Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Jack Russell
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
Plenty of Jack Russells need new homes, and needing to find one for yours doesn't make you a bad owner. Battersea says the breed is clever and full of energy but demanding, with instincts for chasing, digging and barking that take ongoing management. Say plainly how your dog is with children, other animals and noise, because those are the things that decide whether the next home works.
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Why Jack Russells end up needing a new home
Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK says Jack Russells "are one of the most overbred breeds in the UK, and sadly, this means more and more of them end up abandoned, neglected, or surrendered to rescues".
The breed is often more work than its size suggests. Battersea says Jack Russells were bred to work alongside foxhounds, and that owners hoping for a laid-back lapdog will find them demanding. It says owners often underestimate how much exercise these small dogs need, and PDSA says they can be vocal and tend to bark when excited.
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 Jack Russell
Children. Battersea says Jack Russells may nip when excited or frustrated if they haven't learnt impulse control, and suit children who are confident around lively dogs. PDSA says they are better suited to families with slightly older children. Say honestly how your dog is with children of different ages.
Cats, small pets and other dogs. PDSA says Jack Russells are "little hunters at heart" with a very high prey drive, and would not recommend them with smaller pets. Battersea says some find interactions with other dogs challenging. Tell adopters what your dog has lived with and how it reacts on walks.
Barking, digging and escaping. PDSA says Jack Russells can squeeze through the smallest gap and are good jumpers, so the garden needs to be secure. If your dog barks a lot, digs or has got out before, say so: a home with close neighbours needs to know.
Health and vet records. The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to test for primary lens luxation (an eye condition) and two forms of ataxia, and Battersea explains that the ataxias affect balance and coordination and get worse over time. It and PDSA also list luxating patellas (kneecaps that slip out of place). Share your vet records and any known condition.
Jack Russell rescues that take owners’ dogs
Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UKdogs · Rehomes throughout the UK; dogs live in foster homes
Fill in its "Rehoming Request" form, online or as a PDF. It asks why you need to rehome, plus your dog's temperament, microchip, vaccination, neutering and health details and photos. It is a not-for-profit community interest company, and its dogs live in family foster homes.
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 Jack Russell 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 Jack Russell appears next to rescue dogs on the Jack Russells 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 Jack Russell: your questions
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Can I rehome my Jack Russell to a family with young children?
Only with care, and it depends on your dog. PDSA says Jack Russells can be less tolerant of younger or boisterous children, and Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK says "we do not rehome to households with young children". If your dog has lived happily with small children, say so; otherwise look for an adult home or older children.
Will a Jack Russell rescue take my dog?
It may, but space is tight. Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK says "every single day, we receive urgent calls to take in dogs who need our help far more than we have space or funding for". Send its rehoming request form with full details, and list your dog yourself at the same time.
My Jack Russell is a terrier through and through. Who will take them?
Someone who knows terriers. Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK says some of its dogs are "suitable for terrier experienced homes only", and Battersea says the breed's chasing, digging and barking take ongoing management. Saying this in your listing helps the right, experienced adopter find you.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Jack Russell Terrier · PDSA: Jack Russell Terrier · Battersea: Jack Russell · Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK: Forms · Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK: Leaving a legacy · Jack Russell Terrier Rescue UK: About us