Frequently Asked Questions

Updated 6 October 2026

About our new home in Kurnell 

When are you open?

Our Kurnell shelter is open 8am–5pm daily.

If you’re visiting to enquire about adopting an animal, adoption walk-ins are available between 10am–4pm daily only. Please see our adoption information below before visiting to understand how the process works.

To support the welfare of the animals in our care, we are not open for general visits or walk-throughs of the shelter. If you’re interested in adopting, our team will help guide you through the process and arrange appropriate animal meets.

Our veterinary clinic remains at Strathfield South. Please refer to our Veterinary Services page for clinic information and opening hours.

Is the Kurnell shelter complete?

While we’re incredibly proud to now be operating from our new purpose-built shelter at Kurnell, this is only the first stage of our new home.

Future stages of the development will further expand the services we can provide for animals and our community, including a purpose-built veterinary clinic at Kurnell.

We’ll be sharing more about the next stage of our Kurnell development, and how our community can help bring it to life, soon.

What is Stage 2 of the Kurnell development?

Our move to Kurnell marks the completion of the first stage of our new home, but our vision for the site doesn’t stop here.

Stage 2 will further expand the services we can provide for animals and our community, including the development of our purpose-built veterinary clinic at Kurnell.

We’ll be sharing more about Stage 2, including how our community can help bring the next phase of our new home to life, soon.

About Adopting at Kurnell

Thinking about adopting?

We’d love to help you find the right match.

Before you visit, please check the animal profiles on our website. Each profile will show whether the animal is currently onsite at Kurnell or in foster/offsite.

If the animal is onsite at Kurnell

You’re welcome to visit us between 10am–4pm daily. No appointment is needed.

When you arrive, check in at reception, and our Animal Care team will talk with you about your home, lifestyle and what you’re looking for. They’ll help guide you towards animals who may be a suitable match and arrange a same-day meet where appropriate.

Please note: our animals’ welfare comes first, so we don’t offer open walk-throughs of the shelter. Keeping foot traffic and noise to a minimum helps reduce stress for the animals in our care.

Our team will help match you with suitable animals and arrange a meet where appropriate.

If the animal is in foster care or offsite

Please submit an Expression of Interest through the animal’s adoption profile.

Our team will review your application and contact you about the next steps.

Bringing your current dog?

If you’d like to arrange a dog-to-dog meet, please contact our team in advance so we can organise a suitable time.

About Sydney Dogs & Cats Home

I have found a stray animal. Can you take it?  

If you find a stray animal, we recommend starting by knocking on doors in the area where the animal was found to inquire if anyone recognises it. If the owner cannot be located, please take the animal to your local veterinary clinic to check for a microchip. Alternatively, you can contact your local council, which operates its own animal holding facility. 

As a council impound service, we care for lost and abandoned pets from various council areas across Sydney. We only accept animals brought to us by council rangers within the specific council areas we serve. 

Each council manages its own holding facility, and it is preferable to keep the animal within the council area where it was found. This helps ensure that the owner can more easily locate their lost pet. 

I have found a stray kitten, what do I do? 

We’re a council impound service that cares for lost and abandoned pets from multiple council areas across Sydney. We can only take stray cats when they’re brought in by council rangers. Your best contact would be your local council. However, keep in mind that cats are free to roam according to NSW legislation, and council will only take them in special circumstances (e.g. illness, injury, causing nuisance, harming wildlife, near food prep area).  

 If it is a young kitten, most likely mum is nearby. She might be off getting food, or in the process of moving her litter. Do not pick up the kitten (unless it is in immediate danger) without first observing to see if mum will come back. It is ideal for all kittens to stay with mum until at least 8 weeks of age.  

I want to surrender my pet, how can I do that? 

At Sydney Dogs & Cats Home, we can only accept surrenders of owned animals when we have the capacity and resources to do so. As our primary focus is on animals without a home, we recommend contacting organisations that specialise in private surrenders. A comprehensive list of these organisations can be found on here. Please note that these rescues are independent and not affiliated with Sydney Dogs & Cats Home, nor have they been formally vetted by our organisation.

 

I’ve lost my pet. Do you have it? 

Sorry to hear that. All the lost pets who come into our care are listed on our website here. If the animal is microchipped, we will contact you as soon as they come into our care. You can email your details to info@sdch.org.au, and we can add them to our lost log. 

The first thing to do when your pet goes missing is make sure your pet’s microchip details are up to date and their chip is marked as ‘Missing’. We recommend reaching out to your local council’s animal holding facility and logging your lost pet with them.  

You can also post on your local community Facebook page, reach out to your local vet, put up flyers and door knock around your neighbourhood.

 

What legislation are you acting under? 

We are legally required to abide by the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 and the associated Companion Animals Regulations and Codes of Practice  

 For more information about Sydney Dogs & Cats Home, click here.

About Fundraising 

How do you spend donors’ money? 

Funds raised go towards supporting the abandoned and neglected animals in our care. That includes purchasing food, providing them with shelter, paying rent, electricity and other bills, buying vet equipment, and supporting vet and animal care work. 

Are donations tax-deductible? 

Yes.  Gifts to Sydney Dogs & Cats Home are allowed deductions under section 78(1)(a) of the Tax Act. Our Charity Fundraising Number (CFN) is 16738.