Pet Rescue Center Gives A Second Chance To Pets, Addicts, And Disabled Workers

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Pet Rescue Center Gives A Second Chance To Pets, Addicts, And Disabled Workers

To some of us, there's nothing more precious than the feeling we get from being good to our pets. Whether it's taking our favorite puppy out for walkies, getting our precious kitty some catnip, teaching our pretty bird to talk, or even feeding our tiny little hamster (because our parents wouldn't let us get anything bigger), we love our furbabies like nothing else.

Pet Universe

Unfortunately, that isn't the case for everyone who takes on the responsibility of owning a pet. Too often, we see animals abused, neglected, abandoned to fend for themselves, or even straight up killed by people who either can't handle the task, or even worse, outwardly hate these furry little angels.

ABC

Fortunately, there are plenty of organizations worldwide that are dedicated to the protection, preservation and rehousing of all these precious creatures. These organizations do great work, but unfortunately also often need all the help they can get in order to stay afloat.

IFAW

For the A1 Wheatbelt Dog Rescue in Australia, the solution to this problem was simple: hire recovering addicts and disabled people who have a hard time getting work!

When founder Matt Sharpe founded the rescue organization, he reached out to the community for any and all assistance they could offer. He got a surprising number of replies, especially from the nearby Muresk Institute's Veterinary Nursing students.

A1 Wheatbelt Dog Rescue

However, even more significant were the organizations that reached out to him who specialize in helping out people who need it most, including recovering drug addicts and people who are severely disabled.

"We have a not-for-profit organisation called Fresh Start and they have men's rehabilitation programs, for drug and alcohol issues," said Sharpe. "The blokes come out to the pound once a week. They take the dogs for a walk, they help clean, they do some gardening, we have anywhere up to 10 at a time."

Matt SharpeA1 Wheatbelt Dog Rescue

The people who get to help out are grateful to be there. Justin McGlinn, a recovering meth addict, commented that:

"I walk the dogs about once a week. We spend maybe 15, 20 minutes each, take them for a walk, get a bit of exercise and get them out of the pound. It's very therapeutic because they really appreciate getting a walk, it's their only chance to get out and it's probably the same for me as well."

A1 Wheatbelt Dog Rescue

What do you think about this organization's hiring strategy?