Dear PetRescue,

I don't know who invented these Scooby Snacks, but they are like magic. Only problem now is that I'm gonna have to go buy about 10 more boxes 'cause my puppy, Sahara (husky x lab) is just going nuts for these things. All I can say is WOW!

Lizette

PetRescue gets a big plug in an article lamenting the chocolate labradors hoax and it's effect on xmas animal adoption.

"These people have to get a life and do something constructive like come and help us out rehoming animals".

Silly Season Inspires a Provocative Email (The Brisbane Courier Mail)

Here's something everyone can do to reduce the number of pets in shelters!

Fireworks are a major cause of pets being lost or ending up at the local pound. With the fireworks season upon us, pop a copy of this "How to Keep your Pets Safe" flyer in all the letterboxes in your street - especially neighbours with recently acquired dogs!

Keeping your Pets Safe during the Australia Day Fireworks

The ideas below will help you keep your pets safe during this years fireworks.

Be prepared. Bring your pets inside or lock them up before the fireworks begin. Once the fireworks have started it may be too late. The majority of dogs and cats react by way of blind panic from the noise of fireworks and thunderstorms.

Confine nervous pets. Place your pets in a small room or the laundry or in a covered crate or cat cage where they will feel safe, especially if you cannot be there.

Leave the lights on in the room so the flashing of the fireworks is not so startling.

Turn on the television or radio so that the fireworks blend with a noise the animal is used to.

Don’t make a fuss. Behave as if fireworks are as common as breathing air. Sitting there looking tense, waiting for the next one to go off, will only tell your animal it should be frightened. A reassuring pat or a few words are fine – overdoing the attention will only confirm that something abnormal is happening.

Provide a distraction such as a big juicy bone or tasty rawhide chew to distract the animal but remember some will be too stressed to eat.

Keep the animal confined until daylight so that random fireworks going off well after the event don’t affect it.

Get your animals used to loud noises. Practice with nervous pets beforehand by banging pots together or using party poppers. Use all the pointers given above to make your pet feel secure.

Make sure all pets have a collar with identification, with pet’s name and your phone numbers, including mobile, in case of escape.

Be proactive. When you know a fireworks night is coming up, pop a copy of this list in all the letterboxes in your street – especially neighbours with recently acquired dogs.

Download an easily printable copy of this list here.

Bitten, VIC - Greyhound Safety Net "Meet the Greys Day"
Sunday 14 January 2007 8:00 AM
Greyhound Safety Net Inc is a group dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of ex-racing Greyhounds as companions. Come and meet the Pet Greyhounds - there may be someone special there for you! Read more...

VIC - Save a Dog
We need: Foster carers for mums & their kittens

Kitten season is underway so we need foster homes!! We have 1 mum with 10-day-old kittens and another mum with older kittens. We also need foster homes for other cats. Please contact Save a Dog on 03 9824 7928 or email if you can help with this donation.

WA - SAFE
We need: Foster carers North of the river

Please help! We need need people to let dogs into their homes until new homes are found. If you live north of the river please contact me if you can give love to a dog in need.

Please contact Sarah on 0412040242 or email if you can help with this donation.

QLD - 4 Paws Animal Rescue
We need: Good quality cat/dog food, cat cages, toys,leads

Looking for good quality dog and cat food (no homebrand please), dog and cat toys, dog leads, cat baskets,

Please contact Tina Saxby on 0412596530 or email if you can help with this donation.

NSW - Albury Dog Rescue
We need: Worming & flea treatments

We love to send all of our dogs off to their new homes free of all parasites but this is often an expensive exercise. Donations of these products will help us, particularly for those dogs in long-term care.

Please contact Trish Smith on (02) 6040 3350 or email if you can help with this donation.

NSW - DCH Animal Adoptions
We need: puppy food

If anyone could help, by providing any puppy food we would be very grateful. DCH Animal Adoptions rescues cats, dogs & horses for a variety of reasons and has foster carers who volunteer their time & finances to helping those animals in times of need.

