Helping Sighthounds Worldwide

Fast Friend is a racing-neutral non-profit whose mission is to find good, loving homes for retired racing Greyhounds from the US and sighthounds in need from around the world.  We believe that every dog deserves a warm bed, good food, and loving home, no matter where in the world they are.

Fast Friends has over thirty years of experience adopting Greyhounds and related breeds (“sighthounds”). Our facility was built with their needs in mind and our staff is specially trained in working with these exceptional dogs.

With your support, dogs from across the country and around the world come to Fast Friends to begin their new lives. Together, we can help even more dogs have the bright futures they deserve!

Retired Racing Greyhounds in the US

Finding loving, forever homes for retired racing Greyhounds from US tracks has always been at the heart of the Fast Friends mission. Over the years, well over one thousand Greyhounds have come here, receiving medical care when needed, and gone on to their new lives. The local Hinsdale track closed years ago, but Fast Friends has welcomed Greyhounds from Florida, Alabama, Kansas, and West Virginia. Fast Friends is committed to finding homes for retired racers for as long as tracks are operating in the US.

Retired Racers around the world

Around the world, Greyhounds continue to race. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, more racers retire than can find local homes. Many languish in the shelters, and others wait months for a space. Fast Friends has successfully partnered with several groups in Ireland and the United Kingdom to transport these Greyhounds to the US where families are eager to adopt them.

Sighthounds in Need

Fast Friends also works with partners around the world to save Greyhounds and other sighthounds from truly desperate situations Although the challenges are greater, Fast Friends will never leave a suffering dog behind. Most of the dogs being saved are abandoned hunting dogs in Spain and Portugal. Before regulation changed, Fast Friends also worked with street dogs in the Middle East and dogs destined for a horrible death in the meat market in China. As soon as we can, we will resume those efforts, as well.

In Spain, thousands of unwanted hunting dogs, mainly Galgos and Podencos, are abandoned or killed at the end of the season. Overbred, underfed, and unloved, these dogs flood the countryside and face a harsh life on the streets or a brutal death unless they are fortunate enough to be rescued. Almost none of these abandoned dogs are spayed or neutered, compounding the problem with large numbers of vulnerable puppies.

Portuguese Podengos face much the same fate as their counterparts in Spain. Used for hunting and not commonly considered to be pets, these sensitive dogs are often kept outdoors and have little positive human interaction. When no longer wanted, they are frequently dumped in the countryside, where the lucky ones are found by rescuers.

Your support of Fast Friends saves not only the dog that comes here, but the one that takes its place in the local shelter. Working together, we will continue to welcome retired racing Greyhounds and rescued dogs from around the world, finding them all the loving homes they so deserve.

So many dogs are still in need. With your support, we can save them together.

Please make your gift using the form below, or

– through PayPal
– through Venmo (@fastfriends in the app)
– by calling 603-355-1556 with your credit card
– by sending a check or money order to: Fast Friends, PO Box 10093, Swanzey, NH 03446

Fast Friends is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit. Tax ID# 02-0460134