Looking to adopt?
Find rescue dogs, cats and more from shelters across Ireland — all in one place.
No account needed · Free to browse
Run an animal rescue?
Replace spreadsheets and Facebook DMs with a platform built for Irish shelters.
What shelters say
CaraShelters has made managing information relating to our residents far more seamless and efficient. We have a clean new rehoming page and a secure database to manage information from intake to rehoming.
Eoin
Ainmhithe Animal Rescue
Everything your shelter needs
One platform to manage your animals, applications, and community — built from the ground up for Irish and European shelters.
Public adoption portal
A beautiful, branded page for your shelter. Adopters can browse animals and submit applications online — no account required.
Application management
Track every adoption enquiry in one place. Move applications through stages, add notes, and approve or decline with one click.
E-sign contracts
Send adoption contracts digitally and collect legally binding signatures — no printing, scanning, or chasing paper.
Social sharing
Generate shareable links for individual animals. Boost visibility on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in seconds.
Email notifications
Automated emails keep applicants informed at every stage — from acknowledgement to outcome — without the manual follow-up.
Animal management
Full records for every animal: photos, history, medical notes, current status, and foster details — all in one place.
Welfare incident reports
Log, track and manage welfare concerns with a timestamped audit trail. Built to help Irish shelters meet regulatory requirements.
Complete animal histories
Every intake, medical visit, foster placement, and adoption application in one chronological timeline. Never lose track of an animal's journey.
People management
Manage adopters, donors, and volunteers in one place. Keep notes, track relationships, and build your rescue community.
Your volunteers deserve better than spreadsheets
Shelter teams spend hours every week managing enquiries over Facebook Messenger, chasing contracts by email, and manually updating spreadsheets. Cara gives that time back.
Start your free trialStop manually tracking applications and chasing responses over DMs.
A public portal makes applying easy — more people apply when it's online.
E-sign adoption contracts — legally binding, no printer required.
Meet some of the animals finding homes
Real animals, real shelters — managed entirely through Cara.
Buddy
Dog · Available
Rex
Dog · Available
Mittens
Cat · Applied
Luna
Cat · Adopted
Bella
Cat · Applied
Simple, transparent pricing
No setup fees. No hidden costs. Cancel any time.
Free
Get started at no cost
- Up to 5 animals
- Public adoption portal
- Application management
- Basic email notifications
- Cara branding on portal
Pro
Everything your shelter needs, from day one
- Unlimited animals
- E-sign contracts
- Advanced email workflows
- White label portal
- Welfare incident reports
- Donation capture
- Priority support
Adopting a pet in Ireland
Common questions about finding and adopting rescue animals in Ireland.
How do I adopt a dog in Ireland?
To adopt a dog in Ireland, browse available dogs at carashelters.ie/adopt. Find a dog you'd like to adopt, click 'Apply to adopt', and fill in a short application form. The rescue shelter will review your application and contact you — usually within a few days. If you're a good match, they'll arrange a meet-and-greet or home visit before the adoption is finalised.
Where can I find rescue animals in Ireland?
You can browse all rescue animals currently available for adoption across Ireland at carashelters.ie/adopt. The page lists dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals from rescue shelters around the country. You can filter by species and county to find animals near you.
How do animal shelter adoptions work in Ireland?
Animal shelter adoptions in Ireland typically follow a few steps: you find an animal you'd like to adopt, submit an application to the shelter, and the shelter reviews your suitability. Most shelters carry out a home check to make sure the environment is right for the animal. Once approved, you sign an adoption contract and pay a small adoption fee (which usually covers vaccinations and neutering). The whole process typically takes one to two weeks.
Is it free to adopt a rescue animal in Ireland?
Most rescue shelters in Ireland charge a small adoption fee, typically between €50 and €250, to cover the cost of vaccinations, microchipping, neutering, and veterinary care during the animal's time in the shelter. This fee is not profit — it helps the shelter care for other animals waiting for homes.
What rescue shelters are in Ireland?
There are rescue shelters across every county in Ireland, from large organisations like the Dublin SPCA and Cork Dog Action Welfare Group to small volunteer-run rescues in rural areas. Many of these shelters list their available animals on carashelters.ie/adopt, where you can browse and apply directly.
Ready to modernise your shelter?
Join shelters across Ireland using Cara to find forever homes faster.