Sydney Dogs & Cats Home were excited to host the Companion Animal Rescue Awards launch event. The awards, now in its 5^th year, aim to inspire rescue groups and animal shelters to continue their efforts in saving lives during challenging times, such as during the pandemic and the recent flooding in parts of Australia.

A small celebration was held at the Home’s Strathfield shelter with Rescue Awards Founder, Cathy Beer, awards judge Dr Anne Quain, Sydney Dogs & Cats Home General Manager and previous Award finalist, Melissa Penn, and the award sponsors, Josh Wheeler from Ivory Coat and Alisha Saliba from PetRescue.

The award categories include Outstanding Rescue Group, Volunteer of the Year, Outstanding Animal Shelter and new categories including Ivory Coat People’s Rescue Story and Ivory Coat Foster Care Story.

This year, the awards have 21 judges from a variety of different backgrounds of expertise, including companion animal welfare, rescue and sheltering, veterinary, animal behaviour, and rehabilitation. Lara Shannon, animal welfare advocate and Host of Channel 10’s Pooches at Play returns as an ambassador for the Rescue Awards.

Nominations are open now until the 31^st of July 2022 with the finalist to be announced 14^th of September and the awards set to take place at the end of the year in November.

Pet adopters can share their story and enter here. Foster Carers can share their story and enter here. Find out more at rescueawards.com.au 

Published on 6th May 2022

We have all seen cat owners carrying around their furry friend in cute bubble backpacks, especially in online videos and photos. The pets look cute to humans, but are these bags safe and comfortable for the cat?

Benji the cat would attest that NO! these bags are not safe and are rather scary. Benji was abandoned on the Sydney Dogs & Cats Home doorstep in one of these cat bags. While these bags may look handy and convenient and makes cats look like little space travellers, these bags are uncomfortable, stuffy and makes cats like Benji become scared and frightened of people, making it difficult for them to trust.

When Benji was finally released from the confides of these bags, he spent the next 3-weeks frozen in the corner of his enclosure and refused to interact with any of the Sydney Dogs & Cats Home staff. He finally felt comfortable and safe enough to accept pats, and he is now the sweetest, smoochy and cuddliest cat who is now looking for a forever home he can feel safe and comfortable and never has to be confided to one of those cat bags again!

Let’s have a closer look as to why these on trend carriers are not ideal for your pets.

Leaves no place to hide

Cats love having small spaces to hide and to make them feel calm and secure. Cats have extremely strong senses, so some environments can be overwhelming. Cat backpacks don’t allow for your pet to seek refuge away from an overstimulating environment. Having your cat exposed in these bubbles, can lead to unnecessary stress and trauma.

Not enough room

Cats need to lie down or curl up to completely relax. Cat backpacks only allow enough room for cats to sit up and doesn’t allow for adequate room for food or water.

Hot & stuffy

Cat backpacks tend to be made from plastic which traps heat. They also radiate your pet’s own heat whilst sitting inside. The ventilation holes don’t allow for adequate air circulation and can create an uncomfortable environment of heat and stuffiness.

Although these carriers allow for pet owners to have their hands free and look trendy and cute to others, they are not suitable transportation devices as they pose a health risk to your cat. Traditional cat carriers allow for proper ventilation, an area to hide and adequate space for food and water.

If you own one of these bags, or know someone who does, we encourage you to use traditional carriers for your cat’s health and safety.

If you would like to give Benji the comfortable and safe home he deserves, you can view his adoption profile here: https://sydneydogsandcatshome.org/animal/benji/

We spend a lot of time ensuring our pets eat the right nutritious food, drink enough water and get adequate exercise to ensure they have optimal health. But are you ensuring that your furry one’s fangs are in tip top shape? Proper oral hygiene is a key piece to great overall health for your furry friend and makes for a more pleasant lap companion. We discuss 4 tips to ensure that your pet’s teeth are healthy, strong and odourless.

Brush Weekly

Like humans, it is important to brush your pet’s teeth at least three times a week. By utlising a proper toothbrush with special pet friendly toothpaste, we ensure that our furry friend’s gums are not overlooked. Your pet might get agitated with this exercise however doing it regular will lead to them becoming more comfortable with the process. The best way to get your pet familiar with tooth cleaning, is to follow Sydney Pet Dentistry’s Slow and Sneaky Method.

