Adoption guide

Rescue puppies and young dogs in Aberdeen

Thousands of searches a month ask for puppies or dogs for sale in Aberdeen and the shire. Rescue pups are a small part of the answer: the dogs we list here all come from Mrs Murray's Home at East Seaton, and very young ones are rare. Here is what was waiting in November, how to be first in line for the next litter, and how to buy safely in Scotland if you go to a breeder.

By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 10 November 2026

The short answer

Rescue puppies are scarce in Aberdeen: on 10 November 2026 Mrs Murray's Home had no dog under 6 months, and its youngest was Patsy, a lurcher cross of about 6 months. Several dogs of around a year were waiting too. Breeders' pups run from £400 to £3,000 by Blue Cross's reckoning, and in Scotland Lucy's Law means a pup under six months must be bought from the breeder itself, never a dealer or pet shop.

Rescue adoption fees
Rescue fees for puppies are set by each rescue, 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; puppies under 12 months have their own band on the same list.
A pup from a breeder
Somewhere from £400 to £3,000, according to Blue Cross.
A lifetime of care
PDSA works it out at no less than £6,200 for a small dog and £18,800 or more for a big one.

5 puppies listed in and around Aberdeen today →

The young dogs at Mrs Murray's on 10 November

Any pup from Mrs Murray's appears on our Aberdeen puppies page as soon as the home lists it. On the day we checked, these were the youngest:

  • [Patsy](https://mrsmurrays.co.uk/rehome/patsy), about 6 months, lurcher cross. A stray nobody claimed. Her profile is frank: no recall, a high flight risk who can scale most fences, and not one for a home with cats.
  • [Noodle](https://mrsmurrays.co.uk/rehome/noodle-2), about 10 months, lurcher. Also a stray, and already reserved, which is how quickly young dogs go.
  • [Kruger](https://mrsmurrays.co.uk/rehome/kruger), about a year, Staffie cross. Suits a home with older children, after careful introductions.
  • [Crumpet](https://mrsmurrays.co.uk/rehome/crumpet), about a year, Border Collie. Very active, with some separation anxiety the home says still needs work, and no recall yet.

Why a dog of about a year may suit you better

Most young dogs at Mrs Murray's are strays, so their history is unknown, and the home's conditions say it cannot guarantee their health or temperament. A dog of a year or so has grown into its adult size, and its profile already describes how it walks on a lead, travels and copes with other dogs. That is far more than a breeder can tell you about an eight week old pup. For the whole picture, see our Aberdeen dog rescue guide.

Being first in line for the next pup

Mrs Murray's places each dog with the first suitable applicant, and it won't hand out a form for a dog you saw on its site earlier. So set an alert on our puppies page, check the home's gallery often, and have your answers ready about your home, garden and working day so you can apply the day a young dog's applications open. The home is raising money for a new dog block that includes a maternity unit.

Searched "puppies for sale" in Aberdeen?

If you buy rather than adopt, these checks protect you and the pup:

  • Skip the middleman. Scotland ended third party sales of pups under six months on 1 September 2021; the Scottish Government's announcement points buyers to licensed breeders and licensed rehoming centres only.
  • Insist on the mum. Visit the litter at the breeder's home; Blue Cross tells buyers to see the pup with its mother.
  • Keep your money until you've cuddled the pup. A seller who wants cash up front for a dog you haven't met is a red flag; tell Police Scotland.
  • Budget for the years ahead. The purchase is the small part: PDSA's sums start at £6,200 across a dog's life.

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

Are there rescue puppies in Aberdeen?

Rarely. On 10 November 2026 Mrs Murray's Home had no dog under 6 months; the youngest was a lurcher cross of about 6 months. Set an alert on our Aberdeen puppies page to hear when a pup is listed.

Can I buy a puppy from a rescue in Aberdeen?

No. Rescues don't sell puppies; Mrs Murray's charges an adoption fee, which covers a microchip, worming, flea treatment and neutering or a voucher for it.

How much is a puppy in Aberdeen?

From a breeder, anything from £400 to £3,000 on Blue Cross figures. Adopting from Mrs Murray's, a puppy under 12 months is £250 to £500 and an adult dog £250 to £400.

Are there dogs for sale in Aberdeen from a rescue?

Rescue dogs are adopted, not sold. Every local dog on our Aberdeen pages comes from Mrs Murray's Home, where you apply online and pay an adoption fee.

How can I tell if a puppy advert in Aberdeen is a scam?

Warning signs are a seller who won’t let you see the litter with its mother, or who asks for a deposit first. Walk away, and report the advert to Police Scotland.

Can a pet shop in Aberdeen sell me a young puppy?

No, not one under six months. Since 1 September 2021 Scottish rules have kept dealers and pet shops out of young pup sales, leaving the breeder itself or a rehoming centre.

Keep reading

Puppies in other cities: Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Dumfries and Galloway, Carlisle, Middlesbrough, Kendal

Puppy guides in other cities: Perth, Kendal, Preston, Kingston upon Hull, North Wales, Lincoln, Peterborough, Norwich

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.

How listing works →

Sources: Mrs Murray's: rehome gallery (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: about rehoming (policy, fees; puppy band re-read 2026-11-13) · Mrs Murray's: rehoming conditions (no health or temperament guarantee) · Mrs Murray's: the big build (maternity unit) · Mrs Murray's: Patsy (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: Noodle (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: Kruger (dated snapshot) · Mrs Murray's: Crumpet (dated snapshot) · gov.scot news: third party pup and kitten sales ended, 1 September 2021 · Blue Cross puppy advice (purchase price, see the mother) · PDSA lifetime dog costs by size · Police Scotland advice on marketplace scams · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 · Scottish Government: XL Bully dog rules