June 1 - 30, 2025: Issue 643
Monika's Doggie Rescue: In need of Good People with Great homes for Pets - Foster Carers
Ferrero & Monika Biernacki - photo by Michael Mannington, Community Photography
Monika's Doggie Rescue
2 Cowan Road, Ingleside
www.DoggieRescue.com
www.facebook.com/doggierescue
www.twitter.com/monikadogrescue
www.instagram.com/monikadogrescue/
Across Sydney there has been an uptick in dogs aged just 12 months, not just older dogs whose owners may have passed away, who are being dumped. Although some flinch or avoid being touched by people, indicating they have been abused, owners being unaware how much a pet costs has become the primary reason there are a lot of homeless dogs.
According to the Australian Veterinary Association, the average dog owner spends more than $25,000 caring for their canine companion. Cat owners could spend $21,000 on average. The RSPCA states within the first year of dog or cat ownership, people could face up to $3,500 of expenses on vaccinations, vet visits, food, de-sexing, grooming, bedding, toys and treats.
This is also causing a massive slow-down on rehoming animals - and for shelters being able to take on new dogs and cats that need a home. Numerous full shelters are reporting a wait-list of people who want to surrender their dog.
RSPCA national data shows around 81,000 pets were surrendered in the 2023/2024 financial year, with only 27,000 finding new homes.
However, in Pittwater, for over a quarter of a century, Monika's Doggie Rescue has sought to find the homes for these pets.
Monika's DoggieRescue is a registered charity that believes in saving and re-homing as many pets as they can from the council pounds. For many years Monika Biernacki and a group of volunteers have been rescuing pets from death row and successfully re-homing them with permanent and loving owners.
Their motto at present is 'don't shop - adopt'.
Monika Biernacki OAM, a former scientist, gave up her work over twenty years ago to begin Doggie Rescue. When she saw a desperate need to prevent the unnecessary euthanasia of dogs that were perfectly healthy yet had been abandoned because their owners didn’t want them anymore, she began finding hem homes. There are literally thousands of heart-breaking stories behind these animals, but it is the heart-warming result of every new adoption that provides the drive that keeps Monika and her loyal, dedicated volunteers going.
When did Monika’s Doggie Rescue start?
I started rescuing dogs about 30 years ago. It started from my own home, with a family at my vets wanting to euthanise 2 mature dogs as the owner died. I offered to take them on and I eventually found a home through connections at the local dog park.
Later I took on a dog from an acquaintance who was in trouble with her dog and he was always tied up. Whilst caring for this dog I had a complaint from a person, as the dog rushed up at her and scared her whilst out walking. From this incident I had a Ranger at my door. It turned out he was involved with animal welfare and photographed the Pet of the Week at the local pound for the local newspaper. He asked if that dog did not get a home would I try to rehouse the dog. That is how it all started and grew.
Why did you start this?
We were in a bit of a recession and my hubby and I did not have a lot of work in our professions, so I started a pet minding business to supplement income. I also did some kennel and vet nursing work. One clinic where I worked acted as a pound and it opened my eyes to what happens to dogs and cats when owners do not claim them.
How long have you been based at Ingleside?
We have been renting here for almost 20 years.
What animals are you trying to find good homes for?
We started just rescuing dogs but have expanded to cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. We focus largely on dogs and cats that are in pounds and are facing euthanasia. These days most of our dogs, and many of our cats are classified by pounds as “rescue only”, so they are not offered to the public for adoption as they have medical or behavioural issues. They have less chance of survival. They are sometimes the most challenging, but we are always up for a challenge.
What are the current challenges facing Monik’s Doggie Rescue – is people watching their living costs impacting finding great homes and great carers? And how is that impacting rescuing other lovelies?
I have been in the game some 30 years and things have never been as bad as now. We never recovered from the overbreeding during Covid before the economic crisis hit and so many dogs and cats are abandoned. So many as dumped in bushland as never before. People are not looking to adopt, especially medium and large dogs. The demographics have changed, more people in units, others moving in with friends, share houses and some even in sheds and all working longer hours. Dogs who enjoyed the company of their family whilst working from home are now not coping being left and the noise complaints result in abandonment.
How do you fund the housing, feeding, electricity and veterinarian bills as part of this work?
We are a registered charity and rely on donations from dog and cat lovers to keep our doors open. There is no government funding. We have fundraising activities to boost funds and kind people donate items we need. We have a wish list on our web site. Being largely a volunteer organisation we keep our costs as low as possible. Since Covid19, fundraising is very difficult however we have managed to do some online auctions to supplement income. We feed our dogs home cooked meals and all our basmati rice and veggies are donated.
If people cannot adopt a dog/cat/bunny – how else can they help out?
We are always looking for volunteers as that is what DoggieRescue runs on. We have lots of volunteer activities all listed on our web site. Most jobs are on a rostered basis but we also have dog walking 6 days a week for those people who just want to pop in for a “doggy fix”.
With no experience you can walk our dogs or even transport them between various locations.
With minimal training you can help in the office or promoting us at off-site events.
We can provide more intensive training so that you can help with feeding our dogs and cats or even assisting our kennel hands.
Experienced volunteers can even go on to advanced tasks including work placement for those studying in fields related to animal care.
