Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Shrewsbury

Checked 13 November 2026

The short answer

For a cat, fill in Shropshire Cat Rescue’s enquiry for help form (its cattery is at Bayston Hill, about 3 miles from the town) or ask Shropshire Street Cats, which may advertise your cat for you if its pens are full. For a dog, contact Dogs Trust, whose Shrewsbury centre is about 5 miles away and whose Homestay scheme keeps your dog at home while it looks for a new one. A free LocalPetFinder listing also lets you choose the next owner yourself.

List your pet in Shrewsbury for free

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

Start your listing

Before you rehome

Responsible breeders and most rescues take an animal back; the RSPCA's first suggestion is to contact the original seller.
If the problem is behaviour or money, Battersea's Behaviour Advice Line helps dog owners and PDSA is a vet charity for people who qualify.
Never leave an animal outside a centre: Blue Cross warns it "could put them at risk". Arrange a handover first.

Your options in and around Shrewsbury

1. List your pet on LocalPetFinder

Free, about ten minutes; a person checks every listing, adopters message you without seeing your email or phone, and you hand over in person.

2. Local rescues that take owners’ pets

Shropshire Cat Rescuecats · Windy Ridge, Lyth Hill Road, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury SY3 0AU
Fill in its enquiry for help form. Every cat goes on a waiting list that the rescue calls extensive, so it can't give a time frame; if you have a deadline, say so on the form. For a stray, use its separate stray cat form instead.
Dogs Trust Shrewsburydogs · Roden Lane Farm, TF6 6BP, about 5 miles from Shrewsbury
Dogs Trust Shrewsbury is about 5 miles from the town. Through Dogs Trust’s Homestay service your dog stays with you while it looks for a new home; a kennel place usually means a wait. We never list its dogs.
Shropshire Street Catscats · Foster homes and a rescue pen near Whitchurch
Download the questionnaire on its giving up a cat page and email it back. If its catteries are full it may advertise your cat on its Facebook page and website while the cat stays with you, so you can find a home direct.

Adopted your greyhound from Greyhound Trust Shropshire & Borders, kennelled near Wem? The branch tries to give support and back up for the life of the dog, so contact it first.

Holding a stray, not your own pet? Shropshire Council's dog wardens collect strays and take them to kennels; a dog not claimed is rehomed after seven days. The council page describes no route for an owner handing in their own dog.

3. National charity schemes

Dogs Trust: Dogs only, and free. Homestay keeps your dog with you while a new home is found; call 0300 303 2188.
Blue Cross: Dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Home Direct keeps your pet with you, because its own space "is very limited"; call 0300 777 1960.
Cats Protection: Cats. Contact your local branch or centre, where "there can often be waiting lists", or ask about Home to Home, which keeps your cat at home.
Rabbit rescues: The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund points owners to Rescue Review, Save a Fluff and Rabbit Rehome to find a local rescue. Keep a bonded pair together.

Waiting times and how each scheme works: rehoming in England.

If you rehome privately: the must-dos

Microchip. In England a dog or cat must be microchipped before it goes to a new keeper, who then updates the database (2023 Regulations, reg. 9). Do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers. Take no money before an adopter has met your pet, and hand over face to face. A deposit request is the classic pet scam sign.
Banned dogs and XL Bullies. 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). If your dog could be an XL Bully, contact your local police force rather than listing.
Adults, and honesty. Adopters must be 18 or over, and your listing must be honest about health and behaviour.

The full wording, with each regulation: the law in England when you rehome a pet.

What’s listed in and around Shrewsbury right now

Right now LocalPetFinder lists 3 dogs, 20 cats and 0 rabbits from 3 rescues within about 25 miles of Shrewsbury.

Looking to adopt instead? Rescue dogs in and around Shrewsbury · rescue cats · rabbits

Rehoming a particular breed? Our breed rehoming guides cover what to tell adopters and the breed rescues that take owners’ pets.

Rehoming a pet in Shrewsbury: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Who will take a cat I can no longer keep in Shrewsbury?

Shropshire Cat Rescue at Bayston Hill takes owners’ cats through its enquiry for help form, though there is a long waiting list. Shropshire Street Cats may help too, or advertise your cat while it stays with you. A LocalPetFinder listing is another option while you wait.

Who will take my dog in Shrewsbury?

Dogs Trust has a rehoming centre near Shrewsbury, and its Homestay service can look for a new home while your dog stays with you. You can also list your dog on LocalPetFinder and meet possible adopters yourself.

Will Shropshire Council take my dog?

No. Its dog wardens collect strays, which are rehomed if nobody claims them after seven days, but the council page sets out no hand-in service for owners.

How long is the wait to hand a cat to Shropshire Cat Rescue?

It says it can’t give a time frame: every cat joins an extensive waiting list that is reviewed often. Put any deadline on the form so it can judge how urgent your case is.

How do I rehome my dog in Shrewsbury?

List your dog on LocalPetFinder (free, and checked by a person), ask one of the rescues above, or use a national scheme such as Dogs Trust Homestay. Your dog must be microchipped, with 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; 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?

Yes, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, never as a deposit. A fee makes it a sale, so no buyer under 16, and be honest about your pet's health. PAAG warns a "free to good home" advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG).

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?

Dogs Trust says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"; a kennel space "could take a few weeks". A LocalPetFinder listing is usually reviewed within a day. If you have to move your pet today, see our urgent guide.

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

Owner pages nearby: Oswestry, Ludlow, Wolverhampton, Kidderminster, Walsall, Stoke-on-Trent, Chester, Birmingham, Worcester, Solihull

List your pet in Shrewsbury for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Shropshire Cat Rescue: enquiry for help (owner form, waiting list) · Shropshire Street Cats: giving up a cat for rehoming (questionnaire, Home Direct) · Dogs Trust: Shrewsbury centre (Roden Lane Farm) · Dogs Trust: giving up your dog (Homestay, waits) · Greyhound Trust Shropshire & Borders: home (support for the life of the greyhound) · Shropshire Council: dogs and the dog warden (strays, seven days) · 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)