Christine Robertson OAM named as finalist in Woman of the Year Awards

When one of your furry family members goes missing, it seems everyone in Adelaide now knows who to call.

Christine Robertson OAM, founder of Lost Pets of SA and Chip Blitz, is a finalist for a Woman of the Year award. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Christine Robertson OAM jokes that she knows just about every dog in Adelaide after successfully reuniting thousands of lost pets with their worried families.

About a decade ago, when Ms Robertson’s good friend lost his very charismatic galah, she knew the age-old trick of leaving posters on stobie poles wasn’t going to cut it, and after seeing several more pets had gone missing, she reached out to The Advertiser for help.

“We actually had an article in the paper about the pets that had gone missing, and I had my number in there. One night, I got a phone call from someone who said they thought they might have Professor the Galah in their backyard. I went over there, and it was him. Reuniting him with his owner was just amazing,” she said. “Posters were great, but there had to be something better.”

So in 2013, Christine and some friends created Lost Pets of SA - a social media based charity where pet lovers could come for help if their fur babies went missing.

Christine Robertson OAM, founder of Lost Pets of SA and Chip Blitz, is a finalist for a Woman of the Year award. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Today, the Facebook page alone has over 92,000 followers and a team of 40 volunteers online every day who help people reconnect with their pets.

Ms Robertson is a finalist in The Advertiser Sunday Mail SkyCity Woman of the Year Awards, in the Community Champion category supported by Phil Hoffman Travel.

“I’ve got a background in the marketing sphere, and I saw something needed to be done, so I did it,’’ she says.

“We’ve done a lot of great work to reunite pets with their loved ones. I honestly think I’d know every dog in Adelaide now!”

Ms Robertson, who lives in Ridleyton with her 12-year-old Maltese x Jack Russell, Daisy, said she knew there was more work to do when a lot of the lost pets didn’t have microchips.

“We started noticing a lot of people didn’t have their pets microchipped, which always makes finding them harder.

“When the government brought in new regulations that pets needed to be microchipped, they didn’t bring in any kind of support for people who couldn’t afford it.”

So in 2015, Ms Robertson launched Chip Blitz, offering $10 microchipping across South Australia through a team of dedicated volunteers.

Ms Robertson says she’s just about met every dog in Adelaide. Picture: Kelly Barnes

That initiative went national a year later after landing a partnership with PetStock.

“Between February and December 2018, we got out every Saturday and every Sunday micro chipping. On top of our full time personal lives, we were effectively working seven days a week.”

She said in SA alone, Chip Blitz has micro chipped more than 50,000 dogs and cats, reaching as many as 70,000 nationally.

“We’re hoping to expand to bring some new things to pet owners. Affordable desexing is next on the list,” she said.

“I just cannot imagine the pain of not knowing where your pet is, and I want to do what I can to prevent that pain from happening to other people.

“I think making the choice to help someone is making the choice to be kind. I strive always to show integrity and to be fair and honest no matter who I’m dealing with.

“And I can really never walk past a dog on the street without stopping to say hello.”