Adopt a Rescue Dog in Dorset

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.

Mikey’s Dog Rescue CIC is a foster-based rescue located in Dorset, primarily helping dogs from Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and surrounding counties. The charity focuses exclusively on UK-based dogs and does not import from overseas, believing there are sufficient dogs in need within the UK. Although relatively new, its founding members bring many years of experience in dog rescue and welfare. Without its own kennels, Mikey’s relies on a dedicated network of foster carers who provide loving temporary homes while each dog is carefully matched to a suitable forever family.

Our Safe Haven Kennels is a UK-based rescue facility opened in 2021 in Nantwich, Cheshire, created to provide a calm and supportive environment for dogs in need. The kennels were established to help dogs who struggled in busy shelter settings, particularly those rescued from overseas, as well as to offer a secure backup space for UK dogs returning to the rescue. Designed with welfare in mind, the centre allows potential adopters to meet dogs by appointment and get to know them properly before adoption. Since opening, Our Safe Haven Kennels has seen rapid growth, rehoming more than 200 dogs in 2023 alone, and continues to expand its role as a vital stepping stone between rescue and a permanent, loving home.

Staffie & Stray Rescue is a volunteer-run registered charity (1163631) based in Bournemouth, Dorset. It takes in Staffies and other dogs surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them, as well as strays from local authority pounds, and places them in vetted foster homes while they wait for the right forever family. The rescue has no kennels of its own, relying instead on a network of around 50 volunteers and foster carers, and rehomes dogs to adopters within roughly a two-hour drive of Bournemouth. Every adoption includes a home check and vet check, and adopters receive ongoing help and support after their dog comes home.

Waggy Tails is a local rescue charity founded in 1994 to help unwanted and abandoned dogs find safe, loving homes. Operating primarily across East Dorset and West Hampshire, the charity focuses on careful rehoming supported by pre-adoption checks and follow-up visits to ensure long-term success. Alongside dog rehoming, Waggy Tails also runs an advice service to support pet owners and direct them to appropriate help when needed. Over the years, the charity has successfully rehomed thousands of dogs and a wide range of other animals, remaining committed to compassionate, responsible rescue work within the local community.