No dogs in this category are available right now.
Listings refresh every few days as shelters update their sites.
No Australian Kelpies listed on LocalPetFinder right now
That just means none are on the site at the moment, not that the breed is unavailable. New listings arrive from rescues and local owners all the time. Be first in line, or help one find a home.
Have a dog to rehome?
Rehoming an Australian Kelpie in Ontario?
List your dog free. Local adopters browsing Ontario see owner listings first: no shelter, no fees, you choose the home.
List your pet free →Takes 3 minutes. You stay in control of who adopts.
Not seeing one yet?
Get notified when an Australian Kelpie is listed in Ontario
We'll email you the moment an Australian Kelpie is listed in Ontario on LocalPetFinder, from a rescue or an owner rehoming.
One email when there's a match. Unsubscribe anytime.
For rescues & shelters
Are you a Ontario-area rescue? List your adoptable dogs free.
Free shelter account: your dogs appear here and across LocalPetFinder, with analytics and adoption applications included.
Adopting an Australian Kelpie in Ontario
Kelpies are intense working herders, and they are not common in Ontario rescue, so it pays to search the whole province. LocalPetFinder gathers listings from Toronto, Ottawa and Ontario SPCA branches into one searchable place, refreshed regularly. Many Kelpies that come through rescue here are crosses or working-line mixes, sometimes arriving as transport dogs alongside local surrenders, so keep an open mind on the exact breed label.
Toronto and Ottawa are about 4 to 5 hours apart, so a willingness to drive widens the field considerably for a breed this scarce. Filter province-wide first to see everything available, then narrow to Toronto or Ottawa. Above all, be honest with yourself about what this dog needs before you apply, because a Kelpie in the wrong home is a recipe for a second surrender.
Why Australian Kelpies end up in rescue
The Kelpie is one of the most driven dogs you can bring home. It was bred to work livestock all day in the heat, and that engine does not switch off in a living room. A Kelpie needs a real job: long runs, herding or sport work, scent games, training that keeps its sharp mind busy. Without it, the dog spins up, paces, nips, herds the kids and the cat, and chews the apartment apart. People adopt the athletic look and the smarts, hit a wall on the energy, and surrender. A GTA condo with no outlet is genuinely a miserable place for a Kelpie.
This is not a city apartment dog for most people. Kelpies suit active owners with space, time and a plan for daily hard exercise plus mental work. They handle Ontario winters fine and stay keen in the snow, though the humid summer means timing walks and work for the cooler morning and evening hours when the humidex is high. Southern Ontario is heartworm and tick country, so ask the foster whether the dog is heartworm-tested and on prevention, how strong its herding and chase drive is around kids and other animals, how it copes with downtime and being alone, and how much daily exercise it is getting now.
Looking more broadly? Browse every adoptable dog across the province on Dog Adoption Ontario.
The rescues that most often list Australian Kelpies across the province are Toronto Humane Society, Ottawa Humane Society, and Ontario SPCA (Ottawa Area). For breed-specific background, the Canadian Kennel Club is a useful reference.
Australian Kelpie Adoption FAQ — Ontario
How many Australian Kelpies are available for adoption in Ontario?
As of September 2026, there are no Australian Kelpies listed in Ontario rescue on LocalPetFinder right now — Australian Kelpies are among the rarer dogs in local rescue. Inventory turns over quickly, so setting an alert is the most reliable way to catch one, or consider an adoptable Australian Kelpie mix.
Where can I adopt an Australian Kelpie near me in Ontario?
LocalPetFinder lists adoptable Australian Kelpies and Kelpie crosses from Ontario shelters including the Toronto Humane Society, City of Toronto Animal Services, the Ottawa Humane Society, and Ontario SPCA branches. Search province-wide or filter to Toronto or Ottawa. Listings refresh regularly and you apply directly with the rescue.
Are there Australian Kelpie rescues near Toronto and Ottawa?
Yes. The Toronto Humane Society and City of Toronto Animal Services take in Kelpies and herding crosses in the GTA, and the Ottawa Humane Society and the Ontario SPCA Ottawa branch cover the Ottawa area. Kelpies are uncommon, so they also come through breed-specific and foster-based rescues across Ontario, sometimes as transport dogs.
