G'day,

To further our previous post - Fun4Paws yesterday received a call from the vet currently practising at King Lake. She told us that people in the area were desperate for kennels and beds for larger breed dogs. They have received lots of wonderful donations for the smaller breeds but sadly our larger breed friends are still going without.

At the first Funds4Paws (our non-profit organisation) meeting held yesterday (Saturday), we dedicated funds towards purchasing these items for the affected people. We have our PR gurus Marcus and Glynis contacting suppliers of these items to see what they will cost and to organise pick up and drop off. If you are able to assist with any of either of these items (for larger breeds - Labrador size and upwards) please contact us, all items will go to great use helping the people and dogs in need.

While currently we are supporting the King Lake area, we have people on the ground in other affected areas, speaking to the people and asking them what they require, we expect to hear that similar items are needed. Please keep a close eye on our website (www.fun4paws.com.au) as we will be keeping you posted on the items required.

Again, thank you to the Fun4Paws team for their energy and enthusiasm and thank you to you as the public for your wonderful support as we make a daily difference to the people and their animals.

Luke

 

The post below is written by Lynne Fitzsimmons and shares with you one of the experiences of a foster dog.

 

On the 25/02/09 Funs4Paws received a dog into foster care.

Her family has been completely burnt out & the elderly couples have relocated to their daughter's house who has a family dog and two small children. The mother has suffered ill health due to the stress of their current situation.

 

The family made the brave decision to have their beloved dog adopted into a new forever home.

 

On arrival at the foster carer's home the three and a half year old dog was wide-eyed and stressed, pacing and unable to be still.

All papers were signed and the owner left quietly and very sadly.

 

I spoke to the wonderful couple that fostered her in the interim the following day about how their night had gone.

 

The environment that the dog is in is very calm and quite, no children just two adults and someone is home fulltime.

 

At bedtime when they put the dog into the laundry and she jumped and cried at the door, as suggested the foster carer ignored the behaviour, as the dog received no attention for the behaviour she quickly settled for the night, sleeping right through.

 

The following day I called in to see the dog. She is now remarkably settled, happy to go sit on her mat is still following the foster carer around but has stopped pacing.

A different dog, no more wide eyes and the panting has stopped. When the dog came in to foster care it was reported that she was barking or had been since the emergency relocation to the daughter's house, so far not a peep out of her.

The difference is remarkable.

We have a prospective adoptive home for her and will certainly let you know if we need more for this dog and any future dogs that come to us from the bush fire areas.

 

Lynne Fitzsimmons

 

Luke - This wonerful dog has now been relocated to her new forever home and is settling in happily with her new family.

 

Also, you can see the new photo's in our gallery (apologies for the delay).

 G'day,

A lot has happened since our last post, the Fun4Paws team has been very busy! On Sunday, as previously mentioned Lynne and Marcus visited the Kinglake emergency relief centre. They had been practicing emergency care from a unused building off a plastic tressle table. They have minimal washing facilities, freezers or basic equipment. On Monday, the Fun4Paws team purchased a 2.4 metre long stainless steel table, collected together towels and crates on hand and delivered them to the hard working people in Kinglake. Tears ensued, today we made a real difference, once we had set the table up for them they examined a little dog who looked to have burnt paws. These items will benefit an untold amount of animals. (see gallery for photo's - tomorrow)

Marcus, one of the Fun4Paws team has been working away, quietly making phone calls.... he has managed to get a 700L drop freezer donated which will also help the Kinglake emergency relief centre. He is currently on the hunt for a commercial washing machine, let us know if you can help! Well Done Marcus!

Glynis and Jeannine have been busy organising and transporting donated goods and putting together an itinerary so that we can distribute goods effectively, not a small task! Jeannine has also been busy emailing and faxing all of the local kennels etc to ensure they know we are hear to be utilised. A great effort by the two of them!

Battery power on my laptop is quickly draining and there is no opportunity to recharge at the moment, I will look to update with another blog tomorrow!

Before I go, you might like to know that we have placed a number of dogs in foster care over the past couple of days ahead of the evacuation in the Dandenong ranges, Yarra Valley areas, they are now safe, away from areas under threat. As soon as it is safe to do so we will return them to their owners.

