Mid CanterburyAnimal Welfare Centre Donate
A gravel road running between fenced green paddocks towards dark mountains under cloud.
  1. Home
  2. Adopt

08Adopt

Give a cat or dog a home.

Thinking about adopting from the centre? Start with a phone call. The volunteers will tell you which animals are looking for homes and how it works.

Ring 03 308 4432

08.1How to start

Four steps up the road.

There is no form on this website. Adoption starts with a conversation.

  1. Get in touch

    Ring 03 308 4432 and say you are thinking about adopting a cat or a dog.

  2. Tell us a little about you

    It helps to know about your home and the kind of animal you are hoping for, so the volunteers can point you the right way.

  3. Ask us anything

    Which animals are looking for homes, what adoption involves, any costs, and what happens after an animal goes home with you. We do not list fees or rules here: the team will explain how it works at the centre today.

  4. Arrange a visit

    The centre is run by volunteers, so please call before visiting and we will find a time.

A brown and white farm dog resting its front paws on a weathered timber gate, mouth open.
An illustrative photograph, not an animal at the centre.

08.2Cats and dogs

Who might be waiting.

Animals come and go, so this website does not list them. Ring and the volunteers will tell you who is looking for a home right now.

A fluffy black and white cat sitting on a rock beside old fence posts and wire.

Cats

A quiet start

New cats arrive at the centre's separate quarantine building. Ask us about cats and kittens looking for homes.

Ask about cats
A black and white border collie standing alert in a green paddock.

Dogs

Room to run

Thinking about a dog? Ask us about dogs looking for homes, and what each one needs.

Ask about dogs

The animals in the photographs on this site are illustrative. They are not animals at the centre.

A tan and white dog asleep on the ground with a white cat resting against it.
An illustrative photograph, not animals at the centre.

08.3Fostering

Not ready to adopt? Ask about fostering.

If you could give an animal a temporary home, get in touch and ask whether the centre needs foster homes at the moment, and what fostering would involve.

Ring about fostering

Lost your own cat or dog?

Ring the centre in case it has been brought in. For a lost dog, also contact Ashburton District Council, which runs animal control in the district: see the council's lost and found dogs page.