Adopting a dog or a cat in Slovenia and Croatia: where, how and what it costs

Adoption is the quickest way for a shelter animal to get a home – and for you to get a companion that is already vaccinated, microchipped and neutered. The procedure is similar in Slovenia and Croatia: a questionnaire, a meet-and-greet, a contract. This guide explains where to look, how adoption works, what it costs, which duties you take on with your signature and how the first days at home should go.

Where you can adopt a dog or a cat

There are three places to adopt: an animal shelter (a public service that takes in found and seized animals), an animal welfare society (animals often live in foster homes rather than kennels) or directly from an owner rehoming a pet. Shelters have the most dogs and cats; societies often also have rabbits, rodents and older animals that cope poorly with shelter life.

Every shelter and rehoming society is listed in the shelter directory; larger cities have their own pages, for example shelters in Ljubljana and shelters in Zagreb, and every directory page has a "Near me" search by address. Browse the animals on the shelter's own website: Zavetišče Ljubljana publishes each animal with a description of its character, Dumovec in Zagreb sorts them by age, from puppies to senior dogs and dogs with disabilities.

How adoption from a shelter works

Details vary between shelters, but the steps are the same in Slovenia and Croatia. Zavetišče Ljubljana describes them like this:

1. Think it through and choose. Before filling in the questionnaire, ask yourself whether you have the time, space and money for ten or more years of care – it is also the first item on the responsible-ownership list of the Slovenian Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection Administration (UVHVVR). When choosing, put character before looks.
2. Questionnaire. For the animal you are interested in, fill in the questionnaire on the shelter's website: personal details, experience with animals and the conditions you can offer. Ljubljana collects up to 5 reservations per animal and picks the most suitable candidate, not the first one.
3. Meet-and-greet. The shelter books you an appointment. You meet cats in the open cat section and can take one home the same day – bring a carrier. With dogs, especially adults or dogs with behavioural quirks, there are several visits: a walk with a keeper, play in the run, and only then the trip home.
4. Contract and pick-up. You sign the adoption contract, pay the contribution and become the full owner with all rights and duties. Zavetišče Ljubljana sends you off with two days' worth of the food the animal has been eating.

Zagreb's Dumovec adds two steps before the first: talk to everyone in the household and – in a rented flat – to the landlord about whether pets are allowed at all. There you can fill in the form on the spot, meet a dog on a walk with a keeper and a cat in a quiet enclosed room.

What you need to adopt

• Be an adult. In Slovenia only a person aged 18 or over can be entered in the central pet register as a dog's owner; Croatia's Animal Protection Act (Article 50) explicitly forbids giving shelter animals to minors. The shelter may ask for ID.
• ID and a contract. Adoption is concluded with a written contract (Ljubljana has separate ones for dogs, cats and other animals) in which you commit to proper care.
• Household agreement. Everyone at home should agree; in a rented flat check the lease or ask the landlord.
• Basic equipment. For a dog: a bed, a lead with a collar or harness, food and water bowls and a brush; for a cat: a bed, a litter tray with litter and a scoop, bowls and a few toys. Zavetišče Ljubljana expects the rest of the equipment within two days of adoption.
• Transport. A carrier is a must for a cat (shelters have few and need them for their own field service); a lead for a dog – Dumovec will lend you one if needed.

What adoption costs

Where a fee is charged, it is not a "price" for the animal but a share of the cost of care, vaccinations, microchipping and neutering. It is always far lower than the cost of those procedures at a vet.

For comparison: microchipping, a pet passport and registration of a dog alone cost €38.09 on Zavetišče Ljubljana's price list, and spaying or neutering at a vet considerably more. An adopted animal already has these behind it.

Duties after adoption: registration, microchip, vaccination

With your signature you become the owner and take on legal duties. They differ between the two countries, so we list them separately.

How to choose the right animal

Zavetišče Ljubljana advises making looks "the last tick on the wish list": what matters is how the animal's character fits your life. A few questions to answer before the questionnaire:

• How much time do you have each day? A young dog needs hours of exercise and training; an older dog or a cat often just company and calm.
• Who else is in the household? Small children, other animals, elderly members – keepers know how the animal reacts to them.
• Where will you live in five years? Flat or house, moves, working from home or long absences.
• Who will care for the animal when you are on holiday or ill? If there is no answer, find one before adopting – in the pet hotel and boarding directory or among relatives.

If a particular breed tempts you, read our guide How to choose the right dog breed – and remember that purebred animals and their crosses wait in shelters too.

The first days in a new home

On arrival the animal loses everything it knew. Zavetišče Ljubljana warns that it will probably be confused for the first few days, perhaps wilder or shyer than in the shelter, and asks you to allow it a few quiet days to settle in. Settling takes a day or two for some animals and a week or more for others; if unusual behaviour continues after 10 to 14 days, call the shelter for advice – Ljubljana and Dumovec explicitly offer it.

• Food: for the first days stay with the food the animal ate at the shelter (you get some to take home), then switch gradually.
• Cat: one prepared room with a litter tray, food, water and a hiding place; our guide A kitten's first days in a new home explains how.
• Dog: walks on a lead, even in the garden, until it reliably comes when called; plan where it will be safe alone while you are at work.
• Vet: have a check-up and sort out the registration in the first weeks; find the nearest in the vet directory.
• Training: a dog that is insecure or has no basic obedience benefits from private lessons at a dog school.

Responsible ownership does not end with a signature: "my animal, my responsibility" is the basic rule the Slovenian veterinary administration puts to every owner – from food and vaccinations to the decision at the end of life.

Frequently asked questions

Can I adopt if I already have a dog or a cat at home?

Yes – shelters even encourage it, but they will ask about the character and habits of the animal you already have and suggest a suitable candidate. With dogs a joint introductory walk is often possible; with cats a slow introduction in separate rooms.

Can a minor adopt an animal from a shelter?

No. In Slovenia only an adult can be registered as a dog's owner (a legal guardian is entered until the child comes of age); in Croatia Article 50 of the Animal Protection Act forbids giving shelter animals to minors.

Are shelter animals healthy and neutered?

Animals go up for adoption after quarantine, vaccinated, microchipped and treated for parasites; at Zavetišče Ljubljana all are already neutered, and in Croatia the law requires it of every shelter. The past of found animals is often unknown, so have your own vet check the animal in the first weeks.

What if we do not get along with the animal?

Call the shelter first – Ljubljana and Dumovec explicitly offer advice after adoption. Returning the animal is the last resort and follows the contract you signed; that is why it pays to take your time deciding and, with dogs, to make several visits.

Can I adopt a purebred dog or cat from a shelter?

Yes. Shelters and societies also have purebred animals and crosses; some list the breed or cross for every animal. If you are after a specific breed, also check breed-specific rescue societies – and turn to the breeder directory only if you have consciously decided on a puppy from a breeder.