Rescue dogs for adoption and rehoming in and around Oswestry

Oswestry sits between two dog rescues we list. To the east, Greyhound Trust Shropshire & Borders keeps its retired greyhounds at private kennels near Wem, about 14 miles away, and homes them across Shropshire and into the Welsh border country, which takes in Oswestry.

To the north, Skylor's Animal Rescue is a small family-run charity whose dogs live in foster homes; its cards show Penyffordd in Flintshire, about 20 miles away. It takes dogs from the pound as well as ex racing greyhounds, and it rehomes across the UK. The greyhound and puppies pages narrow the list.

Oswestry is in Shropshire Council's area, and its dog wardens collect strays across the county. You can report a stray, lost or found dog online or through the council's Customer Service Centre; the warden then tries to find and catch the dog, and has the equipment to do it safely.

The council keeps a register of the strays it collects, so if your own dog goes missing, tell it straight away: a warden on patrol may have picked the dog up, or a member of the public may have taken it in for now.

Skylor's Animal Rescue sets its fee by age, sex and breed: £200 for a crossbreed male over a year old, £250 for a crossbreed female over a year or a crossbreed puppy, £300 for a pedigree male, and £350 for a pedigree female or a pedigree puppy.

The greyhound branch near Wem charges an adoption fee without printing the amount, so ask about it when you make contact. Its hounds go home neutered or spayed, microchipped and vaccinated.

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.

Neither rescue lets you call in unannounced to see the dogs (the greyhound branch and Skylor's).

• Greyhounds near Wem. The branch weighs each home on its own merits, whether you work or are retired, live alone or with a family. Its volunteers also bring hounds to events, an easy first meeting before a kennel visit, and they assess every dog so they can match it to your circumstances.
• Skylor's. You apply first, and volunteer home checkers carry out the home check, asking to see ID before they arrange it; a viewing follows only once both are done. The rescue answers Tuesday to Saturday and is closed on Sundays and Mondays, and a tenancy that allows pets keeps a renter in the running.

Dogs Trust's Shrewsbury centre is at Roden Lane Farm, about 19 miles from Oswestry on the far side of Shrewsbury. Afternoon browsing runs five days a week, and Wednesday and Friday mornings are by appointment. We don't list Dogs Trust dogs, so look on its own site.

Skylor's Animal Rescue only takes back its own dogs now, not dogs from the public. Our Oswestry rehoming page sets out the routes open to an owner who can't keep a dog.