About Greyhound Lifeline

Greyhound InformationGreyhound Lifeline Mission Statement

Greyhound Lifeline is an independent Greyhound welfare and homing  Charity.

Our charitable objective is to promote humane behaviour towards greyhounds by providing appropriate care, protection, treatment and security for greyhounds which are in need of care and attention by reason of sickness, maltreatment, poor circumstances or ill usage and to educate the public in matters pertaining to greyhound welfare in general and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among greyhounds.

During April 2017 we began the process of applying to become a formal Registered Charity and we were granted this status by the Charities Commission on 25th May 2017. Our Registered Charity number is 1173175.

We are proud to be in the minority amongst Registered Charities in that we are run and managed entirely by unpaid volunteers.

Our dedicated team all work together to ultimately achieve the lifetime comfort and welfare of all the greyhounds who have passed through our care. The greyhounds’ futures are of paramount importance to us and as such, no adoption will proceed until a successful home check has been completed.

About Greyhound Lifeline

Bobby black male greyhound
Greyhound Lifeline was founded in May 2007 by a group of people many of whom have had previous experience of homing greyhounds, owning greyhounds as pets, working with greyhounds or with greyhound adoption through other organisations or welfare groups.

In other cases our volunteers may have had no dog experience whatsoever before joining our team. Our backgrounds are varied, but we believe our cumulative experience of both greyhounds and life/work/family experiences to be a valuable asset in our Greyhound Lifeline venture.

In January 2008 we moved to new premises, near Fleet, Hampshire.  At this new site we were able to have a greater number of kennels meaning we could have and care for more greyhounds at any one time.

Our current lease finishes at the end of April 2022 and Greyhound Lifeline is getting ready to move to a new site where we can have bespoke kennels with individual runs.

During COVID (2021-2022) we dramatically reduced our numbers so we could carry on supporting the retired, greyhound racers during this difficult time.  By doing so we could not only care for them 100%, with limited volunteers on site but we could equip them better for home life, by introducing them to the ‘outside world’; socialising with a range of other dogs off-site.  This has allowed any particular greyhound additional time to practise these skills before they have been homed.

Greyhound Lifeline will continue to have a smaller intake in their new premises, as this has proved very beneficial in our way of working.  This will allow us to introduce them to more aspects of the ‘outside world’, including home living, house training, meeting a range of people and other dogs, in a variety of places which will better prepare them for home living, in their adopted new homes.  Our base will continue to be in Hampshire where we can continue to be supported by a wide range of dedicated volunteers.

Our team of unpaid volunteers have adapted and changed as we have grown.

The key volunteers are shown on our  Greyhound Lifeline Team Page, but we are supported by numerous other volunteers too all of whom play a valuable part within Greyhound Lifeline.

  • We have in excess of 100 registered volunteers who offer their services through walking the greyhounds, vet trips, street collections, car-boot sales, attending fayres and shows, DIY support and many more roles too.
  • Our home checkers are also crucial; without them, our ability to home greyhounds responsibly would be severely restricted.
  • Every family that adopts a greyhound is actually helping two greyhounds. How? The greyhound that they adopt leaves a kennel space free for another greyhound who is in need of adoption to occupy.

Our reward as a team is purely that of being able to say “We have helped a greyhound to find its lifetime home”.

The Greyhound Lifeline Team »