We recommend that you contact

PLEASE CHECK OUT WHIPPET RESCUE
THE LIFE YOU SAVE WILL CHANGE YOUR OWN

Dianna Johnson is a Whippet breeder and the South Central Texas WRAP representative.  She will know not only what rescues may be available but also what breeder litters may be looking for homes.  Please contact her at

copperstar@satx.rr.com

Nancy Billups is WRAP's South Central U.S. Regional Director as well as a Whippet breeder.  She resides in West Texas and will know not only the rescues available in Texas, but also those throughout the country.  She, too, is a Whippet breeder.  Please contact her at

cloudninewhippet@gmail.com

If you are considering being considered as a prospective IMa puppy's home, please know that I require a written, signed contract, and I will gladly send a standard copy to you on request. Yes, I know some folks say that contracts are only as good as the people who sign them, that they are too expensive to enforce, and ultimately a waste of the paper on which they are printed. To this, I counter argue that a similar philosophy has been proposed about locks -- as in padlocks and deadbolts. Locks only keep the honest people out. That's what they say, and they might even be right. But what kind of fool would I be not to lock up my treasured valuables and my precious belongings simply because dishonest people are likely to break both laws and locks to get to them? What sort of simpleton to leave my dearest possessions and my priceless property utterly unguarded because I cannot protect them inviolably?  
I believe in locks. I have them on my house, my car, my gym locker and even my diary. I believe in contracts, too, because my puppies are my treasured valuables and my precious belongings; they are my dearest possessions and my priceless property. I will go gladly to the trouble of this extra security measure, this contract, in an effort to protect them; I will spend the money to enforce and reinforce the security measures that I put in place, and I'll make waste of as much tree pulp as I need to guard my puppies as best I can. I'm striving to be responsible, not pompous. I'm seeking to be honest, not intimidating. I'm hoping to accomplish the right thing for you, the puppy and me.

If Not YOU - Then Who?

It really does matter from whom you purchase or adopt your Whippet. When you are looking into the sweet little faces of available puppies, it may not seem so important whether you write the check to Mr. Whippet Breeder A or to Ms. Whippet Breeder B. After all, once the pup is yours - what will the breeder matter?

The answer is ALOT. Health problems, temperament problems and genetic problems generally don't appear in young puppies just old enough to leave their mothers and go into new homes. These "realities" often appear AFTER the sale when less-than-responsible breeders can refuse a return, a refund or just a lending hand.

Many opinions persist about what makes a "good, responsible breeder." My opinion goes something like this: A good, responsible breeder is one who performs temperament and health testing on the sire and dam and does not breed dogs with personality or genetic issues whether these be issues of aggression, separation anxiety or seizures and heart murmurs. In addition, a good, responsible breeder has a purpose other than making money when he or she breeds a litter. In my own case, I do not breed unless I am looking to keep a puppy/puppies from the resulting litter, and in such a case, I attempt to improve the key characteristics of the breed's standards in the individual animals.

Also, a good, responsible breeder will understand that the puppies he or she breeds are his or her responsibility for the entire life of the puppy, not just the first eight weeks. He or she will screen carefully potential families, potential home life, and evaluate whether the temperament and needs of a given puppy fit the temperament and needs of the potential buyer. If they don't match well, the sale will be declined. And on a last note here, a responsible breeder is always willing to accept a puppy back if the buyer/owner can't/won't keep it, and they will always serve as a mentor to the buyer/owner.

So, when you get ready to take home your new Whippet puppy, consider these points, and consider whether you are taking home just the puppy or whether you are taking home the puppy and a life-long support contact.  These days, we want tech support when we buy a PC or a TV or a dishwasher, don't you want at least the same when you take responsibility for a living being?

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