Rescue guide
The best dog rescues in Middlesbrough, compared
There is no single best dog rescue in Middlesbrough: the right one depends on the dog you want, how far you can travel and how your days run. These are the rescues within about 25 miles of the town whose dogs we list, side by side, plus Dogs Trust Darlington, what happens to strays and the breed charities you can contact yourself.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 29 October 2026
The short answer
The two dog rescues nearest Middlesbrough are S.A.R.A. The Ann Prosser Foundation at Redcar, about 7 miles away, which asks £200 for a dog, and Maxi's Mates near Guisborough, about 8 miles away, which had the most dogs listed with us when we checked on 29 October 2026. Durham Dogs & Cats Home at Coxhoe asks a £200 donation, and Greyhound Rescue North East rehomes greyhounds and lurchers for at least £150. On Wearside, about 23 miles away, Animal Krackers asks a minimum of £100 for a dog. Dogs Trust Darlington is the big centre nearby, but we don't list its dogs, so search its own site.
- 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.
- Middlesbrough-area rescues that publish a fee
- Animal Krackers asks a minimum of £100 for a dog, Greyhound Rescue North East an adoption donation of at least £150, S.A.R.A. £200 for one dog or £300 for a pair, and Durham Dogs & Cats Home a £200 donation. Maxi's Mates publishes no figure, so ask when you enquire. The fee table below quotes each one.
- Buying a puppy
- Blue Cross puts the cost of buying a puppy at £400 to £3,000, before food, insurance and vet bills.
- Owning a dog
- PDSA estimates a dog costs at least £6,200 over its lifetime, and up to a minimum of £18,800 depending on the breed (its 2024 figures, not counting buying the dog).
Middlesbrough dog rescues compared
Every rescue below lists dogs with us within about 25 miles of Middlesbrough. Each name links to the rescue's own site, and our Middlesbrough dogs page shows the dogs each has listed with us today. Each rescue runs its own application, home check and fee: we don't rehome dogs ourselves.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs | How you adopt |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.A.R.A. The Ann Prosser Foundation | Foxrush Farm, Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar (about 7 miles) | Dogs and cats | Matching, a staff-led walk by appointment, a home check, then a one-week trial |
| Maxi's Mates | Carlin Howe Farm, Dunsdale, near Guisborough (about 8 miles) | Strays and surrendered dogs; many lurchers | Phone or use its contact form about a dog |
| Durham Dogs & Cats Home | Coxhoe (about 14 miles) | Dogs and cats | Register with ID, a 48 hour hold, then an appointment to adopt |
| Greyhound Rescue North East | Based in the north east of England; kennel visits by appointment | Greyhounds, lurchers and other sighthounds | Questions, a match, a home check, then up to 2 weeks reserved |
| Animal Krackers | Wearside (about 23 miles); open 10am to 4pm daily | Cats, rabbits and some dogs | A home check, then a two-week trial for dogs |
Published adoption fees
These are the dog fees the rescues publish on their own sites, in their words. A fee usually covers vet work already done, such as vaccinations and a microchip. Where a rescue publishes no fee, ask it when you enquire.
| Rescue | Fee (their words) |
|---|---|
| Animal Krackers | "a minimum of £100" for a dog |
| Greyhound Rescue North East | "adoption donation, minimum £150", paid while the dog is reserved and not refundable |
| S.A.R.A. | "Our adoption fee is £200 or £300 for a pair" |
| Durham Dogs & Cats Home | A £200 charitable donation to complete the adoption |
| Maxi's Mates | No fee published; ask when you enquire |
Which Middlesbrough rescue for which dog
The table is in rough order of distance. Here is how each one works.
S.A.R.A. The Ann Prosser Foundation, Redcar
About 7 miles from Middlesbrough and open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. S.A.R.A. says every animal it rehomes has been assessed by staff, examined by a vet, vaccinated, microchipped, treated for fleas and worms and neutered unless there is a medical reason not to; older animals are blood tested. Its adoption process starts by matching a dog to your lifestyle. You meet the dog by appointment and walk it with a member of staff, sometimes over several visits, then a home check and a one-week trial at home follow. Phone 01642 488108.
Maxi's Mates, near Guisborough
About 8 miles from Middlesbrough. Maxi's Mates cares for the stray dogs picked up by the local authority in Redcar & Cleveland and Hambleton, and also takes abandoned and surrendered dogs; its about page says its 56 kennel spaces "always run at capacity". Its homepage counter says 333 dogs came in "this year alone" and 274 found new homes (read 29 October 2026). When we checked, most of its dogs were lurchers and greyhounds, and its meet the dogs page notes that not all of them are ready for adoption just yet. See the dogs on its meet the dogs page and enquire on 0750 710 4636 or through its contact form.
Durham Dogs & Cats Home, Coxhoe
About 14 miles from Middlesbrough. Its adoption page has four steps: register online or in person with photo ID and proof of address (renters need their landlord's permission); look through its pets; reserve one, which it holds for up to 48 hours; then complete the adoption by appointment. The £200 donation isn't refundable, and its dogs come vaccinated, microchipped and with 4 weeks' free Petplan insurance.
Animal Krackers, Wearside
About 23 miles from Middlesbrough, at Ferry Farm, and open from 10am to 4pm every day. Mostly cats and rabbits, with some dogs. Animal Krackers asks a minimum of £100 for a dog, which goes vaccinated and microchipped, with neutering arranged or a voucher given. A home check comes before any adoption, and you can take a dog on a two-week trial first. It asks a £10 viewing donation, taken off the final fee.
