Rehoming guide
How to rehome your greyhound
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
If you can no longer keep your greyhound, there are sighthound rescues that take dogs from owners, and Forever Hounds Trust says it doesn't judge anyone looking to rehome their dog, "as we know this is often the bravest and kindest act for the dog". If your greyhound came from a rescue, contact that rescue first. Then tell adopters plainly how your dog is with cats and small dogs, and how it behaves on and off the lead.
List your pet for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Why greyhounds end up needing a new home
Money is part of it for some owners. Greyhound Rescue Wales says "sighthound owners are under a lot of pressure in the cost of living crisis", and its about page says "most of our dogs are given to us directly by their owners".
Greyhounds can also take a while to find the right home. Blue Cross says they often take longer to rehome "because people do not always see them as family pets", even though many settle quickly with a bit of support. That is worth knowing before you start, so you can plan for a wait.
None of this makes your dog a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your greyhound
Cats and small dogs. Blue Cross says "most greyhounds will not be suitable to live with a cat, but there are always exceptions", and Battersea says an ex-racer's prey drive is most likely to show around smaller dogs, cats and wildlife. Say exactly what your dog has lived with or met, and how it reacted.
Lead, muzzle and recall. The Greyhound Trust recommends a muzzle when out and about, at least until you know how the dog behaves around other breeds, and PDSA says recall "will not always be easy" once the chase instinct kicks in. Tell adopters whether your dog wears a muzzle on walks, and whether it is ever let off the lead and where.
Home habits. Battersea says some ex-racers have never lived in a house, can find stairs and glass doors new, and can be prone to "sleep startle" if woken suddenly. Describe your dog's routine, how it is with stairs and visitors, and where it likes to sleep.
Health and vet records. PDSA lists gastric dilatation volvulus (bloat, where the stomach twists), gum disease and bone cancer among the problems greyhounds can be prone to. Share your vet records, dental history and any old racing injury you know about.
Greyhound rescues that take owners’ dogs
Greyhound rescues often run waiting lists and set their own rules on area and proof of ownership, so read each one's page and contact more than one. Kent Greyhound Rescue says a rescue space "is not a guaranteed outcome".
Greyhound Rescue Walesdogs · All of Wales; greyhounds and lurchers
Use its online surrender form, which it asks all owners to use where possible. Before you do, its Keeping Hounds in Homes project "may be able to give you the support you need to keep you and your dog together".
Forever Hounds Trustdogs · Devon centre; greyhounds, lurchers and other sighthounds
Send its rehoming request form, then it calls you about your dog's behaviour and needs; your dog has an intake vet check (which you pay for) and a behaviour assessment at its Devon centre. Owners in Devon, Dorset, Somerset or Bristol can ask to keep their dog at home while it finds an adopter.
Kent Greyhound Rescuedogs · Kent; greyhounds and lurchers
Contact it through its website and it sends you the paperwork, then you join a waiting list (it says "this may be 4-6 weeks"). Your dog's microchip must have been registered in your name for at least three months, and it asks for an intake donation.
National charities that take any breed
Dogs Trustdogs
Two routes: Homestay, where your dog stays with you while Dogs Trust finds a new home (it says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"), or a kennel or foster place, which "could take a few weeks". Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free, and it aims to reply within 72 hours. Start with a call on 0300 303 2188 or its online form.
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your greyhound on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your dog is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your dog stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your greyhound appears next to rescue dogs on the greyhounds pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your dog, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
Ready to find your greyhound a good home?
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Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your greyhound: your questions
Tap a question to expand
My greyhound came from a rescue. Do I have to give them back?
Possibly, so check first. Kent Greyhound Rescue says "if you got your dog from rescue, please check your adoption agreement, as you may have to return the dog to them". Even if you don't have to, that rescue already knows your dog and may be able to help.
Will a greyhound rescue take a dog that has bitten?
Some can't. Forever Hounds Trust says it cannot take in dogs who have bitten people or other animals, "due to the large number of requests we receive". If your dog has a bite history, say so in full to any rescue or adopter, and ask a qualified behaviourist for help.
Can my greyhound stay with me while a rescue finds a home?
Sometimes. Forever Hounds Trust offers this to owners within reach of its Devon centre who are willing to keep their dog "for as long as it takes", and Kent Greyhound Rescue keeps dogs with their owners on a waiting list until a kennel space is free.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: Greyhound Trust: All about greyhounds · Blue Cross: Why greyhounds and lurchers make great family pets · Battersea: Rehoming a retired Greyhound · PDSA: Greyhound · Greyhound Rescue Wales: Surrender a dog · Greyhound Rescue Wales: About · Forever Hounds Trust: Help with homing your dog · Kent Greyhound Rescue: Greyhound rehoming FAQs