We understand that sometimes situations occur or life circumstances change and you may find you can no longer take care of your pet. BARC is able to accept surrenders from residents of the City of Greater Bendigo. At times we may be able to accept surrendered animals from other municipalities.
If your animal has current Council registration surrendering your pet to us may be free of charge. Should your animal not be registered with Council, a payment to contribute to the cost of managing your pet may be requested but it not compulsory.
Cats | $350 |
Dogs | $400 |
Vaccinations Requirements
Cats and Dogs
Although a current vaccination is not required at the time of surrender, we encourage pets to be vaccinated prior to surrender to avoid them having to spend time isolating in quarantine when arriving in our care. 'At Home Quarantine' can be conducted in the home so you can continue to care for your pet for about one week while they develop an immunity to some of the most risky and common diseases. This helps to minimise any stress your pet may experience while in isolation at our facility. A bond is payable for the vaccination however this is refund in full when your pet is admitted to BARC. Reception staff can talk you though out At Home Quarantine options.
Rehoming
In order to be deemed suitable for our rehoming program all animals must meet minimal behaviour and medical criteria before rehomed. Our team members will need to spend some time with you asking questions about our pet so we can best determine any rehoming options. Should for some reason your pet not pass these assessments then BARC may seek alternative options with regards to rehoming through other welfare organisations. If your pet is deemed not suitable for rehoming, euthanasia may be considered.
To assist us, please complete the form for your pet
If you are surrendering the pet on behalf of someone else, please also download and complete the Surrender Consent form.
By surrendering your pet to us you are agreeing to transfer ownership of your pet to BARC, and your pet will be managed in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act (1994). You will be required to sign a Surrender Form which you can read here in advance of your appointment.
Please understand that by surrendering your pet to the Bendigo Animal Relief Centre (BARC), you completely give up the ownership and all rights to this animal. Once the animal is surrendered, we will decide if we can place the animal up for adoption. Ideally, we would like to place all animals in new homes however we cannot guarantee that a new home will be found for this animal. Animals surrendered to BARC will undergo medical and behavioural assessments to determine if they are suitable for adoption. Animals might not be placed for adoption if:
- They are very young or very old. Often animals under the age of 8 weeks are highly susceptible to disease and stress. Geriatric animals can often have a hard time adjusting to a shelter environment and experience separation anxiety and depression and difficulties in adapting to a shelter environment.
- They are in poor health or physical condition. Many diseases are easily transferred to other animals. One sick animal has the potential to infect other animals in the shelter. Other health concerns may be too much for new adopters to take on that financial commitment or burden.
- The animal has behavioural issues. Animals that have aggression or social issues that are unsafe to handle pose a risk to staff, other animals, and members of the public. Therefore, they cannot be put up for adoption.
- The animal has issues with inappropriate toileting.
- The animal is suffering from high stress due to being placed in a shelter environment.
Those animals not placed up for adoption may be transferred to another organisation. If a transfer is unable to be secured and it is determined there is no other option for the animal then they will be humanely euthanised by a painless injection by a veterinarian. BARC will not contact you before that animal is euthanised.
For animals available for adoption there is no set holding period. Once an animal is placed up for adoption their condition is continuously evaluated. An animal may be euthanised from our adoption area if there are any changes in its behavioural or physical condition which makes it unadoptable.
Please call or email [email protected] for more information, or to book a time to surrender your pet.