Beaks & Whiskers Animal Rescue & Sanctuary

16/02/2025

>>>> I FOUND SANCTUARY AT BEAKS & WHISKERS

15/02/2025

Yesterday was also World Pangolin Day, so let’s touch on how these little guys are going.

Did you know that these unique little creatures are the most trafficked mammals.

Pangolins are highly vulnerable to illegal poaching due to countries such as China and Vietnam using their scales for traditional medicine and their meat which is considered a delicacy. This is despite the fact that there is no evidence of a pangolin's parts having any health benefits.

In America, pangolins skins are used to make leather products such as boots, belts and bags.

Despite pangolin being protected under the national and international laws, that does not stop the illegal trade of pangolin which has sadly only increased.

It’s believed that over 1,000,000 pangolins were trafficked over a 10-year period, with data from 2019 indicating that a pangolin was poached every 3 minutes.

CONSERVATION STATUS – Depending on the species, pangolins range from endangered to critically endangered

LIFESPAN – is it unknown how long they live for in the wild, but it has been reported that they have lived for up to 20 years in captivity

GESTATION – depending on the particular species gestation is between 70-140 days

DIET – termites, ants, insect larvae, bee pupae, flies, earthworms, crickets and grass

HABITAT – Forests and grasslands

PREDATORS – Humans, lions, crocodiles and hyenas

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

15/02/2025

**** ADOPTER UPDATE****

Miss Yassi

She’s amazing!
I can’t believe how much smooching she puts up with

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

15/02/2025

Today is World Hippopotamus Day, so let me share some fun facts about these gorgeous chunky sea cows.

CONSERVATION STATUS – Vulnerable – population decreasing

LIFESPAN – up to 50 years in the wild

SIZE – Up to 5 meters long, about 1.5 meters high and up to 5 tons. Making them the third largest land mammal

GESTTATION – Average 10 months and calves often weigh 55kg when born

DIET – Herbivores

HABITAT – Wetlands, rivers, muddy wallows and swamps

PREDATORS – Humans, lions, crocodiles and hyenas
Hippos are native to over 30 African countries. They are also social, and family orientated with herds ranging from 20 to 100 individuals.

Sadly, Hippos face a number of challenges -

Poaching - for their ivory, meat and trophies

Habitat loss – deforestation and water diversion for farming

Human conflict – hippos can trample and/or eat crops and tend to
come into human areas more during a drought

Climate change – Hippos have sensitive skin and need to keep their skin moist, so it doesn’t crack and break

Low birth rate – Hippos only produce one calf every two years

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

14/02/2025

Valentine’s Day is all about being in love, finding love, having someone special and showing your appreciation to them.

Sadly, some of our residents have yet to find this despite these residents shown here trying for the last 447 to 671 days.

I can assure you each and every one of our residents are loved and cherished and have a home life with us as we don’t cage our residents.

The reality is, however, we are the bridge between what was and what will be and that is what we strive to do. Not only so our residents get the homes and families they were supposed to get originally and what they are entitled to but so we can continue saving more animals in need with the space that each adopted resident provides.

We understand there is a pet epidemic and a cost of living crisis, but in the end of the day there are hundreds of thousands of animals that people continually choose to bring into this world in need homes.

So, if you want to make any difference and play your part, choose adoption and choose to adopt someone (or multiple someone’s) who are past the kitten/puppy/baby stage, choose those who have been in care for a longer period, choose those who are part of a bonded pair or trio, choose those who are deemed “not pretty”, choose those who are different, choose those who are shy.

Choose to show rescue animals love and they will show you the real meaning of Valentine’s Day every day for the rest of their lives.

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

13/02/2025

Did you know that today is Pet Theft Awareness Day?

Sadly, hundreds of animals are stolen each year in Australia, with numbers increasing during covid.

So, what can you do to keep your beloved babies safe?

Train your dogs – well trained dogs, especially those who are taken to the dog park are less likely to wander off and picked up by someone.

De-sex your pet – plenty of animals are stolen due to their ability to be bred. Those who can’t be bred are less attractive.

Make sure your pets have a safe space at home – sadly, plenty of pets are taken from people’s yards. Make sure you never leave your pets unattended in your front yard and if left outside during the day, you have locks on your fences and if possible high fences and private screen to block visuals of your pets in the yard. For those who are allowed outside/kept outside at night, you can set up light sensors and/or alarms.

Don’t let your cats roam – sadly, to many cats go missing and I can assure you plenty are stolen and used for anything from breeding to dog baiting and even just to claim a reward if offered.

Don’t leave your pets tied up out the front of the shops – if pets are in a public space, they should be friendly as to not be put in a position to have a negative interaction with members of the public. This, however, can lead them to being open to people approaching them and even unlatching them and walking off with them.

Be careful what you share online – sadly the more popular your account becomes, especially those who are pet focused can result in your little star being a target. Make sure you watch what you share including your home, your local area and where you are with your pet if leaving the house.

Although, a thief can’t tell if your pet is micro-chipped or not by simply looking at them, micro-chipping your pet will truly make a difference. Having your pet micro-chipped makes it hard for thieves to on sell your pet, especially if you have their micro-chipped flagged as stolen through your vet and/or the micro-chipping company.

Take regular photos of your pets and photos of identifying markings. This way you have up to date photos to share and the photos of the identifying markings will help others identify your pet easier.

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

12/02/2025

Did you know that tomorrow is World Bonobo Day?

The Bonobos are sadly an endangered species with their population decreasing.

