SINCE August, Knox, a three-year-old mastiff cross great dane, has been at Bendigo Animal Relief Centre, also known as BARC, waiting for a new home.<\/p>\n
Described by shelter staff as a gentle giant, Knox, like other large dogs is often overlooked in favour of smaller breeds.<\/p>\n
Operations manager at BARC Fra Atyeo said finding homes for larger breeds of dogs is a challenge because of assumptions they are harder to care for.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir size can be a little bit intimidating, people think that they can much harder and more difficult to walk, and that\u2019s certainly not the case,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA small dog without training can be quite rough on the end of the lead, big dogs with training can be quite easy to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
A common misconception is larger dogs eat more and require more exercise, but Ms Atyeo said this has more to do with the breed than the size.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got some big dogs in our care here that are over 40 kilos and have got slow metabolisms, so they don\u2019t particularly need a great deal of food.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir slow metabolisms mean they\u2019ve got a fairly lazy sort of lifestyle that they want to lead, and they\u2019ve got training so they\u2019re easy to walk.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want people to come in and meet these dogs and see what they\u2019re like,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
When choosing a dog to adopt, Ms Atyeo said it\u2019s better to look at breed and temperament instead of focusing on size.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome breeds of bigger dogs tend to be very calm and docile in noisy environments because they might have breeds in them that make them more observational dogs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about matching what your lifestyle is, and what it is that you do, and finding the type of dog that best fits in with that situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
All dogs that are brought or surrendered to BARC are given medical and behavioral assessments to gauge their suitability to be rehomed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom that behavioral assessment we determine what sort of home they would best fit,\u201d Ms Atyeo said.<\/p>\n
BARC provides healthcare and socialisation to all dogs in their care, and once adopted will assist the animal to settle into their new home with 30 days of free training and support.<\/p>\n
Dogs with a violent history or that fail to pass the assessments are either relocated to facilities that can rehabilitate them, or in some cases euthanised.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we believe it can be rehabilitated, they are transferred to an organisation that has the capacity to do that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
BARC currently works with approximately 20 groups in Australia that provide medical and behavioral rehabilitation to rescue animals.<\/p>\n
The shelter will only euthanise dogs when they pose a risk to community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t adopt out animals that we feel are a risk, so that people can feel safe knowing that they have gone through behavioral assessments\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Once dogs have been assessed as suitable for adoption, BARC will care for them as long as it takes to find the animal a new home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say the average length of stay for a small dog would be three to five days, but the average length of stay for a big dog would be in excess of three weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t run on time limits at all, if a dog is suitable, he\u2019s suitable and it\u2019s not his fault the right people aren\u2019t coming in the door,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In the case of Knox, Ms Atyeo said she can\u2019t believe he\u2019s been in the shelter for more than 60 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can be a little bit goofy but really, he\u2019s the sort of dog that just sits in front of you and offers you his paw because he just wants you to pat him on the head and tell him he\u2019s a good boy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Knox is currently available for adoption at half the normal price.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SINCE August, Knox, a three-year-old mastiff cross great dane, has been at Bendigo Animal Relief Centre, also known as BARC, waiting for a new home. Described by shelter staff as a gentle giant, Knox, like other large dogs is often overlooked in favour of smaller breeds. Operations manager at BARC Fra Atyeo said finding homes […]<\/p>\n