Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Carmarthen

Checked 13 November 2026

The short answer

For a dog, call Dogs Trust on 0300 303 2188 and ask about Homestay, which keeps your dog with you while Dogs Trust Bridgend looks for a home, or list your dog on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself. Further east, Hope Rescue at Llanharan keeps a waiting list for owners’ dogs, though as a stray rescue it seldom has a space. For a cat, send Swansea Cats and Kittens its rehoming request and call Cats Protection’s Wales Cat Centre near Bridgend on 01656 724396, as the Swansea branch’s waiting list for cats coming into care was still closed on 13 November 2026.

Carmarthen shares its rescues with the Swansea area: our Carmarthen pages list animals in Carmarthen first, then those with rescues around Swansea, so the options below cover both. Rehoming in Swansea

List your pet in Carmarthen for free

Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.

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Before you rehome

  • Responsible breeders and most rescues take an animal back; the RSPCA's first suggestion is to contact the original seller.
  • If the problem is behaviour or money, Battersea's Behaviour Advice Line helps dog owners and PDSA is a vet charity for people who qualify.
  • Never leave an animal outside a centre: Blue Cross warns it "could put them at risk". Arrange a handover first.

Your options in and around Carmarthen

1. List your pet on LocalPetFinder

Free, about ten minutes; a person checks every listing, adopters message you without seeing your email or phone, and you hand over in person.

2. Local rescues that take owners’ pets

  • Dogs Trust Bridgenddogs · Court Colman, Bridgend (CF31), about 16 miles east of Swansea

    The nearest Dogs Trust to Swansea, and it sees people by pre-arranged appointment only, so start on the phone (0300 303 2188) or the form on its giving up your dog page. Ask about Homestay, where your dog lives at home with you until an adopter is found; a kennel place at Bridgend usually means waiting, as Dogs Trust runs at full capacity.

  • Hope Rescuedogs · Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taf (CF72), about 23 miles east of Swansea, beyond Bridgend

    A long shot from Swansea: Hope is first a stray rescue for Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend councils, and space for owners’ dogs is rare. Phone 01443 226659 or email to ask. If it can help, it sends you a surrender form, which goes back with recent photos to put your dog on its waiting list (no place is promised, and you need to keep in touch). Your dog must already be chipped, with the registered keeper’s agreement if that isn’t you. If a space comes, you take your dog the 23 or so miles to Llanharan yourself. Hope can transfer a dog to a partner rescue without telling you where, and asks for a donation rather than a fee.

  • Swansea Cats and Kittenscats · A volunteer-run charity fostering cats across the Swansea area; viewings by appointment only

    Fill in its request to rehome a cat form, which asks how many cats there are, their temperament and anything else it should know. It gets so many requests that it replies only when it can help, aiming to do so within 48 hours, so keep other routes open while you wait. Space is limited by its foster homes.

  • Cats Protection Wales Cat Centrecats · Bryncethin, near Bridgend, about 18 miles east of Swansea

    Call the Wales Cat Centre on 01656 724396 first. Cats Protection’s Swansea branch says that “due to the unprecedented demand” it has had to close its waiting list for cats coming into care, and reviews this weekly (checked 13 November 2026). Cats Protection’s guide to giving up a cat warns there “can often be waiting lists”, so plan ahead.

  • Cats Protection Swanseacats · A volunteer branch covering SA1 to SA11

    Its waiting list for cats coming into care was still closed when we checked on 13 November 2026; it reviews this weekly, so check its page or call 0300 012 0291 (answered by volunteers, so allow time for a reply).

Many Tears Animal Rescue, which lists its dogs on LocalPetFinder, describes adoption on the pages we read, not a route for owners giving up a pet. Greyhound Rescue Wales, at Garnant, has its own surrender page for a greyhound or lurcher you already have (Greyhound Rescue Wales). West Wales Poundies Dog Rescue takes most of its dogs from council pounds; its homepage says a small number come from owners, but no owner surrender process is published, so ask it directly.

Found a stray dog rather than giving up your own? In Swansea, call the council’s dog wardens on 01792 635600 in office hours; out of hours, take the dog to the council’s acceptance point at Pipehouse Wharf, Morfa Road.

3. National charity schemes

  • Dogs Trust: Dogs only, and free. Homestay keeps your dog with you while a new home is found; call 0300 303 2188.
  • Blue Cross: Dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Home Direct keeps your pet with you, because its own space "is very limited"; call 0300 777 1960.
  • Cats Protection: Cats. Contact your local branch or centre, where "there can often be waiting lists", or ask about Home to Home, which keeps your cat at home.
  • Rabbit rescues: The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund points owners to Rescue Review, Save a Fluff and Rabbit Rehome to find a local rescue. Keep a bonded pair together.

