They say that dogs are a man’s best friend, and as animal lovers, we at AVENUE ONE can definitely agree on this. You might be thinking of expanding your family by getting a dog, but before you head to a breeder to purchase one, do consider adopting a dog instead. Through dog adoption, you can actually give dogs a second chance at life and give them a cosy home, one that they actually deserve.
Before you go through with dog adoption, there are a few things you need to check on your list according to the Animal and Veterinary Service, a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks).
- Dogs need to be accepted by the entire household
- Dogs need to be taken care of for their entire lives (10 to 18 years)
- Dogs cost time and money (training, food, veterinary bills, etcetera)
- Dogs should not be allowed to disturb others (e.g. they should be leashed when out for a walk)
- Some of the dogs may be abused by their previous owners, so you need to be patient and shower them with lots of love and care
- Some of the dogs may not be able to get along with other pets or may require a lot more care than others, so only adopt them if you don’t have other pets at home and can devote all your time to these dogs
- Some of the dogs are not HDB-approved
- Do your research before adopting a dog
If you’re able to tick all of the boxes, you’re ready to start the process of looking for a suitable dog at one of these dog adoption centres and going through dog adoption!
1. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
This is probably the most famous animal welfare organisation in Singapore. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) runs various animal welfare services such as 24-hour emergency rescues, cruelty and welfare investigations, a community animal clinic, education programmes, sterilisations for community animals, shelter for more than 200 unwanted, abused, or abandoned animals every month, and adoption programmes.
So if you’re looking to begin your journey of cat or dog adoption, you can start with SPCA.
Adoption procedure
As the SPCA website is temporarily undergoing maintenance, you can view all pets that are up for adoption on their temporary adoption Instagram page. If you’re interested in any dogs, you can schedule an appointment to do a one-hour viewing here.
The appointment slots are released seven days in advance so you can check back every now and then if you’re not able to secure a slot.
On the day of your appointment, you need to bring your NRIC. You may also bring along a carrier, leash, or harness if you are ready to adopt.
Only a maximum of five people from the same household, and a maximum of two people if they are not from the same household will be allowed to go for the adoption viewing. In both cases, the main caregiver of the dog must be present.
Adoption fees
If you’re curious about how much it costs to adopt a dog, you can refer to the rates below.
- Local cross-breed puppies (below six months of age): S$250
- Local cross-breed adults (six months to less than 7.5 years): S$150
- Pedigrees and their crosses (less than 7.5 years): S$350
- Seniors (7.5 years and above or those in the SPCA for more than a year): S$70
- Dogs with special needs or long term medical care: S$25
SPCA is located at 50 Sungei Tengah Road, Singapore 699012 and is open from 11am to 4pm on Mondays through Sundays. SPCA is closed on Thursdays unless it is a public holiday.
Website | Instagram | Adoption Instagram | Facebook
2. Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD)
Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) is a non-profit organisation that was established back in December 2000 with the aim of improving the welfare of stray and abandoned dogs in Singapore.
With the help of volunteers, they rescue, foster, rehome stray and abandoned dogs, as well as advocate sterilisation to control the local stray population, and encourage responsible pet ownership.
At the time of writing, they have a total of 78 dogs up for adoption and you can view them here.
Adoption procedure
After browsing through the list of dogs up for adoption, shortlist a few that you are interested in by clicking on the heart icon to favourite them.
Once you are done shortlisting, click on the heart icon at the top of the page, scroll to the bottom, and click “I’m interested in adopting”. You will be redirected to fill in a form with your particulars.
Another form will be emailed to you so that you can explain more about your experience and your environment so that the adoption counsellor allocated to you will be able to understand you better and recommend a suitable dog for you. The adoption counsellor will reach out to you and give you more information on the dog’s behaviour traits and highlight aspects which may be pertinent to that dog.
You will then be invited to visit the dog at their centre or at the foster home so that you can bond with the dog and find out if you’re a good fit for each other.
If you decide to go through with the dog adoption, you will be required to head down to the centre or the foster home to sign an Adoption Agreement and bring the dog back.
Do note that there are two conditions that must be met for the Adoption Agreement:
- Home visits must be allowed, and it will take place usually two weeks to a month after adoption. This is to see if any assistance can be rendered.
- The dog needs to be licensed, vaccinated, microchipped and sterilised. ASD does provide a mandatory, comprehensive, and subsidised package.
