Greyhound Life Blog

Adopting a greyhound; life at Whittingham Kennels; stories of our rehomed/adopted greyhounds; information for greyhound lovers!   

If you are considering adopting a greyhound, please view our current "greyhounds looking for homes".

Donations towards our work for rehoming rescued and retired greyhounds are always very much appreciated!  Please go to our Whittingham Kennels' gofundme page, or email us for bank details.    
 

Appeal for Andy 

Poor Andy isn't having much luck with finding his home. And yet he's perfect with little dogs, walks really well on the lead and is very affectionate.
Could you offer Andy a home? He is 6yrs old.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information










Thank you

Rocky and us all would like to thank Christine and everyone who is donating and supporting the new online shop. We are blown away by your generosity and support.


And a huge thank you to our dedicated volunteer, Linda. She has been gathering bedding and arrived with two car loads! Bedding is always needed, particularly in mucky weather so please just throw any unwanted towels, duvets, sheets and blankets our way! The only thing we can't take is anything containing feathers.

Thanks so much everyone.
Rocky is also still looking for a home. He sadly barks at unfamiliar people which doesn't help his cause, but he is very loving once he gets to know you.
For more information, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com 


Thank you

Holly, the residents and all the team would like to thank the family of Jacqui Harrison for raising money in her memory and donating it to Whittingham. It is so very kind and very much appreciated.










Will and Katie sitting

Will and Katie are so close and even sit together! Greyhounds don't generally sit but there are always those who will disprove this (usually as we are telling visitors the opposite)!!


Will is a little nervous with people but Katie (black and white) really brings him out of his shell.

Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about adopting a greyhound






Woofy thrives at home

What a lovely video of Woofy looking so happy. We had to share it with you!
Thanks so much again to his wonderful adopters.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Thanks for the bedding

Thanks so much to the person who left this at our gate. We are running a little low on bedding so this is greatly appreciated. Sorry we didn't see you!








Wizz meets Bubbles

This is Wizz meeting little Bubbles. He was really good with him.

Check out our TikTok to see the full video of a few of our dogs happily mixing with Bubbles.


We have quite a few dogs who are good with other breeds at the moment.

Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt a greyhound or lurcher





Our adopted greyhounds and lurchers at home

It is so nice to see our adopted greyhounds and lurchers doing well. Brindle lurcher, Maggie (was Mavis) was a bit more of a challenge than her established greyhound friends, but look at her now! She's doing amazingly well thanks to the kindness and patience of her adopters. It just shows how a couple of weeks of perseverance can make all the difference.
To adopt a greyhound or lurcher, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com




Teddy finds a home

We are delighted to report that Teddy did indeed hit the jackpot and found an amazing home tonight with one of our very special adopters and her other three dogs. He is exceptionally lucky.
Here he is with his new friend, Flora.

Thanks to his wonderful adopter and to Judy for all her help.

To help another dog find a loving home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com








Woofy finds a home 

We were absolutely thrilled to see Woofy go to his new home today. He has landed on his paws with the loveliest of people.

He came to us after we were asked to take him when his previous owner fell ill and sadly died. Woofy had not originally come from us so we knew little of his history. He had been found sitting with his former owner who had been laying on the floor for an estimated 2 days. Sadly, Woofy had shockingly bad teeth and needed every single tooth removed. He was also neutered in our care. There wasn't much left of him (!), but he was so desperate for a home. Vicky responded to our appeal and waited patiently for all his veterinary work to be completed. He couldn't have gone to nicer people and we wish him all the best as he settles. Thank you so much to his new adopters. And to Sylvia, our regular adopter, for popping round to do the homecheck too.
And a huge thanks to everyone who donated towards his dental etc. Thanks to his former neighbours and the brother of his former owner too, who have been so kind.
To help another dog be as lucky as Woofy, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Rocket still needs a home

Sadly, Rocket the young lurcher is still looking for a home. We home within a 90mins radius of Waltham Abbey. He is great with other breeds as you can see. His potential adopter was so disappointed that he was just too lively for her very elderly greyhound (and did really want to play with the little dogs too). So, he would probably be best suited to a home with larger dogs or other greyhounds. He is also fine to go on his own. He is house-trained and good in every way. He's just a baby who wants to play.

Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information.
(Please note facebook messages do not always alert us so email is best).
(And a huge thanks to the lovely family who visited). 



Burgess Super give-away - please nominate us

If anyone would like to vote for us, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Natalie for alerting us.


Laila and Lauren's Sky dive for Whittingham

Our amazing adopter, volunteer and supporter, Laila, is planning a skydive with her friend, Lauren to raise money for Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity
If you would like to support them, please head to their Gofundme page:
Most of us will be cheering them along from the ground!!!


Good news

Rhino
In a roller-coaster of a week, we were absolutely over the moon to see Rhino go to a new home yesterday. We all had a soft spot for him as we had known him well in his original home and whilst he was with us too. He has really fallen on his paws with lovely people who have adopted many greyhounds from us before and we hold our breath whilst he settles.
Ginnie (now Lyra) also went with another of our greyhounds and fantastic adopters. We cross our fingers and paws that she settles too.
Lyra (Right) and friends

We also have some lovely news for Teddy (who lost his brother) who has interest. All being well, he has hit the jackpot. We will keep you posted when we know more and a huge thanks to Judy Z for sharing his story.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Maggie and thank you 

Maggie is doing well after her dental and eating well with softened food. Thanks to everyone who donated for her.
And thanks to Jess and Alex for the blankets and toys. It isn't often that we walk in and find an octopus in a parcel!!
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt a greyhound or Rocket the lurcher.









Get knitting!

A snood for a hound
Our amazing knitting pattern seller, Erssie, has rewritten, improved and technically edited the "Dizzy Lily: A Snood For A Hound" knitting pattern for 2025. All previous buyers will receive an automatic update via Ravelry messages or via email.
New buyers can purchase the pattern from Erssie's store on Ravelry:
100% of revenue will go to Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity
(Ravelry: Designs by Erssie)
We can't thank Erssie enough for her incredible support and generosity. So get knitting! 🙂




Teddy is treated

Thank you, Chris for the Biscrox to help Teddy after the loss of his brother. He enjoyed opening them.
If you would like to offer Teddy a home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
It would be lovely if he could go with another greyhound.













Billy - sad news

Billy
We are absolutely devastated to have to let you know that Billy died today. We hesitated about sharing sad news as we like to keep our social media posts upbeat, but not to do so would be an insult to him. He was a special boy who came in with his brother, Teddy. We will put someone in with Teddy in the hope that he doesn't get too upset as he had been with his brother forever.
He was a special boy and we were honoured to meet him. We just wish we could have found them a wonderful home together and are so sorry that his life ended so soon.

When these freak events happen, it makes us question why we do this job. But with nearly 100 dogs coming through our door each year, we know it is a rare tragedy. It doesn't make it any less distressing though.
Fly high, Billy. Go with our love and that of everyone who knew you.








Chilli, Udon and thank you

It is lovely to see Lizzie (now Chilli) (left) with Udon (was Monty) (right) settling in at her new home. With great coats from her talented adopter too.

There were a few settling issues that Chilli had to overcome but with perseverance and following our advice, she is doing well. Thank you to her adopters for their kindness.


And a huge thank you for the parcels to Laura, the sender of the Wagg, and Sarah for the boxes of food and treats. We are so grateful.

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Maggie is recovering from her dental

Maggie had her dental yesterday with 16 teeth out. But she will feel so much better for it in the long run. Thank you to everyone who has donated and been so supportive. And a special thanks to Gail for finding Dave who has offered her a home. (And to everyone who shared and got in touch too). We will update again when she's on her way home.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to offer a greyhound a home
No photo description available.



Basil (now Sonny) finds a home

Sonny (was Basil) went home on Sunday and is looking very grand in his new home. Thanks so much to his lovely adopters for giving him a loving home. He's playing with his toys and meeting all his new friends positively.
We hope for the same for them all. There are so many dogs just waiting to love and be loved. Could you help one into a loving home?
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
May be an image of dog


Whittingham's shop run by Christine

Head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/993762922573371/?ref=share to join the group that is our new online shop run by Christine, raising funds for Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity..
Christine works so hard to raise money and the sales are going well after just one day! Heather P has kindly donated some items and Judy Z is sending a box of goodies too. Natalie and Sim also have items so keep your eyes on her page and you won't miss out!
Thanks so much to everyone for donating, buying and to those who also round up donations too. It is so kind and a massive thanks again to Christine for all her hard work.

Carol (now Peggy) finds a home

Well, Carol (now Peggy) found her comfy bed before I'd even got home from taking her to her new home today! What a lucky girl she is. Thanks so much to her lovely adopters.
Basil also went to his new home today so we will look forward to hearing how he settles too. He has fallen on his paws with previous Whittingham adopters.
We know there may be a settling phase but we keep everything crossed that they do well as they adjust.
To adopt a greyhound and help another dog be as lucky in a loving, comfy home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
No photo description available.


Greyhounds on the Moon!

Our very own Daphne!! Our greyhounds are now going to the moon!! 😁😁
She's such a good ambassador for greyhound adoption. If you live on planet earth, do get in touch about adopting a greyhound!!
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

St Albans Cathedral 

What are you wearing to see the Museum of the Moon? Daphne here has chosen a hot-pink number on #NationalDressUpYourPetDay and we're asking if anyone has anything matching for Fr Kevin...


Dig, Dig, Dig!

It looks like Maggie (Mavis) is teaching her new friends some bad habits in her new home! We are not quite sure that Barney knows why he is digging but apparently they were in training for the Hertfordshire Digging Championships. (That's what Maggie told him anyway)!! We hope this practice brings in the gold medals, but that they stay down to earth if they are successful!! 🤣🤣🤣
In other news, thank you to everyone who came today in the cold weather. It will take us all a while to defrost! And a massive thank you to Tim (with Bert) for the huge disinfectant donation; and to everyone who has been bringing up bedding.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com



Ears up - for our online shop!

