Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — our doors are open on weekdays from 9am–5pm and Saturdays from 10am–1pm. You’re welcome to drop in to donate goods or ask general questions.

If you’re seeking pet food assistance, our pet pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please note that we’re unable to provide on-the-spot support for our other programs during walk-in visits.

We support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and those facing genuine financial hardship with their pets. At this time, our services are available to people living in Victoria only. Please see the eligibility criteria below for specific program requirements.

It’s wonderful that you want to help. The most effective way to do so is by understanding how Pets Of The Homeless works, so you can share accurate information. We recommend reading the Programs/Services section below to familiarise yourself with the support we offer.

If you feel comfortable and safe, you can approach the person, say hello, and ask whether they need any assistance. Many people appreciate being acknowledged and treated with respect.

We receive a high volume of enquiries from concerned members of the public. As a small charity with limited resources, we’re unfortunately not able to respond to street call-outs or attend locations in person. It’s also important to understand that people experiencing homelessness are often transient and may not remain in the same location.

By sharing the right information and approaching with empathy, you’re already making a meaningful difference.

In order to streamline our processes, the best way to get in touch with us is via email. Please send us an email at hello@petsofthehomeless.org.au and we will usually reply back within 24 hours. Depending on how busy we are, sometimes we might even reply back within minutes.

Pets Of The Homeless do not receive ongoing government funding. Our programs are funded by income received from donations, fundraising activities, grants and corporate sponsorships. 

Pets Of The Homeless provides assistance with pet food, veterinary care, safe shelter (emergency boarding or foster caring) and other miscellaneous support to vulnerable people in need. We are currently able to provide assistance to residents of Victoria only.

Eligibility requirements vary depending on the type of support being requested. As a general guide, the minimum eligibility requirement is proof of financial hardship, such as a valid Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Seniors Card.

Some programs such as Veterinary Care and Safe Shelter also require a referral and ongoing support from a case worker or social service organisation. You can find out more about it here. In most cases, we’re unable to accept self-referrals.

​Pet food is distributed through our network of Community Partners, who support people experiencing hardship within their local communities.

If you are in need of pet food assistance, please contact or visit one of our Community Partners to access them.

To ensure support is provided to those most in need, assistance with veterinary care and emergency boarding/foster care is available to individuals who are supported by a case worker from a recognised social service organisation.

We also run a low-cost desexing program that can be accessed by anyone with a pension or health care card.

We are a very small organisation and have very limited capacity to deal directly with clients. Our service model is designed for efficiency, allowing us to continue to provide the services for many more people and pets in need.

If you require any assistance, please head to our How To Get Help page to find out more.

We understand that every situation is different and encourage you to explore all options available to you.

If you don't meet our eligibility requirements, you may access assistance from other services including Good Shepherd No Interest Loans (NILS) and VetPay.

Our programs are primarily designed to support cats and dogs. However, in some circumstances, we may be able to assist with other types of pets depending on the situation and what support is needed.

In the past, this has included foster care for small animals such as guinea pigs and rats, support for birds, and boarding for turtles.

All requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, subject to suitability and available resources.

This depends on the type of support being accessed:

• Pet food support: Available on an ongoing basis, subject to availability, through our Community Partners.

• Veterinary care: Subject to a lifetime funding limit.

• Foster care: Up to three occasions per lifetime, subject to eligibility and capacity.

• Emergency boarding: Subject to a lifetime funding limit.

Pet food support is provided free of charge through our Community Partners.

Some programs, such as Veterinary Care and Safe Shelter, will involve a small, nominal contribution, depending on the support provided.

Any costs will be discussed upfront.

The Safe Shelter program provides temporary care for pets when their guardians are experiencing crisis or hardship and are unable to care for them safely.

Pets are placed with approved volunteer foster carers or in some cases in short-term boarding, until they can be reunited with their guardian. The program is designed to help keep people and their pets together during times of instability, rather than forcing separation or surrender.

