Retired Greyhounds

When you become a registered greyhound owner your responsibility does not stop when your dog finally stops racing. You must adhere to Rule 18 as regulated by the National Greyhound Racing Club. Retirement might come quite early on in the lifespan of your dog. Greyhounds cannot race under the age of 15 months. Many retire as young as four years old although many will also race on much longer. Your greyhound may well live out his years happily and healthily until the age of 12 or beyond.

You should have made provision for your greyhound before the need to retire from the track is on the horizon. Hopefully you should have thought about it right back when you first became an owner.

Many people think that greyhounds require special care, food and exercise. They see the dogs at the track on their toes, muzzled and raring to go and think they could never fit into a rather slower pace of life at home. They can and do very successfully. In fact the problem with greyhounds is often getting them off the sofa or up from their place by the fire and out for a walk!

As a sport greyhound racing takes welfare issues in general and the question of rehoming ex-racers very seriously. The Retired Greyhound Trust is a registered national charity dedicated to finding homes for greyhounds. This year the industry gave £1.3 million centrally for the work of the RGT. Most RGT branches, and there are now more than 60, are based near to a stadium where fundraising nights are hosted and the track itself often donates funds or in kind through facilities.

The Retired Greyhound Trust will help you make provision for your greyhound and will also offer excellent advice on introducing him to life at home. The RGT has much more information and branch details on www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk or contact the head office in Worcester Park, Surrey by telephone on 0870 4440673.

On the road with the RGT

One of the biggest tasks of the RGT is educating those people not lucky enough to come into contact with greyhounds what great pets they make. A national advertising campaign is helping to address misconceptions but the best way is to meet the dogs themselves. Volunteers across the country take to the road all year to promote our wonderful breed. Some attend local community meetings such as Women's Institute groups or schools, others spend the warmer months at county shows and fairs. This summer two new liveried RGT trailers might be at a show near you - so make sure you go and say hello and meet some dogs and greyhound owners for yourself!

Some of the pictures here are from the one of the first outings for the new trailer at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club at Windsor - so you see greyhounds have well and truly shaken off their flat cap image!.

Cheryl Miller and her retired greyhound Emma (Pictured above) is one of the top ten greyhound trainers in the country. She also runs the most successful rehoming centre at her kennels called Croftview near Meopham in Kent. For more information about Croftview and for some excellent information about greyhounds as pets see www.rgtcroftview.co.uk. You are likely to see Cheryl at shows in the south of the country and she is also a regular at Crufts in Birmingham where her parade of greyhounds is legendary.


Put something back to the sport you love and get involved with your local RGT branch - ask at your track or contact the RGT head office to be put in touch with your local contact/branch.Apart from rehoming perhaps you can sponsor a kennel - or help out at your local branch. The RGT needs people to help care for the dogs or assist with homechecking prospective new owners, with administration or local awareness. Just like Cheryl most RGT branches are closely linked to a stadium or racing generally so combine your love of the sport with some worthwhile charity work in your spare time.