For more than 70 years the shelter has leased land at Carlton, in Sydney's south, providing refuge for lost and abandoned animals that are found across nine Sydney metropolitan councils.

Each year 3000 dogs and cats get a second shot at life – but now it's the centre that needs a new home after an eviction deadline passed last month without an alternative location having been secured.

It is unclear where councils such as North Sydney, Randwick, Botany, Marrickville and Woollahra will take homeless animals if the shelter shuts. But Fairfax Media understands the only reason it remains open today is because its valuable corner-block land is still going through the various council planning stages that will shortly see it bulldozed, rezoned and redeveloped into high-density residential apartments.

Sydney Dogs and Cats Home general manager Claire Garth said a letter had been sent to Premier Baird last week and a petition launched on Change.org calling on the NSW government to help locate a pocket of vacant Crown Land in inner Sydney where the shelter could "build a new home".

"We've cared for over 200,000 animals in the last 70 years and demand for our services is only increasing, both through anticipated council amalgamations and the closure of other facilities," said Ms Garth.

She referred to "growing community expectation" surrounding animal welfare and also the "strong belief" that animals in councils pounds should get a second chance at life. "But the sad reality is that we are the only facility of our kind in Sydney that places no time limits on animals in our care. And time, for us, is about to run out."

The not-for-profit pound presently has provisions for 90 dogs and 90 cats at any one time and it takes on average three weeks for animals to find a new home. Staff and supporters have raised close to $1 million in the past year towards the cost of building new and hopefully larger facilities. But at the same time they have been left frustrated by several potential land deals that have fallen through.

On Saturday the shelter assisted in several adoptions, one of which was simply meant to be. Moments after 10 year old Abigail Ware-Maloney had decided that Prince the kitten was coming home with her and her two sisters Sophie and Emma, she discovered that he shared the same birthday as her – as does the family's existing cat.

"I am so glad we came," said Abigail. "We were looking for a tortoise-shell but this one is so cute and adorable."

Sydney Dogs and Cats home has launched a change.org petition to save the centre, which you can view here