Melody, a once homeless and severely malnourished 12 year old Pointer dog, is relying on someone to win a holiday to Samoa.

A luxurious 5 night resort getaway is just one of the many exciting prizes on offer at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home’s Annual Fundraising Gala on the night of the 18th November.

The black tie dinner, which will be held at the Grand Ballroom of Sydney’s Hilton, is to celebrate Sydney Dogs and Cats Home (SDCH)’s achievements over the past year and to raise funds to continue their vital work in reuniting and rehoming Sydney’s lost and abandoned pets while providing meaningful experiences for those in our community who need it most.

Fortunately for Melody, donations to Sydney’s only charity pound have supported her journey back to a healthy weight and, having received special love and attention with one of the Home’s foster carers, she has now settled in at her forever home.

However Melody is only one of over 3300 animals entering SDCH’s doors this year alone, and with the shelter never placing time limits on any animal awaiting adoption, the support to maintain operations and make each animal’s stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible is vital.

Now SDCH are asking people to “powder their noses and preen their coats” and dig deep on their special night of nights.

“Last year’s 70th Anniversary Gala was a huge success with 320 guests attending with a net result of over $90,000 raised,” says Wendy Langley, President of the SDCH Committee of Management. “These wonderful results would not have been possible without the overwhelming support we received on the night.”

Planning for the event is well under way with The Australian Army Band and The Black Tie Magicians set to entertain guests, along with a, yet to be announced, special guest.

Live and silent auctions, as well as a raffle and a lucky door prize, have been arranged with the support of sponsors and organisations donating their services to help SDCH meet their fundraising goals.

Sydney Dogs and Cats Home Ambassador, Sam Mac from Channel 7’s Sunrise is proud to be once again hosting the evening for the second year, “Every time I have hosted an event for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, whether it be for 30 people or 400 people, it’s always a great crowd as everyone has that common thread of caring for animals and wanting to support a great cause, and while we are dealing with what can be a serious topic, it’s a fun night as everyone has such a positive attitude.”

SDCH are hoping significant funds will be raised to support the continuation of their animal welfare programs, as well as their pivotal community services, including aged care initiatives, disability care programs, school and higher education assistance and community service programs.

“Our last Gala allowed us to feel very positive and excited about our bright future,” says Ms Langley, “We are hoping this year’s dinner will create the same atmosphere and deliver even bigger results.”

Sydney Dogs and Cats Home Annual Fundraising Gala
Saturday 18^th November
6:30pm – 11:30pm
Grand Ballroom, The Hilton, Sydney
Tickets: $195 pp; $1950 per table of ten

For more information and tickets: https://sydneydogsandcatshome.org/gala/

Event partners include Benny and the Pets, Les Nereides, Seabreeze Resort Samoa, 4C Recruitment, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Kwik Kopy Bondi Junction, Premium Beverages, Signature Wines, The Black Ties Magicians, Carlsberg, Coopers, Hudson McHugh, Jamala Wildlife Lodge, The Ken Done Gallery, MM Photos, Parker’s, Precipice Films, Givergy, Eden Corporate Travel, For The People, Paradise Fiji & Select Touring.

PetO and Hill’s Pet Nutrition are encouraging pet owners to top up their furry friends’ food supplies over the next two weeks to support fundraising for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home (SDCH) and to promote the importance of good nutrition for their beloved animals.

Disney, a three year old Shar Pei arrived at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home as a malnourished stray with multiple health issues, including mange and an incredibly painful eye condition.

With the vet team performing a delicate operation to correct his eye condition, the rest of staff and volunteers at SDCH worked solidly for weeks to bring Disney up to a healthy weight using Hill’s Science Diet to which his body responded positively.

“The support from Hill’s has been vital to the work we do here at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home,” says Amanda Stokes, Head of Fundraising and Partnerships. “We do not place time limits on any animal awaiting adoption as we believe true love takes time.”

For Disney, his second chance came from the love and support of the staff and volunteers at SDCH. As his health improved, his joyful personality came through and he was later adopted by one of the volunteers who had worked so hard to care for him.

