How Do I Surrender My Whippet?

Deciding to surrender or rehome a dog is never an easy one, and can arise for several reasons, such as financial struggles, sudden life changes, new or worsening health conditions, and behavioral challenges with the pup that aren’t manageable.

Whippets, in particular, are often sensitive, nervous dogs who tend to do best in quieter households. If your home life has changed to become more bustling, unpredictable in routine, and loud, you may find that your Whippet pal is not adjusting well, even becoming chronically stressed. These pups also need plenty of opportunities each day to stretch their legs and sprint around. If you are no longer in a position to provide this, you may need to find them a home where their exercise needs can be consistently met.

Before deciding to surrender your whippet, it’s best to consider solutions that will allow you to keep your pup, such as hiring a midday dog walker, contacting a qualified canine behaviorist, or seeking assistance from pet care programs in times of financial hardship. But if you’ve decided that the best outcome for you and your Whippet is to find them a new, loving pet parent, read on to learn all about the steps you can take to rehome them.

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What does it mean to rehome a dog?

When you rehome a dog, it means that you are finding a new adopter for your pup, either through in-person or digital networking. By rehoming your pup, rather than surrendering them to a shelter or rescue, you’ll be able to carefully choose their new family. Responsible rehoming is a safe, effective way to help your Whippet find a loving, caring adopter.

How to rehome your Whippet

To rehome your Whippet, create an adoption profile. Think about the best type of home for your pup, and include a sentence or two about this. If your Whippet is a bit shy and anxious, but also snuggly with their trusted people — and needs plenty of opportunities to run around — be sure to include this information, too. It’s best to phrase these statements in a fun, eye-catching way, such as, “Winnie the Whippet, the fastest pup this side of the Mississippi, is looking for a gentle, quiet household with a sweet family who will take her for daily zoomies around the park, and then back home to spend the evening snuggled up on the couch.”

When a potential adopter inquires about your pup, it’s important to thoroughly communicate any behavioral or health information. Whippets are prone to health conditions such as mitral valve disease, bloat, epilepsy, and eye problems, including progressive retinal atrophy and corneal dystrophy. If your Whippet has an ongoing health condition, you should include this information so you can find an adopter who is prepared to meet your pup’s health needs. The same goes for behavioral health: Whippets tend to be a bit more shy and anxious compared to other, more social breeds. If your pup fits that description, it’s important to prioritize finding them a home with adopters who understand how to gently and patiently interact with a sensitive dog. Here are a few ways to find the right family.

Find someone you already know to adopt

People you already know should be at the top of your list of potential adopters. Consider if any of your friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, or acquaintances might be a good fit, and reach out to them with info about your pup and a couple of cute photos. Rehoming your Whippet to someone you know is one of the safest and easiest ways to help your dog settle into a new home. If that doesn’t yield any leads, ask your friends and family to dip into their own trusted network for more suggestions.

Look into pet adoption sites

Pet adoption sites, such as Rehome by Adopt a Pet, are another excellent tool for finding adopters. These sites are created to help pet parents find loving homes for their pets, and often feature a guided experience to increase the safety and effectiveness of the rehoming process. You can also try researching your local animal shelter to find out if they offer digital networking support for rehoming. Some shelters provide this service to help lower the number of pets ending up in shelters by helping pet parents directly rehome their pets into loving homes. 

Surrender at a shelter or animal rescue

While rehoming your Wippet involves directly placing your pup into a new home, surrendering your dog means you’ll be relinquishing them to a shelter or animal rescue. It’s best to make all efforts to directly rehome your Whippet first before surrendering them, because shelters can be very stressful for your pup.

If you’re unable to rehome your Whippet, reach out to rescue organizations in your area first. Rescues are often foster-based, which means your pup would be able to stay in a home while they await adoption rather than in a kennel at a (typically loud, crowded) shelter. Not all rescues are foster-based, but you can start your search by contacting the ones that are. You can also prioritize reaching out to Whippet-specific rescues, such as Whippet Rescue, because these organizations are well-suited to caring for your pup’s needs and attract people specifically looking to adopt Whippets. You may be added to a waitlist or have to drive a long distance to get your pup placed with a foster-based rescue, so it’s best to keep an open mind and expand your search radius beyond your immediate area. 