Adoption fees
Here are the fees for adoption:
- Male or female local cross-breed dogs: S$300
- Male or female pedigree dogs: S$400
If you’re looking to adopt under Project ADORE, which is a scheme that allows HDB residents to own local cross-breed dogs, you will have to sign an Adoption Agreement with ASD and pay an adoption fee of S$300 which covers one vaccination, microchipping, and sterilisation.
You will also need to pay S$15 annually for a dog license, but don’t worry, because ASD will apply for it on your behalf.
You will then need to sign a Code of Responsible Behaviour (CORB and undergo compulsory Group Basic Obedience Training that is conducted by an approved professional trainer at a centralised location on the weekends. The course will take place over six sessions, and each is 1.5 hours long. The sessions are limited to six to ten dogs along with their handlers, but a home-based programme is available as well.
ASD is located at 80 Lim Chu Kang Lane 1, Singapore 718911.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
3. Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) is a volunteer-run organisation that is dedicated to the welfare of our local street dogs.
They try to rescue and rehome as many stray dogs and puppies as they can, and for those that are wounded, they try their best to treat them at the vet first before finding a home for them.
Take a look at the dogs that they have up for adoption here.
Adoption procedure
After deciding on a dog that you would like to adopt, you can fill out the form underneath the dog’s profile and wait for SOSD to contact you.
If your application is successful, there will be a one-week home stay so that you and your dog can get to know each other better. This is a good chance for you to also understand your dog’s needs and determine if its temperament is suitable for your home environment.
There will also be home visits to your house prior to the home stay to assess your living conditions, during the home stay to assess your relationship with the dog and check on its well-being, after the home stay to sign the adoption papers, and post-adoption.
Adoption fees
There will be a non-refundable adoption fee of S$300 which will be used for microchipping, three vaccinations, sterilisation, and administration.
If the puppy is not six months of age yet at the point of adoption, you will be issued a sterilisation voucher so that you can use it at any of SOSD’s pre-approved veterinary clinics.
If you have a preferred clinic, you will need to bring proof of sterilisation to SOSD within four weeks of sterilising your puppy.
SOSD is located at 59 Sungei Tengah Road, #01-42, Block T, Singapore 699014.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
4. Animal Lovers League (ALL)
Animal Lovers League (ALL) is a registered no-kill shelter and it is one of the largest and longest serving animal welfare groups in Singapore. In fact, it is home to more than 500 digs and cats, and they usually take in strays, abandoned, traumatised, abused, and rescued animals.
They are committed to rehoming rescued animals, and are strong advocates of adoption over buying. If you would like to look at some of the dogs that they have available, you can view them here.
Adoption procedure
If you have a particular dog that you would like to adopt after viewing them from their social media, you can either WhatsApp Mohan at 9670 8052 or Catheryn at 9753 3320.
You will then get a chance to interact with some of their dogs, one-on-one, to find the perfect dog for you to adopt and bring home. Do note that these adoption visits are strictly by appointment only after their procedural screening. No walk-ins will be allowed.
After you’ve made up your mind on one particular dog, ALL will conduct an interview and also do a home visit to assess if you and your environment is suitable for the dog. If you are deemed suitable, you will get to have a two-week homestay with the dog for the two of you to get acquainted with each other.
Upon completion of the two-week homestay process, you will be asked to sign an Adoption Form.
For ALL, they do not believe in putting a price on the lives of their fur kids, so there will be no adoption fees required when you go through a dog adoption with them.
ALL is located at 59 Sungei Tengah Road, #01-29, Block Q, Singapore 699014 and is open from 10am to 5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am to 3pm from Wednesdays to Saturdays, and 10am to 5.30pm on Sundays.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
5. Causes for Animals Singapore (CAS)
Causes for Animals Singapore (CAS) is another animal welfare non-profit organisation that was set up to improve the welfare of animals in Singapore and to save the lives of the homeless and unwanted local companion animals.
If you’re interested to adopt from CAS, you can browse through their list of dogs available for adoption here. Do take note that the dogs that are marked as “homestay” are not available as they are already in the process of adoption with a potential family.
Adoption procedure
After you’ve looked through the list of dogs available, you can contact the adoption hotline by sending a text message to them at 9793 7162 or 9697 3491. Alternatively, you can also send them an email at [email protected].
You will then be able to book an appointment slot to meet your potential pet and spend some time with them. It is a requirement for all family members who will be living with the pet to come down to the centre to view the pet. The visits will be done between 12pm to 3pm daily.