Greyhound Rescue North East
Greyhound Rescue North East says it is a small, family run rescue based in the north east of England, with kennel visits by appointment only. It rehomes greyhounds, lurchers and other sighthounds, holds a matched dog for up to 2 weeks while you pay an adoption donation of at least £150, and its FAQ says a home check follows if you are suitable. Our Middlesbrough greyhound page and lurcher page list the sighthounds from every rescue.
How to choose a rescue near Middlesbrough
Start with the dog, not the rescue: our Middlesbrough page lists every dog with each rescue, so filter by size, age or breed and see who has it. Then check four things on the rescue's own page:
- Distance and visits. S.A.R.A., Durham Dogs & Cats Home and Greyhound Rescue North East see adopters by appointment, so phone or apply before you set off.
- Your home. Ask about gardens, children and other pets before you apply; S.A.R.A. matches a dog to your lifestyle first, and Durham Dogs & Cats Home asks renters for their landlord's permission.
- The fee. Four rescues publish one (see the table above). Ask Maxi's Mates what its fee is and what it covers.
- A trial. S.A.R.A. gives a one-week trial at home and Animal Krackers a two-week trial for dogs; ask the others what support they offer after adoption.
Dogs Trust Darlington, breed rescues and strays
Dogs Trust Darlington, at Hill House Farm, Sadberge, about 10 miles from Middlesbrough, is open for browsing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4pm. We don't list its dogs, so search its own site.
Breed charities cover Teesside too: Labrador Welfare covers the North East, and Happy Staffie Rescue and Senior Staffy Club rehome Staffies across the UK. Happy Staffie Rescue's dogs are on our Happy Staffie Rescue page; we don't list Labrador Welfare's or Senior Staffy Club's dogs.
Found a stray? In England, if you can't contact the owner, you must report it to the council. Maxi's Mates looks after the strays picked up in Redcar & Cleveland and Hambleton, so an unclaimed stray from those areas may later appear on its meet the dogs page.
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
What is the nearest dog rescue to Middlesbrough?
Of the rescues we list, S.A.R.A. The Ann Prosser Foundation at Redcar, about 7 miles away, and Maxi's Mates near Guisborough, about 8 miles away. Durham Dogs & Cats Home at Coxhoe is about 14 miles, and Animal Krackers on Wearside about 23.
Which dog rescues near Middlesbrough publish their adoption fee?
Animal Krackers asks a minimum of £100 for a dog, Greyhound Rescue North East an adoption donation of at least £150, S.A.R.A. £200 for one dog or £300 for a pair, and Durham Dogs & Cats Home a £200 donation. Maxi's Mates publishes no fee on the pages we read.
Is adopting a dog cheaper than buying a puppy?
Usually. The rescues near Middlesbrough that publish a dog fee ask from £100 to £200 for one dog, while Blue Cross puts a bought puppy at £400 to £3,000 before vet work.
Where can I adopt a greyhound or lurcher near Middlesbrough?
Maxi's Mates had most of the lurchers listed with us when we checked on 29 October 2026, and Greyhound Rescue North East and S.A.R.A. list greyhounds. Our Middlesbrough greyhound and lurcher pages show every one available today.
Can I walk in to see the dogs?
Mostly not. S.A.R.A. meets adopters by appointment, Greyhound Rescue North East by appointment at its kennels, and Durham Dogs & Cats Home by appointment. Animal Krackers is open from 10am to 4pm every day, and Dogs Trust Darlington has open browsing on five afternoons a week.
What happens to stray dogs found around Middlesbrough?
In England you must report a stray dog to the council if you can't contact the owner. Maxi's Mates cares for the strays picked up in Redcar & Cleveland and Hambleton, so an unclaimed stray from those areas may later be listed for adoption there.
Does Dogs Trust have a centre near Middlesbrough?
Dogs Trust Darlington is at Sadberge, about 10 miles away, and is open for browsing on five afternoons a week. We don't list its dogs, so search its own site.
Keep reading
- All rescue dogs in and around Middlesbrough
- Adopting a greyhound or lurcher in Middlesbrough: rescues and costs
- Adopting a Staffy in Middlesbrough: rescues, costs and the law
- Adopting a Labrador in Middlesbrough: rescues, costs and care
- Every dog adoption guide for Middlesbrough
- Rescue pets in Middlesbrough
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Middlesbrough? 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: S.A.R.A.: homepage (what every adopted animal has had; hours; phone) · S.A.R.A.: adoption process (fee, trial) · Maxi's Mates: homepage (strays for Redcar & Cleveland and Hambleton; undated "this year alone" counter) · Maxi's Mates: about (56 kennel spaces) · Maxi's Mates: meet the dogs · Durham Dogs & Cats Home: adopt me · Animal Krackers: adoption information (dog fee, home check, two-week trial, hours, viewing donation) · Greyhound Rescue North East: homepage (adoption donation) · Greyhound Rescue North East: FAQ · Dogs Trust: Darlington rehoming centre (browsing hours) · gov.uk: Report a stray dog · Labrador Welfare: FAQs (coverage) · Happy Staffie Rescue · Senior Staffy Club: adopt a Staffy · 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