Dubbo City Animal Shelter
It is a requirement that people make an appointment with the Shelter before attending. If you do not have an appointment, you may be turned away and will not be able to attend the Shelter. To avoid any inconvenience, please call the Shelter on (02) 6801 4640 to make an appointment. Collection times are Monday to Friday 12 pm to 4 pm and Saturday 11 am to 1 pm.
The Dubbo City Animal Shelter is managed by Dubbo Regional Council. The Shelter is provided as a service to residents in the Local Government Area for lost and stray cats and dogs. The Shelter offers microchipping, registration, sale of dangerous dog merchandise and adoption of unclaimed animals.
The Shelter is a safe haven for lost and stray cats and dogs, keeping them protected until their owner (or a new owner) can be found. Fees apply for the release of impounded animals and animals must be registered before release.
LOCATION AND OPENING HOURS
The Dubbo City Animal Shelter is located at 30L Boothenba Road, Dubbo at the corner of Yarrandale Road.
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Open - Monday to Friday - 12 pm to 4 pm and Saturday - 11 am to 1 pm
The Shelter is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Animal Shelter: 6801 4640
Ranger Services: 6801 4000
Email: council@dubbo.nsw.gov.au
Facebook: fb.com/Dubbocityanimalshelter
FEES AND CHARGES
Please see below for fees and charges relating to pet ownership; including Dubbo Regional Council fees, and fees for registration, permits, and adoptions.
DUBBO REGIONAL COUNCIL
By law, all animals must be microchipped and registered before leaving the Shelter. Registration fees are prescribed by the NSW Companion Animals Act, 1998. Council cannot reduce these fees and they must be paid in full before a pet can be released.
| Fee Category |
Fees |
Release
|
$42.50 |
Release (repeat offender)
|
$116 |
Maintenance cost per day
|
$37 |
| Vet costs |
Actual cost plus 12.5% |
Microchipping
|
$40 |
Engraved ID tag
|
$13.50 |
Animal surrender
|
$68 |
Dangerous dog signs
|
$67 |
Cat not desexed annual permit
|
$92 |
Annual dangerous dog permit
|
$221 |
| Restricted breed dog annual permit |
$221 |
| Dangerous dog collar - small |
$52 |
Dangerous dog collar - medium
|
$60 |
Dangerous dog collar - large
|
$65 |
Dangerous dog collar - extra large
|
$70 |
REGISTRATIONS AND PERMITS
Fees and charges for registration are set by Office of Local Government NSW. New registration fees are in accordance with clause 18 of the Companion Animals Regulation 2018. Registration is only required if an animal is not already lifetime registered in NSW. Follow this link for further information on microchipping and registration.
Charges from 1 July 2023 are:
| Registration Type |
Registration Description |
Fees |
Dog – Desexed (by relevant age)
|
Registration fee for an animal desexed by the relevant desexing age
|
$75 |
Dog – Desexed (by relevant age – eligible pensioner)
|
Desexed animal owned by an eligible pensioner
|
$32 |
Dog – Desexed (sold by pound/shelter)
|
Desexed animal sold by an eligible pound or shelter
|
$0 |
Dog – Not Desexed or Desexed (after relevant age)
|
Combined registration fee and additional fee for an animal not desexed by the relevant desexing age
|
$252 |
Dog – Not Desexed (not recommended)
|
Animal with written notification from a vet that it should not be desexed
|
$75 |
Dog – Not Desexed (not recommended – pensioner)
|
Animal owned by an eligible pensioner with written notification from a vet that it should not be desexed
|
$32 |
Dog – Not Desexed (recognised breeder)
|
Animal not desexed and kept by a recognised breeder for breeding purposes
|
$75 |
Dog – Working
|
Working dog
|
$0 |
Dog – Service of the State
|
Dog in the service of the State, for example, a police dog
|
$0 |
Assistance Animal
|
Assistance Animal
|
$0 |
Cat – Desexed or Not Desexed
|
Registration fee
|
$65 |
Cat – Desexed (eligible pensioner)
|
Desexed animal owned by an eligible pensioner
|
$32 |
Cat – Desexed (sold by pound/shelter)
|
Desexed animal sold by an eligible pound or shelter
|
$0 |
Cat – Not Desexed (not recommended)
|
Animal with written notification from a vet that it should not be desexed
|
$65 |
Cat – Not Desexed (not recommended – pensioner)
|
Animal owned by an eligible pensioner with written notification from a vet that it should not be desexed
|
$32 |
Cat – Not Desexed (recognised breeder)
|
Animal not desexed and kept by a recognised breeder for breeding purposes
|
$65 |
Registration late fee
|
To be paid if registration fee has not been paid within 28 days after the date on which the animal is required to be registered
|
$21 |
| Permit Type |
Permit Description |
Fees |
Cat not desexed by four months of age
|
N/A
|
$92 |
Dangerous dog
|
N/A
|
$221 |
Restricted dog
|
N/A
|
$221 |
Permit late fee
|
Payable if the permit fee has not been paid 28 days after the date on which a permit was required to own the companion animal.