Safe Shelter placements are time-limited, assessed on a case-by-case basis, and require support from a case worker at a recognised social service organisation.

Safe Shelter placements are temporary and time-limited. The length of stay depends on the individual situation, the needs of the pet, and foster carer or boarding availability.

Timeframes are discussed at the time of placement and reviewed as circumstances change. All placements are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and we’re unable to offer open-ended or long-term care.

During a Safe Shelter placement, Pets Of The Homeless will cover essential costs related to your pet’s care, such as boarding costs, food, and approved veterinary care where required.

Any costs covered will be discussed and agreed upon at the time of placement.

This depends on where your pet is placed. Visits are not possible for pets in boarding kennels.

For pets in foster care, visits may be arranged with advance notice, subject to foster carer availability. Please note that visits are only available for dogs — visits for cats are not offered, as they can be stressful for them.

Regardless of placement, we will always strive to provide regular updates and photos so you can stay connected to your pet while they are in care.

We may be able to assist with a range of veterinary care, from general procedures through to emergency surgeries, depending on the situation and available resources.

Each individual is allocated a lifetime support limit. Once this limit has been reached, we’re unable to provide further veterinary assistance.

All requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, subject to eligibility and program capacity.

We pay veterinary clinics directly for approved treatment. Unfortunately, we’re unable to reimburse clients for veterinary invoices that have already been paid.

Generally, no. Pets Of The Homeless works with a network of partner veterinary clinics across Victoria. These clinics are familiar with our policies and procedures and provide discounted services, allowing us to support more people and pets within our available funding.

In some cases, we may approve treatment at a non-partner clinic if there is no partner clinic available in your area. Please note that treatment at a non-partner clinic may result in higher costs, and we may not be able to cover the full cost of care.

Yes. Fix-A-Friend is our low-cost desexing initiative designed to help people access essential veterinary care.

To be eligible, you must hold a valid Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card.

The subsidised cost is $75 for cats and $175 for dogs, which includes desexing and microchipping. Pets Of The Homeless covers the remaining cost.

Fix-A-Friend clinics are delivered at partner veterinary clinics across Victoria. Find out more here.

Our Pet Food Bank is based in Cheltenham, Victoria, and distributes pet food to a network of 80+ Community Partner organisations across the state. These partners then provide pet food directly to people experiencing hardship within their local communities.

Each Community Partner has its own eligibility criteria for accessing support. To receive pet food, you’ll need to contact or visit one of our Community Partners directly.

You can find out more and locate a Community Partner here.

In some circumstances, we may be able to provide additional support, such as assistance with pound release fees or transport costs for individuals needing to flee an unsafe situation.

All requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis, subject to eligibility, available resources and program capacity.

There are two main ways to donate to Pets Of The Homeless.

Donate online

You can do so securely here - it’s the easiest way to donate and you will get a receipt right away.

Donate by bank transfer

Please remember to add your name to the donation description and email us at accounts@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your contact details and amount donated so we can send you a tax receipt.

ANZ

Account Name: Pets Of The Homeless

BSB: 013472

Account Number: 300315346

Yes! Pets Of The Homeless is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status therefore any monetary donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

The easiest way to set up your monthly gift is via our website here. This gives you access to instant receipts and a Donor Portal, where you can update your details at any time.

You can also set up a direct debit by bank transfer. Please remember to add your name to the donation description and email us at accounts@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your contact details and amount donated so we can send you a tax receipt.

ANZ

Account Name: Pets Of The Homeless

BSB: 013472

Account Number: 300315346

You can pause or cancel your regular donation in the Donor Portal on our website.

1. Visit www.petsofthehomeless.org.au/donorlogin and enter your email for your one-time access code
2. Once logged in, head to the 'My Donations’ tab 
3. Scroll to the bottom of the Regular Giving section and select the pencil ‘edit’ icon (bottom right)
4. Click ‘Pause/Stop Donations’ link in red (bottom left)
5. Confirm Changes

Alternatively, please contact donation@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your request, and we can pause or cancel your regular gift on our end.

