ADOPTING AN AUSTRALIAN KELPIE
Kira and Pound Rescue
Sharing our experiences adding an Australian Kelpie to the family.
We fit the description “family with an active lifestyle”. We don’t have a large fenced backyard, or a backyard at all for that matter. We have two off leash parks at our doorstep, a dog friendly bush trail in a regional park 5 mins away, Sydney Park just down the road, and a 24 hour dog friendly beach just a 5km bike ride away.
There was an expectation that a Kelpie would be a lot of work and require overtime when it came to daily active mental and physical stimulation.
We also have Chino, our Mini Aussie Shepherd who is a cautious non-aggressive pocket rocket. She is selective when it comes to dog friends and even more so with humans. Our intentions were to bring in a second dog for Chino to bond and share adventures with, even though she is rarely left home alone. We were on the look out for a breed that would enjoy mountain biking, bikepacking, and the outdoors as much as we do. Can’t beat an Australian Kelpie for that!
You would be surprised with the amount of Kelpies needing to be rehomed. Many from backyard breeding, being dumped in the bush, failing at farm work, or sometimes they jumped the farm fence and decide they wanted to see the world with their own four paws.
Kira’s Origin Story
So the story goes… Kira was found wandering the streets of West Wyalong with two other Kelpie pups (pictured bottom left and bottom centre). She wasn’t micro-chipped, and we later found out from our vet that she most likely had a litter already. Her photo on the top left shows the scar between her eyes and nose which was one of the first features we noticed the day we met her (other than her giant ears).
West Wyalong seems to raise quite a few working dogs, so we weren’t surprised to see Kira had a heavy drive to round up, and at times move in too close and try to nip at large dogs. She’s very gentle with smaller dogs and even lets Chino assert dominance playfully without reacting back.
We tend to wonder about her earlier life and sometimes see hints and clues. Other than her obsession with garbage bins she has a massive fixation for trains. West Wyalong has a train-line running through the suburb and so do we. So there are days we take a nice spot with a good vantage point and let Kira sit and count the carriages.
The Adoption Route: ‘Mable’ at Pound Rescue
There are challenges when considering adopting a dog with an unknown history.What fears and anxieties will you be inheriting?
Will they like us?
Will my current pets or children get along, or be safe?
What happens if we don’t get along no matter how hard we try?
This is where open communication and trust with the rescuing organisation become priority.
A good rescue organisation will do their best to correctly match a household to a dog. This takes time, honesty and a few reality checks. There are a large amount of dogs who need re-homing and even more that need to escape the limit-on-life situations they face in overflowing pounds.
Kira was saved by Pound Rescue and transported to their dog sanctuary on the outer suburbs of Sydney. Transportation from the pound was covered by Pound Rescue as well as their community supporters on Facebook!
Pound Rescue
Pound Rescue are a not for profit organisation who since 2016 have been committed to saving the lives of cats and dogs on ‘the list’, and providing them with the best opportunities to finding safety in a forever home.
The animals have unfortunately found themselves in the pound system with a short limitation placed on their lives. Pound Rescue do their best to transport these animals, mainly from council pounds, to their location should space permit.
Upon rescue, each animal is fully vetted, neutered, microchipped, kept up to date with vaccinations, and receive flea and worm treatments. They are also tested for specific personality traits and if required receive some time with an animal behaviouralist.
How You Can Help
Whether you’re thinking about adding a pet to your home, or wishing to support Pound Rescue via donation, you can download the Pound Rescue Brochure or check out any one of their online profiles.
Other Dog Rescue Groups
Please note that we only follow the below groups via online social media channels. Some have been recommended by pet owners we meet out in the wild but Dogpacking Australia personally have had no experience dealing with any of the entities listed.
| NSW | QLD | VIC | MISC |
| Pet Rescue Sydney Dogs and Cats Home Sydney Animal Second-Chance Maggie’s Rescue Dog Rescue Newcastle | Animal Welfare League Qld | Forever Friends Animal Rescue Mornington Peninsula Dog Rescue | Dogs 4 Jobs |
