We are a charitable organisation and we rely very much on volunteers to manage our adoptions. For that reason we don’t always have people available to handle adoptions unless you make an appointment. Also, many of our dogs are in Foster care so we may need time to arrange for your chosen doggies to be available to meet you.

We try and handle most of the initial adoption enquiries by email and phone and then we will make an appointment for you to come and meet some of the doggies.

OUR NEW INFORMATION VIDEOS ARE HERE. Click hereto view our videos on:

• Adopting a Dog
• Choosing Your Dog
• Walking Your Dog.

There are 5 simple steps to support our adoptions:

1. Selecting some doggies from the website
2. Completing the Adoption Questionnaire form (lifestyle form)
3. Discussing your needs with us and making an appointment
4. Meeting some of our doggies and adopting
5. After the adoption

1. Selecting some doggies from the website

This website lists all the dogs that we have available for adoption. Look under “SEE THE DOGS!” The dogs are categorised by age, pairs, special needs, size/weight and low/non shedding (for people with allergies or asthma) to help you choose the most suitable dog for you. We keep this website up to date every day with new dogs coming in and removing dogs as they are adopted.

We recommend that you identify at least 4 or 5 dogs that you might be interested in meeting.

Our doggies have all been rescued from Council pounds so you need to assume that they are NOT toilet trained. You might be lucky but you need to be ready to toilet train the doggie.

You will see photos of the doggies and a brief description of its temperament. Because our dogs are rescued from the pounds we have no history on them. The description we give is what we have observed since the dog has been with us and is a guide only. It is really important that you and all members of your family, including any other dogs, meet with the doggies to make sure you all get along.

Special Needs Dogs Some of the dogs that come to DoggieRescue have a ‘special’ quality. They may have a physical disability, such as deafness or poor eyesight, or they may have been particularly abused or neglected by their previous owners. These dogs require special attention, dedicated owners and a greater investment of time and effort to their long-term health needs. If you feel you have the qualities to become a Special Needs parent, visit the Special Need section on the website and talk to Monika further about the dogs that interest you.

2. Completing the adoption Questionnaire form

You will find the form at the bottom of this section of the website.

The Adoption Questionnaire will help shape your thinking about the sort of dog that is best for you. It asks questions relating you home, lifestyle, family and most importantly, what you are looking for in a dog. Your answers will help us in discussing with you, the suitability of the dogs you have chosen, given your lifestyle. We ask you to add as much information as you can to help us match you with your new doggie.

You should read our Policies section in detail before completing the questionnaire. You will also find tips on this website for making sure your property is secure before adopting.

The questionnaire can be emailed to us at monika@doggierescue.com or faxed to us on 02 9486 3136.

3. Discussing your needs with us and making an appointment

Once we’ve received your adoption questionnaire form we will call you to discuss the form and the suitability of the dogs you have chosen. It also gives you the opportunity to discuss with us any concerns you may have about adopting a dog. We may also make suggestions of other dogs you might want to consider that may be appropriate for your living arrangements.

Once we’ve had that discussion we will make an appointment for you to meet the doggies. Our adoption centre is in Ingleside at 2 McCowan Road. You will find instructions on this website of how to find us.

It is really important that you and all members of your family, including any other dogs, meet with the doggies to make sure you all get along. You need to make an appointment that suits your whole family.

Some of our doggies are in Foster homes so we may need to make an appointment for the doggies Foster Carer to bring the doggie in to meet you. This may take a little while so please be patient as we make these arrangements.

If you are renting or living in a unit or townhouse we ask that you are ready to bring permission to have a dog from your landlord or body corporate with you to the appointment.

4. Meeting some of our doggies and adopting

You need to allow at least an hour or more for your appointment so that you and your family have a good chance to spend quality time with the doggies. You will be asked to take each dog that you are interested in meeting for a walk to see how you all get along. It is really important to ensure that you bond well with the doggie and that he or she likes you and your family.

Once you have chosen a doggie (and DoggieRescue is satisfied that you are able to meet each others needs) you’re ready to adopt.

You’ll be asked to sign an adoption agreement (you’ll find a copy on this website), to sign a microchip transfer form and to pay for the doggie. We provide you with documentation on the doggie’s health records as well as basic tips on care, food, toilet and other training.

Our adoption costs vary between $400 and $600 depending on the age and sex of the dog. The payment goes part way to recovering our basic veterinary costs of desexing, C5 vaccination, heartworm test and microchipping. We have EFTPOS facilities and we accept cash.

We can’t hold dogs once they have been adopted so it is important that you are ready to take the doggie on the day (make sure you have a lead and some old towels for your car!)

5. After the adoption

This is the best part of all, when you take the dog home and introduce him/her as the newest member of your family.

Let Your Dog Settle In
There are some good tips and guidelines about helping your new family member settle in to their new surroundings and we urge you and your family to read the section entitled, "Settling In" on this website. It's most important to understand that many of these dogs have been at Doggie Rescue for some months or even longer. They may not have been toilet trained - some have never even seen inside a lounge room before! Most have been used to living in kennel conditions with little one-on-one attention, and so the experience of concentrated attention from the family will be new and a little unsettling for them. So please be patient with them! Give them some time to settle in, to leave a few unwelcome gifts on your floor, and to feel comfortable. Almost always they will settle in within a week or so. Please Tag Your Dog! Your adopted dog will go home with you wearing a plastic Doggie Rescue identification tag, in which we'll also record your contact phone number. PLEASE keep your dog tagged at all times. Many dogs have escaped on day one, before the owners have had a chance to have a new identification tag engraved.

There are rare occasions when the dog and the family don't suit one another. Doggie Rescue will ALWAYS take back a dog, regardless of how long you have had the dog.

Click here for our forms