Adopting a Dog in Australia: How It Works

Dogs listed for adoption near you

If you are ready to look now, start here. Each page lists the dogs and puppies currently with the rescues, shelters and council pounds we aggregate in that city, refreshed regularly. Every listing links to the rescue, where you enquire or apply directly.

Want a puppy? See puppies in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

An older, calmer dog? Senior dogs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

Live in a flat or unit? Apartment-friendly dogs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

Got children? Dogs good with kids in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide. Or browse small dogs in Sydney, family dogs in Melbourne and large dogs in Brisbane.

Elsewhere: Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Geelong, Ballarat, or statewide for NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

How does dog adoption work in Australia?

The steps are much the same whether you adopt from the RSPCA, an animal welfare league, a breed or all-breed rescue, or a council pound:

1. Check your home is ready. A dog can be part of your life for well over a decade, as RSPCA WA reminds adopters. Think about time, exercise, money, fencing, other pets, children and whether your lease allows a dog. The adoption readiness check takes five minutes.
2. Find a dog. Browse listings online. Rescue profiles usually describe size, energy, health and whether the dog has lived with children, cats or other dogs.
3. Enquire, apply or visit. Some shelters take walk-ins. Others, such as RSPCA Queensland, ask you to apply online first and call you back. Foster-based rescues and Monika's Doggie Rescue start with a questionnaire, then a phone call, then an appointment.
4. Meet the dog, with your household. Bring everyone who lives with you. If you already have a dog, expect it to come too: RSPCA WA requires existing dogs to meet the new dog before the adoption is finalised, and AWL NSW runs a supervised dog-to-dog introduction. Allow at least an hour.
5. Show your home is suitable. Renters need landlord approval, and some shelters ask for photos of your yard and fencing; RSPCA ACT says it may request them for dogs and puppies.
6. Sign and pay. You complete the adoption paperwork and microchip transfer and pay the fee. RSPCA Queensland says adopters must be over 18.
7. Take the dog home and register it. Bring a lead, collar or harness and a car restraint. Then register the dog where your state requires it (the law table below covers this).

Still deciding between a dog and a cat? The dog or cat quiz compares the two honestly.

Where can you adopt a dog in Australia?

• The RSPCA. The RSPCA is a federation: a separate society in each state and territory runs its own shelters, fees and process. The section below covers each one, and our RSPCA adoption guide goes state by state in more detail.
• Animal welfare leagues. AWL NSW, Animal Welfare League Queensland (AWLQ) and Animal Welfare League SA all rehome dogs. AWL NSW runs its main shelter at Kemps Creek, with regional branches.
• Independent rescues. Groups such as Monika's Doggie Rescue in Sydney, Victorian Dog Rescue, K9 Rescue Group in WA and Dogs' Homes of Tasmania rehome dogs from pounds and surrenders, many through foster homes.
• Council pounds. Many councils rehome unclaimed dogs directly, often at lower fees, and some include registration.
• Greyhound adoption programs. Retired racing greyhounds are rehomed through dedicated programs in most states. Our greyhound adoption guide covers each one, including the muzzle rules.
• PetRescue. PetRescue is a national charity and adoption platform that says it has supported more than 2,000 rescue organisations. You apply to the rescue, not to PetRescue.
• Petbarn and Petstock adoption centres. Several state RSPCAs place dogs in store adoption areas. The rescue sets the fee and runs the adoption; our guide to Petbarn and Petstock adoption explains how it works.

For a fuller comparison, read where to adopt a pet in Australia. LocalPetFinder pulls listings from many of these organisations into the city pages above, so you can compare dogs across rescues in one place.

How do you adopt a dog from the RSPCA?

Each state RSPCA runs dog adoptions its own way, so the process and fee depend on where you live. This is what each one published, checked on 10 November 2026. Fees are dated references, not quotes, and RSPCA shelters run reduced-fee drives from time to time.

