Adoption guide
Rescue dogs across Somerset, area by area
Somerset is a big, rural county, and its rescue dogs are spread thinly: a centre near Taunton, a sanctuary on the Levels, foster homes in Mendip villages and a rescue just over the Devon border. Our Taunton page draws in every dog within 25 miles of the town, which reaches as far as Yeovil. Here is where each rescue sits, which parts of the county it serves, and where the gaps are.
By the LocalPetFinder Team · Checked 11 November 2026
The short answer
Four rescues list Somerset-area dogs with us: St Giles Animal Welfare at Wrantage near Taunton, Rushton Dog Rescue near Langport, Dogs' Friends with foster homes and kennels in Mendip, and ARC Animal Rescue Centre near Ottery St Mary in East Devon. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard rehomes dogs on its own site. Nothing is listed in Yeovil or west Somerset today, so the nearest options from there are Wrantage, Langport or Chard.
- 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.
- Rushton Dog Rescue
- A minimum of £450.
- Dogs' Friends
- Usually £400 to £500.
- ARC
- From a minimum of £350, set dog by dog.
Somerset rescue dogs, area by area
Distances are straight line from the centre of Taunton. Only the first four rows are rescues whose dogs we list.
| Area | Rescue | Where its dogs are | From Taunton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton, Wellington and the Vale | St Giles Animal Welfare | At its centre in Wrantage | About 5 miles |
| Langport and the Levels | Rushton Dog Rescue | At Freedom Farm, Henley, near Langport | About 12 miles |
| Mendip, Glastonbury and the Poldens | Dogs' Friends | In foster homes in villages such as Ashcott and Axbridge, and kennels at Westbury-sub-Mendip | About 15 to 23 miles |
| The Devon border | ARC | At its centre near Ottery St Mary | About 20 miles |
| Chard, Ilminster and south Somerset | Ferne Animal Sanctuary | At Wambrook, near Chard; not listed with us | Not listed |
| Yeovil, Minehead and west Somerset | No rescue we list | Nothing filed there on 11 November 2026 | Yeovil about 21 miles |
How each rescue works with the county
Each rescue draws its dogs, and its adopters, from a different part of Somerset.
St Giles: the county's stray kennels as well
Somerset Council's dog warden service is based at the St Giles kennels, so a stray seized anywhere in the county goes to Wrantage. After 7 clear days unclaimed, the council owns the dog and in most cases rehomes it. St Giles Animal Welfare, a not-for-profit company on the same site, also rehomes dogs from families and boards some for the RSPCA; those RSPCA dogs are not on our site.
Rushton: a sanctuary on the Levels
Rushton, a registered charity, works from Freedom Farm at Henley, near Langport, where dogs that are hard to rehome because of behaviour, health or age can stay for life. Its rehoming dogs need a volunteer home visit before you meet them, so expect a volunteer to come to your part of Somerset first.
Dogs' Friends: foster homes across the county
Almost all of Dogs' Friends' dogs live in foster homes, which is why its listings show village names. It rehomes across Somerset and the counties around it, and takes homes further afield only in some cases, such as a dog that has waited a long time. You will drive to the foster home at least twice and then need to collect within a week, or three days for a kennel dog.
ARC: over the border, within 30 miles
ARC, near Ottery St Mary in East Devon, rehomes within a 30 mile radius of its centre, which takes in Taunton and the south west of the county; further out it may accept your vet's recommendation instead, case by case.
Gaps: Yeovil, Chard and the west
No rescue we list had dogs in Yeovil, Minehead or the Quantocks on 11 November 2026. For the south of the county, Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard has rehomed animals since 1939; its terms don't allow other sites to copy its listings, so look at its dogs on its own website. The RSPCA's West Hatch Animal Centre, near Taunton, rehomes its dogs through the RSPCA's own website; we don't list RSPCA animals.
Wherever you live, an alert on our Taunton dogs page covers all 25 miles at once, and the lurcher, Staffy and older dogs pages filter it.
Adopting from further away in the county
Every rescue here meets you before a dog leaves, so plan for the miles:
- At least two trips for most dogs: one to meet, one to collect, and Dogs' Friends asks for a 24 hour cooling-off period in between.
- A home check where you live. St Giles, Rushton and Dogs' Friends all visit your home, and ARC charges £20 when it does a home check.
- The chip. In England a dog must be microchipped before it changes hands, and you update the database with your details once it is yours.
- A young dog? Our rescue puppies guide covers the few pups that come through; for the full side by side comparison see the Taunton dog rescue guide.
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
Where can I adopt a rescue dog in Somerset?
St Giles Animal Welfare near Taunton, Rushton Dog Rescue near Langport and Dogs' Friends, with foster homes across Mendip, all list dogs with us; ARC near Ottery St Mary in East Devon rehomes into Somerset too. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard rehomes dogs on its own site.
Is there a dog rescue in Yeovil?
No rescue we list had dogs in Yeovil on 11 November 2026. Yeovil is about 21 miles from Taunton, inside our Taunton search area, and Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard is another option on its own website.
Where do stray dogs go in Somerset?
Somerset Council's dog wardens take strays to the St Giles kennels at Wrantage, near Taunton. A dog is kept for 7 clear days, then the council takes ownership and usually rehomes it.
Where are Dogs' Friends dogs kept?
Almost all are in foster homes in Somerset villages, and the charity has kennels at Westbury-sub-Mendip, between Cheddar and Wells. Visitors come by appointment only.
Will a Somerset rescue rehome a dog to me if I live outside the county?
Sometimes. Dogs' Friends rehomes in Somerset and the areas around it and goes further only in some cases, and ARC rehomes within 30 miles of its centre. Ask the rescue before you apply.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog in Somerset?
St Giles charges £300 for an adult dog, Rushton a minimum of £450, Dogs' Friends usually £400 to £500 and ARC from £350. Ferne asks a minimum donation without publishing a figure.
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: about (families, RSPCA boarding) · St Giles Animal Welfare: adoptions (fee) · Rushton Dog Rescue: contact (Freedom Farm, Henley, Langport) · Rushton Dog Rescue: adoption process (home visit first, fee) · Rushton Dog Rescue: Freedom Farm · Dogs' Friends: adopting (catchment, visits, fee) · ARC Animal Rescue Centre: adopters info (30 mile radius, fee, home check) · Ferne Animal Sanctuary: homepage (since 1939, Wambrook) · Ferne Animal Sanctuary: rehome an animal · Somerset Council: dog warden service (St Giles Kennels) · RSPCA: West Hatch Animal Centre page · 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