Due to unprecedented demand for our rehoming services, we have had to pause our rehoming program for new rehoming requests while we work through the backlog. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
We know that sometimes life doesn’t go to plan. For whatever reason, your circumstances might have changed and you’re struggling to look after your pet.
At Animal Welfare League, we firmly believe that rehoming your pet should be your last resort. Depending on your reason for wanting to rehome your pet, there may be other solutions to consider before trying to rehome them.
Common reasons for rehoming
Health problems
If your pet is having health issues, speak to your vet about your options. If you’re having financial difficulties and you can’t afford to pay for their treatment, consider flexible payment options such as VetPay.
If you’re looking for a vet you can find a comprehensive list of vets in South Australia on our Find a Vet page.
Safe Pets Safe Families also operate a Vet Crisis Fund, in which they partner with some vet clinics who may be able to help you out.
If you are receiving benefits, Centrelink may be able to provide an advance on payments in special circumstances.
Behavioural problems
If your pet is displaying some unwanted behaviours, there will always be a reason for it. If their behaviour has changed suddenly it’s a good idea to speak to your vet as they may be experiencing a health issue. You can find a comprehensive list of vets in South Australia on our Find a Vet page.
If they’re not dealing with a health issue, there may be a way to teach your dog not to display unwanted behaviours using positive, force-free methods. Please give our team a call on 8348 1300 so our behavioural experts can give you some advice and help make your home a happy one.
You can also consult the AWL Guide for Dog Owners where you'll find plenty of advice on how to enrich your dog's life, or our blog which is full of handy hints and tips to help encourage positive behaviours in your pets.
Rental problems
If you’re having difficulty securing a pet friendly rental, Rent with Pets has plenty of resources that encourage landlords and tenants to work together so that more animals can live in responsible, loving rental homes.
If you’re facing homelessness due to the rental crisis and are starting to panic about what to do with your pets, reach out to Safe Pets Safe Families. They may be able to provide temporary care for your pets while you find your feet.
Difficulties at home
If you’re experiencing violence at home and need a safe place to house your pet for a short period of time, reach out to Safe Pets Safe Families. They may be able to provide temporary care for your pets while you escape the situation.
Moving interstate or overseas?
Trust us, your pet wants to come with you. There are a number of animal transport companies who specialise in safely transporting pets to their new homes. Try Googling ‘pet transport’ – you’ll be surprised how many results you get!
Do you still need to rehome your pet?
If you decide that your only option is to rehome your pet, we’ll do everything we possibly can to find a safe, loving home for them. All we ask is that you be completely open and honest about your situation – the more we know about you and your pet, the easier it is for us to understand the best way to proceed. Please remember that we aren’t here to judge or criticise you, we just want what’s best for you and your pet.
There are some things you need to know before signing your pet over to Animal Welfare League for rehoming.
Ownership of your pet
It’s important to understand that once you legally sign your pet over to AWL for rehoming, you relinquish all rights of ownership to them.
If the pet is microchipped, we can only accept them if the microchip is in the name of the person bringing the pet in. Once the pet is in our care, their microchip registration will be transferred to AWL.
It isn't possible to visit your pet once you’ve signed them over to AWL. It would be very distressing for both you and your pet because they would think you were coming to collect them. For the same reason, we don't give you updates on your pet once it's owned by AWL.
As a rule, we don't allow you to reclaim your pet once they’ve been brought into us for rehoming. That’s why it’s vital that you carefully think your decision through before submitting a rehoming request.
Putting your pet to sleep
When an animal enters our care our team does everything in their power to find them a loving home. Unfortunately, there will be occasions when this isn’t possible due to medical or behavioural concerns and our vets and/or behaviour team will make the difficult decision to put them to sleep.
This will only ever occur for three reasons: if the animal is a danger to people in the community, if they’re a danger to other animals or themselves in the community, or if their medical condition is so poor that their quality of life would be diminished.
If you believe your animal fits any of these criteria, we recommend having a conversation with your vet about your options. You can view a list of vets in your area here.
Cost of rehoming your dog
Please be advised that there is a rehoming fee of $120 per dog or puppy. This will need to be paid on arrival and will help to cover the cost of caring for your pet during their rehoming journey.
