Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Pug
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
If you can no longer give your Pug what they need, there is real help for this breed. Two UK Pug rescues take owners' dogs into foster homes, and Pug Life Rescue says it will help "and we will not be judging your decision". Whichever route you choose, be open about breathing, eyes and skin, the problems The Royal Kennel Club says flat-faced dogs can have.
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Why Pugs end up needing a new home
The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association says it is "finding the need to re-home more pugs 7 years & over, as well as those with very individual, or special-needs, plus bonded-pairs". It also says the number of Pugs surrendered to it in these groups has been "relatively high". That is one rescue's experience, not a national figure, but if your Pug is older or has extra needs, you are not alone.
The breed's needs are part of the picture. PDSA says a Pug should never be left alone for longer than four hours, and The Royal Kennel Club says Pugs "can be prone to separation anxiety". The breed is in Category 3 of The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch, which PDSA calls the highest category of health concerns, and PDSA asks people to think carefully before buying or rescuing a Pug because of the health problems the breed can have.
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 Pug
Breathing, heat and weight. PDSA says "snorts, snores and loud breathing" can be a sign of BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome), and that Pugs gain weight easily, which can make breathing worse. Say how your Pug breathes at rest and on walks, how they cope in warm weather, and what your vet has said.
Being left alone. The Royal Kennel Club says Pugs dislike being left for long periods, and PDSA says never longer than four hours. Tell adopters honestly how long your dog copes alone and what happens when they are left.
Skin folds, eyes and vet records. PDSA says skin folds can become infected if left damp, and The Royal Kennel Club lists eye problems among the issues flat-faced dogs can have. PDSA also names Pug dog encephalitis (PDE), luxating kneecaps and hemivertebrae. Pass on your vet records and say what has been diagnosed or treated.
Children and other pets. The Royal Kennel Club says Pugs are typically "good with children when interactions are supervised" and usually get along with other dogs and household pets. That is the breed in general, so describe how your own Pug is with children, dogs and cats.
Pug rescues that take owners’ dogs
The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association closed some of its areas to surrenders during 2025, so check that your region is open, and contact more than one rescue if you can.
The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Associationdogs · England and Wales, with surrenders open in some regions only
Takes owners' Pugs into foster homes rather than kennels, and says it will cover any necessary treatment and ongoing vet care for life. When we checked, it was accepting surrenders in Central (including the North West), Wales, the East and West Midlands, the East of England, the South East and the South West (Avon & Somerset). Contact the volunteer for your area with a photo, the microchip number and health information. Registered charity 276067.
Pug Life Rescuedogs · Across the UK
Takes Pugs and Pug crosses whose owners can't look after them, placing them in its foster homes. Contact it first, as it may be able to suggest ways to support you, then fill in its surrender form. Registered charity 1164018.
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 Pug 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 Pug appears next to rescue dogs on the Pugs 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.
Ready to find your Pug a good home?
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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 Pug: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a Pug rescue take my dog?
It may. The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association and Pug Life Rescue both take owners' Pugs into foster homes. The Association closed some areas to surrenders during 2025, so check your region on its page first. Pug Life Rescue also takes Pug crosses.
My Pug is older or has health problems. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association says it is rehoming more Pugs aged 7 and over and more with special needs, and its surrender page says it covers any necessary treatment and ongoing vet care for life for the Pugs it takes in. Whoever takes your dog, pass on the full vet records.
Can I rehome two Pugs together?
Yes, and it is worth saying they are a pair from the start. The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association names bonded pairs among the Pugs it is rehoming more of. Tell any rescue or adopter how the two get on and how each copes apart.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Pug · The Royal Kennel Club: Breed Watch, Pug (Category 3) · PDSA: Pug · The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association · The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association: Surrendering your pug · Pug Life Rescue: Surrender