National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day 2026 is celebrated on April 30, 2026, focusing on giving second chances to animals in need. While National Pet Day (April 11) also promotes adoption, April 30 is specifically dedicated to encouraging adoption from shelters and rescue organisations.
National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day:
Purpose: To highlight the importance of adopting shelter pets rather than buying from breeders, encouraging "Don't shop! Adopt!".
Celebration: Many shelters offer adoption events, lower fees, or special promotions around this date.
Actions: People are encouraged to adopt, foster, donate to shelters, or volunteer on this day to help animals find homes.
Monika Biernacki of Monika's Doggie Rescue at Ingleside said in the lead into National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day 2026:
"National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day so important this year. The offloading of unwanted animals has been insane since the end of Covid, but now with the economic crunch, the rental crisis and rising fuel costs we are seeing and hearing of more and more desperate situations where pets are being discarded. It is overwhelming."
"For those seeing National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and thinking about it, come and spend a little time around shelter animals. You will be pleasantly surprised what beautiful animals are there, desperate to find some love."
Darlings Needing homes: all at Monika's Doggie Rescue, Ingleside
Max - 1903 days in care
Max, a darling 7y/o, Bull Arab Cross from Ingleside, is still waiting for his furr-ever home after 1903 days listed for adoption.
Max is a happy friendly bouncy boy just desperate for some love and cuddles. He is good with kids and suits kids 12+ yo as he jumps up. He is social with dogs. Out walking he pulls a little and he is strong and barks and lunges playfully at other dogs. He walks at a good pace and likes to jog. Max has been getting some training and it is easier to get his attention now even when there are other dogs around. He focuses on his handler. He knows sit. Walker says: "He's nervous around men he doesn't know, very affectionate boy. Loves people and pats. Barked at other dogs but very friendly with people." Max would prefer to be the only dog in the household. He has a short coat and weighs 38.2kg.
Max comes with complimentary dog grooming from Filicious Pet Services - Fina and Ryo based in Lindfield. ph 0480 181 078. "We will provide 2 years of unlimited free grooming. This offer will remain valid upon the date of adoption".
Suit Part Time Worker: Copes alone for short periods, with training possibly longer but presently does need someone home part of the time
Garden: Needs a home that has more space as well as a garden for exercise and regular walks outside.
Good with Kids 12+: Shown to be good with kids in the controlled environment of the Shelter.
Max comes desexed, microchipped, heartworm-free and with C5 vaccinations.
Khaleesi - 2290 days in care
Another dog is Khaleesi. She is the longest term resident at Monika's and has spent over 2290 days and has also recently had surgery to remove cancer.
Monika says: ''Khaleesi is a very special girl… a mature deaf Staffy who has called our shelter home for almost 10 years after coming from the pound. She has always been a lady who needs to get to know you slowly and she feels better just being near one person💕
In the last few months, Khaleesi faced a new challenge. A swollen elbow was diagnosed as synovial myxosarcoma—a slow-growing cancer. She did not have pain with it but it was curative with amputation. Had we left it, there was risk of fractures as the bone becomes brittle
For a girl her age, it was a big surgery… but Khaleesi has shown us just how strong she is strong.
She amazed everyone by eating breakfast the very next morning and was already hopping around the garden. She’s now safely recovering in a loving foster home with someone she knows and trusts, and we’ve organised hydrotherapy and massage to support her healing journey.
Her surgery, aftercare, and rehabilitation come at a significant cost. If you’re able to help, even a small donation will go towards giving Khaleesi the comfort and care she so deserves.
🙏 Please consider donating to help Khaleesi recover and enjoy her golden years. Every dollar truly makes a difference.
If you would prefer to donate via Internet bank transfer, here are our bank details - please quote KHALEESI:
BANK: Westpac Turramurra - ACCOUNT NAME: DoggieRescue.com - BSB: 032-089, ACCOUNT NUMBER: 155573
REFERENCE: KHALEESI
Khaleesi
Marley - 1372 days in care
Bull Arab cross - 3 years old
Marley is a friendly happy boy. He is affectionate with people and very gentle however he has a slight disability, in being sometimes a bit wobbly on his feet. This condition does not affect his life span. Marley is also child friendly and would suit 12+yo. Our trainer says: Lovely friendly boy. A little nervous/jumpy with new things. Better in an adult or older child environment only because he falls more when gets excited or worried." Being a Bull Arab, these breeds are renown to have prey drive and are not suitable with small dogs, cats or pocket pets.