Waiting times and how each scheme works: rehoming in Wales.

If you rehome privately: the must-dos

  • Microchip. In Wales a dog must be microchipped before it goes to a new keeper, who then records their details (2015 Regulations, reg. 8). Chipping a cat is optional in Wales; if yours is chipped, update it too.
  • No deposits, no couriers. Take no money before an adopter has met your pet, and hand over face to face. A deposit request is the classic pet scam sign.
  • Banned dogs and XL Bullies. In Wales it's against the law to give away a banned dog, and in England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk). If your dog could be an XL Bully, contact your local police force rather than listing.
  • Adults, and honesty. Adopters must be 18 or over, and your listing must be honest about health and behaviour.

The full wording, with each regulation: the law in Wales when you rehome a pet.

What’s listed in and around Carmarthen right now

Right now LocalPetFinder lists 97 dogs, 0 cats and 6 rabbits from 5 rescues reachable from Carmarthen.

Looking to adopt instead? Rescue dogs in and around Carmarthen · rescue cats · rabbits

Rehoming a particular breed? Our breed rehoming guides cover what to tell adopters and the breed rescues that take owners’ pets.

Rehoming a pet in Carmarthen: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Where can I take my dog in Swansea if I can’t keep him?

Call Dogs Trust on 0300 303 2188 about Homestay, which keeps him at home with you while Dogs Trust Bridgend looks for an adopter, or join Hope Rescue’s waiting list at Llanharan, about 23 miles east, knowing it rarely has room for owners’ dogs. Or list him on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

How do I rehome a cat in Swansea?

Send Swansea Cats and Kittens its request to rehome form, which it answers within about 48 hours only if it can help, and call Cats Protection’s Wales Cat Centre near Bridgend on 01656 724396: Cats Protection’s Swansea branch (SA1 to SA11, 0300 012 0291) still had its waiting list closed when we checked on 13 November 2026. You can list your cat on LocalPetFinder at the same time, so a local adopter may find her sooner.

Is there a Dogs Trust in Swansea?

No. Dogs Trust’s nearest centre to Swansea is at Bridgend, about 16 miles east, seen by appointment only. To start, call 0300 303 2188 or use the form on its giving up your dog page, and ask about Homestay.

Will Hope Rescue take a dog from Swansea?

Only if a space opens on its owner waiting list, which is rare because Hope works mainly with strays from Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend. Ask by phone or email; it sends a surrender form if it can help, your dog must be chipped, and you would bring him to Llanharan, about 23 miles east, yourself.

How do I rehome my dog in Carmarthen?

List your dog on LocalPetFinder (free, and checked by a person), ask one of the rescues above, or use a national scheme such as Dogs Trust Homestay. Your dog must be microchipped, with the chip transferred to the new keeper.

Is it free to rehome my pet?

Listing on LocalPetFinder is free. Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free; many other rescues ask for a donation but, the RSPCA says, will still help if you're struggling financially.

Can I charge a rehoming fee?

Yes, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, never as a deposit. A fee makes it a sale, so no buyer under 16, and be honest about your pet's health. PAAG warns a "free to good home" advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG).

Will the RSPCA take my pet?

Usually not: the RSPCA says its national centres "can't take in unwanted pets" because it prioritises cruelty and neglect cases. A local RSPCA branch may be able to help, and it points owners to other rehoming charities.

How long does it take to rehome a pet?

Dogs Trust says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"; a kennel space "could take a few weeks". A LocalPetFinder listing is usually reviewed within a day. If you have to move your pet today, see our urgent guide.

Can I rehome a puppy or kitten?

Not on LocalPetFinder: we only list animals aged 6 months or older, in the spirit of Lucy's Law. If you have a young animal or a litter, a rescue can help.

More help

Owner pages nearby: Swansea, Llanelli, Brecon, Cardiff, Newport, Wrexham, North Wales, Ludlow

List your pet in Carmarthen for free

Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.

Start your listing

Sources: Dogs Trust: Bridgend · Dogs Trust: Giving up your dog · Hope Rescue: giving up my dog (re-read 13 Nov 2026) · Cats Protection: Swansea and Wales Cat Centre pages (homepage linked) · Swansea Cats and Kittens: request to rehome a cat · Swansea Cats and Kittens: home page (volunteer-run, foster space, charity 1206862) · Swansea Council: Stray dogs (read in a browser) · Blue Cross: Giving up a pet · Cats Protection: Giving up a cat · RSPCA: Giving up a pet · RWAF: Rehoming rabbits · Battersea: Giving your dog up for adoption · PAAG: Free to a good home adverts · Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015 · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs (England and Wales)