Senior Pet Project: Betty White

Betty White, a 12-year-old Maltese-cross, who entered the Home in March, is the epitome of the seniors who need the special care that is provided by The Senior Pet Project. Betty, a tottering old girl was brought in as a stray. Her fur was dirty and matted, and her breath was putrid. Our vet team performed a health assessment and it was clear by Betty’s neglected state that she hadn’t been to a vet in a very long time, if at all. We did have contact with her owners, and they did not want Betty back so she came into our care.

The treatment plan was quickly developed and set into action. Betty underwent major dental work, resulting in the extraction of most of her teeth. She had surgery for the removal of numerous mammary tumours. She also had a complete shave as the knotting of her coat was so extensive it had to be cut back to her skin. What emerged may not have been the prettiest girl, at least not yet, but Betty had a new leash on life and was alert, friendly and energetic.

Betty enjoyed three weeks at the Home. She was our much loved office dog and spent the days greeting all our visitors. Until one day a very special group of visitors came, Lucy and Kelly, and their roommate Ami. The trio instantly fell in love with our Betty White and adopted her that day.

With your support we are looking to raise $100,000 by 30 June to fund the Senior Pet Project for the next 12 months, enabling us to provide the seniors with the much needed care to set them up for success in their twilight years. Donate now to support the Senior Pet Project.

Give a New Leash on Life, Support the Senior Pet Project

As Sydney’s only registered charity pound and active rehoming facility, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home has been opening its doors to lost and abandoned pets for over 72 years. Sadly, embracing neglected seniors is all too familiar to us, and in recent times it seems we are experiencing an increase in the numbers of senior dogs and cats needing our help.

This increased demand was the catalyst for the Senior Pet Project, a new Sydney Dogs and Cats Home initiative. We have created the Senior Pet Project as a means 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.

Not surprisingly, the majority of senior cases do require extra veterinary treatment. This additional cost may be the reason why many owners do not reclaim their senior pets. Seniors also tend to have a longer stay in the shelter or foster care whilst we search for a suitable home, and in some cases that one in a million person willing to provide love and palliative care in a pet’s final months, weeks or even days.

Put Your Paws Up

Join #teamSDCH in this year’s City2Surf as we run to fund the construction of Exercise and Enrichment yards for the animals that will come into our care when we build our new home.

Our current location, which we have called home for more than 70 years, has been slated for redevelopment and our facility for demolition. We are now trying to raise the funds that will go towards the construction of our new home. We have set an audacious goal, to raise $30,000 to help fund the build of best-practice amenities for the enrichment of the more than 3,500 lost and abandon pets who will come through our doors each year.

Our own General Manager Stuart Paine has dusted off his running shoes to help raise funds and awareness for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home by running in this year’s City2Surf. Stuart joined Sydney dogs and Cats Home five months ago. He was drawn to our organisation because of his own unique experience with Woody, a dog he adopted some 11 years ago. “Adopting Woody was the best decision I have made to date. I want to give other people the opportunity to adopt their own rescue pet and share the same amazing journey I did with Woody,” explained Stuart.

It’s been more than two years since Stuart competed in a marathon and even longer since he participated in City2Surf. Stuart isn’t counting on beating his personal this year as he’s going to be wearing a doggie onesie. “Our new shelter will provide a better quality of stay with more mobility and outdoor space for the animals that come into our care, and I’m wearing a doggie onesie to emphasise the importance of shelter enrichment and exercise. Whilst promoting the need for donations to build Sydney Dogs and Cats Home – our new home,” said Stuart.

To join Stuart and the rest of #teamSDCH head over to https://teamsdch2018.raisely.com/ and sign up. Extra perks for joining the team include:

An exclusive team running singlet given to each member who raises $100
Recognition of your support when you raise $1,000 by dedicating a real paver that will be laid in a path at our new Home
A dedicated contact from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home who will provide one-on-one support

So, are you in? We hope so!

