Rehome your dog, cat or rabbit in York

Checked 6 October 2026

The short answer

Rescues around Leeds are busy, and several told us they are full or running waiting lists. So the routes that keep your pet at home while a new owner is found are usually quickest: list them on LocalPetFinder, use Dogs Trust Homestay (the Leeds centre is at LS15), or ask Greenleaf Animal Rescue, which says rehoming “can be complete within 2 weeks”. For cats, Cats Protection’s Leeds Cat Centre covers most LS and many BD postcodes.

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

List your pet in York 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 York

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

Dogs Trust Leedsdogs · York Road, Leeds (LS15)
Homestay keeps your dog with you while Dogs Trust finds an adopter (it says Homestay dogs “generally find a new home within two weeks”), or wait for a kennel place, which is “usually a wait”. Free; call 0300 303 2188 or use the online form.
Greenleaf Animal Rescuedogs, cats · Leeds-based network
You keep your pet until an adopter is found, then it arranges the meeting and collection; it says “often the process can be complete within 2 weeks”, and every applicant answers “over 40 questions”.
Aireworth Dogs in Needdogs · Keighley; covers the Aire, Worth and Wharfe valleys and bordering parts of Bradford and Leeds
Foster-based, so owners keep their dog until a home is found. Four steps: a pre-assessment form and photo, a call, a home visit, then rehoming; it asks for a donation (no set amount). It is “receiving far more requests than we can manage” and only helps inside its catchment.
Cats Protection Leeds Cat Centrecats · Gildersome; covers LS1 to LS28, many BD and some WF postcodes
Contact the centre to arrange a time to bring your cat in; Cats Protection warns there are “often waiting lists”.
Cats Protection Harrogate & Districtcats · HG postcodes plus LS17, LS22, LS23 and YO51
Runs a Direct Homing scheme “where cats stay with their current owner until a new loving home is found”.
Heronbank Cat Rescuecats · Huddersfield
Fill in its surrender form and someone will be in touch, though it says it is “usually way over capacity”. Rehomes within Yorkshire only.
Pawprints Cat Rescuecats · Bradford
Full when we checked, but cats can go on its waiting list via the form on its waiting-list page.
8 Below Husky Rescuedogs · West Yorkshire
Huskies and Malamutes. Fill in its online relinquish form; its team contacts you if it can help, or offers advice when its kennels are full.
Pabs & Pals Rescuedogs · Harrogate
Complete its rehoming form with a clear explanation of why you need to rehome; no walk-ins.
Yorkshire Rabbit Retreatrabbits · Wakefield
Online surrender form; it usually has “a long list of rabbits waiting”. Neutering your rabbit while you wait “may mean we can offer them a space sooner”.
Ivy Dene Rabbit Rescuerabbits · Tong, Bradford
Get in touch through its form. It often has a waiting list, but in an emergency “we do have connections with other rescues that may have space”.

Planning ahead for if you die or go into care? Yorkshire Cat Rescue’s Loved For Life is a free service for cats, and the RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield & District Branch runs a free Forever Paws scheme.

Leeds City Council tenants need written permission before getting a pet. It is worth checking with your landlord before you rehome for housing reasons, too.

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 York right now

LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable animals from rescues reachable from York. Right now that is 98 dogs, 64 cats and 36 rabbits from 25 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 York · 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 York: your questions

Tap a question to expand

Where can I take my dog in Leeds if I can’t keep him?

Contact Dogs Trust Leeds (LS15), which offers Homestay so your dog stays with you while it finds an adopter, and Greenleaf Animal Rescue. In the Aire and Wharfe valleys, Aireworth Dogs in Need may help. Or list your dog on LocalPetFinder and choose the new home yourself.

How do I rehome a rabbit in Leeds?

Yorkshire Rabbit Retreat (Wakefield) and Ivy Dene Rabbit Rescue (Tong, Bradford) both take surrenders through online forms but usually have waiting lists. Neutering your rabbit while you wait can help. You can also list your rabbit on LocalPetFinder; keep a bonded pair together.

How do I rehome my dog in York?

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 York for free

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

Start your listing

Sources: Dogs Trust: Leeds · Greenleaf Animal Rescue · Aireworth Dogs in Need · Cats Protection: Leeds · Cats Protection: Harrogate · Heronbank Cat Rescue · Pawprints Cat Rescue · 8 Below Husky Rescue · Pabs & Pals Rescue · Yorkshire Rabbit Retreat · Ivy Dene Rabbit Rescue · Yorkshire Cat Rescue: Loved For Life · RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield & District: Forever Paws · Leeds City Council: Responsible dog ownership · 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)