Shadow
10 months • Male • German Shepherd
Large
Can live with:Children
Listed by owner· Kent
Meet Shadow →
Rescue dogs for adoption and rehoming in and around Canterbury
Rescue dogs and puppies looking for new homes in and around Canterbury, listed for rehoming by rescues and rehoming centres.
All 86 are with rescues within about 25 miles of Canterbury, in places such as Wingham, Faversham and Birchington. Each card shows the town and how far it is from the centre of Canterbury.
Newest listing added 6 November 2026
6
Rescues listing here
86
Dogs looking for a home
16
Puppies
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Adopting a dog in Canterbury
The nearest kennels we list are a few miles east, where Retired Greyhounds Canterbury homes ex-racers from Rusham Road, Wingham, about 6 miles out. The rest of East Kent's dogs on this page are in Thanet foster homes with Angels 4 Dogs Rescue, at the TAG Pet Rescue sanctuary near Margate when it has dogs, or at Last Chance Animal Rescue's New Romney centre, about 21 miles south.
Kent Greyhound Rescue, based near Hythe, has no centre of its own: its greyhounds and lurchers wait with fosterers or in boarding kennels across the county. Whichever dog you pick, you apply to its rescue, not to LocalPetFinder.
Lost and stray dogs around Canterbury
In England a stray you can't return to its owner must be reported to the council. Canterbury City Council's dog warden service takes calls about lost dogs and dogs that look lost; its page publishes no fees.
What adopting a dog costs around Canterbury
Angels 4 Dogs Rescue charges £375 for every dog and puts £80 towards neutering. Kent Greyhound Rescue suggests a minimum donation of £310, which pays for six weeks of training classes, and refunds up to £60 when you finish them.
At TAG Pet Rescue the fee falls with age: £250 under 3, £200 from 3 to 7 and £150 from 8. Retired Greyhounds Canterbury and Last Chance publish no figure, so ask them.
Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. Battersea charges £230 for a dog over six months and £275 for a puppy under six months, Dogs Trust charges £300 for a puppy or adult dog in England, Wales and Scotland, and Blue Cross fees start from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over and £335 for dogs aged 1 to 7. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
How East Kent dog rescues choose adopters
Every rescue here checks your home before a dog leaves, Retired Greyhounds Canterbury included. The details differ, so read the rules of the one holding your dog:
- Angels 4 Dogs: Kent addresses only. Its adoption page says it can only rehome in Kent, replies within 7 working days and arranges viewings once your form is approved.
- Kent Greyhound Rescue: a video first. You send a video of your home and garden, meet the dog with the whole family, then have a home check; it doesn't place dogs with children under 8.
- TAG: a home visit before you meet. TAG Pet Rescue visits you first, then introduces suitable dogs, and homes within about an hour's drive of Dover.
- Last Chance: the household visits. Its policy asks everyone who will live with the dog to come to the centre, wants a fence of at least 5 feet, depending on the dog, and turns down homes with unneutered pets.
Greyhounds and lurchers near Canterbury
On 5 November 2026 greyhounds and lurchers outnumbered every other named breed listed with us near Canterbury. At Wingham, Retired Greyhounds Canterbury lets you walk several dogs before you reserve one, and asks adopters to give its black greyhounds a look because they are often passed over. Its kennels open for homing from 10am to noon daily, by appointment.
More help for Canterbury dog adopters
Our dog rescues guide for Canterbury and Kent sets the rescues side by side, our greyhound guide covers both greyhound charities, and our rescue puppies guide answers the "for sale" searches. The greyhound, lurcher, puppies and older dogs pages show who is waiting today.
Need a new home for your own dog? See our Canterbury rehoming page.
The law in England
- Microchipping and change of keeper. In England, as everywhere in the UK, every dog must be microchipped and registered by 8 weeks old. Since 6 April 2016 a dog in England can't pass to a new keeper until it is chipped, and the new keeper must update the database (the England regulations). A rescue chips before rehoming; after adoption, keep the details up to date.
- Lucy's Law: buying a puppy. In England, Lucy's Law has meant since 6 April 2020 that puppies under six months can't be sold by a third party such as a pet shop or dealer: you buy direct from the breeder or adopt from a rehoming centre.
- Banned dog types. In England, 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 England, since 31 December 2023 it has been illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange or abandon an XL Bully or let it stray, and since 1 February 2024 illegal to own one without a Certificate of Exemption (gov.uk: England and Wales).
Canterbury dog adoption FAQ
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Where can I adopt a rescue dog in Canterbury?
Retired Greyhounds Canterbury has kennels at Wingham, about 6 miles away. Angels 4 Dogs Rescue fosters dogs around Thanet, TAG Pet Rescue has a sanctuary near Margate and lists dogs when it has them, Last Chance Animal Rescue has a centre at New Romney, and Kent Greyhound Rescue fosters across Kent. You apply to the rescue.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog near Canterbury?
Angels 4 Dogs Rescue charges £375 for any dog, Kent Greyhound Rescue suggests at least £310 (training classes included, up to £60 back), and TAG Pet Rescue charges £250, £200 or £150 depending on age. Retired Greyhounds Canterbury and Last Chance publish no fee.
Who do I call about a stray dog in Canterbury?
Canterbury City Council's dog warden service, which handles lost dogs and dogs that look lost in the district. In England you must report a stray to the council if you can't reach its owner.
Can I adopt from an East Kent rescue if I live outside Kent?
Not from Angels 4 Dogs Rescue, which rehomes only in Kent. TAG Pet Rescue homes within about an hour's drive of Dover, and Kent Greyhound Rescue rehomes in other counties as well as Kent, after its usual checks.
Can I adopt a dog near Canterbury if I have young children?
It depends on the rescue. Kent Greyhound Rescue doesn't place dogs with children under 8, though it may for a young puppy, and Angels 4 Dogs Rescue sets an age on each dog's own page. Ask before you apply.
How do I rehome my dog in Canterbury?
Angels 4 Dogs Rescue and TAG Pet Rescue both have forms for owners, and TAG gives priority to dogs from CT postcodes. Our Canterbury rehoming page sets out the routes.
LocalPetFinder and other pet sites
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Is LocalPetFinder the same as Petfinder?
No. LocalPetFinder is an independent UK website and is not connected with Petfinder. We bring together dogs, cats and rabbits from UK rescues and rehoming centres, and every profile links to the rescue that cares for the animal, so you apply with them directly.
How is LocalPetFinder different from Pets4Homes?
Pets4Homes describes itself as the UK’s largest online pet marketplace, connecting buyers with breeders as well as shelters and charities. LocalPetFinder is for adoption: our listings come from rescues and rehoming centres and from owners rehoming their own pet, each checked by a reviewer before it goes live. We do not take adverts from breeders.
Can I find RSPCA animals on LocalPetFinder?
No. We do not list the RSPCA’s animals, at its national centres or its branches. To see them, use RSPCA Find a Pet, the RSPCA’s own search for animals in its centres and branches across England and Wales.