Ears up! We have a new online shop, overseen by Christine. Head to Whittingham Kennels Online Shop and you will find some lovely items to buy to help raise funds for the greyhounds.
I'll publicise again when it lets me put the link in!


Sheene (in the photo) would also love a home. Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt a greyhound







Two brothers arrive to find a home

Introducing our two latest arrivals: brothers, Billy (red collar) and Teddy (yellow collar). They are 4yrs old and share a kennel. It would be lovely if we could home them together but we know that is a big ask.
They are affectionate and quiet chaps.
Could you offer them a home?
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information.












Jet finds a home!

We received these lovely photos of Jet, who went home just after Christmas. He's been settling very well, but was spooked by some builders on a walk which has made him worried. We have sent tips to try to help him overcome this last settling hurdle.
A huge thanks to his lovely adopters for giving him such a loving home and helping him through the beginning stages. He's doing very well.
Could you adopt a greyhound and help another dog be as lucky as Jet? There are so many waiting in Kennels for their chance to be in a warm and loving home.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about adopting a greyhound





Missie says thank you

Missie is gradually coming round after a nervous start. We are beginning to get tail wags. Unfortunately, she's doing a good impression of Rudolph the red-nosed greyhound as she has taken to burying her bowl in her bed. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
She would also like to thank Lesley with Jazzy for the food parcel.


In other news, today we saw Carol reserved. So we are delighted about that.

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com




Our Royal Couple!! 

Our newcomers and royal couple (Will and Katie) (!!!!) are settling in. Will (black) is nervous but slowly coming round, whilst Katie (black and white) is everyone's friend.






They do not need to be homed together. But they would both like to thank Louise (with Whisky) for the treats; and Michelle (with Leo) for the regular dog food donations.
To adopt Will, Katie or any other Whittingham hound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com











Rocket appeal

It was minus 4 degrees at 7.30am! And Rocket is very keen to get out of kennels and into a loving home! Who could blame him! He is a very young lurcher, has lived in a home and is good with other dogs. He will be cat tested soon. He can't go with small children but will be a fantastic dog. Whoever has him will be very lucky.
To adopt Rocket or any other hound from Whittingham Kennels, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
We generally only home within a 90mins radius of Waltham Abbey due to homechecks and rechecks.







Lance arrives; cold day thank yous

We would like to introduce our newest arrival. His name is Lance (it was Dancer but we've given it a tweak)! He's a beautifully affectionate and loving boy. He's quite a solid chap but in immaculate condition. Whoever adopts Lance will be very lucky.



On this freezing day, we would also like to thank Heather for the blankets, and everyone else who collects bedding and food for us. It is so appreciated.
To adopt Lance or any other Whittingham hound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com







Will is a new boy looking for a home - he says 'thank you' for the donations

Will is our newest dog and quite nervous at the moment. But he has plucked up the courage to say thank you so much to Diana Rogers, and the sender of the Wagg and other biscuits.
He and all the Whittingham residents are very grateful.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt a greyhound









Greyhounds in blankets

Most greyhounds appreciate a coat or blanket on them overnight in this cold weather. Evie is demonstrating this very well. (She already has a home)!
At the Kennels, they wear coats and the heaters come on during the night so that we try to keep them as warm as possible.


But, of course, what they all really want is a loving home.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about adopting a greyhound or lurcher






Maggie update

A huge thank you to Greys for Greys and Miss Maggie's Supper Box which have both donated towards our Maggie's upcoming dental. We are beyond grateful.
Maggie is doing well and has picked up since this photograph was taken. We have also spoken to a neighbour of her former adopter who said how many people loved Maggie in her former home (before her adopter was hospitalised with ill health). We are glad we are always there to step in for our previously homed dogs. Sometimes circumstances do change beyond our control and we always insist on being the back up plan for the dogs we have homed.
To adopt a greyhound or lurcher from Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com




Four new arrivals...

Four new dogs arrived today to begin their search for loving homes. So allow us to introduce Basil (fawn and white), Frilly (black), Holly (black with green collar!) and Missie (black with orange collar next to the cone!). We will assess them as we get to know them but they are all lovely.


Frilly sounds the perfect dog, Holly and Basil are confident and happy and Missie is very nervous at the moment. But we are sure she will come round once she starts to settle in and trust that everything is OK.



For more information or to offer a home to a Whittingham dog, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com





Thank you to our volunteers Jo, James, Alice (and Zoe the greyhound) for braving the weather and getting all the residents walked today.






A snowy day at the Kennels

The snow is melting but it is slippery. So please take care if coming today.  The dogs will go in the paddocks as normal if they don't go for a walk.












Jason

Sadly Jason was returned to us today. He will be the perfect dog in the right home as he's great around other breeds, travels well and is a lovely boy. He would prefer a home where people are around so that he is not left on his own too long. He's a bit underweight on his return so we will feed him up before he can go home again, but please do get in touch if you would like to offer him a home.


Advice booklets and feeding guides are given to each home and homechecks always carried out. Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

And a huge thank you to Elissa and Louis for their time today; and to Mike and Huxley who walked every dog in the kennel, including our two rescued lurchers, Woofy and Rocket, who love to get out too.

To offer any Whittingham hound a home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Maggie

A huge thank you to Deborah at Miss Maggie’s Supper Box for contributing again towards our vet bills (Maggie's dental) and to everyone who shared my personal appeal last night. We have spoken to Dave via Gail and hope she is placed, pending her dental and further assessment of her until then. She will be very lucky. Special thanks to Gail, Dave, Kerry, Ingrid and everyone who offered help for this little 11yr old return. We are so grateful that she has had offers to get her out of Kennels as soon as she is sorted with her veterinary work.


Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Foxy falls on his paws!

One of the last dogs of 2024 to find a home was Foxy (now called Wally) who fell on his paws with our other former Whittingham resident, Custard (and her adopters, Madison and Helen). We had a lovely update this morning and what a lucky boy he is.
Thank you so much to them!
To adopt a greyhound or lurcher, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com and let's make 2025 their year to find a home too!









Happy New Year 2025!

Ed and us all at Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity would like to wish you Happy New Year. We hope 2025 is a good one for all our supporters and greyhounds/lurchers too!




Year end 2024

Round up of the year 2024

Like all rescue/rehoming centres, the demand for space has outweighed the spaces available. This is a constant pressure and worry because we are aware of how many dogs waiting for our help so it never feels like we are going fast enough. But, actually,we have kept pace with our numbers from last year and would like to thank every single adopter who has helped us to help our dogs this year. Every dog homed enables us to take in another, meaning homing one dog creates a space so actually helps two dogs. We publicise our numbers for total transparency and would also like to congratulate every rehoming organisation for every dog homed to a loving home. We are glad to liaise with our friends in other rescue/rehoming centre too. We have homed 90 dogs this year, beating last year's total. Of course, it is not about the numbers, but matching dogs appropriately and we always homecheck (unless we know you and have already visited your home). Among that number have been several lurchers who would have been put to sleep had we not stepped in for them. We believe every dog deserves a loving home and try to help other sighthounds when we can.

Our volunteers, donors, adopters, staff, supporters and everyone who shares our social media posts keep Whittingham going. Many dedicate hours of unpaid time or show immense generosity. We can't thank you all enough for your support and really appreciate all you do to keep Whittingham functioning.

Let's hope some of our longer stay dogs find their loving forever homes in 2025 and, again, a huge thank you to everyone who adopted dogs this year. Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt from Whittingham Kennels.

(Pictured are Chilli (was Lizzie) and Udon (was Monty) who are wearing their best outfits to celebrate the loving homes found this year. They hope all the dogs waiting will be as lucky as them)!


Two emergency intakes 

Today we have taken two emergencies at the opposite ends of the age spectrum.


Rocket (black/white) is a baby lurcher who we were asked to take in from his home; and Maggie is an 11yr old return who we have taken in after her owner became ill and is in hospital.




We homed her 8yrs ago, but she now needs a dental and overhaul so we will be sorting her out. Rocket is not quite ready for homing but will be soon.
If anyone is interested in either, please do let me know by emailing wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com











A foggy day 

It has been rather bleak at the kennels over the last few days, but a huge thank you to our regular sunday volunteers who took all the dogs out (twice!) this morning. And to Jim who puts them out in the evening too.
We were also delighted to see Jet home this week so we keep our fingers and paws crossed for him as he settles at home.
And a huge thanks to Claire and the team at Mimram Vets for collecting for us too. Claire is the adopter of Finn and collects via her workplace for us.
Whittingham couldn't exist without this support.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for information about adopting a greyhound.





Thank you to Gwyneth and family

A huge thank you to Gwyneth and family (with Willis) for donating to Whittingham instead of flowers (for her husband's funeral). We are so grateful to be thought about at their saddest time. All our thanks and condolences.












Appeal for Woofy plus update

Update: Thank you to everyone who enquired for Woofy. We have had some lovely people come forward and believe we have found a home for him now, subject to confirmation. Thank you.

We have lots of greyhounds needing adopting too so please do continue to get in touch to offer one of our other dogs a home!

Sadly the home for Woofy has fallen through. So he's back up for adoption. He is 8yrs old, has been in a home and is spotlessly clean. We did not home him originally but agreed to take him in after the death of his former owner with whom he had been sitting for 2 days after the gentleman had collapsed. Woofy has had a dental with us and every tooth had to be removed but this hasn't affected his appetite! He won't be ready for homing until his veterinary procedures are complete. We would love him to find a new home quickly. He is such an affectionate boy. He is smaller than a greyhound but bigger than a whippet. He is perfect with other breeds.
For more information, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com



Longest stay, Boris, says 'thank you'

Boris would like to say a huge thank you to Tamara and Robert, Rita and Vivian, Claire and Cliff, Joanne, Sophie and Mark, and everyone who donates via the bank account or Gofundme. We try to send individual thank you messages to everyone who donates. Please let me know if you haven't been acknowledged as I am not at the Kennels on the days I work from home so try not to miss people out!

