Our Animal Care and Impounding Service works to reduce the number of stray and lost dogs and cats in our community, and to reunite pets with their family.
We also work to find new homes for animals who don't have a family or can't be returned to their owners for any reason.
In the past, we provided these services through one dedicated animal shelter. In 2024, we've moved to a new approach. Below are some common questions and answers about how this service works.
Adopting a cat or dog
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:
Until 30 June 2024, all dogs and cats are free to adopt.
From 1 July 2024, 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.
Lost and found pets
Start by visiting our Find a Pet page. This has a list of pets recently found through our network,
You can also check out our tips for finding or claiming a lost pet.
Please note:
- It can take up to a few days for a found pet to be added to our list, and new details are usually only added during Council business hours. If you don't see your pet straight away, check back soon.
- Not all lost pets will end up on our list.
- You can also call us on (02) 4227 7111 and we'll do our best to reunite you with your pet.
If you find a stray or roaming dog, here's what to do:
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 9am - 5pm, seven days a week | Call Council's Animal Compliance team on (02) 4227 7111. |
| After 5pm | Keep the animal in your care overnight, then contact Council after 9am the next day, or contact your local vet to see if they can help. |
| After 5pm (aggressive or dangerous dogs only) | Call Council on (02) 4227 7111 and choose option 1 to be put through to our after-hours service. |
It's not illegal for cats to roam, but if a cat is making excessive noise or damaging property, you can report it to Council.
Cats can be hard to catch. If you manage to catch a stray or roaming cat, call our Animal Compliance team on (02) 4227 7111 between 9am and 5pm. We'll try to collect the cat as soon as we can.
Our focus is on returning and rehoming stray and roaming cats and dogs, because these have the biggest safety risk to our community and environment. We generally don't deal with other types of animals, like rabbits, birds, reptiles or hamsters.
For pets that aren't cats or dogs, there are a number of local online community groups that help reunite lost pets with their owners. Try searching online or social media to find a suitable group.
For sick, injured or orphaned native animals, you can visit the WIRES website or call 1300 094 737.
Animals that aren't reclaimed by their owners will become available for adoption.
- Unidentified animals (with no microchip or identification) will be held for up to 7 days before they can be adopted.
- Identified animals (microchipped or with out-of-date identification details) will be held for up to 25 days before they can be adopted.
Note that we invite people to tell us if they're interested in adopting lost animals in our care while we're still trying to find their owner. This is to help find them a new home more quickly if their previous owner does not claim them.
Impounding fees and charges have not changed with the introduction of this new service (during the 2023-2024 financial year).
Like all Council fees and charges, these will be reviewed each year. Any changes will be publicly exhibited for comment before they are adopted by Council.
Current fees and charges can be found in the Regulatory Control section of our Fees and Charges list, or you can search our online Fees and Charges portal.
We have a Companion Animal Pound Hardship Management Policy PDF, 350.77 KB that provides support to residents experiencing genuine financial hardship.
Under this policy we can consider reducing or waiving fees for people who can prove they are in financial distress.
Talk to us if this applies to you.
No. But you can check our Find a Pet pages to see which animals are in our care.
If you're reclaiming a lost pet, or adopting an animal from us, we'll make arrangements to pick it up from wherever it's located and deliver it to you. Fees apply and will need to be paid before an animal can be returned.
Animal care and impounding
We’re working with local veterinary services and a network of regional kennelling facilities to provide our animal care and impounding service.
Dogs and cats will be boarded at a number of regional kennelling facilities that have a contract with Council. These are located in the Wollongong region, Sydney and Nowra.
Not in the short and medium term. We'll be delivering this service through the distributed approach described above.
We believe this approach will be best for our community, and the safety and care of animals.
We will monitor how it's working to help us make any longer-term decisions. We'll also consider whether creating a shelter or pound in our area would be a feasible option.
We will always make every effort to return an animal to their owners or find them a new home, as long as they don't pose a safety risk.
Decisions are made case-by-case, and euthanasia is only ever considered as a last resort.
It is the owner’s responsibility to find a new home for a cat or dog that they can no longer keep or do not want. If you are unable to rehome your pet yourself, you can ask to surrender it to Council. We charge a fee for this service and there is a waiting period.
Please note:
- There is no after-hours service for surrendering animals.
- Requests will only be met if we have the capacity to accept the animal. At times we may either be unable to accept an animal, or there may be a delay before we can accept it.
- You are encouraged to try any other available methods to rehome the animal (for example, offering it to friends or on social media) before you ask to surrender it to Council.
To ask us about options for surrendering an animal, use the button below or call (02) 4227 7111 during business hours.
There are multiple dedicated and supportive groups in our community who love animals and want to make sure they find their way home.
We will continue to work with local, volunteer community groups to spread the word of Council’s new services and find homes for lost or abandoned pets.