This beautiful girl is Lilly. She’s was adopted from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home earlier this year.

Lilly settled into home life perfectly, sleeping for hours and exhibiting no destructive behaviour at all. But on walks she was struggling, particularly when she saw other dogs.

This is why Lilly’s new family decided to enlist the help of one of our recommended behaviourists Ian Shivers from Bondi Behaviourist.  Below Ian explains his approach to helping Lilly and her humans:

Like with many rescues, nobody is 100% sure what happened in her life before she got re-homed but with this sort of situation it’s not usually about any trauma or negative experiences that are causing these reactions, it’s often down to what hasn’t happened.

It’s likely that Lilly wasn’t exposed to much, and simply doesn’t have the coping skills for the vast amounts of information out there in the big wide world.

So that’s our job, to take her out and expose her to the world at a pace that she can manage.

During the session we went through body language to look out for, how to handle the leash, when to, how to and why use food rewards, how to reduce stress when it sets in and how to respond in different scenarios. Over time, we can build her confidence, her relationship with the family and her trust in other dogs.

Ian’s description of Lilly is true of many of the residents who come through the Home, many who we believe didn’t get exposed to much more than their back yards.

Ian finds working with rescues very rewarding and offers 50% off initial consultations when dogs are referred to Bondi Behaviourist by Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.  If you’ve adopted your dog from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home and would like to take Ian up on this offer please contact the team at info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org

When we welcomed Monster, a 13-year-old Maltese/Chihuahua Cross, into our Home in October we knew that this little chap would be a beneficiary of our Senior Pet Project.  Monster, a sweet old gentleman was brought in as a stray.  His fur was dirty and matted, his nails overgrown and his breath putrid.

Our vet team performed a health assessment and it was clear by Monster’s neglected state that this dear boy hadn’t been to a vet or a groomer in a very long time.

Monster was suffering and in pain. The team immediately provided him with pain relief.  Emergency dental surgery was quickly scheduled and performed.  All of Monster’s teeth, bar one healthy tooth, had to be removed.  Monster also received a much-needed bath and clip from our volunteer groomer.   And the team organised for Monster to go into foster care with Fiona, enabling him to recover in a quiet home setting postoperatively.

Moster quickly recovered from his operation and a spritely, happy gentleman emerged.  He fit in so well with his foster family which included beautiful 15-year-old Missy that when the time came for Monster to be rehomed Fiona asked to adopt him.

Renamed Max, our Monster, now spends the days with his best friend Missy and being spoilt by his humans Fiona and Jeff.

With your support we are looking to raise $150,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to provide the seniors with the essential care required to set them up for success in their twilight years.  Donate now to support the Senior Pet Project.

ABOUT SENIOR PET PROJECT

Our Senior Pet Project, entering its second year, was started as an initiative not only to put a spotlight on these golden oldies to help with their rehoming, but also to raise the funds required for their much needed veterinary care and often prolonged stay at the Home.

With your support we are looking to raise $150,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to give the seniors entering our care a new leash on life.

Support the Senior Pet Project. Donate today.

Since the beginning of the year Sydney Dogs and Cats Home has welcomed more than 400 cats and kittens through our doors. Several of these purr machines, like Neptune, have tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) during our routine health check.

FIV is a viral disease that affects the immune system of cats. It makes them more susceptible to illness, but with proper care FIV cats can lead long, healthy, loving lives.

FIV is commonly spread through deep bite wounds, which would typically occur during aggressive fights between cats over territorial disputes. FIV is not transferable to humans or other species (e.g. dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc).

As the virus only lives within the infected feline it is unlikely to spread to a non-FIV cat. However our team recommends that FIV cats be rehomed as an ‘only cat’ or with other FIV positive felines; even household cats can have spats resulting in bites which could transmit the disease.

We also recommend that FIV cats be indoor-only cats. With a compromised immune system keeping them indoors reduces the risk of them contracting a disease or infection from other cats, parasites, fleas or ticks.

Currently there is no cure for the disease, but it is easily managed. Cats with FIV are living happy and healthy lives, bringing much joy to their owners.

Neptune arrived at the Home four days ago and we hope his owner will still come forward for him.  However if Neptune’s human can’t be found he will be one of several FIV residents waiting to find their forever home. If you think you could offer one of our lovely FIV friends a home please call the team on 9587 9611 or email info@sydneydogsandcatshome.org

Bondi Behaviourist’s Ian Shivers recently adopted Django from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home and has this wonderful advice for people looking to welcome a new dog into their lives….

When choosing a dog, as hard as it is we should select the dog for our homes with our heads rather than our hearts.

When I was looking for my boy I set out what I was looking for by being honest with myself about my situation.

While I love big dogs, I wanted a dog that was small, because I rent and that can make things easier in the future if I move home.

I live with a cat and so he had to be cat friendly.

I love to exercise, but when I thought about it… this is my alone time and so I didn’t actually need a high energy dog because I exercise for me rather than my dog.

I also prefer taking my dogs to places to relax with them such as quiet walks, picnics, cafes and pubs rather than dog parks so again not a highly active dog.

I work with dogs every day of my life, so I didn’t want a project. This meant choosing a dog that was good with children, adults and other animals.

And finally although I work from home sometimes, he does have to be left alone and so a dog that is comfortable with this was important so that I didn’t stress him out when I leave.

The other things I wanted with my heart was a male dog, a scruffy dog and one that was a bit older so that I could take on a dog that perhaps others might not.

I weighed up my options and waited patiently, there were many dogs that I could have taken home but didn’t quite fit the bill. Little Django came in and since then it’s been plain sailing, he’s a legend of a dog who has done nothing but bring happiness to my life and the only credit I can take is that I was honest with myself and waited patiently for the right one, he did the rest by just being him.

Everyone is different and lives different lives, some people will want the exact opposite from me and that’s perfect. Getting a dog requires commitment no matter what and even the best thought out plans go off track but if we all take the time to assess our situations and be patient when choosing then it is likely fewer dogs would end up in the shelters.