Thank you to everyone who donates via amazon or who sends parcels, including Karen Beecham today.

We are so grateful. It helps to keep Whittingham running.

Boris is our longest stay and would love a home too. He's a lovely dog and great with other greyhounds. He just needs careful introduction to other breeds.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about adopting from Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity 


Midus is looking for a home

Lovely Midus was due to go to his new home on Saturday, but sadly this fell through yesterday. So he is now available for adoption again. He is the ideal dog for a first time adopter: calm, good with other breeds when out on walks and shares with other greyhounds.
Could you offer Midus a home? He's such a good boy!
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
Home checks apply.








Christmas Carol

Our very own Christmas Carol would like to wish all our volunteers, adopters, supporters and friends a very merry Christmas! (Also with love from the staff, greyhounds and Woofy at Whittingham Kennels)!!




Christmas Evie with a message

This is Christmas Evie with a friendly reminder that we are closed tomorrow for Christmas Day.


The usual Wednesday staff will be looking after the dogs as normal (and emails/messages will be checked in case of emergency).

We are only closed for one day per year so we look forward to seeing you any other day to adopt a greyhound!
Thank you!







Jet is looking for love

Jet is sad that he will be spending Christmas waiting for a home, but he will keep all his paws crossed that his forever home will come along soon. He's extremely loving, good with the other greyhounds and just wants to love and be loved.

There are so many dogs waiting for loving homes. Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for further information
(Please note that we are very careful about homing before Christmas).









El says thank you and would love a new home

El would like to thank Michelle (with Leo) for the Butchers tins and Sally for the biscuits. And a special thank you to everyone who donates so generously, including Jim, Avril, Linda and Ann.

El is desperate for a new home after she was returned a little while ago. She likes her own space so won't be homed with young children. But she's otherwise clean and friendly and walks really well on the lead. She would love to slot back into the right home and is 8yrs old.

To adopt El or another Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity hound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com



Bran (was Arthur) is a star

Move over to all the super models out there. We have our very own cover star in Bran (was Arthur) whose photo was chosen as the cover of the Serpentine Swimming Club's 2025 calendar.
His adopter, Hilda, and all his friends at Whittingham are very proud.
(We will not be joining the swimmers though)!

Mavis (now Maggie) at home

Mavis (now called Maggie) is doing so well so far. We have received this beautiful photo of her with Rosie, one of the two previously homed Whittingham hounds that she lives with. Thank goodness Maggie was rescued and thank you to her brilliant adopters, Catherine, Patrick and family.

Endings like this make the work worthwhile.


To adopt from Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com







Homed dogs / well done to Betty!

A few photos of those dogs who found their homes over the last 10 days can be seen on our social media pages. What lucky dogs they are to go to such fantastic adopters. Thank you to the adopters of Koko, Lokie, Fi, Lizzie (now Chilli), Holly (was Carol) and Mavis. Pictured here is Belle (was Fi) with friends, Nessie (was Mel), Sid and little Luna.
And a well done to Betty and adopter, Richard for her passing of the Bronze Test for the Kennel Club Good Citizen Award! She went to weekly sessions for six weeks with Enfield Chace Dog Training Club and passed with flying colours. She was the only dog on the night to complete all stages of the test on the first attempt. We are so proud!
Of course, we have so many dogs waiting in Kennels and waiting beyond for a space with us. You could make their dreams come true by giving them a loving home. To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Christmas Open Day - part two!

On our social media pages, there are a few more photos from yesterday from Sim and Linda.... and a drum roll for the total....
£1296.65 raised over the 3hrs!
Amazing!!!! Thank you everyone again so much!
Raffle prizes will be kept at the kennels for:
Happy and Champ 632
Becky 62
Linda 131
Ruth (Babe) 526
Lisa 83
Beezer 213
Dennis 308
Leon 155
Phillip 364



Christmas Open Day

A MASSIVE MASSIVE thank you to everyone who came to support our Christmas Open Day today. We are always blown away by the kindness of everyone who attends.

Sim, Martin, Val and I started at 7am to get all the dogs cleaned, fed and looking sparkly for their visitors! Linda and Stephen helped to set up/clear away and also oversaw their stall with amazing aplomb! Linda works so hard all the time and we are so grateful for her help.
A HUGE HUGE thanks to all our stallholders. Theresa and her food were a phenomenal success (as always) and we are so grateful for her generosity as every penny comes to the Kennels. It is exceptionally kind. And a MIGHTY MIGHTY thank you to Catherine, Patrick and family for their amazing stall with all the items donated by them for the Kennels' funds. They are always extremely supportive and generous. We literally can't thank them enough. The hard work that goes into all this is not given enough credit in a few sentences. But it is really appreciated. There were some wonderful items to buy and everyone left with bag fulls of stuff!
Natalie was, as always, a total star selling raffle tickets. She's absolutely brilliant at this role and has got it down to a fine art now! She is lumbered with this for evermore because she is a total godsend! She also donated bags of treats for each dog for Christmas Day. They will have to be patient as they were licking their lips in anticipation when they saw them!
Doreen was hard at work heating mulled wine in the kitchen. We are so grateful for her crucial input behind the scenes; Faith and John oversaw our other stall which was wonderful of them. And Sim, Martin and myself rushed around all day!
The day got off to a brilliant start as we waved goodbye to Fi who was off to her new home. We were delighted to see so many familiar faces as the visitors arrived and we were so thrilled to see Melanie from Switzerland who came to see us too. Melanie had stayed with our founder as a student and has been very supportive. Mirabelle and family came all the way from the Isle of Skye (via Harwich) and so many people travelled long distances to join us and reunite the adopted dogs with the Whittingham family!
The day got even better when Lizzie was adopted by Udon's lovely family. The two dogs got on so well and we were so delighted to see Lizzie go back into a loving home. The day closed with the call of the raffle (unclaimed numbers will be posted tomorrow!).
We were also absolutely delighted to see Mavis, the rescued lurcher, head off home with Catherine and family. What a very lucky girl she is. She was such a special addition to the Whittingham residents. We know we will see her for visits too so we are so thrilled she has fallen on her paws!
A huge THANK YOU by the bucket load to everyone who donated, supported, brought bedding, food and treats and came along. And a special thank you to Sarah and Emma (with Frankie) who couldn't be with us today but sent a very generous donation yesterday.
We'd also like to thank our neighbours for their patience and kindness in giving parking spaces too.
We couldn't do any of it without you all so thank you so much again.
The total and further photos (courtesy of Sim) will be posted tomorrow! More photos on our social media pages.
Have a wonderful Christmas and we will look forward to seeing you all again soon!
(Last week we also saw Loki, Koko and Carol home. We will post a special post about them separately too)!


Treats from Natalie and update on Woofy

Natalie, our fantastic raffle tickets seller, has made bags of treats for each of our residents to have on Christmas Day! How kind she is. (Any who find a home will have theirs given to another, probably Glen!!!!).
And a quick update on Woofy following everyone's kindness. He is so much more comfortable without his teeth. The swelling around his mouth has already decreased. Obviously he still needs to heal but he's enjoying his soft food and eating well already.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Introducing new girl Ginnie, looking for a home

Introducing new girl, Ginnie. Ginnie will probably be our last new arrival before Christmas. Our next boys and girls from our waiting list will be arriving in January. But we had a space to slot her in to share with Sheene. She is a dear little soul and would love to whizz out of kennels into a new home.
Could you offer Ginnie a loving home?
Homechecks apply.











Thank you for helping Woofy

A MASSIVE thank you to Denise, Helen and all at Greys for Greys who have donated towards the costs of Woofy's vet care. He had a dental today and lost every single tooth, poor little soul. But he will feel so much better without them as there was infection, movement and one had even lodged in the roof of his mouth causing a hole. Although these situations are pricey and very sad, we are just so glad he found his way to us and we were able to sort him out. He would have been in considerable pain. Once he recovers, he will feel SO much better.
Thank you to everyone who has shared his story and asked after him.

Glen says thank you!

Glen would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been donating items and giving support. Thank you to Victoria and Chris (with Betsy and Hero) for their donations and also for the staff - so kind; Christine and Lorna (with Saphy and Rascal), Jean (with Robyn), Anu and family (with Chumchum), Christine who had Floyd, Bill and Anne-Marie and Tamsin with Toots for thinking of us.
And a massive thank you to Alex and Jess (with Sid and Nessie) for the disinfectant. Amazing!

We would also like to say a huge thanks to all those who responded to the post about Woofy. He had visitors today and we keep everything crossed that his veterinary treatment goes well and he is the right dog for them. Thank you so much to Denise for being willing to help towards vets bills and to Miss Maggie's Supper Box and Zaggy for their generosity in helping towards his vet bills too.

In other news, we saw Lokie and Koko into their homes today and we will post when we hear news as to how they are getting on.

Please email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about adopting. And thanks so much to everyone who donates, supports and gives in any way.


Woofy's story

Update: Woofy has visitors on Wednesday who are interested in adopting him. Fingers crossed that he gets on well with their other dog. It will be a little wait while he gets sorted out but how wonderful if he then has a home to go to.


We were asked to take in this dear little soul (called Woofy) after he was found next to his owner who had collapsed in his house. It is estimated they were there, laying together, for two days. It was an emergency situation so we agreed to help. Very sadly the owner has since died and Woofy has been signed over to us. He needs quite extensive veterinary treatment as his teeth are dire and we need to start his vaccinations etc. But apart from knocking you out with the stench of his breath, he is a lovely, gentle dog. He is 8yrs old, spotlessly clean and deserves another home where he can be doted upon. He won't be ready until early January but we thought we would put his story up to start spreading the word. We would also like to thank the original owner's brother and neighbours for their kindness.

Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information on Woofy or any of our Whittingham hounds. 


Windy weather 




Thank you, Lucille and family 

Thank you so much to Lucille and family for all their collections. We really appreciate it.











Andy's day out

See our social channels for Andy's trip to Pets at Home - he was brilliant!



Thank you to Royal Canin

We are so blown away by the support of Royal Canin which has donated all this dog food today. Thank you so very much
Royal Canin for all your support. And to Karen for emailing them.







Jerry says 'thank you'

Jerry would like to raise a nose-toast to Christine and donors (and buyers)!

A massive thank you to Christine for her amazing hard work in raising £400 from her online sales. People have been so generous with many purchasers rounding up their payments for the dogs. A special mention to those who donated items for Christine to sell: Judy Zatonski, Natalie Conway, Denise Dubarbier, Kerry Hill, Jean McDonnell, Heather Parkes and everyone who donated.
Surplus items will be available at our Christmas Open day on Sunday 15th December at the Kennels between 11 and 2.
👏 👏 👏 




Timmy says 'thank you'

Timmy was also photographed by Vickie. He's really keen to find himself a loving home. He says he has been with us too long so it must be his turn soon!
He would also like to thank Elaine (with Rachel) for the coats and say a huge thank you to Phil, assisted by Doreen, for mending our shed roof. He's also been overseeing the pipework for renovations to our borehole!


It is far too much for one greyhound to deal with so he's now off to catch up on his sleep! It is what greyhounds do best, after all!
To adopt Timmy or any other Whittingham hound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com







Foxy says 'thank you'

Foxy would like to thank Katherine, Yvonne, Karen, Janey, Sarah, Tim and Maisie for their donations. As well as Vickie and Val for their kindness and his lovely photo!
Thanks to everyone for your support.
wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com










Jason finds a home

We took Jason to his new home today. Thank you to Toots' adopter for recommending his new adopter.
It is a very unusual home and very different environment with lots of other animals so he has a few challenges ahead, but we will keep everything crossed that he learns quickly. He's a very lucky boy!
See Facebook and Instagram for the video of him playing with his toys and all snuggly in his new coat!
Thanks so much to his adopter.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
Homechecks apply.

Andy - back and needs a new home

Andy is back with us and looking for another home. He is 6yrs old, walks nicely on the lead and is very affectionate. We won't home him with small children as he likes his own space when asleep, but he is great around small dogs and loves his toys. He had a little trip out on Saturday with our TikTok creators and behaved impeccably.

To adopt Andy or any other Whittingham greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Calendars sold

Please note that all calendars are now sold. Thank you to everyone for your support. And to Judy for printing and producing them. 👏 👏 👏

Lizzie has arrived and is looking for a home

Today we took in Lizzie. Lizzie was not originally homed by us but we were asked to take her in when her elderly owner could no longer cope. She was homed by her racing owner originally. We will need to sort her out with vaccinations etc and then she will be ready for homing. She is super affectionate, has been in a home, is very excited to be out and about and is 7yrs old. She is far from petite and dainty, but she is a lovely girl!

To adopt a Whittingham hound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com   


Whittingham in the spotlight

This weeks community spotlight falls on the fabulous local charity Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity They would love to hear from you if you would like to adopt a greyhound or support their work. They are passionate about greyhound rescue and adoption and adopt/rehome greyhounds to Essex, London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and beyond; generally areas within 1hr of Waltham Abbey. you can find their information and contact details in the Community Directory on the app
#walthamabbey #adoptagreyhound #walthamabbeymums #eppingmums #walthamcross #enfieldlove #lovedogsforever #walthamcross #eppingforest #enfield #loughton #chingford #broxbourne 

Foxy says thank you

Foxy, our resident dalmatian lookalike, would love a new home. He's quite petite and very loving. He is 6yrs old and yes, he is a greyhound!


In the meantime, he would also like to thank Leshantha (with Jake and Una) and Hannah (with Billy) for their generosity, and Sarah for her donations this morning and everyone else who has been sending parcels and donations. Thank you so much.

To offer Foxy or one of his friends a home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Frankie, Sid and thank you

We were delighted to see Frankie home today. She continued to do really well with the little dogs so we will keep everything crossed that she settles well. We were also delighted to see Sid home too. He has gone with another of our greyhounds as well as their corgi. Thanks so much to both sets of adopters.
Sadly, it is always two steps forward and one step back as Andy (who was rehomed in August) is being returned. We will put him back up for adoption when he comes in.

We'd also like to say a huge thank you to Cindy, Elaine, Anoushka and Sue for their amazon gifts and donations this week. We can't thank you enough.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com









Christmas Open Day




Meeting our greyhounds...

When you enquire about adopting, we ask you for information about the sort of home you can offer one of our greyhounds. We will ask a range of questions so we can have a think about which dogs will suit your circumstances most appropriately. All the greyhounds have similar characteristics, but also their own unique personality and suitability.

If you have other dogs, we will arrange a time to visit so you can bring your other dogs with you to meet any hopeful candidates to adopt.
This is Frankie who did really well with the dogs belonging to her lovely new potential adopters. She is scheduled to go home on Wednesday after the obligatory homechecks etc. She did so well and we were so proud of her!
Alice, Fi and Mavis also met little dogs over the weekend and did really well. We hope their turn will come soon too.
Thank you to all who visited.

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
All the available dogs can be seen on our website: www.wkretiredgreyhounds.co.uk 


Support us via Pets at Home

Don't forget you can support Retired Greyhounds Charity, Whittingham Kennels via your VIP card when you shop at Pets at Home. Just select us as your charity and we will get lifeline vouchers to spend in store! (You used to have to select Hendon Branch but I understand that we can now be selected generally). Thanks so much!











Feeling blue!

We are all turning a bit blue today (!!) with the cold weather so those of us who are meant to be blue are making the most of publicising their plight. They would all love to be in good homes and out of the Kennels. Midus is reserved pending confirmation, and Fi (pictured) and Sid would love homes too. We know Sid is great in a home environment and proved himself to be completely clean at home too.
Could you offer Fi, Sid or any of our residents a loving home?
They would also like to say thank you to David with Lily for sending food. And Sue who has also ordered food and treats.
Thanks so much.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Koko and her siblings

Koko and her ears are pleased to introduce themselves. She and her brother, Midus, are new arrivals and the siblings of previously homed dogs, Xanadu and Julietta. (They are also half siblings to Sheene who is also with us looking for a home). They all have similar temperaments and are really lovely dogs; ideal for a first time greyhound adopter. Midus is reserved so let's get Koko a home too!
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com











Mavis; and thank you

Mavis, the rescued lurcher, would like to introduce herself and also thank the recent donors for their generosity. Thank you to Michelle for the Butchers donation from Pets at Home, and Leonard the greyhound for the amazon donations.
Mavis is looking for a home. She's great around smaller breeds and smaller than the greyhounds (but bigger than a whippet). She travels really well in the car and is so affectionate and loving. She loves to jump up to give cuddles!
To adopt Mavis or one of her greyhound friends, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
(She will be ready to go home mid December after her vaccinations are completed).


3 years - 19th November

Today is the third anniversary of our independent charity. Whittingham Kennels already existed to home greyhounds and had been set up for over 25 years prior to this. But we had to form an independent charity to continue its work after the death of its founder in January 2021.
It was a real struggle, particularly at the start, with all the legal formalities, interpretation and costs. And like all rehoming/rescue kennels, the struggle continues with endless dogs needing a space and very few offers of homes at the moment. Of course, it can be soul destroying with so many dogs waiting, but the best part is seeing the dogs go home and bringing in new dogs. So we have pushed through and stabilised things, continued rehoming as many dogs as possible to loving homes and also continued our place amongst other rehoming/rescue kennels.
Thank you to everyone who supports us. We have known many of our adopters and supporters for nearly 20yrs and are so grateful for your continued support and the loving homes that you give our dogs.
Please do continue to spread the word about the numbers of greyhounds and lurchers nationwide who need a home.
To adopt from Whittingham, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Bert

Many will remember Bert, the lurcher we took in after he had served his time in the pound. He went home last week with the wonderful Fiona who also has Jet the greyhound from us (as well as other rescued breeds). Here is Bert on a walk, doing well so far. We can't thank Fiona enough for giving him a chance. He was an unusual chap for us to home but we all absolutely adored him as we got to know him.


To offer a greyhound (or the occasional lurcher) a home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com





Lady settling at home; appeal for the returned dogs

Lady has been settling into her new home this week and we are delighted that she's doing well. She's a very lucky girl to be back in a home just before the cold weather sets in fully.

Those dogs who have previously been in a home really know what they are missing. Although we keep the kennels as warm as possible, it is not the same as having a loving home.

So if you can offer our other returned dogs a home (especially El, Rhino or Jerry), they would be very grateful.

Of course, if these particular dogs don't fit your circumstances, we also have another 20 dogs who would be very happy to be in a loving home too! We have dogs with a range of personality! They all want a warm, loving home and have lots of love to give!
They can all be seen on our website: www.wkretiredgreyhounds.co.uk

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Thank you!

Thank you so much to Stacey, Linsey and Lucy for all the donations. We are so grateful to everyone who supports us. And the dogs love the treats!







Our Opening Hours

Just a friendly reminder to all our visitors and volunteers that we are open between 10 and 3. Walking the dogs is only from 10am so staff starting at 7.30am can get the cleaning and feeding done before visitors arrive.
Thanks very much for all your support.

