Why choose Erin hounds? Erin Hounds philosophy is simple.  It’s all for the dogs.   We are proud of our standards when homing our hounds,   taking time and great care in helping you to find a hound that will fit in with your life.  We do this for the dogs, but if its right for the dog then the odds are stacked pretty high for the home too ! We think the results speak for themselves but, here’s what some of our adoptive families have told us….

	We recently adopted our first greyhound from Erin Hounds, and found the process and support from the team to be amazing – they really had the dogs’ interest and happiness at heart. Right from the start we felt really encouraged by speaking with Jo, and knew she would find the right dog for us. We ended up meeting with fosterer Kayla (who was the most helpful when we were preparing for adoption, answered all my questions!) and then adopting Smokey within a week or so! We couldn’t be happier with his progress so far, and it’s so good to know we continue to have Erin Hounds’ support even after we brought him home. We’re looking forward to a lovely future with Smokey, and being part of the Erin Hounds community! Molly   Macclesfield
	After contacting a lot of the “big-names” in dog rescues, both locally and nationally, and waiting for weeks on end to be called back, a friend suggested we contact Erin Hounds, and to say that we were glad we did would be a huge understatement!   No more than a couple of days after sending our initial e-mail enquiry, we were contacted by Jo who went into great detail finding out our level of experience, the type of environment we could provide and any specifics about the type of dog we were looking for.   There are certain things you almost take for granted, but having someone go over them with you again is a great way to refresh your memory and understand the importance of “the little things” then it comes to taking on a dog with an uncertain past. We had established such a comprehensive picture of the dog we were adopting before even meeting him that nothing really came as a surprise, at least not a negative one as he seems to have settled much more quickly and easily than perhaps anyone expected! Erin Hounds is not “just” a dog rescue charity, of course they are highly motivated in rehoming dogs, but it is by no means a “numbers game” for them – their ethos is that “it’s all for the dogs” and that rings true in every aspect of our experience with them, they won’t just home a dog for the sake of homing a dog.  Their service, as funny as it may sound, is more like a matchmaking/dating service than it is a dog rescue because they really want to place the right dogs with the right people and have them be the perfect fit for each other first time, and BOY did they succeed in our case!   We will tell absolutely anyone who will listen about how good our experience with Erin Hounds has been and how important and valuable their work with Irish Sighthounds is, and would implore anyone – whether already a dog owner looking for another or a would-be dog owner, to bring the loving, clever and gentle soul of an Irish sighthound into your lives by supporting and adopting through Erin Hounds – you won’t regret it for a second!   Andy and Joanna   Middlewich
	We had been searching for a rescue greyhound and Erin Hounds were local to us. We had a phone call with Jo who answered all our questions and told us lots of information about the breed so we knew that a greyhound would be the right fit for us. When Jo rang again she told us all about Stanley including his personality, likes and dislikes and training needs. He sounded perfect for us. We were put in touch with his fosterer and met up in a field for a walk so we could ask more questions and received follow up calls to help with his training. We are happy to say we fell head over heels in love with Stanley and adopted him. We would not have been able to find our perfectly matched greyhound without the amazing work done by Erin Hounds. Katie, Sandbach.
	We’ve had the privilege of adopting a lovely retired greyhound through Erin Hounds. We were impressed by the in- depth help and advice given by the re-homing team. They are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and happy to help with any queries. We were particularly impressed by the effort they put in to finding the right dog for us; Sally, our new best friend, is all we hoped for. We would certainly recommend Erin Hounds to anyone thinking about re-homing a greyhound. Rebecca and Dave , Wallasey
	Rasher is such a chilled and sociable dog – we are so lucky! Everyone he meets, he greets calmly with a wagging tail. His favourite toy is a squeaky pheasant but he is only just learning how to play, so lots more fun to look forward too. Many thanks from Trish and Graham, Biddulph.
	Davis’ Family: Your charity’s service and standards are outstanding. The open descriptions of Davis’ character were very accurate and enabled me to coach him appropriately.  He has well exceeded my expectations and is a devoted canine companion.  Thank you. Bernard, Crewe
	Ivy’s Family: A few words to say a massive thank you for allowing us to adopt Sepi (now Ivy). I waited patiently to be matched with the perfect dog & she is it. Ivy is a gentle, quiet soul with the kindest eyes. She has settled into our home like a dream. She will get all the love & attention she needs and deserves. She has already found a spot on the sofa and a friend in our other rescue dog. She is adorable. Keep up the good work. Kirsty, near Leek
	Dance’s family: We have 4 children and always knew we would like a canine companion to share our family life. When we found out about Erin Hounds, we realised how little we knew about the plight of the sight hounds, especially in Ireland. We were offered practical, helpful advice, including fact sheets to help educate the children about having a dog. A week later we collected  Dance and brought her home. She is perfect and we feel very blessed to have her in our family.We are full of respect and admiration for the work that the Erin Hounds team do and are especially grateful to the foster carer in Ireland who rescued Dance and cared for her  in her time of need.Sarah, Biddulph
	Fred’s family: Fred has been with us 3 weeks now but it feels like longer in a very good way! He has settled so well and his cheeky character is coming out, he’s a treasure collector and hangs around the treats cupboard!He is so chilled and not fazed by other dogs and walks so well on the lead. We do get stopped by a lot of other dog walkers who want to stroke him.Fred has brought us all so much happiness and we know we have for him.Thank you again for Fred . Tracey and Family
	Milo’s family: I am writing to express our great thanks to all the wonderful team at Erin Hounds for matching Milo with us.  He has become an adored member of our family and has fitted in with family life brilliantly.  From day one Milo (was Mag’s Gamble) has been practically perfect.  He has a kind and patient, easy going nature and is called “our ray of doggy sunshine” because he is always so happy, a joy which is definitely contagious.Our 2 children Oscar aged 11 and Amelie aged 10 both adore Milo.  Before getting Milo, Oscar was frightened and unsure of all dogs but now he feels totally at ease, and has a trusted companion.  Amelie loves Milo and thinks Milo is “the best dog in the whole world”.  My husband who was unsure about any dog especially a big one is utterly smitten.  I cannot recommend Erin Hounds highly enough.  Their expertise and care in matching the right dog to the right family is just fantastic and the work they do is so commendable.I also cannot recommend greyhounds as a family pet highly enough.  Their relaxed nature and delightful personalities make them ideal.  Since getting Milo, every day when out walking, people have commented on how lovely he is.  I can also say that every owner I have met of sight hounds, be they whippets, lurchers or greyhounds are so enthusiastic about their dogs and so positive about their experiences with them.If you are thinking of adopting from Erin Hounds – do it – it will be a great, life enhancing decision for you and your family. Georgia, David and family, Liverpool
	Finn’s Family My daughter and I were introduced to Erin Hounds by a workmate of my daughter’s who had attended your Meet and Greet.  We already had two greyhounds, one who took the place of Richie who had collapsed and died some days earlier.  Therefore, we could say that we had had some experience of the breed, enough to be convinced that this was the breed for us.  We contacted Erin Hounds and had a home inspection in which we could tell our history and what we wanted. The following Sunday, we were phoned and informed that Baz (Forelacka Baz) fitted our requirements and was available.  Myself and our two hounds went to meet Baz and after completing the necessary paperwork, I took Baz home with us.  We changed his name to Findlay, or Finn, registered him with the local vets and introduced him to the neighbours.  Finn has lived with us for 18 months now and he has never put a paw wrong.  I was already a firm fan of greyhounds and, when the time comes, which, unfortunately it will, I shall be contacting Erin Hounds to ask for another wonderful dog looking for a forever home. Geoff, Knutsford
	Mango’s Family We have come to realise how fantastically well you matched Mango to us, bearing in mind our experience.  Everyone we meet comments on her wonderful social skills and pleasant demeanour.  She seems to put a smile on every passer- by’s face.  Even a young boy on a bike commented on how pretty she is! She has been out in her woolly jumper several times so we have been doing some advertising for you. Thanks a million for getting Mango for us. The Rays (first time dog owners), Macclesfield
	Phoebe’s Family I cannot believe how well and quickly she has settled in – it’s as if she has been in the house for ever! She is just so loving, has a wonderful character and does a little hop and a skip when she is walking. Phoebe adores everybody and everything – she even gets on with the horses!!I absolutely adore her already. Adopting a greyhound is the best thing I ever did. CG, Baguley
