Rescue can be utterly soul-destroying at times, and we are currently going through a particularly busy period, with so many Whippets needing to come into our care but very few homes suitable for the dogs we currently have looking for families.
The sad reality is that most dogs come into rescue for a reason. That reason is often through no fault of their own, but even then, they usually need patient and understanding adopters who are willing to put in the time and effort to help them thrive into the wonderful pets we know they can be.
Sadly, we are finding that more and more people want the perfect, ready-made pet to arrive on their doorstep, but that simply isn’t realistic or the way life works.
Rescue dogs have the potential to become the most amazing, loving and loyal family members, but they can only do so if adopters are willing to support them through the more challenging moments too.
Lead reactivity remains one of the most common behavioural challenges we see, but we have also noticed a significant increase in separation anxiety cases this year.
When applying to adopt, it is important to be completely honest about your home, circumstances, lifestyle and the behavioural challenges you realistically feel able to manage.
If we feel you may be a suitable home for one of our Whippets, a member of our team will be in touch to discuss everything thoroughly and honestly. A home check will then be arranged, and you will be placed on our list of approved adopters to be matched with a Whippet if and when we feel a suitable dog becomes available.
We will discuss each Whippet with you in as much detail as possible and will only contact you about dogs we feel may be a good match based on the information you have provided. If you decide that a particular Whippet is not the right fit for your family, there is absolutely no pressure to say yes.
We provide lifetime support and backup for every dog we rehome and will always take a Whippet back into our care if circumstances change or things do not work out. However, our aim is for every Whippet to find their forever home, which is why we are so thorough with our adoption process.
There is simply no point being dishonest about your home, lifestyle or what you feel you can realistically cope with. It is not in the best interests of the Whippet and can ultimately result in the dog bouncing back into rescue.
Rescue is a journey, not a quick fix, and the most successful adoptions happen when expectations are realistic from the very beginning.
Please think carefully before applying and be as honest as possible.
You can view a full list of the Whippets currently looking for homes on our Facebook page.
We are also always looking for foster homes with people who are experienced and understanding of Whippets and other sighthounds. Where possible, we like dogs to come into foster care before moving to their forever homes so that they can be fully assessed and matched appropriately.
Foster carers need to be prepared for all types of scenarios, as we are not always given the full truth about the dogs coming into our care. This can include lead reactivity, separation anxiety, house-training issues, resource guarding and more.
For this reason, we currently require foster homes to have no young children and no cats. Foster homes without resident dogs are particularly valuable to us, as we are seeing an increasing number of Whippets entering rescue that need to be the only pet. However, we can also consider foster homes with resident sighthounds for the right dogs. Gardens must be fully secure with fencing of at least 6ft, as rescue Whippets can often be a flight risk when settling into a new environment.
If you think you could offer a Whippet a foster or forever home, we would love to hear from you.
Adoption Application: https://whippetrescue.org.uk/adoption-application/
Foster Application: https://whippetrescue.org.uk/get-involved/fostering-a-whippet/
FAQs: https://whippetrescue.org.uk/faqs/
