By their own admission, seniors at Mercy Health’s Villa Maria in Lesmurdie love animals and, to prove it, they’re helping to celebrate the 80th anniversary of one of Australia’s oldest dog rescue organisations – the Dogs’ Refuge Home in Shenton Park.
Tales from our Home is a specially developed 80th-anniversary presentation compiled by the Dogs’ Refuge Home and named after the book published to coincide with its anniversary year. And it’s set to take seniors on a trip down memory lane as refuge volunteers take them through the shelter’s history.
Beginning from the time it first opened in 1935, thanks to a number of West Australians who wanted to help the ‘pitiful waifs and strays’ roaming Perth streets, the presentation charts eight decades of how the western suburbs-based charity has rescued and rehomed around 50,000 unwanted dogs.
And the event is set to be of particular significance to residents at Villa Maria in Lesmurdie, many of whom have fond memories of adopting their four-legged family member from the shelter in their younger years.
Mercy Health’s Acting Service Manager, Christina Venables, said several residents could remember adopting a dog from the shelter in the 1940s and ‘50s and, in some cases, right through into the early 2000s.
“Our residents are very involved in the community and are very much looking forward to the presentation,” Ms Venables said.
“It’s been interesting to hear how many of our residents had actually adopted their beloved family dog in years gone by from Shenton Park; they obviously went on to become very much part of the family.”
President of the Dogs’ Refuge Home, Karen Rhodes, said she welcomed the opportunity to talk to Mercy Health’s residents about the refuge’s work in helping Perth’s dogs abandoned in need.
“Our incredible volunteers have worked hard to uncover the refuge’s history in this, our 80th anniversary year; we have been heartened to learn how extensively our Home has been woven into the fabric of the WA community since the 1930s, and it will be wonderful to hear from residents who have firsthand experience of adopting their family pet from us in years gone by.”
Tales from our Home – the 80th-anniversary presentation by the Dogs’ Refuge Home in Shenton Park, which is named after the anniversary book published to coincide with its anniversary year, will take place on 6 November 2015 at 10am.
Over its 80-year history, the Dogs’ Refuge Home has rescued and rehomed an estimated 50,000 dogs and puppies.
Today, it remains a charitable organisation which relies on donations from dog lovers throughout the community to fund its rescue and rehoming work. It has a pro-life policy and does not euthanase any healthy, re-homable animal in its care.
Mercy Health is a Catholic community, not-for-profit provider of care, founded by the Sisters of Mercy and grounded in a 2,000-year history of caring for those in need. The organisation is a national service provider of health and aged care throughout Victoria, Southern New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
In Western Australia, the organisation cares for over 300 people across six residential homes, with 78 independent living units.