Breed adoption guide
Adopting a Chihuahua in London: rescues, costs and health
Lots of Londoners look for a Chihuahua, but few reach the rescues around the city at any one time. Here is where to register, which London rescues to watch, what adopting costs against buying, and the teeth and breathing questions to ask about the smallest breed.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 19 October 2026
The short answer
To adopt a Chihuahua in London, register your interest with British Chihuahua Rescue, a UK-wide charity run by volunteers whose dog list includes an "England - South East" region, and watch our London Chihuahua page, which shows any Chihuahua or Chihuahua cross listed with the rescues around the city. Few are listed at any one time, so expect a wait. Rescues ask an adoption fee, not a sale price, and many of British Chihuahua Rescue's dogs are older.
- Rescue adoption fees
- 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.
- Buying a puppy
- Blue Cross puts the cost of buying a puppy at £400 to £3,000, before food, insurance and vet bills. We have found no reliable Chihuahua-only price, so we don't quote one.
- Rescues near London
- All Dogs Matter charges between £150 and £220, Cheshunt Animal Rescue, which takes in small dogs, usually £400 to £450, and Stokenchurch Dog Rescue shows a minimum donation on each dog's profile.
- A lifetime with a small dog
- PDSA puts the minimum lifetime cost of a small dog at £6,200 to £12,000 (its 2024 figures, including insurance but not vet bills if the dog becomes ill).
Where to adopt a Chihuahua in London
The count under the short answer is live: it shows the Chihuahuas and Chihuahua crosses listed with us in London and within about 35 miles. If it is low or zero, that is the honest picture, not a fault. We haven't found a London-only Chihuahua rescue with an active site of its own, so the national breed rescue is the steadier route. Our London small dogs page shows the other small dogs listed today.
British Chihuahua Rescue
A charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland, run entirely by volunteers. Its dog list can be filtered by region, including "England - South East", so check where a dog is before you get your hopes up. You register your interest by form, and it is frank about the wait: it can never predict how many Chihuahuas will need its care, so "it can take time to match you". It says it does not discriminate against people "in terms of age, economic or residential status". We don't list its dogs, so check its own site.
Rescues near London whose dogs we list
None of the general rescues around London is a Chihuahua specialist, but Chihuahua crosses do reach them, at rescues such as RATS Animal Rescue, near Buntingford, Stokenchurch Dog Rescue, which rehomes within 50 miles of its Buckinghamshire kennels, and All Dogs Matter. Cheshunt Animal Rescue takes in small dogs and fosters all its animals in volunteers' homes, but won't place a dog with anyone who works full time or with children under 5, and only contacts you if you are a potential match.
Pro Dogs Direct fosters dogs across London and the South East and doesn't rehome on a first come, first served basis: it picks the applicant offering the best home, then asks that person for a £25 deposit before a home check. That is its own process. Our guide to London dog rescues compares every rescue near the city.
Charities with centres near London
Dogs Trust has a centre at Harefield in West London, and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home rehomes from its London centre. We don't list their dogs, so search their own sites.
Why Chihuahuas come into rescue
British Chihuahua Rescue says it helps Chihuahuas in need of rehoming "due to changes in circumstances, hardship, neglect or owner's ill health". It also says many of the dogs it rehomes are elderly and need ongoing medication, such as heart tablets, that it can help with after adoption, case by case, and that many need vet treatment costing over £500 before they can be adopted.
Adopting or buying a Chihuahua: what you pay
A rescue fee pays towards work already done. Cheshunt Animal Rescue says its dogs come neutered, microchipped and with first vaccination cover, with "rescue back up" if things go wrong, and All Dogs Matter says its £150 to £220 fee varies with what each dog has cost to care for.
Buy a puppy and neutering and later vaccinations usually come on top of the £400 to £3,000 Blue Cross gives for the puppy itself (breeders must microchip puppies by 8 weeks). With a puppy you are also guessing how it will turn out; with an adult rescue dog you can see its size and temperament before you commit.
Chihuahua health: teeth and breathing
Teeth come first. A Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of Chihuahuas seen by UK vets in 2016 (11,647 dogs, with the records of 5,660 checked for disorders) found dental problems were the most common group of disorders, affecting 19.0 per cent, with periodontal (gum) disease the single most common condition at 13.5 per cent, followed by obesity and retained puppy teeth. Ask what dental work the rescue's vet has done.
- Breathing and heat. Dogs Trust says Chihuahuas are brachycephalic, meaning short noses, flat faces or both, and can struggle with health issues related to that shape.
- Eyes and airways. The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to have eyes tested and breathing graded for BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome).
- Weight. Obesity was the second most common condition in the VetCompass study, so ask what the dog weighs now.
A Chihuahua in a London flat
The Royal Kennel Club lists the Chihuahua as needing up to 30 minutes of exercise a day and a flat as big enough, and British Chihuahua Rescue says it doesn't turn people away for where they live. General rescues set their own rules, though, and size doesn't change them, so ask each one before you apply from a flat. With a dog this small, children matter too: Cheshunt Animal Rescue won't place a dog in a home with children under 5.
"Teacup" and "micro" are sellers' words, not varieties. The Royal Kennel Club breed standard gives one size, up to 2.7 kg, and says the coat should never be merle.
