Rescue dogs for adoption and rehoming in and around Taunton
Rescue dogs and puppies looking for new homes in and around Taunton, listed for rehoming by rescues and rehoming centres.
All 31 are with rescues within about 25 miles of Taunton, in places such as Wrantage, Langport and Ashcott. Each card shows the town and how far it is from the centre of Taunton.
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Rescue dogs in and around Taunton
The closest rescue we list is St Giles Animal Welfare, a not-for-profit company based at St Giles Animal Centre in Wrantage, about 5 miles east of the town. On 11 November 2026 its adoptions page held German Shepherds, a 6 year old Bulldog called Dursley who arrived as a stray, a Cane Corso cross and a lurcher of about ten, among others.
Further out, Rushton Dog Rescue rehomes dogs from its Freedom Farm sanctuary near Langport, about 12 miles away. Dogs' Friends fosters dogs in Somerset villages and keeps kennels at Westbury-sub-Mendip, about 23 miles north, and ARC Animal Rescue Centre near Ottery St Mary in East Devon is about 20 miles south. Each card shows the dog's own town and its distance from Taunton.
Found a stray dog in Taunton?
In England a finder who can't reach the owner must report the dog to the council. Somerset Council's dog warden service is run from the St Giles kennels at Wrantage: report the dog by phone or the online form, and the warden collects a confined stray between 9am and 5pm, with no service out of hours.
A seized dog stays at the kennels for 7 clear days. Its owner pays a £25 fine plus costs and kennelling to get it back; if nobody comes, the council takes ownership and in most cases rehomes it.
What a rescue dog costs near Taunton
St Giles charges £300 for an adult dog, paid in two halves, one when you reserve and one when you collect. Rushton asks a minimum of £450, non-refundable; Dogs' Friends usually £400 to £500; and ARC prices each dog individually, from a minimum of £350.
At St Giles every dog leaves neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea treated, with 4 weeks of free Petplan insurance.
Each rescue sets its own adoption fee. Dogs Trust charges £300 for a puppy or adult dog in England, Wales and Scotland, and Blue Cross fees start from £235 for dogs aged 8 or over and £335 for dogs aged 1 to 7. The fee usually covers neutering, microchipping and first vaccinations, and each rescue confirms its own fee.
How adopting from St Giles works
Meet and greets are by appointment only, and the centre is shut on Wednesdays. The steps run in this order:
- Read the bio, then apply. Each dog's write up says what home it needs, and several ask for children aged 14 or over. You can apply online or on a printed form.
- Meet the dog at Wrantage. If the Rescue Office thinks you match, it books a meet and greet; a resident dog of yours meets the new one before anything is reserved.
- Reserve, then the home visit. Half the fee secures the dog, and a home visitor contacts you within 10 working days to look at your home, garden and security. Change your mind and the deposit is kept, unless you fail that visit.
- Renting? The application forms ask for proof that your landlord allows a pet.
Other places to look around Taunton
Ferne Animal Sanctuary at Wambrook, near Chard, has rehomed dogs and cats since 1939. Its animals are not on LocalPetFinder, so contact it directly: viewings there are by appointment. Rushton's Freedom Farm also keeps some dogs for life when a home can't be found, so not every dog you see on its site is up for adoption.
Stock near Taunton is modest, so an alert on this page is the quickest way to hear about a new arrival at St Giles, Rushton or the others.
More help for dog adopters in Taunton
Our Taunton dog rescue guide compares the four rescues side by side, the rescue puppies guide answers the "puppies for sale" search, and rescue dogs across Somerset maps the county town by town. Filter today's dogs on the German Shepherd, puppies and older dogs pages.
Need a new home for your own dog? Our Taunton rehoming page lists the local routes.
The law in England
- Microchipping and change of keeper. In England, as everywhere in the UK, every dog must be microchipped and registered by 8 weeks old. Since 6 April 2016 a dog in England can't pass to a new keeper until it is chipped, and the new keeper must update the database (the England regulations). A rescue chips before rehoming; after adoption, keep the details up to date.
- Lucy's Law: buying a puppy. In England, Lucy's Law has meant since 6 April 2020 that puppies under six months can't be sold by a third party such as a pet shop or dealer: you buy direct from the breeder or adopt from a rehoming centre.
- Banned dog types. In England, it is against the law to sell, abandon, give away or breed from a banned type: the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. Whether a dog is banned depends on what it looks like rather than its breed or name, so no rescue can rehome one and none appear on LocalPetFinder. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not a banned type.
- XL Bully dogs. In England, since 31 December 2023 it has been illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange or abandon an XL Bully or let it stray, and since 1 February 2024 illegal to own one without a Certificate of Exemption (gov.uk: England and Wales).
Taunton dog adoption FAQ
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Where can I adopt a dog in Taunton?
St Giles Animal Welfare at Wrantage, about 5 miles from the town, is the nearest rescue we list. Rushton Dog Rescue near Langport, Dogs' Friends and ARC near Ottery St Mary also list dogs within 25 miles, and you apply to each rescue directly.
Is St Giles Animal Welfare a charity?
No. Its own site describes it as a not-for-profit company, registered at Companies House, based at St Giles Animal Centre in Wrantage. It rehomes dogs and cats.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog from St Giles?
An adult dog is £300, paid half when you reserve and half when you take the dog home. Every dog is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and comes with 4 weeks of free Petplan insurance.
Can I just turn up at St Giles to see the dogs?
No. Meet and greets are by appointment only, after you have applied for a particular dog. The centre is open six days a week and closed on Wednesdays.
Where do stray dogs go in Taunton?
Somerset Council's dog wardens take strays to the St Giles kennels at Wrantage. A dog stays there for 7 clear days; if it isn't claimed, the council takes ownership and usually rehomes it.
Why are Ferne Animal Sanctuary dogs not on this page?
Ferne's website terms don't allow other sites to copy its listings, so we don't show its animals. It still rehomes dogs and cats from Wambrook, near Chard: look on its own site.
How do I rehome my dog in Taunton?
St Giles takes in cats and dogs from families who can no longer keep them, and Dogs' Friends has an owner surrender form. Our rehoming page sets out those routes and listing your dog with us.
LocalPetFinder and other pet sites
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Is LocalPetFinder the same as Petfinder?
No. LocalPetFinder is an independent UK website and is not connected with Petfinder. We bring together dogs, cats and rabbits from UK rescues and rehoming centres, and every profile links to the rescue that cares for the animal, so you apply with them directly.
How is LocalPetFinder different from Pets4Homes?
Pets4Homes describes itself as the UK’s largest online pet marketplace, connecting buyers with breeders as well as shelters and charities. LocalPetFinder is for adoption: our listings come from rescues and rehoming centres and from owners rehoming their own pet, each checked by a reviewer before it goes live. We do not take adverts from breeders.
Can I find RSPCA animals on LocalPetFinder?
No. We do not list the RSPCA’s animals, at its national centres or its branches. To see them, use RSPCA Find a Pet, the RSPCA’s own search for animals in its centres and branches across England and Wales.