Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Falmouth

Checked 2 November 2026

The short answer

For a dog in Cornwall, St Francis Dogs Home in Newquay has a surrender questionnaire for Cornwall dogs, and NAWT Cornwall at Hayle takes dogs, cats and small animals when it has space: phone it first. For a rabbit, Marias Animal Shelter at Probus takes in small animals and will first try to help you keep yours. While you wait for a space, you can list your pet on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

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

List your pet in Falmouth 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 Falmouth

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

Marias Animal Shelterrabbits · Probus, near Truro (TR2), about 5 miles from Truro
A small-animal shelter that first gives advice to try to keep an animal with its owner; if that can't work, it says the animal is rehomed or stays at the shelter for life. Visits are by appointment only, so contact it before you go. If you adopted your rabbit from Marias, its adoption contract says the rabbit must go back to it.
St Francis Dogs Homedogs · Trevelgue Road, Newquay (TR8), about 10 miles from Truro
Fill in its surrendering a dog form as honestly as you can, with your vet’s details and your consent for it to ask them about your dog; it uses the answers to match your dog to a home or a foster home. It cannot take dogs imported into the UK, or dogs from outside Cornwall.
NAWT Cornwalldogs, cats, rabbits · [Wheal Alfred Kennels](https://www.nawt.org.uk/centres/cornwall), on the outskirts of Hayle (TR27), about 17 miles from Truro
The National Animal Welfare Trust asks you to phone your local centre first, because some of its centres run waiting lists depending on space. It will ask about your pet before you hand it over, then starts looking for a new home.
K9 Crusaders Dog Welfaredogs · Kennels at Bissoe, near Truro
An independent dog charity for the whole of Cornwall. It says it prioritises urgent cases from the police, social services and families in dire straits, keeps a long waiting list of dogs needing its help, and runs an advice line with free behavioural support, which may help you keep your dog. Owners fill in its Surrender a Dog form, and it takes dogs from Cornwall only.

Cornwall Council deals with stray dogs: an unclaimed stray is rehomed by the council after seven full days. It is not a route for an owner who can no longer keep a pet.

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 Falmouth right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues reachable from Falmouth. Right now that is 48 dogs, 3 cats and 10 rabbits from 5 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 Falmouth · 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 Falmouth: your questions

Tap a question to expand

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

Fill in St Francis Dogs Home’s surrender form (it takes Cornwall dogs only) or phone NAWT Cornwall at Hayle to ask about space; K9 Crusaders Dog Welfare at Bissoe also takes Cornwall dogs and keeps 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 Cornwall?

Phone NAWT Cornwall at Hayle first, as some of its centres run waiting lists depending on space. You can list your cat on LocalPetFinder too, so a local adopter may find her sooner.

Who takes rabbits in Cornwall?

Marias Animal Shelter at Probus, near Truro, takes in rabbits and guinea pigs among other animals, and first tries to help you keep your pet. Contact it before you go, as visits are by appointment. If your rabbit came from Marias, it must go back to Marias.

How do I rehome my dog in Falmouth?

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 Falmouth for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: St Francis Dogs Home: surrendering a dog form (Cornwall dogs only) · NAWT Cornwall: centre page (Hayle) · National Animal Welfare Trust: giving up my pet · K9 Crusaders Dog Welfare: about us · K9 Crusaders Dog Welfare: surrender a dog form (Cornwall dogs only) · Marias Animal Shelter: home page (takes in rabbits and guinea pigs; advice first) · Marias Animal Shelter: contact us (visits by appointment) · Marias Animal Shelter: adoption process (animals come back to Marias) · Cornwall Council: stray 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)