NSW animal shelter under pressure over number of abandoned Rottweilers

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Iron Dog Rescue in the South West Slopes region of NSW is under mounting pressure to house abandoned and surrendered Rottweilers. The organisation is at capacity and is struggling with operations due to rising costs and government funding.

Transcript

00:00Meet Chico, a boisterous six-year-old rottweiler. He's playful, despite being one of around

00:1040 dogs left at this shelter without a permanent home.

00:14A lot of people are breeding rottweilers, both registered and backyard breeders, and

00:20the problem is there's an oversupply.

00:23Hundreds of dogs from across Australia end up at this centre in southern New South Wales,

00:28which takes in all breeds but specialises in rottweilers.

00:32Ruby, get me your done.

00:35Rottweilers, by nature, are a very protective and guarding dog. Unfortunately, some people

00:42don't understand that aspect of the breed.

00:46I think it's important that regardless of the size of the dog, we all make sure that

00:50we educate ourselves to be, you know, behaviourally aware.

00:55Pine Dog Rescue has taken in 129 and rehomed 134 dogs so far this year.

01:02There's not a lot of grants out there for animals. There is the local government one out at the

01:09moment, which I think every rescue has applied for.

01:12The Snowy Valley's rescue organisation has cut half its staff due to rising costs, fewer

01:18people adopting animals, and what they say is a lack of government funding.

01:23A ministerial spokesperson told the ABC the New South Wales government recently committed

01:29to $6 million in funding for shelters and rehoming organisations.

01:34Which sounds like a lot of money, but unfortunately there's a lot of rescues that need help, just

01:41like I do.

01:42But these rescuers aren't giving up, fighting for their pooches like a dog with a bone.

01:48The End

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