If you’re interested in adopting a dog, please send an email to adoptions@wcc.govt.nz to express your interest. Please put the name of the dog you are interested in in the subject line. An Animal Control Officer (ACO) will reply with an application form for you to fill out.
Replies will be sent within two working days of your initial email. Any follow-up emails will restart the two working day response timeframe.
What the adoption process looks like
Adoption applicants that are interested in rehoming a dog should also expect to answer a lot of questions.
Some examples include:
- Is your property owned or rented?
- How many people live at your home and how old are they?
- How do you plan to socialise and train the dog?
- Is your yard securely fenced?
- How many hours will the dog be without human company for each day?
- What will you feed your new dog?
ACOs must also inspect all applicants’ homes before a two-week adoption trial can go ahead. This is to ensure that your home environment will be appropriate for the dogs’ needs.
Owning a dog means being responsible for their health, enrichment and welfare.
Dogs adopted from Wellington City Council Animal Services are looked after at Moa Point Animal Shelter. Any visits to dogs available for adoption are by appointment only.
When there are no dogs available, we do not keep a record of people that are interested in adopting. We encourage you to check out other shelters in Pōneke to find a canine companion that is your perfect match.