Over 12 months ago Dog Rescue Newcastle launched a campaign to purchase and build the first no-kill animal sanctuary in the Hunter (NSW).
Since the launch of this initial fundraising campaign, we were able to raise over $70,000 to go towards the deposit in the middle of a pandemic, thanks to the amazing support of our animal-loving community.
They have been looking for a suitable property for the last 7 months all over the Hunter, where they could build the sanctuary they had been dreaming of. After much research, consultation and planning they realised that their grand vision for a sanctuary was going to be years and hundreds of thousands of dollars away with no guarantee and they needed to act sooner.
Last month, a suitable property appeared on the market that ticked all the boxes but required a significant amount of work however it was doable! On 1st August 2021 they acquired a 2-acre property in Fullerton Cove, which is located 25 minutes north of Newcastle. This property will allow them to have up to 40 dogs on-site and provide ongoing training and rehabilitation until the dogs are moved into foster care or adopted.
They have named this property simply "Newcastle Animal Shelter".
The Shelter will include multiple exercise yards, indoor & outdoor training yards, long-term accommodation for special cases, a community pet pantry, event space, memorial garden, retail store and adoption office.
The goal of the shelter will be to give death row dogs in pounds and at-risk situations in the Hunter a second chance to find a forever home.
They will have a number of community and outreach programs focusing on key areas in the community to improve pet ownership and help keep people and pets together.
Their programs will help and include:
• Community Training Days & Puppy Pre-School
• Domestic Violence
• Social inclusion - Physical & Mental Disabilities
• At-risk Youth - Training Programs
• Extensive Mental Health Program
This is not the sanctuary they had dreamed of but it's the shelter they need right now. Their goal is to not only make Newcastle and the Hunter no-kill but to also work with the community and educate and reduce overall animal surrenders and abandonment.
They are still fundraising to cover the costs of the total renovations as they are a 100 % volunteer-run organisation. You can donate at hunter-animal-sanctuary.raisely.com/
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