Greyhound Welfare & Rehoming
How we care for our dogs when their racing days are over
Like many athletes, a greyhound’s racing career is relatively short. Most retire from racing at between three and five years of age which means they still have a long life ahead of them. It’s the wish of everyone connected with Michelle Brown Greyhounds that every retired greyhound enjoys the best possible retirement in their “forever homes”.
Greyhounds are sweet-natured and affectionate, and they make fantastic pets. They are low-maintenance, gentle and – despite their athletic prowess! – actually need very little exercise. Plus, because their coats are short and smooth, they need very little grooming. They also lack the oils in their coats which create that unpleasant “doggy smell” and many people who suffer from pet allergies find that greyhounds don’t cause the same allergic reaction that other breeds can.
Our greyhound rehoming process
If a dog is ready to retire and we feel that it would adapt to home life straight away, the first option is always to give the current owner first refusal. There are many good reasons why an owner wouldn’t be able to take a dog home, and there’s absolutely no judgement from any of us if that’s the case. It doesn’t mean they don’t care about their dog’s welfare, but that they cannot have a dog at home with them.
The next step is to try to place it ourselves through our own contacts such as friends, family etc. We work closely with the new owners to get the dog settled and help with any teething problems. The option is always there if things don’t work out for them to come back to us. Plus if the new owners want to go on holiday, they can always bring the dog back for a little holiday of their own!
If we can’t find a new home ourselves then we use specialist greyhound rehoming services such as those based at Romford, Hove and Whittingham. When each dog is registered the owner pays a bond which when it’s time to retire pays for them to be neutered. All greyhounds leave us with their own lead, collar, bed and bowls.
Many ex-racing greyhounds adapt to their new life of leisure very quickly. During the time each of our dogs are with us they become one of the family and we have a good system in place to make sure that each of our retirees are placed in the best possible home for them.
For more information about greyhound rehoming please give us a call.
