Rehoming your dog, cat or rabbit in England
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
Wherever you live in England, you can list your pet free on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself. Anywhere in England, Dogs Trust Homestay and Blue Cross Home Direct keep your pet with you while they find an adopter, and Dogs Trust has 17 rehoming centres in England. Two laws matter most in England: a dog or cat can’t go to a new keeper until it’s microchipped, and it’s illegal to rehome an XL Bully.
List your pet in England for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
City guides in England
You can list from anywhere in England. These city guides add the local rescues that take owners’ pets.
Charities in England that take owners’ pets
Batterseadogs, cats · London, Old Windsor and Brands Hatch
Fill in its online form and it gets in touch if it can help. It uses a waiting list and asks for a suggested donation of £50 when you bring your pet in.
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.
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.
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.
The law in England when you rehome a pet
Dogs and cats must be microchipped before they change hands
In England, no dog or cat can be passed to a new keeper until it’s microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database record (Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, reg. 9). Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
XL Bullies can’t be rehomed
In England and Wales it’s illegal to “rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully dog” (gov.uk), and rehoming organisations shouldn’t take one either. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully and you have no exemption certificate, gov.uk says to contact your local police force.
Other banned types
In England it’s against the law to sell, abandon or give away a banned dog: Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. Whether a dog is banned depends on what it looks like, not its breed name.
You’re responsible for your pet until the handover
In England it’s an offence not to take reasonable steps to make sure the needs of an animal you’re responsible for are met (Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9). Those needs include a suitable place to live, a suitable diet, and protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease. Your pet is still yours until the day it goes to its new home, so keep caring for it as normal while you look for an adopter.
Do you need a licence to rehome your pet?
Not for rehoming your own pet. In England a licence is needed for “selling animals as pets” in the course of a business, and councils look at whether someone sells “with a view to making a profit” or earns a commission or fee (Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, schedule 1). gov.uk adds that someone who sells “often or with many animals” may be classed as a business (gov.uk). A one-off rehoming of your own family pet isn’t that, which is why our form asks you to confirm you aren’t breeding or selling animals as a business.
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, Blue Cross Home Direct 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.
Rehoming a particular breed?
Each guide covers what to tell adopters about the breed, and the breed rescues that take owners’ pets.
Dogs
Rehoming a pet in England: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Can I list my pet on LocalPetFinder anywhere in England?
Yes. We take owner listings from anywhere in England. Enter your postcode first on the form: near one of the cities on this page, your listing shows on that city’s pages; elsewhere, on your county’s or England’s pages, alongside rescue pets.
How do I rehome my dog in England?
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; Battersea asks for a suggested donation of £50; 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.
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?
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 England for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Sources: Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, reg. 9 · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs · gov.uk: Banned dogs · Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9 · Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, schedule 1 · gov.uk: Selling animals as pets licence (England) · Dogs Trust: Our centres · Battersea: Giving your dog up for adoption