Until next time,

Luke.

G'day,

The Fun4Paws team has been busy assessing what we have achieved so far in our 'dog bushfire relief project'. We have also been discussing how we intend to continue our efforts.

When the bushfires first begun we responded to an expectation that there would be a need for temporary foster homes for pets. In order to meet that need, we extended our current dog minding model to include this free service. Currently many people from the bush fire affected areas are holding on to their animal friends as they have already lost so much. We expect this need to be more prevalent as people begin to rebuild or relocate.

Fun4Paws is now moving into the next phase of our project. We are focusing our efforts, going back into the bushfire zones and asking the people concerned exactly what they would like us to provide to make it easier for them to keep and care for their animals. We are also looking to support the vet hospitals that have assisted the animals, as they have expended so many of their resources for free. When speaking to the coordinators and community leaders within the affected areas, they have been very receptive to our offers of assistance.

Two of our volunteers, Lynne & Marcus, are in Kingslake and Whittlesea today continuing this process, and we will be heading to other affected areas in the weeks to come.

Some examples of what we are supplying are; dog kennels, portable yards, bowls, food, bedding, leads and collars. As they are required we will be shipping them to the relevant people and areas.

However we can help, we will, and this next fortnight will see major progress. Check our blog for up to date information, our aim is to keep you fully informed and to help the survivors of this terrible tragedy.

_______________________________________________________________

Update - I have just spoken with Lynne and Marcus who are currently at the emergency animal relief centre. They are desperate for veterinary supplies as their practice was burnt down in the fires. They are currently working out of another building using a plastic trestle table for consultation. We will let you know how we are able to help them.

Regards

Luke

G'day,


It's great to have a moment to get a post out to you! The past week has been incredibly busy, letting people know we are here for them as required.


On Tuesday, Lynne, Jeannine and I headed up to the bush fire affected areas of Hazeldene, Flowerdale, Yea, Springvalley Reserve, Strath Creek, Reedy Creek & Wandong. As we drove up our normal chatter ensued, discussing where we were going and what we planned to do. The greenery around us lulled us into a false sense of security. Having been to various places affected by fires over the past week I some how think that I am ready for what we see.... then we drive into Flowerdale. The shock hits me again, it is unbelievably quiet but the silence is a constant reminder devastation is only a glance away.


On our journey we were able to help a lost sheep on the road find her way home, (Dog Listening works with sheep too - at least partially). Also, we came across a Reedy Creek local, affectionately know as 'Grumpy'. Grumpy told us about a dog, whose owners are in hospital having been injured while evacuating, the neighbors are currently caring for the dog. We spoke with the neighbours, and while they were happy looking after the dog, they were struggling with the cost of food (as they had three dogs themselves). We supplied them with two weeks food and gave them our contact details, should they require more assistance.


In our first blog post we mentioned a farmer with dogs running loose on his property. Unfortunately, they haven't been seen since. We asked the farmer to feed the dogs each day to see if they come back and to gain their confidence at which time he will call us and we will assist in the collection of these distressed animals.


We will keep you advised on these dogs!

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Many of the fire survivors are understandably hanging on to their dogs as so many loved ones were lost. As time goes by we believe that more and more people will look to us for help as the practicalities of rebuilding their homes and lives continue, Fun4Paws is committed to the long term effort and support of these people and their dogs.

We thank the public for their wonderful response to our request for foster homes and donations and rest assured we will be there helping as the months roll on. If you have registered your details, please don't be deterred if you don't hear from us initially also, you can follow our progress here at www.fun4paws.com.au or on our blog.


Something that has warmed our hearts is the wonderful sense of community and true Australian spirit that lives strong in the hearts of the affected survivors.. and indeed in all Australians.

UPDATE
We have been contacted by a kennel in an affected area and will coordinate assistance as required. We will keep you updated via this blog so please check back and travel this journey with us.

Thank you again,

Luke
Fun4Paws - Proprietor

-Dog Walking
-Pet Care
-Behavioural Training

10.35 am Tuesday

Luke & Lynne are in the Yea district today, partly in response to a farmer's phone call. Several distressed dogs are wandering around his property. Luke & Lynne will try to catch them and bring them back. Stay posted for more news later tonight.

Best Wishes