Forever Hounds Trust

What Forever Hounds Trust does

Forever Hounds Trust is a UK-registered non-profit animal welfare charity founded in 1996 and headquartered in Chard, Somerset. It specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of greyhounds and lurchers, operating from sites in Somerset, Devon, Dorset, and Gloucestershire with a paid staff of approximately 12 supplemented by a large volunteer and foster network. Over its 30-year history the charity reports having rehomed more than 10,734 dogs, and its mission is delivered through a combination of direct kennel operations, foster placements, advocacy against greyhound racing, and public education.

The organization's revenue model is a multi-stream charity income base rather than a transactional product: individual donations (including match-funded campaigns such as the Big Give Christmas Challenge, which raised £23,578.75), online retail via its shop, structured sponsorship and "sponsor a dog" programmes, corporate partnerships (notably with Pets Foundation / Pets at Home under the Lifelines programme), and legacy gifts (including a publicized bequest from author Jilly Cooper). It also runs campaigns and policy advocacy, with publicly claimed contributions to the Welsh ban on greyhound racing (2025) and the planned Scottish ban (2026), and is campaigning for a national rescue licensing scheme in the UK.

Operationally, 2024 marked a structural shift: the charity sold its Devon Centre and pivoted to renting kennel space at Margaret Green Animal Rescue, reducing fixed-asset exposure. The organization is governed by a Board chaired by Jan Lake with Caron Lane as CEO, and it is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH). There is no evidence in the input of proprietary technology platforms, AI/ML systems, or third-party model dependencies; the charity's "technology" footprint consists of standard sector tools for donations, e-commerce, CRM, and digital fundraising.

Name

Forever Hounds Trust

Legal name

Forever Hounds Trust

Website

https://foreverhoundstrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forever Hounds Trust is a UK non-profit founded in 1996 that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes greyhounds and lurchers, operating from sites across the South West of England with paid staff, volunteers, and foster carers, funded by donations, retail, and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rescue and Rehoming Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Greyhound rehoming
• Sighthound welfare
• Dog adoption services
• Animal charity fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Chard

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, fundraising events, raffles, and appeals (summer, spring, Easter, Christmas) provide the primary revenue stream. The Big Give Christmas Challenge raised £23,578.75.
2. Online Shop Sales: Sale of merchandise including calendars, cards, and hound-themed products. Free shipping on orders over £60, £4.95 fixed shipping below that.
3. Sponsorship Programs: Sponsor a Dog and Sponsor a Kennel Space programs where supporters make recurring or one-time payments to support specific dogs or kennel infrastructure.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporate supporters including Pets Foundation/Pets at Home for in-store appeals and fundraising.
5. Legacies and Bequests: Legacy donations from supporters who leave funds to the charity in their wills, referred to as 'Your Legacy – Their Future'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Forever Hounds Trust rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes unwanted, abused, or abandoned greyhounds and lurchers, providing veterinary care, behavioral assessment, foster care, and post-homing behavioral support to adopters. The charity runs an online shop selling calendars, cards, and hound-themed merchandise, a Dog Sponsorship Program, a "Become a Friend" recurring membership, and a Greyhound Trainer Intake Request System for trainers seeking to surrender dogs.

