Letter from the editor

Adoption is the best option! - we've been saying it for years, but how exciting is it to be in rescue right now when the media are finally starting to sit up, take notice and make adoption cool!

From the fantastic new Pedigree adverts to the RSPCA's new television show, rescue has never had such a great opportunity to take on greedy pet stores at their own game. Especially as the general public are starting to question "what's a puppy mill?" and "isn't a designer dog just a cross?".

So if you've ever thought about spreading the word about rescue, now's the time! Stick a poster up in your staff room, send an email out to your address book featuring a needy pet, or see if you can get a piece in your company's internal newsletter.

There's never been a better time to get involved in rescue!

Cheers,

Michelle Williamson
shel@petrescue.com.au

PetRescue takes to the skies!

Virgin Blue and Jetpets have joined forces with PetRescue to help save homeless pets across Australia.

Often a homeless pet, even one that's been lucky enough to find itself in care, runs out of time - and that's what happened to Penny, a smoochy grey poodle-cross from NSW.

Penny's owner had sadly passed away, but in her last arrangements she'd contacted Pets of Older People (POOPS) to assist in finding a new home for Penny.

POOPS, in partnership with the RSPCA, is a foster care network looking after the pets of elderly patients in hospitals in Sydney metropolitan and regional areas. The program provides a safety net of support and veterinary care for animals when their elderly owners face a life-changing crisis.

But Penny had been in care for two months with no-one interested in adopting this well-mannered elderly girl.

After a plea for help from Penny's carers, PetRescue enlisted the generous support of Virgin Blue and Jetpets to give Penny a second chance at life;

And so began Penny's big adventure!

Penny was offered a free flight to Brisbane to meet up with a carer from Save a Pound Dog, who had a great new home ready and waiting. Penny travelled like a celebrity pet, with a personal pet travel consultant from Jetpets arranging her flights and door to door service to her new digs.

Now settled in her new home, Penny sends licks! and woofs! to the team at Virgin Blue and Jetpets for helping her find a fantastic new forever home.

But Penny's happy ending is just the beginning. Virgin Blue and Jetpets have extended their generous support with the offer to continue to help PetRescue pets in need of interstate transport.

If you are a rescue group interested in shipping a pet interstate please contact info@petrescue.com.au for more information about the service.

PetRescue and Pookinuk join forces!

Pookinuk believes in quality for your best friend, searching the world to bring you products of the highest quality for your pet to enjoy.

Pookinuk also firmly believe in giving back to the community that supports them and so have joined forces with PetRescue to help Australia's rescue pets! If you nominate PetRescue and purchase pet food from the Pookinuk website, Pookinuk will donate a percentage of the purchase to help support us in the work we do.

The Pookinuk service is unrivalled offering pet owners quality pet supplies via the Internet and a home delivery service. Pet food, healthcare, furniture and accessories from all the major brands such as Eukanuba, Hills Science Diet, Advocate, Kongs to name a few.

Pookinuk provides a convenient alternative to traditional pet supply outlets. A unique combination of the internet, home delivery and quality products allows customers to receive all their pet supplies at the click of a button.

So if you're keen to help PetRescue and rescue pets, then please check out the Pookinuk website.

Just remember "If you love your pet... you'll love Pookinuk".

Domestic violence linked to animal abuse: study

The stories workers in the field of domestic violence have been hearing for years are now being reaffirmed by the findings of the first Australian study examining the link between pet abuse and domestic violence.

In the survey by Monash University and Melbourne's Eastern Domestic Violence Service, more than half of the victims of family violence said their animals had been abused. The report mirrors the findings of research overseas where pet abuse is now seen as an indicator of other violent behaviour.

Disturbingly, the Monash University study also found a third of the women living in crisis accommodation delayed leaving the family home out of concern for their pet's welfare.

But Animal Aid's new Pets in Peril program comes to the rescue. Working closely with Melbourne's Eastern Domestic Violence Service and a network of suburban vet clinics, Animal Aid finds safe homes for pets for a month or more.

It gives clear access to the women in this situation to escape from a violent partner, be confident that the pets are being cared for and once her life has got back on track, to actually reclaim the pets and bring them back into her and her children's lives.

