Billyswagtails - Canine Massage Therapist

06/12/2024

Important Update for Pearcedale Pawdock

After much consideration, we’ve made the decision to lock the gate at Pearcedale Pawdock for now. It’s been a truly wonderful experience to share this space with our community—a safe haven for dogs to have fun, and for owners with reactive dogs to exercise them securely. We believe we’ve helped fill a much-needed gap in the area, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.

We’ve always aimed to give back where we can, offering free visits to rescues and those in need, and we are so grateful to everyone who supported and cared for our space.

Right now, our focus needs to shift to family as we navigate some significant health challenges, including Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and my gran’s ongoing recovery after breaking her leg and hip.

We want to thank everyone who visited, shared photos, and respected our space—it’s meant the world to us.

Stay tuned for updates! We’ll share details soon about a new alternative space nearby that you’ll be able to book once it opens.

03/12/2024

Talking to some Rescuers yesterday who have been around the block a few times - and we view this kind of information with affirmation.

That large organizations are not to be trusted with your money.

"People are noticing they aren't doing their jobs but they are happy to take corporate wages for the pleasure of rescue cleaning up after them......."

It is a fact. People are leaving more bequests/money to Rescue Groups. Some Rescues here in Melbourne alone are running million dollar businesses. And THEIR focus is on the animals.

While RWL is very small fry in a very big pond - there are grass roots Rescuers doing far more with far less - and it is showing.

We were once an annoyance to shelters/pounds and Government, we are now quite the army of overworked women who are doing it for themselves. And are leading the way.

22/09/2024

When a friend sent me this post this morning it was like a gut punch. This is how we are feeling right now. A sinking ship in an ocean of dogs that need help. Please have some understanding for our situation right now. We cannot take on any more dogs or help with any more vet bills. I hope things improve. Please support our fundraisers when you can. Or donate if possible.

Every time rescue is asked to take an owner surrender- we have to somehow make room on our little raft for that dog. When an owner says stuff like “I don’t have time to give them the best life” or “I have to move” or “they have too much anxiety” it really falls flat because that means if we bring them on the raft, another dog out there in the freezing water gets to die.

Every day in rescue we adjudicate life and death by gate keeping who can get on the boat.

Rescues and shelters are the tiny rescue boats.

The ship is our community at large.

The iceberg is comprised of puppy mills, careless owners, backyard breeders, and a$$hats who won’t spay/neuter.

* Copied and reshared *

Mornington Peninsula Dog Rescue Incorporated

21/09/2024

Please sign this so we can go for our long treasured walks to our beautiful beaches.

7 signatures are still needed! Open Birdrock Beach

10/09/2024

We're supaw excited to be working with our friend Karen Billyswagtails - Canine Massage Therapist 🐶

Karen is a jill of all dog trades... Canine Massage Therapist, Trainer and even Doggy/Pawrent Paddleboarding Instructor!! 😆

If you're looking for therapeutic massage for your pup, group socialisation walks or some fun in the sun paddleboarding with your bestie on Port Phillip Bay, Karen's your girl! 😽

29/08/2024

‼️DAKOTA URGENTLY NEEDS A FOSTER OR FOSTER TO ADOPT HOME‼️

Dakota is living in kennels and her welfare is becoming compromised being in this environment.
Please help us help Dakota 🙏🏼

A LITTLE LOST IN THIS BIG, SCARY WORLD 💔

Darling little Dakota is desperate to find her perfect forever home, our girl hasn’t had the best start and at just 12 months old, gave birth to a litter of pups. Dakota’s pups have now all found their forever homes, it is time for Dakota to shine and start the life she deserves.

Dakota is a working line German Shepherd, now 16 months old, she has lots of energy to burn and is looking for an active home that can meet both her physical and mental stimulation needs. Dakota is looking for someone that has experience with working breeds that has plenty of time and energy to put into her.

Dakota grew up on a farm with minimal exposure to the outside world, she is slowly being introduced to the big scary world around her, but this will be an ongoing process and take time. Dakota is looking for a home in a quiet area, she would love to live on property with a big secure yard so that she can run as much as she pleases.

Dakota enjoys meeting new people, she is very friendly and will jump up to say hello to everyone she meets, she is especially fond of them when treats are on offer and will show her best sit for any type of food. Dakota is a fairly gentle girl and would suits homes with children above the age of 5 that are dog savvy.

Dakota can display anxious tendencies at times, especially when out walking, when on lead she sometimes panics when she feels pressure whether it be on a collar or harness and will jump around and protest, chewing her lead to be free, it is clear she has spent time tied and chained up previously. Dakota calms down with reassurance and does well when kept walking or distracted with treats, this is all very new and overwhelming for her.

In consultation with our vets, we are trialling Dakota on medication to help reduce her anxiety so that she can come out of red panic zones and feel safe so that she can learn and take things in. Dakota will need to be on this medication for the foreseeable future with the eventual goal of weaning her off it, GSRV will assist with the ongoing management of this for Dakota.

Dakota loves food, and she adores playing with toys, ripping up soft toys and killing squeaks is her absolute favourite! Dakota will need to be given plenty of mental enrichment in her new home, treat puzzles, kongs, snuffle mats and other activities to keep her busy mind working.

Dakota is very clever and is super food motivated, she would love to part-take in regular training and may enjoy doing dog sports such as agility or fly-ball. Dakota would benefit working 1 on 1 with a trainer and her owner so that she can reach her full potential.

