Jeff Chapman with adopted dog William, who was blinded by abuse

There are 33 licenced greyhound tracks operated under National Greyhound Racing Club Rules, and each year 10,000 dogs retire or leave the sport.

A rescue centre at Gayton in Northamptonshire is expecting nine more homeless dogs in the next week, a challenge it said has been made worse by an influx of retired dogs from Italy and Spain.

Staff at the centre told BBC Look East 300 homeless greyhounds will be showcased at Towcester racecourse at the end of the month.

Foster care

Jeff Chapman, who adopted William, a greyhound whose retinas were detached when he was thrown from a truck, said:"I know one or two greyhound trainers, and the ones I know have the greyhounds' highest welfare in mind.

"But there are one or two bad apples wherever you go, and they give the whole industry a bad name."

Gary Honeywood of Dunrunnin Greyhounds near Dunmow, Essex adopts dogs from the Retired Greyhound Trust and fosters them until homes can be found.

JJ is one of the dogs being housed at Dunrunnin in Essex

He said the dogs being offered range in age from seven-year-old former track stars to 18-month-olds who did not make the grade.

"Some don't want to chase, and if they can't chase they're not going to make a racing dog", he said.

Mr Honeywood told BBC News Online people have many misconceptions about greyhounds - that they will run after everything in sight and need a lot of exercise.

He said: "Some will chase a cat, but we just rehomed a greyhound with four cats and a rabbit, and it lives very happily with them.

"As for my dog, I try not to go anywhere where there are squirrels!"

Of the thousands of dogs leaving the sport each year, Mr Honeywood said about 2,000 find homes through 22 rescue centres.

The others, which are sometimes injured or just past their prime, are either destroyed or re-housed by their owners.