It is this dedication to the care for the animals at SDCH, which has kept PetO committed to continue their long association of Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

“We chose to work with SDCH as their values are aligned with that of our organization,” says Nick Greenhalgh, Owner and Director at PetO, “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.”

Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s mission is to help enrich and lengthen the special relationship between people and pets. “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 home much faster,” says Hill’s Customer Development Manager, Samantha Schooley. “In turn, SDCH can focus efforts on their valuable animal welfare and community work.”

Between 19th September and 3rdOctober, $5 from every Hill’s product sold at participating PetO stores will be donated directly to SDCH. It is hoped that the fundraising initiative will bring in $7000 for Sydney’s only charity pound responsibly reuniting and rehoming lost and abandoned pets.

“We rely on the generosity of the community through donations”, says Ms Stokes, “The support of PetO, Hill’s and their customers will contribute to enhancing our resources and the vital work that we do to help the lost and abandoned animals of Sydney.”

While PetO are encouraging the sale of Hill’s pet goodies, two-legged family members can also treat themselves with a BBQ lunch at each participating store over the weekend of 23rd and 24th September. SDCH volunteers will be located at each of the stores to greet customers and collect donations.

To find your nearest Pet-O store, visit http://peto.com.au/store-locator-contact-us/

***UPDATE***

True love may take time, but it is always worth the wait!

Maestro, one of our longest-standing residents, has finally found his forever home! The big, loveable pooch, now named Boss, is settling in with his new family and is getting on very well with his new fur sibling, Bruiser.

Maestro had become a firm favourite amongst staff and volunteers at SDCH, so it was a little sad for us to say goodbye, however nothing could beat seeing him head off to a loving home where he belongs.

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He’s dashingly handsome with big, brooding deep brown eyes – how could you resist him?

That’s what staff and volunteers at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home are wondering about their current longest-standing resident, Maestro.

Arriving at the Home in May, the 3 year old Bull Mastiff cross is available for adoption, yet is having some trouble finding his forever family. “He is like a goofy puppy in big dog’s clothing and he sometimes doesn’t realise his own size and strength, so he needs owners who have experience with large dogs and are keen to work with him. Maestro has already shown improvement in his manners as he is so eager to please and to become a great family companion” says Caroline Hamilton, Animal Care Manager. “He has spent some time away on a trial adoption. While it did not work out for the potential owners, it gave us a great ‘at home’ report card, which we can add to Maestro’s behaviour assessment and personality profile.”

Maestro was found lost at a park in Mortdale and while his microchip was able to be scanned for its unique 16-digit number, it was not registered against any details in Australia. Despite looking through countless lost and found logs, contacting a number of veterinary clinics, and a social media push, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home was unable to locate Maestro’s family, so they began the search for his new forever home.

Based in Carlton since 1946, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is Sydney’s only charity pound and receives over 3300 lost and abandoned animals each year. Servicing 8 council areas across the city, they have reunited and rehomed 192 animals in the last month alone. The average wait time for an animal to be adopted is 17 days and the shelter relies on donations from the community to ensure an animal’s stay is as enjoyable as possible.

As no time limits are placed on any animal awaiting adoption at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, Maestro has become a familiar face after being there for almost 4 months. The team have also picked up on a few quirks, which could hint towards the kind of person with whom Maestro would like to go home…or at least his preferred mode of transport. “We’ve noticed, during his walks, that if Maestro sees a ute, he will get excited and try to jump up on the back”, says Ms Hamilton, “so he might enjoy the tradie life where he can join you as work mate – we’ll even find him a vest!”

In the meantime, he will continue to be lovingly cared for by staff and volunteers. “He’s become a real favourite amongst the team here”, says Ms Hamilton, “Everyone is lamenting the fact that they can’t be the one to take Maestro home, whether it’s because they’ve already got too many furry family members or their couch just isn’t big enough for a 40kg lap dog.”

Anyone who thinks this loveable pooch could fit right in at their home, can view his profile or call Sydney Dogs and Cats Home on 9587 9611.

Check out this beautiful video of Maestro.