Dakota is conflicted around other dogs, some she is able to walk past and ignore them, at other times she becomes panicked and is too stressed to appropriately say hello. Dakota is best suited as the only dog in her new home, she will need to work up to dog introductions and meeting others overtime.
Dakota has not been tested with cats or other small pets, we believe she would chase them if given the chance.

We know we are asking a lot for this little girl, but we are hoping there is someone out there that can offer her the perfect home, that there may just be someone that needs Dakota as much as she needs them. We want to give Dakota every chance and to help her cope with the world, she is currently staying in kennels, and this stressful, confined environment isn’t going to help her.

Dakota has so many good qualities, she is driven, super sweet and ready to have fun at any opportunity, we know in the right home, this girl will thrive.

If you have experience with working breed dogs, are an understanding and patient person willing to help Dakota find her place in this world, then please, complete an adoption application form via our website or email [email protected] if you are already on our waiting list and wish to adopt Dakota.
We are also accepting long-term foster applications for Dakota.

www.gsrv.com.au

MC: 956000016288779
PER: RE146569

26/07/2024

Well …. You certainly can’t argue with this 😂😂

03/07/2024

Millie is a beautiful 5-year-old Labrador who was surrendered… Erin Shaw (MPDRI) needs your support for Help Millie Walk Again: Fund Her Life-Changing Knee Surgery

16/06/2024

14/06/2024

UPDATE! Please sign the petition https://chng.it/7WB55NnSSD

KEVIN’S STORY! We were contacted by a lady on Tuesday night at 9pm who had three hungry cats visit her house in Burwood. Kevin was a sprightly healthy friendly boy probably about 8-10 months old and had a congenital foot deformity from birth, which you can see below. It didn’t seem to bother him. We organised to help Kevin and the other mum and baby and asked her to keep feeding the trio and keep them inside. Kevin didn’t have a name but we owed it to him to give him one and respect his memory.

Unfortunately she was impatient and at 9am on Wednesday morning she contacted RSPCA NSW to come and get him. They had a vehicle in the area and picked Kevin up from the lady and told her that his foot was the result of a birth defect and they would probably kill him as a last resort. They would not take the mother and kitten (wearing a jumper) that was with him (luckily as it turned out). We surmise they were a neighbours cats looking for food.

We started posting for assistance for Kevin and his two little friends on Wednesday night not knowing the RSPCA had already swooped in. The lady who was caring for them told me after we posted and we had arranged to assist her, that she had called RSPCA and they had come and taken Kevin but not the others.

As it was too late to contact RSPCA on Wednesday night, our volunteer Lesley phoned them around 8.30am Thursday morning asking if he was alive and that we would take him into our care. She was told by the receptionist he was at their Yagoona shelter and she would update her by calling her at 10.30am. She didn’t say any more than that. Lesley never got the call. At 11am Lesley phoned again and the receptionist she spoke to was on another call and so she left her details asking for the receptionist to call her. At 2pm yesterday Lesley still hadn’t heard from them so she called and found out they had killed Kevin less than 24 hours in their care. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED! 😡😡

We then phoned RSPCA immediately as we got the text from Lesley that he was dead. 😩😭

The response from the receptionist was that he wasn’t microchipped or registered as the justification for killing him. I reminded her that RSPCA as with all animal shelters has an obligation under the law to hold stray animals for 7 days. I asked to escalate the matter and asked to speak to management. She said someone would call us. We didn’t receive a call so phoned again later yesterday afternoon only to be assured someone would call us. WE ARE STILL WAITING.

Just to give you context Sydney Street Cats receives upto 5 referral calls each day from RSPCA NSW asking people to contact us to rescue their cats. We are a one man band volunteer operation who punch well above our weight rescuing cats. We are NO KILL and have rescued 1,200 street cats in 10 years and have only had to put a handful of cats to sleep over the years through end of life or being mortally injured. We treat every cat that is injured or sick we don’t spare any expense they all go on to live their best lives.

RSPCA NSW kill 28% of cats that come into its shelter (over 4,000 in 2023). They receive $65million in annual revenue and has $136million in cash reserves and a brand new $35million shelter in Yagoona. They have hundreds of paid staff members and a CEO purportedly on $500,000 a year. People tell me there never seems to be animals there.

We are still waiting to hear from you on why you thought Kevin’s life was not worth anything RSPCA!! And why you did not hold him for 7 days as per the law. He is not feral and his foot is easily treatable.

Who holds RSPCA to account when they fail to help animals when we in rescue work so hard around the clock giving our own money and resources to stop animals ending up there and giving them the best chance to live. Because at the end of the day that’s what any animal wants. It’s up to us to make that happen.

DO BETTER RSPCA! We won’t let this rest and will keep going for Kevin. We love you Kevin💕😢sleep well you beautiful boy

NSW government contacts to complain about RSPCA NSW
EMAIL/ CONTACTS – please add your Mayor and Councilors
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
------------ text in email to include the following ------------
To: The Hon. Ron Hoenig MP Minister for Local Government,
The Hon. Emma HURST, MLC (Chair, Animal Welfare Committee),
Ms Abigail BOYD, MLC (Substitute Member, Portfolio Committee No. 8 - Customer Service, for Pounds in New South Wales)