Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Shar Pei
Checked 27 October 2026
The short answer
Deciding your Shar Pei needs a new home is a hard call, and an honest plan makes it easier. Skin, eyes and temperament are what the next home most needs to hear about: PDSA says Shar Peis tend to do best with experienced owners used to the breed, and that their skin folds need regular care. Put your dog's vet history in the listing so adopters know what care to expect.
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Why Shar Peis end up needing a new home
We haven't found a current UK source that sets out why Shar Peis are given up, so here is what the sources say the breed can need. PDSA lists conditions Shar Peis may develop, including skin fold infections, eyelid problems such as entropion (eyelids that roll inwards), ear infections, allergies, BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, a breathing condition) and Familial Shar Pei Fever.
Temperament matters too. PDSA says Shar Peis can be strong-willed and independent, have a natural guarding instinct and can be wary of unfamiliar people and dogs, which is why it says they suit experienced owners. A dog with ongoing care needs and a strong character can be a lot for a household that didn't expect either.
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 Shar Pei
Skin, eyes and ears. Describe your dog's daily care: PDSA says skin folds need to be kept clean and dry, and ears checked regularly. The Royal Kennel Club's Breed Watch lists eyelids turned inwards or outwards and skin fold dermatitis as points of concern for show judges, so mention any eyelid surgery, skin or ear treatment.
Shar Pei fever and other health. PDSA describes Familial Shar Pei Fever as causing a high temperature and painful swollen joints. If your dog has had episodes, say how often and what the vet advised, and hand over the vet records.
New people and other dogs. PDSA says Shar Peis can be wary of unfamiliar people and dogs. Tell adopters how your dog greets visitors and how they are with other dogs, on and off the lead.
Children and small pets. PDSA says Shar Peis can get on with older children given the right socialisation but would not recommend one for a home with younger children, and says they have a really high prey drive. Say what your dog has actually lived with.
Shar Pei rescues that take owners’ dogs
Midland Shar Pei Club, Welfare & Rescuedogs · Midlands
If you need to rehome a Shar Pei, download its Rescue Forms pack, or phone the rescue co-ordinator named on the page.
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 Shar Pei 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 Shar Pei appears next to rescue dogs on the Shar Peis 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 Shar Pei: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a Shar Pei rescue take my dog?
They may, but the forms come first. The Midland Shar Pei Club has a Rescue Forms pack for owners, or you can phone its rescue co-ordinator. Send photos and vet paperwork with your form, and contact the national charities on this page too, as they take every breed.
My Shar Pei has had Shar Pei fever or eye surgery. Can I still rehome them?
Yes. Be open about it and hand over the vet records. PDSA lists Familial Shar Pei Fever and eyelid problems among conditions the breed may develop, so an adopter who knows Shar Peis will expect to ask, and will be better placed to care for your dog.
Can I rehome my Shar Pei to a family with young children or small pets?
Take care. PDSA would not recommend a Shar Pei for a home with younger children, and says the breed's high prey drive means it would not recommend keeping one with smaller pets. If your dog already lives happily with either, say so and let the adopter decide.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Breed Watch, Shar Pei (Category 2) · PDSA: Shar Pei · Midland Shar Pei Club: Breed rescue