	Issy’s Family Thank you so much for finding the perfect hound to fit in with Leo our large “bouncy” dog, two cats and Natasha our 2 year old daughter. Issy is amazing in every way, she has slotted into family life so naturally, even though it was all new to her, it is like she has always been with us. Everyone has fallen in love with her but especially Natasha and the two of them are inseparable, whether they are playing together in the garden, in the house or sitting quietly reading, they are always together. We were a bit concerned about how we would cope with two large dogs but Issy is honestly the easiest dog we could wish for. She is quick to learn, well behaved (although a bit cheeky!) and as long as she gets her walks we don’t even notice she is in the house most of the time.Erin Hounds have been brilliant in selecting the right dog for us and also in providing ongoing support regarding diet, exercise and training. We can’t thank you enough.The Phillipson Family, Macclesfield
	Barry’s Family We adopted Barry from Sue in Sept 2011, who gave us very accurate info about his needs – i.e. quite a nervous dog who needed lots of TLC and another dog for support. We already had Sid a gentle old lurcher who has grown to be fond of him (even though he still is top dog) and keeps him in check! Over the 1 and a half years Barry has grown more confident and although he can still be a handful is very funny and keeps us entertained with his antics!Best wishes Joanne Barry (top) with his friend Sid
	Darci and Diva’s Family Just wanted to say a huge Thank You to all involved in finding us the gorgeous Mr Darci to join Diva (previously Erin Hound Della) and our 2 cats.Darci only arrived a few days ago but he has settled so well. It’s early days but he is enjoying Diva’s company and never seems to stop wagging his tail and has the most gorgeous smile. I love him so much already. Just wish everyone realised how special greyhounds are and how much they enrich our lives. One thing’s for sure, walking these 2 beauties together is getting attention and I will spread the word about these wonderful dogs to everyone that asks. Perfect match again, thanks to Alex for thinking of us and giving him a great start. I hope I can do more to help this year besides donating. You are all doing something so fantastic. Vanessa & Brian, Buxton, Derbyshire
	Dee’s Family As the proud new owners of our lovely Erin hound “Dee”, we cannot thank Erin Hounds enough for the professional and caring way they introduced Dee to us. From the initial telephone call to the house visit, it was friendly and informative. Jo made Dee’s transition from fostering to arriving at her new home smooth for all of us. Dee is the perfect dog for us – she is gentle and friendly yet full of fun and character. She has charmed everyone who has met her and loves everyone she meets. Maria and Corky, Balterley, Crewe
	Rowan’s Family I just wanted to send you a quick email to let you know how Rowan is settling in. As you can see from the pictures he is enjoying life here in Lancashire and has really taken to our two children Molly and Toby. He was lying with his head in Molly’s lap earlier to enjoy a cuddle. He has slept through the night without a peep from the day he arrived and greets us with the waggiest tail every morning. Thank you so much for finding him for us. He is so soppy and an absolute star. He is already coming to us when called and we are teaching him to sit and lie down.He is a perfect match for us and our family feels complete once more.Thanks once again for all your hard work. Best Wishes Emma and family, and of course Rowan.
	Ernie’s Family I just wanted to send you a quick message to let you know how Ernie is doing and to thank you for ‘matching’ us.I get stopped almost every day by someone complimenting my handsome hound! He is so friendly too, He loves to meet new people and be stroked. He’s socialised well with other dogs and has had his first sleep over at my mum’s house without any problems with her whippet and Jack russell. He’s funny too, he gets so excited about things and loves going for walks and playing with his humans!All in all, I absolutely love Ernie and can’t thank you enough for all your help with adopting him! Louise, Manchester.
	May’s Family Thought I’d drop you an e-mail just to let you know how May is doing!… what can I say.. what a joy!!She has settled in so well, it’s like she’s been here for ages! Within 2 days Honey and May were sharing the same beds and drinking and eating from the same bowls!! They are very accepting of each other and follow each other everywhere. Honey is a different dog since May arrived, she has really come out of herself and copies May in everything from chewing on a toy to chasing a stick in the garden! They both get lots of attention on walks and look very smart in their new coats, which even have their names on the rump! (very posh).Thank you again for May, she is a wonderful addition and very loved. Best regards Helen, Sean, Charlotte, Hannah, Honey Lulu and May Moo.
