Raffi
Note: this dog's original name is unknown
Impound number: WCC-D-03-26-015
About Raffi
Raffi has been in our care since 16 March 2026.
| Gender | male |
| Age | 10 months old (adult) Please note: this is the age at the time this dog was impounded. |
| Breed | American Staffordshire Terrier x unknown breed cross |
| Colour | black & white |
| Cost to adopt | $75 (75% discount) Raffi comes microchipped, desexed, vaccinated, flea and worm checked, and lifetime registered. |
Raffi is a sweet, anxious, loving young Staffy who wants nothing more than to be right by your side. He bonds quickly and once he feels safe, he becomes your little shadow — cuddly, needy in the sweetest way, and always looking at you with his big permanent smile. He’s also a certified hugger and will gently nestle his head into your neck for affection.
He loves all dogs and does wonderfully around them. He’s great with kids over 10 and is untested with cats. Raffi can be left alone for short periods, but he struggles with longer separations. When left too long, he becomes anxious and may chew items or bark loudly until his people return. With company, he’s completely quiet, relaxed, and content.
Raffi is toilet trained with occasional accidents and is still learning the basics of good manners. He’s goofy, energetic, affectionate, and incredibly loving — he just needs stability, reassurance, and daily structure to continue building confidence.
🐶 Personality and Behaviour
➖ Affectionate, cuddly, and incredibly loving
➖ Needy in a sweet, gentle way
➖ Cautious with new people but warms up quickly
➖ Becomes attached to his humans fast
➖ Energetic, bouncy, and goofy
➖ Loves all dogs
➖ Good with kids over 10
➖ Anxious when left alone too long
➖ Will greet familiar people by jumping on them
➖ Always smiling — he truly looks happy all the time
🎁 Favourite Things
➖ Cuddles — his favourite time of day
➖ Being as close as possible to his humans
➖ Hugging and nuzzling into your neck
➖ Durable chew toys
➖ Food
➖ Playing and socialising with other dogs
🧼 Skills
➖ Toilet trained (occasional accidents)
➖ Somewhat responsive to training
➖ Learning sit (still a work in progress)
➖ Learning stay, shake, come, down, “up” (onto a box), and “bed”
➖ Leash trained — improving each walk
➖ Can be left alone for short periods
➖ Easy to handle and very affectionate
🐾 Training & Leash Progress
Raffi is still figuring out the world:
➖ Was initially too scared to walk and would “plonk,” but is improving quickly
➖ Doesn’t pull badly — just zig‑zags due to curiosity
➖ Responds well to praise and food rewards
➖ Needs continued training to manage jumping and chewing
➖ Uses a slow feeder to prevent food inhaling
🏡 Ideal Home for Raffi
➖ Lots of companionship — he hates being alone too long
➖ A confident, calm dog companion (ideal but not required)
➖ Continued training, structure, and patience
➖ A loving family who enjoys cuddles, play, and affection
➖ Durable chew toys and plenty of enrichment
➖ Gentle introductions to new people
Raffi is a sweet‑natured, enthusiastic, goofy young Staffy who loves deeply and just wants to be loved in return. With time, reassurance, and a dedicated family, he will grow into a confident, well‑mannered, and incredibly loyal companion.
He has the biggest heart — and he’s ready to give all of it to his forever home.
To view more photos and videos of this pet, please visit their PetRescue profile here.
Apply to adopt Raffi
Raffi came to us as a lost dog. He is now available for adoption, but if you are his owner, you can still contact us to reclaim him.
Note, all adopted animals come microchipped, desexed, vaccinated, flea and worm checked, and lifetime registered.
Become a foster carer
Please visit our Foster an Animal page if you'd like to become a foster carer for Raffi or one of the other animals in our care.
Common questions about adopting a pet
Start by using one of these links to browse our lists of pets available for adoption:
When you find a pet you like, click the button on its profile page to fill in a form and register your interest in adopting. You can also call us on (02) 4227 7111 during business hours (Monday – Friday, 9am - 5pm).
We’ll then ask you a few follow-up questions to check that you’re a responsible pet owner and make sure that your chosen pet best meets your needs.
We’ll also invite you to meet your future pet in person to make sure you’re a perfect match, before finalising the adoption.
The only types of pets we offer for adoption are:
Some animals on our lists may be marked as 'too young for adoption'. This is generally because they're not yet old enough to be desexed before they go to their forever home.
We don't accept enquiries for animals until they're ready to be adopted, but if you are the original owner you can still reclaim them any time.
If you've got your eye on an animal marked 'too young', check back later - an adoption application link will be added to their page once they're old enough to go to a new home.
Please also note that very young animals may still be eligible to be fostered. This will be noted on the page for each animal if applicable.
The cost to adopt will vary depending on how long the animal has been waiting for a home. Generally costs will be:
- Between $50 - $200 for a cat
- Between $75 - $300 for a dog.
Like all Council fees and charges, these costs will be reviewed each year. Any changes will be publicly exhibited for comment before they are adopted by Council.
Yes you can!
When you let us know you're interested to adopt a cat or adopt a dog, we'll contact you and arrange a meet and greet so you can say hello and decide if they’re the one for you.
Our dogs and cats are boarded at a number of regional kennelling facilities contracted by Council. These are currently located across Wollongong, Gerringong and Nowra. You can't directly visit these facilities, but we'll bring the dog or cat to a location in our area that works for you.
Being a pet owner is a big responsibility.
To adopt a pet from Council:
- You must be over 18 years old
- You don't have to live in the Illawarra, but you will need to be able to transport your pet home.
Before adopting a new pet, consider your lifestyle and living arrangements.
If you have any questions or concerns, our team is happy to talk to you about your situation. Please email us or call (02) 4227 7111 to arrange a discussion.
We recognise the serious issue of baiting within the animal rehoming industry. To help prevent this, we have an assessment process in place for potential owners.
Potential owners are vetted to make sure that they’re suitable and committed to animal well-being.
Still looking?