Dog rescues in Carlisle and Cumbria, compared

The first four rescues below list dogs with us within about 25 miles of Carlisle; the last is a greyhound charity just over the border. Click a name to see the dogs it has with us today, or follow the links in its section to the rescue's own pages. Each runs its own application, checks and fee: we don't rehome dogs ourselves.

The rescues differ more than their fees suggest: one is a working rescue centre on a farm, one a sanctuary that rehomes a handful of dogs, and one moves quickly once you apply.

Start with the dog, not the rescue: our Carlisle dogs page lists the dogs at every rescue above that lists with us, so filter by size, age or breed and see who has it. Then weigh these five things:

• Children. Penny Jones Animal Hospice generally doesn't rehome to homes with young children. Eden asks the ages of your children and of any who visit, and Oak Tree judges each dog. Ask about the dog you like.
• Where you live. Eden rehomes only within Cumbria and Penny Jones generally only in its own area. Oak Tree asks adopters further away to talk to it first about transport.
• Your other dog. Eden and Penny Jones both want your dog to meet theirs before anything is agreed, and Eden won't place a dog where it would upset another pet.
• How fast you want to move. Oak Tree aims to reply within 72 hours and can reserve a dog the same day; Penny Jones can take up to three weeks; Eden walks you and the dog together over a set period.
• The fee. Penny Jones asks a minimum £100, Eden a minimum £250 and Oak Tree £275, or £300 for a puppy. Silver Fox's donation is £400.

Many people in Cumbria look for Dogs Trust first. Dogs Trust Cumbria is a foster-based centre: its dogs live in foster homes across the county until they are adopted, so there is no centre to visit. You apply online and, if there is a match, it arranges an appointment to meet the dog. We don't list Dogs Trust dogs, so search its own site.

Just beyond our 25 miles, in Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre at Glencaple, near Dumfries, about 26 miles away, asks you to register with its home finder form, meet the dog at the centre, ideally twice, and pass a home check; its minimum donation is £220. Dumfriesshire and Cumbria Greyhound Rescue has no kennels of its own and rehomes greyhounds in Dumfriesshire and Cumbria; its FAQ puts its donation at around £150. Both are Scottish charities with their own processes, so read each one's pages before you apply.

Not one you can visit to choose a dog. In England a stray is reported to the council, and for the Carlisle area that is Cumberland Council, which collects strays and agrees its fee with the owner over the phone. It doesn't name a rescue that rehomes unclaimed dogs, and Oak Tree Animals' Charity has not taken in strays since March 2015.

Around Penrith, Westmorland and Furness Council takes strays to a registered kennel, gives owners seven days to claim them, and passes unclaimed dogs to a dog rehoming organisation. Our Penrith dogs page lists Eden's dogs first.

Mostly adults, and many older dogs. When we checked on 2 November 2026 the dogs listed with us near Carlisle were mainly crossbreeds, with Patterdale Terriers, lurchers and a few small breeds such as Chihuahuas and a Shih Tzu, and many were 7 or older. That suits adopters who want a calmer dog whose character the rescue already knows. Our older dogs page shows them live.

Penny Jones takes in dogs from Romanian shelters as well as from the UK, and its write-ups say how each has settled. Puppies are rare: on 2 November 2026 the youngest dog listed near Carlisle was 8 months old. Our Carlisle dogs page is always the current picture, and our greyhound guide covers the sighthounds.