Checked 10 November 2026 on each RSPCA's own site and the RSPCA's Adopt A Pet site. Not a quote: fees change, and many dogs are priced individually.

The RSPCA's Adopt A Pet site says its dogs are desexed, microchipped and vaccinated, and the RSPCA NSW fee covers the same plus health checks. RSPCA Victoria and RSPCA WA also list a behaviour assessment. LocalPetFinder is an independent listings site and is not affiliated with the RSPCA or any state RSPCA; we link to RSPCA listings so you can compare them with other rescues, and you always adopt directly from the shelter.

What do other rescues charge to adopt a dog?

Fees at a spread of independent rescues, each read on the rescue's own page:

All checked 10 November 2026. Published fees on that date, not a quote; promotions and individual pricing are common.

The pattern holds across rescues: puppies cost the most, and seniors the least. If price matters, a young adult or senior dog is the better value, and often the easier dog too.

What does a dog adoption fee include?

Almost always desexing, a microchip, at least one vaccination, flea and worm treatment and a vet check. Many rescues add a behaviour assessment, and some include heartworm testing, a dental check or a bag of food. If you buy an undesexed puppy privately, you pay for all of that yourself; our dog desexing cost guide shows what desexing alone costs.

Registration can be cheaper too. In NSW, registering a desexed dog from an eligible pound, shelter or rehoming organisation costs $0, against $84 otherwise, according to the NSW Office of Local Government. In other states, councils charge much less to register a desexed dog.

Puppy, adult or senior dog?

A puppy is the most wanted and the most work: toilet training, chewing, socialising, and months before you know its adult size and energy. Rescue puppies are often crosses whose adult size is a guess. RSPCA Victoria recommends a well-run puppy preschool from 8 weeks of age. Our guide to puppies for sale: adopt or buy? covers rescue puppies, breeder rules by state and the puppy scam pattern.

An adult dog arrives with its size, energy and temperament known. Shelter staff and foster carers can tell you whether it is house-trained, how it walks on a lead, and how it is with children, cats and other dogs. For most first-time owners and busy households, an adult is the better match.

A senior dog is usually calm, often discounted and sometimes free: RSPCA Victoria charges no fee for senior animals, RSPCA ACT $195 for dogs 8 and over, and Hunter Animal Rescue $200 for dogs 7 and over. Our senior dog adoption guide covers what to expect and the seniors-for-seniors discounts.

Not sure what kind of dog suits you? Try the what dog breed am I quiz, or read our guides to the best family dogs and best apartment dogs.

What dog laws do you need to know in your state?

A rescue dog arrives desexed and microchipped, which covers most of it, but registration is up to you, and each state sets its own ages. This is what each official page says.

Sources: NSW Office of Local Government, Agriculture Victoria, Queensland Government, WA Government (Stop Puppy Farming, City of Subiaco), Dog and Cat Management Board (microchipping), Tasmanian Government, ACT City Services, City of Darwin. All checked 10 November 2026. General information, not legal advice: check your state's page and your council before you rely on a detail.

Which dog breeds are restricted?

Five breeds are restricted in most of Australia: the American pit bull terrier (or pit bull terrier), Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. Selling or giving one away is an offence in most states (Tasmania allows a transfer only with council approval), so you will not see them on rescue listings. The wording and the rules differ by state:

• NSW: restricted dogs, which also covers any other breed that cannot be imported and any dog a council declares restricted (NSW Office of Local Government).
• VIC: the same five restricted breeds under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Agriculture Victoria).
• QLD: the five are prohibited breeds, and since 28 August 2024 a person must not own one without a reasonable excuse (Queensland Government).
• WA: the five, any other import-banned breed, and mixes of them, under the Dog Regulations 2013 (WA legislation).
• SA: the five are prescribed breeds (Dog and Cat Management Board).
• TAS: the same five restricted breeds; a council must approve any sale or transfer (Tasmanian Government).
• ACT: no restricted breeds; each dog is judged on its own behaviour (ACT City Services).
• NT: no territory-wide breed list.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier are not restricted anywhere. Any individual dog can still be declared dangerous or menacing by a council because of its behaviour. Greyhounds are not a restricted breed either; their muzzle rules are separate and differ by state, as our greyhound adoption guide explains.

