Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Reading

Checked 7 November 2026

The short answer

Around Oxford, the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary at Stadhampton takes dogs, cats and rabbits from owners through a form and a waiting list, at no charge. Four Paws Cat Rescue has an admission enquiry form for cats, and Sunshine Cat Rescue can rehome a West Oxfordshire cat straight from your home. A LocalPetFinder advert lets you choose the new owner yourself while you wait for a space.

Reading shares its rescues with the Oxford area: our Reading pages list animals in Reading first, then those with rescues around Oxford, so the options below cover both. Rehoming in Oxford

List your pet in Reading for free

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

Start your listing

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 Reading

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

Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuarydogs, cats, rabbits · Its own sanctuary at Stadhampton, about 7 miles from Oxford
Fill in the relinquishment form for your dog, cat or rabbit; it usually replies within 5 days and, if it can help, puts your pet on a waiting list until it has space. There is no charge, you bring the animal yourself, and once handed over it can't be returned to you.
Four Paws Cat Rescuecats · Forest Hill, about 5 miles east of Oxford
Send its admission enquiry form with your cat's details; it gets in touch when it can take the cat in and asks your vet for its history. It doesn't run a scheme that keeps the cat with you until a home is found.
Sunshine Cat Rescuecats · Volunteer fosterers across Oxfordshire; home to home only for owners in West Oxfordshire
Its home to home service finds a new owner while your cat stays with you, so it moves only once. You must live in West Oxfordshire, let possible adopters visit the cat at your home, and have it neutered and chipped first.
NAWT Berkshiredogs, cats, rabbits · Trindledown Farm, Great Shefford, about 21 miles from Oxford and from Reading
Contact its reception team to talk through handing in your pet. The centre is open 11am to 4pm every day except Tuesday.
Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centredogs, cats, rabbits · Hurst, near Wokingham, about 5 miles from Reading
Email or phone it first: it never takes an animal without a prior appointment and its acceptance checks, which ask about your pet's health and history. Space is limited, so plan ahead.

Oxford City Council deals with stray dogs through its Dog Warden service; its dog pages cover strays, not pets their owners want to give up.

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 Reading right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues reachable from Reading. Right now that is 42 dogs, 51 cats and 8 rabbits from 13 rescues. 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 Reading · 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 Reading: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Who takes unwanted pets in Oxford?

The Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary at Stadhampton takes dogs, cats and rabbits from owners when it has space, through a form and a waiting list. It doesn't charge, but you take the animal there yourself.

How long is the wait to give up a pet to the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary?

It depends on the species and the animal's needs: the sanctuary says anything from a few days to a few weeks or longer, because it has to rehome animals to make room. You can take your pet off the list at any time.

Can a cat rescue near Oxford rehome my cat without it leaving home?

Sunshine Cat Rescue can, if you live in West Oxfordshire: its home to home service lets adopters meet the cat at your house. Four Paws Cat Rescue doesn't offer this and takes cats in through its admission form instead.

How do I rehome my dog in Reading?

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 Reading for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary: giving up your pet · Four Paws Cat Rescue: FAQs (rehoming your cat) · Four Paws Cat Rescue: admission form · Sunshine Cat Rescue: adoption process (home to home adoptions) · NAWT Berkshire: centre page · Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre: giving up your pet · Oxford City Council: report a stray dog · 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)