Bachelorette star Jarrod Woodgate’s bid to save Paws Darwin

Radio host and former Bachelorette contestant Jarrod Woodgate has teamed up with Paws Darwin to rescue the charity in crisis.

Four-legged Territorians could miss out on finding their fur-ever home while a Top End animal shelter calls out for a rescue of its own.

Radio host and former Bachelorette contestant Jarrod Woodgate said he came to Darwin for a mental health break after 12 years in the army.

Mr Woodgate met his perfect match and service dog thanks to Paws Darwin soon afterwards.

At the risk of sounding “too corny” Mr Woodgate said his fluffy best friend was a “love ball”.

“She’s my companion, she’s my girl,” he said.

“I love her to bits.”

Jarrod Woodgate said deaf and blind service dog Lily – who he adopted through Paws Darwin – was his world. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Woodgate said there were no issues with her role as a service dog despite her being blind and deaf.

“It’s just part of life,” he said.

“It gives her more reason to love and be more affectionate which gives her more of an idea as a service dog because she that focus on our needs.

“This girl has done everything for me.”

Paws Darwin founder Lisa Hansen said the atypical pup “chose” Mr Woodgate and was able to care for him when he was feeling anxious or wake him up during night terrors.

Service dog Lily helps Jarrod Woodgate manage depression, anxiety and PTSD. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Through tears, Ms Hansen said Territorians such as Jarrod might not be able to find their perfect match if the shelter was forced to close its doors.

“We re-home over 400 dogs a year, we can house up to 20 or 30 or 40 animals at any one time,” she said.

“Normally, we have on our books between 80 and 150 animals – that’s with the community support and them going into foster homes and that type of stuff.”

Jarrod Woodgate met Lisa Hansen through a friend. Thanks to that connection, he was able to meet and adopt Lily at Paws Darwin. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Hansen said Paws also helped train dogs like Lily to become service animals, offered a community vet clinic and discounted dog training.

But as phone bills, rent, and other operational costs increase amid a cost of living crisis, it was difficult for the independent charity to stay afloat.

“I’m pretty devastated... and I don’t know how to let go and just say, ‘I can’t do this anymore’,” she said.

“I just tend to keep moving forward but it’s really hard to do that.”

Paws Darwin founder Lisa Hansen is calling on Territorians to help save her animal shelter as bills continue stacking up. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Hansen recently took to Facebook to plea for help from Territorians.

Holding underweight pup Kermit during a video, she said Paws Darwin was often the “last port of call” for neglected animals to find their perfect family.

“We are in crisis, we are at a place where we can’t take animals anymore,” she said.

“We don’t know what the future is going to hold for us.”