As with most wildlife the Bonobos are facing challenges with humans. Illegal bushmeat trade where hunters kill adult Bonobos for their meat and sell the babies (who are traumatized) off to be pets. They also face loss of habitat due to mining/quarrying, logging/agriculture, war/civil unrest/military exercises, viral/prion-induced disease and slow reproductive rates.

Did you know that we share 98.7% of our genetic code with Bonobos? So, Bonobos along with Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives.

“Bonobos are fascinating creatures and little understood. They have the only great ape society led by females, with a sophisticated social structure that encourages cooperation and peace.”
Dr. Richard CarrollVice President, Africa Program

12/02/2025

11/02/2025

~~~~ ACCEPTING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ~~~~

Mr. Mistoffelees, Miss Whisper & Miss Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo joined Beaks & Whiskers in October 2024 from a vet in Canberra, ACT.

They were born to a family owned Mumma cat who was obviously never desexed and to make matters worse allowed to roam outside. Naturally, Mumma fell pregnant and then chose to have her babies outside. If this isn’t sad enough, the family then moved when these babies were only four weeks old and took Mumma with them while leaving the babies behind. Thankfully, a neighbour picked them up and handed them in to the vets.

PERSONAL DETAILS: All three kittens are 4 months old
Mr. Mistoffelees – DSH – Black & White Tuxedo
Miss Whisper – DMH – Silver Tabby & White Tuxedo
Miss Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo – DSH – Ticked Brown Tabby Calico

PERSONALITY: All three kittens are very human orientated, extremely affectionate, placid, confident and playful. They are all more than happy to be picked up, carried, kissed, cuddled, patted etc.

DAYS IN CARE: 104 days

VET WORK: They are all vet checked, vaccinated, micro-chipped, wormed, flea treated, nails clipped and most importantly de-sexed.

ADOPTION FEE: Adoption fees are not negotiable
Mr. Mistoffelees’s adoption fee is $350.00
Miss Whisper and Miss Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo’s adoption fee is $400.00 each

MEDICAL NEEDS: None

OTHER: They are also all toilet trained and travel beautifully in the car.

NON-NEGOTIABLES: Mr. Mistoffelees, Miss Whisper and Miss Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo will require a feline companion – they can be adopted with a sibling, a fellow Beaks & Whiskers friend or into a home with an existing feline.

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

07/02/2025

**** ADOPTER UPDATE****

Miss Maizie

Two days after adoption - Spent yesterday am under the bed out in the lounge pm back under bed last night came out for bed today ate well again stayed out for a while playing and getting lots of pats etc. She is settling in well I think and it’s only 2nd day.
I just love her to bits and am sure this will continue. Thank you for inquiring you have done a great job.

Three days after adoption - No worries about MM settling in slept last night with me on the bed and won’t stop hanging around with me now she is such a treasure thank you again.

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

02/02/2025

>>>> WE FOUND SANCTAURY AT BEAKS & WHISKERS

01/02/2025

****** ADOPTER UPDATE ******

Mr. Louie

Day of adoption - What a most delightful, beautiful cat. Settling in well to family Saturday arvo card games and being so respectful, patient and gentle with Percy's space... thank you so much.

Second day of adoption - Are you sure he wasn't a card shark in a previous life?!? Has settled in with Percy today... best bonding day yet.

One week of adoption - A solid week of settling in- Louie learning to fold laundry, shopping for a new cat tree and spending lots of time with his new brother.

"We are the bridge between what was and what will be"

31/01/2025

>>>> WE FOUND SANCTUARY AT BEAKS & WHISKERS

30/01/2025

Our hearts are with the six week old puppies who were killed by the RSPCA due to having parvo – canine parvovirus.

All I can say is, I hope the RSPCA contacted the owner and gave them the update, as the parents of the puppies will obviously have parvo as well, or at least have been exposed and need to be tested. I also hope the RSPCA has offered a de-sexing option for both the puppies mum and dad, as we clearly don’t need more unwanted litters of puppies, especially when exposed to this virus and/or being dumped at such a young age.

I would also like to correct some information that the RSPCA provided. These puppies were puppies, not neonate puppies. As puppies stop being neonates by two weeks old. I know some people might find this irrelevant but misinformation and incorrectly educating people also causes problems. For example, if you’re wanting to surrender, some rescues are set up for puppies but not neonate puppies or vice versa. If you are seeking vet advice something that may be relevant to neonate puppies may not be relevant to puppies. Meaning whether your puppies (or any animal) are neonate or not, can play a big role in the outcome of a situation.

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”

28/01/2025

The drought has been broken with our first adoption of 2025.

Mr. Louie started his long weekend off with finding his family and home. What better way to celebrate 100 days in care, than being adopted.

Mr. Louie’s new family emailed us on Thursday, within an hour we sent them our questionnaire, within another two hours they submitted their
filled-out questionnaire and by another hour we were talking on the phone and arranging a meet n greet.

Mr. Louie now has a 6 month old feline brother and a house full of people who loved him before he even arrived.

It is so wonderful to find such loving homes for our babies, hearing people’s stories and learning how they came across us and picked the resident in question. Thankfully, this family came across one of our ads and decided to look into us and loved our page and what we do. As a result, a family is complete, and Mr. Louie has a loving home.

"We are the bridge between what was and what will be"

27/01/2025

Figured it fitting coming across this handsome little guy today.

"We are the bridge between what was and what will be"

25/01/2025

Happy Australia Day Everyone

“We are the bridge between what was and what will be”