What is the best place to get a dog from?

If you need some help in finding the best dog rescues in Australia, the following list has been put together for you.

1. RSPCA New South Wales

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a not-for-profit organisation that houses over four million pets throughout Australia. The New South Wales branch protects, rescues, treats, and re-homes pets from all over the state.

This pet welfare facility currently runs nine shelters, 26 volunteer branches, and four veterinary hospitals. RSPCA NSW also helps pet parents who need guidance and support. The facility has over 30 inspectors who are committed to investigating instances of animal cruelty.

The registered animal welfare charity offers a variety of services including shelter and treatment for neglected, unwanted, and sickly animals, medical care from qualified veterinarians, community outreach, educating the public about animal cruelty, and actively promoting animal protection.

You can support this organisation’s cause by offering your time as a volunteer, fundraising, buying a raffle ticket, leaving a legacy gift, fostering a pet, corporate sponsorship, and making a donation. You can also reach out to the friendly team at RSPCA New South Wales if you would like to adopt a pet.

2. PAWS

PAWS is a group of small, self-funded rescuers and volunteers who help animals in need throughout New South Wales. The non-profit organisation saves unwanted, abandoned, and ill pets from kill-pounds and works hard to re-home them with loving families.

This facility offers various services including rescuing, treating, and re-homing pets, desexing, microchipping, vaccination, and medical care for pets with pre-existing illnesses or injuries. The volunteer-run facility also reunites lost and found pets with their parents.

You can support Sheila and the team of volunteers at PAWS by adopting a pound pet, volunteering, fostering a pet, or making a donation. You can also contact the friendly team at PAWS if you would like to re-home a pet you are no longer able to care for.

3. Animal Welfare League NSW

The Animal Welfare League is a registered charity that has served the pets and families of New South Wales for over 60 years. The facility offers love and care to abandoned, neglected, and surrendered pets and offers them sanctuary in a safe environment.

AWL believes each pet deserves to be safe and treated with dignity. For this reason, the AWL inspectors are authorised to investigate and report any incidents of animal cruelty. The facility also makes it easy for you to report animal cruelty.

This registered charity organisation offers a variety of services including providing shelter to surrendered animals, desexing, foster care, vaccination, flea and worm treatments, and microchipping. AWL also offers education and advice on responsible pet ownership.

You can support this charity by volunteering, donating goods, bequest, corporate sponsorship, adopting an animal, making a donation, fostering a pet, becoming an animal guardian, or reporting cases of animal cruelty. Get in touch with the Animal Welfare League to find out more about their services and inquire about how you can help.

4. Victorian Dog Rescue

This dog rescue organisation in Victoria is committed to saving pets from death row pounds. The facility takes in dogs of all breeds and sizes with particular focus on senior dogs and those abandoned in rural areas.

Victorian Dog Rescue was founded in 2006 and treats each rescue animal as part of their family. The facility has a strict no-kill policy and any dogs that are too old or too sick to be re-homed are placed in permanent foster care.

VicDRG offers a variety of services including surgery and medical care for pets with illnesses and injuries, emotional support for neglected pets, desexing, vaccination, deworming, and community outreach to promote responsible pet ownership.

You can support Victorian Dog Rescue through donations, adopting a pet, fostering a pet, bequeathing, volunteering, sponsoring a pet, and buying from their wishlist. Get in touch with the animal-loving team at Victorian Dog Rescue to find out more about their services.

5. Starting Over Dog Rescue

This registered animal welfare charity offers rehomeable pets in Victoria and other areas across the country a second chance at life in a forever home. The facility saves pets from being put down in pounds and places them with loving families.

This pet rescue organisation is run by a dedicated volunteer community. Before re-homing, each pet is tested in a home for two weeks. The volunteers also offer training and advice for new pet parents to ensure a smooth transition.

Starting Over Dog Rescue also offers a variety of services including rescuing, training, and re-homing pets, vaccination, desexing, and microchipping. The facility also carries out thorough home checks before placing pets with their forever families.

You can support this facility through donations, adopting a pet or volunteering. Get in touch with Starting Over Rescue Dogs to find out more about their services and find out how you can help.

6. All 4 Paws

This small rescue organisation in Victoria is dedicated to helping dogs of all breeds and sizes. The facility rescues pets from pounds and takes in surrenders and helps them find new homes in loving forever homes. The registered charity also rescues pregnant pets, supports them throughout their term until they have their pups, and desexes the new pups before placing them with new families.

All 4 Paws offers a variety of services including rehabilitation, training, desexing, vaccination, and medical care for injured or ill pets. The facility also offers education and advice for new pet parents.

You can support All 4 Paws by volunteering, donating, or shopping. Get in touch with the friendly team at All 4 Pws to find out more about their services and adopt a pet.

7. Lucky Paws Dog Rescue

This not-for-profit organisation in South East Queensland is run by a small group of volunteers who save abandoned, homeless, and neglected pets. The facility also takes in pets from Hervey Bay and is supported by Harvey Dog Training, a facility with over 30 years of dog training experience.

Lucky Paws offers a variety of services to rescued pets including desexing, vaccination, microchipping, medical care, flea and worm treatments, and heartworm testing and treatment. The organisation also offers foster care for pets before they can be re-homed permanently. This pet welfare organisation also offers re-homing services for parents who may be unable to care for their pets.

Lucky Paws Dog Rescue also offers its services to outback communities to promote and protect animal welfare. You can support this charity welfare organisation through adopting a pet, fostering a pet, and donating. Get in touch with Lucky Paws Dog Rescue to find out more about their services.

