Rescue guide
Dog rescues in Belfast and Northern Ireland, compared
There is no big dog shelter inside Belfast. The dogs come from a sanctuary at Conlig, a volunteer centre at Moira, a County Down rescue at Carrowdore and a string of foster-based groups who post their dogs on PAW. All of them join LocalPetFinder with this update. Below: how each one runs adoptions, its fees, and the Northern Ireland licence rule every adopter has to meet first.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 6 November 2026
The short answer
The dog rescues nearest Belfast are Assisi Animal Sanctuary at Conlig, about 10 miles away, which charges £170 for a dog, Almost Home Animal Rescue NI at Moira and The Barn Animal Rescue at Carrowdore, both about 14 miles. Smaller foster-based groups such as Paws and People post their dogs on PAW. In Northern Ireland you need a dog licence before you collect any of them.
- Rescue adoption fees
- Each rescue sets its own adoption fee, and Dogs Trust charges £287.50 for a puppy or adult dog in Northern Ireland (where you also need a dog licence). The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
- Assisi Animal Sanctuary
- £170 for a dog, £200 for a puppy, with a contribution towards neutering if it hasn't been done.
- The Barn Animal Rescue
- £200 or £250 for an adult dog and £300 for a puppy on its PAW listings on 6 November 2026, with 5 weeks of free insurance.
- Paws and People
- £100 for an older dog, £150 for an adult and £200 for a puppy on its PAW listings the same day.
- Little Paws Rescue NI
- £250 a dog on its PAW listings that day.
- Almost Home Animal Rescue NI
- Its site gives no fee, so raise it at application.
- Dog licence
- £12.50 a year from Belfast City Council, £5 at the concession rate; over 65s license their first dog free.
- Over a dog's life
- PDSA's 2024 estimate is at least £6,200 and up to £18,800, however little the adoption fee was.
Dog rescues near Belfast compared
Each rescue in the table lists its dogs with us from this update; the rescue, not LocalPetFinder, handles your application. Distances are straight-line miles from Belfast, and the PAW groups are placed by the towns their own dogs were in on 6 November 2026.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs | How you adopt | Dog fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assisi Animal Sanctuary | Conlig, near Newtownards (about 10 miles) | Dogs, cats, rabbits, small pets | Form on the dog's page, a call, one or more visits | £170 (puppy £200) |
| Almost Home Animal Rescue NI | Moira (about 14 miles) | Dogs, cats, small animals | Form on the dog's card, then a visit | Not published |
| The Barn Animal Rescue | Carrowdore, County Down (about 14 miles) | Dogs and cats | Application on its website | £200 to £300 (PAW) |
| Paws and People | Banbridge (about 22 miles) | Dogs and cats, from a home-run rescue | Through its PAW listings | £100 to £200 (PAW) |
| Little Paws Rescue NI | Craigavon and Newtownabbey foster homes | Dogs | Through its PAW listings | £250 (PAW) |
| Friends Of Rescue NI | Foster homes, including Belfast and Antrim | Dogs and cats | Through its PAW listings | Set per dog |
How each dog rescue near Belfast works
The forms look similar. What differs is how many visits they ask for, what they tell you up front, and what the fee includes.
Assisi Animal Sanctuary, Conlig
Assisi has been an independent Northern Ireland charity since 1997 and keeps a no-kill policy: an animal it can't place stays in its care for life. It says every animal it takes in is neutered, vaccinated, wormed and treated for fleas, and every dog and cat is chipped.
To adopt, you fill in the form on the dog's own page; the adoption page says the team then calls you, and suggests another dog if yours isn't the right fit. You may be asked to visit more than once, and your own dog comes along on a later visit. It can't do same-day rehoming.
Almost Home Animal Rescue NI, Moira
Almost Home is a Moira charity that takes animals from across Northern Ireland and has 220 volunteers. It is open about turning people down: it says it holds out for the family that best fits each dog, and a "no" is about that dog, not about you. One of its long stayers, Tilly, had been in rescue for 4 years when we checked.
Its application form asks about children and their ages, your working hours, where the dog will spend the day and night, and whether you would consider a bonded pair. You also promise to return the dog to Almost Home if you ever can't keep it. It publishes no fee.
