Adopting a greyhound in Newcastle: rescues, costs and care

The count under the short answer is live: every greyhound listed with us within about 25 miles of Newcastle, each linked to its rescue on our Newcastle greyhound page. When we checked on 28 October 2026, most of them were with the three specialists below, and the rest with general rescues: Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter at Longbenton, Bryson's Animal Shelter at Eighton Banks in Gateshead and Durham Dogs & Cats Home at Coxhoe. None of the specialists prints a street address, so you meet the dogs by appointment.

Racing. About 8,000 greyhounds retire each year, the Greyhound Trust says, and it finds homes for around half; its breed profile puts the usual retirement age at three to five. The national charity homes them through volunteer branches, with each dog neutered, vaccinated and microchipped and four weeks' free insurance; search its site for a branch.

Younger than the word "retired" suggests. Greyhound Rescue North East says most of its greyhounds come from the racing industry aged between 3 and 5, usually because they have slowed down, and that a greyhound's life expectancy is around 12 years, so most of its life is still ahead. Some are younger and never made it to the track because they wouldn't chase or were injured, and the occasional older dog comes back after life as a pet or after being used for breeding.

Ages are known, not guessed: because of tattooing and now microchipping, the rescue says it knows exactly how old each dog is, unlike many rescue dogs whose age is an estimate. On injuries, it says even a small injury can end a racing career, and that it never sends a dog to a new home without making sure it has fully recovered and needs no ongoing treatment for that injury.

Greyhound Rescue North East describes a lurcher as a sighthound such as a greyhound, whippet, deerhound, wolfhound or saluki crossed with another breed, typically a collie or a terrier, and says it also takes in mixes of sighthounds, which are usually still called lurchers. Because so many breeds can be in the mix, it says their personalities and needs vary a great deal, so ask the rescue about the individual dog rather than going by the label. Its website gives only a brief description of each dog, and its team prefers to talk through a dog's needs with you one to one.

A rescue greyhound comes with its vet work already started, and the rescue knows how it behaves with people and other dogs. Greyhound Rescue North East's donation starts at £150; the others publish no figure, so ask what yours includes.

Buy a puppy and those bills move to you. PDSA puts a large dog's set-up costs, vaccinations and neutering among them, at £560, then at least £116 a month. That comes after the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross quotes for the puppy.

Teeth come first. In a Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of 5,419 greyhounds seen by UK vets in 2016, dental disease affected 39.0 per cent, far more than any other problem; overgrown nails affected 11.1 per cent and osteoarthritis 4.6 per cent. The paper links some of this to their racing years. Ask about:

• Teeth and old injuries. What dental work has the rescue's vet done, and does the dog have any track injury or stiffness?
• Other conditions. PDSA lists bloat (a twisted stomach and an emergency), gum disease, progressive retinal atrophy (gradual sight loss), bone cancer and von Willebrand's disease, a bleeding disorder.
• Nerves. Greyhound neuropathy, a nerve disease, has a DNA test that The Royal Kennel Club wants breeders to use.

Greyhounds need less exercise than people expect. Greyhound Rescue North East says its dogs need two walks of 20 to 30 minutes a day and regular access to outside space, and PDSA suggests about an hour a day in all. A greyhound can live in a smaller home if those walks happen, but ask the rescue before you apply from a flat.

Greyhounds settle into a home routine quickly: Northumberland Greyhound Rescue says they aren't housetrained as such, but are very clean in their kennels and usually quick to learn, and that you should only let one off the lead after reliable recall training, in a secure area first.

It also covers the practical side of the first weeks. Most greyhounds are fed on dried food according to their weight, most are happy sleeping on a folded duvet rather than a special bed, and whether one needs a coat depends on the dog, with a waterproof coat a good place to start. It describes greyhounds as generally very laid back and even tempered.

Cats are the other question: the Greyhound Trust says some greyhounds can be trained to live with them, so the rescues judge each dog. Mention any cat, rabbit or small pet on your application. On cold winter walks a thin-coated greyhound will want a coat: PDSA says greyhounds need a warm one.

Rescue greyhounds are adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue matches a dog to your home, and you pay its fee or adoption donation. Every greyhound on our Newcastle greyhound page comes that way, and most are retired racers.

If you want a puppy, The Royal Kennel Club lists litters on its "Find a puppy" service, and Dogs Trust's breed guides suggest a pre-purchase consultation with a vet to hear about likely conditions and rough costs. If an advert looks like a scam, tell Report Fraud, the service that replaced Action Fraud.