Rescue guide
The best dog rescues in Edinburgh, compared
Edinburgh has one dog rescue of its own on LocalPetFinder, a greyhound rescue 20 miles away over the Forth, and a spaniel charity with foster homes in Fife. Here they are side by side, with what each charges and how it works, plus the big centres and Scottish breed rescues you can contact yourself.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 29 October 2026
The short answer
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home at Seafield is the dog rescue we list inside the city, and it had 14 dogs listed with us when we checked on 29 October 2026. Beyond the city, Greyhound Rescue Fife has its kennels near Kinross, about 20 miles away, with 21 greyhounds that day, and Springer Rescue Scotland had two Springers in foster homes in Fife. Dogs Trust West Calder and the Scottish SPCA at Balerno also rehome dogs, but we don't list them, so search their own sites.
- 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.
- Rescues we list near Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £250 for a dog aged 6 months to 9 years, £350 for a pair, £150 over 9 and £300 for a puppy. Greyhound Rescue Fife asks a £180 donation. Springer Rescue Scotland asks for a donation with no fixed amount.
- Dog Aid Scotland
- Minimum fees of £150 for a puppy up to 6 months, £100 for a dog from 6 months to 8 years and £50 for a dog over 8, on its re-homing page.
- Owning a dog
- PDSA estimates a dog costs at least £6,200 over its lifetime, and up to a minimum of £18,800 depending on the breed (its 2024 figures, not counting buying the dog).
Edinburgh dog rescues compared
These are the dog rescues whose dogs we list within about 25 miles of Edinburgh. Click a name to see the dogs it has listed with us today. Each rescue runs its own application, home check and fee: LocalPetFinder doesn't rehome dogs itself.
The counts are from 29 October 2026; the live count is at the top of our Edinburgh dogs page.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs on 29 Oct | How you adopt | Fee (their words) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home | Seafield Road East, Edinburgh EH15 1EH | 14, all types | Apply online for one dog; a reply within a week; visits by arrangement | £250 for a dog aged 6 months to 9 years, £150 over 9, £300 a puppy |
| Greyhound Rescue Fife | Kennels at Gairneybank, near Kinross (about 20 miles) | 21 retired greyhounds | Phone first, then visit the kennels, meet the dogs and sign an adoption agreement | A donation of £180 (its adoption page) |
| Springer Rescue Scotland | Foster homes across Scotland; both of its dogs near Edinburgh were in Fife | 2 English Springers | Form, phone call, home visit, then at least two visits to the dog in its foster home | A donation, no fixed amount |
Which rescue for which dog
Here is what each rescue is like to deal with from Edinburgh, then the centres and breed rescues that cover the city too.
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Seafield
A long-established Edinburgh charity and the one to start with for most dogs, because it is in the city and takes every kind. On 29 October 2026 its dogs ran from a nine-year-old Yorkshire Terrier to a giant Mastiff cross, with Staffies, Labradors, Dachshunds and a lurcher between. You apply online for one dog, and it replies by email or phone within a week. There are no drop-in visits, and where several applications suit a dog, it moves forward the people who can visit soonest, so be ready to go quickly. Every dog leaves with a month's pet insurance.
Greyhound Rescue Fife, near Kinross
Not an Edinburgh rescue, but the one with the most dogs near the city: its kennels are at Gairneybank near Kinross, about 20 miles from Edinburgh. It is a company, not a charity. You start with a phone call, then visit and meet the dogs rather than choose from a photo. It asks for a fence of five feet or more around an enclosed garden, won't rehome to a home with a child under five, and recommends no cat or other small animal. The £180 donation covers vaccinations, neutering and a collar, lead and muzzle. Our greyhound adoption guide has the detail.
Springer Rescue Scotland
A spaniel charity that works across Scotland and keeps every dog in a foster home. After its registration form, a phone call and a home visit by a local volunteer, you visit your matched dog at least twice in its foster home, taking any dog you already have. It asks for a donation by bank transfer, says most dogs cost it upwards of £400 in foster care, and sends every dog home with 5 weeks' free insurance. Our Springer Spaniel adoption guide walks through each step.
Breed rescues that cover Edinburgh
These are not Edinburgh rescues and we don't list their dogs, but each one rehomes across Scotland or the UK. Contact them directly and expect their own rules.
- Staffies: Scottish Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue rehomes only in Scotland, charges £200 and matches you rather than advertising dogs. Staffie Smiles Rescue, licensed by Midlothian Council, rehomes only in Scotland and not to homes with children under 12. See our Staffy adoption guide.
- Greyhounds and lurchers: Greyhound Awareness League is a Scottish charity whose hounds live in foster homes; it won't place one where children under 8 live or often visit.
- Great Danes: Daneline International Charitable Foundation and National Great Dane Rescue both rehome Danes from foster homes across the UK.
How to choose a rescue from Edinburgh
Start from your own home and week, because each rescue's rules decide who it can rehome to. These are the ones Edinburgh adopters meet most often.
- Speed. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home moves fastest for people who can visit soon. Springer Rescue Scotland may keep you on its list until a suitable dog comes in.
- Garden and fence. Greyhound Rescue Fife needs a fence of five feet or more and will only rehome to a flat with a securely locked corridor door. A tenement need not rule you out elsewhere, so describe your home honestly.
