The short answer
You can adopt a Bloodhound in Melbourne, but the purebred is rare, so cast a wide net, be patient and consider a hound cross. Set alerts across the main Victorian rescues and be application-ready. Adoption runs about $350 to $700 for an adult and $500 to $900 for a puppy, all-inclusive, against well into the thousands from a breeder, and the breed is not one of Victoria's restricted breeds. The honest part is the package: a large, mellow, famously stubborn hound that drools, needs space and exercise, and will follow its nose for miles, so it wants a secure yard and a patient owner. Get that right and a rescue Bloodhound is a gentle, affectionate giant.
Why Bloodhounds reach Melbourne rescue
A purebred Bloodhound is uncommon in rescue, but a steady few reach Victorian rescue, along with hound crosses, almost always for one reason: the breed was taken on without an understanding of its size, nose and stubbornness.
Size and mess underestimated. People are charmed by the gentle, wrinkled look and underestimate how big the dog grows, how much it drools and how much space and food it needs. When the reality lands, the dog is surrendered.
The nose rules. A Bloodhound follows a scent with single-minded focus and little recall, so a dog that keeps escaping or cannot be let off lead is often rehomed when a secure yard and leash walking would have managed it.
Backyard breeding. The breed is uncommon and valuable, so some are produced by backyard breeders without health testing or socialisation, and rescues take in surrendered and ex-breeding dogs that, in a patient home, become devoted companions.
Where to adopt a Bloodhound in Melbourne
The purebred is rare, so a wide alert net and patience are essential. Set listing alerts on every rescue you would consider, and add hound and large-breed networks. For a fuller directory, see our list of Melbourne rescues and shelters.
1. RSPCA Victoria
The state body runs adoption centres at Burwood East and RSPCA Peninsula at Pearcedale. Large dogs and hound crosses come through via owner surrender, and every adoption includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping, a vet workup and a behavioural assessment. Apply at rspcavic.org.
2. The Lost Dogs' Home
Melbourne's long-established metro shelter, based in North Melbourne with a second facility at Cranbourne. Its large intake of stray and surrendered dogs means a large hound or cross turns up from time to time, always with a behavioural assessment. Adoption includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping and a vet check. Listings at dogshome.com.
3. Lort Smith
Lort Smith runs an Adoption Centre at Campbellfield with a full vet workup behind every dog, which matters for a large breed with joint and bloat risks. A broad mix of breeds means a Bloodhound or hound cross features occasionally. More at lortsmith.com.
4. Save-A-Dog Scheme
A Melbourne-based no-kill rescue running since 1985, with a mix of shelter and foster placements. Because many dogs live in foster homes, the notes on a hound's temperament, recall and behaviour with people and other animals tend to be detailed and honest, which is exactly what you need with a large scent hound. More at saveadog.org.au.
5. Second Chance Animal Rescue
A Victorian foster-based rescue that takes a broad mix of dogs and crosses, including large hounds that need space. Because dogs live in foster, you get a clear picture of the real temperament before you commit, and the application usually includes a home check. Listings at secondchanceanimalrescue.com.au.
Beyond these, Animal Aid at Coldstream and the Australian Animal Protection Society at Keysborough both rehome dogs including the occasional large hound, and the fastest way to scan many Victorian rescues at once is PetRescue, a national aggregator that lists animals from hundreds of member rescues in one searchable place. Be wary of any group calling itself a Bloodhound rescue that asks for money before you have confirmed a real address, a current adoptable-dog list and charitable status. Browse the current Bloodhounds and hound crosses on the Melbourne Bloodhound listings.
What a Bloodhound costs: adopt versus buy
Adoption is far cheaper at the outset. A rescue fee through a Melbourne rescue commonly runs about $350 to $700 for an adult, with puppies usually $500 to $900, and that fee already covers desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check.
A purebred Bloodhound puppy from a breeder in Victoria, by contrast, typically runs well into the thousands, with none of that vet work done yet. So adopting is many times cheaper up front, and the dog arrives already vetted and, if you adopt an adult, with a known temperament.
The ongoing cost is a large-dog one: a lot of food, weight-dosed preventatives, large-dog vet care and secure fencing. Council registration under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 is a modest yearly cost, reduced for a desexed and microchipped dog, and pet insurance taken out while the dog is young is worth having.
