Rehoming your dog, cat or rabbit in Wales
Checked 6 October 2026
The short answer
You can list your pet free on LocalPetFinder from anywhere in Wales and choose the new home yourself, or turn to a charity. Dogs Trust has centres in Cardiff and Bridgend, Blue Cross’s Newport unit, which supports south Wales, may be able to rehome your pet straight from your home, and Cats Protection has cat centres in Bridgend and Wrexham. Smaller rescues such as Many Tears may help when they have space. However you rehome in Wales, a dog must be microchipped before it goes to a new keeper, and it’s illegal to rehome an XL Bully.
List your pet in Wales for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
City guides in Wales
You can list from anywhere in Wales. These city guides add the local rescues that take owners’ pets.
Charities in Wales that take owners’ pets
Dogs Trust (Cardiff and Bridgend)dogs · Cardiff (CF24) and Bridgend (CF31)
Owners go through Dogs Trust’s national line, 0300 303 2188, or its online form, not the centre itself. Homestay keeps your dog at home while it finds an adopter. Giving up a dog is free.
Blue Cross Newportdogs, cats, rabbits · Langstone, Newport (NP18); supports south Wales
Has no kennels or cattery on site, so most pets stay with their owners until they’re adopted, or go to a volunteer foster carer. Call 0300 777 1850.
Cats Protection Wales Cat Centrecats · Bryncethin, Bridgend (CF32)
Covers south Wales postcodes including CF23, CF31 and SA11 to SA13. Call 01656 724396; Cats Protection warns there can often be waiting lists.
Cats Protection North Wales Cat Centrecats · Wrexham (LL13); covers North Wales, Chester and North Shropshire
Call 03000 12 02 69. Cats Protection also has volunteer branches in parts of Wales; use its own branch finder for your postcode.
Many Tears Animal Rescuedogs · Carmarthenshire, with foster homes across the UK
Call 01269 843084 (10am to 4pm, every day) and explain your situation; it “will assess whether we have available space and can offer assistance” (Many Tears).
Hope Rescuedogs · Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taf
A stray dog rescue, so it says it “usually cannot take owner surrenders due to space”. If it can, your dog goes on a waiting list and must be microchipped first.
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.
The law in Wales when you rehome a pet
Dogs must be microchipped before they change hands
In Wales, no keeper may transfer a dog to a new keeper until it’s microchipped, and the new keeper must record their details with the database (Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015, reg. 8). Microchipping cats is optional in Wales; if your cat is chipped, update the record at the handover too.
XL Bullies can’t be rehomed
In England and Wales it’s illegal to “rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully dog” (gov.uk). If you think your dog could be an XL Bully and you have no exemption certificate, contact your local police force.
Rescues in Wales aren’t licensed yet
The Welsh Government says animal welfare establishments “are currently unregulated in Wales” and that it is developing proposals, possibly including a licensing scheme (Welsh Government response, June 2025). So check a rescue yourself before you hand over a pet: look for a registered charity number and ask how it assesses adopters.
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.
Rehoming a particular breed?
Each guide covers what to tell adopters about the breed, and the breed rescues that take owners’ pets.
Dogs
Rehoming a pet in Wales: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Can I list my pet on LocalPetFinder from Wales?
Yes. We take owner listings from anywhere in Wales. Your listing shows on our Wales pages alongside rescue pets, and adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email stays private.
Will Hope Rescue take my dog?
Usually not. Hope Rescue is a stray dog rescue and says it “usually cannot take owner surrenders due to space” (Hope Rescue). If it can help, your dog goes on its waiting list and must be microchipped before it’s accepted.
How do I rehome my dog in Wales?
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 Wales for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Sources: Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015, reg. 8 · gov.uk: Get your dog or cat microchipped · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs · Welsh Government: Licensing of animal welfare establishments, response (June 2025) · Dogs Trust: Giving up your dog · Blue Cross: Newport rehoming, advice and behaviour unit · Cats Protection: Wales Cat Centre · Cats Protection: North Wales Cat Centre · Many Tears: Adoption FAQs · Hope Rescue: Surrender