You can update your card details in your Donor Portal on our website.

Simply head to www.petsofthehomeless.org.au/donorlogin and enter your email for your one-time access code. Once logged in, head to the 'My Account' tab and scroll to the bottom to update your card details, then hit the ‘Save’ button.

Alternatively, please contact donation@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your contact number, and we will call you to update your details over the phone.

You can update your details, including email, phone, and address, in your Donor Portal on our website.

Visit www.petsofthehomeless.org.au/donorlogin and enter your email for your one-time access code. Once logged in, head to the 'My Account' tab and edit the ‘Personal Details’ fields as needed.

Alternatively, please contact donation@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your updated details, and we can update these for you. 

You can access your donation receipts in your Donor Portal on our website.

Visit www.petsofthehomeless.org.au/donorlogin and enter your email for your one-time access code. Once logged in, head to the 'My Donations’ tab and select the PDF icon in the top right to get a summary of all donations, or click on the PDF icons against each individual donation.

If you have any issues, please contact donation@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your request.

When you become a Forever Friend to Pets Of The Homeless by including a gift in your Will, you will enable us to deliver support services to pet guardians facing hardship and help work towards a community where no person is separated from their pet due to homelessness or disadvantage.

Click here to find out how to set up your legacy of hope, including suggested wording for your solicitor.

Yes, we do. Please visit our Donate Goods page to view a list of items we can and cannot accept, as this changes depending on current needs and storage capacity.

You can also browse our Amazon Wish List for specific items we currently need.

Goods can be dropped off at 84A Keys Road, Cheltenham VIC 3192 on weekdays during business hours as well as 10am - 1pm on Saturdays.

Donations of funds are generally the most helpful, as they allow us to direct support to where it’s needed most. Financial donations also enable us to purchase items in bulk, claim back GST, and use funds more cost-effectively overall.

As an added bonus, donations of funds are tax deductible.

We’re always grateful for generosity in any form, and goods donations are still be accepted where they align with our current needs.

There are a few ways you can volunteer with us and you can find out more by visiting our Volunteer with Us page.

Due to public liability and insurance requirements, we are unable to offer volunteering opportunities to individuals under the age of 18.

Yes, all volunteers are required to undergo a National Police History Check. This ensures the safety and wellbeing of the pets and people we assist, as well as maintaining the integrity of our programs.

While the saying goes, 'many hands make light work,' we take the responsibility of supporting vulnerable people and their pets very seriously. This is why our team dedicates significant time to training our regular volunteers.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to train and guide new recruits for short-term or one-off volunteering while maintaining our current workload and program standards.

We greatly appreciate your interest in helping Pets Of The Homeless and encourage you to explore other ways to support our mission, such as fundraising or spreading awareness about our programs.

Due to the time and resources required to train our volunteers, we ask for a minimum commitment of six months for ongoing roles.

If you’re looking for a one-off volunteering opportunity, we recommend exploring our Corporate Volunteering program. It’s a fantastic way to get involved with a group for a single day or project.

Unfortunately, we don’t currently have the resources to accommodate school groups. However, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to offer this opportunity in the future as our capacity grows.

Yes we do. Please visit our Corporate Volunteering page for more information.

Thank you for your interest in gaining work experience with Pets Of The Homeless. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer work experience placements at this time.

As a small charity, our focus is on providing essential services to people facing homelessness with their pets. While we hate to disappoint, our resources are fully dedicated to meeting the increasing demand for our programs.

We truly appreciate your understanding and hope that in the future, with more resources, we may be able to offer a meaningful work experience program. 

By fundraising for Pets Of The Homeless, you will help to keep vulnerable people and their pets together by raising vital funds for pet food, veterinary care and safe shelter.