Marley came as a tiny pup was about 5 weeks old when he came from the pound under Duty of Care. He came with crusty lesions on his face and the pup was ataxic, falling to one side. We did some fundraising to help with his veterinary costs.
Marley had an MRI and CSF (spinal fluid) tap done. The report reveals he has Cerebellar Hypoplasia, a condition where his cerebellum has not developed properly and is smaller. There is no medication he needs, and he should have a normal life, but he will always be a bit wobbly and can fall at times. He has a short coat and weighs 30.9kg.
Marley walks well on loose lead, generally managing to stay upright until towards the end of walks when tiredness sets in. He does not require a lot of exercise and happy to lounge around for much of the day in the sun. He is still a little shy of meeting new people, especially men but has been prepared to be approached a second time and has been good with them then.
Garden: Needs a home that has more space as well as a garden for exercise and regular walks outside.
Suit Home Based Worker: Unable to cope alone and has shown signs of separation anxiety. Needs human company.
Marley comes with a voucher to be desexed, microchipped, heartworm-free and with C5 vaccinations.
Marley
Denali & Autumn - 1552 days in care
Siberian Husky Cross
I am a cheeky little bugger, hand over the treat pouch or I’ll take it myself! - Denali
I am the fan favourite among staff! I’ll do absolutely anything for a treat and every step you take - I’ll be watching you - Autumn
Autumn and Denali are our most confident huskies at our shelter. We think they are mother and daughter. They are much smaller than most huskies both weighing in at about 12.5kg. They have learned to walk on loose lead and ignores cars and other dogs. Walker says: “Both Autumn and Denali were a little hesitant to start with but walked well. No issues otherwise”, “Loves treats, very calm. Lovely dog”. “Autumn was lovely, calm and good with cars, dogs and other people. She would stop every so often and needed coaxing with treats. However she walked at a good pace once she got going.”
Walkers say: Denali "Wanted to sit sometime to get treats before walking again”, “Needed encouragement to walk at first but then walked / jogged well and is good with kids”, “Very gentle, calm good dog”, “Timid but gentle nature”, “Easy to walk, doesn’t pull. No issues with cars or other dogs. Loves treats”
Autumn and Denali have been tested with children and are suitable with kids 12+yo. Our trainer says: "They can be a little nervous of sudden movements and noise so best suited to older children."
Since being with us they have participated in an outdoor event and coped amazingly well with crowds, loud noises, lots of dogs and moving activities. We are so proud of them. They have been taken to a home environment where there was another husky. Denali gets a little car sick during travel whilst Autumn is more confident. They enjoyed going into the house and doing zoomies inside. They both loved getting treats in the home and seemed quite comfortable.
Autumn and Denali are two of the many huskies that we rescued from a hoarding situation at the end of 2021. They were living in filth and had to fight for the small amounts of food that were thrown to them. The dogs have had little or no social engagement with humans and knew nothing about a routine, living in a house or walking on lead.
They are looking for committed family with a garden who understand and have experience with arctic breeds and only leave the dogs unattended for shorter periods.
Suit Part Time Worker: Copes alone for short periods, with training possibly longer but presently does need someone home part of the time
Garden: Needs a home that has more space as well as a garden for exercise and regular walks outside.
Autumn & Denali come desexed, microchipped, heartworm-free and with C5 vaccinations.
Autumn and Denali
'Dogs Should Be Part of the Family' Policy
Monika's Doggie Rescue believes that dogs are happiest and most settled when they are integrated into the family. Many of the DoggieRescue dogs haven't had the happiest of starts, and our policy is to re-home them in an environment where they will truly become a loved and participating member of the adopting family.
For this reason, we look for adopting families where the dog will be allowed access to at least part of the house while family members are home, and where the dog is able to sleep indoors - at least in the laundry or internal garage. For people who intend to sleep the dog outside in a kennel or other outside bed, or who intend to keep the dog permanently outside, a DoggieRescue dog is not for you.
For further details call DoggieRescue on 9486 3133 or email Monika@DoggieRescue.com. RON R251000024
Some common adoption myths BUSTED
ADOPTION MYTH:
Rescue animals are only available because of behavioural problems
REALITY OF ADOPTION:
Most rescue animals are surrendered due to circumstances of the owner, not their behaviour.
Common reasons include housing issues, financial hardship, illness, relationship breakdowns, or lack of time. These dogs didn’t do anything wrong - they simply lost their safety net. Many were deeply loved family pets before their situation changed.
