Pet Matchmaker Nikita on a Mission
BY JEM ANSHAW
When looking for a pet dog or cat, there is not reason to overlook your local animal shelter.
Muswellbrook Animal Shelter coordinator Nikita Butt is passionate about ensuring pets are matched with the right owners when they leave the facility, even if that means they spend some time in foster care with rescue agencies first.
“If they are surrendered we can basically do anything from day dot, if they are not microchipped it is eight days, if they are it is 21.
“During that time we manage to get a better understanding of what their behaviour is like, how they handle other situations and other stimuli.”
Part of the stigma attached to animal shelters is that they are not good places for dogs and cats to go, while there are often other alternatives for owners there is no need for negativity about their processes.
“There are a lot of rescue groups we work with right across New South Wales and even interstate, and generally if they are happy to work out transport and we are able to work it out we do what we can,” Nikita said of their focus on giving dogs the second chance they deserve.
“Call me directly and I can have a bit of a yarn about what’s what, what they are looking for and what might be suited and point them in the right direction if I’ve got nothing else.
“I figure if you can’t adopt directly from your pound or shelter, taking from a rescue group still enables them to take something else from a pound.
One of the many people who have done just that is Maria Browne who last week adopted Bindi.
After having smaller breeds for a long time, the loss of her most recent companion had her looking for a new companion.
“(I was drawn to) her face – she just came up and was so lovely, she enjoyed being cuddled and eating of course, I just knew that she would be a dog that would fit in anywhere,” Maria shared.
“People don’t really care about dogs like they should, they love us madly and give us unrequited love – I think once they are bonded with you they love you for life.”