How do I rehome a Greyhound?

1. Contact Us!

We know our dogs best and can help determine if we have a great match for you. Call us on 07876763516 or fill out an enquiry form here! Our enquiry form is your first step toward finding your forever hound!

Once submitted, a member of our team will review it, and will call you to chat and learn more about your family and lifestyle. We ask questions about your home, experience with dogs, work routine, and what you’re looking for in a dog so we can find the absolute best match.

Our priority is completely on the welfare of our Greyhounds. We take great pride in our careful, personalised approach to matching, which results in very few dogs ever being returned. We stand by every greyhound we rehome. Should any unforeseen circumstance arise—such as a major change in your life or an issue that cannot be overcome—please know that we will always take our dogs back into our care. We commit to finding them a secure, loving, and permanent new home, ensuring their welfare is protected for life.

Our Basic Adoption Rules:

We are flexible and successfully rehome dogs into a variety of situations, including flats and homes without gardens. However, we do follow a few basic rules:

• You must be over 18 years old.

• You must not be banned from keeping animals.

• If you rent, you must have landlord permission to keep a dog.

2. Finding Your Perfect Match!

Our goal is to ensure a perfect, lifelong partnership between you and your new greyhound. Our matching process is deliberate, relying on our knowledge of each dog's personality and needs.

Before a greyhound is listed for rehoming, they undergo careful assessment at GREYS. This includes:

• Small Dog Introductions: All of our hounds are assessed with different breeds of dogs. This helps us gauge their openness to socializing with other breeds and their required level of training. For those who need a little extra guidance, we implement specific training and socialization while they are with us.

• Child Testing: We carefully assess our dogs with a range of children of different ages to determine the best fit for homes with kids. This crucial step helps us recommend whether a dog would thrive with young children, older children, or in an adult-only home.

• Cat Testing: Only dogs we believe show the right temperament and comfort level are put through formal cat testing. This is a very specific assessment to identify the limited number of hounds who are truly suitable for homes with resident cats.

Once we have spoken about your requirements and wants in a dog, our team uses their expertise to match you with the greyhound we believe is the best fit for your home, lifestyle, and family.

3. Arrange a visit. While a greyhound might catch your eye on our website, the best way to meet your future best friend is in person. If you already have a dog, we may suggest bringing them along to help with the selection process. We are based in March, Cambridgeshire.

If you are unable to travel, we can bring suitable dogs to your home to meet you.

It's important not to rush the decision. We encourage you to visit the kennels on a few occasions if possible to ensure the hound you've chosen is the right fit, and to build a bond before the homing transition.

If you have specific requirements—like needing a small, young, or older dog, etc—it's vital to rely on our guidance. We're here to prevent mismatched homings!

We usually get it right the first time! However, if the first match isn't quite right, we often have a backup option ready, or we'll keep hold of your details and be in touch when a suitable dog becomes available.

4. Home visit.

Before you officially rehome your greyhound, we will conduct a home check. We may choose to also bring the chosen Greyhound along with us to see if they also approve of their potential new home! The home visit isn't meant to be invasive; it's a standard and responsible part of our rehoming process to ensure every dog goes to a safe, suitable environment that meets their individual needs.

What to Expect:

• Who Visits: Your home check will be carried out by one of our trusted members of staff or volunteer. These individuals are all experienced with greyhounds themselves and are passionate about helping our hounds find great homes.

• The Check-up: The visit is generally quick and is guided by a simple checklist. We look at key practical elements, such as:

  • Garden Security: Is the garden secure for a sighthound? Fencing, ponds, outdoor pets, etc are all looked at. Any issues with these are usually easily fixed and we can guide you on steps that can be taken to ‘Greyhound proof’ your outdoor spaces.

  • Space & Access: Is there adequate space for a Greyhound, and which areas of the home will they have access to? Greyhounds don’t take up much space (usually found asleep on the sofa) but we like to make sure that the areas that the Greyhound will have access to are suitable for their size, energy levels, etc. We do also rehome to flats, but retired Greyhounds have often never experienced stairs, so we will have to take this into consideration when choosing your perfect match.

  • Sleeping Arrangements: Where will your greyhound sleep? We recommend setting up a bed in a quiet area of your home for your Greyhound to sleep in. This is their area, a space where they can relax and feel safe. Children should be encouraged to not disturb the Greyhound while they are on their bed.

• Expert Advice: Because our staff and volunteers are experienced with Greyhounds, they can often offer great insights and may spot things you haven't considered such as glass doors which can be extremely dangerous for Greyhounds that don’t understand glass! They are happy to share their knowledge and answer your questions about living with a greyhound.

• Family Attendance: We prefer to meet all members of the household during the visit, if possible, but we understand this isn't always convenient. Children are encouraged to visit your potential new Greyhound as well, they are just as important in the decision making process!

Once your home check is complete, we will give you a call to discuss everything in further detail, offer advice on any necessary adjustments (like further garden security), and confirm the next steps in your rehoming journey.

5. Taking Your Greyhound Home: The Final Steps

The day you welcome your greyhound home is incredibly exciting, and we are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for both of you.

If your chosen hound has not yet been neutered, we will schedule the procedure. We will keep you updated on the day of surgery and let you know when they are able to come home once we have ensured they are healing properly.

We'll ensure you have everything you need to make your first days together as easy as possible:

• Starter Kit: You will be provided with a collar and lead set, and a muzzle designed specifically for greyhounds.

• Insurance: We provide 4 weeks of free insurance through Petplan for peace of mind.

• Microchip Transfer: We will arrange to transfer your Greyhounds microchip registration into your name.

• Essential Records: You'll receive all important paperwork, including your hound's vaccination card and vet history.

• A bag of feed: We send all of our dogs home with a 15kg bag of TIME Maintenance & Retired feed.

Remember, your journey with us doesn't end when you leave our kennels. We are here to support you every step of the way with advice and guidance as you and your new greyhound settle in! We encourage you to contact us at any time with questions or concerns. We'll give you a quick call in the following days after rehoming to see how things are progressing and offer any initial settling in advice. If you are local to us we also welcome you to visit for teeth cleanings, nail trims, etc.

Join Our Owners Group!

We have a wonderful Facebook group exclusively for owners of Greyhounds that have been rehomed through GREYS! This is a group to share photos, ask advice and get to know our other amazing owners!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1057055022898679/

Holidays

We understand that life can get busy, and sometimes you need a trusted place for your greyhound to stay—whether it's for a holiday, a work trip, or any other reason. That’s why we always welcome our rehomed greyhounds back for boarding.

Your greyhound will be in familiar surroundings, cared for by the same team that helped them find their forever home. Whether it’s a short stay or a longer visit, you can rest assured they’ll be safe, comfortable, and well looked after. We encourage you to bring your dogs bed, some toys, blankets, regular food, etc to help them settle in. They will get plenty of love and attention with us so it wont take them long and we will always keep you updated on them!

If you ever need boarding for your GREYS greyhound, just get in touch—we’re here to help!