If you've been searching "Chihuahua puppies for sale London"
No rescue sells a Chihuahua. You apply, the rescue decides which of its dogs would suit your home, and the adoption fee goes towards the vet work. Puppies are rare in rescue, so if you want to adopt, be open to an adult whose size and habits are already known.
If you decide to buy, Dogs Trust suggests asking your vet about a pre-purchase consultation on likely health conditions and rough costs, and The Royal Kennel Club runs a "Find a puppy" service. Treat adverts for "teacup" or merle puppies as a reason to walk away, and report a suspected scam to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud.
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 Chihuahua rescue that covers London?
Yes: British Chihuahua Rescue rehomes Chihuahuas across the UK through volunteers, and its dog list includes a South East region. We haven't found a London-only Chihuahua rescue with an active site. Our London Chihuahua page shows any Chihuahua listed with the rescues near the city today, though there are often few or none, so register with British Chihuahua Rescue as well.
Is it cheaper to adopt a Chihuahua than to buy one?
Usually, yes. All Dogs Matter charges £150 to £220 and Cheshunt Animal Rescue usually £400 to £450, while Blue Cross puts the cost of buying a puppy at £400 to £3,000. A rescue fee normally includes neutering and first vaccinations, and the dog is already microchipped; with a bought puppy, neutering and later vaccinations are usually extra costs.
Can I get a Chihuahua for free, or for £150 or less, in London?
Not free from a rescue, but £150 is possible: All Dogs Matter's fee starts at £150, the lowest in our cost box. Every reputable rescue asks a fee towards vet work. A "free to good home" Chihuahua is a private advert with no rescue checks behind it, so meet the dog where it lives and ask to see the microchip details.
Should I adopt a Chihuahua puppy, an adult or an older dog?
For most homes, an adult or an older dog. Puppies are rare in rescue, and British Chihuahua Rescue says many of the dogs it rehomes are elderly. The Royal Kennel Club gives the lifespan as over 12 years, so an older Chihuahua can still have years ahead, and with an adult you can see its size and habits first.
Why do Chihuahuas end up in rescue?
Often because the owner's life changes. British Chihuahua Rescue says it helps Chihuahuas in need of rehoming due to changes in circumstances, hardship, neglect or an owner's ill health. Ask the rescue what it knows about a particular dog's past.
What health problems should I ask about with a rescue Chihuahua?
Teeth and breathing first. A VetCompass study found periodontal disease in 13.5 per cent of the Chihuahuas it looked at, the most common condition, and Dogs Trust says the breed is brachycephalic. Ask what the rescue's vet found and whether the dog is insured.
Can I adopt an older Chihuahua that needs medication?
Yes, and help may be available. British Chihuahua Rescue says many of its dogs are elderly and need ongoing medication, such as heart tablets, and that it can help with these costs after adoption, decided case by case. Ask about a dog's medication before you apply.
Can I adopt a Chihuahua if I live in a London flat?
Possibly. The Royal Kennel Club says a flat can be big enough for the breed, and British Chihuahua Rescue says it doesn't discriminate on residential status. General rescues set their own home rules, so check each one before you apply.
Keep reading
- Chihuahuas for adoption in and around London
- All rescue dogs in and around London
- The best dog rescues in London, compared
- Chihuahuas across the UK
- Adopting a French Bulldog in London: rescues, costs and breathing
- Adopting a Cockapoo or Cavapoo in London: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Cane Corso in London: rescues, costs and the law
- Adopting a Cocker Spaniel in London: rescues, rules and health
- Adopting a Dachshund in London: rescues, rules and health
- Adopting a German Shepherd in London: rescues, costs and the law
- Adopting a Golden Retriever in London: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a greyhound in London: rescues, rules and costs
- Adopting a Jack Russell in London: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Labrador in London: rescues, costs and the wait
- Adopting a Maltipoo in London: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Pomeranian in London: rescues, costs and health
- Adopting a Poodle in London: Toy, Miniature and Standard
- Adopting a Rottweiler in London: rescues, rules and health
- Adopting a Shih Tzu in London: rescues, costs and grooming
- Adopting a Staffy in London: rescues, costs and the law
- Adopting a Whippet in London: rescues, rules and health
- Every dog adoption guide for London
- Rescue pets in London
- Rehoming a Chihuahua? Our owner guide
Chihuahuas in other cities: Chelmsford, Guildford, Luton, Watford, Crawley, Maidstone, Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Ipswich, Kendal, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Lincoln, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Swansea, Truro, Worcester
Chihuahua guides in other cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Truro
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near London? 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: British Chihuahua Rescue: adopt a dog · British Chihuahua Rescue: our dogs (regions) · British Chihuahua Rescue: home (mission, elderly dogs, vet costs) · All Dogs Matter: how rehoming works · Cheshunt Animal Rescue: adoption process · Cheshunt Animal Rescue: homepage (small dogs, all animals fostered) · Pro Dogs Direct: adopt · Stokenchurch Dog Rescue: adoption FAQs · Dogs Trust: Harefield (West London) · O'Neill et al. (2020), BMC Veterinary Research: Chihuahuas under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016 (RVC VetCompass) · Dogs Trust: Chihuahua · The Royal Kennel Club: Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) · The Royal Kennel Club: Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) breed standard · Blue Cross: getting a puppy · PDSA: the cost of owning a dog · The Royal Kennel Club: Find a puppy · Report Fraud · 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