Book Regular Cleans at Your Vet

The most important piece to keeping your pet’s teeth healthy, is to book in regular deep cleans at your local vet. Your vet will be apple to pick up dental problems and stop them leading to infections or serious health issues. Your vet can ensure your pet gets a proper deep clean by removing plaque, adding gum protectant, and most importantly ensuring a fresh breath.

Serve Your Pet the Right Foods

It all starts with what you put into your pet’s mouth. Raw kibble, carrots and apples are great for both cats and dogs, as their texture create a brushing motion against their teeth.

Chew Toys

Treat your furry one to specially designed chew toys that promote oral hygiene. Having your pet play with non-abrasive toys, help remove food particles and plaque build up.

To find out more, about what you can do to ensure optimal dental health, speak to your local vet.

 

After raising a collective $2500 for Sydney Dogs & Cats Home in 2020 and 2021 through the Return & Earn container recycling scheme, 13-year-old Vaughn Arambatzis was named a ‘local legend’ by local media and public figures for his outstanding fundraising efforts. But now that title has come true with Vaughn being awarded the Keep Australia Beautiful Young Legend’s Award.

Vaughn’s family, friends, the local South Sydney community and local businesses have helped spread awareness of the fundraiser, collected bottles, donated bins, and helped transport containers to Reverse Vending Machines. Vaughn was able to recycle 15,000 containers over the last two years with 12,000 containers collected in 2021 alone.

Covid lockdowns didn’t slow Vaughn’s collection efforts down at all. While Return & Earn Vending Machines and depots remained closed during Sydney’s 2021 lockdown, Vaughn extended his collection deadline and bottles and cans continued to accumulate in his family’s front yard, allowing him to smash his original goal of $1000 and instead, impressively raising a total of $2000.10 for Sydney Dogs & Cats Home.

When asked what winning the award meant to him, Vaughn said; “It means a lot because it’s a big award. Winning the award gives Sydney Dogs & Cats Home recognition and that might encourage people to donate more money. I hope it also encourages more people to use Return and Earn and to recycle.”

Vaughn’s win of the Young Legend Award has motivated him to set his sights on expanding his recycling and fundraising efforts with the hopes of working with the Georges River Council. Vaughn also has plans to expand his container collection efforts and hopes the local community and local businesses will sponsor him so he can utilise the Return & Earn purple bin service. Vaughn says his other goal for 2022 is “to try and raise as much as I can.”

If you are interested in donating your Return & Earn refund to Sydney Dogs & Cats Home, you can do so through the MyTOMRA app before returning your containers at a Reverse Vending Machine. 100% of the refund will be transferred to Sydney Dogs & Cats Home and will assist in the continued efforts to rehabilitate and reunite Sydney’s lost and abandoned pets. You can also keep up with Vaughn’s recycling and fundraising efforts by visiting www.instagram.com/vaughnsfundraiser.

 

Published 2 February 2022

Gentle giant Six came into the shelter as a lost dog with his Rottweiler buddy Rocco last October. While Rocco found a new home, Six remained at the shelter and won over the hearts of the staff and volunteers with his slobbery smile and friendly and loving personality.

Six presented to the Home with several issues including mild dental disease and bilateral entropion, an abnormality causing the eyelid to roll inwards causing pain and discomfort, and when not treated can cause corneal damage and interfere with vision. Six also experiences issues that are consistent with his large breed. Being a Boerboel, a mastiff-type dog from South Africa, Six weighed in at 72kgs.  He had a mild case of happy tail, an issue where the tail will repeatedly hit a solid object resulting in the skin splitting open and he also had a severe generalised joint disease related to arthritis and degeneration of his joints, a consequence of his large breed.

The Animal Care Team performed surgery on Six to correct his entropion and happy tail as well as a clean and scale of his dental disease. Six recovered nicely from surgery with some rest at the Home and receiving pats and hugs from the staff and volunteers. Six has also been placed on lifelong medication to manage his joint disease. While Six is only 4 years old, his joint issues mean he presents more closely to a senior dog and requires the right person to take on a special dog such as Six.

After 104 days in the Home, Six finally found his forever home with a family that will spend the rest of his days spoiling him and showering him with love, all the while being showered in Six’s slobbery kisses. We captured the sweet moment Six finally left the Home, click here and share it with your friends and family.

 

Published 1 February 2022

When Trifle came to the Home last year after a life on the streets our Animal Care Team ensured that Trifle was his best self to find a new home. Trifle had tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), had a nasty scar on his left eye and had a number of dental concerns. After much-needed surgery to extract his canine teeth and receive treatment for FIV, Trifle was a new man and was now able to groom himself properly and enjoy his food.

Trifle was known around the Home for his strong headbutts, his love for food and his impressive growth from a fearful street cat to a friendly cat full of personality and a face you could never forget. This was also true for Ailin and Dom who adopted Trifle and gave him the loving and safe home he deserved. Ailin says the deciding factor to adopting Trifle was “he looked like he had a ton of character and we loved that about him!”

It took Trifle some time to settle into his new home, but now Ailin says Trifle has become confident enough to explore around the house but prefers to remain in his oasis upstairs where he spends most of his day sleeping. “He likes the humans to visit him from the afternoon onwards for headbutts and pats but prefers to keep his mornings free for eating and sleeping.”

Trifle is definitely living the life he deserves and is being spoilt on the occasion with his favourite food, chicken! Ailin says that adopting Trifle has been an extremely rewarding experience, especially now that he has grown to love his new family and life.

 

Published 1 February 2022

In mid-December, a young cat of Sydney named Clementine had found herself in a life-threatening situation. She had been through a trauma and broken her front right leg, causing immeasurable pain when she moved.

Brave Clementine managed to make her way next door to the home of a good Samaritan, who took her to a local vet clinic for emergency treatment. There Clementine received x-rays and surgery to save her leg and ensure her smooth recovery.

When Clementine was brought into our Home after her surgery, she was still in a great deal of discomfort, and was understandably very agitated. She wouldn’t let anybody touch her.

Our animal care team continued Clementine’s pain medication and organised physical rehabilitation to assist with the healing process. Clementine spent lots of quality time with our team, enjoying tasty food while they gently exercised her joints. Throughout her rehab sessions, you could tell she was starting to feel better as she was dishing out smooches and cuddles!

Not only did Clementine have her broken leg repaired, she even received the best Christmas gift – a forever home! Clementine was adopted less than three weeks after her accident and is making great progress in her new home. She is even walking on her front right leg with no signs of discomfort! Clementine is enjoying being a lap cat and is on strict orders to rest her leg so it will continue to get even stronger.

Clementine will soon return to the Home for her desexing procedure and follow up x-rays to ensure everything is healing as planned. It won’t be long before Clementine will be back to jumping onto laps and distracting everyone from getting anything done with her big, adorable eyes!

 

 

Published 1 February 2022

The pandemic saw many people staying home and welcoming a furry companion into their lives to help deal with the loneliness and isolation.  Here at Sydney Dogs & Cats Home, we saw a large number of companion animals find loving homes during lockdown. However, many people fell victim to puppy scams. This week, November 8-12, is Scams Awareness Week and Companion Animal Network Australia (CANA), whom SDCH is the NSW member, have partnered up with Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to raise awareness around puppy scams.

Puppy scams can cause a lot of heartbreak and anger and unwittingly involved legitimate businesses in Australia. According to ACCC Scamwatch, Australians have lost nearly $300k to puppy scams last year alone, taking advantage of people who have suffered due to the pandemic. Scamwatch reported a spike in puppy scams almost five times higher than the average last year.

This year, ACCC Scam is encouraging all Australians to talk about scams to increase awareness, educate and empower consumers to protect themselves. “During Scams Awareness Week 2021, we encourage pet lovers to talk about puppy scams and learn how to avoid the heartbreak, loss of money and in some cases, potentially having to surrender their pet to the shelter,” said Trish Ennis, National Executive of CANA.

