Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Edinburgh

Checked 29 October 2026

The short answer

The Scottish SPCA says its centres are “at capacity” and can’t take animals right now, so in Edinburgh the realistic routes are Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home at Seafield, which takes surrender applications for dogs and cats, Dogs Trust West Calder (with Homestay, so your dog stays at home), and Dog Aid Scotland, which rehomes dogs while they stay with you. You can also list your pet on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

List your pet in Edinburgh for free

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

Start your listing

Before you rehome: worth trying first

Ask the breeder or rescue you got them from

The RSPCA's first suggestion is to contact the original seller. Responsible breeders and most rescues will take an animal back. Dogs Trust says it will "always take back a dog adopted from us".

Get help with the problem itself

Many rehomings are about behaviour, housing or money rather than the pet. Battersea runs a Behaviour Advice Line for dog owners, and PDSA is a vet charity for pets of people who qualify for help. Both are worth checking before you decide.

Keep your pet at home while they’re rehomed

If you can wait a little, stay-at-home schemes spare your pet a kennel: Dogs Trust Homestay and Cats Protection Home to Home. Listing on LocalPetFinder works the same way: your pet stays with you until you've chosen the new home.

Don’t leave a pet anywhere

Blue Cross warns that leaving an animal outside a centre, especially when it's closed, "could put them at risk", so always arrange a handover. And vets aren't rehoming centres, the RSPCA notes.

Your options in and around Edinburgh

There are three routes: list your pet yourself on LocalPetFinder, ask a local rescue to take them, or use a national charity scheme. Which is right depends on your pet, how soon you need to move them, and how involved you want to be.

1. List your pet on LocalPetFinder

Fill in the listing form. It takes about ten minutes, and listing is free.
A person checks every listing before it goes live, usually within a day.
Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder; your email address and phone number stay private.
You choose who to meet, and you hand your pet over in person, never by courier.

2. Local rescues that take owners’ pets

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Homedogs, cats · 26 Seafield Road East, Edinburgh (EH15)
Fill in the surrender application form on its page and it will get back to you; you can also call 0131 669 5331. It says that “due to limited capacity” it can’t take in every pet, and will suggest other options if it can’t help. It also runs a pet food bank and dog training sessions if you would rather keep your pet.
Dogs Trust West Calderdogs · Bentyhead, West Calder, West Lothian (EH55)
With Homestay “your dog stays with you in your home while we look for their new home”. Or your dog can wait for a kennel place, but Dogs Trust operates “at full capacity, so there is usually a wait”. Call 0300 303 2188 or use the form on its giving up your dog page.
Dog Aid Scotlanddogs · Edinburgh; no kennels
Register your dog with it and your dog stays with you: it visits the homes of applicants who suit your dog, then your dog goes to its new home for a two-week settling in period, followed by a visit. It can give you updates on how your dog is settling.

The Scottish SPCA, which has an Edinburgh and Lothians centre, says on its giving-up page that its centres “are at capacity and we are unable to accept any more animals at this time”. It suggests contacting the breeder first, then a local rescue.

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home lists other help on its surrender page: Pet Fostering Service Scotland fosters pets for people facing illness, homelessness or domestic abuse, and Dogs Trust Freedom and Cats Protection foster pets for people escaping domestic abuse.

In Scotland it is illegal to sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully (gov.scot), and a dog can’t be passed to a new keeper until it’s microchipped (Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016). Microchipping cats is optional in Scotland.

3. National charity schemes

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.
Cats Protectioncats
Contact your local Cats Protection branch or centre (not its charity shops), and plan ahead: "there can often be waiting lists". Its Home to Home scheme lets your cat stay at home while it's rehomed, with no specific fee.
Rabbit rescuesrabbits
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund doesn't rehome rabbits itself, but points owners to Rescue Review, Save a Fluff and Rabbit Rehome to find a local rescue. It also asks you never to split a bonded pair.

If you rehome privately: the must-dos

The microchip has to be transferred

In Scotland, a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped and the keeper details on the database are correct (Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016, reg. 10), so update your own record before the handover; the new keeper then registers their details. Microchipping a cat is optional in Scotland, but if your cat is chipped, update the record at the handover too.

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

In Scotland it's against the law to give away a banned dog. For XL Bully dogs 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.

What’s listed in and around Edinburgh right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues within about 25 miles of Edinburgh. Right now that is 36 dogs, 7 cats and 0 rabbits from 4 rescues. Local rescues are often full, which is one reason owner-to-owner rehoming exists. But if a rescue can take your pet, its assessment and matching are worth a lot.

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

Rehoming a particular breed?

Each guide covers what to tell adopters about the breed, and the breed rescues that take owners’ pets.

Cats

British Shorthair Siamese Bengal Cat Maine Coon Ragdoll Persian Cat Russian Blue Burmese Birman Norwegian Forest Cat Sphynx Cat

Rehoming a pet in Edinburgh: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Will the Scottish SPCA take my pet?

Not at the moment: it says its centres “are at capacity and we are unable to accept any more animals at this time”. It suggests asking your pet’s breeder to take them back, then contacting local rescues. In Edinburgh, that means Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Dogs Trust West Calder and the others on this page.

Will Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home take my dog or cat?

It takes surrender applications for dogs and cats through the form on its website, and it says it will get back to you as soon as possible. It can’t take every pet “due to limited capacity”, and will point you to other options if it can’t help. While you wait, you can list your pet on LocalPetFinder too.

How do I rehome my dog in Edinburgh?

You have three routes: list your dog yourself on LocalPetFinder (free, with every listing checked by a person and messages relayed so your details stay private), ask a local rescue to take them, or use a national scheme such as Dogs Trust Homestay, which keeps your dog at home while it finds a new owner. Whichever you choose, your dog must be microchipped and 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?

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 long does it take to rehome a pet?

It varies. Dogs Trust says a kennel space "could take a few weeks", while dogs on its Homestay scheme "generally find a new home within two weeks". On LocalPetFinder your listing is reviewed usually within a day and then goes live to adopters near you.

What about rehoming a rabbit?

Rabbit rescues are often full, so start early. The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund suggests your vet's noticeboard and local rescues (found through Rescue Review, Save a Fluff or Rabbit Rehome), never a "free to good home" advert. Keep a bonded pair together. You can list rabbits on LocalPetFinder too.

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

List your pet in Edinburgh for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home: How surrendering a pet works · Dogs Trust: Giving up your dog · Dogs Trust: West Calder · Dog Aid Scotland · Scottish SPCA: Giving up your pet · gov.scot: XL Bully dog rules · Microchipping of Dogs (Scotland) Regulations 2016 · Dogs Trust: Giving up your dog · 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 (Scotland) Regulations 2016 · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · Scottish Government: XL Bully dog rules