Rehoming guide
How to rehome your French Bulldog
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
If life has changed and your French Bulldog needs a new home, two UK Frenchie rescues take owners' dogs into foster homes. Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue also says that "sometimes, people just need advice and support to be able to manage and keep their pet", so it can be worth asking before you decide. If you do rehome, the most useful thing you can give the next home is an honest account of your dog's breathing and vet history.
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Why French Bulldogs end up needing a new home
French bulldog Saviours says Frenchies join its care for a variety of reasons, "such as when their owners experience illness, separation, or housing challenges". Those are changes in the owner's life, not faults in the dog.
Health is the other big strain. The Royal Kennel Club calls BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) "a progressive, lifelong disorder that can impair a dog's ability to exercise, play, eat and sleep", and Dogs Trust says BOAS surgery in severe cases can be costly.
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 French Bulldog
Breathing and vet records. PDSA says the snoring many owners think is normal is "a sign that their dog is struggling to breathe", and lists noisy breathing, struggling to exercise and struggling in hot weather as signs of BOAS. Say how your dog breathes at rest, after a walk and on warm days, pass on the vet records, and include a breathing grade under the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme if your dog has one.
Heat and exercise. Dogs Trust says French Bulldogs are at higher risk of heat stroke and "might not manage tough exercise like long walks or mountain hikes". Describe what your dog really manages, and whether you walk early or late in summer, as Dogs Trust's warm weather advice suggests.
Skin folds. The Royal Kennel Club says skin folds can make a warm, moist environment for bacteria and yeast, and its buying advice suggests keeping facial wrinkles clean and dry. Tell adopters about any skin problems and the routine that keeps them under control.
Behaviour with people and dogs. Dogs Trust says each French Bulldog will respond to situations differently. Say plainly how your dog is with children, visitors and other dogs, including any growling, snapping or bites. The rescues below need to know this before they can help.
French Bulldog rescues that take owners’ dogs
Both Frenchie rescues below place dogs in foster homes, and Phoenix says it can only accept a dog when it has a suitable foster home, so contact both and list your dog at the same time. By their own guidance, neither is the right route for a dog with a bite history (see the questions below).
Phoenix French Bulldog Rescuedogs · England, Scotland and Wales (no premises; dogs live in foster homes)
Takes owners' French Bulldogs through a surrender application on its rehoming page, but says each one is considered case by case and it can only accept a dog when it has a suitable foster home. Its about page says dogs go to pre-assessed foster homes, "no kennels, ever". Registered charity 1171943.
French bulldog Savioursdogs · Based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and moves dogs across the UK
Takes French Bulldogs whose owners can no longer keep them, placing each with a foster family. Apply with the online form on its rehoming page; it says it aims to respond within five days and prioritises emergencies. Registered charity 1163829.
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 French Bulldog 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 French Bulldog appears next to rescue dogs on the French Bulldogs 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 French Bulldog: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a French Bulldog rescue take my dog?
Possibly, but not straight away. Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue says each surrender is considered case by case and depends on having a suitable foster home, and French bulldog Saviours aims to reply to its form within five days, with emergencies first. Contact both, and list your dog at the same time.
My French Bulldog has bitten. Can a rescue still take them?
Not the two Frenchie rescues on this page. French bulldog Saviours says it is unable to accept dogs that have shown aggression or biting, "even towards other dogs", and Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue suggests that a dog with serious behavioural issues or a bite history goes to a rescue with its own premises, "where the dog can be worked with safely with an in-house behaviourist". Whoever you contact, tell them the full history.
My French Bulldog has BOAS. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. Describe it plainly and pass on the vet records. The Royal Kennel Club calls BOAS a progressive, lifelong disorder, and Dogs Trust says surgery in severe cases can be costly and suggests insurance before any signs start. An adopter needs to know all of this before they commit, not after.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: French Bulldog · The Royal Kennel Club: Respiratory Function Grading Scheme · The Royal Kennel Club: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome · The Royal Kennel Club: Buying a flat-faced puppy · Dogs Trust: French Bulldog · Dogs Trust: Brachycephalic dogs and BOAS · Dogs Trust: Warm weather advice · PDSA: BOAS, breathing problems in flat-faced dogs · Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue: Rehoming · Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue: About · French bulldog Saviours: Rehoming your dog