Adopt a cat or dog

Thousands of cats and dogs are looking for loving homes every year in NSW. You can give rescue animals a fresh start by adopting them through:

• a council pound or shelter
• an animal welfare organisation
• an animal rehoming organisation.

Rescue animals will be microchipped, vaccinated, and if mature enough, desexed – so you can be reassured your new best friend is healthy. This is usually all included in your adoption fees.

How to register an adopted rescue animal

When you adopt a desexed cat or dog from a council pound, shelter or designated rehoming organisation, you do not need to pay a registration fee. 

But you should ensure that transfer of ownership from the organisation to you has been recorded on the NSW Pet Registry.

• Make sure the rehoming organisation has your full legal first and last name on all paperwork to make change of ownership easier.
• It is the responsibility of the rehoming organisation to notify council of the change of ownership.
• Your council will send you confirmation of the change of ownership and your new pet's registration status.
• You may need to pay a standard registration fee for pets adopted through any rehoming or rescue groups that aren't officially recognised by the NSW Government. 

Speak with the organisation’s representative to discuss the change of ownership process. 

When to contact your council

If you do not hear from your local council within 14 days of adopting your pet, contact the rehoming organisation to ensure all documentation has been sent, then contact your council. You may need to provide documentation including:

• a copy of the completed Change of owner by animal welfare organisation or council pound (C3B) (PDF, 150 KB) form given to you by the rehoming organisation
• a desexing certificate or confirmation of desexing
• the adoption contract with the organisation's rehoming number.

Council pounds, shelters, Cat Protection Society of NSW, RSPCA NSW and Animal Welfare League NSW, can organise transfer of ownership on your behalf. You simply take your pet home along with copies of important documents.