Living with other animals

Here are former residents, Mabel (was May) (with her spaniel friend) and Opie (with her feline friend eating her dinner) showing that greyhounds can be homed with other animals including cats and other breeds. If you have other animals in your home, just let your adoption centre know and we will match you with suitable greyhounds to choose between.
If you have cats, you may have to wait for the right dog to come along; but if you have small dogs, we have several dogs in the Kennels who would be right for you!
Just get in touch and email us to enquire about adopting: wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


(Obviously Mabel and Opie are happily homed and not available!!)







We will remember them

Today we remember the humans and animals who have heroically served, suffered, been injured and died as a result of human conflict. The red poppy commemorates the human casualties, the purple poppy commemorates the animal victims and the Nowzad poppy is brought out each year in honour of its foundation as a result of military action and also commemorates animal and human victims of war.
Horses are the most obvious animal which have been used in human combat over centuries, suffering and dying alongside their human soldiers; but other animals from glow worms, pigeons, camels to elephants (and all sorts of animal mascots) have served. They are honoured at the Animals in War Memorial on Park Lane.
Dogs also played and continue to play multiple roles in war zones. This ranges from those directly involved in combat, to search and rescue dogs, message carriers and sniffing out mines. Dogs have been the main recipient of the The Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

Dogs (and other animals) can also bring great comfort to those deployed in military action so we should remember their loyalty and companionship in all circumstances and strive to reflect that loyalty to them in our own relationships with dogs (and other animals).
We remember the casualties of all previous wars but also remember that there are many conflicts still raging across the world, with both human and animal victims (both military and civilian) on all sides.
We will remember them.

Rhino has a day out

Rhino went out last weekend to an enclosed dog park with our TikTok coordinator and stars, Elissa and Louis. It was really lovely for him to have some individual attention. He loved it! He ran around the full perimeter fence with his large toy carrot and had a fabulous time. He would so love to be in a home again. He's great with other greyhounds and loves affection and his food. He is house trained and even talks to you! His only downside is that he does need careful handling around other breeds. But that would improve with the right person.

Thanks again to our super volunteers for giving him an expedition and a lovely day out.
Now we just need an adopter to make his day too!

Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about our adoption process.



Thank you Clare, and Claire and Mimram Vets

Thank you to Clare and family for their donations; and to Claire and everyone at Mimram vets for collecting so much bedding etc for us. Every bit helps to keep Whittingham going.
Adoption enquiries are almost non-existent so if you would like to adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
We have so many dogs waiting for loving homes and a waiting list of over 100 dogs. It is taking over a year for dogs to make it into us once they go on the list.
Thank you.






Thank you to Butchers Dog Food

We are blown away by the generosity of Butchers Dog Food which has donated a pallet of food amounting to 196 boxes. This will keep us going for ages. Thank you so much #butchersdogfood
Mind blown!!!
wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com












Alice and Carol join us to find homes

Alice (brindle and white) and Carol (black and white) joined us last week to begin their search for a loving home. Both are gentle and friendly and happily share their kennels. They seem fine around other breeds with the usual careful introductions.




If you can offer one of our dogs a loving home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
Homechecks apply.













Winks and Xanadu find a home; thank you to Wendy 

A huge thank you to Wendy who so kindly ordered us some coats and has donated so many items for our Christmas gathering too. A special mention to Lucy from freemakerhounds.com and Deborah from greathounds.co.uk for sending some more for our charity too. So very kind.
We also saw Winks go today with previous resident, Molly and separately, Xanadu went to his new home too. We keep everything crossed that they settle and look forward to updates! Winks is now called Maisie and is already snuggled up by the radiator!
Thank you to their lovely adopters.
If you'd like to adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
We have so many who would love to slot into your home!



Jet says thank you...

Jet would like to say a massive thank you to Graham with Polly who came today with donations and money raised from his disco. We are so grateful for all his efforts and dedication. And to Shefford bowls club which raised £60 at their disco.


And a huge thank you to Christine who works so hard raising money on items sold through Facebook and also came with tons of duvets yesterday.

Thank you everyone for all your support.






This time of year...

Our greyhounds have been starring on our TikTok page for Halloween. Foxy lived up to his racing name and Sheene made a marvelous ghost too!! All the dogs had a go in the Spooky Square, as masterfully demonstrated by Lokie in this photo! Lokie is still looking for a home so could you make it a day of thrills (not chills) for him?
(All the greyhounds enjoyed it, although our fence and props were at risk after a squirrel was spotted!!)! 🤣🤣
Well done, Elissa for all the hard work in putting it together.
(Update: all decorations were removed after photos taken as we know they can be a hazard to wildlife).
Did you know that Halloween is actually called All Saints' Eve, the eve of the Christian feast of All Hallows' Day? At this time, the dead, including saints and all the departed are remembered. It has rather morphed into a time of mock horror in western culture, but this was its origin.
Will, sadly no longer with us, but proudly wearing his flower garland. 😍 (You can read his story in his book, "Where there's a Will...) available on amazon!

Today is also a special day this year for those who celebrate Diwali, the festival of light. Fireworks and lighting of candles celebrate good over evil (light over dark). In Nepal and other places, dogs are celebrated on the second day, showered with flower garlands and given food to celebrate the friendship that dogs bring to humans. This also links into the lovely concept of ahimsa (non-harming), heralded by religions originating in India and surrounding regions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism.
So come and be a saint and adopt a greyhound to bring them some good news! We have so many needing homes and they are desperate to get out of kennels and find loving adopters.
(On a separate note, please also be aware that greyhounds may be fearful of fireworks at this time of year and around November 5th etc. Keep curtains closed, television volume turned up loudly and distract them with a game or treat to keep things positive).
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

8yr old, El needs a new home

El is 8yrs old and has sadly been returned. She was at home for over 2yrs and is house-trained, good with other dogs, good on the lead and an all-round lovely girl. She won't be homed with young children as she likes her own space but otherwise, she will make a great addition to the home. It is so sad to see her waiting in Kennels when she knows what it means to be at home.


To offer El a home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

We would also like to say a huge thank you to Ruth and Mike (with Leon and Indie); and Lucie for all their parcels/donations. It keeps our kennel dogs happy!


What an elite group!

If you adopt a greyhound, you won't just have a new family member and lifetime of unconditional love, but you will have joined a whole other community! You won't be able to pass another greyhound on a walk without asking from where the dog was adopted and comparing greyhound stories!
But don't worry! You will be among a very prestigious group of people. Many celebrities/well known individuals have also adopted greyhounds. You can also claim to be rubbing shoulders with royalty as amongst those who had greyhounds were the Pharoahs of Egypt, Queen Victoria's husband (Prince Albert), and Henry VIII (represented here by his wife, Anne Bearleyn and her greyhound companion!!!!!!) (sorry, we just had to use her in a post)!
Modern day adopters are many and include author Jilly Cooper (whose book 'Rivals' is being shown on Disney Plus), author J K Rowling of Harry Potter fame, actor Annette Crosbie from One Foot in the Grave, Charlie Watts from the Rowling Stones and singer, Russell Watson.
What an elite bunch you would join if you adopt a greyhound!
But more importantly, you will help a dog into a loving home and help us to help even more greyhounds in the process.
So to adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Rhino is desperately looking for a home

Rhino is still seeking a new home after being returned in July from his original home where he lived for a year. This was through absolutely no fault of his own so we really want his special home to come along. He is getting stressed in a kennel environment and would be wonderful at home. He is house trained, has lived happily with other greyhounds and is good with everyone. He is confident and friendly and just wants love. He would be best suited to go with people who have had greyhounds before as he does need work around other breeds. He loves to sleep on his bed upside down with his legs in the air (as so many do)!

To offer Rhino or any Whittingham hound a home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com



Don't forget the boys!

Let's hear it for the boys!
Timmy - looking for a home
Male greyhounds are just as lovely as the girls so if you are considering adopting a greyhound, please do look at the boys too. The size difference is often marginal and the boys deserve a chance too. They have great temperaments. Here are just two of our boys awaiting their homes. They'd love to find a place with you.

Sheene - looking for a home


To offer a greyhound a home, (whether it is a male or female greyhound), email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com










Leo (was Sammy) at home

Some dogs wait too long for their homes but when they find their special place, they really fall on their feet. Sammy lurcher, now Leo, is a very lucky boy and we've just received the video of him playing with other dogs.

Michelle has always adopted long stay dogs (for many years) who have needed work around other breeds. So she deserves one that is good! We knew he was bomb proof around other breeds, albeit energetically! As he's very active, we think Michelle and Ellie are amazing for being so patient. Huge thanks again to them for giving Leo the best of homes.

Winks is looking for a home 

Winks is a dear little soul who would love a home. Her sister, Dreamer, went home yesterday with one of our previous volunteers. So Winks would love to find her home now. She is great with other greyhounds, friendly and confident and good on the lead. She is 5yrs old.


To adopt Winks or any Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com





Rodney finds a home

After his exemplary performance last week on his trip to Loughton, Rodney went home yesterday and, although there are a few new things to grasp, he is doing well so far. He wasn't best impressed by the weather this morning though!!
A huge thanks to his adopter.
We have so many lovely dogs waiting for their homes, including El (who is 8yrs old and been in a home) and Lady (who is 6yrs old and been in a home).
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com





Sammy lurcher finds a very special home

Sammy lurcher (now Leo) went home today and has finally crashed on the sofa after a few manic hours!!! He is SO lucky to go to such special adopters. We can't thank them enough. They've adopted many dogs from us over the years and he has really fallen on his paws. We look forward to further updates and hope he calms down quickly!!


To adopt a greyhound (or the occasional lurcher), email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Rodney hits the town!

Keep an eye on our TikTok page to see Rodney's adventure to Loughton with our volunteers, Elissa and Louis. He was an absolute star and perfect around other breeds (and promoting Whittingham in his yellow coat)!


