Mate's Gift

14/09/2025

🌿🐾 We’re getting organised for something very special this October!

Our 2025 Mate's Gift Fundraising Tour is locked in and there are 12 of us heading over to Indonesia — ready to roll up our sleeves, meet with our amazing local teams, and make a real difference for animals and their communities.

This is a huge group effort, with people travelling from all over to come together in support of sterilisation clinics, parasite control, and on-the-ground animal care. We’re also linking arms with locals across different areas of Indonesia — because this work only happens when communities and supporters work side by side.

We’re SO excited for what’s to come, and we’ll be sharing updates and stories all along the way. Keep an eye out — and if you’d like to support, share this post so more people can see what we’re up to.

Together, we’re changing lives 💚


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13/09/2025

In Sumatra, the dog meat trade continues to operate in ways that are tragic, cruel, and horrendous.

Dogs are stolen from homes and the streets, packed tightly into sacks with their mouths tied shut, and transported long distances in unbearable conditions. Many die on the way from stress, heat, and exhaustion. Those who survive face violent slaughter — throats cut, stabbed in the heart, or even burned alive.

We know! It’s hard to read. But that’s exactly why we must act. Turning away doesn’t stop the cruelty — speaking up does.

Investigations by Toba Animal Friends Sumatra and Lady Freethinker have exposed the scale of this horror:

In Medan, around 200 dogs are killed every week.
In Pekanbaru, another 100 dogs per week.
In Bandar Lampung, another 100 per week.

This is happening despite existing government regulations. Some cities, like Pekanbaru, have already taken steps to ban the sale of dog meat — but without full enforcement across Sumatra, the suffering continues.

The truth is, the only way to stop this trade is by speaking up and joining together. Signatures are powerful. In Thailand, the dog meat trade was ended through international and local pressure. Now it’s time for Sumatra.

We need your voice. Please, add your name and share this petition to help bring an end to the dog meat trade in Sumatra.

👉 Sign here: https://chng.it/bxSPzQCrSB

10/09/2025

It’s hard to find the words today.

Our friends at ACT Dog Rescue in Bali have faced an unimaginable tragedy. One of their safehouses was completely flooded overnight. The water rose so quickly that the house partially collapsed, belongings were destroyed, and all the dogs had to be piled on tables in a desperate attempt to keep them safe.

Through the chaos, their beloved Samson panicked and tragically drowned. The surviving dogs are traumatised, older and blind dogs are struggling, and some of the rescued dog meat trade survivors are still too scared to be caught. Staff and their families have also lost everything — clothes, children’s school supplies, and every piece of sentimental value.

They are exhausted, heartbroken, and overwhelmed. And yet, they are still doing everything possible to save the lives of the remaining dogs.

If you pray or have a higher power, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

How you can help:
If you’re in Bali: foster homes are urgently needed.

If you’re in Bali: donations of unwanted furniture, beds, and appliances will help families start again.

Financial support will make the biggest difference right now.

Please share this post to spread the word.

Direct donations (no fees):
Account Name: Mate’s Gift (C L Reeves)
BSB: 923100
Account Number: 17858777

Our hearts are with the team, the animals, and everyone impacted by this devastating flood. 💔

Picture taken of one of the ACT little friends in June 2025 by Emily

09/09/2025

October Fundraising Tour – Collection Call-Out

As we prepare for our 2025 Mate's Gift Fundraising Tour in October, we’re organising the “stuff” we’ll be taking over – everything from unused medications for rescues, to out-of-date flea and worming treatments, to prescription glasses and pre-loved (or new) bras.

The idea is simple: instead of these items going to landfill, we can put them to good use – helping the women, people, and animals in the villages we’ll be visiting this October.

Donations can be dropped off at:
Hairy Hounds Playground
12 Bentley Street, Williamstown North
7am – 7pm weekdays

Not nearby? Items can also be posted – so if you have friends or family who’d like to contribute, please share this with them.

Let’s take over a heap of goodies to make a real difference. Please help, please share, and let’s spread the love.

08/09/2025

We want to take a moment to thank four amazing humans from right here in the Altona area (4 shy people who would like to remain anonymous). They’ve spent countless hours sewing and putting together 100 packs of reusable feminine hygiene products — that’s 800 pieces in total.

For the women and girls in Tangkahan, this is life-changing. Without access to products, they can’t go to school or work. Even though the government encourages reusable options, they still charge for them, which makes it impossible for many families to afford.

