Last financial year, nearly 3800 animals came into the care of the Geelong Animal Welfare Society (GAWS), including more than 1000 dogs. At any one time, there can be up to one hundred dogs in the GAWS shelter, who are sometimes there for a month or more while they wait to find their forever home.
It can be an anxious and stressful time for these animals, and they need your support. By giving to the GAWS Winter Appeal, you’ll be helping to provide all the necessities for their stay so the team can focus on delivering what our furry friends need most: lots of love and care.
A dog’s life
Dogs come to GAWS for many different reasons – perhaps their owner can no longer look after them, or they have been abandoned – and some have had very difficult upbringings. No matter where they have come from, the vets at GAWS will do a full health check on arrival to make sure any urgent medical needs are promptly attended to.
Along with this vital veterinary care, these dogs also need food, vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, desexing and rehabilitation – and that can really add up. On average, it costs $55 a day per dog to cover all their medical care and essentials.
Then there are all the other things they need to help make their stay at GAWS a happy one, like the foster care program, so that dogs have a nice warm place to stay while the GAWS team get to work finding their forever home. They also need toys to keep dogs happy and engaged during the day.
That’s where the GAWS Winter Appeal comes in. Donations will go towards veterinary care and all of the essentials for the dogs while being prepared for rehoming.
Once they’ve been adopted, these dogs can look forward to a happy and healthy future (and lots of fun with their new family). But their future would look very different without GAWS, the tireless work of their team and the generous support of our donors.
Scout’s story
This month, we’ll be introducing you to Scout, a Staffy mix who was surrendered to GAWS in January. Follow along with our four-part series to find out how Scout came to be in the care of GAWS, all about his time in the shelter and what life is like with his new family (hint: it includes being VERY spoilt).
Donate to the GAWS Winter Appeal today to help dogs like Scout – and thousands of other animals – find a happier, healthier future.