Adopting a Jack Russell in Manchester: rescues, costs and health

The count under the short answer is live: it covers Jack Russells, Parson Russells and Jack Russell crosses listed with us in Manchester and within about 25 miles, and it is usually a short list. If it is empty, our Manchester small dogs page shows the other small dogs listed near the city today.

Too many litters, according to Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK: it counts the breed among the UK's most overbred and says the result is a rising number dumped, neglected or given up. Expectations play a part as well. Battersea points out that the breed was developed to work alongside foxhounds, and that people wanting a calm companion for the sofa will find chasing, digging and barking that need managing for life. The flip side, it says, is a clever dog that is highly trainable.

Much of what a rescue fee pays for has happened before you collect the dog. Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary vaccinates, microchips and flea treats its dogs before they go, and says it can sometimes offer a reduced rate for a senior dog. Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK's adults arrive neutered, vaccinated, chipped and wormed; a puppy comes with a contract to neuter it later. At Manchester & Cheshire Dogs' Home, the fee includes neutering and four weeks' insurance.

With a bought puppy, the breeder must already have microchipped it by 8 weeks under UK law, so the chip is not an extra. You pay separately for neutering and the later jabs, after the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross puts on the puppy itself. An adult from rescue also comes with a temperament someone has already seen.

The good news first: Jack Russells are long-lived. Of the breeds in a Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of UK vet records, the Jack Russell Terrier came top for life expectancy at age 0, at 12.72 years. A rescue dog's parents will rarely have been tested, so ask what the rescue's vet has found, starting with these:

• Eyes. Primary lens luxation, where the lens of the eye slips, is a DNA test The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to carry out, along with eye testing. PDSA calls it a painful condition that causes blindness.
• Balance. Late onset ataxia and spinocerebellar ataxia are on the same test list. Battersea says they affect balance and coordination, worsen over time and cannot be cured.
• Knees and hips. PDSA lists kneecaps that slip out of place (luxating patellas) and Legg-Perthes disease, a hip condition.

A flat can work on paper: on The Royal Kennel Club's breed page a flat counts as enough space, with exercise of up to an hour daily. The rescues near Manchester are stricter. Bleakholt won't rehome without a secure garden or yard, or to a home with children under five, or where a young dog would be left alone for over four hours. PDSA says Jack Russells squeeze through the smallest gaps and jump well, so check your fence, and that they can be less tolerant of younger or boisterous children.

Time alone is the other question. PDSA says the breed can suffer separation anxiety and should never be left for more than four hours, and Battersea suggests building alone time up gradually alongside plenty of exercise. If everyone in the house works long days, say so to the rescue at the start.

Nobody sells a rescue Jack Russell. Each dog on our Manchester Jack Russell page is placed through its rescue's application, matching and donation process, and puppies are rare enough that a young adult or older dog is the realistic aim.

If you buy instead, look for a breeder who health tests both parents, as Battersea advises, and ask your vet about a pre-purchase consultation, which Dogs Trust says some practices offer. The Royal Kennel Club has a "Find a puppy" service, and a suspicious advert can be reported to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud).