Goober was found in Marrickville Park in the Inner West Council area and brought into Sydney Dogs & Cats Home in early July. Sadly he wasn't microchipped nor was he wearing a collar. Surely, we thought, someone would be looking for this delightful Shar-Pei boy. However, despite our best efforts and a social media call-out, no one came forward to reclaim Goober.

It quickly became apparent to the team that Goober wasn't enjoying his time at the shelter despite our best efforts to make his stay comfortable. We reached out to our trusted network of foster carers and to local foster-based rescue to no avail. No one was able to take Goober into their home, providing him with a more comfortable environment than the shelter as he sat waiting to be adopted. And sadly no one showed interest in adopting Goober providing him with a forever home.

Finally, after weeks of searching for a positive solution for our boy Goober, we identified a Shar-Pei rescue in Queensland who was able to take him into their foster-based network. However, before we sent Goober off, we needed to ensure we'd done our best to set this boy up for success. As is typical of the Shar-Peis entering our care, Goober was suffering from Entropion. A painful eye condition where the eyelids fold inwards, Entropion results in the lashes continuously rubbing against the cornea of the eye and which left untreated can lead to blindness.

Therefore before sending our boy off, we organised and funded, thanks to our donors' support, Goober's necessary corrective eye surgery and desexing.

Following a successful surgery, Goober returned to the shelter to recover from his procedures. And ten days later, after spending a total of 53 days in our care, we were able to purchase Goober transport on a flight from Sydney to Brisbane and into the welcoming arms of Shar-Pei Rescue.

It is not uncommon for dogs to struggle in the shelter environment like Goober. Therefore we are always looking to expand our capacity to care through our foster-based network. If you think you could offer a shelter dog a temporary home while they wait to be adopted, please click here to learn more about becoming a Sydney Dogs & Cats Home foster carer. 

A sweet little cat, who we named Alicia, recently arrived on our doorstep. She came into our care in a terrible state, after being found badly injured on the ground floor of a 13-story apartment block. We assume she had fallen off a balcony.

Seeing she was injured, the resident who found her contacted the local council ranger who quickly brought her into SDCH. Upon her arrival, we organised X-rays which revealed that this still affectionate ball of fluff, had a shattered front leg and a broken jaw.

The team immediately put her on pain relief and organised a surgery to save this girl's life. Due to the severity of her injuries, Alicia's front leg had to be amputated, and her jaw was wired to help the bones align and support the healing process. 

With an estimated cost of her surgery coming to $1,100, our team put up flyers in the apartment block where Alicia was found in the hope of tracking down her owner. Sadly no one came forward to claim this girl. However, thanks to the generous support of our community, we were able to raise the necessary funds required to cover the cost of Alicia's essential surgery.

Following a successful operation, Alicia was immediately placed into foster care with one of our volunteers. In her foster home, Alicia was given round the clock post-operative care and monitored closely. Truly on the road to recovery, Alicia's stitches have now been removed from the site of her leg amputation. In a few weeks, she'll be returning to the vet again to have the wiring from her jaw removed.

According to her foster mum, Alicia purred the entire time while at the vets having her stitches removed. An affectionate smoochy girl even with all the trauma she has experienced, Alicia is now ready to find her forever home. If you are interested in adopting Alicia, please contact the team via the enquiry button on her profile page here.

 

Last month was a little more unusual than most at Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.  Chicko and Merci were both reunited with their respective owners after being lost for years.  Both pooches went missing from their original homes five years ago, and within the space of three weeks, both were picked up as strays and brought into Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.  Chicko and Merci were microchipped and although both owners' original contact details (e.g. phone numbers, email addresses) had changed their mailing addresses thankfully remained the same.  Imagine their shock and delight to receive a notification in the post that after five long years, their beloved pooches were alive and waiting to be picked up and reunited with them.  Share in the tears of joy watching Merci's reunion with her mum here. Also, remember always ensure your pet is microchipped - it's the law in NSW - and keep all your contact details up-to-date.  At Sydney Dogs & Cats Home, our favourite event is a happy reunion!