Adopting a dog from Starting Over Dog Rescue means you’re giving a once-unwanted dog a new life.

View our available dogs below and begin one of the most rewarding journeys of your life. Simply click Apply Now to learn more about our available dogs. If you believe you can provide a suitable, responsible home please click the Apply button to fill in our form. Hint: the more detail you add to this, the better our foster carers can understand what you can offer to a new furry friend.
Don’t see what you are looking for? We post new dogs for adoption everyday. Please keep an eye on this page for updates!

OUR RESCUE & ADOPTION PROCESS

Starting Over Dog Rescue is a volunteer-run charity organisation with a community foster care network of unpaid, and like-minded volunteers, situated all over Melbourne. Our common goal? To save as many dogs from unnecessary euthanasia as possible.

We predominantly work to rescue dogs from high-kill rural shelters however we also take on many surrenders from individuals, vet clinics, and many other avenues.

When the dog is deemed ‘ready’ for adoption, they are advertised online via Pet Rescue, Facebook and Instagram. Potential adopters must first fill out an Adoption Form – this can be done HERE or under each dog’s profile on our ADOPT page.

Each dog comes with a vet check, vaccination, microchip, is desexed and flea/worm treated and will come with with a copy of all veterinary certificates (evidence of desex, microchip and vaccination) and a 3kg bag of food, generously donated by Life Wise Pet Food a premium, Australian-made pet food company.

After you submit your application, it will be passed on to the dogs carer who will be working their way through a number of inquiries.

Meet and greets are arranged in order of suitability so make sure you highlight in your application how your home and lifestyle will suit the dog or pup you are applying for.

Although we are all volunteers who work and have families and other commitments to tend to, we do respond to every applicant- thank you so much for your patience!

Often, communication about the progress of your application is via email, so please keep an eye out in your “spam” and “junk” folders periodically too.

Thank you for choosing to adopt, it really does make such a difference!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You can view photos and read about all of our available dogs by visiting our ADOPT on this website. When you see a dog that captures your heart, the next step would be to fill out and submit our Adoption Form (hyperlink).

Once your application is submitted, it typically takes a few days for our foster carers to review your application (remember we are all unpaid volunteers with jobs, families and our own pets).

Please read more about our Rescue & Adoption Process on this website.

Our dogs are not for “sale” as we are a DGR registered Not-For-Profit Rescue. Our adoption fees help cover the cost of the care and veterinary treatment our dogs receive. Our fees vary based on age, temperament and health status of the dogs. Each adoption fee covers the dog’s desex procedure, microchip, and current vaccinations, as well as allowing us to save an average of 18 additional displaced dogs per week.

We often have litters of puppies but do not post them on our website until they are at least 8 weeks old and ready for adoption.

We are a small team of time poor volunteers and due to the number of applications we receive on a daily basis, we are unable to keep a waitlist for dogs of a specific breed. Please continue to check ourADOPT (hyperlink) section of our website to view available rescues and submit an application when you see a dog you would like to adopt and is suitable for your lifestyle.

We are a small team and due to the number of applications we receive on a daily basis, we are unable to keep a waitlist for dogs of a specific breed. Please continue to check our ADOPT section of our website to view available rescues and submit an application when you see a dog you would like to adopt and is suitable for your lifestyle.

We allow for interstate adoptions on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to adopt and live in another state, you will be responsible for travelling to Victoria to meet the dog, with no guarantee of an adoption (we always prioritise the dogs needs and well-being when choosing a suitable home). We do not fly dogs. Not every dog is a candidate for interstate adoption (for example, it is not always safe for seniors or dogs with health conditions to travel long distances). If you are interested in adopting one of our dogs from interstate, please note that on your application along with your plan to come to meet and transport the dog, and we will let you know if the dog you are interested in is eligible and a good fit for you.

We take in owner surrenders on a case-by-case basis. However in the last few years we have been inundated with requests and simply don’t have the resources to help everyone. If you are looking to rehome your dog, please send us a detailed email with as much information on the dog as you can provide, including any and all medical records and some photos. We will get back to you as to whether we can assist or with recommendations of other rescues to try and reach out to.

Unfortunately, we cannot legally take in strays. If you have found what appears to be a stray dog, take the dog to the nearest pound. While you may think the dog is abandoned or not cared for it may be someone’s pet they are looking for. The pound is the FIRST place a distraught owner will look. In Victoria, the dog will be placed on an 8 day stray hold to give the owner time to find them, and if the dog is chipped and/or registered the owner will be contacted immediately. You can put yourself down for “first rights” so that you can be there to adopt the dog if it becomes available.

ADOPTION READY!


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