Surrendering your Whippet to a shelter should be a last resort, since shelters are often quite stressful environments for pets, who will be placed in a kennel if they aren’t able to enter a foster program. Whippets tend to be especially noise sensitive and are often quick to become anxious and fearful outside of their comfort zones, so a shelter environment could be very traumatic for them. If you do need to surrender your Whippet to a shelter, it’s best to reach out to ones with a strong foster program, plenty of volunteering, good social media presence, and on and off-site adoption events.

Avoid social media and pet classified sites

In your quest to rehome your Whippet, it’s best to avoid social media (Nextdoor, Facebook) and pet classified sites (Craigslist and LSN). These sites often attract backyard breeders and scammers who may try to steal your information or even adopt your dog for harmful reasons. Instead, stick with reputable pet adoption websites such as Rehome by Adopt a Pet.

Do you have to pay to rehome a Whippet? 

You might need to pay to rehome a Whippet, but this is typically only if you’re surrendering them to a shelter or rescue organization. Some organizations require a surrender fee to help cover the cost of caring for your pet. This fee is often $25 to $150, although not all rescues and shelters charge a surrender fee, and some only suggest it as a donation.

What is a rehoming fee?

A rehoming fee is set by the pet parent and paid by the adopter. This fee can deter someone from adopting your pup on a whim and can indicate that an adopter is serious about investing in your Whippet’s care. Some unethical individuals will search for free dogs for backyard breeding, reselling, or even to use as bait dogs in fighting rings, so setting a rehoming fee is a critical part of a safe adoption. 

What’s a reasonable rehoming fee for a Whippet?

A reasonable rehoming fee for a Whippet can depend on factors such as their age, if they’re up-to-date on vaccinations, and their health status. An average fee runs around $100 to $300. In addition to setting a rehoming fee, you can also ensure a safer adoption by requiring references, asking plenty of questions about what your Whippet’s life would be like with the potential adopters, and drafting an adoption contract that outlines care expectations.

Should you charge rehoming fees?

Unless you’re adopting your Whippet to someone you already know and trust, it’s best to charge a rehoming fee to protect your pup. As long as the fee is reasonable, the adopter paying a rehoming fee is a good sign of their investment in your dog’s care.

Rehoming with pet adoption sites

Rehoming with pet adoption sites, such as Rehome by Adopt a Pet, is an excellent option to widen the pet-parent search beyond your local area. Offering a four-step process, Rehome can help you set up an adoption profile, review applications, meet adopters, and when you find the perfect match, finalize the adoption with a contract.

Commonly asked questions

What are the downsides of a Whippet?

Depending on your lifestyle, the downside of a Whippet could include how sensitive they can be to loud and active environments. Of course, for some people who love a quiet and calmer household, adopting a Whippet may be the perfect fit, as long as you can provide them with open space to sprint around each day.

Does PetSmart take dogs? 

No, PetSmart does not take dogs from the general public. Some locations will host adoption events by local shelters and rescues, but they are not shelters and do not intake animals.

Where can I put up a Whippet for adoption?

You can put up a Whippet for adoption by reaching out to your network of friends and family, and you can post their adoption information on reliable pet adoption sites, such as Rehome by Adopt a Pet.

References

Before you give up your pet to a shelter, know there are options | Better Together Animal Alliance. (n.d.). https://bettertogetheranimalalliance.org/pet-surrender-options.

Knoerzer, M. (2025, March 30). Rescue Whippets |  https://whippet-rescue.org/category/availablerescuewhippets.

Pet financial assistance resources. (n.d.). Best Friends Animal Society — Save Them All. https://bestfriends.org/pet-care-resources/pet-financial-assistance-resources