- Children. Greyhound Rescue Fife won't rehome to a home with a child under five, Greyhound Awareness League not where children under 8 live or often visit, and Staffie Smiles Rescue not with children under 12. Other rescues decide dog by dog.
- Your dog at home. Springer Rescue Scotland wants your dog at the meeting, and most rescues will want to see the two dogs together before you adopt.
- Work and renting. Greyhound Rescue Fife advises against a dog being left for more than five hours regularly. If you rent, get your landlord's permission in writing before you apply.
How adopting from these rescues works
The order varies, but the steps are much the same. A "home check" is a visit, by a volunteer or sometimes by video, to see that your home suits the dog. It is not a test of how tidy you are.
- Find a dog on the rescue's site or ours, and read its profile for the home it needs.
- Apply or phone. Greyhound Rescue Fife starts with a call; the others start with a form.
- Talk it through on the phone and have your home checked. Have your landlord's permission ready if you rent.
- Meet the dog, often more than once and with your household and any dog you have.
- Pay the fee or donation and take your dog home, with the vet work the rescue has already done.
Dogs Trust West Calder, the Scottish SPCA and Dog Aid Scotland
Three more places Edinburgh adopters can try. We don't list their dogs, so search their own sites.
- Dogs Trust West Calder, which Dogs Trust calls its Edinburgh centre, is at Bentyhead, West Calder, EH55 8LE, about 17 miles west of Edinburgh. You can browse on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4pm, and Wednesday and Friday mornings are by pre-arranged appointment. Dogs Trust charges £300 to adopt a dog in Scotland, as the fee line in the cost box above says.
- The Scottish SPCA's Edinburgh and Lothians centre is in Balerno, EH14 7JU, about 7 miles from Edinburgh, and is its oldest centre. The Scottish SPCA also rehomes animals; search on its own site.
- Dog Aid Scotland is an Edinburgh charity with no kennels: dogs stay with their owners until a new home is found. You apply for a dog on its site, it does a home visit, and if you suit the dog it brings the dog to you for a two-week settling in period before signing it over.
Find a breed near Edinburgh
Each breed page lists every dog of that breed with the rescues above, nearest first. Greyhounds are the breed we list most near Edinburgh, then Staffies. There are pages too for lurchers, Springer Spaniels, spaniels, Labradors, Dachshunds and crossbreeds, and for puppies, older dogs and small dogs.
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 Edinburgh?
It depends on the dog. For most dogs, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home at Seafield, the one rescue we list in the city. For a greyhound, Greyhound Rescue Fife near Kinross, about 20 miles away. For a spaniel, Springer Rescue Scotland. Dogs Trust West Calder and the Scottish SPCA at Balerno rehome dogs too.
Which dog rescues are inside Edinburgh?
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home on Seafield Road East is the dog rescue we list inside the city, and Dog Aid Scotland is an Edinburgh charity that rehomes dogs straight from their owners. Dogs Trust West Calder, about 17 miles west, and the Scottish SPCA centre at Balerno, about 7 miles away, are outside the city.
Can I see Dogs Trust West Calder dogs on LocalPetFinder?
No. We don't list Dogs Trust dogs, so search Dogs Trust's own site. Its West Calder centre, about 17 miles west of Edinburgh, is open for browsing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4pm.
Does LocalPetFinder list Scottish SPCA animals?
No. We don't list Scottish SPCA animals. The Scottish SPCA also rehomes animals from its Edinburgh and Lothians centre in Balerno; search on its own site.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog in Edinburgh?
Each rescue sets its own fee. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charges £250 for a dog aged 6 months to 9 years and £150 over 9. Greyhound Rescue Fife asks a £180 donation, and Dog Aid Scotland's minimum fees run from £50 to £150 by age.
Where can I adopt a greyhound near Edinburgh?
Greyhound Rescue Fife, whose kennels are at Gairneybank near Kinross, about 20 miles away, had 21 greyhounds listed with us on 29 October 2026. Greyhound Awareness League, a Scottish foster charity, is the other option; apply to it directly.
Is there a Staffy or spaniel rescue in Scotland?
Yes. Scottish Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue and Staffie Smiles Rescue rehome Staffies only in Scotland, and Springer Rescue Scotland rehomes Springers and other spaniels from foster homes. We list Springer Rescue Scotland's dogs; contact the Staffy rescues directly.
Can I adopt a rescue dog if I have children or work full time?
Often, but check each rescue's rules first. Greyhound Rescue Fife won't rehome to a home with a child under five and advises against regular stretches alone over five hours. Dog profiles usually say whether a dog can live with children.
Can I adopt a rescue dog if I live in an Edinburgh flat?
Often, yes. Greyhound Rescue Fife will rehome to a flat with a securely locked corridor door. Describe your home honestly, and if you rent, get your landlord's permission in writing first.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Edinburgh? 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: Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home: our rehoming process · Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home: rehoming FAQs · Springer Rescue Scotland: adoption application · Dogs Trust: West Calder (Edinburgh) rehoming centre · Scottish SPCA: Edinburgh and Lothians rescue and rehoming centre · Dog Aid Scotland: re-homing process · LocalPetFinder listings near Edinburgh, checked 29 October 2026 · PDSA: the cost of owning a dog · Scottish Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue: FAQs · Staffie Smiles Rescue: adopt a Staffy · Greyhound Awareness League: adopt a hound · Daneline International Charitable Foundation · National Great Dane Rescue: adoption process · 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