Rose's Refuge (2025)

23/06/2025

Four years ago, we were contacted about two cats who were literally moments away from being euthanised. A staff member had tried every rescue they could, but no one was able to take them.
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We weren’t really in a position to help either but then we saw their photos. Our hearts broke. We couldn’t say no.
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Both cats came to live with us. One was adopted by our close friend, Mowgli, stayed and became part of our family.
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Mowgli was a truly special cat. She didn’t like other animals but loved humans. She was affectionate but temperamental, full of personality and the most expressive little face.
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Just under a month ago, we found out she had cancer throughout her body. We never knew her exact age, but we didn’t think she was old, so the diagnosis came as a complete shock.
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Sadly, no treatment helped. Today, we had to make the kindest and most heartbreaking decision - we set her free.
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Her big, beautiful green eyes looked up at me one last time. This is the hardest part of rescue, the goodbyes. It never gets easier, especially when it feels like they still had so much life left to live.
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Our hearts are heavy tonight. Mowgli made special friends during her time here. She was loved deeply and helped us all see the beauty in earning the trust of a soul who had been let down.
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Sweet dreams, Mowgli. We love you so much. 💔
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19/05/2025

Bear Update
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Sorry for the delay in sharing this update — we’ve been unsure of what to say, as Bear’s future is still uncertain.
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Last week, Bear underwent an echocardiogram following concerns raised by the surgeon after his PDA surgery. Unfortunately, the scan revealed another heart condition that hadn’t been visible on his earlier echocardiogram: severe valvular pulmonic stenosis.
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This congenital heart defect causes the pulmonary valve — which controls blood flow from the right ventricle to the lungs — to be abnormally narrowed. As a result, Bear’s heart must work much harder to pump blood, which can lead to right-sided congestive heart failure.
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There are treatment options available, including balloon valvuloplasty (a minimally invasive procedure) or surgery. However, due to Bear’s small size, the cardiologist is currently unsure if he will be a candidate for either.
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We’ve been advised to wait two months before reassessing with another echocardiogram to see if surgery becomes a possibility. If not, the outlook is heartbreaking, as Bear will eventually succumb to heart failure.
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We’re doing our best to stay optimistic, but this is a very worrying time. Thankfully, Bear isn't suffering and is making the most out of every day. He's the happiest pup.
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Thank you to everyone who has kept Bear in your thoughts, donated to his medical bills, and shared our posts. Your support means the world to us.
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07/05/2025

Bear is Home 🐻

We were able to bring Bear home this afternoon, and we are so proud of how brave and resilient he has been through everything. After undergoing open heart surgery and having a rib removed, he’s now resting comfortably and soaking up all the love.

While this PDA surgery has hopefully given him more time, we’re still facing some uncertainty. Bear will need another cardiology appointment for further investigation, as his heartbeat remains loud.

Despite everything, Bear’s spirits are high—his strength and sweetness continue to amaze us. We are grateful to the surgeon and his incredible team for their care, expertise, and compassion.

We’re also incredibly close to reaching our fundraising goal for Bear’s surgery. If you’re able to help or share, we’d be so grateful. Every bit brings us closer to covering the cost of his life-saving treatment.

Thank you again to everyone who has sent love, support, and donations—it means the world to us and to Bear.

Rose's Refuge
BSB: 313–140
Account: 12313387

https://gofund.me/b8a76b8b

06/05/2025

Bear’s Surgery Update! 💜

Our brave little Bear made it through his surgery and is now in recovery. He underwent PDA surgery, which is typically straightforward, but it always came with risks.

Once the specialist surgeon began the open-heart procedure, they discovered Bear’s heart anatomy was not what they expected—it was abnormal and confusing. They called in a second specialist to consult, and together, they made a decision on how to proceed. They tied off what they believed needed to be done, and when Bear’s blood pressure became normal, it was a strong sign they got it right.

Not long after, however, they heard another heart murmur. They suspect there may be another issue with his heart, though we’re hoping it’s not serious. Due to the abnormal positioning of his anatomy, the surgeons had to remove one of his ribs just to reach the area they needed to operate on.

While we don’t yet know the full extent of Bear’s heart issues, we are so relieved and grateful that he made it through surgery. We’ve been advised to return to the cardiologist in a few weeks for more tests and to better understand what the future holds. The surgeon has prepared us for the possibility of further complications, but we are holding onto hope.

We were so excited for this surgery, as it was meant to give Bear a chance at a full and normal life. While things didn’t go as expected, we’re incredibly thankful for the skilled, compassionate team who adapted and got him through.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to the incredible surgeon and the dedicated vet nurses who cared for Bear with such expertise and kindness. Your commitment gave him a fighting chance, and we are so thankful.

03/05/2025

How cute is this trio! 😍

02/05/2025

Seeking Forever Homes for 10 Beautiful Sheep!

We’re looking for loving, lifelong homes for 10 wonderful sheep who are aged between 2 and 12 years. Ideally, we would love for them to stay together, but we understand that may not be possible. They are all related and can be adopted in smaller bonded groups.

About the Sheep:

*All males are desexed
*Up to date with worming and shearing
*Not overly social but will come over for food
*Gentle and peaceful nature — best suited to paddocks with space to graze
*Used to being around goats, horses, cows and other animals

Ideal Home Requirements:

*Secure fencing
*Kept as animal companions only (not for breeding or "meat")
*Committed to annual shearing, worming, vaccinations, and crutching when needed
*Willing to provide supplementary feed if pasture is low

We can help with transport within a few hours of Melbourne.

