The centre will accommodate about 20 greyhounds

The Hollin Hall Greyhound Centre, near Crook, is the first of its kind in the north-east of England.

The centre, which is part-funded by greyhound stadiums in Newcastle and Sunderland, aims to retrain dogs for a new life as a family pet.

About 20 dogs at a time from Newcastle's Brough Park and Sunderland Stadium will be housed at the centre, which officially opens on Wednesday.

The two stadia and bookmaker William Hill are footing the bill for the centre, which was being opened by Lord David Lipsey, the chairman of the British Greyhound Racing Board.

Greyhounds have a short racing life from 18 months to three years and are not obvious household pets.

'Not demanding'

But Hylton Marrs, sales manager at Brough Park stadium said: "They make wonderful pets.

"Because they are sprinters they do not have a lot of stamina and only need 20 to 30 minutes exercise a day.

"The transition from racing dog to pet is wonderful. They are not demanding and fit in well with home life."

An estimated 9,000 greyhounds are retired every year, with some injured and others not fit enough to race regularly.

Most stay with their owners, but others are put down.

Mr Marrs said a living room and kitchen area had been recreated at the centre in an effort to acclimatise the animals to domestic life.

He added: "The numbers of greyhounds that need homes is increasing every year.

"We are confident that this centre will be a big success."