NWCC Whippet Rescue
About Our Rescue Program
In 1998, a comprehensive Whippet Rescue program was organized with representatives from across Canada dedicated to intervening on behalf of abandoned, abused, neglected or lost whippets. We also offer assistance to owners who can no longer keep their whippets due to such circumstances as divorce, job loss or a death in the family. Whatever the reason, Whippet Rescue is here to help. Fundraising is always of prime importance to any rescue organization. We are grateful to artists, Joan Van Doornick and Sean Shields, for donations of original artwork that has been raffled with all proceeds to Whippet Rescue. At the 2001 Annual General Meeting, Paulette Blinch from Prince George volunteered to take on the position of National Rescue Coordinator.
About Adopting A Whippet
If you have had a Whippet before some of this info will be known to you. We get a lot of inquiries but not many homes are appropriate and we are quite lucky to have few dogs needing rescue (Note that the various Greyhound Rescues are always in need of good homes and you can search their web sites for information).
Whippets are very athletic and agile, most have a strong prey drive and so one must be careful about letting them off leash. Pups can get into lots of trouble and most Whippets do not tolerate being alone very well. That said, if you do get a Whippet you will find that they are also great couch potatoes, love to share your bed, are great with kind children, and generally make fine pets. In spite of what some of the pet match sites would have you believe, they do shed, especially if they are not fed good quality food. Since they have very little body fat and very thin skin and coats they do not tolerate cold very well. Do not even think of getting one if you are not prepared to have it live in the house as one of the family!
If you go to shows and coursing/race events you can meet Whippets and their mostly besotted owners and you may get on a list for a an older dog that needs to be placed in a new home. Sometimes a dog comes back or a person wishes to place one, maybe it doesn't get on with another dog in the family for example, and they are usually great dogs. They are mature, trained, and their likes and dislikes are known.
Before you take any dog into your life please think carefully and be prepared to be committed for the dog's lifetime. If you do take a dog and for whatever reason cannot keep it do the right thing and contact a breed representative to rehome it properly.
Never buy from pet stores as they support puppy mills.
To Donate to Whippet Rescue
Have you thought about fostering, Rescue needs you!
One fact of life with rescue is that dogs do not pick their time to get into a rescue situation. Lots of times their owners have no control over the circumstances either; not every dog in rescue is there because of neglect or because its owners just don't want it. Therefore we may end up with more dogs than good places to put them! Hence the dire need for foster folks.
Good foster folks are worth their weight in gold Most people are willing to take in the wonderful mannerly dogs but do not want to take in the unknown, the unmannerly or the unhousetrained. Some of those dogs turn out to be the best! One of my fosters took on 2 six year olds who had spent most of their lives making babies, living in a shed and eating whatever junk was tossed their way. Kim house trained them and taught them to be normal dogs, she placed the male with a Greyhound rescue lady but nobody was good enough for Maddie. She kept her and now Maddie lives the good life with her 3 other dogs, she is going to try her paw at RallyO, she loves the lure and is a wonderful pet.
So, many times fostering is easy and I do not mind if someone just wants the easy ones, we need any help. Sometimes dogs need help becoming citizens of the world we live in. Most whippets are basically good natured and I have never had to take a dog back once rehomed thanks to the foster people who trained and assesed them. A foster person has to have some dog skills such as being able to do some basic training, can house break a dog and get it socialized. If the person has a sympathetic vet that is a big plus! Most of the time we have a quick turnover but it depends on the dog and the foster person. Rescue pays all expenses, many of our foster folks provide the food but it is not expected. So that is a rough idea of what fostering is about. We have lost some great foster homes because the people fell for the dog and kept it and that took them to their dog limit.
So, if you love dogs but maybe do not want to become tied down to fulltime ownership or perhaps expect a life change in the future, think about fostering! You can help a dog, enjoy the companionship of a dog who needs you and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done a good deed! You can contact me or the provincial Team Leader who can tell you what is expected of a foster home.
Thank you
Paulette
Please feel free to contact our Rescue Coordinator or our Rescue reps for any further information.
NEW! >[CLICK HERE TO VIEW RESCUE WHIPPETS CURRENTLY SEEKING A NEW HOME]
[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ADOPTION APPLICATION FORM]
[CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA EMAIL]
WHIPPET RESCUE CONTACTS
NWCC RESCUE DIRECTORY |
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NATIONAL RESCUE COORDINATOR |
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ALBERTA |
BRITISH COLUMBIA |
SASKATCHEWAN |
MANITOBA |
ONTARIO |
QUEBEC |
For whippet rescue in the USA, please click above to visit the WRAP web site