Rescue dogs for adoption and rehoming in and around Newcastle upon Tyne

The nearest rescue to the city is Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter, at Benton North Farm in Longbenton, on the edge of the city about 3 miles north east of the centre. Bryson's Animal Shelter is at Eighton Banks in Gateshead, about 5 miles south, and Animal Krackers has kennels at Ferry Farm, near Sunderland, about 10 miles south east.

Further out, Durham Dogs & Cats Home at Coxhoe, about 20 miles south, puts dogs at risk in local council pounds first. Every profile here links to the rescue that cares for the dog, and you apply with them: we don't rehome dogs ourselves.

In England, if you find a stray dog and can't contact the owner, you must report it to the council. In Newcastle, call the council's dog warden on 0191 211 6102, 8.30am to 4.30pm. The council takes the strays it finds to Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter. North Tyneside's dog warden is on 0345 2000 103, and the shelter's stray page says that if the dog is frightened you should avoid trying to catch it yourself.

An owner reclaiming a dog pays the council's charges: £55 if the dog warden returns the dog without impounding it, £90 for a dog claimed on the day it is impounded (charged as one day), rising to £265 after eight days in kennels. The owner must show proof of ownership (the shelter's strays page). The council says that after seven clear days in the pound a dog will be rehomed or put to sleep, so a chipped dog with up to date details goes home much faster.

Not every rescue here publishes a fee. Animal Krackers asks a minimum of £100 for a dog, Greyhound Rescue North East a minimum adoption donation of £150, and Durham Dogs & Cats Home a £200 charitable donation to complete an adoption. The greyhound and Durham donations can't be refunded.

Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter, Bryson's Animal Shelter and Northumberland Greyhound Rescue don't publish a fee, so ask them. At Animal Krackers your dog is vaccinated, microchipped and either neutered or given a neutering voucher if too young (its adoption page).

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.

Most rescues around Newcastle work by application and appointment, not walk-ins. Read each one's own page before you apply (Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter's FAQs).

• Apply for one dog, then wait to hear. At Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter you fill in the form on the dog's own page; the rehoming team contacts the one home it thinks suits the dog best, usually within 2 to 3 weeks, and invites you in to meet. It is no longer open for walk-ins, and you can apply for other dogs as often as you like.
• Appointments only at Durham. Durham Dogs & Cats Home asks you to register first and send photos of your home and garden, including where the dog will sleep. Renters show that the landlord allows pets, and you meet the dog in a supervised area rather than walking round the kennels.
• Viewing, home visit and a trial. Animal Krackers books a 30-minute viewing at Ferry Farm, then a home visit; a dog can go on a two-week trial before the adoption is final. Bring photo ID when you visit, and expect money to be discussed only in person, never by message.
• Greyhounds by phone. Northumberland Greyhound Rescue asks you to phone about adopting, and visits are by appointment only. Greyhound Rescue North East talks through your household first, then arranges a home check, and a matched dog can be reserved for up to two weeks.

Two well-known rehoming centres in the region aren't on LocalPetFinder. We don't list their dogs, so search their own sites (Dogs Trust Darlington).

• Dogs Trust has no centre on Tyneside. Its nearest is Dogs Trust Darlington, at Hill House Farm, Sadberge, in County Durham, about 31 miles south.
• Felledge Animal Centre, run by the RSPCA, is in County Durham, about 10 miles south. Viewing is by appointment only, and it opens 11am to 3pm, closed on Wednesdays.

Looking for a particular kind of dog? The greyhound, lurcher, Staffy, crossbreed and puppies pages each list the dogs near Newcastle today. Retired greyhounds are a big part of local rescue here, with three greyhound rescues listing in the area, including Northumberland Greyhound Rescue and Greyhound Rescue North East.

Need to rehome your own dog instead? Our Newcastle rehoming page sets out the local routes, including Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter's gifted form and Dogs Trust's Homestay.