Rehome With Reason: Ethical Dog Rehoming That Puts Welfare First
Rehome With Reason is HomeWagger’s ethical dog rehoming campaign.
At its heart, the campaign slows the process down. Instead of panic, pressure and rushed decisions, we promote welfare-first matching and safer outcomes for dogs.
Across the UK, more dogs are being rehomed through general selling platforms, online advertising sites and marketplace-style services.
In practice, these platforms were never designed with animal welfare in mind. They might make it easy to post a quick listing — however, they rarely provide safety checks, adopter vetting, or support when things get hard.
The Rehome With Reason pledge encourages a calmer, kinder approach. In addition, it challenges rigid practices when they cause harm and promotes compassion, transparency and responsibility across the whole process.
HomeWagger CIC brings rehomers, adopters, shelters and rescues into one trusted space, so dogs can be matched with care — not urgency.
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Where Are All the UK Dogs?
Across the UK, people trying to adopt a dog are asking the same question — where are the dogs actually being rehomed from?
The truth is uncomfortable but important. Many UK dogs needing homes never make it onto major platforms. Instead, people rehome them quietly, privately, or unsafely — while adopters are pushed towards rushed or opaque alternatives.
If this feels familiar, we explore it in more depth in why adopting a dog in the UK feels so hard right now .
Rehome With Reason exists to change that. Therefore, we focus on visibility, welfare-first safeguards, and better matching built around real life.
👀 Visibility
UK dogs deserve to be seen — safely, honestly, and without shame. As a result, better visibility helps the right dogs reach the right homes.
🛡 Welfare
Every rehoming decision should prioritise long-term wellbeing, not speed. In practice, safeguards should protect dogs — not punish people.
🧠 Reason
Good matches take time, transparency, and support — not pressure. Ultimately, calm processes lead to more stable outcomes.
Why rushed and informal rehoming causes harm
When people rehome dogs on unregulated, sales-oriented platforms, the process often moves too fast. As a result, pressure increases, safeguarding drops, and poor matches become more likely.
For example, this can lead to:
- “First come, first served” pressure and rushed decisions
- No suitability checks or structured vetting
- Missing or inaccurate information about a dog’s needs
- Unsafe meet-ups and unsupported handovers
- Behaviour deteriorating due to stress and instability
- Extra strain on already overwhelmed rescue centres
🏥 For Shelters
Practical guides, safety checklists and a campaign badge can help you show adopters you rehome with compassion and common sense. In addition, you can keep decisions grounded in welfare, risk and real context.
🐾 For Adopters
Create a profile, share your lifestyle, and be matched on wellbeing and compatibility. Instead of assumptions or one-size-fits-all rules, we encourage decisions based on the whole picture.
🏠 For Rehomers
Rehome calmly with honest, story-led listings that centre your dog’s needs. As a result, you can reach adopters who truly fit — without pressure or judgement.
What the pledge stands for
Rehome With Reason is built on simple, welfare-first commitments:
- No selling or profit-driven rehoming — dogs are family, not items to list.
- Honest, transparent communication — people should feel safe sharing a dog’s needs.
- Proper adopter vetting — suitability, lifestyle and commitment matter.
- Safe, supported handovers — no rushed meet-ups and no pressure.
- Compassionate support for owners — many rehomings start with crisis or overwhelm.
- Reducing strain on rescues — better matching reduces avoidable failed rehomings.
Ultimately, if you believe rehoming should be calmer, kinder and welfare-led, you can support the campaign by signing the pledge.
📝 Sign the pledge
Have you been turned away from adopting a dog?
Maybe you don’t have a garden, work shifts, or live in rented housing — and someone told you you’re “not suitable” without asking about your real circumstances.
By sharing these experiences, we can challenge outdated practices. In addition, your feedback helps us build a fairer, welfare-first system that looks at the whole picture.
📣 Share your story
Who we are — HomeWagger CIC
HomeWagger CIC is a UK social enterprise focused on improving dog rehoming nationwide. We provide education, community tools and trusted signposting to help owners, adopters and rescues navigate rehoming responsibly.
Our mission is simple: put dog welfare first. Therefore, we support safe, compassionate rehoming without judgement and without financial incentive.
We do not enable selling. We do not profit from rehoming. Instead, we exist to make rehoming safer for everyone involved — especially dogs.
Rehome With Reason isn’t about saying no.
It’s about saying yes — responsibly.
Join the HomeWagger waitlist and help us build a better future for UK dog rehoming.
💙 Join HomeWagger