	Violet’s Family I would just like to thank Sue and the Erin Team for finding Violet for me.   I feel very lucky to have such a dear, sweet little girl like Violet who already is my constant companion and comes everywhere with me.  She is now very much part of village life – and she has captivated everyone we meet Jeanne,  Ashton
	Jasper – The Poole FamilyI just wanted to write a quick email and tell you how well Jasper has settled in.  He has been so relaxed since he arrived and settled into our family perfectly, he even took himself of to bed on the first night and there have been no accidents or issues at all.  Jasper has been the perfect gentleman with everyone he’s met  (including a friend’s 5 month old baby) and charmed them all. His confidence is growing daily and he’s learning to play with his squeaky duck and is nearly there with fetching a ball. He’s barely put a foot wrong since he arrived and has already shown a great aptitude to learn. We are both thrilled (and completely smitten) with him, he feels like he’s already been part of the family forever. We are looking forward to lots of fun times with him and would like to thank you both (and Jane) for all the work you have done before he came to us.
	Chloe’s Family We just wanted to thank you all for finding Chloe for us. We thought with 2 young children (aged 2 and 5) we would have a long wait but Sue was fantastic and Chloe is just what we wanted.The home check was informal and friendly but covered all the things we needed to know and all the things that the potential hound would need. Sue has been wonderful in answering all my questions and putting up with continuous emails!Chloe is a wonderful dog and is so gentle with the children I would highly recommend a greyhound for any family home. She has settled in very well and absolutely loves her walks to the beach.Thanks again for all your help and for finding us the perfect dog.Joanne, George, Luke and Isabel
	Rosie – Camilla and James, Nantwich The home check was informal and friendly but thorough and focused around the dog’s needs.  We were left with a great idea of what to expect going forward. Within a week we were off to meet Rosie who was being fostered in a house almost identical to ours, where she had really settled in, allowing us to get a really good idea of Rosie’s character before we made any decisions but needless to say Erin had done a great job matching us to Rosie and it was smiles and wags all round! The help didn’t stop there, Rosie’s foster mum, was on hand all the way to help us when Rosie was settling in and within a few days it was like she had always been there.Despite being abandoned on the streets of Ireland and living as a stray, Rosie has the gentlest temperament of any dog I’ve ever known. She approaches all new people and dogs with calm confidence. We can leave her with no problems and she’s learnt sit, stay, down, lie and paw! We’re working on her making a cup of tea next! She’s brought so much laughter into our lives we couldn’t be without her now! Thank you for matching us so well!
	Marley was Marty Having three cats we thought it would be some time before we found the right dog but we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect boy! Thank you so much for choosing Marley for us. Gemma & Barry Coast
	Patsy now Josie named after an Erin Hounds volunteer You have been so helpful and supportive sending me so much useful information, answering all my questions and giving me lots of fantastic advice. Getting photos of Josie and all the information from her two foster homes, home-checking me so far from where you’re based and meeting me half way to drop her off is just unbelievable – it really shows the dedication you guys have to re-home these poor hounds.I can’t believe how perfect Josie is after everything she has been through. She is really amazing, nothing seems to faze her at all. I am so lucky when we are out, everyone else’s dogs are misbehaving, being dragged around and shouted at but Josie doesn’t put a foot wrong. She is polite and friendly with everyone and everything. We have seen cats, rabbits and birds whilst out which she seems to ignore. Surprisingly a rabbit ran out from the hedge about 5 metres ahead of us and she didn’t seem to give it a second glance?!?!All in all I honestly couldn’t have wished for a more perfect hound. Thank you! Mr Boonham, York
	Harry was Ryan I would like to thank you immensely for all you did to help this dog, he is such a wonderful boy.He was a little interested in my cats, but with a some training he is now brilliant, and both he and the cats are now living stress free together. He has been totally clean in the house and is brilliant on the lead. He is so loving and will basically do anything to get a cuddle. Looking at the amount of scars he has, he obviously has been very badly treated, but his peaceful, affectionate nature is a tribute to his fantastic character. He gets a lot of admiring attention when out, so I am making sure everyone knows where he came from and the plight you have over there!I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you at Erin Hounds for all your hard work and dedication in helping these fantastic dogs. Thank you so much for Harry, from Julie and all my family, the biggest thank you from Harry himself I’m sure. The Heyes family, North Wales
