Chihuahua rescue dogs and puppies for adoption and rehoming in the UK

As of 14 November 2026, 30 Chihuahuas are listed for adoption in the UK on LocalPetFinder, from Aireworth Dogs in Need, Hairy Hounz, K9 Crusaders Dog Welfare, Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, Waggy Tails Rescue, Woodside Animal Welfare Trust, Animal Rescue Centre (ARC) Ottery St Mary, Ashbourne Animal Welfare, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, Easterleigh Animal Sanctuary, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Foal Farm Animal Rescue, Friends Of Rescue NI, Midlands Dog Rescue, RAIN Rescue, RATS Animal Rescue, Rotherham Dog Rescue, S.A.R.A. – The Ann Prosser Foundation, Silver Fox Dog Rescue, Skylor's Animal Rescue, Stokenchurch Dog Rescue, Three Counties Dog Rescue, Wellingborough Dog Welfare and West Wales Poundies Dog Rescue. Each profile links to the rescue, and you apply to adopt with them directly.

As of 14 November 2026, Aireworth Dogs in Need (at Keighley): 2, Hairy Hounz (at North Baddesley): 2, K9 Crusaders Dog Welfare (at Truro): 2, Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary (at Stadhampton): 2, Waggy Tails Rescue (at Canford Magna): 2 and Woodside Animal Welfare Trust (at Plymouth): 2, and 18 more. By age, that is 3 puppies, 14 adult dogs and 10 older dogs, plus 3 with no age given. The newest was added on 10 November 2026. Each profile links to the rescue, which handles the adoption.

With the rescue that has the dog. Today the Chihuahuas on this page are with Aireworth Dogs in Need, Hairy Hounz, K9 Crusaders Dog Welfare, Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, Waggy Tails Rescue, Woodside Animal Welfare Trust and 18 other rescues. Open a profile and apply to that rescue: each one runs its own application, home check and adoption fee. We don't rehome animals ourselves.

"Apple head" comes from the breed standard: The Royal Kennel Club asks for a well-rounded "apple dome" skull with a moderately short, slightly pointed muzzle. "Deer head" is an informal name for a longer face and does not appear in the standard. The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch lists an excessively short muzzle as a point of concern. For a rescue dog, head shape is a look, not a type: ask the rescue about the dog's breathing, teeth and eyes instead.

It can be. The Royal Kennel Club lists a flat as a big enough home for the breed, with a small or medium garden, and up to 30 minutes of exercise a day. Whether a particular dog will settle in a flat, with neighbours and shared stairs, is something the rescue can tell you.

Up to 30 minutes a day, according to The Royal Kennel Club. Dogs Trust says they need daily walks, play and enrichment but might not manage long or strenuous walks. Ask the rescue about this dog, as age and health make a difference.

They need care in the heat. Dogs Trust says Chihuahuas are at higher risk of heat stroke and describes the breed as brachycephalic (short-nosed or flat-faced). Ask your vet or the rescue how to keep this dog safe on warm days.

There is no teacup variety. The Royal Kennel Club breed standard has one size, up to 2.7 kg with 1.8 to 2.7 kg preferred, and two varieties by coat: smooth and long. "Teacup" and "micro" are names sellers use, not varieties. With an adult rescue Chihuahua, you know its size already.

The Royal Kennel Club gives the breed's lifespan as over 12 years, and Dogs Trust says typically 10 or more. Adopting a Chihuahua can mean a long commitment, which is one reason older Chihuahuas are worth a look too.

Only the coat. The Royal Kennel Club says the two varieties share the same physical attributes apart from coat type, and smooth-coat parents can have long-coat puppies. Dogs Trust says both shed moderately: a smooth coat might need brushing weekly and a long coat two or three times a week.

We only list dogs with rescues, so there is nothing to buy here: every Chihuahua on this page is adopted for the rescue's fee. If you decide to buy, The Royal Kennel Club runs a Find a Puppy service, and Dogs Trust suggests talking to your vet, and says some practices offer pre-purchase consultations covering likely health conditions, rough costs, finding a responsible breeder and testing for inheritable diseases. With an adult rescue Chihuahua you know its size, and the rescue can tell you about its personality and vet history.

It depends on the dog, not the breed. Today the rescues mark 14 of the 30 Chihuahuas listed in the UK as able to live with children. Where a profile says nothing, ask the rescue what age of children the dog could live with.

Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. Battersea charges £230 for a dog over six months and £275 for a puppy under six months, 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.

No. We don't list animals for sale. Every Chihuahua on this page is with a rescue or rehoming centre. Rescues rehome animals rather than selling them, usually for an adoption fee: for example, Battersea charges £230 for a dog over six months and £275 for a puppy under six months, and Dogs Trust £300. The fee usually goes towards vet work already done, such as neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations. If you searched "chihuahua puppies for sale", the Chihuahuas here are the rescue route: you apply to the rescue and pay its adoption fee, not a sale price.

Usually not. UK rescues normally ask for an adoption fee, which pays towards neutering, microchipping and vaccinations. Many rescue fees are under £500: Battersea charges £230 for a dog over six months, Dogs Trust £300, and Blue Cross from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over. An animal offered "free to a good home" is usually a private advert rather than a rescue. All dogs in the UK must be microchipped by 8 weeks old, and in England, Wales and Scotland a dog can't pass to a new keeper until it is chipped, so ask to see the microchip details.

Yes: 3 puppies of the 30 listed in the UK are 12 months or under by the listed age.

Yes: 10 Chihuahuas of the 30 listed in the UK are aged 7 or over by the listed age. Some rescues charge less for older dogs: Blue Cross fees start from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over.

This page lists every Chihuahua with the rescues we list across the UK, each with its town. For a city, see Chihuahuas in Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Brecon, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Ipswich, Kendal, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Wales, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Perth, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Taunton, Truro and Worcester. You can also search by postcode with the pet finder on our home page to see what is closest to you.