Synopsis of the Ordinary Meeting of the Whippet Breed Council

Held via Google Meet on Monday, 27th October 2025

All ten member clubs were represented, along with the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Breed Health Coordinator, and Website & Media Coordinator

The meeting opened with a moment of silence in memory of:

Carol Neale (Stormalong)

Pat Dufty (Triken)

Rachel Flatt (Puddledock)

Dorothy Meakin (Oakbark)

Chairperson’s Report – Summary

End of Show and Lure Coursing Season

Whippet entries have remained high with huge amounts of success beyond breed judging. The Lure Coursing season has also now ended, with the crossover between show and lure coursing becoming increasingly evident. Show-bred Whippets have had much success – a true representation of fit for function.

Education

The last A3-style assessment was held at MWC. An online BAD is nearly fully booked in December, a Breed History talk is planned in January, and a further Open Evening in a Q&A-style event is planned for February.

Website & Media

Many articles have been added to the website, and the livestreams are being archived on the YouTube channel. This has been made possible by Fiona Finch and her dedication to her new role.

Breed Council would still like to encourage anyone with an interesting story or useful information relating to Whippets to contribute to the website.

JR Whippet Rescue Volunteer Thanks

Thanks were given to everyone in the show and lure coursing community who have stepped up to volunteer their time to help with JR Whippet Rescue. These volunteers are completing home checks, facilitating transportation, and overseeing meet-and-greets weekly. It is heart-warming to see and very much appreciated.

Treasurer’s Report

Accounts were circulated to member clubs.

The Health Fund has grown considerably, and Jo Whitehead, the BHC, expressed her thanks once again for everyone’s support.

Breed Health, Education, Media & Website Reports

Updates were provided by the Breed Health Coordinator, Breed Education Coordinator, and Media & Website Coordinator. Full reports will be made available on the Whippet Breed Council Facebook page.

Harsh Handling

A Breed Club requested that this item be placed on the agenda.

There have been several reports of harsh handling over the year, and it was felt this was a good opportunity to highlight that the welfare of the dogs, both in and out of the ring, is of the highest priority. Although Breed Council has no authority to impose sanctions, we can promote the message that we want dogs to be happy at shows and support those wishing to report concerns.

It is important that if you, as an exhibitor or spectator, see something you are uncomfortable with, you feel able to point it out without fear of backlash. A quiet word to the person concerned or enlisting the help of someone close to that person is something that could be considered. Formal reporting can be to the Show Secretary on the day, or by the end of the final day of a General Championship Show. Email can also be used, cc The RKC or you can report to The RKC directly.

JR Whippet Rescue

A report was presented detailing some of the more worrying cases that have occurred since the last meeting, along with numbers of dogs surrendered and homed, and statistics as to why dogs are being surrendered.

Some of the reasons include littermate syndrome (siblings or dogs of similar ages), elderly people taking on puppies and not being able to cope, ill health of owners, relationship breakdowns, homelessness and financial reasons, dogs with severe separation anxiety and reactivity, and no arrangements being in place in the event of an owner dying.