|
$21 |
ADOPTIONS
Adoption fees for cats and dogs from the Dubbo City Animal Shelter and Wellington Pound are outlined in the 2023/24 Fees and Charges (PDF 4.1MB) on page 115. All pets sold through the shelter are de-sexed, microchipped and vet-checked. Please note the below costs do not include the cost of vet care after adoption.
| Animal |
Description |
Fees |
Puppies
|
Under 12 months of age and already desexed when arrived at the Shelter |
$350 |
Dogs
|
Under 5 years of age and already desexed when arrived at the Shelter |
$350 |
Dogs
|
Over 5 years of age and already desexed when arrived at the Shelter |
$250 |
| Dogs |
Under 5 years of age |
$550 |
| Dogs |
6 years and older |
$400 |
Cats
|
Up to 5 years of age |
$350 |
Cats
|
Over 5 years of age |
$200 |
Other
|
Popular or in demand breed of dog or cat
|
Market value at time, only if available |
| Other |
Pocket pets - guinea pigs/rabbits/chickens |
On request when available |
| Rescue group |
N/A |
$16 |
| Rescue group |
No microchipping |
$0 |
FAQS - I'VE FOUND A LOST DOG OT CAT
In accordance with the NSW Companion Animals Act, 1998, if you find a lost animal you are required to deliver it to a Council shelter (pound) or a vet within 72 hours. The owner may be looking for the animal and therefore Council needs to check the microchip and contact the owner. All Dubbo vets can check the microchip and contact the owner or, if not microchipped, they will contact Council for collection. After hours pens are available at the Animal Shelter for the public to drop off lost and stray dogs and cats at any time and the pens are checked daily. Please complete the appropriate form when leaving an animal as information provided could assist in finding the owner or re-homing the animal as soon as possible. Once impounded, unless surrendered by the registered owner, identified animals must be kept for 14 days. Unidentified animals must be kept for seven days. If the animal remains unclaimed it then becomes the property of Council and may be made available for adoption or offered to a rescue group.
FAQS - I'VE LOST MY DOG OR CAT
If you have lost your dog or cat, please contact the Animal Shelter as soon as possible. If we do not yet have your pet impounded, we can take your details and contact you if it does end up being impounded. Social media can also be very effective and there are a number of pet lost and found Facebook pages for the Dubbo area. The Animal Shelter also has a Facebook page where you can post a picture of your lost pet. We regularly post animals that have been impounded but please do not rely on these posts only as not all animals are included. Give us a call or drop in during opening hours to check if your lost animal is currently in our care.
FAQS - I WANT TO SURRENDER MY DOG OR CAT
We understand that the unexpected can occur which may mean you can no longer care for your pet. To give your pet the best chance of a loving home, it is suggested that you make your own enquiries to rehome your pet before contacting us. If you have no other option you may surrender your dog or cat to us. The legal owner must complete a signed Surrender Form. A small surrender fee applies to cover the costs of assessing and keeping your animal while arrangements are made for its care. If your pet is already impounded with us and you do not wish to claim it, we request a Surrender Form to be completed so that we can commence rehoming arrangements as soon as possible.
FAQS - I WANT TO ADOPT A DOG OR CAT
Many of our unclaimed animals are made available for adoption. All animals undergo a basic behaviour assessment and vet check and are vaccinated, wormed, desexed, microchipped and registered.
To help make you decision about getting a dog, read our brochure: Buying a Puppy (PDF 572.6KB)
Animals available can be viewed on our Facebook page Monthly album
Once you have decided to adopt, paid the relevant fees and completed the necessary paperwork, the animal will be booked in for desexing and you will be advised when you can collect it directly from the vet. If it is already desexed, you can take your new pet home straight away. Our adoption fee includes the cost of microchipping and the associated vet costs and therefore are subject to change depending on the vet's costs.
Last Edited: 23 Feb 2024