Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania: Not-for-profit scrambling to find new food sponsor as it faces $150k in extra costs

The not-for-profit Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania could be forced to pay an extra $150,000 a year for food after a crucial long-running sponsorship came to an end. How you can help >>

The Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania are in need of extra food during the winter, Sooty is one of the dogs in the Risdon Vale centre in need of a home. Picture: Linda Higginson

The not-for-profit Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania is facing a $150,000 hit to its budget after losing a key sponsor that provided the cash-strapped organisation with free food for about two decades.

For more than 70 years, Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania (DHOT) has been caring for lost and surrendered dogs. With homes in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, and Devonport, DHOT helps about 1500 lost dogs return home and about 2000 abandoned or unwanted dogs find new families each year.

The organisation, which relies heavily on public donations and operates at a financial loss every year, is currently scrambling to find a new sponsor to provide it with dog food.

Animal attendant Natalie Gershwin with two puppies who are not yet available for adoption. There has been an influx of puppies at the Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania over the last few weeks due to changes in the weather. Picture: Linda Higginson

Amid rising operational costs, DHOT is asking the Tasmanian community to open up their wallets, launching the Feed the Dogs appeal.

While the not-for-profit says it is grateful for food donations, DHOT CEO Mark Wild says cash is the best means of addressing the problem.

He said he preferred not to name the former food sponsor, stressing that the longstanding relationship had been “fantastic” and had ended for “commercial reasons”.

“To find someone to replace that hole is not particularly an easy task. But that’s ideally what it is we want to do,” he said.

CEO of Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania Mark Wild with Sooty, an American bulldog kelpie cross who is in need of a home. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Outside of that, we rely on public donations to cover some of those costs. And that’s why [our] tax appeal this year has really got a focus on trying to raise some funds to cover those food costs.

“We’re pushing to find a new sponsor, whether that’s a pet food manufacturer or whether that’s another avenue we’re trying to pursue, which is a philanthropic person that might have lots of money and want to donate to a good cause.”

Mr Wild said there were currently between 120 and 130 dogs in the organisation’s homes across the state and it went through about 20,000kg of dog food a year.

“A lot of dogs come to us and they might be malnourished and not in the best of health. Therefore, our vets recommend a specific diet for them and so that adds to the cost, as well,” he said.

The Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania are in need of extra food during the winter. Large dogs like Frank who is just over a year old and has been up for adoption for six months are often left longer for adoption due to their size. Picture: Linda Higginson

The DHOT CEO said the food crisis was “the last thing we need” and was “a struggle for us”.

“It just kind of puts more strain on the budget, at the end of the day. And we kind of already operate on a pretty tight sort of budget because we’re super conscious that a lot of what we do is with public funds,” he said.

To donate to DHOT’s Feed the Dogs appeal, go to dhot.com.au/feed-the-dogs/

Originally published as Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania: Not-for-profit scrambling to find new food sponsor as it faces $150k in extra costs