The short answer
Start with the Redland Animal Shelter at 264 South Street, Thornlands, run by Redland City Council. Its dogs come desexed, vaccinated and microchipped, with six months of free registration and a 14-day cooling-off period. If it has no dog that suits you, try AWLQ's Willawong centre on Brisbane's south side, or a foster rescue such as Animals in Need Brisbane or Healing Angels.
How to use this guide
Each profile below covers where the organisation is, how adoption works, what the fee covers, and who it suits. A shelter suits you if you want to meet several dogs in one visit. A foster rescue suits you if you want to know how a dog copes with children, cats or a quiet day at home.
Applying to more than one place at a time is normal. Popular dogs go quickly, so have your ID ready before you visit.
1. Redland Animal Shelter
Location: 264 South Street, Thornlands.
Type: Redland City Council shelter for lost, surrendered and unclaimed animals.
Adoption fees: Set for each animal and shown on its listing.
The council has run its own rehoming program since 2015, when the RSPCA ended its arrangement to take Redland's unclaimed animals. Strays are held for at least three days, or five if they have a microchip or tag. Dogs that are not claimed are then assessed and offered for adoption. The shelter opens Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm and on weekends from 9am to noon.
To adopt, check the dog is still available, then visit to meet it. Bring photo ID showing your address, and your own dog and children if you want to see how they get on. After a short chat with staff you can take the dog home the same day. Every dog is health checked, temperament tested, heartworm tested, wormed, flea treated, microchipped, desexed and vaccinated. The process is set out on the council's adopt-a-pet page, and the latest dogs are on its dogs for adoption page.
Best fit for: Redlands residents who want a local dog with registration and a refund window built in.
Friction points: The full list of dogs is on Facebook rather than the council site, and weekend hours are short.
2. AWLQ Willawong Animal Rehoming Centre
Location: Camden Road, Willawong, on Brisbane's south side.
Type: Shelter run by Animal Welfare League Queensland, a no-kill charity.
Adoption fees: Shown on each listing; recent adult dogs about $400 and puppies about $650.
Willawong is the nearest AWLQ centre to the Redlands, and it rehomes many of Brisbane's unclaimed pound dogs. It opens Monday to Friday 12pm to 6pm and on weekends from 10am to 3pm. You can visit without an appointment, although some dogs need an email application first. Opening times and the address are on AWLQ's locations page.
Best fit for: Adopters happy to drive for a much larger choice of dogs.
Friction points: The dog you saw online may already be mid-adoption, so check its profile before you leave.
3. Brisbane foster rescues
Location: Foster homes across greater Brisbane, including the bayside.
Type: Volunteer rescues with no public shelter.
Adoption fees: Set for each dog and shown on its listing.
Foster rescues keep every dog in a carer's home, so the carer can tell you how it sleeps, eats and behaves with visitors. Two that serve the Redlands are Animals in Need Brisbane and Healing Angels Animal Rescue. Both take dogs out of pounds and shelters and place them with volunteers until they are adopted. You apply online and then meet the dog with its carer.
Best fit for: Families who want a detailed picture of a dog before it comes home.
Friction points: Meetings depend on the carer's schedule, so allow a few days.
Browse adoptable dogs near the Redlands
See the dogs these rescues and nearby Brisbane shelters have listed right now, in one place.
Adoptable dogs near Redland City →Ticks, heat and the bay islands
The Redlands sit in South East Queensland, where paralysis ticks are a risk all year, especially in bushland and long grass. Ask the shelter or rescue which tick prevention the dog has had, and keep it up from the first day. Check your dog after walks, around the head, neck and ears. The RSPCA tick paralysis guide lists the warning signs, and any of them is an emergency. Summer heat and humidity also matter, so walk early or late on hot days.
If you live on one of the bay islands, check the council's local dog rules for your island before you adopt.
What does not make a rescue a good or bad choice
- The size of the fee. Fees reflect the vet work already done, not the quality of the dog.
- Shelter or foster home. Neither is better. A shelter is quicker to visit; a foster home tells you more about daily life.
- Distance. A drive to Willawong can be worth it if the right dog is there.
- Breed labels. Most rescue dogs are crossbreeds, and many make excellent family dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an animal shelter in the Redlands?
Yes. Redland City Council runs the Redland Animal Shelter at 264 South Street, Thornlands. It holds lost and surrendered animals and rehomes the ones that are not claimed. It opens Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to noon. You can phone it on 07 3829 8663.
How do I adopt a dog from the Redland Animal Shelter?
Find a dog on the council website or the shelter’s Facebook page, then visit to check it is still there and meet it. You need to be 18 or over and bring photo ID showing your address. Staff hold a short informal interview, and if it is a match you can take the dog home that day, paying by EFTPOS or cash.
What does a Redland shelter dog come with?
Every dog is health checked, temperament tested, heartworm tested, wormed, treated for fleas, microchipped, desexed and vaccinated. It also comes with six months of free Redland registration. There is a 14-day cooling-off period, so you can return the dog for a refund if it turns out not to suit.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog in the Redlands?
The council shelter prices each dog individually and shows the fee on the listing. At AWLQ, recent adult dogs have been about $400 and puppies about $650. Foster rescues set a fee per dog. In every case the fee covers vet work that would cost more to arrange yourself.
How many dogs can I keep in Redland City?
Council rules allow up to two dogs and two cats on a property. A third needs a Third Animal Permit. Dogs must be registered at 12 weeks, microchipped before 12 weeks, kept on your property and walked on a lead except in off-leash areas.
Are there rescues on the Redlands Coast besides the council?
Most rescue options are a short drive away in Brisbane. AWLQ’s Willawong centre on Brisbane’s south side is the nearest AWLQ shelter. Foster rescues such as Animals in Need Brisbane and Healing Angels place dogs with carers across greater Brisbane, and their dogs appear on our Redland page.
Redland registration and Queensland dog law
Redland City Council requires dogs to be microchipped before 12 weeks and registered at 12 weeks. New residents have 14 days to register or transfer, and desexed dogs pay less. The details are on the council's microchip, register and desex page, and its dogs and cats page explains the two-dog limit and lead rules.
The state law is the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008, which requires dogs to be microchipped and registered with their council. A shelter dog arrives desexed and microchipped, and a Redland shelter dog is already registered for six months.