Latest news with #LostDogs'Home
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
The dog breeds walking into Melbourne shelters and those finding a new home
'They are cute and fluffy when they're little, but require a lot of care when they get older,' she says. McCarthy says the prevalence of staffies at the Lost Dogs' Home matched their popularity in the community as a cheaper breed that was readily available on websites such as Gumtree. Lost Dogs' Home statistics report the larger American staffy was the most common dog in its shelters over the past year. The organisation adopted out 175 of the breed. Second was a broad range of dogs recorded as a 'staffy'. Among those, 151 adoptions were recorded. The Lost Dogs' Home says breed classification is an inexact science because most dogs are brought in without any details about their background. Many were likely cross-bred, hence the broader staffy category includes a wider variety of dogs that could not be easily placed in a more specific breed type. 'But we have broadly seen an increase in staffies – both coming in and going out for adoption,' McCarthy says. 'They are incredibly smart dogs. They want to be sitting inside with their family, going on walks and socialising.' Her theory on those who gave up their staffies was the owners perhaps 'weren't quite aware of what goes into caring for them'. 'They are not aggressive by nature,' McCarthy says. 'We absolutely don't see it any more in staffies than we see it in, say, a Labrador.' Janice Hutton, the president of the Stafford Rescue Victoria, which rehomes smaller Staffordshire bull terriers, agreed. 'They get a bad rap, but they shouldn't,' Hutton says.
The Age
a day ago
- General
- The Age
The dog breeds walking into Melbourne shelters and those finding a new home
'They are cute and fluffy when they're little, but require a lot of care when they get older,' she says. McCarthy says the prevalence of staffies at the Lost Dogs' Home matched their popularity in the community as a cheaper breed that was readily available on websites such as Gumtree. Lost Dogs' Home statistics report the larger American staffy was the most common dog in its shelters over the past year. The organisation adopted out 175 of the breed. Second was a broad range of dogs recorded as a 'staffy'. Among those, 151 adoptions were recorded. The Lost Dogs' Home says breed classification is an inexact science because most dogs are brought in without any details about their background. Many were likely cross-bred, hence the broader staffy category includes a wider variety of dogs that could not be easily placed in a more specific breed type. 'But we have broadly seen an increase in staffies – both coming in and going out for adoption,' McCarthy says. 'They are incredibly smart dogs. They want to be sitting inside with their family, going on walks and socialising.' Her theory on those who gave up their staffies was the owners perhaps 'weren't quite aware of what goes into caring for them'. 'They are not aggressive by nature,' McCarthy says. 'We absolutely don't see it any more in staffies than we see it in, say, a Labrador.' Janice Hutton, the president of the Stafford Rescue Victoria, which rehomes smaller Staffordshire bull terriers, agreed. 'They get a bad rap, but they shouldn't,' Hutton says.
The Age
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
Tears, cheers and smears: Emotional council vote over animal shelter
A long-standing animal shelter in Melbourne's east has won a lifeline after a council narrowly voted against installing a new operator, following an emotional debate over euthanasia. Despite not submitting a tender, the Save-a-Dog Scheme (SADS) was granted a year-long contract extension by Stonnington Council on Monday night to run a Glen Iris pound while a new taskforce examines a long-term solution. The 5-4 vote for an amended motion went against chief executive Dale Dickson's recommendation to award the contract to the Lost Dogs' Home, the sole applicant whose euthanasia practices were fiercely disputed. More than 3300 people signed an online petition last month that said the Lost Dogs' Home was 'notorious for their high rates of euthanasia', while SADS had a 'no-kill' approach. But a spokesperson for the Lost Dogs' Home said they were 'disheartened' that some people had 'shared misinformation' about the charity, which operates in 16 other metropolitan councils. 'No one working in animal care wants euthanasia to be the outcome for an animal in need,' the spokesperson said. 'However, there are times when, despite every effort, an animal cannot be safely rehomed.' Jennifer Hunt, who spoke at the council meeting and runs an animal welfare charity, claimed the Lost Dogs' Home operations were 'disturbing', while SADS 'have never lost the public's trust'. But in a report, council officers backed the Lost Dogs' Home and said claims of unnecessary euthanasia were 'not legally correct or accurate' as the Domestic Animals Act required it in some cases, such as when an animal is severely injured or diseased.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Tears, cheers and smears: Emotional council vote over animal shelter
A long-standing animal shelter in Melbourne's east has won a lifeline after a council narrowly voted against installing a new operator, following an emotional debate over euthanasia. Despite not submitting a tender, the Save-a-Dog Scheme (SADS) was granted a year-long contract extension by Stonnington Council on Monday night to run a Glen Iris pound while a new taskforce examines a long-term solution. The 5-4 vote for an amended motion went against chief executive Dale Dickson's recommendation to award the contract to the Lost Dogs' Home, the sole applicant whose euthanasia practices were fiercely disputed. More than 3300 people signed an online petition last month that said the Lost Dogs' Home was 'notorious for their high rates of euthanasia', while SADS had a 'no-kill' approach. But a spokesperson for the Lost Dogs' Home said they were 'disheartened' that some people had 'shared misinformation' about the charity, which operates in 16 other metropolitan councils. 'No one working in animal care wants euthanasia to be the outcome for an animal in need,' the spokesperson said. 'However, there are times when, despite every effort, an animal cannot be safely rehomed.' Jennifer Hunt, who spoke at the council meeting and runs an animal welfare charity, claimed the Lost Dogs' Home operations were 'disturbing', while SADS 'have never lost the public's trust'. But in a report, council officers backed the Lost Dogs' Home and said claims of unnecessary euthanasia were 'not legally correct or accurate' as the Domestic Animals Act required it in some cases, such as when an animal is severely injured or diseased.
