The South East Animal Welfare League (SEAWL) continues to thrive following the shake up with council funding earlier this year.
SEAWL president Trevor Twilley said the organisation was still operating smoothly despite the City and Grant District councils ending their tripartite agreement with the league.
“Through the generosity of the community we’re doing quite reasonably well at the moment,” he said.
“We have had a business donate $5000, a lady who wishes to remain anonymous donate $25,000 and the week after that SEAWL received $40,000 from a deceased estate.
“The community really has been exceptional. We provide a vital service to the broader community and we are providing an essential service to council.”
Several Mount Gambier hotels have hosted fundraisers for SEAWL and another fundraiser managed by the league’s dog trainer was held at the Mount Gambier Rail Lands recently.
Mr Twilley said SEAWL was also seeking 500 people to donate $10 on a monthly basis, which will equate to the $60,000 the league is no longer receiving from council.
Since the tripartite agreement ended, Mr Twilley said not much had changed at the league, which continues to move forward and make improvements to facilities.
“We have built a meet and greet room, so if somebody has already got a dog and is looking at adopting another, we have set up a lounge area where they can meet the potential adoptee,” he said.
Mr Twilley said SEAWL remained committed to providing exceptional animal care and services, which was supported by the dedication of volunteers and ongoing community support.
Mr Twilley said the league received a constant influx of volunteers and several new people had joined.
“We’re doing really well, particularly with volunteers. We’re heavily reliant on volunteers, not only in the animal husbandry but also walking and exercising the dogs,” he said.
“We have also had some people come on board to help with the cats and their socialisation.”
Mr Twilley said people travelled from near and far to adopt pets from SEAWL, including Berri, Western Victoria including Warrnambool as well as Adelaide.
In regards to animal numbers at the league, Mr Twilley said this varied.
They were recently down to just a handful of dogs, however this quickly changed when a female dog with a litter of six puppies arrived and high numbers of cats remain.
“We do get more cats than dogs and we’re approaching kitten season soon,” he said.
“Our numbers of both cats and dogs fluctuate. We need to balance that with the number of volunteers.”
Mr Twilley emphasised the importance of responsible pet ownership with de-sexing and micro-chipping of pets, which helps manage the region’s animal populations.
