Adopt a Rescue Dog in Devon

Animals in Distress is a community-founded animal rescue charity established in 1981 to support pets in South Devon who had lost their homes through no fault of their own. What began as a small volunteer-led effort, with animals cared for in local kennels and private homes, grew into a permanent rescue centre in Ipplepen in 1994. Today, the charity provides care and rehoming for hundreds of animals each year, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. With strong roots in the local community, Animals in Distress remains committed to treating every animal with dignity, kindness, and ongoing care until a safe and loving forever home is found.

BDRUK (Blind Dog Rescue UK) is a small charity focussed on the rescue and rehoming of blind and partially sighted dogs, BUT WE ALSO REHOME FULLY SIGHTED DOGS so please browse our dogs regardless of whether or not you would consider a dog with sight issues.

Blue Cross is one of the UK’s leading animal welfare charities, supporting sick, injured, and homeless pets since 1897. The charity works to protect vulnerable animals while helping pets and people thrive together, offering veterinary care, behavioural support, and rehoming services across the UK. Blue Cross also provides advice to pet owners, operates pet food banks, and supports pets when their owners can no longer care for them. With a long history of innovation and advocacy in animal welfare, the charity continues to promote compassionate, inclusive care to ensure pets enjoy healthy, happy lives with people who love them.

Dogs Trust is one of the UK’s leading dog welfare charities, supporting dogs and their owners since it was founded in 1891 by Lady Gertrude Stock. Guided by the belief that a dog is for life, the charity provides care for dogs in distress, helps find loving new homes when needed, and supports owners during difficult circumstances. Dogs Trust works across the UK to protect the lifelong bond between dogs and people, offering practical help, education, and advocacy at every stage of a dog’s life. In the last year alone, the charity provided care for over 11,700 dogs without homes, continuing its long-standing mission to create a better future for dogs and the people who love them.

Forever Hounds Trust is a UK-based rescue charity dedicated to the welfare, rehabilitation, and rehoming of greyhounds, lurchers, and other sighthounds. Registered as a charity since 1996, the organisation operates from its centre near Cullompton in Devon, where dogs receive care in line with best-practice welfare standards before being matched with permanent, loving homes. Forever Hounds Trust also provides free, lifelong post-adoption behavioural support to help keep dogs successfully settled in their new homes. Supported by a small staff team, trustees, and a nationwide network of volunteers, the charity actively promotes improved sighthound welfare and advocates against practices that compromise the wellbeing of these breeds.

Gables Dogs & Cats Home is a long-established, non-euthanasia rescue and rehoming charity that has supported unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats since 1907. Each year, the charity cares for up to 1,000 animals, either reuniting lost pets with their owners or finding them loving new homes. On a day-to-day basis, Gables looks after around 80 dogs and more than 100 cats, supported by a committed team of staff and volunteers. Rehoming animals across Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly, the charity relies entirely on public donations and legacies to continue its vital work.

Oldies Club is a specialist rescue for dogs aged 7 and over, founded in 2005, and run entirely by volunteers. We do not have a rehoming centre and do not use kennels but instead place our dogs in carefully vetted foster homes throughout England, Wales and Scotland. We usually have between 30 and 40 dogs in our care at any one time. Our dogs are fully assessed and receive whatever medical treatment they need before being put up for adoption. We take care to fully describe the type of home each individual dog needs so that potential adopters can be sure that the dog they are applying to adopt should suit the home they have to offer. As well as the dogs in our own rescue, we also help older dogs in other rescues by promoting them on our website, alongside our own dogs. This free service has helped thousands of older dogs find homes. We are full members of ADCH and are licensed to rehome dogs in Scotland (licence number SGRH-012 granted by The Scottish Government).

PennyPaws Rescue is a small, passionate rescue founded in 2020 by Gill Jennes, dedicated to saving and rehoming vulnerable dogs from Romania to the UK. The charity focuses on rescue, rehabilitation, fostering, and carefully matching each dog to a suitable forever home, while providing veterinary care and behavioural support. For dogs too traumatised, elderly, or unwell to be rehomed, PennyPaws offers lifelong sanctuary through its sponsorship programme. The rescue also operates a Manchester-based Reactivity Rehabilitation Centre, helping dogs with behavioural challenges rebuild trust and prepare for brighter futures.