Product overview

Forever Hounds Trust operates primarily as an animal rescue charity rather than a technology company. Its core offering is the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of greyhounds and lurchers. Supporting this mission, the organization runs an e-commerce Online Shop selling charity merchandise, a Dog Sponsorship Program for recurring donations, a Become a Friend membership subscription, and publishes newsletters (Newshound and Hound Highlights) to keep supporters informed. The Greyhound Trainer Intake Request System enables trainers to submit rehoming requests. Dogs available for adoption can be viewed on the Dogs page, and supporters can also contribute via an Amazon Wishlist for supplies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dog Rehoming Services Rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming service for unwanted, abused, or abandoned greyhounds and lurchers, including the full adoption pathway: dog profiles on the website, adopter application, home check, meet-and-greet at kennels, foster or kennel placement, and post-homing behavioral support. Open to families and individuals in the UK seeking to adopt sighthounds.
• Forever Hounds Trust Online Shop Online retail store selling charity merchandise including calendars, greetings cards, and other hound-themed products. Supports multiple payment methods including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Free shipping on orders over £60, £4.95 fixed shipping below £60.
• Dog Sponsorship Program Programs allowing supporters to sponsor individual dogs or kennel spaces, providing recurring or one-time financial support for dogs in the charity's care.
• Become a Friend Subscription Recurring monthly membership program allowing supporters to make regular contributions and receive updates on the charity's work.
• Greyhound Trainer Intake Request System Online form-based service allowing greyhound trainers to submit requests for the charity to consider intaking individual dogs for rehoming (one form per greyhound). For trainers needing to rehome retired, injured, or surplus dogs while ensuring dogs go to vetted homes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,734 dogs successfully rehomed over 30 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wunderdog MagazineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2025CEO Caron Lane featured in Wunderdog magazine interview discussing greyhound racing bans in Wales and Scotland and the charity's shifted position.
• Pets Foundation and Pets at HomecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2025Annual partnership through Pets Foundation appeals at partnered Pets at Home stores in Tiverton and Weymouth. Volunteers staff stalls and accept donations, with 50% of in-store donations going to Forever Hounds Trust. Received £1,319.33 from Easter 2025 appeal. Also received £2,000 in charity Lifelines for supplies.
• Margaret Green Animal RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025After selling their Devon Centre, Forever Hounds Trust rents eight kennel spaces at Margaret Green Animal Rescue facilities located between Dorchester and Blandford. This partnership enables continued rescue operations.
• Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of ADCH, actively participating in lobbying governments in UK and Ireland for mandatory licensing of rescues. Has been lobbying for eight years; only Scotland has enacted licensing so far.
• Charlie Watts and Shirley WattsminorOthersShirley Watts is a Patron and long-time supporter, having adopted multiple greyhounds. Charlie Watts adopted Suzie, a rescued greyhound.
• Dame Jilly Cooper DBEminorOthersJilly Cooper was a passionate advocate for greyhounds and Honorary Friend of Forever Hounds Trust.
• AmazonminorOthersAmazon Wishlist allows supporters to purchase items directly for dogs in care.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Greyhound Trust: UK charity dedicated to finding homes for ex-racing greyhounds. The closest direct peer operating in the same sighthound rescue and rehoming niche, with overlapping trainer intake relationships.
• All Dogs Matter: UK charity rescuing and rehoming dogs, including sighthounds. Comparable as a non-profit dog rescue and rehoming operator with similar donation- and volunteer-led operations.
• Margaret Green Animal Rescue: UK animal rescue charity with sites in Dorset and Devon. Acts as both a direct rescue peer and an operational partner (renting kennel space to Forever Hounds Trust after the Devon Centre sale).

Regional players

• Retired Greyhound Trust (Ireland): Irish charity dedicated to rehoming retired greyhounds. Closely comparable in mission and breed focus, but operates primarily in Ireland rather than the UK mainland.

Broad incumbents

• Dogs Trust: The UK's largest dog welfare charity, operating a national rehoming network. Directly comparable as a dog rescue and rehoming charity, though broader in breed scope and significantly larger in scale.
• The Mayhew: London-based animal welfare charity operating rescue, rehoming, and community programmes. Comparable as a non-profit animal rescue and rehoming operator with similar community engagement models.
• Wood Green Animal Shelter: UK animal rescue charity rehoming dogs and cats. Comparable as a non-profit rehoming and rescue operation, with a similar donation- and shop-led revenue model.
• Battersea Dogs & Cats Home: Major UK animal rescue charity with multiple rehoming centres. Comparable as a non-profit rescue and rehoming operator, although broader in species and significantly larger in scale and donor base.
• Blue Cross: UK pet charity that rehomes dogs and provides veterinary and behavioural services. Comparable as a non-profit rehoming charity with post-adoption support models similar to Forever Hounds Trust's behavioural hotline.
• RSPCA: The UK's largest animal welfare charity, with nationwide rescue and rehoming operations. Comparable as a non-profit animal rescue and rehoming organisation, but much larger and broader in species coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForeverHoundsUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ForeverHoundsTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForeverHoundsTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foreverhoundstrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/foreverhoundstrust
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/foreverhoundsuk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forever Hounds Trust