Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Newcastle upon Tyne

Checked 28 October 2026

The short answer

Start with Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter at Longbenton, which takes owners’ dogs and cats through a “gifted” form and doesn’t charge to take them in. Its waiting list for dogs is closed at the moment, so for a dog ask Dogs Trust about Homestay, which keeps your dog with you while it looks for a home, or list your dog on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself. For a cat, Cats Protection’s Tyneside centre in Gateshead is another route.

List your pet in Newcastle upon Tyne for free

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

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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 Newcastle upon Tyne

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

Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelterdogs, cats · Benton North Farm, Longbenton, on the edge of Newcastle (NE12), about 3 miles north east of the centre
Fill in its gifted form for dogs or for cats with as much detail and history as you can, and make sure the microchip details are up to date. Its waiting list for gifted dogs is “currently closed”; cats join a waiting list and the team contacts you when there is space. If you can’t use the form, call 0191 215 0435 and leave one message: it aims to call back within 48 hours. It doesn’t charge to take in animals.
Cats Protection Tyneside Cat Centrecats · Green Lane, Gateshead (NE10)
Call the Tyneside Cat Centre on 0191 653 1052; it is open 11am to 3pm, closed on Tuesdays. Cats Protection’s guide to giving up a cat warns there “can often be waiting lists”, so plan ahead.
Minnie’s Haven Cat Rescuecats · A volunteer-run cat rescue with foster carers across the North East
Fill in the surrender form on its own site with your cat’s details. It warns that charities are overrun with cats and “it is unlikely space will be immediately available”, so give as much notice as you can and join other rescues’ waiting lists too.
Dogs Trust Darlingtondogs · Hill House Farm, Sadberge, County Durham (DL2), about 31 miles south: Dogs Trust’s nearest centre to Newcastle
With Homestay “your dog stays with you in your home while we look for their new home”. Otherwise there is “usually a wait” for a kennel place. Call 0300 303 2188 or use the form on its giving up your dog page. It can’t offer temporary boarding.

Some rescues listed on LocalPetFinder near Newcastle describe only adoption on their sites, with no route for owners giving up a pet. Animal Krackers near Sunderland says it is unable to take in any new animals at present.

Found a stray dog rather than giving up your own? In Newcastle, call the council’s dog warden on 0191 211 6102 (8.30am to 4.30pm); strays go to Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter.

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 Newcastle upon Tyne right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues within about 25 miles of Newcastle upon Tyne. Right now that is 55 dogs, 53 cats and 12 rabbits from 9 rescues, plus 1 pet listed by its owner. 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 Newcastle upon Tyne · 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 Newcastle upon Tyne: your questions

Tap a question to expand

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

Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter at Longbenton takes owners’ dogs through its gifted form, but its waiting list for dogs is closed at the moment. Dogs Trust’s Homestay scheme can keep him at home with you while it finds an adopter. Or list him on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

How do I rehome a cat in Newcastle?

Fill in Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter’s gifted form for cats and join its waiting list, use Minnie’s Haven Cat Rescue’s surrender form, or call Cats Protection’s Tyneside centre in Gateshead on 0191 653 1052. You can list your cat on LocalPetFinder at the same time, so a local adopter may find her sooner.

Is there a Dogs Trust in Newcastle?

No. Dogs Trust’s nearest rehoming centre to Newcastle is at Sadberge, County Durham. To start, call 0300 303 2188 or use the form on its giving up your dog page, and ask about Homestay, which keeps your dog with you while it looks for a new home.

Does Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter charge to take my pet?

No. The shelter says it doesn’t charge to take in animals, though any donation towards their care is welcome. It asks you to be open about your situation and to make sure your pet’s microchip details are current.

How do I rehome my dog in Newcastle upon Tyne?

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 Newcastle upon Tyne for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter: Giving up your dog for adoption · Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter: Giving up your cat for adoption · Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter: FAQs · Cats Protection: Tyneside Cat Centre and Giving up a cat pages (homepage linked) · Minnie’s Haven Cat Rescue: Surrender a cat · Dogs Trust: Darlington · Dogs Trust: Giving up your dog · Animal Krackers: Requests to rehome your animals · Newcastle City Council: Dog warden service · 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)