Living with a large scent hound, and the health picture
The Bloodhound is gentle, mellow and affectionate, and in a patient home with space it is a wonderful, easygoing giant. But it is a true scent hound, large, strong, famously stubborn and ruled by its nose, so it needs a secure yard, leash walking, patient reward-based training and a tolerance for drool. The ones in rescue usually got there because an owner underestimated the size, mess and nose-driven wandering.
On health the breed is prone to bloat as a large deep-chested dog, to ear infections from the long heavy ears, and to some eye and joint conditions, and like many giant breeds it has a relatively short lifespan. A rescue Bloodhound arrives vet-checked, so ask the rescue what the in-care assessment found, keep the dog lean, learn the signs of bloat, clean the ears regularly, and insure it while it is young.
Bloodhounds and Victorian breed law
The Bloodhound is not one of Victoria's restricted breeds, which under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 are the pit bull terrier, dogo argentino, fila brasileiro, japanese tosa and perro de presa canario. A Bloodhound is legal to own and rehome normally, and simply needs to be microchipped and registered with your local council from three months of age, re-registered each year. The main practical points for this breed are a secure, escape-proof yard and leash walking, because a Bloodhound will follow a scent with little recall. As with any dog, any individual can be declared a dangerous or menacing dog based on its behaviour. Check Agriculture Victoria and your council for registration details.
Browse adoptable Bloodhounds in Melbourne
The purebred is rare, so set an alert, be patient and keep an open mind about hound crosses. Browse live Victorian listings now.
See Available Bloodhounds →If you have been searching “Bloodhound puppies for sale”
Plenty of people arrive here after searching for a Bloodhound puppy to buy, and for this breed adoption has a real advantage: an adult rescue Bloodhound lets you see the size and temperament you are taking on, where a puppy is a gamble on a big, stubborn hound. Purebred Bloodhound puppies are rare and command high breeder prices, which attracts backyard breeding and the occasional scam, so a cheap puppy or a deposit request for a dog you have not met is a warning sign rather than a bargain. In Victoria, any advertisement to sell or give away a dog must display the animal's microchip number and a Pet Exchange Register source number, so check that number on the Pet Exchange Register before you pay, and cross-check anything that feels off against Scamwatch.
Adoption costs a fraction of a breeder price and gives a vet-checked dog a home. If you have the space and patience a large scent hound needs, register your interest with hound and large-breed rescues, set alerts, and be patient; the right dog does come up.
Adult or puppy, and is a Bloodhound right for you?
For almost every adopter an adult is the better and safer choice, because an adult shows you the real size, temperament and how it is with people and other animals, where a puppy is a gamble on a big, stubborn hound. An adult also often has some training in place and a lower adoption fee. A carefully matched, foster-assessed adult Bloodhound is the sensible way into the breed.
Be honest about whether this breed fits your life. A Bloodhound is a gentle, mellow, affectionate giant for a patient owner with space, a secure yard and a tolerance for drool, who will walk it on lead and not expect quick obedience. It is not an easy first dog, and not suited to a small home or an owner wanting a biddable, off-lead dog. If you can offer the space and patience it needs, a rescue Bloodhound is a devoted, easygoing companion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I adopt a Bloodhound near me in Melbourne?
Start with the live listings on this page, which pull Bloodhounds and Bloodhound crosses from shelters and foster-based rescues across Victoria, then widen out. RSPCA Victoria, the Lost Dogs' Home, Lort Smith, Save-A-Dog Scheme and Second Chance Animal Rescue all rehome dogs including the occasional large hound, and PetRescue aggregates many smaller Victorian rescues in one place. A purebred Bloodhound is genuinely rare, so hound crosses appear more often, which is why a wide alert net and patience matter. Set listing alerts and have your application ready.
Why do Bloodhounds end up in rescue?
Almost always because the breed was taken on without an understanding of its size, nose and stubbornness, not because of anything wrong with the dog. The Bloodhound is a large, gentle scent hound with the finest nose in dogdom, famous stubbornness, a drooling habit and a tendency to follow a scent for miles with no recall. In a home that underestimated the size, mess and nose-driven wandering it becomes hard to manage, and is surrendered. Hound crosses appear too. In a patient home with a secure yard, the breed is affectionate, mellow and devoted.
