Rescue dogs for adoption and rehoming in and around London

The rescues whose dogs we list are spread around London rather than in the centre. Foal Farm Animal Rescue at Biggin Hill is inside the London Borough of Bromley, All Dogs Matter has its office in north London with dogs at its kennels or in foster homes, and Pro Dogs Direct keeps its dogs in foster homes across London and the South East.

Others sit within about 35 miles of central London: greyhound kennels at Waltham Abbey, Wickford, Hersham and Harvel, Cheshunt Animal Rescue in Hertfordshire, Last Chance Animal Rescue at Edenbridge in Kent, and Stokenchurch Dog Rescue in Buckinghamshire. Our London dog rescues guide compares every one side by side.

So this page lists dogs from across that wider area, nearest first. Each profile links to the rescue that cares for the dog, and you apply with them: 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. London has 32 boroughs plus the City, so the council to call is the one for the place where you found the dog: the gov.uk stray dog page has a postcode lookup that finds it.

Rescues around London that publish a fee ask from £150 to £450. All Dogs Matter charges between £150 and £220, Foal Farm Animal Rescue £150 to £350 by age, Greyhound Trust Harvel £250, non-refundable, and Wallace Kennels Dog Rescue from £280 to £350. At the top end, Love Underdogs asks £420 for each dog and Cheshunt Animal Rescue usually £400 to £450.

Two greyhound rescues ask a minimum donation: a suggested £150 at Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, and £150 with a lead, muzzle and coat at Romford Retired Greyhounds. Barley Greyhound Sanctuary has a minimum adoption fee of £200 for a basic pack. Pro Dogs Direct sets its fee per dog and asks the applicant it chooses for a £25 deposit.

Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. Battersea charges £230 for a dog over six months and £275 for a puppy under six months, 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 London adopters run into most (how to choose a London rescue). Check them before you apply.

• Flats. Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare says "we have many dogs living happily in flats, especially in London", and Romford Retired Greyhounds normally limits homes to first-floor flats because greyhounds "do not do stairs very well".
• Gardens and renting. Last Chance Animal Rescue checks for a secure rear garden "with a minimum 5 foot fence depending on the type of dog", and asks renters for their landlord's written permission.
• Work and children. Cheshunt Animal Rescue won't place a dog with anyone who works full time or with children under 5, and Love Underdogs asks that children are at least 8.
• Distance. Mutts in Distress wants adopters within sixty minutes of its kennels, Stokenchurch Dog Rescue has a 50 mile rehoming radius, and Whittingham Kennels Retired Greyhounds rehomes "generally" within an hour of Waltham Abbey.
• Home checks. Foal Farm Animal Rescue sends a home checker after the introductions, while Love Underdogs and Mutts in Distress check your home before you visit the dogs.

Some of the best-known rehoming charities have centres in or near London (our guide to them). We don't list their dogs, so search their own sites.

• Battersea Dogs & Cats Home rehomes from its London centre in Battersea, as well as Old Windsor and Brands Hatch. You start by registering online.
• Dogs Trust has two centres within reach: Harefield (West London) near Uxbridge, and Basildon (Essex) near Wickford.
• Mayhew is a London animal welfare charity in Kensal Green that rehomes dogs and cats.
• Blue Cross rehomes dogs from its Hertfordshire rehoming centre at Kimpton; its Hammersmith, Merton and Victoria sites are animal hospitals, not rehoming centres. The RSPCA also rehomes animals; search on its own site.

With five greyhound rescues around London, our greyhound adoption guide compares their fees and rules on flats and cats, and the greyhound and lurcher pages list every one near London today. Our guides also cover Staffies, German Shepherds, Labradors, French Bulldogs, Cockapoos and Cavapoos and Chihuahuas.

Need to rehome your own dog instead? Our London rehoming page sets out the local routes, including Dogs Trust's Homestay scheme at Harefield and Basildon and Pro Dogs Direct's "Request to Re-Home" form.