Get the gifts for your furry friend that help another

IT’S 12 DAYS of Christmas this fortnight as Sweet Shephard Rescue kicks off their annual daily Christmas Auction with toys, beds, treats and all for your four-legged friend.

But behind the generous donations and incredible volunteers is one particular lady of note, Samantha who kicked off the rescue back in 2013 from Gippsland.

“I brought Mia from a breeder, and I wanted to adopt a second dog to partner with her; to be a friend,” Samantha said.

“When I was searching there were very few shepherds going through the rescues, and rescues were quite nervous around shepherds and they weren’t bringing them in; there was no breed specific rescue, so we started one!”

Fast forward 11 years, and Samantha currently has six shepherds of mixed origin and sub breeds that now call her property home and will see out their final days surrounded by fresh air and plenty of space to run and relax.

“I lost count over COVID how many came through our doors – we’re probably pushing close to 1200-1300 dogs over the years.

“COVID went nuts – there were a lot of anti-social dogs that have never left houses and had been brought at a very young age. At six to seven months, they would contact us, and we were getting a lot of six-to-twelve-month-olds surrendered for aggression, reactivity, separation anxiety, destroying things – the usual things when you adopt a dog at six weeks old and it hasn’t been socialised.

“People were also losing their homes and they couldn’t move into rentals with dogs; and finances was a big problem.

“People couldn’t afford the care – a lot of people who had dogs that needed surgery could financially afford it.”

Whilst Sweet Shepherd has catered for young and old alike over the years, their specialty and niche is medical rescue.

“Anything medical or orthopaedic that needs to happen comes through us. 

“It’s a big thing. Often dogs are brought in that are quite neglected and have been left too long without care because people can’t afford it – it’s a big problem.”

People facing financial difficulties are urged to reach out to a rescue or crisis fund early.

“People can surrender their dog to us, and we’ll take care of it. People can also have that conversation with their vet or see if any local rescues may help take their case on. Otherwise, there is the

Pet Medical Crisis fund that can help financially. But don’t prolong it…

“We’ve got a dog at the moment that has come in pretty awful and there really is no need for dogs to end up in that condition. He is literally just a bag of bones – he’s 20kg (a male shepherd averages 35-40kg), his skin is all infected and his ears are completely broken from infection after infection and aural haematomas. His coat looks like it’s about to fall off.

“If you’re struggling contact people early and try to get them the care they need early.

“If you see something, say something too – speak to the people, maybe they don’t recognise it’s gotten to a point out of their control. See if you can help. By ignoring it all you’re doing is allowing the dog to suffer for longer, and it happens a lot in rural.”

But with the heartache, there are also many precious memories.

“I love the seniors, the oldies that come here and live until grand old ages; it’s absolutely the best, especially if they’ve had a rough start to life.

“They get spoilt…”

And whilst relaxing on the sofa watching movies with a big ball of fluff might sound appealing, Samantha is very set on individuals and families doing their research; and rightly so.

“Research the type of dog you’re looking at, and research properly.

“We get a lot of working shepherds and Malinois in from homes that had no idea the working load of that dog. Research the right kind of shepherd, and if you’re not sure reach out to a rescue for that breed, because they will know some reputable breeders that they work with, or may have a suitable pup for adoption.

“We’re a small rescue trying to do as much as we can with as many dogs coming through as we can, and we rely solely on donations.

“We can spend anywhere between $200,000 and $300,000 a year on vet bills – we’re always open to donations from businesses and individuals, whether financially or with items.

“We also host fundraising events throughout the year, the upcoming 12 Days of Christmas, but due to the pandemic we have been unable to host our major fundraising events, and people are not as financially stable as they once were.”

She highlighted they also have three programs in place to assist those in need. 

“Our desexing program where we provide financial funds for those that need to desex their shepherds and we have a domestic violence program, where we can hold dogs for between two and four weeks in kennels so individuals can get back on their feet. 

“We also run our seniors and palliation program. Don’t just euthanise senior dogs for the sake of euthanising them. We will bring them into homes with older people or ourselves and take care of them – they get all the medical and vet care they require.”

Sweet Shepherd Rescue also has an amazing team of vets and specialist veterinarians behind them, including Inverloch Animal Doc and Hampton Veterinary Clinic.

And whilst Samantha has seen the beauty of animals working together, including the senior dogs keeping vigil alongside parvo puppies, she has very sound advice for those with dogs or looking to introduce them into the family.

“Don’t overexercise your puppy. Don’t let them jump up, on or over until their joints are formed – this includes on sofas and into vehicles. Go swimming or play with them in the backyard instead.

“The more you train an athlete, the more energy they’ll put out.

“Stimulate their brain, play with their senses and hide treats – mix it up. You don’t have to walk them every day.”

Check out the daily auction items on their Facebook page – @ssrainc or head to their website for more information and to donate this Christmas.