Rescue guide
Dog rescue in Aberdeen: Mrs Murray's Home and how to adopt
If you searched for Mrs Murray's, dog rescue or dog rehoming in Aberdeen, they lead to the same place. Every local dog on our Aberdeen pages comes from Mrs Murray's Home for Stray Dogs & Cats at East Seaton, the city's own home for strays since 1889. This guide explains how it works, what it charges and how to give yourself the best chance, plus another dog rehoming centre nearby.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 10 November 2026
The short answer
For a rescue dog in Aberdeen, start with Mrs Murray's Home for Stray Dogs & Cats at East Seaton: apply online from a dog's profile while its applications are open, and expect a video interview before you meet the dog. An adult dog costs £250 to £400. The Scottish SPCA's Aberdeenshire centre at Drumoak also rehomes dogs, on its own website.
- Rescue adoption fees
- Each rescue sets its own adoption fee, and Dogs Trust charges £300 for a puppy or adult dog in England, Wales and Scotland. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
- Mrs Murray's
- £250 to £400 for an adult dog, with its own bands for puppies, dogs over 10 and pairs; a microchip, worming, flea treatment, 5 weeks of Agria insurance and neutering or a neutering voucher included.
- Scottish SPCA, Drumoak
- See its own site; we did not read its fees for this guide.
- Buying instead
- Blue Cross puts a bought puppy at £400 to £3,000.
- Keeping a dog for life
- PDSA reckons at least £6,200 to £18,800 over a dog's lifetime, depending on its size.
The dog rescues around Aberdeen at a glance
We list only the first; the Scottish SPCA keeps its animals on its own website.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs | How you adopt | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Murray's | Brickfield, East Seaton, Aberdeen | The city's unclaimed strays and dogs handed in by owners | Online form from the profile, video interview and home check, then a meet and greet | £250 to £400 |
| Scottish SPCA | Aberdeenshire centre at Drumoak, near Banchory | All domestic animals | Through its own website | See its site |
Mrs Murray's Home for Stray Dogs & Cats, East Seaton
Mrs Susan Murray opened the home in 1889 on land just off King Street, and it moved to Brickfield, East Seaton, in 1935. It still does the job it started with: Aberdeen City Council's dog wardens bring it the strays they collect, it holds each one for 7 days, and any dog nobody claims becomes available for rehoming. It also takes in dogs whose owners can no longer keep them, and it is now raising money to replace its dog block with 21 modern kennels.
That mix shows in its gallery. On 10 November 2026 it had 12 dogs, six of them lurchers or lurcher crosses, most of those about a year old and found as strays. Alongside them were Diva, a 7 year old Dachshund whose owner had died, Harley, a Rottweiler and Collie cross given up when a new baby proved allergic, and Beans, a pocket bulldog type abandoned in the home's car park one evening.
- Applications open and close. Each profile ends by saying whether applications are open; the home asks that you don't request a form for a dog you saw earlier, and it doesn't take walk ins.
- The order: online form, then a video interview and home check if you look like a match, then a meet and greet with everyone in your household.
- First come, first served. The dog goes to the first applicant who can meet all its needs, and the rehoming team's decision is final.
- Who can adopt: over 18, or 21 for bull and some other breeds, a householder with photo ID and, if you rent, the landlord's permission.
Scottish SPCA Aberdeenshire centre, Drumoak
The Scottish SPCA opened its Aberdeenshire rescue and rehoming centre at Drumoak, near Banchory, in August 2011, and says it cares for all domestic animals. It is a separate charity from Mrs Murray's, and we don't list its animals, so its dogs are on its own website only.
Which dog at Mrs Murray's suits you?
Read every line of the profile before applying; the home asks you to be sure you can meet all of a dog's needs. A few pointers from the profiles:
- You want a lurcher: they are the most common dog here. Many came in as strays with patchy recall, and Scout's profile, for one, asks for a fully secure garden with 6ft fencing. Today's are on our lurcher page.
- You have young children: each profile has a children line, and some say plainly that the dog is not suitable with young children, as Diva's does.
- You have a cat: check the cats line too. When we checked, every lurcher and nearly every other dog was marked as unsuitable with cats.
- You want a puppy: few come through; our rescue puppies guide explains how to be ready.
- You want a calmer, older dog: look at our older dogs page; Mrs Murray's has a lower fee band for dogs over 10.
