Rescue guide
Dog rescues in Lincoln and Lincolnshire, compared
Lincoln has no dog rescue kennels inside the city, and before this update every dog we listed near it sat more than 20 miles away. Two kennels much nearer now list with us: Doris Banham Dog Rescue at Cottam and Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary at Sutton-on-Trent. This guide sets them beside RAIN Rescue, Jerry Green and Doggy Dens, with each one's fee, rules and route in.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 5 November 2026
The short answer
For a dog near Lincoln, start with Doris Banham Dog Rescue, whose kennels at Cottam, about 10 miles north-west, hold dogs saved from council pounds; it asks £250 and sees adopters by appointment. For a greyhound, Crossing Cottage at Sutton-on-Trent also recommends £250. RAIN Rescue, Jerry Green and Doggy Dens are 23 to 25 miles out.
- Rescue adoption fees
- 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.
- Doris Banham Dog Rescue
- £250, more welcome, not refunded if the dog comes back except in exceptional circumstances.
- Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary
- A recommended £250, with a collar and lead, muzzle, house collar, ID disc, five weeks of insurance and a 15kg bag of food.
- RAIN Rescue and Jerry Green
- RAIN: generally £250 to £350, shown on each profile. Jerry Green: £385 for a dog over 20 weeks.
- Doggy Dens UK Rescue
- From £450 for a UK dog.
- Buying a puppy
- Blue Cross puts the puppy alone at £400 to £3,000.
- Over a dog's life
- PDSA estimates at least £6,200 to £18,800 (its 2024 figures), before the cost of the dog.
Lincoln and Lincolnshire dog rescues compared
The last three rows had dogs listed with us within 25 miles of Lincoln on 5 November 2026; Doris Banham and Crossing Cottage join them as this page goes live. Distances are straight-line from Lincoln. Applications go to the rescue itself, and each one sets its own checks.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs | How you adopt | Dog fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doris Banham Dog Rescue | Cottam, near Retford (about 10 miles) | Pound dogs of all kinds | Form, call, kennel visit by appointment, home check | £250 |
| Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary | Sutton-on-Trent, near Newark | Retired greyhounds | Visit and walk a hound, home check | £250 recommended |
| RAIN Rescue | Misson, Nottinghamshire (about 23 miles) | Dogs and cats | Enquire online, appointment, home check | £250 to £350 usually |
| Jerry Green Dog Rescue | Broughton, near Brigg (about 24 miles) and near Blidworth (about 25) | Dogs and puppies | Meet&Match appointment | £385 over 20 weeks |
| Doggy Dens UK Rescue | Cuckney, Nottinghamshire (about 25 miles) | UK dogs | Application, home and garden check | From £450 |
How each rescue near Lincoln works
The fees sit close together; what differs is who each rescue will place a dog with. Read the notes for the rescue holding your dog before you apply.
Doris Banham Dog Rescue, Cottam
Many people search for Doris Banham Dog Rescue by name. Its registered address is in North Hykeham, but the dogs live at its Retford kennels in Cottam. It takes dogs out of council pounds, where a stray need only be held for seven days, so it often knows little of a dog's past. Each new dog is assessed for 28 days, and kennel visits are by appointment only.
Its rehoming policy asks you to ring the rehomer about a dog before applying, then visit, then pass a home check (it can do the check first to save you two trips). It won't home to families with children under 5, can't cat test its kennel dogs, and makes neutering a term of adoption when a dog is too young to be done first. More than half the dogs on its list were first posted over a year ago, so long-stay dogs are worth a look.
Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary, Sutton-on-Trent
The website calls itself "Retired Greyhound Trust East Midlands", but Crossing Cottage is an independent charity with purpose-built kennels for up to 30 greyhounds, just north of Newark; it is not a branch of the national Greyhound Trust. You visit by appointment and walk a hound, a home check follows within 7 to 14 days, and adoption usually comes 14 to 21 days after your first visit.
Its dogs page rules out homes with a resident cat, as it can't assess its greyhounds with cats, and resident children must be at least 7. Every dog is neutered, vaccinated and vet checked, and new owners get a free behaviourist in the first year.
RAIN Rescue, Misson
RAIN Rescue runs its Misson centre as a closed rescue, by appointment only. Its fees vary by dog, generally £250 to £350, and no dog is reserved until a home check and a meet and greet have happened. Its dogs are on our RAIN Rescue page.
Jerry Green Dog Rescue, Broughton and Blidworth
Two Jerry Green Dog Rescue centres fall within 25 miles of Lincoln: Broughton in North Lincolnshire and its Nottinghamshire centre near Blidworth. Neither lets you walk round the kennels; its Meet&Match appointments pair you with a dog, and you usually can't take it home the same day. Its dogs are on our Jerry Green page.
Doggy Dens UK Rescue, Cuckney
Doggy Dens UK Rescue wants at least 5 ft fencing, sometimes higher, and inspects every exit of your home and garden. It places only some dogs with children, judged on temperament and size. Its dogs are on our Doggy Dens page.
Choosing a dog rescue from Lincoln
Begin on our Lincoln dogs page to see who is listed, then check these four things:
- A cat at home. Crossing Cottage takes no enquiries from cat households, and Doris Banham can't test kennel dogs with cats, so apply only for a dog described as fine with them.
