Home a hound
Adopting a greyhound or lurcher through Forever Hounds Trust
From racing track to sofa snuggles
Every year, hundreds of greyhounds and lurchers find themselves in need of new families. Many greyhounds retire from racing between the ages of three and five, whilst others never make it to the track due to early injuries or being too slow. Lurchers often come from hunting or are handed in by owners who can no longer care for them.
Despite their racing background, these gentle dogs have so much love to give and often adapt beautifully to home life. With the right family and a bit of patience during the settling-in period, they make wonderful pets.
Prerequisites for adoption
(or: what to expect when homing a hound)
This is what you need to know before you apply:
- Greyhounds and lurchers typically live to 10-14 years old. Homing a hound is a lifelong commitment with ongoing costs for food and veterinary care. Be prepared for both routine expenses and unexpected vet bills throughout their life.
- Your hound will need to adjust to home life; you'll need time and patience to help them feel secure and become a family pet.
- Sighthounds are often low-energy indoors, but need regular opportunities to stretch their legs. A secure garden is ideal, but we also consider homes without gardens if you can commit to frequent outdoor time.
- Most hounds cannot live with cats or small animals due to their prey drive. If you do have a cat, finding a suitable match may take time - please only apply if you're prepared to wait.
- For safety reasons, we only place dogs with young children if they have a known history of living with them, which may again involve a significant wait.
Hounds up for adoption
Hound 3
Hound 2
Hound 1
How the adoption process works
1. Register your interest
Complete the form below; we'll ask for details of your home environment to help find the right match.
2. Find a match
Our team will look for a hound that suits your circumstances. This may take time; we'll keep you updated.
3. Meet your hound
When we find a potential match, we'll arrange a visit so you can meet them and see if it feels right.
4. Adopt
Your hound comes home with a homing pack and lifelong support from our behaviour team.
Why adopt through Forever Hounds Trust
We don't believe in a first-come-first-served approach. Every hound in our care is thoroughly assessed by our team of behaviourists and vets to understand their temperament, needs, and what type of home will suit them best.
We then work with you to find the right match for your situation. We consider all types of homes: families, older people, smaller properties, and even homes without gardens. What matters most is finding the right fit between hound and family.
This matching process means both you and your new companion have the best chance of a happy life together.
Post-homing support
Our commitment doesn't end on adoption day. Our qualified team of behaviour experts remains available for the entire lifetime of your hound.
We'll check in with you at 24 hours, seven days, and one month after adoption to make sure you're settling in well. After that, you can reach out whenever you need advice or support - it's free and always will be.
We're one of very few rescue organisations able to offer this level of ongoing care, because we believe responsible rehoming means being there for the long haul.
Advice and support
Suggested:
- Greyhounds vs lurchers
- Prey drive (cats and small animals, muzzling, etc)
- The match-making process (and what if a match can't be found)
- Taking your new hound home (pillar post)
What to do if you find a hound
Matching hounds to homes: how we pair dogs to their forever home
How we assess dogs at Forever Hounds Trust
Questions? Get in touch
- Before you apply: homeoffers@foreverhoundstrust.org
- About your application: myapplication@foreverhoundstrust.org
- After adoption: behaviour@foreverhoundstrust.org
Or call us at 03000 125 125 from 9:30am - 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Ready to apply?
Before you apply, please make sure you've read through the requirements above and are prepared to wait for the right match, especially if you have cats or young children.
Ready? Complete the form below and we'll be in touch shortly.