Animal foster carers needed

CHALLY Animal Rescue are calling on people to step in and help foster medium and large dogs.

The Bendigo-based organisation is aiming to reduce the number of animals in the region’s shelters by placing them in foster care until they find their forever home.

“We are desperate for medium and large breed dog carers,” said team member Leesa Pickford.

“Anybody, whether it be small, medium, large dogs or cats and kittens, we wouldn’t say no to anybody.”

Carers won’t be out of pocket if they decide to help out as Chally looks after the animal’s needs while they are at the foster home.

“We provide for everything. We pay for their food and if they are fostering a cat, we’ll provide them with cat litter and food, toys, bowls, bedding,” she said.

“Whatever is needed we provide it, so the foster carer isn’t left out of pocket. The only thing we would ask the carers to do is drive them to a vet appointment but that’s paid for too.”

Finding the right match for the animals is the most important thing according to Ms Pickford.

“We make sure we match each animal that comes into a foster home that’s suitable. We’re not going to put a dog in a home that hates cats if they have a cat,” she said.

“We have them in homes and we get to know the animals really well. Because we get to know them really well, we know the sort of adopter we’re looking for.

“We’re happy to keep them with us until we find the right adopter, someone that suits them so they’re not going to end up going from home to home.”

Should fate step in and volunteer foster carers fall in love with their four-legged companions, they are allowed to adopt the animal but will have to submit an application.

Other considerations also must be made to determine if a foster carer can adopt the animal they have fostered.

“You’ll still have to go through the same process as everybody else and be chosen to adopt that dog or cat,” Ms Pickford said.

“We might have a carer that falls in love with a puppy and wants to put an application in for it, but they may live in a unit and that dog may be a working dog breed.

“We would have to say they fit in wonderfully now but when they’re an adult they’re not going to be happy.”