Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Stoke-on-Trent

Checked 3 November 2026

The short answer

For a dog in Stoke-on-Trent, phone Animal Lifeline's rehoming team at Cellarhead: it takes dogs in by priority and talks through your options first. Cheadle & District Animal Welfare Society has a help line for dog owners and one for cats, and Just For Dogs, at Brailsford, will advertise your dog to vetted adopters even when it has no space. While you wait, you can list your pet on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

List your pet in Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent

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

Animal Lifelinedogs · Serendipity kennels, Leek Road, Cellarhead, near Stoke-on-Trent
Its rehoming page asks you to phone its rehoming team first, for a full talk about whether every other option has been tried. Like every rescue it gets far more requests than it has space for, so it runs a managed intake by priority. It looks after abandoned dogs and finds them homes in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.
Cheadle & District Animal Welfare Societydogs, cats · Volunteers based around Cheadle, Staffordshire, about 7 miles from Stoke-on-Trent
It has a phone line for dog owners who need help to rehome, and another for all cat enquiries, both on its contact page. It has no kennels of its own, so animals go to private kennels, catteries or foster homes, and the volunteers answer in their free time. If you adopted your dog or cat from the society, its rehoming page says to contact it first, as it always takes them back.
Just For Dogsdogs · Brailsford, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire (DE6), about 22 miles from Stoke-on-Trent
It asks owners to get in touch as early as possible, not at the last minute. It may not have space in the rescue, but it says it will always put your dog on its social media, vet anyone interested and then put you in touch.
Senior Staffy Clubdogs · Rented kennels in Worcestershire and Staffordshire, and foster homes
For a Staffy or Staffy cross aged 7 or over. Fill in its Re-home Intake Form to join the waiting list, then send the photos and vet history it asks for; an assessor visits once the kennels accept your dog. It is small and volunteer-run, with limited spaces, so keep asking other rescues while you wait.
Greyhound Gapdogs · Kennels at Kidsgrove, about 6 miles from Stoke-on-Trent
It gives priority to greyhounds and lurchers facing euthanasia in council pounds, and only occasionally takes dogs from private owners, as space allows. If you adopted your dog from Greyhound Gap, its adoption terms say the dog must go back to it.

The RSPCA Staffordshire North Branch says it has had no rehoming facility since 10 April 2025, so it cannot take your pet; it offers subsidised vet treatment, neutering and microchipping to owners on low incomes.

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 Stoke-on-Trent right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues within about 25 miles of Stoke-on-Trent. Right now that is 60 dogs, 110 cats and 4 rabbits from 14 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 Stoke-on-Trent · 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 Stoke-on-Trent: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Where can I take my dog in Stoke-on-Trent if I can’t keep him?

Phone Animal Lifeline’s rehoming team, which takes local dogs in by priority, or Cheadle & District Animal Welfare Society’s owners’ help line. Just For Dogs will advertise him to vetted adopters even when it is full. You can list him on LocalPetFinder at the same time and choose the new home yourself.

How do I rehome a cat in Stoke-on-Trent?

Phone Cheadle & District Animal Welfare Society’s cat line; its volunteers foster cats around the Staffordshire Moorlands. You can list your cat on LocalPetFinder too, so a local adopter may find her sooner.

Will the RSPCA in Stoke take my pet?

No. The RSPCA Staffordshire North Branch says it has had no rehoming facility since 10 April 2025. Contact a rescue such as Animal Lifeline, or list your pet on LocalPetFinder.

How do I rehome my dog in Stoke-on-Trent?

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 Stoke-on-Trent for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Animal Lifeline: rehoming your dog · Cheadle & District Animal Welfare Society: contact (owner and cat lines) · Cheadle & District Animal Welfare Society: rehoming (always the first point of call) · Just For Dogs: contact (owners) · Senior Staffy Club: rehoming your dog · Greyhound Gap: our history (intake priorities) · Greyhound Gap: adoption (dogs come back to it) · RSPCA Staffordshire North Branch: home page · 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)