Adopt a pet

Merri-bek City Council takes all the cats and dogs we find or pick up to the Epping Animal Welfare Facility located at 20 Companion Place, (formerly Pound Road), Epping.

This facility is managed by RSPCA Victoria.

Adopting a dog or a cat from an animal shelter

By adopting a dog, puppy, cat or kitten from a animal shelter like RSPCA Victoria, you are giving an animal in need a much deserved second chance. This is a very positive thing to do and you will be rewarded with a loving and loyal companion.

All cats and dogs have been temperament tested, are vet checked, vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and desexed.

Fostering a dog or cat

Some of the animals entering shelters need a little extra help before they are ready for adoption and their new forever homes. They may be too young, unwell, recovering from surgery, or may need training to improve their behaviour.

A foster care program, run by the RSPCA or other shelter, helps these animals recover in a home environment until they are able to be adopted.

Who’s for Cats program

Council supports the Who’s for Cats program. This program recognises that people feed unowned cats, but do not take full ownership or responsibility for them.

People feed unowned cats because they genuinely care about them and feel sorry for them. However, many people don’t realise that by doing this they are causing a bigger problem. Owning a cat means that you take responsibility for the cat, including desexing and identifying.

Feeding unowned cats helps keep them alive and strong enough to reproduce. They keep breeding more and more kittens into a life of disease and neglect. This contributes to the tragic cat overpopulation problem in Australia.