Chuck’s Changing Fortunes

Brought in as a stray, Chuck first arrived on the doorstep of Sydney Dogs and Cats Home in May 2017. A lovely Kelpie Cross, Chuck wasn’t microchipped and no one came to claim him.

With the exception of his teeth, this 10 year old gentleman was in good health. After performing much needed dental work resulting in the extraction of some teeth, Chuck was ready to be rehomed.

However, it soon became apparent that Chuck wasn’t coping well in the shelter. He was anxious and fairly distressed and we knew we had to take action. Thanks to our wonderful network of volunteers a temporary foster home was found for Chuck, enabling him to have some time out of the shelter.

Fortunately for Chuck it didn’t take long upon his return to SDCH to be adopted. But after only four months in his new home, Chuck’s circumstances changed. His new owner had to move into an aged care facility and couldn’t bring Chuck along.

Chuck once again found himself at SDCH. Knowing that the shelter was too stressful for Chuck, we placed him into a foster home with Caroline, a first-time foster carer. Chuck spent two months in his foster home before Alexis spotted him on the SDCH website.

A meet up with Chuck, Caroline and Alexis was organised to see if Alexis and Chuck would be a suitable match. Based on the photos below, we think Chuck and Alexis are a perfect match. So our beautiful old boy, almost a year on from first entering the Home, has landed himself a wonderful new forever home and human.

Transforming Lizzy

Young mum Lizzy was found and brought into Sydney Dogs and Cats Home with her two kittens. While they were all now safe, Lizzy had a skin allergy resulting in excessive itching and licking as well as hair loss. The SDCH vet team quickly identified that Lizzy was suffering from a food allergy.

Food hypersensitivity can occur in both cats and dogs, and it can appear at any age or at any time. The exact cause of food allergies is not yet know but is likely to be triggered by a change in the animal’s immune system. This results in certain ingredients become perceived as foreign by the pet’s immune system and triggering an immune response. This response can result in the typical symptoms such as itching, licking and chewing, and diarrhoea may also occur.

To minimise the stress on Lizzy’s compromised immune system, she and her kittens were place into a foster home which would be less stressful for them all. Lizzy was also put on a specialist diet, Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d, to try and eliminate the adverse food reaction.

It took several weeks, but Lizzy’s condition cleared up and her hair grew back. And we are happy to report that Lizzy and her kittens have all been adopted. In fact, Lizzy has found her new home with her wonderful foster carer.

SDCH Volunteer Wins Local Award

Volunteers play an integral role in all aspects of Sydney Dogs and Cats Home’s day-to-day operations. Whether it is helping out in the kennels or cattery, providing administrative support, fundraising, being a foster carer or participating in our events, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home wouldn’t exist without their support. And we are so pleased that our own Peggy Christodoulides has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to the Home. Peggy was recently presented with a 2018 Banks Volunteer Award.

Peggy has been volunteering at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home since October 2016 and contributes so much to the smooth running of our shelter operations. A quiet achiever, Peggy is well-known and well-like by the entire team of staff and volunteers. Peggy is extremely dedicated and is frequently spotted at the shelter doing copious amount of laundry to ensure the animals in care have clean, dry bedding. She’s also been known to coerce her friends and family into helping out with the laundry and washing of food bowls. Sydney Dogs and Cats Home wants to say congratulations and a big thank you to Peggy and all our volunteers.

The Hon. David Coleman MP and the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs present Sydney Dogs and Cats Home volunteer Peggy Christodoulides with the 2018 Banks Volunteer Award.

Patience and Perseverance Payday

Some animals need a little more time and assistance to find their forever homes. This was true of Charlie, the Labradoodle. Not even a year old, Charlie arrived at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home in September 2017. Over the course of the next six months Charlie was rehomed and subsequently returned to SDCH a few times.

Understanding that Charlie would need a bit of extra training to overcome behavioural and anxiety issues that had emerged, SDCH staff member and volunteer Sue decided to make Charlie her first foster doggie.