8. Best Friend Rescue

This non-profit rescue organisation saves poor unwanted and abandoned pets in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and neighbouring areas in Queensland. Best Friends Animal Rescue is a 100% no-kill welfare facility that saves pets from death row.

BFR places rescued pets in foster homes before re-homing them to their permanent homes. The facility also carries out thorough home-checks and training for new parents before they can take any pets home permanently.

Before re-homing, all pets at BFR are C5/F4 vaccinated, dewormed, desexed, microchipped, and treated for heartworm prevention. The facility also offers an open door policy for pet parents to surrender a pet if they are unable to care for them.

BFR also helps reunite lost and found pets with their pet parents. Get in touch with the friendly volunteers at Best Friends Rescue to find out more about their services and find out how you can adopt a pet or make a donation.

9. SAHARA

The South Australian Humane Animal Rescue Association is an animal welfare organisation that is dedicated to the well-being of pets across the country. SAHARA is a registered not-for-profit organisation that is committed to using a no-kill approach to prevent unnecessary deaths through euthanasia

Formerly known as SA Dog Rescue, the facility rebranded in 2019 to include other animals such as horses, pigs, alpacas, lambs, goats, and more in their rescue activities. The facility takes in stray and unclaimed animals as well as private surrender pets.

Some of the services available at SAHARA include emergency housing for pets who are victims of domestic violence, behaviour assessment, training and rehabilitation of pets, medical care for sick and injured pets, vaccination, and flea and worm treatment.

You can support the animal lovers at SAHARA by adopting a pet, making a donation, sponsoring a pet, fostering a pet, and volunteering. Get in touch with the South Australian Humane Animal Rescue Association to find out more about how you can help.

10. Paws and Claws Adoption

This not-for-profit pet rescue organisation serves pets and families in South Australia. The facility is dedicated to caring for abandoned and surrendered pets and finding forever homes for rescued pets.

The registered charity offers various services before re-homing rescued dogs including desexing, vaccination, microchipping, and flea and worm treatments. The facility also offers training and advice for new pet parents to promote responsible pet ownership.

You can support this facility through fundraising, donation, adopting a pet, volunteering, or fostering a pet. Get in touch with Paws and Claws Adoption to find out more about their services and find out how you can help.

11. K9 Dog Rescue

This dog rescue organisation is run by an executive committee that includes Carol Carter, the president, Dean Clemitshaw, the Vice president, Gill Symonds, the treasurer, and Linda Cruden, the Secretary. The animal-loving team of volunteers works tirelessly to ensure the organisation meets its goals of promoting the safety of dogs across the country.

K9 Dog Rescue has offered its services to pets and families in Western Australia for over 25 yea community outreach to promote responsible pet ownershrs. The registered charity was established in 1999 and strives to educate the community on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.

This charity offers a variety of services including promoting the benefits of pet ownership, providing shelter for abandoned pets, vaccination, microchipping, desexing, and flea and worm treatments. K9 Dog Rescue re-homes over 400 dogs annually.

You can help K9 Dog Rescue help more pets each year by donating, fostering a pet, adopting a pet, volunteering or sponsoring a K9 dog. Get in touch with the team of animal lovers to find out more about their services and find out how you can help.

12. Dogs’ Refuge Home

This pet facility was started in 1935 and is one of the oldest pet rescue organisations in Australia. With over 80 years of experience, Dogs’ Refuge Home saves over 1000 dogs each year. The organisation was founded to ensure all pets receive love and respect and has continued to uphold that belief through their activities.

The pro-life animal welfare facility offers a variety of services including medical care and treatment, mental enrichment, rescuing abandoned and stray pets, providing shelter for rescued pets, feeding and vaccination, and finding the perfect forever home for rescues. The facility also reunites lost and found pets with their parents.

You can support Dogs’ Home Rescue by shopping for the dogs, donating, volunteering, adopting a pet. Reach out to the team of animal lovers at this facility to inquire about their services and find out how you can help.

13. Brightside Farm Sanctuary

Each year, the Brightside Farm Sanctuary rescues and re-homes over 300 dogs. The facility in Tasmania is run by Emma Haswell who is passionate about raising awareness about the plight of factory-farmed animals and educating people about animal rights.

Brightside Farm Sanctuary also offers shelter to pets who can no longer stay in their former homes due to cruelty or unforeseen circumstances. The facility has an extensive education program that has taught over 30,000 students the importance of animal welfare, animal rights, and the dangers of factory farming.

This pet rescue facility offers a variety of services including medical treatment, vaccinations, food, shelter, deworming and flea treatments, microchipping, as well as reuniting lost and found pets with their families. Rescued pets also enjoy plenty of love and attention during their time at the sanctuary.

You can help Emma and her team at Brightside rescue more animals by making a donation or working as a volunteer on the farm. Get in touch with the friendly team at this facility to find out how you can adopt a pet.

14. Dogs’ Home of Tasmania

For over 70 years, this pet rescue facility has cared for unwanted dogs and promoted responsible dog ownership in Tasmania. Dogs’ Home of Tasmania cares for over 300 dogs each year and helps temperamentally sound dogs find new homes.

DHOT is Tasmania’s biggest canine welfare organisation. The organisation has helped over 1500 lost pets return home to their parents and re-homed over 2000 dogs. The facility also offers school-based and community education on safe behaviour around dogs.

This registered pet rescue organisation offers various services including promotion of responsible pet ownership, foster care for pets in need of medical support, temporary crisis care for pets whose parents are homeless, ill or too old to care for them, microchipping, desexing, and vaccination among others.

You can support this facility by donating, volunteering, fundraising, or fostering a dog. Get in touch with Dogs’ Home of Tasmania to find out how you can adopt a pet or get involved.