Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in Wolverhampton

Checked 6 October 2026

The short answer

Local rescues around Birmingham are full or close to it. When we checked in October 2026, Wythall Animal Sanctuary’s waiting lists were closed and Birmingham Dogs Home said it was “not able to take in every dog”. So most owners do best with a route that keeps their pet at home while a new owner is found: list them yourself on LocalPetFinder, or use Blue Cross Home Direct (Bromsgrove) or Dogs Trust Homestay (Kenilworth). Contact more than one, and never leave a pet at a centre’s gate.

Wolverhampton shares its rescues with the Birmingham area: our Wolverhampton pages list animals in Wolverhampton first, then those with rescues around Birmingham, so the options below cover both. Rehoming in Birmingham

List your pet in Wolverhampton 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 Wolverhampton

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

Birmingham Dogs Homedogs · Solihull (B92) and Coven (WV10)
Takes stray and relinquished dogs from across the West Midlands and South Staffordshire. Its team is "on hand to help without judgment", but it says it is "not able to take in every dog", so call them to talk it through.
Blue Cross Bromsgrovedogs, cats, rabbits · Catshill, Bromsgrove (B61)
May be able to rehome your pet "directly from you, without them having to stay in kennels" through Home Direct. Start with Blue Cross pet admissions. The centre also runs a pet food bank if cost is the problem.
Dogs Trust Kenilworthdogs · Honiley, Kenilworth (CV8)
The nearest Dogs Trust centre. Choose Homestay (your dog stays home while they find an adopter) or a kennel place, though there is "usually a wait" for kennels. Free to give up a dog.
Cats Protection West Midlands Cat Centrecats · Hollywood (B47), covering most B postcodes
The Cats Protection centre for most Birmingham postcodes. Contact it to arrange a time to bring your cat in; Cats Protection warns there are "often waiting lists", so plan ahead.
Wythall Animal Sanctuarydogs, cats, rabbits · Kings Norton edge (B38)
Runs waiting lists for dogs, cats and rabbits and asks for a donation when it takes a pet. On 6 October 2026 all three lists were closed or paused, so check its handing-over page for the current state. Its own advice: "contact as many rescues as possible".
Small Dog Rescuedogs · Foster homes around Walsall
Small dogs only (it doesn’t take breeds such as Staffies, Alsatians or Labradors). Fill in its surrender form; you must be the legal owner and may be asked for proof.
Lucky Bunny & Friends Rescuerabbits · Near Dudley (DY3)
Rabbits and guinea pigs. Download its Pet Surrender Form from the forms page and email it in.
Ravens Rescue UKdogs, cats, rabbits · Foster homes in the West Midlands
Its contact form includes “I need to rehome my pet”. It only helps owners in the West Midlands.

Found a stray rather than giving up your own pet? In the City of Birmingham that goes to the council: Birmingham City Council says anyone who finds a stray dog must hand it to its owner or the council. Outside the city, contact your own local council.

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 Wolverhampton right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues reachable from Wolverhampton. Right now that is 112 dogs, 109 cats and 30 rabbits from 26 rescues, plus 2 pets listed by their owners. 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 Wolverhampton · 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 Wolverhampton: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Will Birmingham Dogs Home take my dog?

It might. Its team will talk it through "without judgment", but it says it is "not able to take in every dog". Neither of its centres is in the city itself: they are at Solihull (B92) and Coven (WV10). Call it, and contact Dogs Trust Kenilworth or Blue Cross Bromsgrove too.

Where can I rehome a cat in Birmingham?

Cats Protection’s West Midlands Cat Centre covers most B postcodes, Blue Cross Bromsgrove takes cats through Home Direct, and Wythall Animal Sanctuary runs a cat waiting list (paused when we checked in October 2026). You can also list your cat on LocalPetFinder; it stays with you until you’ve chosen the new home.

How do I rehome my dog in Wolverhampton?

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 Wolverhampton for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Birmingham Dogs Home: Handing over your dog · Blue Cross: Bromsgrove rehoming centre · Dogs Trust: Kenilworth · Cats Protection: West Midlands · Wythall Animal Sanctuary: Handing over an animal · Small Dog Rescue: Contact us · Lucky Bunny & Friends Rescue: Forms · Ravens Rescue UK: Contact · Birmingham City Council: Stray dogs · 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)