Well done to them!
To adopt Rodney or another of his Whittingham friends, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com








Thank you for the donations

Thanks so much to Martyn and Chloe (with Balo) and to Ann for their donations. And thanks to Mel (with Mocha), Wendy (with Honey) and Sue for sending items too. We are so grateful for your generosity.
Do keep an eye on the Facebook page for auction items, hosted by Christine Turner. Thank you so much to her for all her dedication.
And a huge thanks to Leshantha with Jake and Una, Martyn and Chloe with Balo and Sue for their huge generosity.
New girls, Winks (brindle) and Dreamer (black/white) would also like to say hello!!

And thank you to the sender of all the tins. Amazing! And to Mel, Wendy, Susan and others for their donations this week. We truly can't thank you enough.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com



El (Eleven) says thank you and seeks a new home 

El (Eleven) would like to thank everyone from Enfield greyhound walking group who raised £55 from GGGW. Amazing. Thanks so much for thinking of us.


El is looking for a home. She is 8yrs old and sadly been returned due to a new baby in the home. She is good with other dogs and house trained but we won't home her with young children as she likes her own space. We hope she won't be waiting too long for her forever home now the weather is turning colder.
To offer El or another Whittingham hound a home, please email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com




Would you consider nominating us?

If anyone would like to nominate us, we would be very grateful!  It helps to highlight the work we do and promote the work of rehoming greyhounds if we are nominated.  Thank you so much! www.petplancharity.co.uk
Charity is: Whittingham Kennels; postcode: EN9 2BL  
Thank you!


Do you need a dog walker or carer for your animals?

Our brilliant volunteer and TikTok coordinator, Elissa, has set up her own business and so we are sharing the details in case our followers are looking for a trusted walker/etc. Contact Elissa directly to find out her availability. She will cover a 30 mins radius around Chigwell.


Services include dog walking, pop in playtimes, small animal attention and doggy days in. Please call/text 07412923245 or email elissatuvey@gmail.com




Luna and May find homes

Adoption enquiries are sadly slow, but we are so thrilled to share the photos of two dogs recently homed. Luna with her monkey toy and Mabel (was May) with her new friend.
If you would like to add a special greyhound friend to your family, please get in touch. We have so many lovely dogs of all temperaments with so much love to give.



Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information about adopting a greyhound.











Animal Welfare Sunday pt 2!

Animal Welfare Sunday was a great success at the church led by (and attended by) several of our adopters. Pictured Whittingham greyhounds (Grace (so appropriately named too!!), Fred, Jeff and Colleen) were out in full representative force too. They were brilliantly behaved with all the other four legged members of the congregation as well. We love this! Thank you to Peter for sending us the photos.




Animal Welfare Sunday

Today is Animal Welfare Sunday, held on the Sunday nearest to the feast day (4th October) of St Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of animals.
We know several of our adopters are holding/attending services today and that greyhounds will be well represented.
There is so much need for more welfare for all animals across the world. We also remember those animal friends, past and present.
St Francis is an interesting character in himself. He was born in around 1181. His father was a wealthy merchant and it is likely that Francis lived an indulgent lifestyle in his youth. However, he was inspired to rebuild a church near Assisi after a pilgrimage to Rome, much to the disapproval of his father. He renounced his inheritance and lived as a beggar, restoring churches and nursing lepers. In 1210, the Franciscan order was officially recognised by the Pope. He travelled widely, was shipwrecked, was said to have visited Egypt during the fifth crusade and received the stigmata (the wounds of Jesus) before his death.
He was known for his love of animals and believed nature was the mirror of God. He regarded all
creatures as his brothers and sisters and is known for preaching to the birds (and for asking them to stop singing so he could be heard)! He also befriended a wolf in the town of Gubbio that had been feared by the inhabitants of the town. Francis arranged for the wolf to be fed and the wolf agreed to stop attacking the town in return. Francis set up the first known nativity scene in which the animals played an important role in acknowledging the birth of Jesus.
The example of St Francis' love for animals can be an inspiration to those of all faiths and none. His story also inspires secular authors today.
We see it ourselves in the greyhounds - they each have their own unique individuality and story; and are also part of the bigger picture of the welfare that should be in place for their breed and all animals. We can do our bit by adopting a greyhound and also experience the loving bond that the adoption brings in itself, enriching the life of both human and greyhound.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Frankie says, thank you

New girl, Frankie, would like to thank Susan (with Kitty) for the dog food and also thank everyone who sends supplies.
To adopt Frankie or one of her friends, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com










Rodney - new greyhound looking for a home

Rodney is one of our new arrivals. All three newbies have the same names as those who have been recently homed! Let's hope that is a good omen for them to find loving homes too!!

Rodney is very gentle and shares with other greyhounds happily. He will be tested around other breeds asap and we will update his profile as we get to know him. But he seems a super chap!

To adopt Rodney or any of his Whittingham friends, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Our 2025 calendars!

Our calendars make the perfect present (for yourself or anyone you know)!

£10 each from the kennels or £10 plus £2 postage if you would like it sent to you.

Email: wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to buy one!









National Black Dog Day 

Xanadu
It's National Black Dog Day so we are sharing two special dogs who need a loving home: Xanadu and Boris, both are beautiful boys. Most of the dogs in the Kennels are black and such lovely dogs that it is a travesty that they can be overlooked.

Boris
At Whittingham, we always stress the importance of temperament over colour. We have some lovely dogs looking for homes at the moment.

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Rocky and Lokie need a chance

Whilst most of the dogs we have looking for homes are confident and waggy, we have two nervous boys who don't help their own cause because they bark at new people. Understandably, this puts potential adopters off! It is such a shame as both are absolutely lovely once they know you. They trust the staff and volunteers completely and you wouldn't know they were nervous unless you saw their reaction around new people. They enjoy their walks etc, but look to those they know for reassurance.
They just need someone to give them a chance. Lokie (fawn) is so good when out of his kennel and Rocky (brindle) is lovely too. We know they will be so loyal when they bond to the right person.
Could you help one of these boys find their perfect home?
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com







Betsy and Brew find a home; so many others are waiting

Brew
We were delighted to see Brew and Betsy into their home today. We hold our breath as they settle but Betsy has already found the toys! Thank you to their lovely adopters.
Betsy

If anyone is thinking about adopting a greyhound, now is the time! Animal welfare across the country is at crisis point for all breeds; and there are literally hundreds (if not, thousands) of greyhounds who need a loving home. Adopting one will change the world for that dog and also help us bring in another needy dog who is waiting to just get into rehoming kennels.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com for more information.

Lady needs a new home

Appeal for Lady
Lady is looking for a new home due to the imminent arrival of a new baby. No negative comments please - let's just try to get her a new loving home. She is 6yrs old, house trained and has lived at home for over 2yrs. She likes her own space so won't be homed with small children. She's good with the majority of other breeds, including small dogs and is house trained and used to the home environment. She's a petite girl, very cuddly and a lovely dog.
She is currently still with her adopters but anyone who is interested can arrange a time at the Kennels to meet her.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
And please share. Thank you.




Knit for Whitt!

Knit for Whitt!
Don't forget that our wonderful supporter, Erssie, continues to raise money for Whittingham by donating every penny from the sale of her knitting patterns. 100% of Erssie's pattern revenue for all patterns sold from her store is forwarded monthly to Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity.
Your dogs would love you to knit them a snood for winter! They'd be the envy of all their friends!
Huge thanks to Erssie and let's get knitting!
You can find all the information below from Erssie:
Dizzy Lily: A Snood For A Hound:
Knitting pattern by Erssie.
The knitting pattern has been professionally written in standard style for the UK and US, including both metric and imperial measurements. The pattern has been checked thoroughly for errata by a technical editor from the publishing industry.
Available to download as a PDF for £4
Link to the Ravelry Store pattern details:
Sizes: To fit greyhounds Small (Medium, Large & Extra Large)
Yarns: Aran (worsted) weight yarn
Needles: 1 set of double pointed needles to knit in the round seamlessly.
Instructions: Standard UK Pattern Style with abbreviations and glossary of terms.
A pattern along with a charity licence to knit multiple snood to sell for fundraising is available on request via my profile, erssie, on ravelry.com. Charity knitters will have to provide full details and proof of knitting for a charity to apply for a free pack.

Alice finds a home; Peter wins a coat!

We were delighted to see Alice into a loving home yesterday with one of our lovely Sunday volunteers. What a lucky girl she is and she's already been playing with toys and enjoying the views from the house! We wish her our best as she continues to settle in. And a huge thanks to her adopters too.
In other news, we are pleased to announce the winner of the knitted coat (thanks to Francesca Ziccardi, adopter of Udon for raising money this way with such a talent). The winner was Peter, adopter of Fred and Colleen. Peter is so supportive and been a true champion of greyhounds for many years so we are thrilled. 🙂









Sylvie checks out Dogfest

Sylvie checked out Dogfest, Knebworth today. Whilst we didn't have a stall, we were given tickets so took the opportunity to promote Whittingham and greyhound adoption in general in our T-shirt!! We gravitated to other greyhound adopters and met a lovely adopted dog from our neighbours at Barley too. Sylvie was impeccably behaved with all the other breeds.
It was also an honour to visit the amazing people at the Nowzad charity stand and let Sylvie meet little Ewok who had travelled on the evacuation flight from Afghanistan three years ago. What little Ewok has been through is quite astounding. (If you haven't read Operation Ark by Pen Farthing, please do buy the book and support their amazing work).

We hope to be back again next year and promote greyhound adoption more strongly. We feel they were under-represented so we would like to correct that!
To adopt a greyhound or support Whittingham, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com








Betsy models our human T-Shirt!

Update: The T-Shirts are officially for humans - they may need a belt if worn by the dogs!! Apologies for not clarifying that in the original post!
Who needs a catwalk, when you have a dogwalk? Betsy is the perfect model for our T-shirts.
And she was also lucky enough to be reserved yesterday.
Thank you to all our lovely visitors yesterday who reserved two pairs. We were thrilled.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
We have so many dogs just waiting for YOU!







An amazing total - thank you!

What an amazing total from our Sunday walk/event. Thank you so much again to everyone who came and donated so generously; and again to our magnificent stall holders. A massive £1712 was raised (including over £573 on Sim's delicious food stall alone). As a small charity, this really helps keep us going.
Thank you so much again.
👏 👏 👏 👏 👏




Sid thanks for the biscuits

Sid would like to thank the sender of the Wagg biscuits. He is looking for a home too!

Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt a greyhound










Rodney falls on his paws with Hamish

We were delighted to see Rodney (originally Captain) go home with the wonderful adopters of Hamish. The two boys got on really well and we can't thank his adopters enough for choosing the dog that would be the harder to home. Rodney was so stressed in Kennels after being in a home. He was a particular favourite of our volunteer, Diane who was coming up even more frequently to take him out to try to help him. Sim got some great photos and we were so pleased Diane was there to see him off.
We now hold our breath until he settles, but the first pictures of him at home show that he has found the sofa in less than an hour!
Thanks so much again to his special adopters and everyone who has helped him whilst he's been back in Kennels.

September walk 2024 

A massive thank you to everyone who came to our walk/open day today. We were so lucky with the weather and to have such a wonderful turnout with such lovely adopters and supporters. We are always so touched when people take the time to come and it is truly appreciated. And it is lovely to see so many of our adopted dogs again too.
A humongous thank you to the incredible Sim for her truly amazing baking. The hours it takes to prepare everything are above and beyond, and she so generously donates everything too. She is so talented and the praise we receive for her cakes is off the scale! (And she'd been there since 7am sorting all the dogs out too).
Another whopping thank you to our incredibly supportive volunteers on the day too. Natalie expertly oversaw the raffle and is such a valued member of our team at the events. She's amazing! And Linda was an absolute godsend, along with Doreen in the kitchen working away behind the scenes and helping to set up and clear away. Thanks too, to Jackie, our lovely trustee, who also jumped behind a stall, and to Val, Elissa and Louis for their help too. Louis won his boxing fight yesterday so we are very proud of him too!

Our neighbours were so accommodating with the parking which really helps. Thank you to them.
Martin also started at 7am, but still managed to lead the walk and took the group on a lovely walk. It is always lovely to see such a massive group of dogs, all behaving impeccably, disappear down the field into the woods. All the greyhounds who are looking for homes went too. And Lurchers, Bert and Sammy, (along with other lurchers we have homed), joined the group as well. Thanks to everyone who walked a kennel dog, especially Shona who willingly took Bert at the back of the group.
This was followed by Sim's food, raffle and general socialising. We still have calendars and other merchandise for sale so do get in touch if you'd like to buy one. £10 per calendar plus £2 postage.
Thank you so much again for all your support and for joining us today. We look forward to seeing you next time and do come and adopt a greyhound in the meantime!!
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


Event ready

We are looking forward to seeing everyone for our walk at 11am followed by Sim's delicious food. She's amazing!
Our neighbours have kindly helped with parking. We can't thank them enough too.
See you soon!













Xanadu needs a new home

Xanadu is back up for rehoming after his reserve fell through. He would be the perfect addition to a home so let's find him one!
He's good with other dogs and other greyhounds, house-trained and has been in a home before. He would prefer older children, but otherwise is one of the easiest dogs we have in the Kennels for homing.
Could you give Xanadu his chance to find a forever home?
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






New dogs and new shed!

Introducing new girls, Mel (black) and Luna (blue). Both arrived today to begin their search for a loving home. Like all the new arrivals, they have been waiting for a long time for a space to become available. We hope they don't have to wait too long with us.

And a massive thank you to volunteers, Phil and Doreen who spent all day putting together our new shed yesterday, completed by Phil today. It will house all the equipment for the mammoth task that is mowing the paddocks. We are so grateful for their help and Phil's expertise. Most of us would have given up and lobbed it into the field just ten minutes into construction!! (🤣🤣)
👏👏👏👏






Rocky says thank you!

Rocky and all of us at Whittingham want to say a HUGE thank you to Dee from Aggregate Industries who have again supported us with a large donation of dog food. It makes such a massive difference to small charities.
And a MAMMOTH thank you to Wendy for her kindness in thinking of us with donations in memory of her parents who were massive dog lovers and often visited us.

We are blown away by the kindness of everyone who donates and supports us.
Thank you so much.

Rocky and his friends would love to fall on their paws in a loving home. They generally adjust to home life so quickly so if you would like to adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Win a jumper!

Thanks so much to Fran, Udon's very talented adotper, for crocheting and raffling this greyhound coat to raise funds for Whittingham. Please see the details in the post to enter the competition to win the coat.

(We will even throw in a dog to go with the coat if you'd like to adopt one)!

Thanks for your support!


Brew says thank you!

New boy, Brew, would like to introduce himself and also say thank you to Shannon and to Susan (with Kitty) for their kind parcels this week.
Huge thanks also to Wendy for her generosity and kindness.


We have so many greyhounds waiting for a loving home. And TONS of dogs waiting to come to us. Brew was waiting for many months for a space. He's a lovely boy and we will be assessing him further as we get to know him.

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com




Pixie finds a home 

Pixie fell on her paws tonight with lovely adopters and is already making the most of home comforts. We will keep everything crossed that she settles well and hopefully she'll become a greyhound ambassador for her area!


Thanks so much to her adopters.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com








Bert in water 

We were wondering why the task of filling the water bowls seemed to be unending. 🤔🤔
The culprit actually showed us why as we were filling them today!!! 🤣🤣🤣
(Bert is one of the lurchers that we rescued and he is reserved). We hope he doesn't do this at home!!!!


Two weeks to go until our event...




Sammy says thank you

Sammy and everyone at Whittingham want to thank Ellie for collecting for us. And to Claire and Mimram Vets for all their support.

Keep an eye on Tiktok too as some great videos were filmed!

We have so many dogs waiting for a loving home. Get in touch and we will match you to the right dog.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com








Fifi in France

What a wonderful video and promotion for greyhounds from Fifi's amazing adopters in France. They've given permission to share it and we are sure you'd like to see it!

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
(Unless we know you, we normally home within a 90 mins radius of the Kennels as homechecks are essential).

Brian says, thank you!

New boy, Brian, wants to thank Smokey's adopters and H R Buzzacott for the food donations.
There is interest in Brian pending visit and he's a lovely boy.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com












Thanks, Steve! 

Thank you!
A MASSIVE thank you to Steve who managed to salvage our website from mad settings and thus also save my sanity!!
Can't thank him enough.
Phew!!


Homing enquiries very slow

Homing enquiries have almost dried up entirely and yet we have so many beautiful dogs just waiting for their special homes. Our list of dogs waiting with trainers for a space to come in also continues to grow.
We have some really easy dogs who are good with other breeds, like Sammy lurcher ...and Xanadu (who was sadly returned). We also have a few dogs who are used to the home environment. Rodney (picturesd), for example, desperately needs a new home as he is so stressed in Kennels. There are also many dogs who have only known Kennels and who will adjust quickly too.
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com to adopt a greyhound or lurcher. Homechecks apply.



International Dog Day 

Frankie (was Charlie)
International Dog Day means we celebrate with some photos of former Whittingham residents doing well.
Frankie (was Charlie) has settled superbly and Emily is enjoying new experiences.

Emily


Roxy went home and is finding her feet and we have wonderful news that Jet is doing well. We look forward to photos of the latter.

Roxy




We have so many dogs desperately waiting for their chance of a loving home. To adopt a greyhound or lurcher, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com









Galley Hill is Open

Please note, Galley Hill is open. Sat nav is sending people the back way. It is easier to get to the moon that way so please go via Galley Hill.

Whittingham's Walk - and Natalie's Gifts

Our next event is on the horizon on 15th September and we hope to see you there.
The walk will leave the Kennels at 11am, followed by refreshments from our very talented staff member, Sim.





There will be a few stalls with our calendars, teddies, stickers and T shirts and a raffle overseen by our lovely volunteer, Natalie. She will also be selling her wares too, kindly donating to Whittingham.


She is now doing personalised items and can take orders through our email address (wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com). You can see some samples in the photos on this post. They are £3.50 which is a special rate as the money is coming to Whittingham. She has also different coloured ribbons, beads and remembrance designs so just let us know what you would like if you order any.

We look forward to seeing you on 15th September (or beforehand if you'd like to adopt a greyhound)! Of course, you could always adopt a greyhound and bring him/her along to the walk!
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com








Thank you - the greyhounds enjoy their gifts

Thanks so much to Judy and Mark for all the treats, goodies and gifts. The dogs loved them this afternoon Mark drove all the way from Rugby to bring them. And a massive thanks to Robbie, Sarah and family with Jude for all their kindness and support.













St Guinefort's Day

St Guinefort's Day
Today is our annual recognition of the greyhound saint (St Guinefort) on 22nd August (his Saint's day). Guinefort was a greyhound belonging to a 13th Century Nobleman. Guinefort was left to guard the baby whilst the family went out and defended it from a snake. The family mistakenly thought the dog had hurt the baby and Guinefort was slain. But they later found the baby was alive thanks to the bravery of the dog. So Guinefort was regarded as a Saint and miracles said to be performed at a well nearby.

We think all greyhounds show this love to their adopters. They are very loyal, very loving and always excited to see people they know. They get to know the staff and volunteers at the Kennels and the nervous dogs come out of their shell, whilst the more confident dogs shower love on everyone. They are also sensitive dogs and they all just want a loving home where they can be loved as they deserve.

To adopt a greyhound and have your very own loyal soul in the legacy of St Guinefort, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com 

Len's last talk 

Len's last talk with his adopter, Martin (not our staff member!) was another successful gig at the Shefford WI. One talented lady even baked greyhound themed cakes to welcome them. His fame goes before him!
We can't thank Martin and Len the greyhound enough for all their efforts in promoting Whittingham, raising funds, spreading the word about greyhounds needing homes and generally highlighting our work. Len has been exemplary in showing what great dogs greyhounds are. His laid back and gentle manner has endeared him to everyone who has met him. Total stars!

So many dogs needing homes...

We have so many lovely dogs available for adoption at the moment with almost no enquiries coming in. Sadly, Glen is also coming back after just a few days at home. He was clean and followed instruction quickly but the other dog in the home is poorly. We have a huge waiting list so let's spread the word to get some of these beautiful souls into loving homes. They all deserve the best and it is so sad that so many dogs nationwide are waiting for a life beyond kennels.

They can all be seen on our website under the section ' greyhounds looking for homes'.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com
We will ask you for a description of the sort of home you can offer and ask for photos of your garden and where the dog will sleep. We will then invite you to meet the dogs at the Kennels, followed by a home check. We aim to make the process as straightforward as possible, whilst also ensuring our dogs only go to the best loving homes. You will be given all the necessary equipment when you adopt as well as back up for the lifetime of the adopted dog.

Thank you for the donations

Thank you to Sue, Laurel and everyone who sends Amazon/gifts. It's so very much appreciated.










Returns and first time dogs

At Whittingham, we always take dogs back if it doesn't work out in the home at any time. Obviously, we hope every homing will be a forever home but sometimes dogs need to come back and we will always put the dogs' welfare first.
Unfortunately, we have had a few unexpected returns which throws our space out so we can't move forwards for moving backwards. Most have been in their homes for over 1-2 yrs. They are all in good condition and we will make sure vaccinations are back in date before they are homed again. Alice was returned after 2yrs due to redundancy. Thankfully, she is now reserved with one of our lovely walkers; Rodney (was Captain) (pictured) is back. He needs to be muzzled on walks as he will react to cats. He will be tested again around small dogs. Sadly, Rhino's second home didn't work out as he was far more boisterous in his new home. (No negative comments please as his second adopters were very upset and will find the right dog for them when the time is right). He will be fostered in the bungalow with Martin until the right home comes along. No negative comments please as we have all tried our best to help and these dogs had settled at home. But obviously circumstances have arisen and they all just need another chance.
Sometimes the easiest dogs are those who have been homed before. Many times, if circumstances have changed, it is no fault of the dog and they just need another chance. Returnees are house trained, used to the home environment and more acclimatised to life beyond kennels. So please be encouraged to have a returnee!
We also have many other dogs waiting for their first time home beyond life as a racing dog. So there is bound to be the right dog for you! Please get in touch!
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Thank you Anett and Lilys Kitchen (and Diane)!

A huge thank you to Lily's Kitchen (and our volunteer, Anett for contacting them) for their huge generosity and donations. It is so kind. We are overwhelmed by their generosity and kindness.
And a massive thank you to Diane for helping to bring it all in.









Thor meets his match!

When Alex (now Thor) was described as being the size of a small horse, we can now prove that this wasn't far off! What a wonderful home he has found. A huge thanks again to his adopters.










Hot weather days

PLEASE NOTE: when weather is forecast to be very hot, walking at the kennels will either be cancelled or curtailed.
This doesn't apply to anyone who has already planned to come and meet the dogs.
Thanks so much for your understanding.
Otherwise, we hope to see you if you would like to adopt a greyhound!
Email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Tilly adopted - thank you to her foster carers

A huge thank you to Jules, Suj and family who were fostering Tilly and have now given her a permanent home along with their other greyhound, Russo. She has really fallen on her paws with such lovely people.


We can't thank them enough.
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com






Thank you

A huge thank you from Betsy (still looking for a home) and everyone at Whittingham Kennels to our amazing supporters. To Les and Doris for donating money via Les' dog walking, Tracy with Emily who is always so kind, Rita and Vivian with Happy for their generosity, Andrew and Dena for sending donations and everyone else who donates via amazon or with donations big or small. It all makes a huge difference.

And a huge thank you to Michelle Brown who had an open day and raised a fantastic amount for Whittingham (on top of her marathon running too). We are so grateful.
Thanks to everyone who supports. It all helps to keep Whittingham going.

Adopting a greyhound also obviously really helps as it gives a dog a loving home and means we can take another dog from our waiting list. We always say that adopting one dog actually helps two dogs.
So...to adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com


So many dogs needing homes, but two lucky dogs find homes

We have so many dogs waiting for loving homes at the moment; with trainers calling daily to see if we have space. We can't move more dogs in until we have homed some and sadly it is two steps forward, three steps back at the moment.
Nevertheless, we want to focus on the individuals and this week, Charlie (now Frankie) and Peggy found their special homes. Charlie went to lovely adopters who lost their previous beloved hound and were able to offer another needy soul a special home.

Peggy went to new adopters. Whilst she was with us, we had to carry out a major dental so this delayed her going home. (But we always aim to never pass on a vet bill). So when this was sorted, she was able to go home. We are so grateful to her new adopters for being so understanding and helping her settle to the changes of life at home.
Thank you to both sets of adopters and to everyone else who has helped out this week.
To adopt a greyhound and help another of our dogs into a loving home, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com





Greyfest: Thank you, Natalie 

Greyfest 2024 is taking place this weekend and our very own, Natalie, adopter of Blue and Jerri was there yesterday to promote Whittingham Kennels - Retired Greyhounds Charity. We can't thank her enough for the time and effort that goes into doing this. It is always really difficult when every stand at the venue has the same cause, but she did amazingly well and got Whittingham's name out there. She also met some familiar faces and spent the day cuddling greyhounds. Thank you so much, Natalie. Amazing. 👏 👏 👏

Epping Forest Community Lottery

We are now part of the Epping Forest Community Lottery which supports charities in the local area.
Tickets available by following this link:


Alex and Fifi settling in

Thanks to everyone for following Alex's journey to Jersey and Fifi's journey to France. Here are a few photos of them doing well and settling into their respective homes.
Thank you again to their amazing adopters.
(And please note that we generally home within a 90 mins radius of the Kennels unless we know you. This is to enable essential homechecks).
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Paddy (now George)

Paddy (now George) fell on his paws with a lovely family today. We keep everything crossed whilst he settles as he is a nervous chap, but he's a very lucky boy. A huge thank you to his adopters for giving him a special home.
We have so many greyhounds (and two lurchers) looking for a home. To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Care in hot weather

Please note: it is likely to be too hot for walking at the Kennels this week. Thank you for your understanding.
This applies to the Kennel dogs, but also adopted dogs. Please only walk your dogs early morning or late evening when it is cooler.
In the meantime, take a leaf out of Yogi's book and enjoy the rest, preferably with a giraffe, fox and octopus!!! 🤣🤣
No photo description available.

Alex to Jersey

Alex's story
What a very lucky boy he is to go to the amazing Kathrine and Matthew.
Many will remember that we shared an appeal to try to get a home for Alex, our oldest resident. He is a large chap and we had a good response, but several promising enquiries drifted away. Our lovely friend, Gail, who homed greyhounds on the Channel Islands for years and only recommends the best homes, also shared him. And Matthew and Kathrine offered him a home. They had also previously adopted Hero from us and support Whittingham so we know what lovely people they are and what an amazing home they offer in Jersey.
So we booked the Pet Bus to get Alex to Jersey. It arrived at 4.15am yesterday to pick him up. Martin, the staff member, handed him over and then we all sit chewing our nails until he arrives! He travelled over by ferry with the amazing people from the Pet Bus who kept us all informed and his new adopters even paid extra for him to have his own cabin as the ferry was taking the longer crossing time.
He seems fascinated by the sea (video in the comments) and he arrived safely last night.
We can't thank his new adopters enough, and Gail who is the backbone behind everything. And the Pet Bus for taking such good care of him.
We look forward to updates too!
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

The adventures of Fifi and Alex
Fifi to France

Both arrived at the same time which rather magnified the excitement but made social media posts difficult!!!
So we will do them in order of departure. Fifi tonight and Alex tomorrow! They each (and their amazingly special adopters) deserve your full attention!! 🙂
Our nails are bitten down to the elbow as we follow their journeys but we are so pleased they have both arrived safely.
Fifi's story!
Fifi departed the Kennels on Sunday morning at 6am (ouch) when I drove her to Chingford for her to be collected by the pet transporter. We normally only home within a 90 mins radius of the Kennels so we can do checks and rechecks. But if we know people, we will make the exception. Jacqui has adopted from us when she lived locally and then moved to France. She is a wonderful home so when she was looking to adopt another greyhound, we knew whoever she had would be very lucky. She came over to meet the dogs and Fifi was chosen... and then the paperwork began to get her to France. Not the easiest mission! But she set out on Tuesday with the transporter and arrived today!! No wonder our nails are chewed to the knuckles!! But she has already had a good sniff around and met Jacqui's other dog. What a lucky girl she is.
A huge thank you to Jacqui and family for all their help and kindness.
The adventures of Alex will have his own special post tomorrow. We can't wait to share that with you too!
To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com

Jack - a very happy ending

Here is Jack living his best life with Marie and family.

Rescue/rehoming can be very demoralising sometimes with the huge numbers of dogs of all breeds (and all animals) waiting desperately for a loving home. (And the endless requests for spaces). But seeing one of our long term boys (who we thought might stay with us indefinitely) doing so well makes it worthwhile. Thanks so much to Marie and family. What a lucky boy he is.

To adopt a greyhound, email wkretiredgreyhounds@gmail.com





Thank you Medivet and Pets at Home

Thanks so much to Medivet for all their amazing collections for us. And to Pets at Home for their lifeline vouchers (which we get when you spend in store with a VIP card and choose us as your charity). It resulted in a car load of stuff. Thanks so much to everyone for the support (and to Tim for his help unloading). 👏 👏 👏









Boris with his toys