can we help you?

There are some important pieces of basic information we require before we can proceed to assess any request for help (either through private rehoming or surrender). Please ensure you have confirmed the following information before getting in touch with us:

• Microchip Number: You will need to supply your dog’s microchip number for all requests for help. Under NSW regulations we are required to include a unique identifier when advertising a dog for rehoming. We use the microchip number for this purpose.
• Ownership details: Our rehoming form asks you to confirm the name of the dog’s legal owner (we need the name of the human, not the name of the dog). This is important as dogs are legally considered ‘property’ in NSW and therefore the only person with the right to rehome the dog is the legal owner as stated on the dog’s microchip. We need to ensure we are dealing with the dog’s legal owner. If you don’t know who is listed on your dog’s microchip, you may be able to ask your vet to scan the dog and check the registration details, alternatively you can speak to your local council. You will need to establish and confirm your ownership of the dog before we can help. 
• Desexing status: Please ensure you know whether your dog is desexed or not. As an organisation, our policy is that we will not list any dog for rehoming (whether by private rehoming or through foster care) that is not desexed. This policy applies regardless of the age or sex of the dog. If you would like to list your dog for private rehoming through us, you will need to have them desexed first. You may be able to recoup some of the cost of the desexing through the asking of a reasonable rehoming fee.

Due to a shortage of foster carers, we usually offer to assist with rehoming your beagle by advertising him/her on our website and social media pages (referred to as a ‘Private Rehoming‘). Where a current owner is willing and able to continue to care for their dog while they look for a new home, we encourage them to do so. Not only does this mean that the person making decisions for the dog is the one who knows them best, it creates less disruption for the dog (who does not need to go through a foster home before finding their permanent home), and it also allows us to keep the small number of foster homes we have available for dogs who do not currently have a safe place to wait out finding their new home.

Under a private rehoming listing, your beagle will remain in your care while they look for their new home. You will field all enquiries and make all decisions regarding who adopts him/her. We are here to help in any way we can if you have questions along the way. Once you have settled on your dog’s new home, you and their new owner must complete a ‘Change of ownership’ together (either by paper form or online via the NSW Pet Registry). We recommend all dogs go to their new home on a ‘trial basis’ at first and recommend the trial period be at least 30 days, whereby if things don’t work out within the specified time, the dog is returned to thei original owner who would again seek to find their new home. We recommend owners do not submit the change of ownership form to council until the rehoming is confirmed at the end of the trial period.

We recommend owners make a list of ‘must haves’, ‘nice to haves’ and ‘absolutely nots’ for their dog’s new home and that they refer to that list when talking to prospective new owners about their dog. This may help people assess which family they think will be the best fit for their dog. 

Rehoming Fees: While many people say they do not want any money to rehome their dog, as an organisation we are supportive of reasonable rehoming fees and believe those seeking to add a new dog to their family should expect to pay a reasonable amount to rehome a new dog. Reasonable rehoming fees are one way to reinforce that all lives have value. It also asks something of an upfront commitment from the dog’s new family. We can provide guidance on what the fee might be, based on the adoption fee we would charge for a dog of similar age/condition. It is entirely at the owner’s discretion as to whether to ask a rehoming fee and to set the amount of the fee. We do not stipulate a fee must be charged or what the amount may be. 

Please note we request a modest donation of $20 for this service. If you would like to go ahead, please complete our rehoming form by clicking the button. Please provide as much detail and context in the rehoming form as possible – this not only helps us accurately assess the suitability of your dog for listing as a private rehoming. We also use your responses in the form as the basis to build your dog’s bio for our website. The more information you can give people from the outset, the more easily potential new owners can make an initial assessment of whether the dog will be a good fit for their family. 

When we have reviewed your form, we will contact you to discuss it.

If you are unable to keep your beagle any longer, please contact us. If we have a suitable foster carer, you may be able to surrender your beagle to us.

Please bear in mind that we are a very small organisation. We do not have a centralised shelter or kennels. The dogs we take into care are fostered in the homes of our volunteers, who have a range of skills and experience. When considering whether we are able to take a dog into foster care we must first consider the needs of the dog and whether any of our volunteers have the skills and set up we believe the dog needs to have the best chance of success. This involves not just our assessment of the information you provide us in the rehoming form, but also a follow up call to speak in more detail about your dog. If we believe we do have volunteers with the right skills and experience for the dog, we then need to seek an available volunteer to foster the dog. All of this means that we are not equipped to take dogs into care on an ’emergency’ basis – if you contact us today, realistically, we can’t take your dog into foster care tomorrow. It’s not that we don’t want to help you and your dog, but we must ensure the safety of the dogs in our care, our volunteers and their families and pets. Taking on a dog before being sure we have someone with the right skills and experience to help them does both the dog and the organisation a disservice, so there are processes we need to follow in order to take a dog into foster care.

Should your dog be coming into care with us, we will require you to complete a ‘change of ownership’ form to sign the dog’s legal ownership over to Beagle Rescue NSW prior to or at the time we collect the dog to take them into care. Once a dog enters care with us we do not provide future updates to former owners, we find this is best for all involved.