Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Bichon Frise
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
When your Bichon Frise needs a new home, an honest listing is the best thing you can give them. The breed standard describes a "friendly and outgoing" little dog, and the big commitment for the next home is the coat, which Dogs Trust says should be brushed daily to stop it matting. Tell adopters about grooming, health and how your dog is with people and other animals.
List your pet for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Why Bichon Frises end up needing a new home
We haven't found a current, verified UK source that says why Bichons are given up, so we won't guess. What the sources do describe is what the breed needs. The Royal Kennel Club lists the coat as needing grooming every day, and Dogs Trust says it can be clipped by a professional groomer every 6 to 8 weeks. That is a routine the next home has to take on.
The Royal Kennel Club gives the lifespan as over 12 years, and Dogs Trust says typically 12 or more, so a Bichon is a long commitment.
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 Bichon Frise
Grooming and handling. Say how often your dog is brushed and clipped, who grooms them, and how they behave while it happens. Dogs Trust suggests introducing grooming slowly and with rewards, so an adopter needs to know if your dog finds it hard.
Health and vet records. The Royal Kennel Club asks Bichon breeders to have eyes tested. Pass on your vet records and say what has been diagnosed, treated or watched, including anything about their eyes.
Exercise and daily life. The Royal Kennel Club lists up to 30 minutes of exercise a day, and Dogs Trust describes the breed as typically less active, though Bichons still need daily walks, play and training. Describe your dog's real routine, including how long they are left alone and how they cope.
Children and other pets. Dogs Trust says every dog has its own personality shaped by its experiences, so whether a Bichon can live with children, cats or other dogs depends on the dog. Tell adopters what your dog has lived with and how it went.
Bichon Frise rescues that take owners’ dogs
We couldn’t confirm a Bichon Frise breed rescue that is taking owners’ dogs when we checked. The national charities below take every breed, and you can list your dog yourself at the same time.
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 Bichon Frise 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 Bichon Frise appears next to rescue dogs on the Bichon Frises 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.
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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 Bichon Frise: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Is there a Bichon Frise rescue that will take my dog?
We couldn't confirm an active UK Bichon Frise rescue that takes owners' dogs when we checked on 6 October 2026. The national charities on this page take every breed, and you can list your Bichon with us at the same time. If you find a breed rescue yourself, check that it is a registered charity and that its site shows recent activity.
My Bichon's coat is matted. Should I sort it before rehoming?
If you can, book a groom, and either way tell adopters the truth about the coat. Dogs Trust says a Bichon's curly hair should be brushed daily to stop it matting, and The Royal Kennel Club lists the coat as needing grooming every day. The next home needs to be ready for that routine.
Can I rehome my Bichon to a home with children or other pets?
It depends on your dog. Dogs Trust says every dog has its own personality, shaped by its experiences. Describe how your Bichon has been with children, other dogs and cats, and let adopters decide with the full picture.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Bichon Frise · The Royal Kennel Club: Bichon Frise breed standard · Dogs Trust: Bichon Frise