The gates of Monika’s DoggieRescue in Ingleside never truly stay closed. Behind them lies a sobering reality: an unending stream of unwanted dogs, each with a story of displacement, neglect, or simply being "too much" for their previous owners.
Despite the tireless work of volunteers, the sheer variety of dogs entering the system—from tiny designer crosses to powerful working breeds—highlights a growing crisis in pet ownership. These are not "broken" animals; they are the victims of a world that often treats companionship as a disposable commodity.
The profiles of those currently waiting for a second chance illustrate the diverse challenges these dogs face. We see the "shutdown" dogs like Cleo, a 2-year-old Catahoula X, who arrived completely withdrawn and requires an experienced hand to help her personality unfold.
Cleo
Then there are the youngsters like Tucker, a 5-month-old Staffy X who entered the pound at just 16 weeks, already anxious and protective of his food. Even those who have clearly been loved, like Suzie, a 5-year-old Silky X, often arrive with a heavy burden of neglect; Suzie was not only clipped by a car but is battling severe periodontal disease and mammary tumours.
Tucker
Suzie
Each dog brings a specific set of needs that often clash with the fast-paced lives of modern owners. Jethro, a 12-month-old Ridgeback X, is a "velcro dog" who becomes paralyzed with fear in busy places, while Rita, a 2-year-old Am Staffy X, is a "teenager" in a powerful body, prone to being mouthy and jumpy without the right guidance.
Jethro
Even the most "ready" dogs, like the sweet and easy Heidi (a Kelpie X Staffy) or the bonded pair Peaches and Cream, face the hurdle of finding a home that understands their unique quirks—whether it’s Peaches’ need for cherry eye surgery or Heidi’s protective nature at dinner time.
Heidi
Peaches and Cream
The march is relentless, but for these dogs, the shelter is the only thin line between a lonely end and a new beginning.
About Monika's DoggieRescue
Monika's DoggieRescue.com is a registered charity that believes in saving and re-homing as many cats, dogs and other pets as we can from the council pounds.
For many years Monika Biernacki and a group of volunteers have been rescuing cats and dogs from death row and successfully re-homing them with permanent and loving owners.
In 2001 the charity DoggieRescue.com was established.
How it works
Pets rescued from the pound are microchipped, heartworm tested and vaccinated by a veterinarian, who also gives them a basic health check and provides us with an estimate of their age.
The pets are desexed (if required) and given any additional veterinary treatment to return them to good health.
All of the rescued pets are then cared for, awaiting adoption into a permanent loving home.
Once the pets have completed 8-10 days quarantine (so we can observe them for any illnesses they may have picked up) they stay at our shelter, Doggiewood at Ingleside in the northern beaches of Sydney until they are adopted or can be placed into a foster home.
We have up to 200 dogs, plus cats, rabbits and guinea pigs up for adoption at any time. They are all featured on this site. Over a year we save about 500 dogs.
We ask re-imbursement for the basic desexing, vaccination, microchipping and heartworm testing only - generally between $400 and $600 for dogs, and less for other pets.
NO KILL Policy
Monika's DoggieRescue has a NO KILL policy so all pets we get from the pound are re-housed or stay with us for their life. This policy includes accepting former DoggieRescue pets back if their owners discard them.
5 Steps to Adoption
To adopt any pet from our site there are 5 simple steps you must take.
- Step 1 - Search our pets for adoption
- Step 2. Complete our Adoption Questionnaire
- Step 3. Discuss your needs with us and make an appointment
- Step 4. Meeting some of our pets and adopting
- Step 5. Taking your pet home - after the adoption
It is important that you understand the process as we are passionate about finding the right homes for our pets.
Our questionnaires are designed to let us find out more about you, your family, and your lifestyle, so that we can help you find the right pet.
To read about the 5 steps click here.
Kennel Hands Needed
Our goal at Doggie Rescue is to rehome abandoned animals; primarily dogs but we also have a small cat shelter.
The process of rehoming animals involves rescuing them from pounds, caring for and rehabilitating them and then finding the right home for them. This process is a labour of love and it certainly is not achieved without hard work!
We are looking for people to join our Team who are Passionate about Animal Rescue, are Hard-Working and Reliable.
Working with animals, especially Rescue Dogs, requires switched-ON handlers who can physically manage the energy levels and strength of various types of dogs from small to large breeds.
Successful applicants also need experience with, or be willing to learn, how to handle dogs with specific handling requirements related to behavioural issues, such as fear of meeting new people and dog aversion.
Shifts are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Feeding, cleaning, exercising and caring for the dogs and cats makes up the bulk of the work and you need to be able to get hands-ON and dirty from the get-GO!
If you are a pro-active person who is reliable, switched-on and genuinely Loves dogs, cats and animals, this is the job for you!
Two Kennel Hand Pathways
There are two separate opportunities available:
1. Working with the large and medium sized shelter dogs:
Work includes:
- Moving dogs around from night quarters to day areas and vice versa
- Exercising dogs
- Feeding
- Cleaning dog areas
- Cleaning cat cages and enclosures and feeding cats
- Laundry
- Food preparation
- Observing for any issues/ abnormalities
- Interfacing and working with volunteers
- There are 3 types of shifts:
- AM: 7/7:30am-1pm
- PM: 1pm-5:30pm
- Full Day: 7/7:30am-5:30pm
Attributes we are looking for:
- Team player that shows initiative
- Excellent communication skills with management, team members and volunteers
- Good at following directions and able to complete tasks as part of a team and independently
Other Considerations:
- For the right person that demonstrates a high standard of work and leadership skills, this position has the opportunity to progress to a team leader role that involves the responsibility of leading the kennel hand team
- Having a car is desirable
- This role is most suitable for younger people who can handle stronger dogs and like to work in a busy environment as a part of a team
To apply for this position send your CV to kennelmanager@doggierescue.com
2. Working with smaller dogs:
Work includes:
- Moving dogs around from night quarters to day areas and vice versa
- Feeding
- Cleaning dog areas
- Laundry
- Food preparation
- Observing for any issues/ abnormalities
- Interfacing with volunteers
- Shifts are usually 5hrs
Attributes we are looking for:
- Self-starter, team player who can work alone when needed
- Excellent communication skills with management, team members and volunteers
- Appreciate and follow directions from Lead Kennel Hands
Other Considerations:
- Having a car is desirable
- This role is most suitable for older or more mature individuals who enjoy working in a quieter environment mostly independently but also as part of a small team
To apply for this position send your CV to: Monika@DoggieRescue.com