Adopting a greyhound or lurcher in Middlesbrough: rescues and costs

The count under the short answer is live: every greyhound listed with us within about 25 miles of Middlesbrough, each linked to its rescue on our Middlesbrough greyhound page; lurchers have a page of their own. When we checked on 29 October 2026 they were with the four rescues below. Every profile links to the rescue that cares for the dog, and you apply with them: we don't rehome dogs ourselves.

A lurcher is a sighthound such as a greyhound, whippet or saluki crossed with another breed, in Dogs Trust's words, and the other half, Greyhound Rescue North East adds, is typically a collie or a terrier; mixes of sighthounds usually get called lurchers too. Dogs Trust describes lurchers as usually moderately active dogs that also enjoy lounging, and stresses that every lurcher's temperament is different.

Most of the lurchers around Middlesbrough are strays, so expect gaps in the story. Durham Dogs & Cats Home warns that many of its animals arrive with limited or inaccurate history, and that a dog in kennels may behave very differently once it is in a home, so give a rescue lurcher time and patience to settle. Ask the kennel staff what they have seen of the dog with people, other dogs and being left.

Greyhounds come out of racing. The Greyhound Trust says about 8,000 retire each year and it rehomes around half, through volunteer branches; each of its dogs is neutered, vaccinated and microchipped and goes with four weeks' free insurance. Search its site for a branch.

Lurchers around Middlesbrough mostly come in as strays. Maxi's Mates has a counter on its homepage saying 333 dogs came into its kennels "this year alone", as strays or owner surrenders, and that only 40 strays were reunited with their owners (read 29 October 2026).

Younger than "retired" suggests. Most greyhounds stop racing between 3 and 5, Greyhound Rescue North East says, usually because they have slowed down, and live to around 12, so the bigger part of a retired greyhound's life is ahead of it. A few never reached the track at all, because they wouldn't chase or were injured, and now and then an older dog comes back after life as a pet.

Its age is a fact, not a guess. Tattooing and microchipping mean the rescue knows exactly how old each greyhound is, which is rarely true of a stray lurcher.

The Greyhound Trust calls greyhounds as good with children as any breed "and better than most", because of their gentleness, and says most get on well with other dogs. It recommends keeping a greyhound muzzled when out and about, and if you let one off the lead, doing it in a confined space with a muzzle on.

Let the family meet the dog before it comes home. Durham Dogs & Cats Home holds a reserved dog for up to 48 hours partly so that children and other pets can meet it and see how they get on, and S.A.R.A. adds a one-week trial at home.

Most of a rescue dog's early vet bills are already paid. S.A.R.A. puts its £200 fee towards the veterinary treatment the dog has had. At Durham Dogs & Cats Home the £200 donation "does not 'buy' the pet", it says, since the charity has already funded the dog's care, and its dogs leave vaccinated, wormed, flea treated, microchipped and with 4 weeks' free Petplan insurance.

With a bought puppy you pay for all of that yourself. On top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross quotes, PDSA puts the set-up cost of a large dog at £560, vaccinations and neutering included, and the running cost at £116 a month or more.

Ask about teeth before anything else. A Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of 5,419 greyhounds seen by UK vets in 2016 found dental disease in 39.0 per cent, far ahead of overgrown nails (11.1 per cent) and osteoarthritis (4.6 per cent), and the paper links some of it to racing life. Then ask about:

• Old injuries. A small injury can end a racing career. Greyhound Rescue North East says it never sends a dog home until the injury has fully healed and needs no ongoing treatment; ask any rescue what its vet found.
• Other conditions. PDSA's list for the breed includes bloat (a twisted stomach, which is an emergency), gum disease, progressive retinal atrophy (slow sight loss), bone cancer and von Willebrand's disease, a bleeding disorder.
• Nerves. The Royal Kennel Club wants breeders to use the DNA test for greyhound neuropathy, a nerve disease.
• Lurchers. A cross can inherit the health of either parent breed, so go by what the rescue's vet found, not by the label.

Less walking than you might think. Greyhound Rescue North East says greyhounds are happy with regular access to outside space and two 20 to 30 minute walks a day, and that after years in kennels they are still clean and easy to house train; the Greyhound Trust says they are built for speed, not stamina. A lurcher's needs depend on its mix, so ask.

Settle the cat question early. Some greyhounds can be trained to live with cats and other small pets, the Greyhound Trust says, so each rescue judges the dog; put any cat, rabbit or small pet on your application. A thin-coated greyhound will want a warm coat on a cold, wet walk by the coast, which PDSA recommends for the breed.

Renting? Sort out permission before you apply: Durham Dogs & Cats Home asks to see the landlord's or homeowner's permission when you register, and other rescues ask at the home check.

No rescue sells a greyhound or lurcher. You apply, the rescue picks the dog that suits your home, and the money is an adoption fee or donation. That is how every dog on our Middlesbrough greyhound and lurcher pages is rehomed, and when we checked on 29 October 2026 nearly all were adults.

For a pedigree greyhound puppy, The Royal Kennel Club lists litters on its "Find a puppy" service, and Dogs Trust's breed guides suggest seeing a vet for a pre-purchase consultation first. Report a scam advert to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud.