I Would Like to Adopt A Dog From KGR - What Do I Do Next?

In the first instance you need to fill in the online application form. or call us on one of the numbers given on the contact page. We need to know about your lifestyle, work commitments and family (human and furry) so that we can recommend suitable dogs to you.  You can then go to either the foster home or the kennels to meet the dogs.  Please remember to take ALL of the interested parties with you, so that you don't get all excited about adopting a dog just to find one family member  disagrees once you get home and the adoption can't go ahead.  ALL members of the family have to be in favour of the adoption for it to work in the long term.  If you already own other dogs you will also need to bring these with you to ensure that they all get along.

We ask for a donation of £150 which helps fund the running costs of the charity.  This donation is not returned if the dog is returned to us.

All of our dogs are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and will have had a dental if  necessary.  Any other medicals problems will have been attended to by the vet and you will be informed of these prior to adoption.

I live in a flat – can I adopt a dog?

Greyhounds are very placid dogs and can live happily in a flat.  But the owner must consider that they will have to take the dog out to go to the toilet early in the morning and again late at night.  .  You do also need to consider what would happen if your dog was unwell and unable to climb stairs, or you are unwell and unable to walk him.  If the owner if willing to do this, in all weathers, then living in a flat with the right dog should work

I work full time – is it fair to adopt a dog?

Because greyhounds are generally very lazy and happy doing nothing much all day, they are one of the best breeds of dog to have if you work full time, so long as they get plenty of your time when you are home and someone can come in during the day to let them go to the toilet and either take them for a walk, or give them human time.  Otherwise if you are at work all day, and then asleep for 8 hours a night, your dog will be spending most of its time alone and may become bored and destructive.  You could consider adopting 2 dogs then they could keep each other company.

We would not rehome a lurcher to you if you were out of the home all day unless you have other dogs and experience of the breed.

I Have Young Children -  Can I Adopt a Dog?

Greyhounds are in general very good with young children.  We would have to carefully match the right dog with the family, so that for example we would place a placid hound with you, who wouldn’t knock the children over.  Please make sure that your children will respect the dogs need for quiet time before your consider adopting.

In line with a lot of other charities we are becoming more and more inclined not to rehome with families with young children, for the simple reason that children take an awful lot of time to look after and that sometimes dosn't leave a lot of time for the dog.  When we rehome to families with young children, we explain just how much of a commitment any dog is and everyone understands at the time, but several weeks later the dog is returned, the family are very upset, and are saying "if we didn't have the children, we would have kept the dog".  

If you do have young children please think very carefully before you decide to adopt any dog.  A greyhound would be a great choice but they still take time - and if you don't spend time with them you may get behavioural problems.

We do not rehome to families who have both young children and cats as the cat training can be quite time consuming and if you don’t have the time to do it correctly it puts the cat and the dog at risk.

If you are considering a puppy, please remember just how much hard work they can be.  They chew, they play bite and they are on the go most of the time.  Puppies need to attend training classes and these often clash with tea time and homework - have you really got the time and commitment ?  If you have then a puppy if a great idea, but if you don't then please wait until your children are older.

Do I Need to Take My Dog To Training Classes?

If you adopt a puppy from us, part of the adoption agreement is that you take him to puppy socialisation classes and then dog training when he is older.  Please bear this in mind if you are thinking of adopting a puppy if you have children as classes are often on in the evening and may clash with home work, bed time etc.

Puppies can start as soon as their vaccinations are completed.  All puppies will start in a special socialising class, involving very basic training, playing and meeting other dogs and handlers.  These social skills are absolutely vital for a puppy, and will ensure that your pup grows into an adult dog that is confident and comfortable when he is around other dogs and people.

With most other dogs we would prefer you to take the dog to training classes but we do not insist you do so.

The people who look after our dogs also run dog training classes and one to one dog training sessions.  If you adopted your dog from KGR they will probably have looked after him or her.  We have kennelled over 130 dogs with them so they definitely understand the breed.  They run classes in Gillingham, Wye and Dover.

You can contact Ron Mills  on 01233 758309 or 07771 894175 if you have any questions, or e-mail him on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I have cats – can I adopt a greyhound or lurcher?

Please read the advice headed “greyhounds and cats” to see if you are prepared to work towards training your new dog to live with your cat.  If you are not, or you don’t like using a crate, then it will probably not work and you will put your cat at risk.   We assess they dogs to see if they are cat trainable, but you have to do the hard work!  They very rarely come fully packaged as cat friendly hounds.

Please think carefully as it is unfair on the dog if he has to be returned because you did not follow the guidance on cat training.

We do not rehome to families who have both young children and cats as more often than not, the dog is returned because the family did not have the time to train him.

Does My Greyhound Need to Wear a Muzzle?

Before the greyhounds are lucky enough to find a new home they must be muzzled in public – this is a requirement of our insurers and the reason why you will see our hounds looking for homes wearing muzzles at events.  It is also a condition of obtaining a licence if you are a trainer

Once adopted we advise you to use a muzzle until you are confident that your dog is not going to harm other dogs, whether this is on or off a lead.

Why Do I Need a Homecheck?

It is quite normal to have a homecheck from a rescue organisation before you can adopt the dog.  This is to make sure that the dog you have chosen is the right dog for your family and lifestyle so everyone will be happy.  It is also to make sure that your garden is secure, that you are who you say you are and you are adopting the dog to be a family pet.

Can I foster a dog before adopting, so that I can see if I like him and to make sure he fits in with my family?

We get asked this question regularly and the usual answer is no, because you need 100% commitment from all of the family to make the adoption work and any doubts needs to be addressed before taking on a dog.  In the past when we have allowed this, the dog has always come back as the people have decided a dog wasn’t for them, which is unfair on the dog.  However, this is just a general rule and if you have unusual circumstances please let us know and we will try to help.

I Can't afford the Donation - Can I Still Adopt A Dog?

Sadly, the answer is no.  Whilst it seems harsh to turn down a good home for the sake of £150 donation, each dog costs us on average £500 so the donations become an important part of the charities finances - without them we wouldn't be able to exist.  We have in the past allowed people to pay in stages but this has always ended with us spending our valuable volunteer time chasing payments rather than spending time on the welfare of the dogs, which is unfair to both volunteers and the charity.