It is an unfortunate fact that occasionally, for various reasons; some owners find they are no longer able to keep their Irish Wolfhounds. The Irish Wolfhound Rescue Trust (IWRT) was formed in 1967, by a group of responsible breeders, who realised there was a need to aid such owners. The IWRT aims to find suitable new homes for these great hounds and to raise the money necessary to finance such an organisation.
As part of the IWRT's home-matching policy, the Secretary maintains a list of potential homes. If a hound needs rehoming, the Secretary may put the owner in direct contact with a potential new home from the list for initial discussions.
While this organization does not 'deal' in Irish Wolfhounds and does not charge for this service, its expenses, such as veterinary fees, are significant. It is because of this that we ask new owners to make a donation which is usually at least £250, or in the case of a hound under the age of twelve months, about £350, (and more would be most welcome!) Considering that a twelve-week-old puppy costs anywhere between £3,000 and £4,000, the donation is not excessive.
The IWRT expressly forbids any hound placed in a new home from being used for showing or breeding and will retain all papers, such as pedigrees and registrations, new owners must sign an undertaking in this regard. Also, we ask that no information about hounds re-homed through the Trust be posted on Facebook or any other social media. This is to protect the identity of the hound which may have come from a difficult background situation.
The IWRT is always grateful to hear from those willing to offer homes and help. Obviously hounds needing rehoming cannot be supplied to order and searching enquiries must be made to ensure that the new home is suitable.
Furthermore, it is necessary to make quite sure that prospective new owners know what it’s like, to have a new family member weighing anything up to fourteen stone! Wolfhounds need good quality food and plenty of exercise if they are to be kept fit, healthy, and out of mischief. If you adopt a hound through the IWRT you will be expected to pet insurance in force for 3rd party and veterinary fees – policies that offer lifetime cover, should be preferred, and clearly agree to keep him or her under control.
Following the completion of the Questionnaire, we will be in touch to confirm your interest. All prospective homes will have a visit by an experienced Wolfhound owner who will often bring an adult dog along to show the potential owner what it is like to live with such a big hound.
If you are lucky enough to be offered a companion Irish Wolfhound by the Rescue Trust, you will be asked to sign a contract agreeing to the terms of the IWRT and please send your donation via the PayPal account on the website. On no account should any payment be made to the person from whom you collect your hound.
If you would like to discuss taking on a rescue hound before applying please contact the Secretary, Don Reeves on 07388 870886 or email secretaryIWRT@gmail.com.
Please go to Section 2 below and complete the application form below and then submit.
