Generous Donor Covers Adoption Fees for all Dogs and Puppies from 29 August to 15 September! Posted on August 28, 2024 We’re excited to celebrate International Dog Day in a very special way this year. Thanks to the incredible generosity of a loyal RSPCA NSW dog-loving donor, adoption fees for dogs and puppies will be waived from 29 August to 15 September. During this period, you can welcome a new furry family member for $0* and give them the caring home they deserve. Everyone knows life is better with a dog, and the best shelter is a caring home. We hope this promotion will bring more people and pets together through increased canine adoptions. In addition, to help you and your new friend settle in smoothly, each adoption will go home with a care package from our generous friends and Partners, which contains: An RSPCA veterinary care voucher** One month of Advocate Flea and Worming Treatment from Elanco** An enrichment toy from our friends at Kong Company. Canine food from Royal Canin, our National Nutritional Partner A surprise gift of either, a dog toy from Kazoo Pet Co, a stylish lead from Dogue or a collapsible water bowl from Pablo and Co. With this opportunity being made possible by one incredibly selfless individual, we encourage our animal loving community to get behind these perfect pups and help them find the loving homes they deserve. Although adoption costs are waived, normal adoption procedures will apply to ensure every animal is matched with the right family. This includes one-on-one meetings with prospective adoptive parents and future fur-siblings. See each of our dogs via the link below: www.rspcansw.org/adopt-a-dog Terms & Conditions * Offer valid only at RSPCA NSW shelters and adoption centres. Adoptions through BARC, Central Coast are via appointment only. Normal adoption procedures apply. This ensures each animal is matched with the perfect forever home. This adoption promotion is NOT valid at Petbarn stores or RSPCA NSW Branches. The waived adoption costs are available from Thursday August 29th to Sunday September 15th only and there are no rainchecks. RSPCA NSW cannot put a hold on our animals, as this could prevent them from going to their forever homes sooner. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend the discounted adoption price outside of the set dates listed above. **RSPCA NSW recommends the ongoing use of Bravecto Flea & Tick Protection. Frequently Asked Questions I’m interested in adopting; how can I see the animals available? Thank you for your interest in adopting! All dogs available for adoption at RSPCA NSW can be viewed on our website: www.rspcansw.org.au/adopt/ This page shows all dogs available for adoption across the state and includes information about their location, personality, behaviour and interests. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us on (02) 9770 7555. The dogs whose adoption costs are waived can be viewed here. What is the adoption process? Do I need to come and visit a shelter? Yes, you will need to visit one of our shelters to adopt. Once you arrive at our shelter you will be greeted by one of our animal care staff who will guide you through the entire adoption process. Firstly, they will give you a questionnaire to complete which will help them understand your preferences and help find dogs most suitable to your home and lifestyle. They will also assign you with a ticket, this helps to remove unnecessary foot traffic as to protect the welfare of the animals in our care. The animal care officer will then guide you through our standard adoption process and ensure you are looked after every step of the way. Why have you waived adoption fees? Offering a discount, or in this case waiving the adoption costs, is a great incentive to bring more adopters into RSPCA NSW’s shelters to meet our fantastic residents. We know that by offering these promotions, we encourage people to give a loving home to one (or two!) of our amazing dogs It’s important to remember that normal adoption procedures still apply, so even though the adoption fee is waived, the same time and effort goes into matching each dog to the right family. Why isn’t the price like this all the time? We would love to waive our adoption fees all the time but sadly, it just isn’t possible. Even when adoption fees are full price, we lose money. As a charity, RSPCA NSW charges adoption fees as a contribution to the costs associated with caring for and preparing each animal for adoption. As you can imagine, the adoption fees we ask for do not begin to cover all these costs in addition to the food, treats, water, shelter, rehabilitation and care that we provide for them until they are ready to find their forever homes. Some of the animals in our care have gone through extensive veterinary treatment and surgeries that can cost thousands of dollars. Last year, for example, a ten-year old Kelpie named Magenta was adopted after spending two years at our shelter and undergoing over $16,000 worth of veterinary treatment and rehabilitation. There is no price or time limit for the animals in our care. We do everything we can to prepare them for their second chance at life, which is why all our usual adoption fees are