We wash about 20 loads of washing each day. You can either pick up laundry from our shelter at Ingleside and take it home and bring it back folded when convenient or visit the shelter between 10am – 3pm Tue – Sun to help with hanging up laundry and folding once dry.
We drive on volunteers to keep going so we are always seeking help. With a busy shelter housing some 80 dogs and 20 cats there is so much to do from ferrying dogs from pounds and vet clinics, to feeding, walking dogs and doing running repairs. At the moments we have a great need for handyman help keep on top of those daily repair jobs. We have a wish list on our web site of all the goodies we would appreciate, both new and used.
Current: We are in urgent need of Topical Heartworm Treatment(Advocate or Revolution), Breeder’s Choice Cat Litter, cat food, cable ties and latex gloves.
What about fostering what is involved?
As a foster parent you commit to care for the cat or dog in a loving and safe environment until a permanent home is found.
Fostering duration can vary from a few months to up to a year or so. Please note that puppies and highly desired dogs are not placed in foster care.
Even though foster care is temporary, it can be a long term commitment, and you will need to:
- Have suitable experience with the type/needs of the dog or cat and be prepared to housetrain if required (we will provide advice on how to do this)
- Contact your Foster Coordinator on a fortnightly basis (phone or email)*
- To assist with the possible adoption of the pet by meeting with potential owners at our shelter at Ingleside, Sydney and providing relevant information on the animal, its temperament and needs. Appointments are usually booked for weekends.
- Pay $200 deposit (refundable when pet is adopted or continuous if you remain fostering)
- Advise us of any health issues or injuries and get approval from DoggieRescue.com prior to incurring any veterinary costs
- Be prepared to keep the dog or cat until it finds a home
Your Foster Coordinator will be based as close to you geographically as possible and is an experienced pet owner/handler able to offer or seek advice on any training/behavioural issues. This person will also field all initial enquiries about the pet.
If you are interested in becoming a Foster Carer please contact DoggieRescue on 02 9486 3133. All Foster Carers need to complete the Foster Questionnaire form to help us find the right foster dog for you.
What are the requirements for becoming a home provider for an animal from Monika’s Doggie Rescue?
For us a dog or cat is a commitment for life, something not to be taken lightly. We see it as a match making taking into consideration the needs and requirements of the family and what we know about the pets, behaviourally and medically. Pets these days have a life span up to 20 years if they reach old age so adopting is a big commitment.
Our Pet Adoption and Foster Carer Application forms are now online! You can either download the forms in Microsoft Word or .pdf format, or click on the link to load the form into your browser and print direct to your printer. Click here for our forms
The fees charged for the dogs and cats and bunnies adopted – what are they used for?
The fees only cover subsidised vet costs for desexing, vaccination, heartworm test and microchip for dogs. Everything else we need to fundraise for, like dentals, specialised surgeries and even at times trainers and behaviourists. For cats it is similar with costs barely covering desexing, vaccination, microchipping and FIV /FeLV tests. Rabbit costs cover desexing, vaccination and microchipping costs.
How it Works
Dogs 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 dogs are de-sexed (if required) and given any additional veterinary treatment to return them to good health.
All of the rescued dogs are then cared for, awaiting adoption into a permanent loving home. Once the dogs 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 or can be placed into a foster home.
We have over 200 dogs up for adoption. They are all featured on the Doggie Rescue website. Over a year we save about 500 dogs.
We ask re-imbursement for the basic de-sexing, vaccination, microchipping and heartworm testing only - generally between $350 and $500.
How many animals have you found homes for now?
We have found homes for 13,800 dogs, several hundred cats as well as rabbits and guinea pigs.
When and why do you find people are abandoning animals to shelters?
Animals are abandoned more in school holidays, Christmas and Easter when people are thinking of going away. They do not want to cost of boarding and often at Christmas with the pressure of family and friends visiting they no longer have patience for their family pet.
In recent months we have had a lot more young dogs and puppies coming in, with those surrendering citing cost-of-living pressures - they simply cannot afford them.
The magazine published online – how frequent is that and can you subscribe to keep up with the issues?
We have an online monthly magazine which you can click on, from our web site or subscribe, free of charge. It keeps you up to date with the latest news of new arrivals, updates from adoptees and special behind the scenes news and comments from our regular volunteers and kennel hands as well as useful tips on care for your furkid.
How can people keep up to date on how they can help out with this work?
We continually post updates on what we are doing particularly on FB and Instagram the dogs and cats we are saving, the drivers that are needed, the new arrivals and also the special needs patients that require special care and surgeries. We work around the clock.
Does Monika’s Doggie Rescue have a ‘motto’?
We have a no-kill policy so every life we save is precious. These days so many of our pets are staying longer and longer, we sometimes need to adapt their care to suit their needs better.
What is the best part about saving these darlings?
The best part is getting feedback from adopters on how the pet is going and the progress they have made, and how they have become an intrinsic part of their family. It makes it all worthwhile.
Any sign off words you want in as last reminders?
When thinking about a pet, please think about a rescue pet. Spend time choosing the right one and talk to animal rescuers and do not rush. Rescue animals know when you have saved their life and are eternally grateful.
