PET ADOPTION PROCESS
Adopting a pet is a truly rewarding experience. Please follow our pet adoption process below for further information in regards to adopting your next best friend.
HOW TO ADOPT
You are welcome to visit any of our Animal Rehoming Centres during opening hours to meet our animals available for adoption – no appointment is required. For select animals, we will require an email application. Where this is the case, instructions will be specified on the animal’s profile.
Please ensure you come prepared with the following:
- If you rent, please check that you are allowed to have a pet. Many animals are surrendered due to people not being able to find pet-friendly accommodation; we don’t want you to be in this situation.
- Identification (driver’s license or 18+ Card)
- If you already have a dog and are looking to adopt another, please bring your existing dog to meet your potential new dog to ensure they get along. This is not necessary if adopting a cat.
- If you have children, bring them to ensure they are confident with the new pet.
- It’s essential to research the breed of the pet before coming to adopt.
Our website is live and updates frequently. To check if an animal is available, please check their adoption profile. If you can still view the animal you are interested in and it hasn’t been marked as ‘adopted’, the animal is still at their listed Rehoming Centre.
Please be aware there is a chance that by the time you arrive at our location, the animal you have an interest in might have been adopted, or another party might be going through the adoption process.
AFTER YOU ADOPT MAKE SURE TO JOIN OUR FRIENDS FOREVER ADOPTION BENEFITS PROGRAM!
At Animal Welfare League Qld, we consider every animal we care for to be part of our family. That’s why we created the Friends Forever program – to show that we’ll always be there for our animals, even after they’ve found their forever home with you. It’s also our way of thanking you for choosing to adopt an AWLQ animal and assuring you that we’ll continue to support you and your pet for years to come.
As a member of Friends Forever, you’ll receive a range of discounts and special offers on our products and services.
USEFUL INFORMATION
WELCOMING A NEW FURRY COMPANION
Every pet is unique—and so is every home. We’ll work alongside you to find the perfect addition to your family.
Welcoming a new furry companion into your home is an exciting time, and we aim to make this experience as fun and seamless as possible for you.
To ensure you are happy with your new companion animal and they will be happy in their new home, our team will discuss with you what you are looking for in your new furry friend.
WHAT TO FEED YOUR ADOPTED PET
At AWLQ, we feed all our animals premium-quality food to keep them healthy and thriving while they’re with us. Our dogs are fed SavourLife and our cats are fed Royal Canin.
Before you buy any food for your new pet, please talk to our staff first. Some animals may be on a special diet or require a specific type of food, and we want to make sure your pet’s transition is as smooth and comfortable as possible.
Why Keep Your Pet on the Same Food?
Moving to a new home can be stressful for pets. Keeping them on the same food they’re used to helps reduce this stress and prevents tummy upsets like diarrhoea. Both SavourLife and Royal Canin are high-quality foods that your pet will love and benefit from.
If you decide to switch to a different food later on, we recommend you buy some of the food they’re currently eating and gradually transition to the new food over time. This helps your pet adjust without digestive issues.
Special Offers for Our Adopters
- SavourLife: Buy any bag of SavourLife and receive a 3kg bag free! A great deal to help your dog’s diet continue uninterrupted.
- Royal Canin: Join the Healthy Pets Club to get 40% off one Royal Canin product, plus a second 40% discount voucher! Every sign-up also means Royal Canin supports AWLQ with a $10 credit, helping feed the many animals in our care.
OUR ADOPTION FEES
All cats and dogs are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and treated for the prevention of fleas and worms.
At our Gold Coast Animal Rehoming Centre, we invest approximately $750.00 into each animal to prepare them for adoption. This money is never fully recouped.
When you adopt a higher-priced animal from us, you give this animal a second chance and many other animals a second chance. The abandoned dog who needs to have his leg amputated to alleviate pain and suffering, the homeless cat who needs lifesaving treatment and the orphaned litters who need around-the-clock care. You will be saving lives!
21-DAY SETTLING-IN PERIOD
AWLQ has a 21-day settling-in period, so if you change your mind, you are welcome to bring your pet back, and we will find it a more suitable home. You will receive a refund of the adoption price minus a $50.00 administration fee.
SHOPPING FOR PET SUPPLIES
AWLQ has a retail shop at each animal rehoming centre where you can purchase everything your new pet requires. From food bowls, food and bedding to kitty litter and scratching posts. We also have a wide range of collars, leashes, grooming products, worming tablets, shampoo and toys.
All money raised from our retail shops goes back to caring for the animals still waiting for a new home.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- All prices are subject to change, and $0 amounts are yet to be priced.
- Animals with a status of Available for Adoption – awaiting spay/neuter are only available for foster to adopt as they are awaiting desexing. Adoptions will be finalised once the animal has been desexed.
- Pocket Pets (Guinea Pigs & Rats) are only available for adoption from Tuesday through Saturday from the Gold Coast Animal Rehoming Centre.
- Terms and conditions apply to the adoption of AWLQ animals – please get in touch with the relevant animal rehoming centre for further information.
- Council registration for Brisbane, Gold Coast and Ipswich residents is required at the time of adoption. For more information on council registration, please visit:
Brisbane City Council
City of Gold Coast
Ipswich City Council
