The short answer
Take it a step at a time. Check whether the person left any wishes about the pet, then ask family and friends first, because a familiar person is often the gentlest home. Gather the pet's records, food, vet details, and microchip information. The pet is part of the estate, so the executor usually arranges its care. Keep the pet's routine steady while it grieves, and see a vet if it stops eating. When you are ready, you can rehome the pet yourself, owner-to-owner, which is free on LocalPetFinder and lets you choose the family, or surrender to a welfare organisation. Either way, transfer the microchip to the new owner through the NSW Pet Registry.
Finding their pet a loving home
List free on LocalPetFinder, take the time to choose the right family, and keep the pet cared for until the handover.
List their pet free →First, be gentle with yourself
If you are reading this, you are carrying two things at once: grief, and the responsibility of a pet that has lost the person it loved most. That is a lot. Finding this pet a good home is not one more chore on a hard list. It is a way of honouring the person who cared for it, and it deserves to be done with the same care they gave.
The most important thing to know is that there is no deadline. The pet can be looked after and kept comfortable while you work out the right home, whether that takes days or weeks. Nobody expects you to have it sorted overnight, and rushing rarely leads to the best outcome for the pet.
The first steps, in order
A few early steps make everything that follows easier, and they matter whether the pet stays in the family or finds a new home.
Check the person's wishes
Some people leave instructions about their pet, sometimes in the will and sometimes in a note or a conversation the family remembers. Occasionally there are funds set aside for the pet's care. It is worth a look before any decisions are made, because their wishes should guide what happens next.
Ask family and friends first
A person the pet already knows is often the gentlest outcome. A relative, a neighbour, or a friend who has met the pet before keeps its world a little steadier at an unsettling time. Ask openly and without pressure, and give people room to say no.
Gather the pet's records and belongings
Collect the vet details, vaccination and desexing history, microchip information, current food, and any medication. Whoever takes the pet, in the family or beyond it, should have everything from day one. It also helps you write an honest history when the time comes to find a home.
Where the pet fits in the estate
In law a pet is part of the deceased estate, the same as other belongings, and the person handling the estate, usually the executor named in the will, typically arranges its ongoing care and any rehoming. In most families this is straightforward: someone takes the pet in, everyone agrees, and the paperwork side is simple.
If the estate is complex, or there is any disagreement about who should have the pet, the executor or the estate's solicitor can advise on the right way to proceed. This guide does not set out the specifics of succession law, which vary case to case. When you are unsure, ask the person handling the estate before rehoming the pet, so the decision is made properly and everyone is comfortable with it.
Caring for a pet that is grieving too
Pets feel loss. It is common for a dog or cat to seem withdrawn, restless, or off its food after the person it was bonded to has gone. This usually eases with time and patient handling. The kindest things you can do are simple: keep the pet's routine as steady as possible, feed it at the usual times in a calm space, and give quiet reassurance without overwhelming it.
Watch the pet gently. If it stops eating, seems unwell, or the change in behaviour is worrying you, see a vet. A vet can rule out any medical cause and advise on how to help the pet through it. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase also has gentle guidance on settling an unsettled pet, which can be reassuring to read at a hard time.
Finding the pet a home
If nobody in the family can take the pet long-term, there are two caring paths, and neither is a failure. You can rehome the pet yourself, owner-to-owner, or you can surrender it to a welfare organisation. Which fits depends on how much time and energy the family has right now.
Owner-to-owner rehoming lets the family personally choose the new home and keeps the pet in familiar care until the handover. Many families prefer this when they want a say in where a loved one's pet ends up. Write a full, honest history of the pet, screen the people who apply, and choose the family you trust. On LocalPetFinder, listing is free. Our guide to screening adopters and our before-you-rehome checklist walk through how to do it well, and the free-listing options for a dog or a cat cover the whole process.
Surrendering to a welfare organisation such as RSPCA NSW, Animal Welfare League NSW, or Sydney Dogs and Cats Home hands the search and the screening to them. Some of these organisations run programs specifically for the pets of a deceased owner, so it is worth ringing, explaining the situation, and asking what support is available. Whichever path you take, a modest rehoming fee plus real screening is far safer than a free ad on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, and you should transfer the microchip registration to the new owner through the NSW Pet Registry at handover. See our full guide to surrendering for how that side works.
A note on doing it safely
Please do not post the pet as “free to good home” on open classifieds. A free listing on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace attracts the small number of people who collect free animals for the wrong reasons, and a loved one's pet deserves better than that. A modest fee plus genuine screening keeps the pet far safer, and it does not need to feel transactional. Many families put any fee toward the pet's future care. If a home ever pressures you to hand the pet over quickly or resists answering questions, trust that instinct and take your time.
Ready to find their pet a good home?