If you think you can offer these lovely sheep a safe forever home, please get in touch — we’d love to hear from you!

01/05/2025

Bear’s Journey – An Update

Bear saw a specialist vet today for his open-heart surgery.

We met with the surgeon and his student, who had already reviewed the echocardiograms from the cardiologist. After listening to Bear’s heart, they could immediately hear the severity of his condition.

Given Bear’s young age and small size, the team decided to postpone the surgery until next week, when their most experienced anaesthetist will be available. This is critical—having an expert solely focused on Bear’s vitals during the procedure allows the surgeon to concentrate fully on the surgery itself, which is especially important for such a high-risk case.

We always knew Bear’s heart murmur was serious and would need surgery asap, but we didn’t realise he is already in early heart failure. His left side of the heart is overloaded with blood. Thankfully, if the surgery is successful, it will fix the problem—but any further delay could make the condition irreversible.

Because Bear is so young and small, this type of surgery is riskier than it would be for an older dog. If it weren’t life-threatening, we’d be told to wait. But sadly, waiting isn’t an option.

The specialist was very honest with us and explained all the risks. Still, he told us that without surgery, Bear only have six months or less left. With that in mind, we believe the surgery is worth the risk. If successful, Bear will go on to live a full, normal life.

We feel confident in the surgeon and incredibly grateful—he was so kind and is offering us rescue rates, reducing the cost from $5,000 to $4,000. That generosity means so much.

Thanks to donations made to our bank account and the rescue rates, we've been able to lower the GoFundMe goal. We’re now nearly halfway to our target. We’re deeply thankful to everyone who has donated, shared Bear’s story, or simply kept him in their thoughts. Your kindness is truly overwhelming.

Thank you so much for your support. 💜

27/04/2025

URGENT: Help Save Bear's Life
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We’re racing against time to save a sweet little puppy who desperately needs life-saving PDA heart surgery.
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This precious boy is facing his biggest challenge yet. Bear has been diagnosed with a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)—a serious congenital heart defect that without surgery will lead to heart failure.
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The good news? Surgery can correct this issue with a 95% success rate and he can live a normal, healthy life.
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The bad news? We still need to raise $5,000 to cover the cost—and we only have a few days left as he is tentatively booked in for surgery this coming Thursday.
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Please help us give him a chance. Every donation, big or small, will go directly towards the surgery and aftercare that this brave little pup needs to survive and thrive.
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Rose’s Refuge is a registered charity and every donation over $2 is tax deductible.
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If you can’t donate, please share this post to help us reach more animal lovers who might be able to help. Time is critical and we’re counting on your kindness.
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Donate here: https://gofund.me/b8a76b8b

Rose's Refuge
BSB: 313–140
Account: 12313387
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Thank you for helping us give him a chance at life. Together, we can save Bear's heart.
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12/02/2025

So many cuties in one photo! My heart can't handle! 😍
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03/02/2025

Rest in paradise, Mango 💜
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Yesterday arvo, the heat wave took a toll on some of our animals.
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They were all doing fine until all of a sudden, they started struggling all around the same time. The humidity and the heat just became too much.
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Two hens in particular were brought inside immediately and put under the aircon to slowly cool them down without causing shock.
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Sadly, Mango experienced complications due to her age and what she was cruely bred for. Extreme heat can cause ascites, which unfortunately has no cure.
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The kindest option was to take her to the emergency vet and set her free.
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We will monitor the weather and humidity. Even if the hens look like they are doing fine, given their getting older, we will just assume they could be affected and bring them inside.
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Chia is still recovering but showing positive improvements. She has started eating and looking bright. She will stay inside until the heat wave is over.
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Please keep Chia in your thoughts.
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11/01/2025

I wonder what they are planning! 🤔😅😂
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📸 Collin (left), Hazel (middle) and Amber (right).
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10/01/2025

Our gorgeous turkey Harvey had a vet visit to get help with his bumblefoot.
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Bumblefoot is often caused by pressure sores on the feet from excess weight and is chronic in factory-farmed turkeys who are bred to grow very quickly
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Toe trimming is a cruel procedure used regularly within the turkey industry. The top of the three forward facing toes are cut off. It adds to the problem of pressure sores because they find it harder to balance. This means they aren't as agile and are not able to roost.
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Harvey has had bumble foot for years, which he copes well with but sometimes it gets worse, so we like to quickly get on top of it.
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For the next month, Harvey will be on antibiotics and have daily foot soaks. He has lost 5 kgs, which we are so happy about! Being lighter will definitely help. It's hard to keep the weight off birds designed to be hungry 24/7. ☹️
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If the medication doesn't work, surgery is an option but considering he's at the top end of his life expectancy, we worry about the stress on him. He is otherwise mostly healthy, so we hope he lives way longer because we can't comprehend a world without Harvey.
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Thankfully, Harvey isn't showing signs of pain in his feet, so for now, we will stick to this new treatment plan and hope it works.
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I wish everyone could meet Harvey and see how big turkeys personalities are. He is the first one to meet you at the gate, he is constantly with you, he loves having a chat, everything makes him happy, he loves everyone and is great in the car. The negatives are he is clumsy and crashes into you at full speed and also steals your food! 😂😂 I just love this guy so much!!!
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Rose's Refuge

23/06/2025

19/05/2025

07/05/2025

06/05/2025

03/05/2025

02/05/2025

01/05/2025

27/04/2025

12/02/2025

03/02/2025

11/01/2025

10/01/2025

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