If you decide to go through with the dog adoption after meeting with it, you can email CAS to inform them of your interest. You will then be sent a Pre Adoption Form to complete.
If you are successful in your bid, CAS will bring the dog to your home and let it stay with you for a week. This is part of the settling-in period and you will be working with CAS closely to help your dog get acquainted.
Once this is all done, you will move forward to finalise the adoption!
Adoption fees
Here are the adoption fees to take note of if you would like to adopt from CAS:
- Male and female dogs over six months (private housing): S$250 (fee covers vaccinations, sterilisation, de-worming, flea and tick treatment, and microchipping
- Male and female dogs over six months (public HDB housing): S$250 (Project ADORE fee) + S$250 (fee for six sessions of Basic Obedience classes)
- Do take note that home based sessions are S$150 to S$200 per session depending on issues faced by individual dogs
- Puppies: S$100 depending on the procedures done (fee covers initial vaccinations, de-worming, flea and tick treatment, and microchipping) + S$200 (fee covers four sessions of compulsory puppy socialisation group classes)
CAS is located at 59 Sungei Tengah Road, The Animal Lodge, Singapore 699014.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
6. Exclusively Mongrels (EM)
Exclusively Mongrels (EM) is a non-profit organisation that focuses on rehoming mongrels. The reason why they chose to specifically help mongrels is that most people don’t see mongrels as their first pick when it comes to adopting or purchasing.
EM is committed to showing people that mongrels are just as lovely as other breeds like Huskies, Corgis, and Poodles, and they can even be twice as fun.
Here’s a list of the dogs that they currently have up for adoption.
Adoption procedure
These mongrels do not stay in a shelter. Many of them are either bailed out from AVA or rescued off the streets, so a lot of them have never experienced living in a home. Before these dogs are put up for adoption, they are usually placed in a foster home with the volunteers to help domesticate them and get them adjusted to living in a home.
The first step is to fill out the adoption form and EM will contact you. If you’re hoping for a faster response, you can also WhatsApp 9789 0569 or drop them a private message with your information and your preferred dog.
If it is possible, you will be able to arrange for a viewing with the dog of your choice or a dog that is suitable for your lifestyle and home environment.
If everything goes well after the screening, you will be able to complete the dog adoption process and bring home your new pet!
Website | Instagram | Facebook
7. Mercylight Animal Rescue and Sanctuary
Mercylight Animal Rescue and Sanctuary started out with just a couple of volunteers feeding stray dogs every evening in the eastern side of Singapore. This later expanded thanks to more volunteers helping out and feeding strays in a few locations daily.
Since then, they have helped to sterilise the dogs and get them adopted by good families so that they can have a second chance at life in a cosy home with care and love.
If you would like to adopt a dog, you can do so by embarking on a journey with Mercylight Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. Click here to view their dogs.
Adoption procedure
In order to kickstart your dog adoption process, you will have to fill out an Adoption Questionnaire where you will also indicate the reasons for adopting and the dog you are interested in.
Here are some of the requirements that Mercylight Animal Rescue and Sanctuary has for their adopters:
- Adopter must agree to sterilise the dog and vaccinate it annually.
- Adopter must allow home visits, if requested.
- Adopter must have a proper space area for the dog. It must not be caged up, confined to a small space or tied to a leash throughout each day.
- Adopter must be able to feed twice, walk the dog thrice a day (morning, evening, and before bedtime), and bathe the dog at least once a week.
- Clean water must always be made available to the dog.
- Dog license must be applied and renewed annually.
- The monthly preventives of Heartgard and Nexgard must be continued.
- The dog should be fed dog kibbles and dog wet food unless otherwise advised by the veterinarian (not leftover human food or vegetarian diet).
If you pass the screening, you will be able to then proceed with the dog adoption process and hopefully succeed in adopting a blessing.
Mercylight Animal Rescue and Sanctuary is located at 59 Sungei Tengah Road, #02-43, Block T, Singapore 699014.
Website | Instagram | Facebook
8. Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS)
Oasis Second Chance Animal Shelter (OSCAS) is a non-profit dog shelter that is dedicated to caring for Singapore Specials.
Take a look at their adoption gallery here if you’re interested to adopt a dog!
Adoption procedure
The dog adoption process starts off with at least two to four bonding sessions with the dog. Some of the dogs are shy, while others are overly friendly, so these sessions are meant for you to find the right one for you, your family, and your lifestyle.
