Our Centenary

The Lost Dogs’ Home has come a long way since the doors were first opened as ‘The Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs’ at Gracie Street in North Melbourne on 28 February 1913. One hundred years on and we’re now Australia’s largest animal shelter, caring for more than 31,000 dogs and cats every year.

A concerned and influential group of individuals formed a committee in 1910 to raise funds for a permanent shelter in which to house Melbourne’s lost and starving dogs.

Today, The Lost Dogs’ Home stands tall on the Australian animal welfare landscape. We have faced a few battles along the way, but we are now stronger for the challenges we have overcome. They have helped us earn our reputation as a leading advocate for animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.

Thanks to the generous support of the community over the last 100 years, we now provide a wide range of animal welfare and community education services.

Over the past century we have provided care and shelter for tens of thousands of abandoned animals, reunited pets with their owners and nurtured injured and ill-treated animals back to health. There is still much to do, but with the continued assistance of donors, supporters, and our dedicated team of staff and volunteers – we will keep fighting for a better deal for animals without owners.

As the Home commemorates it’s centenary on February 28, 2013, this milestone provides an ideal opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, reflect on the difference we have made and eagerly anticipate what the future holds.