The best dog rescues in Manchester, compared

The only rescue we list with premises inside the city, on Moss Brook Road in Harpurhey, with a second home on Knutsford Road at Grappenhall. Its adoption form sets out five steps: you apply, one of its adoptions team assesses the application, the team contacts you if you are successful, a virtual home visit follows, and then you meet the dog at the home. The form asks which of its two homes the dog is at. Its banner says it is open for viewing only from Wednesday to Sunday, 1pm to 4pm, and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The fee is £200 for an adult dog and £250 for a puppy. Both include a full health check, neutering, a first vaccination, a microchip, four weeks' free Pet Plan insurance, and a collar and ID tag. It says it will never put a healthy dog down.

Manchester & Cheshire Dogs' Home in Harpurhey is also Manchester City Council's nominated kennels for strays found in the city. The council says strays are looked after for 7 full days, "after which the dog becomes the property of the Dogs' Home and is put up for adoption". The council tells owners of a lost dog to check with the Dogs' Home. That is Manchester City Council's own rule, and it covers the City of Manchester only.

Makants Greyhound Rescue N.W rehomes retired greyhounds from its kennels at Tyldesley, Greater Manchester. The kennels are not open for general visits: you meet a greyhound by appointment with a volunteer, the rehoming coordinator visits your home, and a two-week home trial is offered before you adopt. It asks a £175 homing donation, and adopted greyhounds come with four weeks' Petplan insurance.

Its rules are clear. It prefers children over 5, a greyhound shouldn't be left for more than 4 hours, your fence should be at least 5 foot high with a lockable gate, and it cannot consider homes with shared communal gardens. It says ex-racers wouldn't suit a home with cats.

Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary at Edenfield, near Ramsbottom, rehomes dogs, cats and rabbits. You apply online from the animal's page, and it says it will only contact you if it seems a good match. It doesn't rehome dogs to homes with children under five, asks for a secure garden, and doesn't rehome young dogs to homes where they would be left alone for more than four hours. Its fee is £250 for a dog and £300 for a puppy, sometimes less for older dogs and some pairs.

Destitute Animals Shelter is at Great Lever in Bolton. A member of staff visits every dog adopter's home before they are accepted, and kennel viewing is by appointment only. If you rent, you need your landlord's permission before you apply. Its fee is £250 for a dog.

Pennine Pen Animal Rescue on Honeywell Lane, Oldham, is open by appointment only, and checks your home, with evidence that the garden is secure, before any dog goes. Its £250 fee includes neutering, the first two vaccinations, flea and worm treatment and a microchip. Windyway Animal Rescue at Macclesfield asks for an application, then a vet reference, character reference or home visit, and the whole household meets the dog. Viewing is by appointment, and a dog or puppy costs £160.

Warrington Animal Welfare on Slutchers Lane starts with an enquiry on the dog's profile and a phone call; you meet the dog, often more than once, then reserve it and have a home check. It doesn't rehome to families with children under 5, needs a secure garden and home checks within a reasonable distance of Warrington. Its adult dog fee is £250 or more, and a puppy under 12 months is £500.

Greenleaf Animal Rescue runs a national foster network, so each dog's page says where it is. Silver Fox Dog Rescue has no premises; its dogs live in foster homes around the UK and each page names the town. Its adoption donation is £400, or £500 for young pups. To reserve a dog it takes a £50 non-refundable deposit, which it refunds only if the home check fails. That is Silver Fox's own process, set out on its site.

West Yorkshire Dog Rescue fosters dogs in West Yorkshire. It says new owners must live within 100 miles of West Yorkshire and be aged 25 or over, and it doesn't rehome to homes with children under five. Labrador Rescue (North West Area) lists its Labradors at Eccleston in Lancashire; you apply on a specific dog's page, it considers the applications for that dog together and contacts the most appropriate applicant. Our Labrador adoption guide covers it and the other Labrador routes.

These breed rescues are not Manchester rescues, but each says it covers the North West or works across the UK. Contact them directly, and expect their own rules.

• Staffies: Happy Staffie Rescue has its centre in Worcestershire and rehomes Staffies from all over the UK; it replies to applications only when it can arrange a viewing, and its dogs are on our Happy Staffie Rescue page. Senior Staffy Club rehomes Staffies aged 7 and over throughout the UK, for £120, from rented kennels in Staffordshire and Worcestershire. Our Staffy adoption guide covers the Staffies listed near Manchester.
• German Shepherds: German Shepherd Rescue names Manchester in its North West region, and says its adoption fees vary between £150 and £500. See our German Shepherd adoption guide.
• Greyhounds: besides Makants, Home Run Hounds North West rehomes greyhounds within Cheshire, Merseyside and across the North West. You fill in its interest form; it publishes no fee or address.
• Jack Russells: Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK has foster homes in Cheshire among other areas, rehomes across the UK and does not rehome to households with young children.
• Frenchies: Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue works across England, Scotland and Wales and asks you to foster before you adopt. French bulldog Saviours is based at Mirfield, about 26 miles away, and asks you to collect from the foster home and pay its non-refundable donation in full. See our French Bulldog adoption guide.
• Chihuahuas, Dachshunds and poodle crosses: British Chihuahua Rescue and Dachshund Rescue UK work UK-wide, and Doodle Trust and DoodleAid rehome poodle crosses across the UK. See our Chihuahua, Dachshund and Cockapoo and Cavapoo adoption guides.