Help Us
Foster, Volunteer, Donate Goods, Donate Money, Become a Foster CarerOur work is entirely dependant upon dog and cat foster carers. Every foster carer enables us to save more pets from death at pounds. Being a foster carer is a great way to have a pet without the expense and long term commitment of owning one. You can take time off from fostering when you want to travel or have a break. All you need to provide is a fully fenced yard, shelter, food, and love for a dog or cat in need. Rescue pays for all veterinary expenses and medical supplies such as flea and worm treatment. You can choose the type of dog or cat (breed, size, age, etc) you foster. Please don't say "Oh, I couldn't give the dog away!" Yes, you can. Just remember that your foster dog or cat will go a great home and then you can save another dog or cat from death row. You can always adopt your foster pet if you really can't bear to say goodbye. If you are considering being a Carer, please take the first step and read our Information for Foster Carers document (PDF) then contact us. Read foster carer Jesskah's blog about her first time experience as a dog foster carer. Such a beautiful and inspirational story, and gorgeous photos. If you've been thinking about fostering, you gotta read this. Can't foster? You can still help us by downloading and printing a Foster Carers Needed poster (PDF) and displaying it for us wherever you can. Volunteer
If you drive and have a vehicle, we are always in need of people to transport dogs to vet appointments, pick up from the pound, deliver supplies to foster carers, etc. We'll supply a pet carrier. We need volunteer handymen/women that we can call on from time to time to do minor fence and gate repairs for foster carers. We'll supply or pay for all materials. If you like pottering in your shed and making things, you could build dog kennels and donate them to us. We need someone with a digital camera and a computer to take photos of foster dogs available for adoption. If you can sew, knit or crochet you could make dog coats or blankets. We regularly have fundraising BBQs and always need plenty of volunteers. If you are interested in helping at a BBQ please contact us and we'll contact you when our next event if planned. Donate GoodsWe are always in need of all sorts of necessities such as dog and cat food, flea and worm treatments, kennels, beds, leads, collars, harnesses, toys, etc. If you see any of these items on sale, please consider purchasing some to donate to us. If we can receive these items as donations then we don't have to use our limited funds to buy them and we can reserve our money to pay our vets.
We need towels for bathing dogs. Anything which can be used for bedding: old blankets, sheets, doonas, doona covers, underlays, etc. Knitting wool and fabric which our volunteers can turn into dog coats and blankets. We have many drop-off points around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast and the Hunter Valley where you can take your goods. Please send us an email telling us where you are and we'll reply with the address of one of our foster carers or volunteers so you can deliver your donation. If you can't deliver to us, we may be able to arrange pick up from you. Donate MoneyOur vet bills are thousands of dollars each month for desexing, vaccination, medications and other necessary care for our dogs. We have a great need for monetary donations.Any amount you can afford, no matter how small will be greatly appreciated. Donations are tax deductible! There are several ways to donate: (1) Mail a cheque written to "Dog Rescue Newcastle". Please ring or email us for the address). (2) Use PayPal to donate securely online using your credit card or bank account. You don't need to have a PayPal account. Just click on the Donate button below: (3) Make a deposit to our Newcastle Permanent bank account at any branch or use internet banking to to do an online funds transfer to: BSB: 650 000 Account: 986245302 (4) Make a regular, monthly donation to our bank account (account number above). Most online banking sites allow you to easily setup a repeating transaction to send the same amount to our bank account as often as you like, such as monthly. If you don’t do online banking ask at your bank and they will be able to setup a recurring transaction for you. (5) Payroll Deduction. Ask your employer to transfer a few dollars from each of your pays to our bank account (see option 3 above for our bank account). If you donate at least $20 you can choose to receive one of two Electronic Books from the author: a book about dog food and nutrition (PDF) or a book about holistic health care for dogs (PDF). Thanks to our sponsor Doggy Pause for this offer. Our Charitable Fundraising Number (CFN) is 21652. Shop for Our CauseMake a purchase to make a donation. Please see the full list of items for sale on our Facebook page. (Note you don't have to be a member of Facebook to read our page). Help Us Spread the Word
Foster Carers Needed (A4 poster) All of our publications are in PDF format. To open them, you can download the free Adobe Reader. We also have a printed brochure about the importance of desexing. Contact us for copies. Be A Responsible Pet OwnerPlease do not become a "backyard breeder". If you think your dear little pups will never end up in the pound on death row, believe me, some will. Your dog or cat is supposed to be your companion and friend, not a cash cow for monetary gain. Please, please, do not allow your pets to breed! Desex your dog and cat before they are 6 months old. Don't wait any later. It is healthiest and safest for them and there is NO good reason not to do so. It is the most crucial way you can prevent pets ending up in pounds. When so many dogs and cats are dying every day, please do not add to the carnage. Read more about desexing online. We also have a very informative brochure about the importance of getting your pet desexed. Please contact us and we'll be happy to send you copies for yourself and anyone you know. If you are a pensioner or are unemployed in the Newcastle region, Hunter Animal Watch can help with the cost of desexing.
Most dogs get out of their yard at some time in their lives. The most important thing is that he or she is wearing a collar with an ID tag. Leave it on 24 x 7. The tag should have your address and MOBILE phone number on it. This way, if a neighbour finds your dog they won't have to contact council — saving you a lot of time and money in getting your pet back. Don't encourage cruelty and over breeding: never buy anything from pet shops which sell puppies and kittens. Read our Say No to Pets in Pet Shops one page A5 flyer (PDF format) for details. Read about pet shops and puppy mills in Where Do Puppies Come From. Save a life instead: get your pets from rescue organisations or council pounds. |
There are so many ways you can help us save cats and dogs. You don't need a lot of time or money. Please read this page for many ideas. Download a one page list of 
We are a small and friendly group and always welcome anyone who wants to help in any capacity. There are so many different things you can do. Please 
Clam shell pools make great outdoor dog beds and refreshing baths for dogs on a hot day. Children's foam, fold out chairs/beds make good dog beds. Baby gates and playpens come in handy. You sometimes see these put out for disposal on council rubbish pick-up days, or Op-Shops. Pick them up for us if you can.
We can't afford paid advertising so we depend on word of mouth to spread the word about Dog Rescue Newcastle. Download and print the following documents and distribute or display them in your workplace, local shops, library, school, church, streets, anywhere you can. 
Make sure your pet doesn't wind up unclaimed at the pound by ensuring he or she is microchipped, lifetime registered, and registered at your local council. Be sure to keep these details up to date by contacting your council if you move or change your phone number. 