SHELTERS and rescue groups are overflowing with dogs.
BAWCS Community Pets Support Program offers a training option instead of surrendering a dog.
Often a reason for surrender is the dog is not doing what the owner wants. This can be from pulling on the lead when out walking to jumping up on people when they visit. Rather than surrender, our Program offers training support via our Shelter dog trainer Sahil from Elite Canines Training to give the dog an opportunity to learn and understand what is acceptable behaviour. The owner gets trained too of course!
Click here to see if you qualify for this support and how to apply.
This is BAWCS Shelter pro active approach to keeping dogs and their families together.
PLEASE NOTE: This offer is only available to Bendigo and close surrounds dog owners due to BAWCS partnering with Sahil, our dog trainer who residents in Bendigo. Pictured: Sahil from Elite Canines Training with Shelter dog Harrison (currently available for adoption)
BAWCS Community Pets Support Program is supported by the SavourLife Adopt-a-Dog website.
AS many long term supporters know BAWCS has a Community Pets Support Program.
Our Program’s aim is to addresses a gap in service provision for disadvantaged pet owners in our community to ensure the wellbeing of pets and also to assist with keeping them with their families. There are so many surrenders that rescue just cannot keep up.
Program funding comes from external opportunities, in particular grants.
To clarify, the donations BAWCS receives from YOU are directed to supporting OUR Shelter and Sanctuary animals which we very much appreciate. Sometimes, when our Program is ‘between’ external funding support, to ensure the continuity of our Program and to continue to help pets, we use other donations we have received ie: when you have been in operation for over 20 years you have a proven track record of helping animals in need and organisations do reach out. This was the situation with this cat who, earlier this year was bitten by a snake. The owners could not afford the treatment required to save their cat so they reached out to both Pet Medical Crisis and BAWCS Community Pets Support Program, who despite being ‘in between’ actual Program sponsors, used the funds we had put aside to save this cats life.
When you run a Program such as this, you have to have a ‘backup plan’ (funds put aside) to ensure we can continue to save lives in these situations.
This year, BAWCS Mid Year Fundraising Appeal will be dedicated to supporting this ‘back up plan’. It is way too stressful to have to wait on the outcome of funding applications and then be informed you have been ‘unsuccessful’ – we want to be self sufficient with this Program via our supporter base who have donated because they believe in this Program and what it does.
Click here if you’d like to donate. Please use the reference CPSP which stands for Community Pets Support Program. Not familiar with the Program? Learn more here
All donations of $2 and over are tax deductible of course.
This lovely cat made a full recovery by the way, who knows what would have happened if there wasn’t financial support to ensure this.
Here are some great tips for keeping your dogs warm.
The best one of course is to have them inside with you to enjoy the warmth your family is experiencing. They are family members after all.
Coats. If your dog is going to be spending the night outside, and in particular if they are a short coat breed, invest in a good quality and correct fitting coat. Make sure it is not too tight so your dog can still curl up.
Shelter. For dogs that have to spend time outside during the day (and night) it is important they have shelter preferably under a patio and with a kennel which is placed close to a main human entry/exit point of the house and 2. off the ground to avoid drafts.
Ensure there are plenty of clean blankets to snuggle into in their kennels.
If you regularly groom, allow coats to grow a little longer for added warmth but not too long that fur becomes matted or causes an issue with not being able to dry your dog properly if they become wet whilst out on a walk.
During the colder months pets need more energy to keep themselves warm so feed the main meal in the evening.
THIS is Dakota. She has quite the history with BAWCS Shelter.
This beautiful girl came into BAWCS care as part of a litter of puppies in 2012. You can see her ‘baby’ photo here. Camille was first adopted at 11 weeks of age to a young couple who called her Dakota.
In June 2017 Dakota was surrendered back to BAWCS Shelter due to a marriage breakdown. She ended up with the husband but he was unable to manage Dakota’s separation anxiety issues. BAWCS Shelter was glad to have Dakota back and our dog trainer Sahil from Elite Canines Training stepped in to work with Dakota and better understand her so we could make sure the next home would be hopefully a forever one.
It does take a toll on dogs to be adopted then returned so BAWCS takes a second rehoming with even more care, even holding the dog if needed.
In August 2018, we thought we had found the perfect home for Dakota. She went ‘on trial’ and Sahil worked with the family ensuring they knew she would need to be an indoor / crated dog when no one was home, otherwise she would escape if left in their backyard.
Unfortunately, circumstances changed and Dakota did end up escaping from a backyard and was hit by a car, which resulted in having her leg amputated.
Dakota’s family moved her in with another family member who was at home most of the time and she managed well, enjoying her time whilst there was someone around. However, the family member had to move and could not take Dakota with him so she was once again returned to the original family members. The home environment did not allow for her to be kept secure so Dakota ended up once again in a situation where she was not safe.
BAWCS Shelter was contacted and we immediately said we would take her back.
Since being back, she’s been health checked which determined she needed a dental (now done) and she has been started on medication to address anxiety. Photos are of her recovering at Bendigo Pet Vets – Mobile Veterinary Clinic and the teeth that were removed.
She’s bunking in with Harrison and doing well. Tonight we are listing her for adoption but we are wanting her to be on the medication for at least 6 weeks (for it to kick in) and two weeks have passed so far.
Our beautiful girl is now 10 years old and she has ‘frosting’ on her eyebrows and muzzle. We are determined to make sure her third home is her ‘forever’ one.
Check out Dakota’s profile here. Microchip #956000008838988 Source # BR101543
SOMETIMES when doing a trapping Program BAWCS comes across very challenged cats.
This sweetheart has been immediately started on antibiotics and is being fed a highly nutritious diet to put on much needed weight prior to being desexed.
BAWCS is hopeful for a speedy recovery for this cat to enable a return home asap.
BAWCS operates a “no kill” animal shelter, which means animals that come into our care remain safe regardless of whether they are adoptable or not. Reasons for not being available to adopt can vary but generally it is due to age / health related issues.
For April, it is due to her unpredictable behaviour around other dogs.
Her story here : April came into BAWCS Shelter care back in 2014. She was originally known as Marley and ended up on a ‘kill list’ after being transferred from a Council who contracted the ‘high kill’ Shelter for their Pound services.
Offered to ‘rescue’ (by Council) BAWCS Shelter took Marley on and started our own assessment / training to get a better idea of what she was like and to determine suitability for rehoming. Over the course of this training, and a name change to April, we discovered April was unpredictable with her behaviour with other dogs. This would make it challenging to safely rehome her so our Committee decided she would be best to stay as a permanent resident with our Shelter where she would not be put in situations that could bring out a negative reaction leading to her life being put in danger.
April’s home is with our Shelter Caretaker area and she enjoys all the amenities our other dogs enjoy including the large outdoor exercise areas. Whilst she sees other dogs and can interact safely through fence lines, she doesn’t have direct access to other dogs.
If you’d like to sponsor April, your sponsorship will support ongoing care for her including environmental enrichment (she loves toys!), tasty food, treats and veterinary care as required. To date she has remained very healthy despite her now advancing years!
Sponsorship also entitles you to join BAWCS private Facebook Page BAWCS Shelter and Sanctuary sponsors where we post exclusive updates on how your sponsee is going. Like to sponsor April? For only $50 a year (and can be just a one off) you’ll receive a great fridge magnet and be invited to join BAWCS Shelter and Sanctuary private FB group where we post exclusive updates on our sponsees.
