Life after racing
While a number of greyhounds are retained as pets by their trainers or owners, there are still some that require forever homes once their racing careers come to an end. Thanks to the brilliant work of homing centres throughout the country, who match retired greyhounds with suitable families, the vast majority of racing greyhounds retire into pet homes.
Scroll down to find out more about welcoming a retired greyhound into your home. You can also read about our Greyhound Retirement Scheme.
Retiring a greyhound
If you are a racing owner and wish to retire your greyhound from racing, you will need to complete a Retirement Form for your greyhound and submit this to the GBGB.
Every greyhound must be homed in line with GBGB’s Responsible Homing Policy and Rule 18 of the GBGB Rules of Racing.
A copy of GBGB’s Homing Information Form must also be supplied to the greyhound’s new owner or the homing centre that will be caring for them. This form details the greyhound’s specific behavioural traits, their vaccination details and any medical history that the new owner needs to be aware of.
You can download the documents below. If you have any questions regarding your greyhound’s retirement, please get in touch with the GBGB Welfare Department by email: welfare@gbgb.org.uk or call 020 7822 0900.
Homing a retired greyhound
Are you looking for a new canine addition to your family? Consider homing a retired racing greyhound.
As anyone who has owned one knows, retired greyhounds make excellent pets. Greyhounds are calm, gentle and extremely affectionate and are suitable for all kinds of families.
Contrary to their outstanding ability to run, they are low maintenance and do not need a lot of exercise each day. They love nothing more than to curl up on the sofa and relax with their owners.
If you are interested in homing one of our retirees, speak to your local track or find your nearest GRS-approved homing centre. They will be able to match you with the right dog for you and your family and advise on the best way to care for your new greyhound.
You can also visit Share Your Life With A Greyhound to discover more about the breed and how to begin your own adoption journey.
Greyhound Retirement Scheme
Our Greyhound Retirement Scheme (GRS) supports each of our brilliant canine athletes to find their forever homes.
The scheme removes the financial barriers to homing greyhounds by attaching a £420 bond – paid for jointly by owners and GBGB – to each athlete at the point of their registration. This helps with costs associated with a greyhound’s retirement, such as kennelling, feeding and caring for the greyhound until a home is found.
As part of the GRS, we have a growing list of approved homing centres which do fantastic work finding the perfect homes for our sport’s ex-racers. You can find one local to you below.
Information for Retired Greyhound Owners
Welcoming Your Greyhound
Download PDFAbout the Breed
Download PDFCaring for Your Greyhound
Download PDFSeparation Anxiety
Download PDFOsteoarthritis
Download PDFFireworks
Download PDFEnrichment for Retired Greyhounds in Residential Kennels
Guide to Enhancing the Welfare of Retired Greyhounds in Residential Kennels
Download PDFSummary of Enrichment Guide
Download PDFGreyhound Dental Score
GBGB Greyhound Dental Score
Download PDF