Once you’ve chosen one, there will be a home visit to your house by the team at OSCAS to ensure that your home has been dog-proofed and that the whole family is agreeable to a new pet.
You will get a chance to stay with the dog for two weeks so that you can get acquainted. At the end of the two weeks, there will be another home visit to see how you and your dog are adapting.
If all looks good, you will proceed to confirm your dog adoption and sign the contract.
The procedure doesn’t just end there. There will be ad-hoc home visits over the next six months just to ensure that the dog is happy in its new home.
Adoption fees
When you choose to adopt with OSCAS, you will have to pay an adoption fee of S$280. This amount is used to cover sterilisation, microchipping, vaccination, and other administrative costs if they are not already taken care of.
The dog also has to be licensed with AVA.
OSCAS is located at 59 Sungei Tengah, #01-33, Block R, The Animal Lodge, Singapore 699014.
9. Purely Adoptions
Purely Adoptions started out as a Facebook page in 2009 with the aim of sharing people’s posts about puppies, stray animals, and home pets that are put up for adoption.
Over the years, more people started joining the community and Purely Adoptions has grown into a non-profit organisation that helps reduce the number of strays and abandoned pets in Singapore.
Adoption procedure
If you’re looking to adopt a dog, you can contact them directly by sending them an email at [email protected] or sending them a WhatsApp message at 9001 8848.
They will get in touch with you and you will be able to start your dog adoption process.
Adoption fees
Here are the adoption fees that you would have to pay when you adopt a dog with Purely Adoptions:
- Mongrel puppy: S$350 (fee covers medical checkup, three vaccinations, microchipping, and deworming)
- This package will also entitle you to 20% the sterilisation fee at Purely Adoptions’ designated veterinary clinic
- Mongrel adult: S$350 (fee covers medical checkup, two vaccinations, microchipping, and deworming)
- This package will also entitle you to 20% the sterilisation fee at Purely Adoptions’ designated veterinary clinic
- Pedigree (less than 10 years old): S$450 (fee covers medical checkup, two vaccinations, and microchipping)
- This package will also entitle you to 20% the sterilisation fee at Purely Adoptions’ designated veterinary clinic
- All seniors (above 10 years old): open
- This package will also entitle you to 20% the sterilisation fee at Purely Adoptions’ designated veterinary clinic
Website | Instagram | Facebook
10. Voices for Animals (VFA)
Voices for Animals (VFA) is a non-profit organisation that focuses on rescuing, caring for, and rehoming dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small pets.
If you’re looking to adopt from VFA, you will have to view their Facebook page for dogs that have been put up on adoption. That’s right, unlike other adoption centres, VFA doesn’t have its own website where you can view their adoption gallery.
After browsing through their posts on Facebook, you can respond to the posts by sending them an email at [email protected].
Adoption procedure
VFA often holds adoption drives as frequently as they can so if you’re looking to adopt a dog, you might want to follow their page closely. Their most recent adoption drive was organised in late November, so stay tuned as they might organise another one soon!
11. Mutts & Mittens
Mutts & Mittens has been a boarding house for cats and dogs since 2003. They have resident vet nurses on the team so they are able to take care of your pets’ special needs like feeding medications, injections, and changing dressings.
However, Mutts & Mittens isn’t just a boarding house. It is also an adoption centre where they put up the dogs and cats that they have rescued for adoption.
Take a look at their adoption gallery here!
Adoption procedure
The first step is to make an appointment with Mutts & Mittens so that you can meet your potential pet. You will be able to spend some time and bond with the dog, and find out more information about them through the visits and consultations with the staff.
If you would like to proceed with dog adoption, the staff at Mutts & Mittens will arrange for a home visit to assess if you are suitable, and if you are, you will continue the process by having a homestay that will last at least a month.
If the adoption is successful, you will sign the adoption papers and you can officially call the furkid yours!
Adoption fees
Mutts & Mittens has a standard adoption fee for all of its furkids, so it doesn’t matter if you’re doing a dog adoption or a cat one. You will have to pay a fee of S$250 per pet. This amount will be used to cover the cost of microchipping, vaccinations, sterilisation, and administration.
Mutts & Mittens is located at 59 Sungei Tengah Road, #01-03/04, Block B, The Animal Lodge, Singapore 699014
Website | Instagram | Facebook
LATEST PRIVILEGES