Watch the video here...

Rains take toll on pets

One of Sydney's busiest animal shelters says the long-weekend storms have caused an animal welfare emergency.

Patricia Hood the manager of the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home says the bad weather over the past week has led to an explosion in the number of stray dogs and cats.

"We've just had a long weekend where people have gone away, and this unbelievable rain that we've had lately, dogs just aren't used to the sound of rain any more."

"It's an unexpected situation. They're quite frightened and when they get out on the streets they can't sniff their way back home."

The Sydney Dogs and Cats Home finds new homes for animals from ten councils, in Sydney's south, east, inner-west and inner city.

Ms Hood says that for many of the animals at the shelter, the situation is becoming increasingly urgent.

"We are basically full-up here. We've got animals, especially the big dogs, on what we call 'death row'," she said.

"We put them on our website and we try so hard to find them a home. We look after them for months, we foster them out to try and improve their chances, but sometimes it just gets to that point."

At the moment there are about 100 cats and dogs filling the shelter's cages.

The home's volunteer co-ordinator, Christine Davis, says their shelter is the most successful in Sydney because it finds homes for 95 per cent of the animals, and has the highest care and living standards.

Ms Davis says that with about 300 volunteers, there is no other facility in Sydney like it.

"Our oldest dog-walker is 87, and we've got a couple in their 90's who come for the cats, so our volunteers range from 18 through to their 90's," she said.

Despite working at the shelter for several years, Ms Davis says she still does not understand how some owners can dump their pets in the cruelest of circumstances.

"So many people don't have that lifetime commitment to their pet, and they'll often abandon them at their greatest hour of need," she said.

"We had a little one come in a couple of days ago, blind, hardly any teeth, probably 12 or 14-years-old, a knotted, matted mess. It can't see, it was bumping in to walls and doors. Instead of showing that last act of love for their pet, that owner went out and dumped it."

"But it's a very positive place here, and whenever we can do the operation and provide veterinary care, we do it. We're not miracle workers, but we will do the last responsible and humane thing."

Ms Hood says on any given morning she arrives at work to find dumped dogs chained to the shelter's fence.

She has also found old and sick dogs wrapped in towels and thrown over the side fence.

Original article: www.abc.net.au

PetRescue video special!

Video continues to be a huge hit on PetRescue... check out these videos of available pets and also some of our all time favourite vids!

Check out the following fantastic pet videos:

Jock

Marley

Marty

Ruby

SB

Angus

And check out some of our best vids so far...

Dumpling

Rocky

Hunter

Keira

Jesse

Fuschia

Bronx

Cody

Spot

Hannah

Australian rescue update

(WA) South West animal rescue looking for a new home
South West Animal Rescue is a not for profit organisation based in Bunbury, the south west of Western Australia. It was established in November 2006 to address the lack of an animal shelters in the Bunbury area. They are planning to build an animal shelter and are gratefully accepting help in kind and donations.

(VIC) Maremmas need more rescuers
Five years ago Ms Stone set up a voluntary group called Maremma Rescue Victoria to help dogs in need - shelters from across the state approach her group on a regular basis to find homes for Maremmas. The rescue group desperately needs more people to become rescue carers.

(WA) Update on the cell dogs program
Cell Dogs seem to be going from strength to strength, we have now had three of our initial four dogs happily rehomed. The only remaining dog left from our initial intake is Cabernet. He is a gorgeous boy, who has responded really well to his training and would make an excellent pet.

(VIC) Drought Dogs Program
About 12 months ago the Rescue coordinator of the Anatolian Shepherd club visited Mildura; 500kms from Melbourne. She made contact with the Council involved with the pound and found out the grim situation for dogs surrendered or found as a stray. Despite the best efforts of council workers only one in five dogs was reclaimed and nearly all the rest were put down.

(SA) Greyhound Adoption Program committee resigns
As announced on their website, the Greyhound Adoption Program (SA) committee has resigned after 10 years of running the program.

(QLD) RSPCA applauds animal welfare milestone
The State Government's decision to conduct a review into the mandatory identification and desexing of companion animals has been applauded by RSPCA Qld. "We urge the people of Queensland to participate and respond positively and favourably."

