Rescue guide
Dog rescue in Taunton: St Giles and the rescues nearby
Searching for St Giles, dog rescue or dog rehoming in Taunton brings you to much the same handful of places. Four rescues list their dogs with us within 25 miles of the town, led by St Giles Animal Welfare at Wrantage, while Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard rehomes on its own site. Here is how each one works, what it asks, and which suits which home.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 11 November 2026
The short answer
Start with St Giles Animal Welfare at Wrantage, about 5 miles east of Taunton: apply for a named dog, meet it by appointment, then reserve and pass a home visit; an adult dog is £300. Rushton Dog Rescue near Langport takes dogs with hard pasts and asks a minimum of £450. Dogs' Friends and ARC Animal Rescue Centre also list dogs within 25 miles, and Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard rehomes dogs on its own website.
- Rescue adoption fees
- 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.
- St Giles Animal Welfare
- £300 for an adult dog, half to reserve and half on collection; neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, with 4 weeks of free Petplan cover.
- Rushton Dog Rescue
- A minimum of £450, non-refundable.
- Dogs' Friends
- Usually £400 to £500.
- ARC
- Priced dog by dog, from a minimum of £350.
- Buying instead
- Blue Cross puts a bought puppy at £400 to £3,000.
- A dog for life
- PDSA puts lifetime costs at £6,200 for a small dog and £18,800 or more for a large one.
The dog rescues near Taunton at a glance
Distances are straight line from the centre of Taunton. Ferne is in the last row because we do not list its dogs.
| Rescue | Where | How far | How you adopt | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Giles Animal Welfare | Wrantage, east of Taunton | About 5 miles | Apply, meet and greet, reserve, home visit | £300 |
| Rushton Dog Rescue | Freedom Farm, near Langport | About 12 miles | Application, home visit, then meet the dog at the farm | From £450 |
| Dogs' Friends | Foster homes in Somerset; kennels at Westbury-sub-Mendip | About 23 miles to the kennels | Enquiry form, home and vet checks, two visits | Usually £400 to £500 |
| ARC | Near Ottery St Mary, East Devon | About 20 miles | Viewing by appointment; rehomes within 30 miles | From £350 |
| Ferne Animal Sanctuary | Wambrook, near Chard | Not listed with us | Enquiry form, home video, then a visit | A minimum donation, amount on request |
St Giles Animal Welfare, Wrantage
St Giles is a not-for-profit company, not a registered charity, run from St Giles Animal Centre at Wrantage. It is also where Somerset's strays end up: the council's dog wardens take the dogs they seize to the St Giles kennels, and a dog nobody claims within 7 clear days becomes the council's to rehome. Alongside those, St Giles takes dogs from families who can no longer keep them, and it boards some animals for the RSPCA. Those RSPCA dogs are not on LocalPetFinder.
On 11 November 2026 its adoptions page showed the range: Hermione, a German Shepherd abandoned by her owner, Gloria, a four year old Cane Corso cross Spanish Mastiff who came from a pound, and Skelly, a lurcher of about ten, already reserved. Several write ups ask for a home with children of 14 or over, and St Giles won't place a dog with an unknown history in a family with children.
- Appointments only. It is open six days a week, closed on Wednesdays, mornings and afternoons; visits need booking.
- The deposit is real. You pay half the fee to reserve, and if you change your mind it is kept, unless you fail the home visit.
- Fostering first is possible. Fostering with a view to adopt needs a non-refundable payment up front, which comes off the final fee.
Rushton Dog Rescue, near Langport
Rushton is a registered charity founded in 2007 and run as a family sanctuary and rehoming centre at Freedom Farm, Henley, near Langport. Its work centres on dogs from abusive or neglectful homes and from UK pounds, and some of its dogs stay at the farm for life. The write ups are blunt about the past: Krissy, a Staffie of two, was kept in a shed and needs an adult only home with no other pets, and Eddie, a Pomeranian of four, was passed around on social media before Rushton took him.
- Home visit before you meet. A volunteer checks your home and garden first, and refusing the visit ends the application.
- Your own pets. Existing pets must be neutered unless a vet says they can't be.
- For life. Rushton gives every adopter a lifetime back up if things change.
Dogs' Friends and ARC
Dogs' Friends keeps most of its dogs in foster homes across Somerset, with kennels between Cheddar and Wells, and rehomes in Somerset and the areas around it. You can't meet a dog and take it home the same day: expect two trips and a 24 hour cooling-off period, then be ready to collect within a week. ARC, near Ottery St Mary over the Devon border, rehomes within a 30 mile radius of its centre, so Taunton is inside its area; its home check carries a £20 fee.
