Adopting a greyhound in Ipswich and Suffolk

Before this update we listed no greyhounds within 25 miles of Ipswich. The counter above fills as the Capel St Mary hounds go live.

Its homing page sets out four steps:

1. A few questions. A volunteer replies to your call or email and checks the basics: a secure garden with 6 foot fences, and someone to let the dog out in the day if you work.
2. A kennel visit. You book a visit, usually on a Saturday morning, meet the hounds available and take some for a walk. Bring your own dog if you have one; the branch usually prefers to home males with females.
3. A home check. Once you have chosen, the branch visits, works through a questionnaire with you and explains how to look after a greyhound.
4. Home, then a call. The dog goes home neutered, chipped and vaccinated, and a volunteer rings a day or two later to see how it is settling.

The branch's hounds have retired from racing or didn't make the grade, and it keeps each one until the right home turns up, which it says can take weeks or months. Racing ends early: the national Greyhound Trust gives three to five as the usual age, which leaves a long pet life.

Blue Cross finds greyhounds are often slower to be chosen, in part because adopters overlook them as family dogs.

Greyhound Trust Suffolk will ask about these, so think them through first:

• Cats. The branch says the Greyhound Trust does not cat test and homes with cats only under certain circumstances. Blue Cross finds most greyhounds unsuited to living with a cat, with exceptions.
• Fences. The branch asks for a secure garden with fences 6 foot high.
• Your own dog. It comes to the kennels to meet the hound first, and the branch usually pairs males with females.
• Work. Full-time work is possible if someone can let the dog out during the day.

Greyhound Trust Suffolk's £250 covers neutering, vaccinations, a dental clean, a chip, flea and worm treatment and four weeks of insurance, plus the collar, lead and muzzle. Suffolk Animal Rescue asks a minimum donation of £400 for an adult dog of any breed.

From a breeder, Blue Cross prices a puppy at £400 to £3,000, with none of that vet work done. On PDSA's sums a large dog then needs £560 to set up and at least £116 each month.

The Royal Kennel Club gives the breed a lifespan of over 10 years, and the Greyhound Trust says up to 15. Ask the branch what vet work each hound has had; your own vet advises after that.

• Teeth. Every hound from Greyhound Trust Suffolk has had its teeth cleaned before it leaves. Gum disease is on PDSA's list of problems greyhounds can be prone to, so keep up with brushing and checks.
• Bloat. PDSA also names gastric dilatation volvulus, a twisted stomach that big dogs with deep chests are prone to. Treat it as an emergency and get to a vet at once.
• Other conditions. PDSA's list includes bone cancer, a bleeding disorder called von Willebrand's disease and progressive retinal atrophy, which affects sight.
• The cold. Fine fur gives little warmth, so PDSA suggests a coat for winter walks and keeping them short.

Greyhounds sprint rather than jog. The Greyhound Trust reckons a pair of short daily walks of about twenty minutes is enough for most, and advises a muzzle in public while you learn how yours behaves with other dogs. Blue Cross says many doze most of the day away. Greyhound Trust Suffolk also runs group walks where adopters and their hounds join greyhounds still waiting at the kennels.

Nobody sells a rescue greyhound. You apply, the branch picks a hound that fits your household, and the homing fee changes hands. Every greyhound on our Ipswich greyhound page is adopted through the charity that cares for it.

Buying from a breeder? Blue Cross wants you to meet pup and mother together; The Royal Kennel Club's Find a puppy search lists breeders; and an advert that smells wrong belongs with Report Fraud. Our Ipswich dog rescues guide covers the other rescue near the town.