(WA) RSPCA applauds QLD government's Companion Animal Review
RSPCA WA is calling on the State Government to follow the lead of its Queensland counterpart and consider introducing mandatory identification and desexing of companion animals.

World rescue news

Think hard before getting parrot as pet, rescuers say
People buy a bird because it looks good next to their couch, or because it fits in with the theme of the room, but parrots require fresh fruits and vegetables and a lot of personal interaction as well as freedom to move around.

Taking dog for walk benefits both of you
I used to be a gym rat. Really. And then I adopted the third-fastest animal on earth, the 45-mph greyhound, and quit the gym because I thought I would be busy walking my dog. Sure, I knew that greyhounds were notorious couch potatoes, but c'mon, what dog doesn't enjoy a brisk jog? Uh, that dog would be Elvis.

(NZ) No more sex in South Auckland!
The stray cat problem in Auckland is enormous. Thousands of unwanted cats and kittens die in every single year due to starvation and disease; tens of thousands more are put to sleep in pounds and shelters nationwide as there are simply not enough homes. This problem can be easily prevented by responsible pet ownership, specifically, by ensuring that your cat has been de-sexed by 5 months of age.

Scientists uncover the long and short of being a dog
In a pioneering investigation of canine DNA scientists have discovered the genetic trick that has allowed small dogs to shrink in size from their wolf-like ancestors.

(US) Curbing dog-on-dog violence
Though the threat may be overblown - how many actual dognappings have occurred in your neighborhood? - it's not imaginary. Once considered a relic of the rural South, dogfighting is increasingly a sport of urban gangbangers and drug dealers. The Humane Society of the United States says there are between 20,000 and 40,000 "professional" dogfighters nationwide, each with dozens of dogs.

A relationship with a pet shop is like a pact with the devil... for vets, that is
"You know damn well where these puppies came from." So true. A consumer can be forgiven for his ignorance but a vet has a pretty good idea what goes on behind the scenes. There's no excuse for getting into bed with puppy mill purveyors. The devil may or may not wear Prada... but he certainly knows how to sell puppies.

When to adopt a cat, not a kitten
Frequently people have misconceptions about what it takes to entertain and be the caregiver for a kitten. People will bring a kitten back to the shelter and say, 'There's something wrong with him. He never calms down. He runs around all night.' We say 'Diagnosis: Kitten.'

Quick action can save pet's life
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, one out of four or more pets could be saved if just one pet first-aid technique had been used.

Finding a lost pet
Experts say those were all the right things to do when a pet is lost, and they are most effective when done quickly. The longer a pet is on the run, the greater the chances it might become ill or injured.

Is your cat a tiny tiger or a furry sofa pillow?
Instead of living the challenging life of a hunter, our cats have food delivered to them on a predictable schedule. We rarely do anything to make up for their lack of mental stimulation and consider their natural behaviors, such as scratching and nocturnal play, to be behavior problems.

Barbie's dog - 'it really poops!'
Barbie, the doll with everything, has followed in the footsteps of her real-life lookalikes and got herself a dog. And like the real thing, Tanner the toy dog poops out her toy food, leaving Barbie to pick up the toy "biscuits" with her toy pooper scooper.

RSPCA WA winter pet care advice
As the winter chill hits Perth this week, the RSPCA is reminding pet owners not to forget their furry and feathered friends. While we can simply flick on the heater or pull on an extra jumper, pets rely on their owners to keep them safe and warm.

Dog owners in war against 'absurd' council laws
A radical "dogs rights" group has launched a law-breaking civil disobedience campaign to highlight what it claims is a culture of canine discrimination. Australia has the highest rate of pet ownership in the world but also some of the most restrictive laws about where you can take your dog.

(UK) Dog theft on the rise
Dog thefts in London rose by 74 per cent last year and more than half the dogs stolen were Staffordshire bull terriers.

Greyhound an ideal fit at nursing home
Gladys mingles with the residents who adore her gentle demeanor. Contrary to popular belief the greyhound is a mellow breed that likes to sleep 20 hours a day.