- Children. Doris Banham homes to families with children of 5 or over, Crossing Cottage 7 or over, and Doggy Dens judges each dog.
- Fencing. Doggy Dens asks for 5 ft at least, and Doris Banham, Crossing Cottage, RAIN and Doggy Dens all check your home before a dog leaves.
- The journey. Cottam and Sutton-on-Trent are the short drives from Lincoln; the other kennels are near the edge of our 25 miles.
Dog rescue near Gainsborough
From Gainsborough, Doris Banham's Cottam kennels and RAIN Rescue's Misson centre are both nearer than Lincoln is, so they are the natural first calls. Both Doris Banham and RAIN Rescue work by appointment, and dogs from both appear on our Lincoln dogs page.
What happens to stray dogs in Lincoln?
City of Lincoln Council collects strays during office hours and holds an unclaimed dog for at least seven days. Owners pay a kennel fee of £13 a day in 2026/27, and a £25 penalty on a second offence. Report a lost or found dog on its online form; keeping a found dog needs the council's written agreement.
The council covers the city only; Sleaford and Grantham have their own district councils.
Puppies, greyhounds and older dogs
Puppies are rare in the kennels near Lincoln; our rescue puppies guide covers where they turn up and how to buy safely. For a calm adult, the greyhound and older dogs pages show what is listed now, and our Sleaford and Grantham pages start from those towns.
The law in England
Microchipping and change of keeper
In England, as everywhere in the UK, every dog must be microchipped and registered by 8 weeks old. Since 6 April 2016 a dog in England can't pass to a new keeper until it is chipped, and the new keeper must update the database (the England regulations). A rescue chips before rehoming; after adoption, keep the details up to date.
Lucy's Law: buying a puppy
In England, Lucy's Law has meant since 6 April 2020 that puppies under six months can't be sold by a third party such as a pet shop or dealer: you buy direct from the breeder or adopt from a rehoming centre.
Banned dog types
In England, 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 England, since 31 December 2023 it has been illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange or abandon an XL Bully or let it stray, and since 1 February 2024 illegal to own one without a Certificate of Exemption (gov.uk: England and Wales).
Questions
Tap a question to expand
Is there a dog rescue in Lincoln?
Not inside the city. Doris Banham Dog Rescue has its registered address in North Hykeham, but its dogs are at its kennels in Cottam, about 10 miles north-west. Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary is at Sutton-on-Trent, near Newark.
Which dog rescues cover Lincolnshire?
Jerry Green Dog Rescue has a North Lincolnshire centre at Broughton, near Brigg. Doris Banham Dog Rescue, Crossing Cottage, RAIN Rescue and Doggy Dens UK Rescue are across the county line in Nottinghamshire, 10 to 25 miles from Lincoln. All list dogs with us.
Where is Doris Banham Dog Rescue?
Its kennels are at Cottam, near Retford, about 10 miles north-west of Lincoln, and visits are by appointment only. Its registered address in North Hykeham is not where the dogs are kept.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog near Lincoln?
Doris Banham Dog Rescue asks £250, Crossing Cottage recommends £250, RAIN Rescue generally charges £250 to £350, Jerry Green £385 for a dog over 20 weeks and Doggy Dens UK Rescue from £450. Blue Cross puts a bought puppy at £400 to £3,000.
Is there a dog rescue near Gainsborough?
Doris Banham Dog Rescue at Cottam and RAIN Rescue at Misson are both nearer Gainsborough than Lincoln is. Both see adopters by appointment, and their dogs are listed on our Lincoln dogs page.
What happens to stray dogs in Lincoln?
City of Lincoln Council collects them in office hours and keeps an unclaimed dog for at least seven days. An owner pays a kennel fee of £13 a day to reclaim one, and a £25 penalty on a second offence.
Is Crossing Cottage part of the Greyhound Trust?
No. Its website is branded Retired Greyhound Trust East Midlands, but Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary is an independent registered charity, not a branch of the national Greyhound Trust.
Can I adopt a dog near Lincoln if I have a cat?
Sometimes. Crossing Cottage can't progress enquiries from homes with a cat, and Doris Banham can't cat test its kennel dogs, so it asks cat owners to apply only for a dog described as fine with cats.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Lincoln? 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: Doris Banham Dog Rescue: adopt me (appointments, assessment) · Doris Banham Dog Rescue: apply to adopt (fee, policy) · Doris Banham Dog Rescue: contact (Cottam kennels, registered address) · Doris Banham Dog Rescue: stray dogs (pounds) · Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary: about · Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary: adoption process (fee, timings) · Crossing Cottage Greyhound Sanctuary: dogs to home (cats, children) · RAIN Rescue: dog adoption FAQs · Jerry Green Dog Rescue: FAQs (fee) · Jerry Green Dog Rescue: North Lincolnshire centre · Jerry Green Dog Rescue: Nottinghamshire centre · Doggy Dens UK Rescue: adoption (fee, fencing) · City of Lincoln Council: stray and lost dogs · City of Lincoln Council: report a lost or found dog · Blue Cross: getting a puppy · PDSA: the cost of owning a dog · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · gov.uk: Lucy's Law in England · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023 · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs