Are you looking for the best place to adopt small dogs like Chihuahuas, Maltese, Shih Tzus, Bichon Frise, and Pomeranians? Worry not, as we’ve got you covered. There are many small dog rescues in Australia where you can adopt this breed, but you must consider some vital factors when choosing one.
You should only adopt your new best friend from a registered and reputable rescue organization. Ensure the organization has its registration status and code on its website. Another important thing to consider is support. If this is your first time owning a small dog, you want a rescue organization that provides after-adoption support.
It would be best if you had all the guidance you can get when raising these wonderful pets. Before reaching out to these rescues, we recommend you do your findings to know the small breed that best suits your home. No rescue organization has all the small dog breeds, so knowing what you want would help streamline your decision-making process.
Before you scroll down this list of small dog rescues in Australia, you can check out these other dog-related recommendations from our team at We Love Doodles: Best Golden Retriever Rescues in Australia and Best Cocker Spaniel Rescues For Australia.
Find a Small Dog Rescue Shelter Near Me in Australia
After much research and consultation, here’s our list of the best small dog rescues in Australia.
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1. Paws and Claws Adoption
Paws and Claws Adoption is a small non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming various dog breeds and sizes, especially small ones. This rescue organization is located in South Australia but rescues and rehomes small dogs across the country.
Their helping hand extends to other pets like cats, taking them off the streets and placing them in better homes. PCA saves abandoned, neglected, rejected, lost, sick, injured, and surrendered dogs and cats.
Before adoption, all their dogs are:
- Vaccinated
- Microchipped
- spayed/neutered
- Flea and tick treated
- Dewormed
Paws and Claws has a unique adoption system that helps them pair each dog with the right adopters. After careful assessment, a home visit is conducted to ensure the dog’s potential home is comfortable and safe enough for them. This rescue organization releases its dogs on trial to ensure every match is perfect.
Dogs go on trial periods to test their compatibility with their new owners before finalizing the adoption. While adopting a dog from this rescue is straightforward, you must be patient and wait a while after your first application, as they receive over 40 applications daily.
Being a 100 percent volunteer-run rescue organization, PCA does not have the resources to main a wait list for specific dog breeds or types. Hence, if you are looking for a specific dog breed or type, you must watch their Facebook page and website for when they are listed.
Paws and Claws Adoption Details
- Address: South Australia
- Website: Paws and Claws Adoption
- Phone Number: N/A
- Email Address: info@pawsandclawsadoptions.com.au
2. Monika’s Rescues (Doggierescue.com)
Monika’s Rescue is a no-kill animal refuge located in Ingleside, New South Wales, Australia. This rescue group has been rescuing and finding homes for cats and dogs for over twenty years. Monika’s Rescue is an all-breed rescue organization that saves and rehomes big, small, and medium-breed dogs.
You can rely on them for small dog breeds, including puppies, seniors, and adults. The organization comprises a group of volunteers who will take every precaution to ensure the rescued dogs are healthy, content, and placed in the right homes. Monika’s Rescue practices a no-kill policy.
They care for all rescued animals until a suitable, permanent home can be found. All dogs from Monika’s Rescue are vaccinated, desexed, and, when necessary, heartworm-protected before adoption. To ensure their general health, they have also undergone a vet inspection.
All their dogs go home with lifetime assistance, and you can return them to the organization anytime. However, there is no reimbursement or surrender charge when returning a pet to them. This rescue group, however, cannot guarantee the absence of any genetic health conditions to which particular breeds are vulnerable, such as kennel cough.
Nevertheless, they do their best to ensure the dogs are healthy before giving them up for adoption. Every rescued dog is vet-checked and treated for any visible health conditions. They also assess the temperaments of the dogs to help place them in the right homes.
Applicants are required to fill out an adoption questionnaire. The team uses the information provided to help pair adopters with the ideal dog. If you have a pet at home, your pet must be spayed/neutered and vaccinated before applying, as the organization does not release their dogs to families whose pets have not been desexed.
Monika’s Rescues (Doggierescue.com) Details
- Address: 2 McCowen Road, Bloodwood Rd, Ingleside, NSW 2101
- Website: Monika’s Rescues
- Phone Number: 02-9486-3133
- Email Address: monika@doggierescue.com
3. Dogs’ Refuge Home
The vision of Dogs’ Refuge Home is to build a community where all dogs live in loving and safe homes. It is one of Australia’s most popular rescue organizations, known for its selfless service of helping dogs and transforming their lives for the better.
