Border Collie Rescue & Adoption in Adelaide

1 rescue Border Collie is available for adoption in Adelaide right now. Every listing links straight to the rescue.

How much does a Border Collie cost to adopt in Adelaide?

Adults: $350 to $700
Puppies: $500 to $900

Typical Australian rescue range. The fee usually covers desexing, core vaccinations, microchipping, worming, and a veterinary health check before placement. The exact amount varies by rescue and by the dog's age and medical history, and the live number is on each rescue profile below.

Hunter - Border Collie available for adoption in Adelaide
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7 years 7 months • Border Collie

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Border Collie rescues serving Adelaide

About Border Collies

The Border Collie is a medium dog breed originating in Scotland / Northumberland. Adult dogs typically weigh 14 to 25 kg and live 12 to 15 years. Typical traits: highly-intelligent, work-driven, sensitive, reserved-with-strangers.

Owners who incorporate the dog into structured work, agility, herding, dog sport, or daily off-leash adventure in real terrain. Sedentary households, owners expecting a casual companion dog, or working-line dogs placed in town townhouses.

Adult Border Collies need about 90 minutes of daily exercise; adolescent dogs typically need 120 minutes. The coat is double-coated with high shedding, and weekly brushing keeps the coat manageable.

LocalPetFinder aggregates adoptable Border Collies from rescues across Australia into one searchable place. Use the city links to narrow to your area, or browse the full list below.

Common Border Collie health concerns

Breed-associated conditions worth asking any rescue about before you adopt. A good rescue will already know whether a dog has been assessed for these.

Hip dysplasia

Moderate prevalence; OFA screening is standard for breeding stock.

Source: OFA →

Collie Eye Anomaly

A hereditary eye condition affecting both Border Collies and other Collie-type breeds.

Source: VCA →

MDR1 drug sensitivity

About 1 in 10 Border Collies carries the MDR1 mutation, making them sensitive to common medications including ivermectin.

Source: VCA →

Editorial summary for adopters, not medical advice. Ask the rescue about a specific dog's health, and consult your vet for individual guidance.

How adoption works in Adelaide

Border Collies in Adelaide are listed by a range of local rescues and shelters. Applications, home checks and adoption decisions are handled by the rescue directly. LocalPetFinder brings the listings together so you do not have to check each rescue separately, and does not take a fee.

Border Collie adoption in Adelaide: common questions

How many Border Collies are available for adoption in Adelaide?

As of October 2026, Border Collies are uncommon in Adelaide rescue, only 1 is listed right now across 1 rescue on LocalPetFinder. They are usually adopted quickly, so it is worth applying early or setting an alert.

Where can I adopt a Border Collie near me in Adelaide?

LocalPetFinder lists Border Collies available for adoption from rescues across Adelaide and South Australia. Every listing links straight to the rescue that has the dog, and the application is handled by them, not by us.

How long do Border Collies live?

Border Collies typically live 12 to 15 years.

How much exercise does a Border Collie need?

Adult Border Collies need about 90 minutes of daily exercise. Adolescent dogs (under 2 years) typically need 120 minutes, more than mature adults.

What are common health concerns for Border Collies?

Breed-associated conditions to ask the rescue about include Hip dysplasia, Collie Eye Anomaly, MDR1 drug sensitivity. See the citations in the health section above for authoritative information on each. This is an editorial summary, not medical advice, so check with your vet for individual guidance.

How much does it cost to adopt a Border Collie in Australia?

Adoption fees for a Border Collie from an Australian rescue typically range $350 to $700 for adults, with puppies usually $500 to $900. That fee normally covers desexing, core vaccinations, microchipping, worming, and a veterinary health check before placement. The exact number varies by rescue and the dog's age, medical history, and how long they have been in care, and the live amount shows on each rescue profile.

Are these Border Collies for sale in Adelaide?

Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Border Collie here comes from an Australian rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet shop, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $350 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900 and already include vaccinations, worming, microchipping and desexing when age-appropriate, versus roughly $2,000 to $5,000 or more to buy a Border Collie from a breeder. If you searched "border collie for sale adelaide" or "border collie puppies for sale", adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.

Where can I buy a Border Collie in Adelaide, and should I?

You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Border Collie breeder typically charges $2,000 to $5,000 or more and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Border Collie costs $350 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap border collie-for-sale ads on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, which are frequently backyard breeders or puppy-farm resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick animals and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on seeing where the puppies were raised and getting vet records, and check the breeder against your state's pet-sale rules. For most families in Adelaide, adopting a rescue Border Collie is cheaper, faster, and gives a dog in need a home.

Are there free Border Collies in Adelaide, or border collies under $500?

Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Border Collie in Adelaide typically costs $350 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900, so the lower end lands under the "$500" people search for and the rest does not. What the fee buys is work already done, the vaccinations, worming, microchipping and desexing, which would cost more than the fee itself if you arranged it yourself, and it is still far below breeder prices. Be wary of genuinely free border collie listings. An animal advertised free to a good home has usually not been vetted, and free rehoming ads are the route flippers and unregistered breeders use to move animals with no health guarantee and no recourse. Paying a rescue fee buys you a dog someone has already examined, treated, and been honest with you about.

Are there Border Collie puppies in Adelaide, or only adults?

Both, but adults far outnumber puppies, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Border Collies arriving in Adelaide rescue are adolescents and adults, because that is the age at which first homes tend to give up. Puppies do come through, usually as accidental litters or with a surrendered mother, and they are typically spoken for quickly. Setting an alert beats refreshing the page. It is also worth asking whether you actually want one: an adult arrives with a temperament a foster has already observed and described, where a Border Collie puppy is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.

Where can I find a Border Collie near me in Adelaide?

Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Adelaide rescues and shelters and are refreshed regularly, so what you see is what is genuinely available rather than a stale directory. If nothing suits today, that is normal for this breed: rescue intake is intermittent rather than steady, and a breed with none listed this week often has several next month. Setting an alert beats checking back, and it is worth widening to nearby suburbs and towns, since most rescues serving Adelaide will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one council area.

Need to rehome your Border Collie?

If you are on the other side of this page and need to find your border collie a new home, we have a breed-specific guide: the rescues worth contacting first, realistic timelines, and how to screen adopters. Listing on LocalPetFinder is free.

How to rehome a Border Collie responsibly →

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