This is something we’ve been doing through Mate's Gift for years now (before COVID), because it’s simple, practical and it changes lives. And this is exactly what Mate’s Gift is about — kindness that makes a real difference.

From all of us at Mate’s Gift, and from the women and girls in Tangkahan who will use them — a very big thank you to the 4 very special people involved.

And thanks to the 12 guests travelling on our 2025 Mate's Gift Fundraising Tour in October, we’ll be able to deliver all 100 packs on trip.
Very exciting!!!

05/09/2025

A very big thank you to Anita from Pipsqueaks Photography for capturing our special day and sharing with supporters 💚💚

02/09/2025

$15,085 Raised at Sunday Sippers!

What a day. Bigger, better, and busier than ever before — and together we raised $15,085 for Mate’s Gift.

Yes, it’s a little lower than last year, but we’re not disappointed. Times are tough financially for everyone right now, which makes this total even more incredible. Every ticket bought, raffle entered, item bid on, and donation made matters. You showed up, you gave what you could, and you helped us make a real difference.

This money will go straight to the heart of what we do — sterilisation clinics, parasite control, the Mate Mobile in Bali, supporting Toba Animal Friends and ongoing care in Tangkahan. In short, it means fewer unwanted litters, healthier pets, and more security for the grassroots teams who do the hard work every single day.

Sunday Sippers wasn’t just about raising money. It was about bringing people together, sharing the story of who we are and why we do this — from Ryan Godden / Pete's Mission Animal Rescue in Thailand, to ACT Dog Rescue in Bali, to Toba Animal Friends Sumatra and our parasite program in Tangkahan. So many people left knowing Mate’s Gift for the first time, and that reach is priceless.

We’re so proud of what this community has built. Proud of our friends on the ground — Beni Sitepu, Pirman, Ryan, Anita, Ebony, Cari and so many others doing the hard stuff, living the rescues, carrying out the rehabs, and making the decisions that change the lives of so many animals. And proud of every single person who chose to support us yesterday.

From the bottom of our hearts: thank you.

The October clinics are just around the corner, and thanks to you, we’ll be ready. Stay tuned — there’s plenty more good to come.

— The Mate’s Gift Team

30/08/2025

On the eve of Sunday Sippers, we want to say the biggest THANK YOU!!!!

Tomorrow’s Mate's Gift Sunday Sippers event simply wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our incredible sponsors. Every single donation, voucher, prize and bit of support has helped us bring this day together – and we are so grateful.

In today’s climate, it’s no small thing to step up and give. These businesses and individuals have done exactly that, and we’d love for you all to help us share the love 💛

Sponsors, don’t forget to share this post and let your communities know how amazing you’ve been – you truly deserve the spotlight!

Let's celebrate each and every one of you 👏

Junction Beer Hall & Wine Room, Best Friend Holiday Retreat, Hairy Hounds Playground, Bayshore Villas and Bayside Bungalows, Sarah Jane May - art, Corked Werribee, Frog Dog Studios, Candied Bakery Australian Animal Oral CareKylie & Katy Acoustic Duo, The Bark Bakery Barry Plant Werribee Tarneit, Lani Cosmetic Tattooing Chatterbox Cafe, White Dog Studio - Yarraville/Footscray Dog Town Pet Supplies Dr Taylah Locastro, Super Feedy Lavanya Spa RetreatPipsqueaks Photography, The Bark Bakery, Jona David, Hop Nation, Feel Good Foods, Griffin Grace Design,'s Pup Shop, Koko’s Baked Goodness, Oh Crap Railway Hotel Yarraville Sun Theatre, Reading Cinemas Millers Junction, Puppy Pub Crawl, Seagulls Laundromat, Stretch Club, Global Ballooning Australia The Painted Pooch Pet Portraits

30/08/2025

Online Auction closes at 5pm tomorrow!

Don't miss out.

Thanks again to Bayshore Villas and Bayside Bungalows for supporting us, as well as Sarah Jane May - art, Aiden Oliver, Frog Dog Studios, Hairy Hounds Playground and a couple of anon folks who have donated a Ghanda clothing voucher and a Queensland holiday at The Regent apartments. An amazing bunch of humans!

Silent auction 'Mate's Gift - Online Sunday Sippers Auction' hosted online at 32auctions.