standardised, regardless of the resources that have gone into their journey. How do you know the dogs are going to the right home? What is the adoption process? RSPCA NSW’s priority is for all animals in our care to find their perfect match. Therefore, normal adoption procedures apply even when a reduced fee, or waived cost is offered. Once an interested adopter has expressed interest in an animal, RSPCA NSW staff will begin by ensuring the animal is the right match for the potential new home. For example, a dog who prefers a quiet, mature household may not be well-suited to a home with young children. An animal attendant will then provide the interested adopter with details about the animal, including the services or treatments the animal has received e.g., desexing, microchipping and parasite control. They will also discuss the animal’s diet, and any medications or regular treatments the animal may require e.g., flea and intestinal worming treatments, and vaccinations, including the dates when these are due. Each new owner will go home with an animal health check card. This will include important, individual information about their new pet, including the date the dog received parasite control and vaccinations. If relevant, the card will also tell the owner when the dog will need to undergo desexing stitch removal, or if ongoing parasite preventatives or vaccinations are required. Following the adoption and depending on each dog’s support requirements, you will be followed up with a call from one of post adoption team. This will either be: Between 24-48hrs post adoption if the dog has on-going medical and or behavioural need. Around 7-10 days for all our other dogs. Furthermore, each adopter can opt into receiving further over-the-phone support at the 3-month mark and then again at 6 months. RSPCA NSW is also able to provide over-the-phone support if the new owner has any further question or concern any time. Are all animals adopted from RSPCA NSW desexed and vet checked? All cats, dogs, rabbits and male guinea pigs adopted through RSPCA NSW come desexed and microchipped. All animals adopted from RSPCA NSW are vaccinated, up to date on worming and checked by a veterinarian. Desexing and identification requirements vary for each species available for adoption. I can’t adopt between your promotion dates. Can I put an animal on hold and adopt it later for no fee? The waived adoption costs are available from Thursday August 29th to Sunday September 15th only and there are no rainchecks. RSPCA NSW cannot put a hold on our animals, as this could prevent them from going to their forever homes sooner. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend the waived adoption fees outside of the set dates listed above. Do reduced or waived adoption fees lead to higher return rates? We understand that some may worry these dogs might not end up in the right homes, but our experience shows that these promotions are incredibly effective. By reaching a broader audience, more animals find loving homes, and we’ve seen many heartwarming success stories. These promotions also give us valuable insights into how dogs adapt to home environments. Our priority, during these campaigns (and as with any adoption), is to find caring, permanent homes for our animals. This is achieved through open conversations between potential adopters and our animal care team, allowing us to understand the adopter’s lifestyle and home environment and match them with the most suitable dogs. Of course, with any adoption—whether part of a promotion or not—there’s always the chance that an animal may display different behaviours in a home setting or that new information may come to light. However, our extensive experience shows that with the right support, most animals can thrive in their new homes. To further support our dog adopters, we’ve implemented a robust post-adoption support framework, which includes regular check-ins to ensure both the adopter, and the dog are settling in well and to address any concerns that may arise. This support has been key in helping adopters overcomes common challenges and feel supported through naturally a stressful transition. If, despite our best efforts, we find that the well-being of either the adopter or the dog is at risk, we are always ready to welcome the animal back into our care. Once back in our care and using further insights provided by the previous adopter, the dog may undertake further rehabilitation or medical assessments. Most of our dogs then onto being readopted (and staying) in their next home. In the past financial year, out of 1,563 dog adoptions, we’ve had 61 dogs returned. Do you put down the dogs that aren’t adopted from this promotion? If at the end of the campaign there are dogs remaining, they will stay available for adoption until we hope they find their forever home. If an animal needs additional support, they may be temporarily removed from the adoption list to receive the necessary rehabilitation or medical care. Some animals may stay with us for months or even years, but throughout that time, we continue to love and care for them, ensuring they have the best possible quality of life. We hope this information helps!
