Right now, there are too many animals in Victorian shelters – animals who want and deserve loving homes. To get as many animals as possible out of shelters, animal welfare organisations across the state are uniting for Mission Adoptable, a pet adoption promotion aiming to find homes for Victoria’s animals in need. Increased pressures on animal welfare groups including fewer reclaims on lost pets, rising costs and a reduction in adoption applications, means higher numbers of animals need new homes.

Running from Saturday 1st to Sunday 9th October, Animal Aid, Australian Animal Protection Society, Bendigo Animal Relief Centre, Cat Protection Society, Geelong Animal Welfare Society, Greyhound Adoption Program, Lort Smith Animal Hospital, RSPCA Victoria and Second Chance Animal Rescue are all taking part in Mission Adoptable.

Dogs, cats and a variety of small animals are currently seeking new homes in Victoria with the Mission Adoptable animal welfare groups calling for people to adopt to help ease the pressure and to make way for more animals in need.

If ever there was a time to adopt, it’s now. Aside from giving an animal a new chance at a happy life, there are many benefits associated with adopting a pet. Research shows pets make people physically and psychologically healthier by encouraging exercise, enhancing social connectedness and providing companionship.

Animals adopted from animal welfare organisations are behaviour checked, microchipped, vaccinated and desexed.

Potential adopters are matched with pets based on a set of criteria including lifestyle suitability, and physical requirements.

For those who are not in a position to take a new pet into their home, foster caring is an integral part of caring for Victorian animals in need and anyone interested is encouraged to contact the organisations participating in the Mission Adoptable promotion to seek additional information.

For promotional offerings from each of the organisations participating in Mission Adoptable visit www.missionadoptable.com.au

Quote attributable to Animal Aid CEO, Mark Menze
When we have more animals coming into our care than being adopted, it makes our work extremely difficult. We will continue to help our community by taking lost and abandoned animals, but we need our community to open their hearts and homes and consider bringing one (or two) of our shelter animals into their family.

Quote attributable to Australian Animal Protection Society General Manager, Megan Seccull
With so many beautiful animals looking for and deserving of a loving home, we are thrilled to be a part of this collaboration program to raise awareness and find homes for animals in need. We hope as a united group our message will be heard by many and our cause highlighted for every abandoned, unwanted and unloved animal looking for love. General Manager – Megan Seccull

Quote attributable to Bendigo Animal Relief Centre (BARC) Manager, Fra Atyeo
BARC is pleased to be part of Mission Adoptable and looks forward to seeing many animals in need of a home being matched to their new owners. The campaign is a great initiative that backs BARC’s own vision and values relating to responsible pet ownership.

Quote attributable to The Cat Protection Society Marketing and Communications Manager, Rachel Bitzilis
Like most Shelters across Victoria, our Adoption Shelter is at absolute capacity with vulnerable cats in need of their forever home. We are excited to be working alongside likeminded organisations who are also facing the same challenges and encouraging Victorians who may be considering pet ownership to adopt during our “Mission Adoptable” campaign. To encourage adoption and ongoing responsible pet ownership, our Society will be offering all new adoptees a free cat carrier and a 25% off voucher to visit our Cat Friendly, Cat Only Veterinary Clinic at a later date.

Quote attributable to Geelong Animal Welfare Society CEO, Helen Cocks
The Geelong Animal Welfare Society is at capacity with beautiful animals in need of forever homes. We are hopeful that by joining forces with other Victorian animal welfare organisations in Mission Adoptable, we can encourage those considering adopting a pet, to do so now; to help take pressure off shelters around the state and to give thousands of animals the loving home they deserve. At GAWS, we have many dogs, cats and small pets in our care – some who have been with us for months – waiting to be adopted.

Quote attributable to Greyhound Adoption Program General Manager, Dr. Gavin Goble
We are always looking for the perfect forever homes for our greyhounds and now more than ever. Greyhounds are an extremely popular breed of dog to have as household pets. We have greyhounds that suit families of any size, people of any age and most environments. Our expert GAP team is ready to welcome anyone to meet, play and acquaint themselves with any of our ‘ready to adopt’ greyhounds before meticulously matching to a loving home.

Quote attributable to Lort Smith Campbellfield Manager, Jennifer Donaldson
Our world has changed enormously over the last 3 years and the pandemic has impacted not only humans, but our companion animals. Shelters across Victoria have reached full capacity and we’re desperately looking for loving new homes for the many animals in our care. This is why we’re joining forces to voice a single message – animals deserve a loving home for keeps, and we need your help to find that home. From foster carers, to shelters, donors and the people putting up their hand to adopt – when we come together as a community, we can achieve great things! Support Mission Adoptable 1st – 9th October and make a real difference to animals’ lives.

Quote attributable to RSPCA Victoria Rehabilitations and Adoption Manager, Rupert Baker
RSPCA’s shelters are currently operating close to capacity due to a number of factors that are impacting our ability to move animals into forever homes, and we are calling on the community for help. By joining forces with likeminded organisations, we hope our message to encourage adoptions will be heard, resulting in more animals in happy homes and more space for the animals that will come into our care in the coming months.

Quote attributable to Second Chance Animal Rescue CEO/Founder, Marisa Debattista
Over the last three years, things have gotten increasingly more difficult for many in our community. There has been an increase in the number of people facing hardship, domestic and family violence or just struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living. The need for the services we provide here at SCAR has doubled, and we’re not alone when we say that our shelter is seeing a huge Increase In surrender enquiries. We are at capacity and animals that would have once found homes in a matter of days, have been in our care now for months. So, we stand together with our fellow animal welfare advocates as part of Mission Adoptable, doing whatever it takes until all these vulnerable cats and dogs are finally safe and happy in the arms of families who love them.