Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Exeter

Checked 1 November 2026

The short answer

Start with ARC Animal Rescue Centre, just outside Ottery St Mary: it asks owners who need to rehome a dog or cat to get in touch, and a dog adopted from ARC must go back to it. Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) at Ipplepen takes dogs and cats from its local area in Devon through intake forms, and rabbits by email to its small animal team, with a waiting list. While you wait, you can list your pet on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

List your pet in Exeter 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, 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.

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 Exeter

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

ARC Animal Rescue Centredogs, cats · Chineway Road, just outside Ottery St Mary (EX11), about 10 miles east of Exeter
ARC says that if you have an animal that needs rehoming you shouldn’t be afraid to contact it, by phone, email or the form on its contact page. If you adopted your dog from ARC, its adopter terms say the dog must be returned to ARC if you can no longer keep it.
Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry)dogs, cats, rabbits · Biltor, Edgelands Lane, Ipplepen, near Newton Abbot (TQ12), about 17 miles south of Exeter and about 4 from Torbay
Fill in its dog intake form or cat intake form so the team has your pet’s details; it then contacts you when it has space. There is a waiting list of dogs and of cats to come in, and it takes animals only from its local area in Devon. For a rabbit, its FAQ asks you to email the small animal team, and there is a waiting list for rabbits too. It suggests joining other rescues’ waiting lists at the same time.

Found a stray dog rather than giving up your own? Exeter City Council collects strays found inside the city and keeps unidentified dogs in kennels for 7 days; if nobody claims a dog, the kennels rehome it. It is a stray service, not a place to hand in your own dog.

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.
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.

If you rehome privately: the must-dos

The microchip has to be transferred

In England, a dog or cat can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the microchip database (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.

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 England 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: England and Wales). If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, contact your local police force rather than listing.

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 Exeter right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues within about 25 miles of Exeter. Right now that is 14 dogs, 18 cats and 2 rabbits from 2 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 Exeter · 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 Exeter: your questions

Tap a question to expand

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

Contact ARC Animal Rescue Centre near Ottery St Mary, or fill in the dog intake form for Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry) at Ipplepen, which has a waiting list. You can list him on LocalPetFinder at the same time and choose the new home yourself.

How do I rehome a cat in Exeter?

Fill in Animals in Distress’s cat intake form, which puts your cat on its waiting list until it has space, or contact ARC Animal Rescue Centre. You can list your cat on LocalPetFinder too, so a local adopter may find her sooner.

Will Exeter City Council take my dog?

No. The council collects stray dogs found in the city; it does not take in owners’ dogs. Contact a rescue such as ARC or Animals in Distress, or list your dog on LocalPetFinder.

How do I rehome my dog in Exeter?

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 Exeter for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: ARC Animal Rescue Centre: general information (rehoming an animal) · ARC Animal Rescue Centre: adopters information (dogs come back to ARC) · ARC Animal Rescue Centre: contact · Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): frequently asked questions · Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): dog intake form · Animals in Distress (Torbay & Westcountry): cat intake form · Exeter City Council: stray or lost dogs · 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 Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023 · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs (England and Wales)