Help Them Find A Home

[Leelaa17]

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-au...u-1226030703940

Perth's most hapless hounds receive model treatment from award winning photographer Alex Cearns. Can you help find them a home?

IT'S a sad tale that could soon have a happy ending.

Overlooked time and time again, these dogs have been the long-termers at the Dogs' Refuge Home in Shenton Park.

GALLERY: Check out the dogs in their before and after shots.

Some of the mutts have been there for as long as three years, forlorn and forsaken as a steady stream of individuals, couples and families have walked on by picking other dogs to take home and love.

But thanks to a muttly makeover these dogs could soon have their day.

Refuge staff washed and groomed the pooches and organised for studio photographs to be taken by Perth-based pet photographer Alex Cearns, who has just been named National Canine Photographer of the Year.

Refuge president Karen Rhodes said staff adored the dogs, but wanted them to find loving homes outside the refuge.

"To me it is hard to call them unwanted because I just adore them all so much," she said.

"We are desperate to find these dogs homes of their own."

Ms Rhodes said the nine longest-serving residents deserved committed owners who could offer real love and a safe environment.

"Some of the dogs have had a pretty bad start to life and are looking for owners who are devoted to giving them a second chance," she said.

"We want people who have had experience with dogs to come in and meet them."

The refuge is at full capacity, providing shelter for 140 dogs, and cannot take any more abandoned canines until the number is reduced.

"The refuge is overflowing," Ms Rhodes said. "I have never seen so many dogs at the shelter before."

Meanwhile, Australia's Animal Welfare League claims more abandoned dogs and cats are going without a home now than at any other time in the past 10 years. Dog adoptions are down 30 per cent compared with the average of the past decade.

The Shenton Park refuge will provide two free training sessions to help build a bond between owners and their new pet.

For more information on how to adopt a dog, call the refuge on 9381 8166 or visit their website at www.dogshome.org.au.

Hopefully these beautiful babies will get a loving home!!

[poodlefan]

Some of the mutts have been there for as long as three years, forlorn and forsaken as a steady stream of individuals, couples and families have walked on by picking other dogs to take home and love.

But thanks to a muttly makeover these dogs could soon have their day....

Hopefully these beautiful babies will get a loving home!!

They're going to need more help than a makeover to be successfully adopted.

Hopefully they've had opportunities to be in a homelike environment after three years. Three years in a shelter run will have completely eroded many learned behaviours such as toilet training.

Otherwise, they are highly likely to bounce back from any adoptive home. Personally I'm appalled that any dog should live in a shelter for that period of time - foster care would have been far preferable for many reasons.

[Leelaa17]

I completely agree with you poodlefan and of course, we don't have all the details from the news report.

It makes me sad to think they were in a shelter environment for so long and I hope they find homes soon as to not stay there any longer.

[emery]

Oh bruno is just gorgeous