Dogs’ Refuge Home is dedicated to the care and rehoming of unwanted, lost, and surrendered dogs through the following:
- Treating the dogs and caring for them as their own until they find a loving, permanent home.
- The active promotion of responsible pet ownership and teaching potential and existing dog owners how best to care for their dogs.
They take in hundreds of dogs each year, including those who have suffered severe abuse and neglect, those who have been cherished but can no longer be taken care of, and those who are simply unwanted. This rescue organization was established in 1935.
It is one of the oldest pet rescue organizations in Australia. More than 80 years later, the rescue organization is still helping more than a thousand needy pets each year. Their core conviction is that dogs deserve the same respect and affection that they unconditionally provide to us.
Hence, they ensure the dogs receive all the love, care, and attention they deserve before releasing them. In addition to taking in dogs from within metropolitan Perth, The Dogs’ Refuge Home also works with local authorities and other rescue organizations to bring in stray dogs from all over the State so they can have a second chance at a happy life.
Dogs’ Refuge Home Details
- Address: 30 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park
- Website: Dogs’ Refuge Home
- Phone Number: 08-9381-8166
- Email Address: enquiries@dogshome.org.au
4. Precious Paws Animal Rescue
Precious Paws Animal Rescue is an all-breed rescue organization that saves dogs of all breeds and sizes. You can rely on this rescue organization for various small dog breeds, including puppies and adults. A group of like-minded individuals created the rescue organization in 2016. They envisioned a rescue dedicated to helping dogs that need care, love, and forever homes.
PPAR is dedicated to protecting the lives of “at risk” and shelter dogs in the community. They save dogs from isolated villages with no rescue options, dogs with heartworm, dogs diagnosed with a treatable but pricey condition, dogs with other diseases or injuries, or dogs facing life-threatening situations.
Since PPAR is a non-profit organization, they primarily rely on the dedication of its supporters to continue funding its rescue efforts. Adoption fees go toward the next pound dog rescue.
The rescued dogs from this organization are not broken or damaged; they’ve experienced more in life than others. PPAR does its best to ensure they experience love, happiness, and good health before placing them in responsible, loving homes forever.
Precious Paws Animal Rescue Details
- Address: Australia
- Website: Precious Paws Animal Rescue
- Phone Number: N/A
- Email Address: adoptions@ppar.com.au
5. Best Friend Rescue
Next up, we have Best Friend Rescue – a non-profit, registered organization focused on rescuing, caring for, and rehoming lost, abandoned, neglected, and surrendered dogs. Like other rescues on this list, BFR is an all-breed rescue, so they occasionally have small dogs of various breeds and ages.
Best Friend Rescue saves and rehomes dogs in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and other neighboring areas in Queensland, Australia. If you are unsure about which small dog breed to choose, this rescue team can help you. They work with adopters to help them find ideal dogs suitable for their home, family, and lifestyle.
Most dogs in this rescue were surrendered by their owners or rescued from council pound death row. They are a no-kill shelter that supports the idea that every animal should be given another shot at life. BFR is a foster-based rescue organization.
All their rescued dogs live with their foster carers until they find their forever homes. Before being added to a foster family, the dogs are vet-checked and updated on vaccinations and deworming. All dogs also go home microchipped and spayed/neutered.
Best Friend Rescue Details
- Address: The Gap, Queensland 4061, Australia
- Website: Best Friend Rescue
- Phone Number: N/A
- Email Address: bfr@bestfriendsrescue.com
Conclusion For The “Best Small Dog Rescues in Australia”
One of the numerous benefits of adopting a dog from a rescue group is cost-effectiveness. When you decide to adopt a dog rather than purchase one from a breeder, you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Another advantage is that you won’t have to pay extra costs for your dog to be socialized, trained, and updated on vaccinations and dewormings.
For more guides similar to this list of small dog rescues in Australia, you can check out these other dog-related recommendations from our team:
- Best Small Dog Rescues in Ontario
- Best Small Dog Rescues in Tennessee
- Best Small Dog Rescues in Michigan
Before you adopt a small dog companion from a rescue shelter in Australia, you can learn more about raising a dog by watching “Everything You Need to Know About Raising a Puppy” down below:
Andy is a full-time animal rescuer and owner of a toy doodle. When he’s not saving dogs, Andy is one of our core writers and editors. He has been writing about dogs for over a decade. Andy joined our team because he believes that words are powerful tools that can change a dog’s life for the better.
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