We don’t know about you, but every time we go for a coffee at Yelo or a gin at Frisk. Small Bar, we see everyone with their dogs and it makes us really, really want one. Because life would be so much better if you had a little furry partner in crime, wouldn’t it?
We all know that adopting a pet helps the community. You’re giving an abandoned animal a new loving home. You’re saving that animal from being euthanised. Basically, you’re being a f*cking hero. And right now, you've probably got a bit of time up your sleeve for all that extra training.
So to help you be the hero you were born to be—here is where you can adopt a pet in Perth.
RSPCA
Obviously when you think of adopting a pet, the first place that springs to mind is the good ol’ RSPCA. And it actually couldn’t be easier to adopt a new best friend from these good guys. Their online Adoptapet search lets you look through all the pets waiting for adoption, with all of them being ready and raring for their brand new home. Every animal has had health tests, behaviour assessments and all the usual microchipping, desexing and vaccinations. So go have a gander! Once you’ve found the pet (or several, because they’re all so damn cute) you’d like to welcome into your family, just contact the RSPCA and organise a time to stop by and get introduced to your new family member.
SAFE Perth
The amazing people at SAFE Perth are doing a stellar job of rescuing pets from all over WA. Not only do they rescue animals in Perth, they also rescue animals all the way from Albany to Broome. And they even fly abandoned animals into Perth from remote regional communities. Now that is no mean feat, but they get it done. Plus, all their pets are vet checked, sterilised, vaccinated, microchipped, flea treated and wormed, so you can rest assured that your new buddy is in tip-top shape before you welcome it into its brand new home.
Dogs' Refuge Home
The Dogs' Refuge Home is another great not-for-profit dedicated to the rescuing and re-homing of man’s best friend. They’ve been going strong since 1953 as well, so they know what they’re doing. Every year they take in hundreds of abused, neglected or unwanted pooches, give them a big thorough vet check including vaccinations, sterilisation, de-worming and microchipping, and then find them a new home. They also make sure your new furry friend is well behaved, with every dog receiving obedience training before being re-homed.
The Cat Haven
Just next door the Dogs' Refuge Home in Shenton Park, the Cat Haven has been rescuing kitties since 1961. All their cats and kittens are sterilised, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and treated for fleas, so all you need to do is go in and find your new housemate. If you're not completely sure about adopting a cat yet, you can always go and hang out at their Cat Cafe in Subiaco for a few kitten cuddles before you're ready to commit.
HAART—Homeless & Abused Animal Rescue Team
HAART is an animal rescue charity based in Perth, adopting out dogs and cats to new loving owners. They rescue hundreds of animals every year and find them new loving homes. In fact, since 2012 they’ve saved more than 2300 animals. HAART’s ultimate goal is for all animals to have loving homes so that animal rescue organisations are no longer even needed. We think it's a mighty good goal indeed.
PetRescue
The people at PetRescue can find you whatever kind of new pet you want. Dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, birds, ferrets, guinea pigs. You can even adopt a goat. Yes, true story. They do all the hard work for you, facilitating and promoting their member rescue groups' pets and events.
Desperate For Love Dog Pound
DFL has loads of adorable pooches available for adoption, so be warned—you may end up with more than one pet. They place all their pups in loving foster homes throughout Perth before adopting them out to their new permanent families. Your adoption fee to DFL covers all vet checks, vaccinations, microchipping and desexing.
If you're after somewhere you can take your new buddy for a celebratory cupcake then click here.
Image credit: Elle Borgward