Sue recalls, “it took Charlie about three weeks to settle and for me to be able to observe what would trigger Charlie to run for the tea towels, hand towels, socks or any small item he could potentially eat”. You see, in addition to suffering from anxiety, Charlie had Pica. Pica is a condition where an animal craves and subsequently eats non-food items such as dirt, fabric, plastic, etc.

Sue worked diligently with Charlie for more than two months so that he stopped eating things he shouldn’t. She was able to teach him to be a much calmer dog who would not mouth nor run around in circles when people came over for a visit.

Charlie’s rehabilitation involved provision of a structured routine including vigorous daily exercise and walks and reinforcement of acceptable behaviours to help build his manners. Charlie, under supervision, was also exposed to various stimuli – different dogs, family and friends including kids as well as trips to the beach and cafes.

Along the way there were hiccups, including a memorable emergency trip to the vet after Charlie swallowed a dressing gown cord before Sue could take it away from him. However all the hardwork and time that Sue, Charlie and the SDCH team invested paid off.

In February of this year, a lovely couple Peter and Michelle expressed interest in adopting Charlie…it seemed like a perfect match. The couple had experience working with behaviourally challenged dogs and already had a Labradoodle named Chad that needed a mate. And a doggie mate was just what Charlie needed to help him with his long-term emotional stability and to help him burn all his excess energy.

Charlie won the hearts of Peter and Michelle, and is now living the life going to the beach in Newcastle, playing with Chad, and exploring his new home, a 50-acre property near Mudgee.

Charlie is the perfect example of why SDCH doesn’t place a time limit on any adoptable animal. It may take a little more time and a little more work, but animals like Charlie are worth it and make our work rewarding.

A big thank you to Sue and everyone at SDCH who played a part in Charlie’s journey to his forever home, and to Peter and Michelle for opening up their home to Charlie.

Pet Food Brings Shelter and Love

Pamela was an underweight stray, needing attention, love and a home. The three year old Australian Kelpie cross found the support she needed at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home with staff and volunteers giving her professional care and healthy meals of Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s Science Diet. Pamela now has a second chance at life and is waiting to be adopted by her forever family.

The tan-coloured pooch is one of the many animals of SDCH which Hill’s Pet Nutrition has been helping feed since becoming their major food sponsor in 2013. Together with SDCH supporter, PetO, Hill’s are launching ‘Food, Shelter, Love’ – an initiative to raise vital funds for the not for profit shelter.

From 13th February to 25th February, $5 from every bag or tray of Hill’s Science Diet dog or cat food sold at PetO stores or at the shelter will be donated directly to SDCH. The funds raised will be an incredible support to Sydney’s only charity pound which takes in over 3300 lost and abandoned pets each year.

A similar initiative last year raised over $9,000 for the Home and this year, Hill’s and PetO are hoping to top that by reaching $10,000.

“We cannot thank Hill’s and PetO enough for their amazing work to support our Home,” says Amanda Stokes, Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at SDCH, “We believe in giving the animals which come in to our Home the best possible care during their stay and this kind of support means that we have access to the resources we need to help these animals and support them in successfully being reunited or rehomed.”

As part of ‘Food, Shelter, Love’, Hill’s will be packing up the BBQs and heading to PetO stores across Sydney on Saturday 17^th February for a day of sausage sizzles, with all money raised contributing to their $10K goal.

“Our many years of partnering with Sydney Dogs and Cats Home has enabled them access to the benefits of great tasting nutrition allowing the animals to find their forever homes much faster,” says Hill’s Customer Development Manager, Samantha Schooley. “In turn, SDCH can focus efforts on their valuable animal welfare and community work.”

“We are impressed by the energy and care with which they conduct their operations, as well as their integrity in managing the responsible adoption of animals,” says Nick Greenhalgh, Owner and Director at PetO, “We chose to work with SDCH as their values are aligned with that of our organization,”

SDCH never places a time limit on any animals awaiting adoption and the organisation relies on donations to care for animals like Pamela and assist them with their transition from strays to adoptable pets ready to find their new homes.

