Dog Adoptions FAQ

Are you are registered rehoming organisation?

Yes Fetching Dogs is recognised by the Office of Local Government as a rehoming organisation and our ROI is R251000028

How do I apply for a dog?

Easy! Just fill out the form the Adoption Enquiry. This gives us all the basic we need before touching base with you via a phone call.  It also gives us time to run any further questions by the dog’s foster carer if we don’t immediately know the answer, so we’re fully prepared for a chat!

Why can't you tell me the dog's breed?

The reason we don’t list breed(s) is because there is no way of us knowing what is in a rescue dog. Sure, we could guess, but research shows that these guesses can be detrimental to a dog, instead of beneficial. With a huge percentage of shelter dogs being of mixed breeding, it’s highly unlikely they would carry any traits that you would associate with a pure breed.  Because of this, we only focus on the individual dog – we feel this is the best way to make a good match. You can read more about why we have moved beyond breed labels here.

What does the dog come with?
Quite a lot! When a dog is rescued by us, we get all the necessities done: desexing, heartworm testing and treating, microchipping, vaccinations, worming, and flea treatment. Any other medical requirements are provided immediately. Each dog is in a family home so also gets lots of interaction to increase the human-canine bond, toys, some basic obedience, good food, and lots and lots of love!

Further to this, we also offer a four week adoption trial. This is basically so the dog has time to settle into your home (which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks) and you can make the best decision without feeling so much pressure! If the adoption doesn’t work out, we will happily take the dog back into care. The most important thing is for everyone to be confident and happy.

How much is the adoption fee?

The adoption fee is currently $600 for adult dogs and $700 for puppies (plus a desexing bond). This covers all of the vetwork whilst in care (and desexing for puppies at a later date), enrichment, toys, food, training if needed, etc. Sometimes we run adoption promotions where the fee will be reduced so keep an eye out for these special events. Please refer to the dogs individual profile for their current adoption fee as these are subject to change

Can I meet the dog?
Absolutely! We require all potential adopters to meet the dog before any decisions are made. This is to ensure the most compatible match, so you and your family can be sure you’re going to be a good fit. If you have resident dogs, bring ’em along on the meet and greet! It’s really important you know the dogs are going to get along.
When can I take the dog home?
This generally varies depending on circumstances but we try to move as quick as we can (we know how excited you’ll be!). After you’ve had your meet and greet and everyone’s happy to proceed, we’ll need to do a quick yard check – this is only to make sure fencing is secure for each dog’s individual needs. This is not intrusive… we really don’t need to look at anything beyond that. We just need to be confident that our dogs are going to be secure, as they’ve already ended up in the pound at least once, and we want to minimise the risk of that happening again.
Do you do interstate adoptions?

Occasionally. Although we still require families to meet the dog first and unfortunately this can come with no guarantee of adoption – it’ll all depend on whether the match is compatible. We will be completely honest with you about the dog you’re interested in and advise whether we think there may be issues that might hinder a good match. We understand that this can be really difficult for families who are interstate but we will accommodate your needs as much as we can.

Our one rule on this, however, is that we do not adopt out dogs to Victoria that may fall victim to Breed Specific Legislation. If we can’t be 100% confident the dog will be safe, we unfortunately can’t consider the adoption.

We also will never transport a dog to a family that neither the dog, nor us have ever met.