How You Can Help the AWL

The Animal Welfare League of QLD takes care of all stray and most surrendered cats and dogs on the Gold Coast.

At any time, there are up to 70 dogs and 60 cats waiting to be rehomed. Each animal will make a loving family companion as all animals are desexed, wormed and vaccinated, as well as health and temperament checked before they are made available for adoption. Sadly sometimes a dog or a cat waits many months, before they are adopted. Perhaps this is because people are unaware of the numbers of animals that need a home, or how wonderful they can be as companion animals.

What YOU can do:
You can join the Best Friends Program to help promote and rehome the animals in a specific dog pen allocated to your school by involving your school community i.e.:

- Walk the animals in your pen, get to know them. If you cannot visit, you can access descriptions on our web site rehoming pages

- Promote your pen's animals in the school newsletter, at assemblies, at school events

- Provide extra support for dogs in your pen for a long time eg fostering / newspaper or shopping centre promotion / volunteer walking with parents

- Sponsor your pen for 6 months ($300) or a year ($500) through a fundraiser eg free dress day

- You can organise an on-going AWL donation bin at your school to collect food, kitty litter, old towels, blankets and new animal toys for the dogs and cats at the refuge.

Your school can visit us on your weekly Sport/Recreation afternoon and do activities such as walk dogs, cuddle cats and help the League in other ways.

You can take a Companion Animal Certificate Course. You will then learn about dog handling training, cat grooming training, dog hydrobathing and grooming training, breed identification, knowledge of animal control laws, basic health care, specific needs of puppies, kittens and older animals. These can be organised through your school or as after school / holiday courses.

You can do your work experience at the Animal Welfare League (over 16's). This will be specific to the aspirations of the student and the needs of the AWL. Eg. Attendant work in cat and/or dog areas eg cleaning pens, feeding, socialising, cuddling, walking dogs etc 8 A.M. - 3 P.M.

You can have a School Assembly or Classroom Presentation (usually with an animal)

You can become a foster carer - Many cute kittens (and sometimes their mother) need caring homes for a short period of time, in order to grow big enough to be desexed before they can be rehomed.

Any donations/fundraising will be appreciated - Donations of money to help all of our programs or particular programs (eg Desex Fund), good quality pet food, blankets, towels, kitty litter, etc
Try to think of creative fundraising, for example:
A pet photo competition - organise some prizes, make up some flyers to advertise the competition and speak on assembly about when and where to bring a favourite photo, organise a room or library to display the photos, organise some impartial judges, present prizes at assembly.

Buy your pet products at our Sanctuary Pet Shop

You can adopt your next pet from us!

You can become a member for only $5 a year and receive our newsletter 4 times a year so you know what's been happening and about special projects or events you can help with.

If you would like to help The Animal Welfare League in any the above ways, please contact us by:

- Phoning Zoë on 5509 9030

- Visiting our refuge on Shelter Road, Coombabah

- Emailing us: education@awlqld.com.au