Adopting a Pomeranian in Leeds: rescues, costs and health

The number under the short answer is worked out live from our listings, so it moves as dogs are reserved and new ones arrive. The Poms listed near Leeds when we checked were crosses with other small breeds, not pure Pomeranians. When it shows none, try our Leeds small dogs page, which covers every small breed listed near the city.

The Pomeranian was bred down from the German Spitz and first seen in the UK in 1870, according to The Royal Kennel Club, which places it in the Toy group. Its breed standard asks for a dog of 1.8 to 2 kg (2 to 2.5 kg for a bitch) and rules out merle and any colour it doesn't list. PDSA sums the breed up as "lively, curious and very playful", always keen on a game.

Much of what a puppy buyer pays for later is already done by the time a rescue dog leaves. Every dog at Aireworth Dogs in Need is neutered, vaccinated, wormed, flea treated and microchipped before it goes, and Good Life Dog Rescue adds a health check, a lead and a collar. An older dog can cost less: Aireworth's fee falls to £100 for a dog over 10.

A puppy from a breeder should already carry a microchip, since the law requires one by 8 weeks, but neutering and the rest of its vaccinations normally come after you have paid the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross quotes. Then there is the coat: Dogs Trust says it needs brushing 2 to 3 times a week and probably regular trips to a professional groomer, whichever way you get the dog.

Pedigree paperwork and parents' health tests rarely travel with a rescue dog, and with a cross they may never have existed. So the useful question is what the rescue's vet found. The UK breed guides point to these:

• Knees and elbows. Top of the list from PDSA is luxating patellas, where a kneecap slips out of place for a while, and it adds elbow dysplasia, poor development of the joint that ends in arthritis.
• Eyes, brain and airway. PDSA also names progressive retinal atrophy (the retina slowly failing, which can start as night blindness), CM/SM (a painful neurological condition), hydrocephalus, tracheal collapse and an underactive thyroid. The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to eye test through the BVA scheme, and its Breed Watch tells judges that a dog over 12 months should have a fully closed fontanelle, the soft spot on the skull.
• Hot days. Dogs Trust puts Pomeranians at higher risk of heat stroke, and PDSA includes the breed among the dogs most affected, so walk early or late on warm days.

Space is the easy part. The Royal Kennel Club counts a flat as big enough and puts exercise at up to 30 minutes a day, and Dogs Trust says a Pom may not manage long or strenuous walks but still needs a daily walk and time to play and explore. The tenancy can be the harder part. Leeds City Council wants written permission before any pet arrives, and its policy does not allow dogs in high rise blocks or in flats and maisonettes with a communal entrance, partly because of barking in shared buildings. In a private rental, get the landlord's agreement in writing before a rescue's home check.

You won't find a rescue that sells a Pomeranian. You apply for a dog, the rescue decides whether your home suits it, and the fee pays towards its vet care. Pom puppies seldom come through rescue, so an adult or a cross is the realistic hope, and our Leeds Pomeranian page shows what is listed near the city today.

Buying instead? Talk to your own vet first, as Dogs Trust advises; some practices offer a consultation before you buy. The Royal Kennel Club lists puppies through its "Find a puppy" service, and a breeder selling merle Poms is not breeding to the breed standard. Suspect an advert is a scam? Report Fraud, which used to be Action Fraud, takes reports.