Hello readers and friends,
Mad Cow of the Deluminators here to discuss my ‘pet’
project, Care of Magical Creatures!
As Sirius Black, good guy and part-time dog himself, once
said – “Judge a man not by how he treats his equals but by how he treats his
inferiors”. We concur. Now I’m not convinced ‘inferior’ is the word to describe
the non-human, but at the same time we do hold a position of superiority over
them. We have great power and responsibility, and frankly in a lot of areas we
haven’t done amazingly with either of those things. When it comes to the
unacceptable circumstances in which we’ve put our furry/feathery/scaly pals, we
Deluminators are passionate about using our own power to counteract some of the
damage.
We decided to start local, because unfortunately help is
needed in our own backyard, where so many animals are neglected, abused,
abandoned, and killed. (*Note, no animal-harming happens in our actual own
backyards. Only happy animals live in those. But the bad stuff does happen
closer than you’d think.) I’d heard of Monika’s Doggie Rescue but never knew
just how much amazing work it does in our region and how many ways I as an
individual could help out. So I decided to gather a couple of equally
enthusiastic reps and pay the shelter a visit to discuss what we could do, and
of course hang out with a bunch of dogs.
When we arrived and heard the surprisingly not-annoying
sound of a few hundred barks at once, one of us had to take a moment to
breathe, another took a moment to cry, and the third was yelling at everyone to
get out so he could get to the puppies. We also established the joint
understanding that any dog, regardless of age, was a puppy. Our excitement levels did not decline,
and we were probably very obvious first-timers. But the volunteers at the
shelter were friendly and appreciative of our help, and with a well-organised
system for dog walkers it was clear that the safety and comfort of the animals
was priority. The excitement of being in the company of multiple dogs aside, it
was genuinely enjoyable to take a stroll along the quiet roads surrounded by
fields and the valleys beyond. As
the dogs investigated every shrub (and puddle) they came across, and while we
all sat down for a while in the sunshine, it was clear they loved getting out
and having a bit of an adventure. Even if there was nothing else we could do,
contributing to the happiness of a pup was rewarding in itself.
But there WAS more we could do, so after puppy-walking we
stayed back to help with laundry and discuss future projects with a head
volunteer. One of the things we hadn’t thought about was the huge task that
laundry presents to Monika’s, as they provide clean blankets and towels for the
dogs daily. This is another task I’d recommend volunteers asking about when
they visit; it’s a sizeable job that needs to be done and is made a lot easier
with more people working at it. Other than that, we saw a lot of ways we could
be helping at different levels – MDR is grateful for donations of things like
food, treats, blankets and even sweaters in these colder months (for the little
dogs, not the volunteers). As well as this, fundraising is a main way we as a
larger group can really make a difference with this organisation. In addition
to the constant cost of caring for as many rescued dogs as possible, they are
currently working at such costly tasks as building more weather-proof shelter
for the animals. Discussion started immediately for us into all the possibilities
for animal-meets-magic-themed fundraising opportunities. Watch this space for
those plans!
Hanging out with the pups, seeing their individual
personalities and how happy they were to be with people, it was difficult to
wrap our heads around the fact that without Monika’s they would be ‘death row
dogs’. And I couldn’t help
thinking of how my own dog – whom I adopted through PAWS, another awesome
organisation we hope to help in the future – would have been the same. The
volunteers from PAWS were informed that she would have no place in a pound and
would have to have been euthanized. She was perfectly healthy, sweet-natured
and beautiful – but the fact that she was a large dog, primarily black (an
actual trend!), and already six meant she didn’t make the cut. This information
itself was a shocking insight into the situation of animal shelters and the
limited resources they have.
Last year, around 60 000 dogs were euthanized in shelters in
NSW alone. Upon hearing this, many blame the institution, but the fact is that
pounds simply don’t have the resources to accommodate for the sheer number of
animals abandoned and surrendered every day. Seeing the dogs at Monika’s, I was
comforted by the knowledge that they were at least safe from that threat. Doggie Rescue commits to the rescued
dogs for the rest of their natural lives if not adopted. But
as well as immense dedication by volunteers, this demands an incredible
monetary cost – which is completely reliant on donations, as they receive no
government funding. Help from volunteers like us is entirely necessary to help
keep these animals safe, whether already at the shelter or waiting on death row
in a pound.
Most people agree that they’d like to help combat this
unfortunate situation, but with its immense and global scale it can be
difficult to know where to begin. So we’re starting here and seeing how far we
can go. Anyone reading this can help in many ways:
- Keep an eye out for future projects and fundraisers we
will undertake for Doggie Rescue
- Visit the shelter yourself, walk some dogs and have a
great time in the process!
- Ask around and find out how you can raise money through
your school or work. Please contact us for assistance on this, and we can help
you carry it out.
- Talk to people about it! Awareness is everything! Spread
information about the importance of desexing pets, as well as the devastating
repercussions of puppy farms and store-sold animals. Tell everyone and anyone
who’ll listen to ADOPT DON’T SHOP (a
hashtag you have permission to overuse!)
And of course, be creative. Like all causes we Deluminators pursue, this can be so
hugely altered by the creative work of individuals, spreading the word and
enacting change that only escalates and grows. Knowing that the possibilities
are endless, and that the power of good people is all the magic we need, we are
excited to see what we can do for those who truly rely on us.
Contact us below, or on FB or twitter to get in on the
puppy-saving action!
Love and baby animals,
The Mad Cow (or my unofficial title, Alice)