Can you adopt a dog if you rent?

Yes. Get your landlord's written approval before you apply, because most rescues ask for it: AWL NSW asks renters to have landlord approval for the appointment, Monika's Doggie Rescue wants landlord or body corporate permission before your appointment, and RSPCA ACT may ask for it. Tenancy rules on pets differ by state; our guide to renting with pets in Australia covers each one. In a unit, an adult dog with a known, calm temperament is the safest bet; see apartment-friendly dogs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

What if someone in the house has a dog allergy?

Talk to your doctor before you adopt. ASCIA, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, says the main source of dog allergen is saliva and that all dog breeds cause allergies, although some shed less dander and so spread less allergen. That means a “hypoallergenic” label is no guarantee. Spending time with the specific dog before you commit is the most useful test, and a foster-based rescue is often the easiest place to arrange it. Our guide to hypoallergenic dogs covers the low-shedding breeds and what the evidence says, and you can browse low-shedding dogs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

What happens in the first weeks at home?

Expect a quiet, slow start. These steps come from RSPCA Victoria and RSPCA WA:

• Go straight home and keep it quiet. RSPCA WA says the first days and weeks should be calm, predictable and low-pressure. Skip busy outings and lots of visitors.
• Check fences and gates first. A new dog does not know your home yet. RSPCA WA asks you to make sure there are no gaps it could escape through.
• Give it a safe place. A bed or crate in a quiet room where the dog can rest undisturbed. Do not force interaction; let a shy dog come to you.
• Set a routine. Regular times for feeding, toileting, exercise and rest help a dog settle faster.
• Walk carefully at first. A shy dog may need a couple of days at home before its first walk. RSPCA Victoria suggests keeping away from off-lead dog parks until you know how your dog behaves with other dogs.
• Practise being alone. Start with short departures of 5 to 10 minutes with a treat-dispensing toy, and build up slowly.
• Introduce other pets slowly. Dogs on lead, on neutral ground first; cats behind a barrier, with a space the dog cannot reach.
• Update the microchip and register. Make sure the microchip registry, your council or state registry and the dog's ID tag all show your details.

If your dog shows fear such as growling or lunging, real distress when left alone, or any aggression, RSPCA Victoria advises talking to a reward-based trainer or the RSPCA, and RSPCA WA suggests a qualified trainer or your vet. Getting help early stops small problems from growing. A dog that is still unsure in week three is not a failed adoption.

What does a dog cost after adoption?

The adoption fee is the smallest cost. Food, preventive vet care, flea, tick and worm products, pet insurance, registration, grooming for some coats, and boarding when you travel all add up every year, and large dogs cost more to feed and treat. Run your own numbers with the dog cost calculator before you commit, and if money is tight, our guide to cheap vet care in Australia lists charity and low-cost clinics.

Is adopting the right choice for you?

For most people who want a healthy, friendly companion, yes. Rescues have dogs of every age, size and temperament year-round; the fee covers the vet work; and you meet the dog before you pay, which removes the scam risk that comes with online puppy ads. Many rescue dogs are crosses, and they make fine pets.

Adoption is not the only sensible route. If you need a particular breed for its predictable size, coat or working ability, buying from a breeder registered with Dogs Australia through its state body is a reasonable choice, because purebred puppies rarely reach rescue. Check the breeder's membership, the breeder or source number your state requires, and the parents' health testing; our puppies for sale guide sets out those checks state by state.

Not ready to commit? Fostering a dog lets you help a rescue while you find out what living with a dog is like, and the rescue covers the vet bills.