Adopting a Labrador in Glasgow and across Scotland

The number under the short answer is live: it counts the Labradors and Labrador crosses listed with us within about 41 miles of Glasgow. It is usually small. When we checked on 29 October 2026, none was listed with us within about 41 miles of Glasgow. Further afield, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, about 42 miles east, takes an online application for each animal and doesn't allow drop-in visits. Our Glasgow Labrador page shows today's, and our large dogs page the other big dogs near the city.

Dogs Trust Glasgow, on Hamilton Road, rehomes dogs of every kind and is open for general browsing five afternoons a week; Dogs Trust's Labrador page shows the Labradors it has across its centres. The Scottish SPCA's Glasgow centre is in Cardonald; the Scottish SPCA also rehomes animals, so search on its own site. We don't list either charity's dogs.

Two Labrador charities take adopters from Glasgow, and neither is a centre you can drop in to: Labrador UK Action Group has no kennels, and Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland moves dogs straight between homes where it can. We list neither charity's dogs, so each application goes to the charity itself.

Neither breed charity prints a fee, so ask before you apply. Labrador UK Action Group says most Labradors that reach it need medical attention of some kind, and its adoption agreement asks that every dog is neutered when the time is right. Further afield, at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, about 42 miles away, an adult costs £250, and Dogs Trust charges £300 for a dog in Scotland.

Buying means the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross quotes for a puppy, more for health-screened parents, then neutering and vaccinations. Whichever route you take, a large dog needs about £560 of kit and first vet work, and at least £116 a month after that, by PDSA's sums.

Ear infections were the commonest problem in a VetCompass study of 33,320 Labradors seen by UK vets in 2013, affecting 10.4 per cent; the Royal Veterinary College called it the largest study of the breed in the UK. The same study found 8.8 per cent overweight and 5.5 per cent with osteoarthritis. So ask the rescue:

• Weight. PDSA calls Labradors prone to obesity. Ask the dog's current weight and what it is fed.
• Hips, elbows and eyes. PDSA lists hip and elbow dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy. The Royal Kennel Club's minimum for breeders includes hip and elbow scoring, eye testing and DNA tests such as exercise induced collapse.
• Ears. Ask whether the dog has had ear infections and how they were treated.

Plan for a big, busy dog. The Royal Kennel Club suggests more than two hours of exercise a day and a large house with a large garden, and PDSA recommends a mix of walking, running, retrieving, sniffing games and swimming, tailored to each dog. If a Labrador has arthritis, PDSA says to ask your vet how much exercise suits it.

Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland says many people buy Labradors without realising how much exercise and company they need each day. Labrador UK Action Group asks how long a dog would be left and what happens on longer days, so work out your week before you apply.

A rescue Labrador is adopted, not bought. The charity chooses which dog suits your household, and the money you hand over is an adoption fee or donation, not a price. Puppies are uncommon in rescue, so keep an open mind about an adult, and check our Glasgow Labrador page for any listed today.

If you buy, ask to see both parents' hip and elbow scores and eye test results, and their DNA test results. To find a breeder, start with The Royal Kennel Club's "Find a puppy" listings; Dogs Trust says some vets will do a pre-purchase consultation on likely health problems and costs. If an advert looks wrong, report it to Police Scotland, whose fraud advice is not to pay for anything you haven't seen.