Summer Newsletter 2018/2019

Dear MAAW Members and Volunteers,

Welcome to our summer newsletter, our last newsletter for 2018 and an opportunity to share our successes, our goals, our challenges and mostly, our gratitude. To really show how grateful we are for the ongoing support from our members and our volunteers the newsletter really should be 1000 pages long. So to cover it, the easiest thing for us is to just say 'Thank You' for the love, the donations and your commitment to MAAW. And a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year.committed and opportunity to thank its members for their continued support and a time to show our gratitude and Time flies when you run a busy animal shelter and an incredibly popular op shop, so there's pf regular basis, four times a year to match

Another grant application is being pre-

pared for submission to Animal Welfare

Victoria. This time we will be seeking

funds to improve the existing kennels at the shelter. The kennels need improved

insulation, mist sprays and blinds. These

improvements will help to keep the dogs

cool through the heat of summer. The

submission is also seeking a ride on

mower to enable us to keep the grass cut

and reduce the risk of snakebite in dogs

being exercised by volunteers. This grant

application will amount to $40,000.

Fingers crossed!

GRANT SUCCESSES

We are delighted that MAAW was suc-

cessful in the State Government’s Animal

Welfare Vic Large Grant Program with

$50,000 being awarded to go towards the

building of the new cattery.

Maree Edwards MP visited the shelter and

spoke about the importance of the work we

do at MAAW. This is a wonderful injec-

tion of funds for the cattery which is esti-

mated to cost MAAW $130,000.

Work on the cattery has been delayed with

building permit matters but we expect to

begin very soon.

If you would like to help us build our cattery, you can donate on our Web

Page, https://maaw.org.au/ or pop into

the shelter or the op shop.

MAAW was also successful with a sub-

mission to Mt Alexander Community

Enterprise Inc Small Grants 2018 being

awarded $1,000 for a Kind Kids Animal

Welfare Project. This project will be

run in local schools with the aim of

teaching children about being kind to

animals.

Mt Alexander Animal Welfare Inc.

ABN 69548314029

PO Box 713

Castlemaine Vic. 3450

Phone 54725277

mtalexanimalwelfare@gmail.com

maaw.org.au

BIG NEWS IN 2019! STAY TUNED

Page 2 Summer Newsletter 2018/2019

SHELTER UPDATE

The shelter continues to be busy and we

have now received our first kittens for the

season. The figures for the four months July – October are shown in the table:

above.

We have kept our euthanasia rate very

low with only two dogs being euthanized

due to illness and 8 cats due to being ei-

ther very sick or feral and unable to be re

homed. We make sure all animals are

given time to settle and be given as much

chance as possible to be re homed before

the decision to euthanize is taken in con-junction with our vets from Castlemaine

Vet Clinic.

In September the Manager of MAAW

Shelter, Robyn Slattery, worked with

Yvette Berkeley of Castlmaine Vet

Clinic, and Bruce Syme of Healthy Pets on a free cat de sexing weekend which

resulted in 44 cats being de sexed. Both

vets donated their time for the weekend to

achieve this fabulous outcome.

STAFFING AT THE SHELTER

We have appointed a new animal atten-dant, Khiara Jenkinson, to work with our

Manager, Robyn Slattery. Both Rosey

Skinner and Helen Bourke opted not to

return to the Shelter after taking extended

leave. MAAW continues to have lots of

wonderful volunteers who give their time

very generously to help the staff at the

shelter.

Category July Aug Sept Oct Total

Dogs

Brought in by council 3 7 7 7 24

Brought in by public (Stray) 6 8 8 7 29

Brought in by public (Surrender) 3 3 1 3 10

Adopted for the month 3 2 2 5 12

Reclaimed for the month 8 16 14 11 49

Welfare boarding 3 1 1

Cats

Brought in by council 0 2 2 1 5

Brought in by public (Stray) 9 5 3 9 26

Brought in by public (Surrender) 1 2 4 3 10

Adopted for the month 10 5 3 2 20

Reclaimed for the month 1 3 0 1 5

MAAW SHELTER 2018/19

Thanks to our wonderful volunteer photographer, Mandy Baker, we have created some beautiful cards featuring photos of four ani-

mals adopted through the Shelter. These gorgeous cards are 8 for $10 or $1.50 each and are available at the Op Shop and at the

Shelter.

Whistler has found a new home

ON INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER

DAY,

December 5, MAAW held a volunteer appreciation High Tea at Buda Historic Home. We had 55 volunteers attend the event with guest speakers presenting during the course of the afternoon.

Larrie Winzar from Follow Your Bliss

talked to the group about the benefits of

volunteering and the joy of op shopping.

While Sgt Robert Gibson from Victoria

Police spoke candidly about self-

preservation and how to manage challeng-

ing customer related matters in the work-

place. The afternoon tea was an event

funded as part of a grant we received from the Mt Alexander Shire for Volunteer

Engagement and Support.

The afternoon was a wonderful success,

bringing together our two wonderful teams

of volunteers from both the shelter and the

op shop and it has inspired us to have more

cohesive days like this in the future.

Page 3

OP SHOP

The Op Shop is thriving at its new location of

12 Johnstone Street and has already expanded

into the adjoining space. A coffee bar, Pause

at MAAW, will open on the 4th January 2019.

Our generous and supportive community con-

tinues to bring in wonderful donations of cloth-

ing, home wares, furniture and collectables. If

you haven’t been in yet please do. We have

lots of goodies ready for the festive season and

lots of gift ideas as well.

Summer Newsletter 2018/2019

You never know what or who you are going to find in our wonderful Op Shop!

“I’m volunteering this morning, how about you?”

MAAW HAPPY TALES #1

Life began again for Rex at the age of 12. Sur-

rendered to MAAW he was adopted by an aged

care facility, where he has brought joy to resi-

dents and staff. A beautiful boy in excellent

health, Rex shows it's never too late to start

again and enjoy the rest of your life. Rex is fea-

tured on our Christmas cards, available from the

shelter and our Op shop.

Photo: Mandy Baker

“With best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season,

From the MAAW Committee”

Tania Butterworth - President

Brian Heydon - Secretary

Stephanie Miller -Treasurer

Sharnie Digby – Vice President

Bill Burris - Committee MemberMeg Clancy – Committee Member

Gaynor Atkin – Committee Member

Page 4 Summer Newsletter 2018/2019

“Do you think they will let us volunteer?”

“I want to see the Witch”