Sponsoring a Greyhound with us
Sponsor a Greyhound at Barley 🐾
Here at Barley Greyhound Sanctuary, we do more than find loving forever homes for retired racing Greyhounds. We also provide a lifelong safe haven for Greyhounds who, for a variety of reasons, cannot be rehomed.
We often hear people say that kennels are no life for a dog. However, most racing Greyhounds have only ever known kennel life, and while many adapt wonderfully to living in a home, others find the transition incredibly difficult.
For some Greyhounds, the unfamiliar sights, sounds and expectations of home life can cause considerable stress and anxiety. The familiarity of a kennel environment, with established routines and people they know and trust, is where they feel safest, happiest and most secure.
For these dogs, Barley is their forever home. 💜
Our permanent residents enjoy lovely walks in the surrounding countryside and forest, daily opportunities to run and play in our grass and sand paddocks, comfortable beds, toys, treats and plenty of individual love and attention from our staff and volunteers.
They have everything they need, without the pressures or expectations of living in an environment they struggle to cope with. Most importantly, they have the security of knowing they will always be loved and cared for.
How You Can Help
Although some Greyhounds arrive with a small, one-off financial contribution from their racing owners, this doesn't go very far when a dog remains with us for months, years or even the rest of their life.
As a registered charity, we rely heavily on donations and sponsorship to continue providing our Greyhounds with the care they deserve.
You can sponsor one of our permanent sanctuary hounds for just £10 a month or £120 a year.
Sponsorship can be arranged via PayPal or bank transfer. Please let us know if you decide to sponsor so we can add your name to our sponsors list, which is displayed at the kennels.
Sponsorships also make wonderful gifts for family, friends or anyone who loves Greyhounds. It's a lovely way to give a meaningful gift while helping to care for one of our much-loved sanctuary residents. We can also provide a personalised sponsorship certificate to make the gift extra special. 💜
Please don't feel sorry for our permanent sanctuary Greyhounds. They are not missing out on a happy life. They are living one, surrounded by familiar faces, love and security, in an environment that suits their individual needs.
Sometimes a forever home isn't a house. It's simply somewhere a dog feels safe, happy and loved. 💜
Meet Our Sponsor Hounds
Below you can meet our permanent residents, read their individual stories and choose a Greyhound to sponsor.
Barley Greyhound Sanctuary – Registered Charity Number 1189765
💙 RIO 💙 Rio joined us in 2020 and he is now 11 years old. When he arrived, he was so incredibly nervous that he would lie in the corner of his bed, quivering and shaking. He was terrified of everything and everyone, and we even questioned whether he had any quality of life. Slowly but surely, we began to gain his trust and saw small improvements each day. He is now a completely different dog from the one who arrived with us. Rio is such a happy and loving boy. He jumps up for cuddles, loves playing in our field and enjoys his walks through the quiet countryside. However, he is still extremely frightened of people he doesn’t know and unfamiliar surroundings. For this reason, Rio will remain with us, where he is happy, deeply loved and feels completely safe 💙
💜 VICKY 💜 This stunning girl is 10 year old Vicky. She joined us in 2018 and is an extremely nervous girl who struggles with change and anything unfamiliar. Vicky has a very quirky temperament and can also be aggressive towards other dogs. She is happy and content here at Barley, surrounded by familiar people and a routine that makes her feel secure. Vicky will remain with us for life, where she is safe, understood and very loved 💜
🩷 HOPE 🩷 Hope joined us back in 2019 and is now 11 years old. She was a nervous wreck when she originally arrived and had suffered a broken hock that had sadly been left untreated. We arranged for Hope to see our vet, and she underwent surgery to repair her leg, which was thankfully a success. It took several months to gain her trust, but she is now the most amazing and happy girl with a real zest for life. Hope loves going for walks and often joins us during our tea break for biscuits and cuddles. 🥰 Sadly, she can be quite unpredictable around other dogs and people she doesn’t know, so she will remain with us for life, where she is happy, loved, safe and cared for 🩷
💙 GUS 💙 Gorgeous Gus joined us back in 2020 and he is now 8 years old. He was quite shy and wary when he first arrived, but he soon settled in and has become a firm favourite with all our staff and volunteers. It became clear that Gus finds change extremely difficult and doesn’t cope well if his routine is disrupted, even in the smallest way. His temperament towards people and other dogs can also be unpredictable at times. We therefore made the decision to keep Gus at Barley as a permanent sanctuary hound, where he is safe and has a consistent routine every day. Gus is very settled and content here. He feels secure knowing his surroundings, the people who care for him and exactly what to expect from each day 💙
💙 MR CHIPS 💙 This handsome boy is 8 year old Mr Chips. He is a big lad, weighing 40kg, but he is a true gentle giant who absolutely loves cuddles. Mr Chips originally joined us for rehoming in 2021, but it quickly became clear that he had some problems with his spine. Because of this, he will remain with us, where he is safe and can receive the ongoing treatment and care he needs. Thankfully, Mr Chips is doing well at the moment. He enjoys gentle strolls through the local countryside before returning to snooze on his comfortable bed with his best friend Hope 💙
💙 GILES 💙 This gorgeous boy is 8 year old Giles. He joined us in January 2021 and initially found a wonderful home, but sadly returned to our care a few months later. During his time with us, it has become clear that Giles loves his life at the sanctuary. Due to his incredibly high prey drive, it is also much safer for him to remain with us. Giles is best friends with Vicky, who is also one of our permanent sanctuary hounds. They love playing together in the field, enjoying walks through the forest and cuddling up together on their big, comfortable bed. Giles is very happy and content here, surrounded by everything and everyone he loves 💙
🖤 HARVEY 🖤 This lovely boy is 9 year old Harvey. He joined us in 2025 from Portsmouth GT when they sadly had to close their doors. Harvey can be the sweetest soul with those he knows and trusts, but his temperament can also be quite quirky and unpredictable at times. Because of this, he will remain with us, where he is safe and cared for by people who understand him and know exactly how to meet his needs. Harvey has settled in extremely well at Barley and is very happy and content here. He loves going for walks and spending time playing in the field.
❤️ DANNY ❤️ Danny is a lovely 6 year old boy who joined us for rehoming when he retired from racing in 2023. He has spent time in homes but found his way back to us after struggling to adjust to home life and being unable to settle. Danny doesn’t like other dogs in his personal space, including other Greyhounds, and has one of the highest prey drives we have ever known. He can also have a quirky temperament at times. As Danny is so happy and content at Barley, we decided that remaining with us as a permanent sanctuary hound was the best and safest option for him. Danny is such a loving boy and a firm favourite among our volunteers. He loves going for walks and spending time playing in the field ❤️