Adoption information
I've been adopted!
About Whiskey
*ON TRIAL* The first day Whiskey came to Onyx Rescue, he was very fearful of me. As I pulled into the drive for the first time, a place with which he was unfamiliar, he slipped my grasp and ran away. Disaster. I couldn’t get within 20 metres of him. I chased and chased until we were streets away and he was out of sight. Defeated, I took the long walk back home, mulling over my options.
As I approached my house, I saw a little brown figure waiting for me at the doorstep. To this day, I’ll not understand how Whiskey knew this was the place he was meant to be. He didn’t know me, nor my residence. But there he was. He’d made his way back from quite a distance and beaten me back to my house.
It only took two days before we were best friends. He would sit at my feet, put his paws on my lap for head scratches, try to engage me in a game.
Whiskey, a six year old Australian Terrier, is a scruffy little ball of contradiction. He is a soft, sensitive soul who can be as tough as nails.
He will care for, lick, groom and watch out for his canine buddies, whom he plays with well, but put them in their place with absolutely no fear if they overstep the mark. Having said that, his tolerance for some of their silly puppy ways is quite high.
Whiskey is very affectionate with his chosen people and loves to be patted, often rolling over for a belly rub or jumping on your lap for cuddles. However, he is a work in progress with strangers and will not be touched by them until he gets to know and trust them.
Whiskey finds children a bit overwhelming and would do best in an adult home with experienced dog owners who understand his needs and are willing to continue to work with him to overcome his hesitation with strangers.
This gorgeous scruff, has a tough little terrier heart but a soft and gentle spirit. He will often give his special people long, slow, loving licks to impart his affection and gaze at them with his gorgeous, big brown eyes.
At the park, Whiskey is a good boy who politely meets other dogs, however he cannot be allowed off leash in an area that is not enclosed as he tends to believe the ‘come’ command is optional and chasing him turns into a game.
Whiskey was very loved in his last home, and indeed his prior owners came straight back down to retrieve him on that day he slipped my grasp. But their children were stressing him out and his people knew he needed a more tranquil home.
Do you have that peaceful environment where Whiskey can settle and concentrate on loving and protecting his people? Do you have the patience to continue to work with him to overcome his hesitation around new people?
This boy is absolute gold and so, so incredibly endearing. He is not a nervous soul at all in the right environment and his progression with strangers has been immense.
If you think you’re the family for Whiskey, please see the application instructions below.
Medical notes
Whiskey had a patella luxation correction on his hind knee this year. He is in good health and runs around like nothing has happened.
Adoption details
Please email us a little bit about yourself. We do not operate on a first-in-best-dressed basis. Instead, our aim is to find the most suitable forever home for the animals in our care.
Your email should include details about who lives at your home, both humans and animals and what their daily schedules and living arrangements are like. It should include details about your previous dogs and a thorough break down of the house rules you will have for this pet as well as what their typical day will look like.
It may take a couple of weeks to process the applications. Please try to be patient. All applicants will receive a response - but it may not be an immediate one.
If your application seems promising you will be contacted for a telephone interview. Should this be successful you will be invited to a meet and greet and asked to send photos of your property.
Should the meet and greet end favourably, you may pay the adoption fee, sign some paperwork and take the pet on a two week trial during which time you will be asked to provide regular updates.
During this trial period the pet remains the property of Onyx Rescue and adoption will only be finalised following a successful trial.
See some of my previous rescues and keep up with the status of our current rescues by joining here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748478285317783/
AN OPEN LETTER TO APPLICANTS:
We hate to disappoint people. It’s something that really upsets us, but unfortunately it comes with the territory of what we do. So we want to take the time to explain something.
When we take on a dog, we make a commitment both to that dog and the former owners of that dog to find this fur-kid their perfect forever home. Our primary criterion in order to achieve this is whether that home is a good match for that dog. Each dog can have vastly different needs from the next and every home is different.
Sometimes well-intentioned people put their friends in touch with us, sometimes we are approached by friends or even family in relation to a particular dog. However, we have made a promise not to compromise on my commitment and we have to turn them down.
This isn’t a reflection of their dog ownership skills, nor how we feel about them personally. Our decision will always come down to whether we believe that they are a match. Not just any match - the best match.
Sometimes we are lucky to have several interested parties who would be a good match and it can be difficult to choose between them. Our ultimate decision will, however, not be influenced by our relationship with this potential adopter, be it secondary or primary, nor the number of times they have applied and missed out previously, nor whether they applied first, nor the number of times or methods used to contact us about a particular pet, but whether or not they are the BEST match available.
So if you know someone who is interested in any of the dogs at Onyx Rescue, or you are interested in one yourself, please go through the proper channels and send your application through Petrescue. Please do not take offence if you or your friends are not chosen - this only means that there was someone who was a better match. Not a better person, not a better dog owner, but a better match.
We believe there is a home for every dog and a dog for every home, so if you’ve not been chosen previously please do not give up applying - the next one may be your perfect dog.
Thank-you to everyone who supports what we do here - it means the world to us and the beautiful fur-kids seeking homes.
This pet has been adopted and found love with its new family.