Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Beagle
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
Giving up a Beagle is hard, and Beagle Welfare says it "is usually a very difficult decision to make". You don't have to rush it, and you don't have to do it alone: Beagle Welfare takes owners' beagles and starts with a phone call. Whichever route you take, tell the next home plainly about your Beagle's recall, energy and how they cope when left.
List your pet for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Why Beagles end up needing a new home
Beagle Welfare says "People have to give up their beagles for many reasons". We found no source that counts those reasons, so here is what the breed asks of a home, which is what a new owner needs to be ready for.
The Beagle is a scenthound, bred to hunt hare by following a scent. The Royal Kennel Club says it "benefits from secure surroundings, as its keen sense of smell may lead it to follow an interesting scent", and that Beagles thrive on companionship. Dogs Trust calls them "typically high-energy dogs who need lots of exercise", with daily walks, play, training and enrichment.
None of this makes your dog a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your Beagle
Recall and the nose. The Royal Kennel Club says a Beagle's nose may lead it to follow an interesting scent, so secure surroundings matter. Say honestly how your Beagle behaves off the lead, and whether they have ever got out of the garden and how.
Exercise and enrichment. The Royal Kennel Club lists up to an hour of exercise a day, and Dogs Trust says lots of Beagles enjoy scent games. Describe the routine your dog is used to, so an adopter can match it.
Being left and noise. The Royal Kennel Club says Beagles thrive on companionship, and the breed was valued for its "musical voice". Tell adopters how long your dog copes alone and whether they bark or howl when left, so a family with close neighbours can decide fairly.
Temperament and bites. Beagle Welfare says that if a hound has bitten, "for whatever reason", or has a temperament problem, it must be told, because it has to pass every temperament issue on to new owners. A private adopter deserves the same honesty, along with your dog's vet records.
Beagle rescues that take owners’ dogs
Beagle Welfaredogs · Great Britain, with specialist Beagle kennels and foster homes around the country
Formed in 1979 to rehome Beagles whose owners cannot keep them. Start by phoning its national rehoming co-ordinator (the number is on its surrendering page), as it says it cannot rehome dogs by email. When kennel and foster spaces are full, a suitable Beagle may be listed on its website while staying at home. Registered charity in England and Wales no. 328633 (as The Beagle Welfare Scheme).
National charities that take any breed
Dogs Trustdogs
Two routes: Homestay, where your dog stays with you while Dogs Trust finds a new home (it says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"), or a kennel or foster place, which "could take a few weeks". Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free, and it aims to reply within 72 hours. Start with a call on 0300 303 2188 or its online form.
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your Beagle on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your dog is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your dog stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your Beagle appears next to rescue dogs on the Beagles pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your dog, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
Ready to find your Beagle a good home?
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Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your Beagle: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a Beagle rescue take my dog?
It can. Beagle Welfare was formed to help with Beagles and rehome those whose owners "for whatever reason, cannot keep them". It asks you to phone first rather than email, and says it may refuse a Beagle with serious temperament problems, because a home is unlikely to be found for it.
Can my Beagle stay at home until a new home is found?
Sometimes. Beagle Welfare says that when it has no kennel or foster space, a suitable Beagle can go on its website rehoming list and stay in its own home until a new home is found. Otherwise it uses specialist Beagle kennels and experienced foster homes.
My Beagle has bitten someone. Can I still rehome them?
You may be able to, but you must say so. Beagle Welfare says it has a legal responsibility to tell new owners about every temperament issue, "no matter how big or small", and asks owners to tell it about any bite. Speak to your vet as well, and never hide a bite from an adopter.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: Beagle Welfare · Beagle Welfare: Surrendering your beagle · The Royal Kennel Club: Beagle · Dogs Trust: Beagle