Rescue dogs for adoption and rehoming in and around Leeds

Of the rescues we list, only Good Life Dog Rescue is a general dog rescue inside the City of Leeds, at Garforth. Greenleaf Animal Rescue has some dogs in foster homes or kennels in and around the city, but it is a national network, so each dog's page says where it is.

The rest are a short drive away: Aireworth Dogs in Need fosters around Keighley, The Freedom Of Spirit Trust For Border Collies is at Bingley, 8 Below Husky Rescue is in West Yorkshire and Cliffe Kennels & Rescue and Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity are on the Barnsley side. Our Leeds dog rescues guide compares them side by side.

This page lists dogs from that wider area, nearest first. You apply with the rescue that cares for the dog: we don't rehome dogs ourselves, and each rescue runs its own application, home check and fee.

In England, if you find a stray dog and can't contact the owner, you must report it to the council. In the City of Leeds, the council's dog wardens can collect a found dog and take it to a kennel the council has a contract with. The dog is kept there for 7 days, and after that, in Leeds City Council's words, it "will become the responsibility of the kennel".

The wardens work Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm, with no evening, weekend or bank holiday service. If your own dog is picked up, the council charges £100 to reclaim it within the first 48 hours, rising by £20 a day to £200 at 7 days, plus £5 if it isn't microchipped.

Some dogs here started out as strays: Good Life Dog Rescue says its dogs come from local stray council kennels.

Leeds-area rescues that publish a fee ask from £250 to £380 or more for an adult dog: £250 at Aireworth Dogs in Need and from £250 at Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity, £300 at 8 Below Husky Rescue (dogs aged 1 to 9), £350 at Good Life Dog Rescue and from £380 at Cliffe Kennels & Rescue.

The fee is not the dog's price: it pays towards vet work already done. Good Life's £350 includes vaccinations, a health check, a microchip, flea and worm treatment, and the full cost of neutering a male or half the cost of spaying a female (its adoption process).

Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. 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.

Each rescue sets its own rules, and these are the ones Leeds adopters meet most often (how to choose a Leeds rescue). Check them before you apply.

• Your postcode. Aireworth Dogs in Need rehomes only within its own area around Keighley and the Aire, Worth and Wharfe Valleys, which takes in the edge of Leeds but not the whole city.
• Your garden. 8 Below Husky Rescue wants fences of at least 6ft, and Good Life Dog Rescue asks for a video of your garden and home before its home check.
• Children and long days. Several dogs at Cliffe Kennels & Rescue need children over 14. The Freedom Of Spirit Trust For Border Collies says few of its dogs can live with children and it can't rehome to people who work full time.
• Renting. Aireworth Dogs in Need needs evidence that your tenancy allows dogs before it books a home check, so get your landlord's permission in writing first.

These charities rehome dogs in or near Leeds (our guide to them). We don't list their dogs, so search their own sites.

• Dogs Trust Leeds is at Woodlands Farm on York Road, LS15, inside the city. You can browse on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4pm.
• Greyhound Trust West Yorkshire keeps its greyhounds at kennels at Womersley, about 18 miles away. It asks a donation of £250 and can't currently take applications from households with a resident cat.
• The RSPCA's local branch, the RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield and District Branch, has an animal centre at East Ardsley. The RSPCA also rehomes animals; search on its own site.

Our guides cover the dogs Leeds adopters ask about most: Staffies, Labradors, German Shepherds, Cockapoos and Cavapoos, Dachshunds and Jack Russells. Two rescues we list are breed rescues, so the Border Collie and Husky pages are worth watching.

Need to rehome your own dog instead? Our Leeds rehoming page sets out the local routes, including Dogs Trust's Homestay scheme, which keeps your dog with you while a new home is found.