CHARITY: FARM DOGS WITH A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE

Farm dogs with a second chance at life

Old working dogs are getting a second lease on life thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers changing mindsets.

Words: Dave Smith, Photography: Charlie Kinross

Farm dogs are the best employees you will ever find. They turn up at work come rain, hail or shine, labour from dawn to dusk without complaint, and never ask for a raise or a day off.

Maremma Sheepdogs are loyal to their owners and guard well against intruders, they are happiest when tending to their herds. It is said, The Maremma can fend off wolves, bears and humans.

However the harsh economic reality and remoteness of agriculture in Australia can mean that when they get too old, injured or situations change, they can no longer fulfil their working roles.

About 15 years ago, non-profit organisations committed to saving working dogs began making waves. Working Paws, a small country charity run by three country women, is among the most recent. Founded in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic when travel restrictions and social distancing saw a spike in the number of dogs unwanted dogs in pounds, Working Paws has re-homed more than 130 working dogs. This is their story, warts and all, told through words of a founder, a volunteer, a farmer and a very clever and loyal cattle dog called Artoo.

Meet the pack

“We focus on rescuing kelpies, collies, cattle dogs and all the mixed-breeds in between by providing them with the home they deserve at the end of their working lives,” says Working Paws co-founder Sarah Taylor. “Or sometimes when a working dog has a litter on a farm, one or two pups are just born without the instinct to work.

Chel Haftka and her White Maremma Sheepdog Dusty, and Kelly the Red Heeler, with Blue Heeler, Kittee CowDog.

“In one instance we were called out to a farm where there were seven working dogs, all good dogs, but their owner had to go into palliative care himself. We spoke to his neighbours – they were cautious at first – but they ended up taking all seven. Those dogs continue to lead productive lives today.

“That particular problem was easily solved but normally we put our dogs into a halfway house for two or three weeks so we can assess them and make a decision as to what kind of rehoming they are best suited to. We also make sure their vaccinations are up to date, and microchip and desex them if they aren’t already. I currently care for two, Debbie – one of my partners can have up to eight and Jenny – our third partner cares for 15 dogs at a time.

“We also have a team of about 20 carers who run halfway houses in different parts of the country. Chel in Tullamarine is one of our best. Like all our carers she has a heart of gold but she’s also a professional dog trainer who is able to independently assess the dogs she fosters and put them in the right homes.”

“But COVID-19 changed everything because social distancing made managing volunteers impossible for dog shelters and all us oldies got cut out of the equation. But I still wanted to help, so a few months ago I began volunteering with Working Paws, using my own home as a halfway house.”

Usually, cattle dogs are retired when they are nine or 10 years old, so Artoo still has more than half her working life in front of her. She has lots of potential and we love having her around.”

“This was around the same time the public started realising that instead of euthanising abandoned or problematic dogs, they can be rehabilitated and rehomed. So I started doing volunteer work at shelters, teaching other volunteers how to bring dogs out of trauma and get them to the point where they can go into a domestic environment,” she explains.

Right now Chel has four foster dogs. “I have a massive white Maremma Sheepdog slobbering all over me, a couple of old guard dogs and a four-year red Cattle Dog called Artoo who used to belong to a farming couple that stopped farming. They kept on feeding her but never gave her any attention. Without her job, she also lost her purpose in life and completely shut down.

Artoo (centre) with her new owners.

“The family surrendered her to a pound but cattle dogs are unique breeds and generally don’t do well at pounds. So I went to get her, assessed her to see if there were any particular triggers, noise or smells she may have problems with, and to see if she’d be better suited to a domestic environment or a new farm job.”

With a bit of TLC and training, Artoo turned around quickly. “Since she is only four, there was no need to retire her,” Chel says. “She was just adopted by a nice young couple from Druon who already have three cattle dogs and need one more, so she has a new home. It is a match made in heaven.”

The musterer

“I grew up on a dairy farm,” Leith Radford says. “My wife and I don’t have any cattle now but we do have a team of three cattle dogs we use to help our friends move their livestock. We are now looking at taking the business to the next level working with big stations out in the desert and plains. But to do that, we need another lead dog.”

The problem that many people now face, is that since COVID-19, the price of cattle dogs has suddenly skyrocketed.

“Just a pup with no training was $500 before COVID-19. Now it’s $1,000,” says Leith. “With basic training, you are looking at $2,000 for a pup, while a good fully trained cattle dog can cost anywhere up to $10,000.”

So when Leith found Artoo on the Working Paws website, he sent them a message straight away.

Chel says, “Cattle Dogs are unique breeds and generally don’t do well at pounds. Without a job, Artoo (a four-year old red Cattle Dog) lost her purpose in life and shut down.”

“We spent a day with the dog and went through a screening process. Yesterday morning we went to pick her up and put her to work on the same day. She was awesome! I didn’t have to do anything. Artoo knew exactly what to do. All we had to do was stand aside and watch.

The couple paid Working Paws $500 for Artoo – the same they charge anyone who adopts a dog to cover the cost of vaccinations and other necessities.

“Usually, cattle dogs are retired when they are nine or 10 years old, so Artoo still has more than half her working life in front of her. She has lots of potential and we love having her around,” Leith says.

“It’s a great thing for farmers to adopt a working dog, especially if you can get as much value out of one as we think we will out of Artoo,” says Leith. “There’s also a lesson here for farmers who need to get rid of their dogs. There’s no need to kill them when you can give them a second chance in life. There’s probably someone out there who would be happy to take your dog.”