Rehoming guide
How to rehome your spaniel
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
If you need to rehome your spaniel, there are several spaniel rescues that take owners' dogs, and Springer Rescue for Scotland says "anyone, in any situation, can turn to us for assistance with rehoming a Spaniel". Spaniels are busy, people-loving dogs, so tell adopters honestly how much exercise yours needs and how it copes on its own.
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Why spaniels end up needing a new home
We haven't found a UK source that sets out why spaniels in particular are given up, so here is what the breeds ask of a home. The Royal Kennel Club lists the English Springer as needing more than two hours of exercise a day with a large garden, and the Cocker up to an hour. Dogs Trust calls both typically high-energy dogs, and PDSA says a Cocker from working parents will probably need more time to run around.
Time alone and coat care matter too. PDSA says Cockers are known for suffering with separation anxiety and should never be left alone for more than four hours. The Royal Kennel Club lists the Cocker as needing grooming every day, and Dogs Trust says both breeds are likely to need professional grooming. Those needs don't fit every household's routine.
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 spaniel
Exercise and working lines. Say how much exercise your spaniel gets and whether it comes from working or show lines, if you know. PDSA says working-type Cockers will probably need more time to run around, and The Royal Kennel Club lists the Springer at more than two hours a day.
Being left alone. PDSA says Cockers should never be left alone for more than four hours, and that even this may be too much for some. Tell adopters how long your dog copes alone and what it does when it can't.
Ears, skin and vet records. PDSA lists allergies causing itchy skin and ear infections among the problems Cockers can have, and says Springers can get ear infections because of their long ears. Share your vet records, any regular treatment and how your dog is with ear cleaning and grooming.
Children and other animals. Describe how your dog is with children, visitors, cats and other dogs. Some rescues set their own limits: English Springer Spaniel Rescue, North West England says homes with children under the age of 6 cannot be considered for its dogs, so an honest description helps adopters judge.
Spaniel rescues that take owners’ dogs
Spaniel rescues have different areas and rules (some cover only Scotland or the North West, one takes only Sprockers), so check which fit you and contact more than one.
UK Spaniel Rescuedogs · UK-wide, foster-based
Send its surrender form and a separate ID form; it will contact you to discuss your options "and see if there is any way we can help you keep your dog". Your dog must be microchipped to the person submitting the form, and it takes responsibility only once a Transfer of Keepership form is signed.
Springer Rescue for Scotlanddogs · Scotland only
A volunteer visits and assesses your dog at home, then your dog joins a waiting list "until a suitable foster home becomes available" before adoption. Urgent cases can go to emergency foster or boarding kennels.
English Springer Spaniel Rescue, North West England (NWESSR)dogs · North West England
Fill in its online surrender form ("This form is your dog's CV") or call its homing officer, who will call you back. You choose whether your dog stays with you until a new home is found, goes to one of its foster homes or comes into its kennels.
Sprocker Assist & Rescuedogs · England, Scotland and Wales; Sprockers only
For Sprockers only. It says "most dogs remain with their current owners until adoption, unless foster care is required".
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 spaniel 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 spaniel appears next to rescue dogs on the spaniels 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 spaniel: your questions
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Will a spaniel rescue take my dog if it has bitten or guards things?
It may not. UK Spaniel Rescue says "we may not be able to accept a dog with a significant bite history or severe guarding issues". Tell any rescue the full story, and ask whether behaviour support could help; UK Spaniel Rescue mentions behaviourist help in the short term while it finds a placement.
Can my spaniel stay at home while a rescue finds a new home?
Often, yes. English Springer Spaniel Rescue, North West England lets you choose to keep your dog until a new home is found, Springer Rescue for Scotland keeps dogs on a waiting list until a foster home is free, and Sprocker Assist & Rescue says most dogs stay with their owners until adoption.
Does my spaniel need to be microchipped to me?
For UK Spaniel Rescue, yes. Its rehoming page says your dog must be microchipped to the person submitting the rehoming form, and it asks for the medical history too. Get the details right before you apply.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Cocker Spaniel · The Royal Kennel Club: English Springer Spaniel · Dogs Trust: Cocker Spaniel · Dogs Trust: Springer Spaniel · PDSA: Cocker Spaniel · PDSA: English Springer Spaniel · UK Spaniel Rescue: Rehoming your spaniel · Springer Rescue for Scotland: Rehoming your dog · English Springer Spaniel Rescue, North West England: Rehome your dog · Sprocker Assist & Rescue: Rehoming