Rescue guide
The best dog rescues in Sheffield, compared
There is no single best dog rescue in Sheffield: 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 city centre whose dogs we list, side by side, plus the Blue Cross unit, the council kennels and the breed charities you can contact yourself.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 27 October 2026
The short answer
For a rescue inside Sheffield, start with Sheffield Dog Rescue at Mosborough, which charges £200 for a dog (£300 for a pedigree breed). Most of the other rescues whose dogs we list are a drive away: Thornberry Animal Sanctuary at North Anston, about 10 miles east, rehomes dogs, cats and rabbits, and Helping Yorkshire Poundies has kennels near Rotherham. Expect to travel and to meet a dog more than once. Blue Cross also has a Sheffield unit, 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.
- Sheffield-area rescues that publish a fee
- Published dog fees start at £200 at Sheffield Dog Rescue, and most fall between £250 and £550, the puppy fee at Chesterfield Animal Rescue. RAIN Rescue generally asks £250 to £350, and Helping Yorkshire Poundies a minimum of £300 for an adult dog. Lost Paws Dog Rescue, a foster network, asks up to £695. 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).
Sheffield dog rescues compared
Every rescue below is based, or has the dogs we list filed, within about 25 miles of central Sheffield. Click a name to see the dogs it has listed with us today, or follow the link in its section below to the rescue's own page. Each rescue runs its own application, home check and fee: we don't rehome dogs ourselves.
Be ready to travel. Of the rescues we list, only Sheffield Dog Rescue has premises inside the City of Sheffield, at Mosborough in the south east. The rest are spread around it: Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster in South Yorkshire, Dronfield in Derbyshire, Marsden in West Yorkshire, and as far as Misson, Cuckney and Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. Most days, few of the dogs listed near Sheffield are in the city itself.
| Rescue | Where | Dogs | How you adopt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity | Near Barnsley (about 12 miles) | Dogs, cats and rabbits | Kennels open for rehoming 11am to 3pm on weekdays, weekends by appointment |
| Best Life Dog Rescue | Foster homes, Doncaster (about 17 miles) | UK dogs only | Apply on the dog's page, a phone call, a garden video, then meet the dog at its foster home |
| Chesterfield Animal Rescue | Foster homes; listed at Dronfield (about 6 miles) | Dogs and cats | Apply on the profile, home check, meets in a local park, then a trial at home |
| Cliffe Kennels & Rescue | Hoylandswaine, near Barnsley (about 12 miles) | All types | Phone about a dog; you are invited to view if your circumstances match its needs |
| Doggy Dens UK Rescue | Kennels at Cuckney, Nottinghamshire (about 16 miles) | Dogs; we list only its UK dogs | Apply, then a call from its rehoming team and a visit to see your home and garden |
| Greenleaf Animal Rescue | National foster network; each dog's page gives where it is | All types | Apply online; home check and vet references |
| Helping Yorkshire Poundies | Kennels near Rotherham (about 5 miles), and foster homes | Dogs, mostly from council pounds | Questionnaire, meet at the kennels or foster home, home visit |
| Jerry Green Dog Rescue | Mansfield centre, near Blidworth (about 24 miles) | All types, including puppies | Apply on the dog's page, then meet in its Meet&Match rooms |
| Lost Paws Dog Rescue | UK foster homes; we list only its dogs already in the UK | Dogs, many from Cyprus | Application; its fee is paid as a deposit plus a balance |
| RAIN Rescue | Dogs listed at Misson (about 21 miles); a second centre at Rotherham | Dogs and cats | Enquire online, then an appointment; home check and meet before any reservation |
| Rotherham Dog Rescue | Rawmarsh, Rotherham (about 8 miles) | Dogs | Phone before visiting; thorough home checks |
| Sheffield Dog Rescue | Mosborough, Sheffield (about 5 miles) | Dogs | Visit by appointment to walk the dogs; home check before adoption |
| Thornberry Animal Sanctuary | North Anston, near Sheffield (about 10 miles) | Dogs, cats and rabbits | Enquiry form, a first meeting, then a home check by video and photos |
| West Yorkshire Dog Rescue | Foster homes in West Yorkshire; listed at Marsden (about 24 miles) | All types | Enquiry form, interview, home check, adoption contract |
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 neutering, vaccinations and a microchip. Where a rescue publishes no fee, ask it when you enquire.
| Rescue | Fee (their words) |
|---|---|
| Sheffield Dog Rescue | £200, or £300 for pedigree breeds |
| Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity | From £250 for an adult dog; from £300 under 6 months |
| RAIN Rescue | Generally £250 to £350, shown on each dog's profile |
| Helping Yorkshire Poundies | A minimum donation of £300 for an adult dog, £450 for a puppy; non-refundable |
| Lost Paws Dog Rescue | £295 to £695 by type and age, as a deposit plus a balance |
| Cliffe Kennels & Rescue | From £380 |
| Jerry Green Dog Rescue | £385 for a dog over 20 weeks; puppy fees vary |
| Best Life Dog Rescue | From £395 |
| Doggy Dens UK Rescue | From £450 for a dog from the UK |
| Chesterfield Animal Rescue | £300 for a dog over 10, £450 for an adult dog, £550 for a puppy under 12 months |
| Greenleaf Animal Rescue | "donate what you can" (no amount) |
Which Sheffield rescue for which dog
The table is alphabetical. Grouped by where they are and how they work, it looks like this.
Sheffield Dog Rescue, Mosborough
The only rescue we list with premises inside the city, at Quarry Hill in Mosborough. You visit the kennels by appointment to see and walk the dogs, and use the contact form on a dog's page. Its page says, in capitals, that a home check must be completed before any dog is adopted. The fee is £200 (£300 for pedigree breeds) and helps cover neutering, first vaccinations, a microchip, and flea and worm treatment.
Its rules are clear. It wants a securely fenced garden, and adopters who are not out at work full time or leaving the dog alone for long periods. It doesn't rehome older dogs to families with children under seven, and doesn't rehome its adult dogs to homes with a cat unless it knows the dog's history. New owners get a year's free membership and back-up.
East of the city: North Anston and Rotherham
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary at North Anston, in Rotherham borough, rehomes dogs, cats and rabbits from its rehoming centre, by appointment only. You fill in an animal enquiry form; if several people ask about one animal, it considers them all and chooses the most suitable home. A first meeting follows if you are successful, and there may be more meetings, at which you can introduce your other pets, and every dog's new home is checked by video and photos before an adoption date is set. Visitors' own dogs aren't allowed on site, apart from guide and assistance dogs.
Helping Yorkshire Poundies has kennels near Rotherham and some dogs in foster homes; most come from council pounds with little known history. You read its guidance, fill in a pre-adoption questionnaire, meet the dog at the kennels or with the foster carer (it recommends more than one visit), then have a home check visit before signing its adoption agreement. It asks a minimum donation of £300 for an adult dog and £450 for a puppy, which it says is non-refundable, and offers lifetime back-up. Rotherham Dog Rescue at Rawmarsh carries out thorough home checks, and its dogs are neutered, vaccinated, wormed and microchipped; phone before you visit.
North: Barnsley and Hoylandswaine
Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity rehomes dogs, cats and rabbits. Its kennels are open for rehoming from 11am to 3pm on weekdays, with weekends by appointment, and its fee starts at £250 for an adult dog and £300 for a dog under 6 months.
Cliffe Kennels & Rescue at Hoylandswaine is a boarding kennels that also rehomes dogs, and it is a company, not a charity. You phone about a dog and are invited to view if your circumstances suit it; several of its dogs ask for children over 14. Its fees start from £380.
South: Dronfield
Chesterfield Animal Rescue has no rescue centre to visit: its dogs live in foster homes. You apply on the dog's profile, and if you are a match a home check follows, then a first meeting in a local park, a second with any children, and an in-house visit. A trial at home usually lasts 4 weeks before the adoption is final. Its fees are £300 for a dog over 10, £450 for an adult dog and £550 for a puppy under 12 months.
Further out: Doncaster, Misson, Cuckney and Mansfield
Best Life Dog Rescue is foster-based around Doncaster and rescues UK dogs only. You apply with the "adopt me" button; if you seem a likely match you get a phone call, and if you hear nothing within 10 days your application hasn't been successful. It then asks for a video of your garden and home, vet references and photo ID, before you meet the dog at its foster home with everyone in your household and any dog you have. Its fee is from £395.