The Barn Animal Rescue, Carrowdore
The Barn rescues cats and dogs at Carrowdore in County Down, and some of its dogs live there for good. Its PAW profile says each animal leaves chipped, fully vaccinated (kennel cough included), treated for fleas and worms, with a voucher towards neutering and 5 weeks of free insurance. On 6 November 2026 it had a litter of eight Saluki cross puppies alongside adult collies, spaniels and terriers.
Foster-based rescues on PAW
Smaller groups with no kennels post their dogs on PAW, an adoption website; we show each dog under the group's own name. Paws and People calls itself a small home-run rescue in Banbridge, and Little Paws Rescue NI a family-run rescue that relies on foster homes. One Little Paws listing, for a Rottweiler called Bear, asked adopters to visit him twice, pass a home check and have a secure garden before applying.
Friends Of Rescue NI is completely foster based and run by unpaid volunteers. Animal Connexions, volunteer-run since 1996, visits your home once an application succeeds and has adopters sign a contract not to pass the dog on without its say-so. Just Like Home Rescue in the Larne area posts its dogs there too.
Choosing a dog rescue from Belfast
Our Belfast dogs page shows who is listed today. Before you apply, think about:
- Time for visits. Assisi may want more than one visit, and a dog of yours comes to a later one. Allow a few weeks rather than a weekend.
- Children at home. Almost Home asks the ages of children who live with you or visit, and a dog's own write-up may say which ages it can live with, so read it before you apply.
- Your garden. Almost Home asks whether yours is secure, and Little Paws made a secure garden a condition for Bear.
- A licence ready. In Northern Ireland the licence comes first, so apply to Belfast City Council while the rescue checks your home, not after.
Dog rescue across Northern Ireland
Some rescues we list are too far from Belfast for our Belfast pages, so their dogs appear on our Northern Ireland dogs page. Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary at Ballinamallard in Fermanagh asks for landlord permission if you rent, and that any pets you already have are neutered. Husky Salvation is based in Irvinestown, and Tyrone Husky Rescue on the edge of Dungannon takes huskies and husky crosses.
The Underdogs NI, a charity based in Maghera that takes dogs "from Pound to Paradise", had dogs in towns from Carrickfergus and Ballymena to Derry~Londonderry on 6 November 2026. Just Like Home Rescue and Friends Of Rescue NI also have dogs outside the Belfast area.
Dogs Trust Ballymena and the USPCA
Dogs Trust Ballymena is the Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Northern Ireland, and the USPCA rehomes animals from its centre in Newry. Neither lists dogs with us, so look on their own websites too.
One thing to know about every rescue in Northern Ireland: none of them is licensed. DAERA's 2026 paper on regulating the sector says rescue and rehoming organisations here "are not currently subject to any statutory minimum requirements", so judge a rescue by how it treats you and its dogs, not by a certificate.
What happens to stray dogs in Belfast?
Belfast City Council's dog wardens collect strays from 8am to 8pm every day except public and bank holidays, and take them to Nutts Corner Boarding Kennels near Crumlin. Owners pay a daily rate of £20 to reclaim a dog, plus a chip fee if it has no chip, and the dog stays put until they show a current licence or buy one.
In Northern Ireland a council can sell or put down a dog nobody claims within five days. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council says its kennel provider then tries to rehome its unclaimed strays.
Puppies and older dogs near Belfast
Puppies were on three of these rescues' pages when we checked, from Kyle, a Jack Russell posted at 12 weeks by Almost Home, to the Barn's Salukis. Our rescue puppies guide covers them, and what to check if you buy. For an older, calmer dog, try the older dogs and lurcher pages.
The law in Northern Ireland
A dog licence before you take your dog home
In Northern Ireland every dog needs a licence from the local council, and it's an offence to take possession of a dog, paid for or not, before getting a licence for it (nidirect). A licence costs £12.50 and lasts 12 months, with a £5 rate for some owners, and the dog must be microchipped before you apply. Get it before you collect your dog: the person who gives you a dog without one commits an offence too.
Microchipping
In Northern Ireland every dog must be microchipped at eight weeks old, and since 9 April 2012 the chip has been a condition of the dog licence. If the details on the database aren't accurate, nidirect says "the dog is not considered as microchipped and the dog licence will not be valid" (nidirect). A rescue chips before rehoming; after adoption, keep the details up to date.
Lucy's Law: buying a puppy
Northern Ireland does not yet have Lucy's Law, so third-party sales of puppies are not banned there yet. DAERA announced on 7 October 2026 that Northern Ireland's own version has been approved and that it intends to bring the regulations forward by the end of 2026, with a lead-in period before they apply (DAERA).