Yes! Whether it’s for your birthday, wedding, a physical challenge, morning tea, in memory of a loved one, or just because you care, you can create your own fundraising page on our website to share with friends, family, and colleagues. As part of this process, a unique QR Code will be generated for your page.

It’s simple to set up and a great way to raise funds online - get started here.

Absolutely! Here are some upcoming fundraising challenges for 2026 where you can raise vital funds for Pets Of The Homeless.

• Run Melbourne -  Sunday July 2026. Join Melbourne’s largest winter running event in 2026, where over 25,000 runners will embrace the thrill of running through the city’s closed streets and iconic landmarks. Register here.
• TCS Sydney Marathon - Sunday 31 August 2026. Join the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major. Experience one of the world’s most spectacular marathon courses. Register here.
• Nike Melbourne Marathon - Sunday 12 October 2026. Join thousands of others and make a difference as you run, jog, wheel or walk your way through the city streets, passing iconic Melbourne landmarks before finishing at the MCG. Register here.
• Other run events across Australia - check out the full list here.
• Never Tear Them Apart Giving Day - Wednesday 18 November 2026. A single day of extraordinary generosity, where your donations are tripled. Register your interest in fundraising here and start thinking about how you can get creative to help raise funds to support vulnerable people and pets in need.

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for upcoming challenges.

It depends on how you plan to fundraise.

If you’re fundraising through our online DIY Fundraising page, you can get started straight away by agreeing to our terms and conditions as part of the setup process.

If you’re planning an in-person event and intend to collect offline donations , you’ll need to complete a short application to obtain authority to fundraise on our behalf. Applications are usually processed within 1-3 business days.

We always encourage you to get in touch with us at fundraising@petsofthehomeless.org.au before hosting a fundraising event, so we can help ensure everything runs smoothly. We’re happy to provide logos, approved text and other resources to help make your fundraiser a success.

Yes! We’re happy to provide fundraising packs, banners, posters, and tips to help make your campaign a success. Just get in touch with us at fundraising@petsofthehomeless.org.au.

Yes — with our guidance. We’re happy for approved fundraisers to use the Pets Of The Homeless logo, provided it’s used in line with our brand guidelines.

Our brand guidelines outline how the logo should be displayed to ensure it’s used correctly and consistently. Please get in touch with us before using the logo so we can provide the correct files and guidance.

There’s no minimum! Whether you raise $10 or $10,000, every contribution counts and makes a big difference for the vulnerable people and pets we support.

Absolutely! Many businesses, schools, and community groups host fundraising events to support Pets Of The Homeless. It’s a great team-building activity and a way to make a difference.

We love seeing the creative ways our supporters fundraise for Pets Of The Homeless. However, as we have many fundraisers running at any given time, we’re unable to share individual fundraising pages or events on our social media channels.

That said, we’re always happy to provide approved logos, wording and tips to help you promote your fundraiser through your own networks.

If you’ve used an online fundraising page, there’s nothing further you need to do — all funds are transferred directly to Pets Of The Homeless.

If you’ve hosted an offline or in-person event, please get in touch with us once your event has concluded to let us know how it went. Funds must be deposited within 14 days of the event finishing.

Donations can be transferred via our website or by bank deposit.

If transferring via bank deposit, please remember to add your name to the donation description and email us at accounts@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your contact details and amount donated so we can send you a tax receipt.

ANZ

Account Name: Pets Of The Homeless

BSB: 013472

Account Number: 300315346

As a small charity with limited resources, we’re not able to attend every request. However, we do our best to support speaking engagements where possible.

As a general guide:

• Schools and community groups: a minimum fundraising target of $350 with a minimum expected attendance of 20 people

• Corporate groups and businesses: a minimum fundraising target of $1000 with a minimum expected attendance of 20 people

Where an in-person presentation isn’t possible, we may be able to offer a virtual presentation, subject to staff availability.

All requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis.