More than 1,000 animals found a new home in 2023

Ballarat really is a pet-loving city, with more than 19,000 dogs and almost 8,500 cats registered in the city.  

With more than 60 dogs in the shelter in December 2023, the shelter commenced a dog adoption drive, which saw 23 dogs finding their new homes just in time for Christmas.  

Despite December being focused on getting dogs adopted, the month also saw 41 cats and kittens finding their new families in time for the holiday season.  

The year concluded with 1,154 animals being adopted from the Ballarat Animal Shelter, including 856 cats and kittens, 293 dogs and puppies and 5 rabbits and guinea pigs.  

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson said it's incredible to see people choosing to adopt their new family members from the Ballarat Animal Shelter.  

“The wonderful staff at the shelter are available to ensure you pick the right pet for your lifestyle, and personality,” he said.

"Pets can add so much value to our lives, so it is very much worth considering adding one to your family.”

Animals are always available for adoption, so please email animalshelter@ballarat.vic.gov.au, or visit 5A Gillingham Place, Alfredton to make an appointment. You can also check out the listings online for the current dogs and cats available.  

There is a rehoming fee of $410 for all dogs at the Animal Shelter. Which includes all the necessary veterinary checks, microchipping, registration and de-sexing.

“We also saw the outpouring of generosity from the Ballarat community during the recent donation drive at the shelter,” Cr Hudson said.

“The drive has been running for seven years and each year it seems to get bigger and bigger! This year staff had to relocate the donations from under the Christmas tree, sometimes daily.  

“The shelter ran out of space to store some of the bigger supplies in mid-December and the entire storeroom was full as of early January.

“The animals at the shelter were able to choose their own toys from the piles donated, which was a joy to watch!”  

The Ballarat Animal Shelter cannot accept any more donations for now, as the storage areas are at capacity. If you have items to donate, please reach out to other not for profit organisations to see if they need your items.  

Otherwise, please hold onto your donations and the Ballarat Animal Shelter will advise when more donations can be accepted.