	Jake We just wanted to write to thank everyone for all their hard work getting Jake to us so quickly. Wow what an experience, everyone has looked after us so well. Sue and Pat were great when they visited us and we felt we were in good hands. We were right. Jake is exactly what we needed, the perfect addition to our family. He gets on brilliantly with our little fluffy schipperke Patti, and our 2 year old daughter adores him (and him her).We have had him for a few months now and I’ve delayed sending an e-mail until he had his feet under the table as we say. Well he’s still doing well, he’s a joy to have around, the perfect jogging companion and best friends with our daughter. He’s keen with squirrels still but not overly so, he’s easy to call back and very loyal. Again thank you all so much, without your hard work and dedication to this loving breed …well……! The Edge Family
	Dre, (formerly Cole) is doing really well – he’s part of the family now! He gets on well with our Westie (she’s his pillow) and is well behaved with other dogs. He enjoys his big walk every morning (good off the lead) and the kids take him round the block or to the field for a second jaunt later on. Thank you for such a great choice of dog for us! The Statham Family, Congleton
	Joe now Bert Seeing Bert grow into the hound he always was inside, like a caterpillar to a butterfly, makes it all worth while.In his first few months with me Bert regularly froze whilst outside when he saw anything remotely small and furry, he couldn’t cope with the excitement. Two weeks ago he met my new Degus (Chilean rodents). It took a few days, but with gentle slow introduction he’s accepted that the Degus are not for lunch and regularly calmly visits their cage, steals a pumpkin seed, rubs noses and then wanders off again.When Bert arrived Wilf, my lurcher, had just been discharged from hospital and was a fragile lad.  The boys have grown closer and closer, happily sharing their bowls, toys and sofas.I can’t imagine life without my skinny hounds to make it that bit more interesting and warm. Jen Newman, Wirral, Cheshire
	Billy I would like to say what a wonderful, honest and caring attitude you all showed to our family and to Billy. Having been a vet nurse for 17 years I have come across many animal rescues but I found Erin Hounds to be exceptional in their re homing technique. Our home check was non invasive, any questions we had were answered and all our requirements were carefully listened to. Billy is a perfect match. The Murphys, Knutsford, Cheshire
	Jack We came across Erin Hounds during an internet search for a rescue. If anybody had said we would become greyhound owners we would have laughed our socks off! They were too tall, too thin, too fast, too energetic, too ‘special’ breed. Boy, how wrong we were!Victoria was knowledgeable and generously gave up lots of time to talk through our concerns. We were a little nervous at first as he was so different from our other dog. But there is something about the greyhound which is incredibly addictive.Jack’s foster mum (who has been a wonderful support to us since) suggested we take him for a walk so I could see how well he socialised with other dogs. Our former rescue had suffered from fear aggression and did not readily take to many breeds. In the course of an hour, Jack met numerous dogs of all shapes and sizes and was impeccable with all.Naturally, we asked: ‘When can he come and live with us?’ (even though we were still concerned our home was too small, our garden tiny etc.).His size quickly became irrelevant as he’s very calm and well behaved. In fact he seems ‘normal’ size now, so much so other biggish dogs seem tiny (and overweight)!It’s amazing also how many people stop to stroke him and comment on the lovely nature of the breed. He’s a real ambassador and casts a spell over all he meets. Friends who don’t really ‘do’ dogs have been won over.Greyhounds often get a very raw deal. We would urge anyone to give them a second chance. Believe us, you will not be sorry! Erin is a solid, well-run and consummately professional – not to mention caring – organisation that wants only the best for these deserving dogs. Rick & Rosey, Macclesfield Cheshire
	Georgie The experience of looking for another dog was made very easy by you all. I first found a dog on another website and was advised it may be too far away and to try yourselves which I did. After a telephone conversation with Sue, telling her about us as a family and what we required, she contacted me a couple of days later to say they had Georgie and after our conversation thought he would match us well. This was a hard match as we already have 2 dogs of very different ages and it was important to us we got the right character in the new dog. I felt very comfortable that this was a two way thing and that they wanted to see Georgie with us and if he liked us as well (this I thought wonderful as so many dogs homes do not look at this issue).Georgie had a few problems with his neutering operation and Sue called to say we could not pick him up as he was on medication and needed to go back to the vets and they would not let him go to us in this condition (once again they thought of the dog’s need first). After a week we went to pick Georgie up and he was much better. We were so welcomed into the kennels as we brought the whole family to collect him. Since Georgie has been with us we have had communication with Sue/Pat and they were only too happy to help us. The advice was great and sorted out our issue. Georgie is a wonderful family dog and he fits us as much as we fit him. I really cannot imagine our family without him. Our other dogs have accepted him well and him them. This I am sure would not have been such a good match and a wonderful stress free experience if we had gone elsewhere. I would recommend any one looking for a dog to go to Erin Hounds and also to look at this breed of dog as they are truly wonderful, wonderful family dogs. Maria, Duncan, James, Martin, Tasha, Molly, Jessie