Listing on LocalPetFinder is free. The pet stays in familiar care until the handover, you screen the people who apply, and you choose the family. No shelter, no rush.
List their pet for free →Related guides
The records, history, and small steps that set the new home up to succeed.
Choosing a family you trust, the questions to ask, and the red flags to watch for.
How to make the move to a new home as gentle as possible for a grieving pet.
Where to go, what it costs, and how surrender compares with rehoming yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to a pet when the owner dies?+
The pet becomes part of the deceased estate, and the person handling the estate, usually the executor named in the will, arranges its ongoing care. In practice a family member or friend often takes the pet in straight away while longer-term decisions are made. There is no need to rush. The pet can be cared for and kept comfortable while you decide on the right home. Some people leave instructions or even funds for a pet's care in their will, so that is worth checking first.
I need to rehome my late mother's dog. Where do I start?+
Start gently and in this order. Check whether she left any wishes or instructions about the dog, in her will or elsewhere. Then ask family and friends, because a person the dog already knows is often the kindest outcome. Gather the dog's records, food, vet details, and microchip information so whoever takes the dog has everything. Only once those are done do you need to think about a wider search, whether that is owner-to-owner rehoming or a welfare organisation. There is no deadline. Taking your time honours both the dog and the person who loved it.
Does the pet belong to the estate?+
Yes. In law a pet is treated as property and forms part of the deceased estate, so the executor typically has the authority to arrange its care and rehoming. If the estate is straightforward and the family agrees, this is usually simple. If the estate is complex or there is any disagreement about who should take the pet, the executor or the estate's solicitor can advise on the right steps. When in doubt, ask the person handling the estate before rehoming the pet.
The pet seems lost and unsettled since the death. Is that normal?+
It is very common. Pets form deep bonds and often seem withdrawn, restless, or off their food after losing their person. The kindest thing you can do is keep their routine as steady as possible, feed them at the usual times, and give calm, patient reassurance. Most settle with time and gentle handling. If the pet stops eating, seems unwell, or the change in behaviour worries you, see a vet, who can rule out any medical cause and advise on how to help.
Should I keep the pet in the family or find a new home?+
There is no single right answer, and either choice can be the loving one. A familiar person, a family member or a friend the pet already knows, is often the gentlest outcome because it keeps the pet's world steady during an upsetting time. If nobody in the family can realistically care for the pet long-term, finding a good outside home is a caring decision, not a failure. What matters is that the home genuinely suits the pet, not that it stays in the family at any cost.
Is it better to rehome the pet myself or surrender it to a shelter?+
Both are legitimate. Owner-to-owner rehoming lets the family personally choose the new home and keeps the pet in familiar care until the handover, which many families prefer when they want a say in where a loved one's pet goes. It is free on LocalPetFinder. Surrendering to a welfare organisation such as RSPCA NSW hands the decision and the screening to them, which can help if the family has no capacity to manage a search. If you have the time and want to choose the home yourself, rehoming directly is often the more personal path.
Are there charities that help with pets of someone who has died?+
Some welfare organisations run programs specifically for the pets of a deceased owner, and some offer support or reduced fees in these circumstances. This varies between organisations, so the best step is to ring your local one, explain the situation, and ask what help is available. RSPCA NSW, Animal Welfare League NSW, and Sydney Dogs and Cats Home are all reasonable places to start the conversation. Being upfront that this follows a death often helps them point you to the right support.
Do I need to update the microchip when rehoming the pet?+
Yes. When a pet changes hands you should transfer the microchip registration to the new owner, and in NSW that is done through the NSW Pet Registry. It is a simple online step and it matters, because the registry is how a lost pet is reunited with its home. If the pet is registered to the person who died, the executor or family member handling the estate can arrange the transfer. Do it at the handover so the new owner is on record from day one.
Should I charge a fee or list the pet free?+
A modest rehoming fee is generally safer than a free-to-good-home ad. A small fee discourages the few people who collect free animals for the wrong reasons and signals to genuine adopters that the pet is valued. It does not need to be large, and many families put any fee toward the pet's future care. Far more important than the fee is screening the people who apply. A modest fee plus genuine screening beats a free classified listing on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace every time.
How do I choose a good home for a loved one's pet?+
Take your time and treat it as choosing a family, not filling a vacancy. Write down an honest history of the pet, its age, health, routine, personality, and any quirks, so applicants know what they are taking on. Ask about their home, other pets, and how much time they have. A good adopter asks questions too and is patient about a pet that may be grieving. When it feels right, hand over the pet with its records and transfer the microchip. Choosing thoughtfully is a way of honouring the person who loved the pet.
Sources
- RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase: caring for a grieving pet and responsible rehoming
- RSPCA NSW: surrender process and support programs
- NSW Pet Registry: microchipping and transfer of ownership