Rescue guide
Dog rescues in Portsmouth and Hampshire, compared
None of the dog rescues we list has kennels in Portsmouth itself, so the dogs you can adopt here live with volunteer fosterers or wait in kennels at Southampton and Fair Oak. These are the dog rescues around Portsmouth and south Hampshire that list their dogs with us, what each charges, the rules they apply, and where the council kennels and The Stubbington Ark fit in.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 5 November 2026
The short answer
For a dog near Portsmouth, start with the foster-based charities: Phoenix Rehoming, whose fees run from £225 to £425, and Hairy Hounz, a Southampton-based charity with every dog in a foster home. For kennel visits, Second Chance Animal Rescue at Mansbridge and Greyhound Lifeline are in Southampton, about 16 miles away. Each one wants a form and a home check before you meet a dog.
- 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.
- Phoenix Rehoming
- £225 to £425 a dog, with vaccinations, a microchip, five weeks of Agria cover and a session with an accredited trainer.
- St Francis Animal Welfare
- £200 to £350 for a dog depending on age and breed, and £350 to £400 for a puppy.
- German Shepherd Rescue South
- A donation of £175 to £400, set by the dog's age.
- Greyhound Lifeline
- A £175 donation; a £50 non-refundable holding deposit reserves the hound and comes off it on the day.
- Buying a puppy
- Blue Cross puts the puppy alone at £400 to £3,000.
- A dog for life
- PDSA reckons at least £6,200 to £18,800 over a dog's lifetime (its 2024 figures), not counting the price of the dog.
Portsmouth and Hampshire dog rescues compared
The first four rescues below had dogs listed with us within 25 miles of Portsmouth on 5 November 2026; the last three join them as this page goes live. Click a name to see the dogs. You apply to the rescue, which sets its own checks and fee.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs | How you adopt | Dog fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Chance Animal Rescue (Southampton) | Mansbridge, Southampton (about 16 miles) | Dogs, cats, small animals | Phone first; viewing by appointment | Not published |
| Greyhound Lifeline | Edge of Southampton (about 16 miles) | Greyhounds | Questionnaire, meeting, home check | £175 donation |
| Hampshire Paws Animal Rescue | Foster homes in Hampshire (dogs filed at Southampton) | Dogs, cats, rabbits | Form and home check before meeting | Varies by animal |
| St Francis Animal Welfare | Fair Oak, near Eastleigh (about 15 miles) | Dogs, cats, small pets | Register; appointment if it has a match | £200 to £350 |
| Phoenix Rehoming | Foster homes; each dog's town shown | Dogs and cats | Form; meet in the foster home | £225 to £425 |
| Hairy Hounz | Southampton-based fosters | Dogs, often owner surrenders | Email form, meet and greet, home check | Not published |
| German Shepherd Rescue South | Fareham base; we list dogs whose write-up names their town | German Shepherds | Form, family home check, matching | £175 to £400 |
How each rescue near Portsmouth works
Fees vary a little; the conditions vary a lot. Check the notes on whichever charity has your chosen dog before sending anything.
Phoenix Rehoming, foster homes
Set up in 2016 by a small group of animal lovers, Phoenix Rehoming is a Hampshire charity whose dogs and cats all live with fosterers, and each listing gives the animal's town. Its adoption page rules out families with children under 5 and asks for a secure garden fenced to at least 4 feet, though most dogs need 6.
You travel to the foster home to meet the dog, and it never lets a dog leave on the day you meet it. A dog over six months comes with a 7-day cooling-off period. It often gets several applications for one dog, and it shows new animals to its paying Facebook supporters before its website.
Hairy Hounz, Southampton fosters
Hairy Hounz has no kennels: since 2015 its volunteers have fostered every dog while it is assessed, treated and trained. It says it looks at every application, flats included. Several of its dogs are owners' rehomes; its list on 5 November 2026 ran from a pair of Pomchi brothers to Chihuahua sisters and a springer.
Send its email application form, naming the dog or leaving the name blank to register interest; if your form is accepted it arranges a meet and greet and a home check. It publishes no fee, and it has no walk-in centre, so every visit is by arrangement.
Second Chance Animal Rescue, Mansbridge
Running for more than 40 years, Second Chance has its own premises at Mansbridge, Southampton, and rehomes dogs, cats and small animals. Ring before you go, as viewing is by appointment. Its dogs page warns of scammers posing as rescues, says it rehomes only from Mansbridge and never through Facebook, and adds that not every dog it holds is on the website. Its dogs are on our Second Chance page.
Greyhound Lifeline, Southampton
Greyhound Lifeline starts with a pre-homing questionnaire, then a meeting at an agreed spot or its enclosed outdoor area, and a home check once you reserve a hound. Fences and gates must reach 6 feet, adopters must be 21 or over, and every greyhound leaves neutered and with its teeth done. If you have a cat, ask about its waiting list for cat-friendly hounds. Its dogs are on our Greyhound Lifeline page.
St Francis Animal Welfare, Fair Oak
A small shelter that has rehomed animals since 1953, St Francis Animal Welfare sits on Mortimers Lane at Fair Oak, about 15 miles from Portsmouth. You register online, by phone or in person; its FAQ explains it can't contact everyone who registers, and arranges a viewing only when it has a dog that suits you. It doesn't offer tours. Its animals are on our St Francis page.
German Shepherd Rescue South and Hampshire Paws
German Shepherd Rescue South has rescued German Shepherds since 2007 and first assesses each dog in its own home. Its adoption rules are strict: no flats or shared gardens, no children under 10 unless they have lived with a German Shepherd, 6ft fences and no more than 3 to 4 hours alone. It wants adopters in the South of England.
Hampshire Paws Animal Rescue, founded in 2019, is a foster-based rescue that checks your home before you meet any animal. It picks the home that suits each animal rather than the first applicant, and doesn't place dogs with young children. Its dogs are on our Hampshire Paws page.
Choosing the right rescue from Portsmouth
Begin on our Portsmouth dogs page, which lists dogs from the rescues above, and narrow it by age, size or breed. Then weigh these four points:
- Children at home. Phoenix Rehoming won't place a dog with under-fives, Hampshire Paws not with young children, and German Shepherd Rescue South wants children over 10 unless they know the breed.
- Your garden. Greyhound Lifeline and German Shepherd Rescue South both want 6ft fencing; Phoenix asks for at least 4 feet. German Shepherd Rescue South rules out flats, while Hairy Hounz considers them.
- Hours alone. German Shepherd Rescue South won't place a dog left for more than 3 to 4 hours at a time.
- Getting there. Phoenix and Hairy Hounz dogs are met in foster homes; Second Chance, Greyhound Lifeline and St Francis see you by appointment at their own sites.
What happens to stray dogs in Portsmouth and Southampton?
Portsmouth City Council keeps strays at its own Portsmouth Stray Dog Kennels on Burrfields Road. An owner who reclaims a dog pays £58 for collection and kennelling, and £22 for every day beyond the first 24 hours. A dog nobody claims within seven days is prepared for rehoming, and the council lists the rescues it works with, including Second Chance, St Francis Animal Welfare and German Shepherd Rescue South.
In Southampton the council's Animal Welfare Officers take found-dog reports online or by phone, and the council points out that keeping a stray without telling them is against the law.
The Stubbington Ark and Blue Cross
Many people searching for a dog in Portsmouth look up The Stubbington Ark, the RSPCA Solent Branch centre on Ranvilles Lane, Fareham. You apply on an animal's page there, it warns it can't answer every application, and it needs a home check and proof that you are registered with a vet. Its kennels are closed for viewing.
Blue Cross's centre on Bubb Lane, Southampton, also appears on the council's list of rescues taking Portsmouth strays. Both rehome through their own sites, and we don't list RSPCA or Blue Cross animals.
What kinds of dogs are in rescue around Portsmouth
Greyhounds lead. On 5 November 2026 they were the biggest single breed listed with us within 25 miles, mostly at Greyhound Lifeline; Second Chance, Hampshire Paws and St Francis had a mix of other breeds. Puppies were missing altogether: see our rescue puppies guide.
Our Southampton dogs page starts from the city and reaches further west, into the New Forest and Dorset fringes. The live count on our Portsmouth dogs page is always current.
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
Is there a dog rescue in Portsmouth?
None of the rescues we list has kennels in the city itself. Phoenix Rehoming, a Hampshire charity, keeps its dogs in foster homes, the council runs stray kennels on Burrfields Road, and the nearest rescue kennels we list are in Southampton and Fair Oak, about 15 to 16 miles away.
Which dog rescues cover Hampshire?
Hairy Hounz and Hampshire Paws Animal Rescue foster dogs in Hampshire, Phoenix Rehoming is a Hampshire charity whose fosterers are spread across England and Wales, German Shepherd Rescue South places dogs from kennels and foster homes across the south, and Second Chance, Greyhound Lifeline and St Francis Animal Welfare have their own sites near Southampton. All list dogs with us.
Is there a dog rescue in Southampton?
Yes. Second Chance Animal Rescue has premises at Mansbridge, Greyhound Lifeline keeps greyhounds on the edge of the city, and Hairy Hounz is a Southampton-based charity with its dogs in foster homes.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog near Portsmouth?
Phoenix Rehoming charges £225 to £425, St Francis Animal Welfare £200 to £350, German Shepherd Rescue South £175 to £400 and Greyhound Lifeline a £175 donation. Blue Cross puts a bought puppy at £400 to £3,000.
What happens to stray dogs in Portsmouth?
They go to the council's Portsmouth Stray Dog Kennels. An owner pays £58 to reclaim one, plus £22 a day after the first 24 hours, and a dog not claimed within seven days is prepared for rehoming with partner rescues.
Can I adopt a dog near Portsmouth if I live in a flat?
Sometimes. Hairy Hounz says it considers every application, flats included, but German Shepherd Rescue South won't rehome to flats or shared gardens, and Phoenix Rehoming needs a secure garden for a dog.
Is the Stubbington Ark an RSPCA centre?
Yes. The Stubbington Ark in Fareham is run by the RSPCA Solent Branch, which rehomes through its own website after a home check. We don't list RSPCA animals, so its dogs aren't on LocalPetFinder.
Is there a German Shepherd rescue in Hampshire?
German Shepherd Rescue South, based in Fareham, rehomes German Shepherds and asks a £175 to £400 donation. It wants adopters in the South of England, 6ft fences and no flats; we list its dogs whose write-up says which town they are in.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Portsmouth? 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: Second Chance Animal Rescue (Southampton): home page · Second Chance Animal Rescue (Southampton): dogs (scam warning) · Greyhound Lifeline: adopt a greyhound · Hampshire Paws Animal Rescue: about us · St Francis Animal Welfare: home page · St Francis Animal Welfare: adoption fees · St Francis Animal Welfare: FAQ · Phoenix Rehoming: home page · Phoenix Rehoming: adopt (fees, rules) · Hairy Hounz: about · Hairy Hounz: apply to adopt · Hairy Hounz: dogs for adoption (dated snapshot) · German Shepherd Rescue South: home page · German Shepherd Rescue South: adoption (rules, donation) · Portsmouth City Council: Portsmouth Stray Dog Kennels · Portsmouth City Council: report a lost or stray dog · Portsmouth City Council: help a stray dog · Southampton City Council: lost and found dogs · RSPCA Solent Branch: adopting from the Ark · RSPCA Solent Branch: contact · 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