The Lost Dogs' Home
The Lost Dogs' Home is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit animal welfare charity, founded in 1910 and operating two shelters that deliver adoption, veterinary, behaviour, and lost-pet reunification services for around 18,700 lost and abandoned animals annually, funded by donations, vet fees, and shop sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1910
- HeadquartersNorth Melbourne, Australia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Lost Dogs' Home does
The Lost Dogs' Home is a registered Australian charity and not-for-profit animal welfare organisation founded in 1910 in Melbourne, Victoria. It operates two physical shelter sites — a North Melbourne headquarters at 2 Gracie Street and a secondary site at 920 Thompsons Road in Cranbourne West — providing shelter, adoption, behaviour training, and lost-pet reunification services. In the most recent reporting period the organisation cared for approximately 18,200-18,700 lost, stray, and unwanted animals (around 51 per day), spanning dogs, cats, and other companion animals, and operates an Animal Behaviour Centre, a Foster Care Program, and community outreach initiatives including the Home Together program aimed at preventing pet surrender.
Revenue comes from a hybrid of recurring and one-off tax-deductible donations (the organisation holds Deductible Gift Recipient status), not-for-profit veterinary services through The Lost Dogs' Home Vet Hospital (vet.dogshome.com), an online retail shop, philanthropy and Gifts in Wills, and corporate partnerships including the Petstock Foundation. Sustainer giving is structured at $20, $30, $50, and $100 monthly tiers plus custom amounts, alongside one-off gifts from $2. The organisation receives no ongoing government funding.
The technology stack is modest and operationally focused: a website platform with online adoption listings, appointment booking, and donation processing, plus the Sheltermate animal management system (operated by Shelterbuddy) used across both shelters, with data hosted in Australia and backed up in the USA. Marketing and donor engagement rely on a quarterly 'Best Mates' newsletter and an active social media presence across Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, supported by a Board of Directors chaired by Sue Karzis and a patron, Lady Primrose Potter AC.
The Lost Dogs' Home firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Lost Dogs' Home
- Legal name
- The Lost Dogs' Home
- Website
- https://dogshome.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1910
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Lost Dogs' Home is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit animal welfare charity, founded in 1910 and operating two shelters that deliver adoption, veterinary, behaviour, and lost-pet reunification services for around 18,700 lost and abandoned animals annually, funded by donations, vet fees, and shop sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Lost Dogs' Home industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animal Welfare Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Veterinary Services (541940)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)
Keywords
Where The Lost Dogs' Home is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Lost Dogs' Home business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations from community members, available as one-off or monthly recurring gifts. The Lost Dogs' Home is a registered Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).
- Vet Hospital Services: Not-for-profit veterinary clinic providing pet health services. All proceeds go directly back to helping lost and abandoned animals.
- Shop Sales: Online store selling merchandise. Accepts payment by Cash, EFTPOS/Credit card, American Express, VetPay or Afterpay.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | $20/month sustainer donation |
| Subscription | Monthly | $30/month sustainer donation |
| Subscription | Monthly | $50/month sustainer donation |
| Subscription | Monthly | $100/month sustainer donation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Custom monthly donation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-off donation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Lost Dogs' Home product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Lost Dogs' Home is a not-for-profit animal welfare organization that operates two physical shelter locations in Melbourne providing care for lost, stray, and abandoned dogs and cats. Its core offerings include animal shelter and rescue services, a not-for-profit veterinary hospital, an animal behaviour centre, a foster care program, and community outreach initiatives (such as the Home Together program). It is funded almost entirely by tax-deductible donations and earned revenue from its vet hospital and online merchandise shop.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Lost Dogs' Home Vet Hospital: Melbourne's trusted not-for-profit veterinary clinic. All proceeds go directly to helping lost and abandoned animals.
- Best Mates Newsletter
Products and services
- Animal Shelter & Rescue Services Core shelter operations providing care for lost, stray, and unwanted pets including adoption, reunification, and animal welfare management services across two shelter locations in Melbourne. Serves the general public seeking to adopt companion animals or reclaim lost pets.
- The Lost Dogs' Home Vet Hospital
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 18,700 animals cared for annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Lost Dogs' Home
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Lost Dogs' Home technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
The Lost Dogs' Home partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and operational.
- Lady Primrose Potter ACcoreRenowned patron for philanthropy in Australia who has championed various issues from science and medicine to the arts, and through her patronage of The Lost Dogs' Home, animal welfare.
