Questions about adopting a rescue dog

You won't change the world but you will change the world for the dog you adopt.

We're here to answer any questions you might have about adopting a sight-hound.

I am interested in adopting dog, what’s the process?

That’s great news. Contact us and one of our team will be able to discuss the needs of our dogs and what would best suit your life, family and home. We will ask you some questions and if you are suitable and still want to go ahead we will arrange a home check.

You can also find more information on our How to adopt page.

I’ve seen a dog I want on your website/facebook what next?

Please contact us and our rehoming team will advise if the dog you are looking at would be suitable. We give a very brief general description of the dogs needs on the website and always find it best to use a more personal approach and give more details in a one-to-one discussion with potential owners.

Please contact us and our rehoming team will advise if the dog you are looking at would be suitable. We give a very brief general description of the dogs needs on the website and always find it best to use a more personal approach and give more details in a one-to-one discussion with potential owners.

What is a lurcher?

A lurcher is a sighthound (greyhound, whippet, deerhound, wolfhound, saluki etc) crossed with another breed of dog – typically a collie or a terrier. We also get dogs in that are a mix of sighthounds, these are usually still referred to as lurchers and because of this variation of breeds that make up a lurcher their personalities and needs vary immensely. Our experienced team can advise on the individual dog and their needs.

Retired greyhounds! Does this mean the dogs are old?

Absolutely not. Most greyhounds retire when they are between 3 and 5 years old and have a life expectancy of around 12 years. This means that a retired greyhound still has most of their life ahead of them.

So what age are the dogs?

Unlike many rescue dogs where their age is an estimate, because of tattooing and now microchipping we know exactly what age a dog is and at Greyhound Rescue North East we have dogs of all ages.
Our greyhounds come to us from the racing industry. Most are in the 3 – 5 year age bracket and end their racing career because they’ve slowed down a bit.
Some dogs are younger and some haven’t even make it to the track they either wont chase or they get an injury.
We also have the occasional oldie looking for a home that’s either been a pet and had to come back to the rescue through no fault of their own or been used for breeding.

Will a dog injured during racing require ongoing veterinary treatment?

Will a dog injured during racing require ongoing veterinary treatment? Even an injury that would be insignificant for a pet dog can mean a greyhound is not able or deemed fit enough to run around the track. When potential dog owners hear the word injury, it that can set off alarm bells. Don’t worry, we would never send a dog out to their forever home without making sure a dog is fully recovered and doesn’t require ongoing treatment for the injury.