Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Chihuahua
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
When your circumstances or your Chihuahua's needs change, a careful handover matters more than a fast one. The Royal Kennel Club sums the breed up as a "huge personality in a tiny frame", so the right adopter wants that character, not just a small dog. Be open about your dog's health, especially breathing, teeth and eyes, and about how they are with children and visitors.
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Why Chihuahuas end up needing a new home
We haven't found a UK source that says why Chihuahuas are given up, so we won't guess. What the sources do describe is what the breed needs. Blue Cross says a Chihuahua needs a family that will make sure it gets lots of exercise and training, and tells owners to be prepared for health issues such as potential breathing problems and syringomyelia.
Dogs Trust describes Chihuahuas as brachycephalic (a short nose, a flat face or both) and says they are at higher risk of heat stroke. The Royal Kennel Club gives the lifespan as over 12 years, so a Chihuahua can share a household for a long time, and a lot can change over those years.
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 Chihuahua
Health and vet records. Pass on your dog's vet records and say what your vet has found about breathing, teeth and eyes. Blue Cross names breathing problems and syringomyelia, and The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch lists points of concern that include retained puppy teeth and an incorrect bite. An adopter can plan and insure for what they know about.
People, children and other dogs. Dogs Trust says every Chihuahua has its own personality, so some enjoy meeting other dogs and new people and some do not. Say how your dog is with visitors, with children of different ages and with other dogs, including anything that worries you.
Exercise and heat. The Royal Kennel Club lists up to 30 minutes of exercise a day, and Dogs Trust says Chihuahuas "might not manage long or strenuous walks". Describe what your dog actually enjoys and copes with, and how they manage on hot days.
Coat and handling. Say whether your dog is a smooth coat or a long coat. Dogs Trust says a short-haired Chihuahua might need brushing once a week and a long-haired one two or three times a week. If your dog dislikes being groomed or handled, tell adopters so they can go slowly.
Chihuahua rescues that take owners’ dogs
We couldn’t confirm a Chihuahua 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 Chihuahua 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 Chihuahua appears next to rescue dogs on the Chihuahuas 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 Chihuahua: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Is there a Chihuahua rescue that will take my dog?
We couldn't confirm a UK Chihuahua breed rescue that says on its own site that it takes owners' dogs when we checked on 6 October 2026. The national charities on this page take every breed, and you can list your dog with us at the same time. Whichever route you take, Dogs Trust is a reminder that every Chihuahua is an individual, so describe yours honestly.
Can I rehome my Chihuahua to a home with children?
It depends on your dog. Dogs Trust says every Chihuahua has its own personality, shaped by its own experiences, so some enjoy meeting new people and some do not. Tell adopters how your dog has been with children, and what ages, and let them decide with the full picture.
My Chihuahua has breathing or teeth problems. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. Describe the problem plainly and pass on the vet records. Blue Cross tells people choosing a Chihuahua to be prepared for health issues such as breathing problems, so a well-prepared adopter will want the facts from you, not a surprise later.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) · The Royal Kennel Club: Chihuahua (Long Coat) · The Royal Kennel Club: Breed Watch, Chihuahua (Smooth Coat) · Dogs Trust: Chihuahua · Blue Cross: Which dog breed is right for you?