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Adopting from us

Each year, the RSPCA finds loving new homes for more than 10,000 animals. Our Adoption team are expert match makers to help you find your new best friend!

When you adopt from the RSPCA, you'll know that experts in animal care have helped match your new pet to your lifestyle.  All of our pets are friendly, healthy, desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea-treated too!

Adoptions take at least half an hour, so please make sure you allow enough time for this during your visit. It is also important to remember that finding your new family member takes time and should not be rushed, so please don't feel disappointed if you don't find your pawfect match on your first visit. 

Below are a few questions that you may want to consider before coming to meet our animals for adoption:

Do you have any existing pets?

If you plan on adopting a new dog or rabbit and already have one at home, we strongly recommend that you bring them along once you have short-listed your pawfect match. It's important to make sure that your existing and potential new pet get along!

Are your children, housemates and anyone else who may live with your new pet able to come along when you visit? 

Bring along as many members of your household as possible so that they can meet your new pet before you take it home.  

Do you live in a rental property? 

It's important you seek approval from your landlord before making the decision to adopt. Before contacting your landlord, consider preparing a CV for your pet!    
> Learn more

Adoption - what you need to know

You must be at least 18 years of age to adopt from the RSPCA. Adoption animals are all health checked before they are available for adoption, however if your pet develops a medical issue within two weeks of the adoption, an RSPCA vet will treat it free of charge.

RSPCA adoption officers work very hard to find our animals the perfect homes. If our adoption team do not feel the animal is suitable for you or your circumstances, they may refuse the adoption. In this scenario, our officers will do their best to suggest another adoptive pet that would be a better match. If you adopt an animal and consequently find that you can no longer care for it, you can take it back to the RSPCA adoption centre.

Holds
Animals are put on hold on a case-by-case basis. Holds can be arranged at the discretion of adoption staff, but please be aware that hold times are limited. We try to keep hold times short, as we want to give our animals the best chance of finding a new family. We are only able to put an animal on hold if you have visited us in person.

Transfers
We appreciate that a long drive to the RSPCA may be inconvenient for you, but it is well worth the trip, considering you could meet your potential new family member!

Though we are usually not able to transfer animals between RSPCA adoption centres, arrangements may be made in exceptional circumstances, such as having to travel a considerable distance to visit the adoption centre where the animal is located. Transfers are only arranged on a case-by-case basis and must be negotiated with RSPCA staff and approved by the shelter supervisor.

Animals available for adoption
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Adoption fees
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  Tags: adoption tips, fees, guidelines, requirements, animal adoption, dog adoption, cat adoption, pet adoption, victoria, melbourne
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