Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Labrador
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
If you need to rehome your Labrador, you are not on your own: several Labrador rescues in England take owners' dogs, and The Labrador Rescue Trust says "we will not judge and will instead help support you and your dog". The next home needs to know what your Labrador really needs day to day, especially exercise, weight and any joint problems, so put those in the listing with your vet records.
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Why Labradors end up needing a new home
We haven't found a UK source that sets out why Labradors in particular are given up, so here is what the breed asks of a home. The Royal Kennel Club lists the Labrador as a large dog needing more than two hours of exercise a day, suited to a large house with a large garden. Dogs Trust describes Labradors as typically high-energy dogs who need lots of exercise, plus training and daily enrichment.
PDSA adds that Labradors, "particularly those from working dog lines", need training to fulfil their desire to work and retrieve, and lists the breed as "prone to obesity", along with hip and elbow dysplasia. Dogs Trust rates the breed's shedding as heavy. That is a lot for a busy household to keep up with.
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 Labrador
Exercise and space. Say how much exercise your Labrador gets now and what home it is used to. The Royal Kennel Club's guide is more than two hours a day with a large garden, and PDSA suggests a mix of walking, running, retrieving, sniffing and swimming, tailored to the dog. If your dog comes from working lines, say so.
Weight and food. PDSA lists Labradors as "prone to obesity", and The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch asks show judges to look out for dogs that are significantly overweight. Tell adopters your dog's current weight, what it eats and any diet your vet has suggested.
Joints and vet history. PDSA lists hip and elbow dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy (an inherited eye condition) among the problems Labradors can have, and says a Labrador with arthritis needs a vet's advice on exercise. Share your dog's vet records, any scores or diagnoses, and what treatment it has now.
Shedding, children and other animals. Dogs Trust rates Labrador shedding as heavy, which matters to some households. PDSA says Labradors usually bond well with the whole family given the right socialisation, but describe your own dog honestly: how it is with children, visitors, cats and other dogs.
Labrador rescues that take owners’ dogs
Labrador rescues in England each cover set counties, so start with the one for your area. Check its coverage on its own site before you apply.
The Labrador Rescue Trustdogs · South West England: Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol and Bath, and nearby areas
Fill in its two online forms (your dog's details and a medical and veterinary consent), then a local volunteer visits. It prefers your dog to stay at home until a matched new home is found, "which can be from a few days or sometimes a few weeks", and asks for a donation towards costs.
Labrador Rescue South East & Centraldogs · South East, Central and East England, including parts of London (county list on its site)
Use its rehome your dog form or contact your local area co-ordinator, and volunteers will arrange to visit you and your dog to assess its needs.
The Labrador Lifeline Trustdogs · Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Bucks, Beds, Herts, Cambs, Lincolnshire, North West London and parts of Notts and Northants
Phone or email its office to start. It says "we understand that this is a hard decision in most cases and very stressful", and if you live outside its area it can put you in touch with your nearest accredited Labrador rescue.
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 Labrador 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 Labrador appears next to rescue dogs on the Labradors 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 Labrador: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a Labrador rescue take my dog if it has bitten someone?
It may, but expect more questions. The Labrador Rescue Trust's FAQs say "if a dog has a bite history further measures may be required prior to acceptance". Tell the rescue about any incident in full; hiding it puts the next family and your dog at risk.
Can my Labrador stay with me while a rescue finds a home?
Often, yes. The Labrador Rescue Trust prefers dogs to stay in their current home until a matched new home is found, and uses foster or kennels only "as an absolute emergency". The Labrador Lifeline Trust says it uses boarding kennels or foster homes if it has no suitable home ready straight away.
My Labrador is overweight or has bad hips. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. PDSA lists obesity and hip and elbow dysplasia among the problems Labradors are prone to, so rescues and adopters will have seen them before. Give the full vet history and the current weight, so the new home can carry on any treatment from day one.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Labrador Retriever · The Royal Kennel Club: Breed Watch, Labrador Retriever · Dogs Trust: Labrador · PDSA: Labrador Retriever · The Labrador Rescue Trust: Giving up a Labrador · The Labrador Rescue Trust: FAQs · Labrador Rescue South East & Central: What we do · Labrador Rescue South East & Central: Rehome your dog form · The Labrador Lifeline Trust: Placing your dog in rescue · The Labrador Lifeline Trust: homepage