2. Giving up your dog – our process

What to expect if you give up your dog

We know that life can change and that might mean you can no longer care for your dog.

This is a tough decision – and we won’t judge you for needing to find your dog a new home. Asking us for help is the most responsible thing you can do for them.

Giving up your dog – what happens when I get in touch?

What happens once you've decided to give up your dog to Dogs Trust? We'll take you through the process from your first contact to bringing your dog to us.

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    Contact us

    We understand what a difficult call this might be. Our staff will listen without judgment and help you make the right decision for your dog. We may be able to give you advice on managing the issue that has led to you considering rehoming. Whatever the situation, please...
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    We understand what a difficult call this might be. Our staff will listen without judgment and help you make the right decision for your dog. We may be able to give you advice on managing the issue that has led to you considering rehoming. 

    Whatever the situation, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. 

    If we decide together that rehoming your dog is the best thing to do, we’ll take your details to pass to your local rehoming team and they’ll contact you as soon as they can to discuss your situation in more detail. We aim to get in touch within 72 hours. 

    Call us on 0300 303 2188 or complete our form

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    Your assessment call

    Someone from your nearest rehoming team will call you to talk through all your options. We'll listen without judgment and help you make the right decision for your dog. If we agree that rehoming your dog is the right thing to do, we’ll ask you to fill in our handover form....
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    Someone from your nearest rehoming team will call you to talk through all your options. We'll listen without judgment and help you make the right decision for your dog. 

    If we agree that rehoming your dog is the right thing to do, we’ll ask you to fill in our handover form. Once this is done, we’ll book an appointment for you to bring your dog to us for further assessment. We wouldn’t usually take your dog in straight away after the assessment, though that could be an option and we’ll discuss that with you.

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    Your assessment meeting

    If we decide together that giving up your dog is best for both of you, we’ll arrange a meeting.When you meet the rehoming team, we’ll ask you more about your dog’s likes and dislikes. We’ll usually take them for a short walk to see how they react around other dogs and people....
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    If we decide together that giving up your dog is best for both of you, we’ll arrange a meeting.

    When you meet the rehoming team, we’ll ask you more about your dog’s likes and dislikes. We’ll usually take them for a short walk to see how they react around other dogs and people. All this information helps us to see if your dog is going to be happy in kennels, and what they need in a new home.  

    You’ll need to show us any veterinary records you have, including vaccination certificates and microchip details. It’s helpful if you can bring their favourite bedding and a few of their toys, to help them feel more comfortable.

    We’ll let you know straight away if we can take your dog. If we can, you may have to wait until we have a kennel available, which could take a few weeks depending on the centre. We’ll do everything we can to help you and your dog as quickly as possible.

    If we’ve agreed with you in advance to take the dog on the day if they pass the assessment, please bring the their favourite toy or blanket to help them settle in.

    If we can’t take your dog, we’ll advise you on other options. There’s more information in our questions and answers section below about why we wouldn’t be able to take a dog.

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    Bring your dog to us

    We’ll organise a time for you to bring your dog into our care.

    You’ll need to sign some paperwork to officially transfer the dog across to us. We’ll take good care of them from there.

Talk to our team for friendly advice.

If you are struggling and need to give up your dog, or if you want to speak to someone for advice, we are just a phone call away. We’ll listen without judgment and talk you through the next steps.  

If you need to return a dog you've adopted from us, we'll do everything to help you and your new dog stay together. But if there's an issue that can't be overcome, we’ll always take back a dog adopted from us. 

Call us on 0300 303 2188 or

Complete our form

Have you explored the alternative options available before giving up your dog?

Brindle Greyhound dog wearing a brown leather collar, amongst brown trees in the woods.

How much does it cost to give up a dog?

Giving up your dog to Dogs Trust is free. It won't cost you a penny. If you'd like to donate to support our work, we'd be grateful, but it's not required. 

Will you definitely take my dog?

Our aim is to find a new home for every dog that needs one. But in some situations, we may not be able to take your dog.  

Our kennels are often full, and many dogs need special support and training from our staff to help them overcome their fears and worries. This limits the number of dogs we’re able to help at one time, so you may have to wait a while for a space to be available.   

If we think your dog will be unhappy in kennels, then we’ll talk to you about what options there are. We have a limited number of spaces in our Home from Home scheme, where foster carers look after dogs at home, so this might be an option.  

If your dog is aggressive towards people, it’s very unlikely that a rehoming centre is the right place for them. 

I want to give up an aggressive dog. Can you help?

Our aim is to find a new home for every dog that needs one, and we take in all kinds of dogs. As we have an experienced behavioural team, we can support dogs with specific needs. However, there is a limit to the number of dogs with behavioural issues that we can take at any one time. 

In our centres, dogs often share kennels. If your dog is aggressive towards other dogs, you may need to wait until a kennel is free just for them. If your dog reacts aggressively, then a rehoming centre may not be the best place for them. If we think your dog will be unhappy in kennels, then we’ll talk to you about what options there are. We have a limited number of spaces in foster homes, through our Home from Home scheme, so this might be an option.  

If your dog is aggressive towards people, it is very unlikely that a rehoming centre is the right place for them. We have a duty of care towards our staff, volunteers and adopters, so we may not be able to take them at all. In these situations, we can offer advice on how you can manage your dog’s behaviour. We may recommend that you speak to your vet for referral to a behaviour expert. 

Would you take back a dog adopted from Dogs Trust?

We’ll always take back a dog adopted from us, whatever the reason and however long it is since you first adopted from us. If you’re experiencing problems with your dog’s behaviour, we’d first recommend that you contact us for support on 0300 303 3738.   

If the problem isn’t behavioural, or if that doesn’t resolve the issue, then please get in contact with us. We’ll listen without judgment and at the end of the call, if you’d still like us to take your dog, we’ll talk you through the next steps.  

Dog advice