Fur friends: Andi McGovern, Jordan Vevers, Caitlin Dohnt, Stevie Showler and Brayden Westwood have all welcomed Hazel into their store.
During March, PETstock stores around the state will be hosting their annual National Pet Adoption Month, an initiative led by PETstock Assist, to help change the lives of rescue pets in need of a permanent or temporary home, and of humans eagerly awaiting their perfect match.
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While PETstock Echuca will not be hosting an event this year, the store is leading by example with its store cat, Hazel, who was adopted from Campaspe and River Murray Animal Rehoming (CARMAR) during adoption month last year.
“We all fell in love with her,” PETstock Echuca employee Stevie Showler said.
“She fit in really well here, and because she wasn’t good with other cats or dogs, she wouldn’t have to put up with that here, unless they came into the store, but that’s a rarity.
“We needed a new store cat and we fell in love with her.”
CARMAR has been the store’s adoption partner for a few years now, with the team even purchasing shelter supplies from the store.
“CARMAR were our rescue group for a fair few years,” Echuca PETstock manager Caitlin Dohnt said.
“They brought her here and we had her in our adoption page.
“We really liked her, and she was really friendly, and we’d lost our previous store cat, so we needed a new little mascot for the store — it was just meant to be.”
Hazel lives in the store full-time, will have full run of the store and the surrounding outdoor areas during the day, and lives in the grooming rooms during the night.
“She sometimes goes for a wander to the service station and gets on the VLine bus,” Ms Showler said.
“The driver will bring her back to us.”
Echuca PETstock has had an incredibly successful adoption day record, annually adopting out more than 100 animals.
“We do well with our adoption days, and they always go to good homes, because CARMAR doesn’t just let the animals go to people, they actually check where they’re going,” Ms Dohnt said.
“They make sure they’re compatible, and go to their homes and check they are compatible with their other animals.”
While the store is not holding an official adoption day this year, the store still has profiles of animals available for adoption at the front of the store.
PETstock Assist is encouraging Australians to “adopt different“ this March and to shift their thinking towards how they can make more sustainable choices, remove unfair biases towards pet adoption and address the crisis at hand by considering a pet that is most in need.
“Growing your family to include an adopted cat, large dog or bonded pair will not only enrich your life, but also the life of the adopted pet by offering them a safe and loving environment to thrive in,” PETstock Assist’s Charity and Events Lead Jessica Curtis said.
“If you’re not able to adopt, there are several ways that you can help solve pet homelessness in Australia.
“By fostering or volunteering at your local rescue group, you’re not only providing a safe place or care for an animal in need, but you’re also creating space for stray animals seeking shelter.
“By donating in store throughout March, you will be supporting PETstock Assist and helping them continue their rescue initiatives.”
PetRescue co-founder Vickie Davy says while they often take a back seat in adoptions compared to dogs, cats make fantastic pets, which is why, together with PETstock Assist, they’re on a mission to educate people on the benefits of adopting or fostering a cat.
“PetRescue has more than 36,000 cats listed for adoption annually, and of those, 92 per cent will work well with families with dogs and 82 per cent of cats can go to families with children under the age of five years old,” Ms Davy said.
“Every cat has a unique personality, and they love their humans just as much as dogs do. Cat adopters are often surprised how quickly they form a special bond — it’s almost as though they know you’ve saved their life. We hope at the end of March, that together we’ve made a change in the very big and very real issue at hand.”
For more details on PETstock Assist’s National Pet Adoption Month visit petstock.com.auin March.
For more information about becoming a foster carer or adopting an animal through CARMAR, please visit their website at www.carmar.com.au/contact-us
Adopted: Two-year-old adopted cat Hazel with PETstock Echuca manager Caitlin Dohnt.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