ADOPTION MYTH:
You don’t know what you’re getting with a rescue dog
REALITY OF ADOPTION:
Rescue organisations carefully assess each dog’s personality, behaviour, and needs.
Rescues spend time observing dogs in foster homes or shelters and can tell you if a dog is good with kids, other animals, apartments, or active lifestyles. In many cases, you know more about a rescue dog’s temperament than a puppy, whose personality is still developing.
ADOPTION MYTH
Rescue dogs can’t be trained
REALITY OF ADOPTION
Rescue dogs are often highly trainable - and many already know basic commands.
Dogs don’t lose their ability to learn just because they’ve changed homes. In fact, many rescue dogs are incredibly motivated to bond with their new owner, which makes training easier. With consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement, rescue dogs can learn just as quickly as any other dog - sometimes faster.
SavourLife Supports Rehoming organisations across Australia
Monika's Doggie Rescue is one of hundreds of shelters and rehoming organisations across Australia supported by SavourLife who not only list pets looking for homes on their website, but put their money where their mouth is, literally.
SavourLife is a mission-driven, Australian company inspired by a love for pets and a desire to make a difference.
Michael McTeige, Co-Founder of SavourLife with wife Kim, says:
''In 2013, my wife Kim and I started SavourLife with a simple but powerful mission. Not just to create premium, nourishing dog food, but to champion something better — to help save the lives of rescue dogs and find them loving homes across Australia.
From day one, we committed to donating 50% of our profits to rescue groups. Thanks to the incredible support of our customers, we’ve now supported the rehoming of over 95,000 dogs, donating more than $11 million to rescue organisations along the way. It’s something we’re immensely proud of — but we’ve always known there was more to do.
Despite being a nation of devoted dog and cat lovers, and one of the highest pet owning countries in the world, Australia still sees more than 200,000 dogs and hundreds of thousands of cats enter rescue shelters every year.
In 2024, we made the decision for SavourLife to become part of the SunRice Group. While we’ve achieved amazing things to date, I knew we couldn’t stop there. We simply weren’t big enough to tackle this challenge alone.
SunRice Group has been part of our story for many years, helping us produce our nourishing dry food. Joining them more holistically was a natural next step — one that gives us the scale, strength and support to make an even bigger impact on the lives of rescue dogs and cats across Australia.
The SunRice Group, founded by Australian rice farmers in 1950 is one of Australia’s most loved food brands and a global food success story.
By being part of the SunRice Group, we have access to the resources, pet nutrition expertise and manufacturing capabilities of one of Australia’s most experienced food companies. We will also have the backing of a global company that carries at its heart the farmers’ ethos of making a difference, which importantly aligns with our own values here at SavourLife. This will enable SavourLife to take huge strides towards achieving our mission to make sure no adoptable dog in Australia stays homeless. Dogs have always been relied on by Aussie farmers as a trusted partner, so it is only fitting that it will be farmers who will be helping rescue dogs!
With SunRice Group beside us, and our community behind us, we believe we can help make that future a reality. Join us, and be part of something better, as we work to save more pets — each and every year.''
''We make natural, Australian and New Zealand made food and treats for dogs and cats.
''Every purchase of SavourLife food and treats helps fuel real change, and together with our partner, The Petbarn Foundation, those purchases enabled a combined $400,000 in donations to rescue partners across Australia.
''Over the next 12 months, these grants will help support 1,955 dogs on their journey toward loving homes, while strengthening adoption outcomes for many more dogs well into the future.
Across approved grant programs and projects, funding will go towards vital adoption-readiness initiatives, including vet care, transport vehicles, shelter upgrades, enrichment and training programs.
It’s impact that reaches both ends of the leash: your dog enjoys premium nutrition that supports their wellbeing and helps them thrive, while another dog receives hope, care and a second chance. Together with The Petbarn Foundation, we’re proud to show that when our community comes together, we truly can be part of something better.''
Last year, small rescue groups saved and re-homed tens of thousands of animals; an incredible effort considering the limited resources available to them. Some of their costs include feeding, sheltering, transporting and basic health checks. Their biggest challenge, however, is that many of the animals need critical medical treatment. This can run into thousands of dollars for each dog or cat, putting a real strain on their already limited finances. Most of them operate without any government assistance and are run by volunteers.
That’s why they need our help, the more money they receive, the more lives they can save. Unlike the animal welfare organisations you’re probably familiar with, these smaller guys battle every day, without any funding, to improve the lives of at-risk animals. And that’s why we choose to help them. Together, we are the underdogs.''