Ferne Animal Sanctuary, near Chard
Ferne has rescued and rehomed animals from its site in the Blackdown Hills since 1939. Its website terms don't allow other sites to copy its listings, so its dogs are not on LocalPetFinder: look on its own site, send the enquiry form under the dog you like, and expect to be asked for a video of your home and garden before a visit. It asks a minimum donation on adoption but publishes no figure.
Which rescue suits your home?
Each of these rescues matches dogs to homes rather than first come, first served, so pick the one whose dogs and rules fit you.
- You live in Taunton and want to visit easily: St Giles is the nearest; its German Shepherd and lurcher pages show today's dogs from every rescue we list nearby.
- You are experienced with a dog that has had a hard start: Rushton's write ups say exactly what each dog needs, and many ask for an adult only home.
- You already have a dog: many of Dogs' Friends' dogs are ex-breeding dogs that need a resident dog, and St Giles introduces your dog before you reserve.
- You want a young dog: few are under a year; see our rescue puppies guide.
- You want an older, calmer dog: filter the older dogs page.
Names you may have searched for
RSPCA West Hatch. The RSPCA's own animal centre at West Hatch, near Taunton, rehomes its dogs and cats through the RSPCA's own website. We don't list RSPCA animals, so look there.
For the wider county, from Wellington to Yeovil, see our guide to rescue dogs across Somerset. Rehoming your own dog? Our Taunton rehoming page has the 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).
Questions
Tap a question to expand
What is the best dog rescue in Taunton?
St Giles Animal Welfare at Wrantage is the closest rescue whose dogs we list, about 5 miles from the town. Rushton Dog Rescue near Langport, Dogs' Friends and ARC near Ottery St Mary list dogs within 25 miles too; the best one is the one whose dogs and rules fit your home.
Where is St Giles animal rescue in Taunton?
St Giles Animal Welfare is at St Giles Animal Centre, Wrantage, Taunton TA3 6DJ, about 5 miles east of the town. Visits are by appointment only, and it is closed on Wednesdays.
Is St Giles Animal Centre the same as St Giles Animal Welfare?
They share a site at Wrantage but are different: St Giles Animal Welfare is the not-for-profit that rehomes dogs and cats, and St Giles Animal Centre is the business offering boarding, grooming and vet care there.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog in Taunton?
St Giles charges £300 for an adult dog, Rushton a minimum of £450, Dogs' Friends usually £400 to £500, and ARC from a minimum of £350. Each covers some of the vet work done before the dog leaves.
Does Rushton Dog Rescue have dogs for adoption?
Yes. On 11 November 2026 its adopt page showed six dogs, from a three legged lurcher puppy to a Pomeranian of four. Its dogs are listed on our Taunton pages, and you apply on its own site.
Can I adopt a dog from Ferne Animal Sanctuary through LocalPetFinder?
No. Ferne's terms don't allow us to copy its listings, so its animals are only on its own website. You enquire there, under the dog's photo.
Where do Taunton stray dogs go?
Somerset Council's dog wardens take strays to the St Giles kennels at Wrantage. After 7 clear days unclaimed, the council takes ownership and usually rehomes the dog.
Keep reading
For rescues and rehoming centres
Are you a rescue near Taunton? Get your animals listed free.
Every animal links back to your own adoption page, and you can ask to be removed at any time.
Sources: St Giles Animal Welfare: home (not-for-profit company, Wrantage) · St Giles Animal Welfare: about (strays, RSPCA boarding, families, the Centre) · St Giles Animal Welfare: contact (hours, appointments) · St Giles Animal Welfare: adoptions (steps, fees, dated snapshot) · St Giles Animal Welfare: Hermione (dated snapshot) · St Giles Animal Welfare: Gloria (dated snapshot) · St Giles Animal Welfare: Skelly, reserved (dated snapshot) · Rushton Dog Rescue: our story (founded 2007) · Rushton Dog Rescue: adopt (dated snapshot) · Rushton Dog Rescue: adoption process (home visit, fee, back up) · Rushton Dog Rescue: our work · Rushton Dog Rescue: Krissy (dated snapshot) · Rushton Dog Rescue: Eddie (dated snapshot) · Dogs' Friends: adopting (fee, visits, catchment) · ARC Animal Rescue Centre: adopters info (fee, 30 mile radius, home check) · Ferne Animal Sanctuary: rehome an animal · Somerset Council: dog warden service · RSPCA: West Hatch Animal Centre page · Blue Cross puppy advice (purchase price) · PDSA lifetime dog costs by size · gov.uk: Get your dog microchipped · gov.uk: Banned dogs · gov.uk: Lucy's Law in England · legislation.gov.uk: Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023 · gov.uk: Ban on XL Bully dogs