A Hills family has been forced to rehome their dog after struggling to recover from the Cudlee Creek fires

Twelve-month old Huntaway Scout, who lost his home during the Cudlee Creek fire, is looking for a new family to call his own.

A Cudlee Creek family, who lost everything in the fires, has to rehome its dog Scout, a 12mth old Huntaway. John Hammersmith with his dog. PIC TAIT SCHMAAL.

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John Hammersmith is still reeling from the devastating Cudlee Creek bushfire, which burnt through most of his 202ha property.

And now he’s pleading for someone to help him out by giving his dog, Scout, a better life as he rebuilds his own.

The fire burnt much of the fencing on the Hammersmith family’s property at Cudlee Creek, making it impossible to let Scout roam around.

The cost of restoring his property is also making it harder to cope with the added bills from owning a pet.

“He’s a herding dog, so he needs to be exercised, but with the fences still down we can’t just let him go,” Mr Hammersmith said.

“We also haven’t been able to do any training with him since the fires. We’ve just been so busy, so I feel the right thing to do is to find him a new home.”

John Hammersmith with Scout at his Cudlee Creek property. PIC TAIT SCHMAAL.

Mr Hammersmith is working with pet-rescue group Scruffer Lovers to find a foster family for Scout, a 12-month-old huntaway.

“It’s all a bit of a sad story really. You see, I had a border collie-cross-kelpie, a very faithful dog, who died prematurely last year at only four years old,’ he said.

“So just after my birthday, at the end of October, my daughter came across two sibling hunterways, so she bought them for me.

“But then the bushfires happened just months later and I can’t give these dogs what they need. Scout’s sister has already been placed in a foster home, but now we’re trying to find him a new home.”

More than 25,000ha of land were burned by the Cudlee Creek fire, which destroyed 86 homes, almost 500 outbuildings and hundreds of vehicles, livestock, pets and crops. “It’s been horrible to make this decision and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster right from the start, but it’s the right thing to do,” Mr Hammersmith said.

Those interested in fostering or adopting Scout can email Scruffer Lovers at [e-mail]