- Petstock FoundationmajorMajor partner supporting adoption, reunification, and support for pets. Petstock Foundation provides funding and support for animal welfare initiatives.
- Shelterbuddy (Sheltermate)operationalShelter management software provider used for animal welfare functions. Sheltermate is operated by Shelterbuddy with data stored in Australia and backups in USA.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Lost Dogs' Home competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lort Smith Animal Hospital: Long-standing Melbourne not-for-profit veterinary hospital and animal welfare organization. Directly comparable as a Victorian NFP combining veterinary services with adoption and community welfare, competing for similar donors and vet clients.
- RSPCA Victoria: Victoria's other major animal welfare charity operating shelters, veterinary services, inspectorate and advocacy. Directly comparable to The Lost Dogs' Home in mission, services, and Victorian geographic focus; the closest head-to-head peer for donor share and adoption volumes.
- Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR): Victoria-based animal rescue shelter operating adoption, foster, and veterinary services. Comparable smaller-scale NFP shelter competing in the same Melbourne market for foster carers, adopters, and donors.
- Animal Welfare Victoria (State Government Animal Welfare): Government body that licenses pounds/shelters and administers the Domestic Animals Act. Overlaps in lost pet reunification, registration, and shelter oversight functions that The Lost Dogs' Home performs on behalf of municipal authorities.
- Australian Animal Protection Society (AAPS): Victoria-based animal shelter and welfare charity offering adoption, surrender, and veterinary services. Comparable in mission and operating model, competing for the same Melbourne-area donor and adopter pool.
Broad incumbents
- RSPCA Australia: National federation of state RSPCAs, the largest animal welfare umbrella in Australia. Comparable at the macro level in mission and donor base, but operates broader advocacy and inspectorate functions beyond sheltering.
Others
- PetSafe Australia: Pet product and welfare solutions provider in Australia offering products, training resources, and community programs. Adjacent as a pet ecosystem participant that partners with shelters on adoption and behavioural training initiatives.
- Petstock Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Petstock (one of Australia's largest pet retail chains) and a major funding partner of The Lost Dogs' Home. Included as a strategic adjacent — funder and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Pet Rescue: National online adoption platform listing rescue animals from shelters across Australia including The Lost Dogs' Home. Comparable as a digital adoption channel and partner, but does not run physical shelters or vet services.
Regional players
- Cat Protection Society of Victoria: Melbourne-based NFP specializing in cat adoption, sheltering, and welfare. Comparable in operating model for feline intake and competes for cat adopter share, but narrower species focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Lost Dogs' Home social profiles
Digital presenceThe Lost Dogs' Home compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
The Lost Dogs' Home financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Lost Dogs' Home leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Lost Dogs' Home funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Lost Dogs' Home M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Lost Dogs' Home
What does The Lost Dogs' Home do?
The Lost Dogs' Home is a not-for-profit animal welfare organization that operates two physical shelter locations in Melbourne providing care for lost, stray, and abandoned dogs and cats. Its core offerings include animal shelter and rescue services, a not-for-profit veterinary hospital, an animal behaviour centre, a foster care program, and community outreach initiatives (such as the Home Together program). It is funded almost entirely by tax-deductible donations and earned revenue from its vet hospital and online merchandise shop.
Is The Lost Dogs' Home a public or private company?
The Lost Dogs' Home is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Lost Dogs' Home founded?
The Lost Dogs' Home was founded in 1910. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Lost Dogs' Home based?
The Lost Dogs' Home is headquartered in North Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Lost Dogs' Home make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are vet Hospital Services and shop Sales.
Who are The Lost Dogs' Home's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lort Smith Animal Hospital, RSPCA Victoria, Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR), Animal Welfare Victoria (State Government Animal Welfare) and Australian Animal Protection Society (AAPS). RSPCA Australia is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are PetSafe Australia and Petstock Foundation. Pet Rescue is listed as an emerging player. Cat Protection Society of Victoria is listed as a regional player.
Does The Lost Dogs' Home have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Lost Dogs' Home.
What industry is The Lost Dogs' Home in?
The Lost Dogs' Home's product category is Animal Welfare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAA, Animal Shelters & Adoption Services, with a secondary code of AFAEALAB, Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations. Its NAICS code is 812910 and its SIC code is 8300.