RAIN Rescue is a closed rescue centre that works by appointment. The dogs we list are at its centre at Misson, in Nottinghamshire, and it has a second centre at Rotherham. You enquire online; no dog is reserved until a home check and a meet and greet have taken place. Its dogs generally cost £250 to £350, shown on each profile, and it welcomes adopters from further away who can travel to meet the dog as often as needed.
Doggy Dens UK Rescue is a charity with purpose-built rescue kennels at Cuckney, in Nottinghamshire, about 16 miles away; it also rescues dogs from abroad, but we list only its UK dogs. After you apply, a member of its rehoming team gets in touch, and it visits to see your home and garden, including every exit and the height of your fences. It asks for fencing of at least 5 feet, higher for some dogs, rehomes only certain dogs to families with children, and may ask for references from your previous vets. Its fee for a dog from the UK starts from £450.
Jerry Green Dog Rescue has a centre at Mansfield, near Blidworth, about 24 miles away. You apply on the dog's page, get a call if you might be a match, and meet the dog in its Meet&Match rooms as often as you need. Some of its dogs stay with their current owner on its Home from Home scheme until a match is found. Its fee is £385 for a dog over 20 weeks.
Foster networks with dogs near Sheffield
West Yorkshire Dog Rescue fosters dogs in West Yorkshire. It says new owners must live within 100 miles of West Yorkshire, and its process runs from an enquiry form to an interview, a home check and an adoption contract. Greenleaf Animal Rescue runs a national foster network, so each dog's page says where it is, and it asks you to donate what you can. Lost Paws Dog Rescue rescues dogs mostly from Cyprus; we list only those already in UK foster homes. Every Lost Paws fee is paid as a deposit plus a balance. That is the rescue's own process, set out on its site. None of these three is a Sheffield rescue.
Breed rescues that cover Sheffield
These breed rescues are not rescues whose dogs we list, but each has kennels within reach of Sheffield, says it covers Yorkshire, or rehomes across the UK. Contact them directly, and expect their own rules.
- Greyhounds: Sheffield Retired Greyhounds has kennels at Wortley, about 7 miles from the city centre. It asks £200 and can't rehome to families with children under 5. Greyhound Trust West Yorkshire has kennels at Womersley, about 23 miles away, by appointment. See our greyhound adoption guide.
- Staffies: Happy Staffie Rescue rehomes Staffies from all over the UK, and Senior Staffy Club rehomes older Staffies throughout the UK, for £120. See our Staffy adoption guide.
- German Shepherds: German Shepherd Rescue includes South Yorkshire in its North East Region, and says its adoption fees vary between £150 and £500. See our German Shepherd adoption guide.
- Labradors: Labrador Welfare says it covers Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, and asks a £450 adoption fee; see its rehoming page and our Labrador adoption guide.
- Cocker Spaniels: UK Spaniel Rescue rehomes spaniels across the UK from foster homes, so a dog may be a long drive away. See our Cocker Spaniel adoption guide.
- Chihuahuas: British Chihuahua Rescue rehomes Chihuahuas across the UK through volunteers, and says it can take time to match you. See our Chihuahua adoption guide.
- Poodle crosses: Doodle Trust and DoodleAid rehome poodle crosses across the UK. See our Cockapoo and Cavapoo adoption guide.
How to choose a Sheffield rescue
Start from your own circumstances, because each rescue's rules decide who it can rehome to. These are the ones Sheffield adopters run into most.
- You have young children. Sheffield Dog Rescue doesn't rehome older dogs to families with children under seven, several dogs at Cliffe Kennels & Rescue need children over 14, and Sheffield Retired Greyhounds can't rehome to families with children under 5. Thornberry sets child ages dog by dog, so read each profile.
- You work long days. Sheffield Dog Rescue wants adopters who are not out at work full time or leaving a dog alone for long periods. Say plainly on any form how the dog's day would be covered.
- You don't drive. Most of the rescues are outside the city, and several ask you to meet a dog more than once. Chesterfield Animal Rescue holds first meetings in a local park, and RAIN Rescue welcomes adopters from further away as long as they can travel to meet the dog as often as needed, so plan how you would get there.
- You have a cat. Sheffield Dog Rescue doesn't rehome its adult dogs to homes with a cat unless it knows their history. Other rescues judge each dog, so check each profile for whether it has lived with cats.
- You already have a dog. Best Life Dog Rescue asks that your dog is neutered and vaccinated and meets the new dog at the foster home, and doesn't rehome littermates together. After a first meeting at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, there may be more, at which you can introduce your other pets.
- Where you live. West Yorkshire Dog Rescue rehomes within 100 miles of West Yorkshire. RAIN Rescue welcomes adopters from further away who can travel to meet the dog.
How adopting from a Sheffield rescue works
The order varies, but most rescues around Sheffield follow the same steps. A "home check" is a visit, by a volunteer or sometimes by video, to see that your home suits the dog. It is not an inspection of how tidy you are.
- Find a dog on the rescue's site or ours, and read its profile for the home it needs (children, cats, other dogs, garden).
- Apply or enquire. Thornberry Animal Sanctuary uses an animal enquiry form, and Best Life Dog Rescue phones likely matches; if you hear nothing from Best Life within 10 days, the application hasn't been successful.
- Have the home check. Sheffield Dog Rescue checks every home before a dog is adopted, and Thornberry checks by video and photos.
- Meet the dog, often more than once and with your household and any dog you already have. RAIN Rescue won't reserve a dog until the home check and a meet and greet have happened, and Chesterfield Animal Rescue follows its meetings with a trial at home.
- Pay the fee and take your dog home. At most rescues the fee covers vet work already done, such as neutering and microchipping.
Blue Cross, the council kennels and other routes
Some well-known rehoming routes in Sheffield aren't on LocalPetFinder. We don't list their dogs, so search or phone them directly.
- Blue Cross runs the Blue Cross Sheffield rehoming, advice and behaviour unit on Old Station Drive, S7. It has no kennels on site: most of its pets stay with their owners until adopted or live with volunteer foster carers. Blue Cross fees are in the cost box above.
- Sheffield City Council's kennels look after the city's stray dogs. The council's page (read on 17 October 2026) says a stray not reclaimed after 7 days becomes the council's property "and may be available for adoption", and that if you are visiting to adopt you must make an appointment first; adoption appointments run between 10am and 3pm, and card payments are the only method accepted. Since 15 October 2025 the council's kennels have occupied a block at the RSPCA Animal Shelter on Stadium Way, S9, with a reception shared with RSPCA volunteers who are not part of the council kennels.
- The RSPCA also rehomes animals; search on its own site.
- Dogs Trust has no rehoming centre in South Yorkshire, and its nearest centres are more than 25 miles from Sheffield.
Find a breed in Sheffield
Each breed page lists every dog of that breed with the rescues above, nearest first, with its own questions and answers. When we checked in October 2026, lurchers and other sighthounds were the biggest breed group listed with us around Sheffield, so the lurcher and greyhound pages are worth watching. There are pages too for crossbreeds, Huskies, Staffies, French Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Labradors, Cocker Spaniels, German Shepherds and poodles and doodles, and for puppies, older dogs and small dogs.
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 best dog rescue in Sheffield?
There isn't one best rescue: it depends on the dog you want and your home. Sheffield Dog Rescue at Mosborough is the only rescue we list inside the city. Thornberry Animal Sanctuary at North Anston rehomes dogs, cats and rabbits, and Helping Yorkshire Poundies has kennels near Rotherham. The comparison table on this page sets out each rescue's area and process.
Are there dog rescues inside Sheffield itself?
One that we list: Sheffield Dog Rescue, at Mosborough. The other rescues whose dogs we list are around the city, in Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and Dronfield, and further out in West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, so expect to travel. Blue Cross has a Sheffield unit on Old Station Drive, but we don't list its dogs.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog from a Sheffield rescue?
Published fees start at £200, and most rescues around Sheffield ask up to about £550. Sheffield Dog Rescue charges £200 (£300 for pedigree breeds), RAIN Rescue generally £250 to £350, Helping Yorkshire Poundies a minimum of £300 for an adult dog, and Chesterfield Animal Rescue £550 for a puppy under 12 months. The fee usually covers neutering, vaccinations and a microchip.
Can I adopt a dog from Sheffield City Council?
Sometimes. Sheffield City Council's page says a stray dog not reclaimed after 7 days becomes the council's property and may be available for adoption, and that you must make an appointment before visiting to adopt, between 10am and 3pm. Its kennels are in a block at the RSPCA Animal Shelter on Stadium Way. We don't list the council's dogs.
Can I see Blue Cross or RSPCA dogs on LocalPetFinder?
No. We don't list Blue Cross or RSPCA animals, so search their own sites. Blue Cross's Sheffield unit on Old Station Drive keeps most of its pets with their owners or with foster carers rather than in kennels. The rescues in our table are the ones whose dogs you can browse here.
Where can I adopt a greyhound or lurcher near Sheffield?
Lurchers and other sighthounds turn up at several rescues we list, including Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, Jerry Green Dog Rescue, Cliffe Kennels & Rescue, RAIN Rescue and Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity. For greyhounds, Sheffield Retired Greyhounds has kennels at Wortley and asks £200, and Greyhound Trust West Yorkshire has kennels at Womersley. We don't list either one's dogs.
Can I adopt a rescue dog if I have young children?
Often, but check each rescue's rules first. Sheffield Dog Rescue doesn't rehome older dogs to families with children under seven, several dogs at Cliffe Kennels & Rescue need children over 14, and Sheffield Retired Greyhounds can't rehome to families with children under 5. Check each dog's profile for whether it can live with children.
Why does Lost Paws Dog Rescue ask for a deposit?
It is that rescue's own process: every Lost Paws fee is split into a deposit and a balance, and the fees range from £295 to £695 depending on the dog. Lost Paws is not a Sheffield rescue; we list only its dogs already in UK foster homes. Our advice never to pay a deposit is about private sellers, not rescues explaining their own steps.
Can I adopt a dog in Sheffield if I work full time?
Sometimes, depending on the rescue and the dog. Sheffield Dog Rescue wants adopters who are not out at work full time or leaving the dog alone for long periods, while other rescues judge each dog. Explain honestly on the form how the dog's day would be covered.
Keep reading
- All rescue dogs in and around Sheffield
- Adopting a Staffy in Sheffield: rescues, costs and the law
- Adopting a greyhound in Sheffield: charities, rules and costs
- Adopting a Cockapoo or Cavapoo in Sheffield: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Chihuahua in Sheffield: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Cocker Spaniel in Sheffield: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Dachshund in Sheffield: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a French Bulldog in Sheffield: rescues, costs and breathing
- Adopting a German Shepherd in Sheffield: rescues, costs and the law
- Adopting a Jack Russell in Sheffield: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Labrador in Sheffield: rescues, costs and matching
- Adopting a Pug in Sheffield: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Rottweiler in Sheffield: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Shih Tzu in Sheffield: rescues, costs and grooming
- Adopting a Whippet in Sheffield: rescues, rules and costs
- Every dog adoption guide for Sheffield
- Rescue pets in Sheffield
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Sheffield? 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: Sheffield Dog Rescue: available dogs · Sheffield Dog Rescue: about us · Thornberry Animal Sanctuary: adopt an animal · Helping Yorkshire Poundies: adoption process · Chesterfield Animal Rescue: FAQ · Chesterfield Animal Rescue: rehoming · Rotherham Dog Rescue: what we do · RAIN Rescue: dog adoption FAQs · Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity: adopt a pet · Cliffe Kennels & Rescue: dogs for adoption · Best Life Dog Rescue: adoption process · Jerry Green Dog Rescue: adopting a dog · Jerry Green Dog Rescue: FAQs · Doggy Dens UK Rescue: home (charity, kennels in Nottinghamshire, UK and overseas dogs) · Doggy Dens UK Rescue: adoption (fee for UK dogs, fencing, home visit, children) · West Yorkshire Dog Rescue: adoption procedure and policy · Greenleaf Animal Rescue: about · Lost Paws Dog Rescue: UK adoption process · Blue Cross: Sheffield rehoming, advice and behaviour unit · Sheffield City Council: lost or found dogs · Dogs Trust: our centres · RSPCA · Blue Cross: getting a puppy · PDSA: the cost of owning a dog · Sheffield Retired Greyhounds: adopt a greyhound · Greyhound Trust West Yorkshire: find out more · Happy Staffie Rescue: adopt · Senior Staffy Club: adopt a Staffy · German Shepherd Rescue: North East region · German Shepherd Rescue: adopt a German Shepherd · Labrador Welfare: give a dog a home · Labrador Welfare: FAQs · UK Spaniel Rescue: adopting · British Chihuahua Rescue: adopt a dog · Doodle Trust: adopt · DoodleAid · 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