How much does it cost to adopt a Bloodhound in Melbourne versus buying one?
Adoption is far cheaper at the outset. A rescue fee through a Melbourne rescue commonly runs about $350 to $700 for an adult, with puppies usually $500 to $900, and that fee already covers desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A purebred Bloodhound puppy from a breeder, by contrast, typically runs well into the thousands, with none of that vet work done yet. But the real cost of this breed is the ongoing one: a large hound eats and is vetted at large-dog scale, so budget accordingly whichever way you get one.
Are Bloodhounds a restricted breed in Victoria?
No. The Bloodhound is not one of Victoria's restricted breeds, which are the pit bull terrier, dogo argentino, fila brasileiro, japanese tosa and perro de presa canario. It is legal to own and rehome normally and simply needs to be microchipped and registered with your local council from three months of age. The main practical points for this breed are a secure, escape-proof yard, because a Bloodhound will follow a scent, and leash walking, because recall is poor once a scent takes hold. A rescue Bloodhound arrives already desexed and microchipped.
Is a Bloodhound a good first dog?
For most people, honestly, no. The Bloodhound is a large, powerful, famously stubborn scent hound that drools, needs a lot of space and exercise, and will follow its nose with little recall, so training takes patience and a sense of humour. In a patient home that suits its mellow nature it is a gentle, affectionate giant. But the size, mess, stubbornness and nose-driven wandering make it a demanding first dog, and a smaller or more biddable breed will suit most first-time owners far better.
Are Bloodhounds good with children and other pets?
With the right upbringing and in the right home they generally are, with supervision. A well-socialised Bloodhound is famously gentle, patient and affectionate, and often very good with children, but its sheer size means it can knock over a toddler by accident, so supervision is sensible, and introductions to other pets should be calm. A foster carer who has lived with the individual dog can tell you exactly how it is with children, other animals and visitors, which is the most useful thing to ask before you commit.
Should I adopt an adult Bloodhound or a puppy?
For most adopters an adult is the better choice, and for a large breed a far safer one, because an adult shows you its real size, temperament and how it is with people and other animals, where a puppy is a gamble on a big, stubborn hound. An adult also often has some training in place and a lower adoption fee. A vet-checked, foster-assessed adult Bloodhound, matched to a patient home with space, is the sensible way into the breed.
Are there free Bloodhounds in Melbourne, or ones under $500?
Be careful with free or very cheap Bloodhounds. A legitimate rescue charges an adoption fee, commonly $350 to $700 for an adult and $500 to $900 for a puppy, so the lower end lands under the $500 people search for, because that fee part-covers the desexing, vaccination, microchipping and vet check the dog has already had. A Bloodhound advertised free to a good home, or well under a rescue fee, is a classic backyard-breeding or scam setup, and a large, valuable breed given away cheaply is a warning sign, so treat a bargain with suspicion and check any seller against the Victorian rules below before paying anything.
I keep seeing Bloodhound puppies for sale. Is adopting really an option?
It is, and for this breed adoption has a real advantage, because an adult rescue Bloodhound lets you see the size and temperament you are taking on, where a puppy is a gamble on a big, stubborn hound. Purebred Bloodhound puppies are rare and command high breeder prices, which attracts backyard breeding and the occasional scam, so a cheap puppy or a deposit request for a dog you have not met is a warning sign rather than a bargain. In Victoria, any advertisement to sell or give away a dog must display the microchip number and a Pet Exchange Register source number, so check that number on the Pet Exchange Register before paying anything. If you have the space and patience the breed needs, register your interest, set alerts, and be patient.
Keep reading
Adoptable Bloodhounds in Melbourne
Live listings with foster carer notes on temperament and size.
Best Dog Rescues in Melbourne
The verified shelters and foster rescues to set alerts with across Victoria.
Registering a Dog in Melbourne
Council registration, microchipping and the Victorian rules for a new dog.
Melbourne Adoption Resources
Guides on adopting, costs, council rules and settling a rescue dog in Melbourne.