Please contact Karen Sinclair on 0403 878 052 or email if you can help with this donation.

NSW - Animal Welfare League
We need: Volunteer cat and or kitten carers

We urgently need people to care for an adult cat or 2. Or perhaps kittens until they get homes. If you are located in or near to the Eastern Suburbs we would love to hear from you. Transport is also always neeeded to get cats to the vet.

Please contact Eastern Suburbs Animal Welfare League on 0411 530 346 or email if you can help with this donation.

Give 'em shelter
"I always say, 'If you can't decide between a Labrador, Dalmatian or a golden retriever, come to the shelter and get a mix of all three," says Brown. But no matter what kind of dog, they always seem to appreciate what you did for them. "I don't think you can get a bad pet from a shelter, I think they know that you rode to their rescue." Read more...

Take The Heat Off Pets This Summer
The RSPCA is concerned dogs are still being put at risk by being left in parked vehicles on hot days. "We can't stress enough - dogs die in hot cars!" Read more...

(NSW) HELP! ARRG forced to close due to lack of funds
Animal Rights & Rescue Group (Northcoast) look to be forced to close by the end of the year 2006. Efforts to raise sufficient funds for their Animal Centre have been unsuccessful. Read more...

Long-term commitment may lead to giving pet away
If you're planning to give a pet as a gift, animal experts urge you to think carefully. After the holidays, unwanted Christmas pets often become too much for new owners to handle. "People with good intentions think Grandma needs a companion. People need to think about the reasons Grandma doesn't already have a pet." Read more...

Give a cat the gift of a new home
This can be a lonely time of year, people don't talk about that. There are people who would lose those holiday blues with the love of the right cat. There are cats who are pining for a gentle, kind human to give them a happy home. The holiday magic is when they find each other. Read more...

(QLD) Govt calls for corporate donations for new RSPCA shelter
The Queensland Government will spend $14 million to build a new RSPCA headquarters in Brisbane. The animal welfare group has been calling for funding for years, with staff fearing workplace health and safety concerns would force the closure of the existing facility at Fairfield. Read more...

(ACT) Dog, cat ownership laws to be toughened
There will be tougher conditions on dog and cat ownership in the ACT under proposed new laws. The compulsory age for cat desexing would be reduced from six to three months. Read more...

Little ball of fur' presents a serious commitment
I want a Christmas gift that requires me to, every time I go out at night to see a movie or hear a band, maybe go to a party, I want to contemplate - at some point in the night - bladders, and how long they can be held. Read more...

Give an older pet a chance these holidays
I got my dog Bonzo when he was seven and a half, as soon as people saw how old he was they passed him by. Bonzo has been part of my family now for four years and has been the best dog I have ever owned. He is very well behaved friendly with other animals and humans, he even likes cats. Read more...

8 tips on exercising your cat
Think of your cat and what it does most of the time. Right, and it's not aerobics. But cats need exercise too, if they are to stay healthy and not get obese. So how on earth do you go about doing this? Read more...

Help these paw pets
The number of animals being brought in has already increased this month, and will only get worse in January and February. Many people become stressed at Christmas time and can not put up with their pets. Others surrender their animals because they are unwanted gifts or stopped them going on holidays. Read more...

Unearthing ways to deal with your digging dog
When I stepped back outside to continue a rousing game of fetch, all I saw was an increasing pile of dirt with the back end and legs of my border collie at the lip of a crater that could hold an entire plastic lawn chair. My dog had become a digger. Read more...

Know dog before you commit
You may want to welcome a dog into your family, but rushing to do so without first learning about the breed could leave you with a pet you do not have the time and energy to maintain. And it could cost the animal its life. Read more...

You can still print a poster of an animal to stick up around your neighbourhood.

Help rescue with a click of your mouse!

Simply press the poster icon (visible at the top right of every pet listing) to print a pet poster .