Adopting a greyhound in Preston: Northern Greyhound Rescue and more

On 5 November 2026 greyhounds and lurchers were the largest breed group listed with us within 25 miles, at Makants, Northern Greyhound Rescue, Animal Care Lancaster and Carla Lane Animals in Need. Our counter above changes as dogs arrive and find homes.

It keeps things informal, but it does check. Its adoption page and application form set out these steps:

1. Contact it about the dogs. Its dogs change often, so it asks you to get in touch about who is available rather than rely on the page alone.
2. Fill in the application. The form asks why you want a greyhound or lurcher, about children and other pets, your working hours, holiday cover, and whether your garden is securely fenced.
3. An informal home check. A volunteer visits to meet you, talk through what you need, and match the right hound to your home.
4. Adoption and follow-up. The dog comes to you neutered, vaccinated and microchipped with four weeks' free insurance, and the rescue visits again afterwards and offers support if problems come up.

A racing career is short. Northern Greyhound Rescue notes that most greyhounds have retired by about five, sometimes much sooner after an injury, while they can live to twelve or fifteen. The Greyhound Trust puts typical retirement at three to five years old.

Blue Cross finds greyhounds can take longer to rehome than other dogs, because people don't always picture them as family pets, though most settle into a house quickly with some support.

Both greyhound rescues near Preston ask about the same few things. Have honest answers ready:

• Cats and small pets. Makants believes its ex-racers wouldn't suit a home with cats. In Blue Cross's view only some greyhounds can share a home with a cat, so ask about this one.
• The garden. Makants asks for 5ft fencing around the whole garden and a gate that locks, and turns down homes with a shared communal garden. Northern Greyhound Rescue's form asks whether yours is securely fenced.
• Time alone. Makants wants a walker or carer lined up if the dog would be alone beyond about 4 hours, and prefers homes where any children are older than 5.
• Settling in. Ex-racers have lived in kennels, so expect some house training. Northern Greyhound Rescue says some hounds have quirks and take longer to adjust.

Ask Northern Greyhound Rescue what donation it expects. What you get is plainer: each dog has been neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, with four weeks of insurance. At Makants the homing donation is £175, also with four weeks of Petplan cover.

Buy a puppy and you pay for that vet work yourself, on top of £400 to £3,000 for the puppy, on Blue Cross figures. By PDSA's reckoning a large dog needs £560 up front and from £116 a month.

The Royal Kennel Club gives greyhounds a lifespan of over 10 years and asks breeders to DNA test for greyhound neuropathy; Dogs Trust says 10 years or more. PDSA lists the problems the breed is prone to:

• Bloat (GDV). Deep-chested dogs can suffer a swollen, twisted stomach, which is an emergency. Your vet can advise on spacing meals and walks.
• Teeth. Gum (periodontal) disease is on PDSA's list, so ask what dental work the dog has had.
• Bones, blood and eyes. Also on PDSA's list: bone cancer; von Willebrand's disease, which stops blood clotting properly; and progressive retinal atrophy, a gradual loss of sight.
• Cold weather. Thin-coated hounds feel the cold, and Northern Greyhound Rescue advises a warm coat for winter walks, especially for older dogs.

A greyhound needs less exercise than its size suggests. The Greyhound Trust describes them as sprinters, happy with two walks of about twenty minutes a day, and Blue Cross says many sleep for 16 to 18 hours. A lurcher's needs depend on its other parent, so ask.

Off-lead running needs care with a dog built to chase. Battersea's advice is to let one run only in an enclosed field you can hire, or on a harness with a long line, not loose in an open park. It also warns that some ex-racers react badly to being woken suddenly ("sleep startle"), so give the bed a quiet corner.

Rescue greyhounds are never sold. You apply, the rescue picks a dog that suits your home, and you give its donation or fee. Each greyhound and lurcher on our Preston greyhound page is rehomed that way, through its own rescue.

If you buy, meet the puppy alongside its mother and the rest of the litter, as Blue Cross advises, and look at The Royal Kennel Club's Find a puppy listings. A suspicious advert should be reported to Report Fraud. Our Preston dog rescues guide covers the other rescues near the city.