If you are looking to welcome a new pet into your life and want to avoid falling victim to puppy scams, CANA have put together tips to keep in mind:

• Scammers set up fake websites or ads on online classifieds and social media pretending to sell sought-after dog breeds. Email is the only way to contact them.
• Scammers take advantage of travel restrictions that prevent you from travelling to meet the puppy in person. They normally ask for up-front payments via money transfer to pay for the pet and transport it to you.
• Once you pay the deposit, a scammer will find new ways to ask for more money, such as claiming higher transportation costs to get across interstate borders. Unfortunately, once you make the payments, the seller will cease all contact.
• Scam websites can look quite convincing – try not to fall for the adorable puppy pictures they post. To avoid being scammed, only buy or adopt a pet you can meet in person.
• If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is!
• Research the seller online using the exact wording in the ad and do a reverse image search for pictures of the specific puppy to see if you can find matching images or text on multiple websites.
• If you are in doubt, seek advice from a reputable dog breeders association, veterinarian or local animal shelter.
• For tips to avoid fake websites and a list of fraudulent websites, click here.
• For a guaranteed ‘real pet’ to welcome into your family, contact a CANA member in your state here.

If you think you have been scammed, contact your financial institution right away. For more information, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au

If you’re looking for a guaranteed safe way to welcome a new pet into your home, check out the animals looking for a home on our website.

Young Gilbert has a face that would make anybody swoon! This Terrier-x boy is curious, friendly and loves playing with toys, thrashing and trashing them around until his heart is content.

At just six months old, Gilbert arrived at the home with an Angular Limb Deformity (ALD) of his front two legs. ALD causes a pair of bones to not grow in synchrony which results in twisting and bending. It can be caused by injury to the legs at a young age, but commonly it is hereditary.

For Gilbert, both his front legs and toes were pointed outwards. He may have looked like a cute little ballerina, but his legs were causing lameness and discomfort. ALD is quite a complex problem in veterinary orthopaedics, so we arranged for Gilbert to have specialist surgery to give him the best possible outcome.

Gilbert has been recovering from his surgery like a champ in foster care, where he receives monitoring and treatment to ensure he is healing properly. His foster carers tell us he’s a very quiet little man who loves human company and enjoys snoozing and going on short walks while he heals.

Gilbert is now looking for the perfect forever home, where his joints can be monitored with regular vet checks. While Gilbert’s orthopaedic surgery was successful and he’s moving comfortably, there’s a chance he may experience lameness once he’s fully grown, requiring costly surgical intervention. To be a perfect match, his new family will need to commit to giving Gilbert vet care if he needs treatment in future.

 

Updated 8 November 2021

JoeJoe the 9-year-old Australian Bulldog-x came to Sydney Dogs & Cats Home in early September as a lost dog. He was uncomfortably skinny and had an array of senior dog health issues that needed urgent attention, including skin masses, alopecia (hair loss), arthritis, hip dysplasia, dental disease, eye discharge and a dark spot on the cornea of his left eye.

JoeJoe was given medication to soothe his discomfort while a plan for his treatment was devised. Due to his size and the number of his health concerns, JoeJoe’s treatment was divided into stages to ensure the best outcome and least discomfort. A few weeks ago, he received initial surgery for his dental disease, where a number of teeth had to be extracted. He had x-rays on his hips and his skin masses were removed and tested.

Test results showed JoeJoe’s skin masses were symptoms of skin cancer and a disease related to sun exposure. Because JoeJoe is a light-coloured dog, he is more susceptible to sun-related damage. The poor gentleman had an aggressive skin cancer on his scrotum, so he will need further surgery to remove the scrotum and prevent recurrence. His x-rays also brought concerning news – he has hip dysplasia in both hips and degenerative joint disease of the spine. Fortunately, dogs with these conditions can live comfortably for many years with proper care and pain management.

Soon, JoeJoe will receive his second stage of treatment, including another round of dental surgery, scrotum removal and assessment of his eyes and joints. The discharge and dark spot on his eyes don’t seem to bother him too much, but depending on his diagnosis, he may need to see an ophthalmologist to ensure he retains vision and comfort.

Despite his compiling list of health concerns, JoeJoe is a super sweet and friendly dog who loves greeting everyone, showing off his tricks for treats and going on walks. He just likes being around people!

Once JoeJoe is in tip-top shape, he will be looking for a home where he can live his best life and give his humans all his love and affection. JoeJoe does require a little extra TLC, but we’re confident this senior sweetheart is well worth it!

Since JoeJoe is a golden oldie, his vet costs are covered by donations to the Senior Pet Project, which had outstanding support from our community this year. If you would like to help senior dogs like JoeJoe, consider making a donation to the Senior Pet Project today.

Updated 8 November 2021