By Mikayla van Loon
Each year hundreds of dogs are saved from euthanasia and fostered by volunteers right across the state by Starting Over Dog Rescue.
Having attempted to foster himself but eventually adopting, Kilsyth’s Claws n Paws Pet Supplies owner Rob Thompson knows the impact this organisation has.
“All the dogs they get have got a story,” he said.
Taking part in Kong Day over the course of a month to have more impact, Mr Thompson said he knew instantly where his donation would go.
“Anyone who bought a Kong with us over that month, we kept track of the numbers and they would donate an equivalent number of what they call a second, so some have blemishes or little marks or they’re finished models and it was up to us to choose how we distributed that,” he said.
This donation will go to dogs like Cosmin and Edite, sisters located in Wentworth and taken to the pound with 13 other dogs from the same abandoned house.
So malnourished when they were found they looked like they were only three months old but a vet check of their dental showed they were closer to six months old.
As a staffy cross breed, they both developed hereditary but severe mange, making their skin look red raw and irritated.
Currently living with Roz, a foster carer in Chirnside Park, Cosmin and Edite have been receiving treatment for their mange, seeing their skin transform and their weight come back to normal.
“When I got them out of the transporter’s car, I was just about in tears. They were boiling hot and absolutely red raw. There was blood, there were sores all over them,” she said.
“But with good treatment, good loving, it’s so easy to treat, but people obviously didn’t bother.”
Not only are they medically different dogs but they have gained a small amount of confidence in humans, which will only grow by the day.
“They’ll be with me for a while, which hopefully they’ll get a lot more confident,” Roz said.
There’s approximately 400 foster carers around the state and a number of volunteers doing large and small parts to pick up and transport dogs to their new temporary homes.
Annually, Starting Over typically rescues 1200 dogs from rural pounds on the day they are due to be euthanised.
Mr Thompson said Claws n Paws usually doesn’t like promoting the purchasing of animals in December because they should never be gift but donations like this go a long way in supporting what Starting Over does.
“The foster carers can’t afford to buy everything for every dog they come across. So our thought was about giving them to a dog that might not otherwise have a toy and they can take it home with them,” he said.
Starting Over really values finding the right home for the dog, meaning each foster carer handles the adoption applications.
“We don’t care what age they are, we don’t care what they’ve got. We don’t care how much it is. It’s about giving them a second chance,” Roz said.
To find out more, go to startingoverdogrescue.org.au or follow Start Over on Facebook to see updates on the dogs and the ones ready for adoption.