Banned dog types
In Northern Ireland the same five types are banned, and it is "an offence to breed, sell, offer for sale or make a gift of a dog of a banned type" (nidirect). No rescue can rehome one and none appear on LocalPetFinder. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not a banned type.
XL Bully dogs
In Northern Ireland "it is illegal to rehome, sell or transfer ownership of XL Bully type dogs", and an exemption certificate doesn't change that; owning one without an exemption certificate has been an offence since 1 January 2025 (nidirect).
Questions
Tap a question to expand
Is there a dog rescue in Belfast?
Not with kennels inside the city. Closest of the rescues we list is Assisi Animal Sanctuary at Conlig, about 10 miles away, then Almost Home Animal Rescue NI at Moira and The Barn Animal Rescue at Carrowdore, both about 14 miles. Friends Of Rescue NI had foster dogs in Belfast itself on 6 November 2026.
Which dog rescues cover Northern Ireland?
Near Belfast: Assisi, Almost Home, The Barn, Paws and People, Friends Of Rescue NI and Little Paws Rescue NI. Further out: Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary in Fermanagh, Husky Salvation, Tyrone Husky Rescue and The Underdogs NI. Dogs Trust Ballymena and the USPCA rehome dogs too, on their own sites.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog in Belfast?
Assisi charges £170 for a dog and £200 for a puppy. On 6 November 2026 The Barn asked £200 to £300 on PAW, Paws and People £100 to £200 and Little Paws Rescue NI £250. Almost Home publishes no fee. Add £12.50 for the dog licence.
Do I need a dog licence to adopt in Northern Ireland?
Yes, before you collect the dog. In Northern Ireland, taking possession of a dog without a licence is an offence, and so is handing one over to someone who has none. Belfast City Council charges £12.50 a year, or £5 at the concession rate.
Are Dogs Trust Ballymena's dogs on LocalPetFinder?
No. Dogs Trust Ballymena and the USPCA both rehome dogs in Northern Ireland, but we don't list either, so look at their sites too.
Are rescues in Northern Ireland licensed?
No. DAERA says rescue and rehoming organisations in Northern Ireland are not subject to any statutory minimum requirements, so there is no rescue licence to check. Ask how a rescue assesses its dogs and what support it gives after adoption.
What is PAW?
PAW, petadoptionwebsite.com, is an adoption website where rescues in Northern Ireland and Ireland post their own animals. We show the Northern Ireland dogs under each rescue's name, and the adopt link takes you to that rescue's listing.
What happens to stray dogs in Belfast?
Belfast City Council's dog wardens take them to Nutts Corner Boarding Kennels. An owner pays £20 a day to reclaim one and must show a current licence. In Northern Ireland a dog nobody claims within five days can be sold or put down.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Belfast? 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: Assisi Animal Sanctuary: adopt (process, fees, neutering contribution) · Assisi Animal Sanctuary: about (1997, no-kill, neutered and chipped) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: home page (Moira, volunteers, matching, Tilly) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: dogs (dated snapshot) · Almost Home Animal Rescue NI: general application form · The Barn Animal Rescue: home page (Carrowdore, residents) · The Barn Animal Rescue on PAW: profile (what adoption includes) and listing fees · PAW: the adoption website · Paws and People on PAW: profile and listing fees · Little Paws Rescue NI on PAW: profile and listing fees · Little Paws Rescue NI on PAW: Bear (visits, home check, garden) · Friends Of Rescue NI on PAW: profile · Animal Connexions Rescue & Rehoming on PAW: profile (1996, contract) · The Underdogs NI on PAW: profile · Just Like Home Rescue on PAW: profile · Husky Salvation on PAW: profile (Irvinestown) · Tyrone Husky Rescue on PAW: profile (Dungannon) · Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary: adoption criteria · Dogs Trust: Ballymena centre · USPCA: home page · Belfast City Council: report an animal issue (wardens, Nutts Corner, reclaim) · Belfast City Council: licensing your dog · Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council: stray and unwanted dogs · nidirect: lost and stray dogs (five days) · nidirect: dog licensing and microchipping · DAERA: impact assessment on regulating rescue and rehoming organisations (April 2026) · PDSA: the cost of owning a dog · DAERA: Lucy's Law approved for Northern Ireland · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · nidirect: Banned breeds of dogs in Northern Ireland · nidirect: XL Bully dogs