PetO and Hill’s encourage pet owners to top up their furry companions’ food supplies during the two week period to support their fundraising efforts and of course, treat themselves at the sausage sizzles for a good cause.

Sausage sizzles will be held at all Sydney PetO stores from 10am – 3pm on Saturday 17^th February. SDCH volunteers will be there on the day to chat about their shelter and collect donations.

Find your local PetO store here.

Preventative Health Care At SDCH Secured By Zoetis

SDCH is pleased to announce their new partnership with global animal health company, Zoetis.

Zoetis is committed to producing high quality and vital health care treatments for animals including preventative medicines like vaccine and parasite treatments, Revolution® and Simparica®. The partnership will see Zoetis supply all the preventative health care needs for Sydney’s lost and abandoned pets entering the shelter during 2018. The donation of supplies is valued at over $200,000 and will make a significant impact on the shelter’s work to provide animals with a second chance.

Shelter Vet, Christine Cole says, “This incredible support will make a huge difference to the lives of the animals in our care, and also means the funds raised throughout the year for our charity pound can be redirected to other vital aspects of our work.”

Each animal in SDCH care will be protected against fleas, heartworm and other nasties with Revolution® to ensure parasites are not a discomfort or a detriment to the animal’s health.

Mister arrived at SDCH in October 2017 as a stray from the Bayside Council area. The large white Domestic Medium Hair cat came through our doors in a poor condition with a number of health issues. As well as providing Mister with the veterinary care he needed, Christine administered the regular treatment plan of Zoetis vaccines and flea and heartworm treatment, Revolution®. Mister was soon healthy enough to be ready for adoption and is now living the life of luxury with a loving forever family.

The partnership with Zoetis will ensure that every one of the animals coming in through SDCH’s doors, just like Mister, will be supported on a healthy journey to finding new homes.

Head here to win a 6 month supply of Zoetis preventative health care treatment for your dog and cats!

Cats Paw-ing In This Kitten Season

School holidays with two young boys has meant a lot of loud rough and tumble, but having a cat around the home has brought out the boys’ nurturing side and delivers calm and quiet moments.

It’s one of the benefits Lucy Paton has found after the family adopted two kittens from Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

Mrs Paton has also discovered that it’s not just the boys who benefit from spending time with the kittens. “As a mother of two and running my own business, I’m always on the go,” she said, “but the cats make me stop and take time out.”

While the holiday period winds down and kids go back to school for the new year, “kitten season”, which occurs during the warmer months, continues for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home (SDCH) with an ongoing influx of cats and kittens arriving at their doors.

Mrs Paton, her husband and their two boys, Ty (8) and Sonny (6) welcomed their two tabbies, Charlie and Chilli, into their home just as kitten season began. After a tradition of asking for a new cuddly toy each birthday, 6 year old Sonny decided he wanted something real to cuddle, so the family started researching pet options.

They decided cats would suit their lifestyle and their unit home, and after seeing a story about the rescue of an abandoned kitten, the Paton family decided adopting a rescue kitten was exactly what they were after.

Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is expecting to take in over 850 cats and kittens in during the season and have so far adopted and fostered out close to 120 felines, with another 20 lost cats being reunited with their owners.

As not everyone is able to help out by adopting or fostering a cat, SDCH launched LoveCats, an initiative in which anyone can get involved to help out the Home during kitten season.

Since December, SDCH has been asking supporters to send in origami mice which will be given to the cats and kittens as toys during their stay. Toys are essential enrichment to help maintain an animal’s mental and physical wellbeing.

The Home does not place time limits on any animal awaiting adoption, so the time a cat will stay at the shelter can vary, which is why SDCH do all they can to ensure all their animals remain comfortable and are given the best possible care while they wait for a loving family like the Patons.

Help the cats of SDCH by adopting or fostering this kitten season or head to our LoveCats page to make an origami mouse for a kitten in need of playtime!

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