The short answer
You can readily adopt a Whippet in Perth, though purebreds come through rescue in waves rather than constantly. Set alerts across Dogs' Refuge Home WA at Shenton Park, RSPCA WA at Malaga, the foster-based SAFE Perth and SAFE, and PetRescue, be application-ready, and stay open to a Whippet cross or an older dog. Adoption runs about $600 for an adult, all-inclusive, against several thousand dollars from a breeder, and the breed is not restricted in WA. The honest part is the prey drive: a Whippet needs secure fencing and a safe enclosed space to run, and is not a reliable off-lead dog near roads or wildlife. Meet that and you have a calm, devoted, low-fuss companion.
Why Whippets end up in Perth rescue
Understanding why a Whippet lands in rescue tells you most of what you need to know about living with one.
The prey drive catches people out. Indoors a Whippet is a quiet, affectionate couch dog, which lulls owners into thinking it is effortless. Outdoors it is a sighthound built to chase at speed, and a Whippet that spots a cat, a rabbit or a rat can be gone before you react. Owners who could not provide secure fencing or a safe place to run, or whose dog kept escaping, sometimes give up.
Life changes and ex-racing homes. Plenty of Whippets reach rescue through no fault of their own after a house move, a relationship breakdown or a change in work hours, and some come from racing or lure-coursing backgrounds needing a quieter pet life. Crosses appear too, often blended with other sighthound or terrier types, and carry similar needs.
What this means for you. A Whippet in rescue is rarely a problem dog. It is usually a gentle sighthound whose last home was not set up for the prey drive. If you can offer secure fencing, a safe run and a warm spot on the couch, you are looking at a wonderful adoption.
Where to adopt a Whippet or Whippet cross in Perth
Because Whippets are uncommon in general rescue, a wide alert net is the right approach. Set listing alerts on every rescue you would consider, and add sighthound and greyhound networks. For a fuller directory, see our Perth adoption resources hub.
1. Dogs' Refuge Home WA
A dogs-only, not-for-profit shelter at Shenton Park in inner Perth, running since 1935 and one of Australia's oldest animal welfare agencies. It houses up to around 150 dogs at a time under a pro-life policy, and sighthounds and crosses appear from time to time. Adoption includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping and a vet check. Browse the current dogs at dogshome.org.au.
2. RSPCA Western Australia
The state welfare body, running since 1892, with its Animal Care Centre at 108 Malaga Drive in Malaga, northern Perth. Adoptions run by appointment, and every animal is health- and behaviour-checked before it is listed, which gives you an honest read on how a dog is with people and other animals before you commit. Apply at rspcawa.org.au.
3. SAFE Perth and SAFE
Both run a foster-care model rather than a central metro shelter, so a Whippet or Whippet cross lives in a home while it waits. Because the dog lives in foster, the notes on its energy, recall, prey drive and behaviour with cats and other dogs tend to be detailed and honest, which is exactly what you need for a sighthound. SAFE Perth lists at safeperth.com.au and SAFE at safe.org.au. Confirm which organisation holds a given dog rather than assuming they are the same office.
4. PetRescue
A national aggregator that lists Whippets and Whippet crosses from many smaller WA rescue groups in one searchable place, at petrescue.com.au. It is the fastest way to scan many WA rescues at once rather than checking each site in turn.
Be wary of any group that asks for money before you have confirmed a real address, a current adoptable-dog list and registered status. Browse the current Whippets and Whippet crosses on the Perth Whippet listings.
What a Whippet costs: adopt versus buy
Adoption is far cheaper at the outset. A rescue fee for an adult Whippet or Whippet cross through a Perth rescue commonly runs about $600, and the rare puppy usually more, and that fee already covers desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A Whippet from a breeder in WA, by contrast, often runs to several thousand dollars, with none of that vet work done yet.
Council registration is a separate legal step, set by your local council rather than a single Perth figure. Under the Dog Act 1976, a dog must be microchipped by 3 months and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months. A desexed and microchipped Whippet pays a substantially reduced registration fee, and pensioner or concession card holders commonly get a further discount. Check the WA Government dog ownership hub and your own council for the current amount.
Ongoing costs are modest for a lean, short-coated dog, but a Whippet feels the cold and the heat, so a warm coat for cool Perth mornings and shade and water through summer are worth budgeting for, along with routine parasite prevention and pet insurance taken out while the dog is young. So adopting is many times cheaper up front, the dog arrives already vetted, and if you adopt an assessed adult you can see the temperament rather than gamble on a puppy.
Whippets and Western Australian law
The Whippet is not a restricted breed in Western Australia. Under the Dog Act 1976, only five breeds are restricted: the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. A Whippet is legal to own and to rehome normally. It simply needs to be microchipped by 3 months of age and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a substantially reduced fee for a desexed and microchipped dog. The dangerous-dog framework under the Dog Act applies to any breed based on behaviour, which is a reason to keep a sighthound securely contained and under control around wildlife, not a breed-specific concern.
Browse adoptable Whippets in Perth
Whippets come through WA rescue in waves, so crosses and older dogs appear more often than puppies. Browse live WA listings and set an alert so you hear the moment one comes in.
See Available Whippets →If you have been searching “Whippet for sale Perth”
Plenty of people arrive here after searching for a Whippet to buy, because the for-sale listings outnumber the rescue ones. Reputable breeders exist, but before you spend anything, know that the online market for popular purebred puppies is one of the more scam-prone corners of the pet world in Australia. A cheap puppy, or a deposit request for a dog you have not met in person, is a warning sign rather than a bargain, and Scamwatch has documented deposit scams for puppies that do not exist.
A seller who will not show you both healthy parents at their property is a red flag rather than a mark of quality. WA does not run a Pet Exchange Register or a breeder supply-number scheme, so there is no source number to look up here. The practical safeguard is the microchip: a dog sold or given away legally in WA must be microchipped and registered, so ask to see the microchip paperwork before you pay anything. Adoption sidesteps much of that: it costs a fraction of a breeder price, gives a vet-checked dog a home, and an assessed adult Whippet asks far less guesswork about temperament than a puppy. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase has good general guidance on choosing a dog.
Adult or puppy, and how to choose
For almost every adopter an assessed adult is the more sensible choice, and Whippet puppies are rare in rescue anyway. An adult has a known temperament the rescue can describe, an established size you can see, often some lead manners in place, and a lower adoption fee. The rescue has evaluated it, so they can tell you how the dog is with children, cats, other dogs and being left alone, and you take on the actual dog rather than a set of hopes.
When you choose, read the foster carer's notes closely. They will tell you how a specific dog does with cats and small pets, how strong the prey drive is, and whether the dog can be trusted to recall, and that record predicts the fit far better than the breed average. Ask about fencing needs and whether the dog has a safe place to run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I adopt a Whippet near me in Perth?
Start with the main Perth shelters and rescues: Dogs' Refuge Home WA at Shenton Park, RSPCA WA at Malaga, and the foster-based SAFE Perth and SAFE. Whippets and Whippet crosses, often blended with other sighthound or terrier types, come through from time to time rather than constantly, so set listing alerts across every rescue you would consider, have your application ready, and stay open to a cross or an older dog. PetRescue lists dogs from many smaller WA rescues in one place. Sighthound and greyhound-focused rescues sometimes take Whippets too, so add them to your alert net. Never send money before you have confirmed a real, registered rescue.
Why do Whippets end up in rescue?
Usually because the prey drive caught the owner out. A Whippet is calm and affectionate indoors, which lulls people into thinking it is an easy low-energy dog, but it is a sighthound built to chase, and a Whippet that bolts after a cat, a rabbit or a rat is fast and single-minded. Owners who could not provide secure fencing or safe exercise, or whose Whippet kept escaping or could not be let off lead, sometimes surrender. Others reach rescue through a house move or a relationship breakdown, or from ex-racing or lure-coursing homes. The temperament is nearly always lovely. Most just needed a home set up for a sighthound.
How much does it cost to adopt a Whippet versus buy one?
Adoption is far cheaper up front. A rescue fee for an adult Whippet or Whippet cross through a Perth rescue commonly runs about $600, and the rare puppy usually more, and that fee already includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A Whippet from a breeder in WA, by contrast, often runs to several thousand dollars with none of that vet work done yet. So adopting is many times cheaper at the outset and the dog arrives already vetted. Ongoing costs are modest for a lean, short-coated dog, but budget for a warm coat for cool mornings, routine parasite prevention, and pet insurance taken out while the dog is young.
Are Whippets restricted in Western Australia?
No. The Whippet is not a restricted breed in WA. The five restricted breeds under the Dog Act 1976 are the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. A Whippet is legal to own and to rehome normally. Like any WA dog it needs to be microchipped by 3 months of age and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a substantially reduced registration fee for a desexed and microchipped dog.
Do Whippets need a lot of exercise?
Less than their racy look suggests, but with a twist. A Whippet is famously a sprinter, not a marathoner: it wants a good daily walk and a chance to run flat out in a safe, enclosed space, and then it is happy to curl up and sleep for most of the day. The twist is the running. Because of the prey drive and the speed, a Whippet is not a reliable off-lead dog in open parks or anywhere near roads or wildlife, so the safe run usually means a securely fenced area. Meet the short burst of real exercise and it is one of the calmest, most undemanding housemates there is.
Are Whippets good family dogs?
Yes, for the right household they are gentle, affectionate and quiet family dogs that bond closely and rarely bark. They are usually good with children and often fine with other dogs, especially other sighthounds. The main cautions are the thin skin and fine build, which means supervision around very young or boisterous children so the dog is not accidentally hurt, and the prey drive, which means careful introductions to cats and small pets and a securely contained yard. As always, a foster carer's notes on a specific dog with kids and other animals predict the fit far better than the breed average, so ask.
Should I adopt an adult Whippet or a puppy?
For most adopters an adult is the better choice, and Whippet puppies are uncommon in rescue anyway. An adult shows you its real temperament, how it is with children, cats and other dogs, and how settled it is indoors, where a puppy is a gamble. An adult also often has some lead manners in place and a lower adoption fee. A vet-checked, foster-assessed adult Whippet matched to a home with safe fencing is the easy, sensible way into the breed.
Is it safe to buy a Whippet online?
Be careful. The online market for popular purebred puppies in Australia is one of the more scam-prone corners of the pet world, and a cheap puppy or a deposit request for a dog you have not met in person is a warning sign rather than a bargain. Scamwatch has documented deposit scams for puppies that do not exist. WA has no breeder source-number register to look up, so the practical safeguard is the microchip: a dog sold or given away legally in WA must be microchipped and registered, so ask to see the microchip paperwork before you pay anything. Adoption sidesteps most of that risk.
Keep reading
Adoptable Whippets in Perth
Live listings of Whippets and Whippet crosses across Perth and WA rescues.
Best Dog Rescues in Perth
The verified WA shelters and foster rescues to set alerts with across Perth.
Registering a Dog in Perth
Council registration, microchipping and the WA rules under the Dog Act 1976.
All Dogs for Adoption in Perth
Every adoptable dog we track across Perth and WA shelters and rescues, updated regularly.