hounds are wearing 🐕
https://henryhoundwear.com.au/

🚨EP61 of Talking Couch Potatoes is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve ever had.⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of the psychological impact of greyhound racing, including trauma to greyhounds. Take care listening ❤️‍🩹In this episode of Talking Couch Potatoes, we speak with Mark Layton, who grew up in a greyhound racing family and spent his childhood around kennels and racetracks.Mark shares his personal experience of the industry, including what it was like to be involved from a young age and how those experiences stayed with him into adulthood. His story offers an important perspective on something that is not often discussed — the human impact of greyhound racing on the children who grow up within the industry.We also unpack the recently released Review into governance and sustainability of WA racing. What it focuses on - and more importantly - what it leaves out.And of course we have our 🥁Foster of the Fortnight 🐾🐕 Meet Sandy – a sweet, curious five-year-old greyhound who loves a sniffy morning walk followed by a long day of snoozing in comfy beds. If Sandy sounds like the perfect addition to your home, please reach out to Greyhound Adoptions WA here https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/ And let us know too!Proudly sponsored by Henry Houndwear 💅what all the best dressed hounds are wearing! https://henryhoundwear.com.au/🍽️Check out Sprinkles and Sprouts here 😋https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/

We’ve hit the big 6-0… and we’re still raging (respectfully) 💅🔥
In this milestone episode of Talking Couch Potatoes, we sit down with Dr Liam Clay – PhD-qualified canine behaviour consultant and Director of AABA Consultants & Future Proof Training Academy – to unpack the science of greyhound behaviour:

❓ What actually happens when a greyhound leaves racing and enters a home?
🤔Why the “3-3-3 rule” needs a little adjustment for ex-racing hounds
👉 What emotional regulation really means
🚫 Why greyhounds aren’t “born to race” and what they’re capable of instead
🤭 Why greyhounds can appear socially awkward (relatable tbh)
✅Why structure + time = success
🐕 And the beautiful truth about what these dogs can become 💖

🔥This conversation is evidence-based, compassionate and eye-opening.

If you’ve adopted, fostered, or are thinking about bringing a greyhound into your life – this episode is essential listening.

And … we also introduce our very first 🐶 Foster of the Fortnight 🐾 Huey, a brindle gentleman waiting patiently for his forever home.

🤯Episode 60 and still fighting for a world where greyhounds live a full life like all other companion pups!

💬 Tell us what surprised you most.
🔁 Share with anyone considering adoption.
💌Sign up for the Free The Hounds newsletter and be informed of our latest campaigns! https://freethehounds.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d87f42ca4948157c6be5559a1&id=07c947f9e1⁠

🎉Huge thanks to our long time sponsors, Henry Houndwear, what all the best dressed hounds are wearing 🐕 https://henryhoundwear.com.au/

#TalkingCouchPotatoes #GreyhoundAdvocacy #OneWelfare #FutureProofTraining