Can an Australian Kelpie live in a GTA condo or apartment?
Honestly, for most people, no. The Kelpie is a high-drive working dog that needs hours of physical exercise and a real mental job every day, and a small condo with no outlet leaves it frustrated, vocal and destructive. If you are set on a Kelpie and live in the city, you need a serious daily plan: long runs, sport or herding work, training and enrichment, not just a couple of leash walks. Active owners with space and time do far better with this breed.
Are Australian Kelpies good with kids and other pets?
It depends on the individual dog and how its herding drive shows up. Kelpies are bright and can be lovely family dogs, but that strong instinct to chase and herd can mean nipping at running children or fixating on the cat without training and management. Early socialisation and a consistent owner make a big difference. Ask the foster directly how the dog does around kids, cats and other dogs, and watch a real introduction before deciding.
How much does it cost to adopt an Australian Kelpie in Ontario?
Adopting an Australian Kelpie in Ontario typically costs $300 to $700, and puppies usually carry a premium at $500 to $900. The exact fee varies by rescue, and older dogs are often reduced. That fee is not a purchase price. It covers work already done on the dog: spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, microchip, and a basic vet workup, which would cost several hundred dollars more if you arranged it yourself after buying. Buying the same breed from a registered breeder generally runs well over $1,000, usually with a waitlist. Ask the rescue what is included before you apply, since a few include extras like a starter bag of food or a first-month insurance trial.
Are these Australian Kelpies for sale in Ontario?
Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Australian Kelpie here comes from an Ontario rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet store, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $300 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900 and already include vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter when age-appropriate, versus roughly $2,000 to $5,000 or more to buy an Australian Kelpie from a breeder. If you searched "australian kelpie for sale ontario" or "australian kelpie puppies for sale," adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.
Where can I buy an Australian Kelpie in Ontario, and should I?
You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Australian Kelpie breeder typically charges $2,000 to $5,000 or more and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Australian Kelpie costs $300 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap australian kelpie-for-sale ads on classified sites and marketplaces, which are frequently backyard breeders or puppy-mill resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick animals and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on seeing where the puppies were raised and getting vet records. For most families in Ontario, adopting a rescue Australian Kelpie is cheaper, faster, and gives an dog in need a home.
Are there free Australian Kelpies in Ontario, or australian kelpies under $500?
Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Australian Kelpie in Ontario typically costs $300 to $700, with puppies at $500 to $900, so the lower end lands under the "$500" people search for and the rest does not. What the fee buys is work already done, the vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter, which would cost more than the fee itself if you arranged it yourself, and it is still far below breeder prices. Be wary of genuinely free australian kelpie listings. An animal advertised free to a good home has usually not been vetted, and free rehoming ads are the route flippers and unregistered breeders use to move animals with no health guarantee and no recourse. Paying a rescue fee buys you a dog someone has already examined, treated, and been honest with you about.
Are there Australian Kelpie puppies in Ontario, or only adults?
Both, but adults far outnumber puppies, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Australian Kelpies arriving in Ontario rescue are adolescents and adults, because that is the age at which first homes tend to give up. Puppies do come through, usually as accidental litters or with a surrendered mother, and they are typically spoken for quickly. Setting an alert beats refreshing the page. It is also worth asking whether you actually want one: an adult arrives with a temperament a foster has already observed and described, where an Australian Kelpie puppy is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.
Where can I find an Australian Kelpie near me in Ontario?
Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Ontario rescues and shelters and are refreshed regularly, so what you see is what is genuinely available rather than a stale directory. If nothing suits today, that is normal for this breed: rescue intake is intermittent rather than steady, and a breed with none listed this week often has several next month. Setting an alert beats checking back, and it is worth widening to nearby towns, since most rescues serving Ontario will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one municipality.
Popular dog breeds in Ontario
Australian Kelpie adoption by city in Ontario
Each city page lists only the australian kelpies available from rescues serving that city, with local adoption details.
Need to rehome a Australian Kelpie?
If you can no longer keep your Australian Kelpie, you can list them for free on LocalPetFinder. Your dog stays in your home until you find the right family, you screen who applies, and there is no surrender fee. Not sure yet? Our guide to surrendering a dog in Canada walks through every option first.
List your dog for free →