Getting ready before you apply
Because popular dogs close to applications fast, have the details ready before you see the right one: your home, your garden fencing, who lives with you, your working hours and any other pets. The rehoming page suggests thinking about holidays, vet bills and twice daily walks in all weathers first. An alert on our Aberdeen dogs page tells you when a new dog is listed.
If you call or visit, Mrs Murray's is open on weekdays and on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. Need to find a new home for your own dog instead? See our Aberdeen rehoming page; found a stray outside the city, contact Aberdeenshire Council.
The law in Scotland
Microchipping and change of keeper
In Scotland, as everywhere in the UK, every dog must be microchipped and registered by 8 weeks old. Since 6 April 2016 a dog in Scotland can't pass to a new keeper until it is chipped, and the new keeper must update the database (the Scotland regulations). A rescue chips before rehoming; after adoption, keep the details up to date.
Lucy's Law: buying a puppy
In Scotland, Lucy's Law has banned the third-party sale of puppies under six months since 1 September 2021.
Banned dog types
In Scotland, it is against the law to sell, abandon, give away or breed from a banned type: the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. Whether a dog is banned depends on what it looks like rather than its breed or name, so no rescue can rehome one and none appear on LocalPetFinder. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not a banned type.
XL Bully dogs
In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully or let it stray, and since 1 August 2024 an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. The Scottish rules also say it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully".
Rehoming licences
In Scotland, since 1 September 2021, anyone sourcing five or more animals in any 12-month period to rehome as pets needs a licence (Scottish Government). A licence is a useful sign that a Scottish rescue is what it says it is.
Questions
Tap a question to expand
What is the best dog rescue in Aberdeen?
Mrs Murray's Home for Stray Dogs & Cats at East Seaton is the dog rescue we list in Aberdeen, and every local dog on our pages comes from it. The Scottish SPCA's Aberdeenshire centre at Drumoak rehomes dogs too, on its own website.
Where is Mrs Murray's in Aberdeen?
At Brickfield, East Seaton, Aberdeen AB24 1XL, where it has been since 1935. It is closed to walk ins, so apply online for a dog before you visit.
How much does Mrs Murray's charge to adopt a dog?
£250 to £400 for an adult dog, with separate bands for puppies, dogs over 10 and pairs. The fee includes a microchip, worming, flea treatment, 5 weeks of insurance and neutering or a neutering voucher.
How do I adopt a dog from Mrs Murray's?
Apply online from the dog’s profile while it says applications are open. If you look like a match, the team holds a video interview and home check, then invites your household to meet the dog.
Is there a dog pound in Aberdeen?
Aberdeen's strays go to Mrs Murray's: the city council's dog wardens take the dogs they collect there, and it keeps them for 7 days. Any dog nobody claims becomes available for rehoming.
Can I get a free dog from a rescue in Aberdeen?
No. Mrs Murray's charges an adoption fee, which pays for the chip, flea and worm treatment and neutering. Be wary of free dogs advertised online: nobody has checked them, so meet the dog and ask whose name its microchip is registered in.
Can I rehome my dog through Mrs Murray's?
Yes. It accepts animals from owners who can no longer keep them; phone first to talk it through. Our Aberdeen rehoming page has the other options.
Why is there only one rescue listed in Aberdeen?
Mrs Murray's is the rescue near Aberdeen whose dogs we show at present. The Scottish SPCA keeps its animals on its own site, and new dogs appear on our page as soon as Mrs Murray's lists them.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Aberdeen? Get your animals listed free.
Every animal links back to your own adoption page, and you can ask to be removed at any time.
Sources: Mrs Murray's: home (East Seaton, charity, licence) · Mrs Murray's: rehome gallery (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: about rehoming (process, policy, fees) · Mrs Murray's: rehoming conditions (who can adopt) · Mrs Murray's: stray animals (7 days) · Mrs Murray's: contact (opening hours) · Mrs Murray's: history (1889, King Street) · Mrs Murray's: the big build (East Seaton since 1935, new dog block) · Mrs Murray's: Diva, a Dachshund (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: Harley, a Rottweiler and Collie cross (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: Beans, a pocket bulldog type (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: Scout, a lurcher (dated snapshot) · Scottish SPCA: Aberdeenshire centre, Drumoak · Aberdeen City Council: report a lost, found or stray dog · Aberdeenshire Council: stray and lost dogs · Blue Cross: getting a puppy · PDSA: the cost of owning a dog · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · Scottish Government: further protection for animals · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 · Scottish Government: XL Bully dog rules