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| Mary and Doris, 12 weeks old |
‘I’m Scarlet, I’m a bit shy, go slow,’ warns a notice on the
small ginger cat’s door, adding that she can only be visited with a staff
member present. Other cats are less sensitive. ‘I am very social cat,’ says
Jimmy’s notice. ‘Feel free to open my condo and give me a pat.’ And I do –
along with Misty, Oz and Perry (a 1.7-year-old assertive long-haired tabby, who
scratches a little and then rubs against my legs as if to make up for it).
These irresistible creatures live in Melbourne’s Lort Smith Adoption Hub, where you can drop in to the café and peer through an interior window at
the kittens’ playroom or go right in to cuddle and stroke them, whether you are
looking to adopt or not. Dogs have large rooms with transparent portholes for
them to look out, and can regularly be seen trotting alongside uniformed staff
in the neighbouring streets.
The centre has a five-page waiting list for people
who want to give their cats in for adoption. It checks out potential adopters thoroughly
– questions for prospective pet carers to consider include future vet bills and
‘boarding fees for human holidays’. I heard two applicants being asked if they
were renting, since they would need to provide proof from the landlord that
pets were allowed. For potential dog adopters, there’s a meet and greet, then
walks together, then a questionnaire to fill in as part of the matching
process.
The Adoption Hub has quite a kitty turnover – during my
45-minute visit on 17 April two were adopted, on my second visit one of the white
kittens in the picture had gone, and on my third all the kittens were new. Lort
Smith rehomes about 850 animals each year, including dogs, cats, rabbits,
guinea pigs and ferrets, and places half that number with foster carers. Foster
care allows everyone to see the animal in its natural environment: ‘We want to
see the animal rolling around, grooming itself, sun baking,’ says Adoption
Centre General Manager Serena Horg. That way everyone can decide whether the
animal and adopter are right for each other.
About 30% of its animals come from the Lort Smith Animal Hospital
next door, the largest not-for-profit animal hospital in Australia, and has a
reputation for high levels of care and working with difficult animals. ‘We take
on animals that other shelters can’t take on,’ says Horg. ‘[Ones that need]
extensive rehabilitation, cage confinement, ongoing behaviour training.’ They
had just rehomed a dog after 400 days. ‘He was probably ready after 200 days,
but it’s not about getting them in and getting them out, it’s about finding the
right person or family’.
Eighteen paid staff and around 200 volunteers work in the
Adoption Hub, and there are partnerships with charity partners, rescue
groups and pounds, run by local councils. Animals can be ‘shuffled around’ between
these organisations, says Serena, to find the most suitable destination for
them. It relies on fundraising since it gets no ongoing government funding, and
currently runs a $1 .5 million (£750,000) annual deficit. Nevertheless, the centre is planning a move to leafier Campbellfield in the next two years, where
dogs and cats will enjoy a more natural environment and the foster care network
can be expanded.
Horg thinks attitudes to animals have improved greatly in
the past few decades, because of changes in society and culture rather than
legislation. ‘In the 80s the dogs were outside, the cats were inside, now the
dog is with you wherever you go’ (her Hungarian Vizsla, Parker Pretzel, comes
to work with her every day). ‘They’re part of the family. They have their own
Instagram accounts.’
Later I meet serial cat adopter Karen Hofer in the playroom.
How many has she adopted? She counts rapidly on her fingers. ‘Thirteen. And no
foster failures yet’ (meaning cats she has kept permanently). ‘It stops cats
living in miserable circumstances.’ The most she’s had at one time is seven.
‘It’s been pretty crazy at times, but it’s a great opportunity.’
Faithful Friends: a History of Animal Welfare in North Melbourne, a book by Felicity Jack, is available here. It covers the formation and history of Lort Smith and the nearby Lost Dogs’ Home. $15, published by the Hotham History Project.