Not sure about getting a puppy? Can’t find a breeder you trust? Want to adopt to give a whippet a happy home?
We’ve chosen the rescue route twice. Frankie our first, whippet/saluki cross and Winnie whippet, both came to us at 9 months old. It’s often not the easy way but if you want to check the options we’ve rounded up some of the whippet rescues across the UK, to help you check out adoption options or a worthy whippet charity to donate to.
At Redhound, we hold regular fundraising auctions of whippet wear and hand knitted jumpers to raise funds for fantastic whippet and sight hound charities. Since our first fundraiser in 2015 we have raised over £30,000 and we plan to keep doing it!
A rescue dear to my heart because our Winnie was re-homed through them. They are a nationwide charity that only use foster homes for the dogs who come into their care. They have many volunteers who help run things, collecting dogs in need, fostering, home checking and delivering to new homes.
They've been around for 11 years and have re-homed in excess of 900 whippets in that time. They are our chosen charity to help in 2023 and are sadly helping more whippets than they ever have before.
Find out about Just Whippets Rescue
Established 50 years ago, JR Whippet Rescue re-homes around 100 dogs a year and are based in Devon but with the help of volunteer foster homes cover the UK nationwide. They re-home whippets who are lost, abandoned, neglected or ill-treated. Or those who can no longer stay in the place they once called home due to illness or death of the owner.
Find out about JR Whippet Rescue
Candy's Hound Rescue is a charity set up to save dogs from the meat markets of China. They work closely with their vet partners and volunteers in China where many dogs need medical care before they can be flown to a new country to start a loving life.
They rescue many greyhounds but increasingly whippets. In the year we fundraised for them, of all the charities we have worked with, the stories of their dogs were the hardest and saddest.
Find out about Candys Hound Rescue
When we re-homed Frankie I struggled to find a rescue that re-homed whippets, being told that they don’t come up for adoption. I called Celia Cross Greyhound Rescue who were local to us and they called back when they thought they had a whippet coming in – that whippet was actually more Saluki than whippet but we all fell in love with her and brought our lively, scared and timid Frankie home. We shared just over 13 years with her, working through her fears and love of chasing small furries, she was a special hound who gave joy every day, especially in her role as a Pets as Therapy dog.
Based in Surrey we got our Frankie from here back in 2003. A fantastic rescue who mainly re-home greyhounds retired or discarded from the race track. They have amazing kennel facilities and a gang of volunteers who care for the dogs.
We've helped them fund raise and been with them at many events. An amazing team who re-home around 200 dogs a year and have been doing their good work for many years.
Find out about Celia Cross Greyhound Rescue
Another charity we've had the pleasure to work with in past fundraisers. When I first spoke to them, they said they are know for ‘if it’s old, black and crap, send it to Greyhound Gap’ Heart breaking to hear but their dedication to re-homing the dogs that nobody else wants is extraordinary.
They have kennel facilities and are based in Stoke on Trent.
We fund raised for Greyhound Trust in 2019. A wonderful team dedicated to re-homing greyhounds and educating about the risks of racing. Founded in 1975 they have found loving homes for over 100,000 ex racing greyhounds. Based in Surrey they have the most amazing ‘home’ centre where they “transition racing greyhounds from animal athletes to family pets”
They have regional offices too.
Find out about Greyhound Trust
Based in the West of England, they are a relatively young charity, founded in 2016, but their founder had many years experience in the rescue world before setting up this lovely charity. If it’s a lurcher you are after, this charity might be able to help.
Find out about Forever Hounds Trust
Established in 2008 Erin Hounds set out to rescue and rehome the sighthounds of Ireland that are over bred for the racing industry. They help to re-home many who have been given up because they don’t suit the owners coursing or racing requirements and those who have been cruelly treated or repeatedly used for breeding. Probably not the best place to look for a whippet but if it’s lurchers or greyhounds check them out. Based in Ireland with volunteers mostly in Cheshire, England.
Find out about Erin Hounds Rescue
Many rescue centres that aren’t breed specific will have Whippets and other sighthounds awaiting their happy forever homes.
Take a look at the below rescues:
Both of the Whippet rescues will have older whippets looking for homes. But you can also take a look at Oldies Club, an organisation dedicated to finding older dogs forever homes by listing those in the care of other charities around the UK. It’s worth remembering that an ‘oldie’ is from 7 years, many whippet are in their prime at this age. As a consequence of the lockdown puppy boom sadly many young whippets are finding themselves in need of new homes. Owners not being able to work from home or realising the cost involved in day care. Or having pups that suffer terrible separation anxiety due to never knowing it is ok to be left for a short while. Whippets are still not the top breed in rescue – thankfully – but you might get lucky if you hunt around and fill out enough adoption forms online.
Find out more about the wonderful whippet – the things you won’t find online!
Or, if you want to get involved in other ways, many charities have calendars, Christmas cards, and other merchandise that you can buy to help raise funds.
We hold regular Pre-Loved auctions – usually in our Facebook Group – Redhounders and our auctions of hand knitted jumpers are very popular on Instagram on our Redhound Fund Raising page.
If you want to be the first to know about our fundraisers, love whippets and don’t want to be bombarded with emails, we send a weekly newsletter – The Happy Hound
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