Liane Morris
- Feb 1

Dog Rescue Newcastle

Unparalled Passion & Commitment

Every year in Australia, over 250,000 companion animals are killed. In NSW alone, the figure is over 60,000, and the numbers continue to increase. Most of these animals are healthy and re-homeable. Dog Rescue Newcastle has saved 10,000 dogs and 800 cats since it was established by Sue Barker in 2008.

After 20 years of running the RSPCA in Port Macquarie, Sue Barker moved into the Newcastle area. She grew up in the country with a family who shared a passion for animals and a need to make a difference. Sue quickly noticed the euthanasia rates of the local pounds in her new area and, once again, felt the need to do something about it. She set up Dog Rescue Newcastle as a registered not-for-profit.

“Many of the dogs in these pounds have nothing wrong with them,” said Sue.

"They are perfectly healthy, normal family pets who may have become lost and remain unclaimed or are surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them.”

Dog Rescue Newcastle receives no government funding. Everything is paid for through donations, fundraising, fees and

sponsorship. The work and coordination of the organisation are the result of the goodwill, blood, sweat and tears of its committed, loyal and passionate volunteers, over 300 of them – each of whom is a hero in their own right.

Volunteers include foster carers, a marketing and fundraising team, drivers and people working in administration and IT. The team rescues dogs from the Hunter, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Central Coast areas. They also get numerous requests each day from people wanting to surrender their dog or cat for various reasons, and in most cases, these animals enter into a foster care family before finding their forever home – all through the hard work of the

Dog Rescue Newcastle volunteers.

Vicky Davies is one such volunteer. Vicky has been a volunteer with Dog Rescue Newcastle for over 11 years and has been one of the puppy coordinators for the past two of those years.

“I just love dogs, and we’ve always had them,” said Vicky.

“I live on 15 acres out near Kurri with no neighbours. A friend told me about Dog Rescue Newcastle, and I felt selfish. I’ve got so much room, and I’m at home. It seemed wrong not to have a go at helping somehow. Everything was provided for me, and it’s such a supportive group. It just snowballed from there.

Since then, Vicky has had 60 foster dogs in 11 years. Some end up staying with her, and others find their way to their new forever homes. She currently has ten dogs on her property.

“The ones that end up staying are often dogs with challenging behaviours or health issues, dogs who’ve suffered trauma – when we keep a dog, we call it a ‘foster fail’ because we can’t bear to let them go!

“It’s a foster carer’s job to help get their foster dog into the best possible shape for their new home. When we get very adoptable dogs, it’s not hard to move them on because you want them to flourish and have their best life. One of my favourite things is that we get updates – people often stay in contact and send us photos. There’s nothing better than seeing a dog loving his new family and enjoying their best life.

“When I first started, my youngest child was ten years old, and he took it really hard with one puppy we had. We talked about the fact that every dog is a 15-year commitment. I asked him if he could commit for that long, but of course, with school and studies and entering the workforce, he knew he couldn’t. After that, he got used to seeing new dogs about the place and loves it as much as we do.

“I was a nurse, and when it was time to retire, I knew I couldn’t have more than 10 or 11 dogs at a time, but I could be an emergency carer for litters of puppies. Many of our puppies come from people who have not had their dogs desexed and end up with an accidental litter. I became an emergency carer for puppies and then took on the role of puppy coordinator.”

Sharing this role of puppy coordinator with Vicky is another volunteer, Beth Abrahams, who runs her own transport business from her acreage in Awaba.

“I saw Dog Rescue Newcastle on social media,” said Beth.

“I knew that I had room to be a foster carer, and the fact that I worked from home made it even easier. I started about five and a half years ago. We still have our first foster dog. We currently have five dogs, all rescues, and two of them have special needs.

“A lot of people don’t realise that some of our dogs start out with us badly malnourished, with worms, flea-ridden, and so afraid. Nursing them back to health is so rewarding, and seeing them happy again in their new, forever family home makes everything worth it.

"The two hourly bottle feeds and the late-night rescue outings when puppies have been dumped. My husband never complains; he’s a big softie. And the kids get involved by helping me match our applications with our dogs.

“It’s important to remember that not all our dogs have issues. Many have become homeless due to no fault of their own. The cost-of-living crisis, the rental crisis, break ups, people moving overseas or into aged care facilities – people don’t know what to do. I would encourage anyone in these situations to contact us. Where possible, we will even help you keep

your dog with donations of food and sometimes even vet care.

Dog Rescue Newcastle are currently raising funds to build a shelter so that they can have the space to take in more dogs and cats, run better assessments and provide training. Currently, they have to refuse some surrenders due to a lack of room.

The most important message that Dog Rescue wish to convey to everyone is to ensure that your animal is desexed. The organisation's primary aim is to reduce the number of animals going into the pound system and being euthanised.

Volunteers are always needed. If you wish to be a foster carer, there is a vetting system and a yard check to ensure your home is a safe environment, but lots of support is provided, and costs are covered. You can foster dogs or cats (all cats are indoor only). Other volunteer positions are also available – walkers, transporters, and administration.

Cash or food donations are also always welcome to support the organisation's work, and there is also the opportunity to sponsor an animal with special needs who may need to live out their lives in foster care. For more information about adopting, fostering, volunteering or donating, visit www.dogrescuenewcastle.com.au.