What I can only describe as a wholesome and rewarding experience as my husband and I welcoming a new rescue dog to the family.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council had advertised a pet adoption day in collaboration with Pets Domain in Cooma, their second since the store opened nearly one year ago and after a successful adoption in the past we were ready to expand our pet family.

Council Rangers whom hosted the first adoption day realised the success of this event after all animals, three cats and four dogs, were adopted into new homes.

The second event resulted in three dogs and one cat being adopted and they will be hosting their third event on June 22 as they celebrate Pets Domain turning one.

Locals love their pets and the Rangers grow strong connections with their rescues making it imperative that they go to the right homes.

Now the second dog we have adopted through the Council, the experience has always been a positive one with us leaving with our new best friend.

Council Ranger Sarah Davis said Council want the community to feel supported through adopting an animal from them and they love that these dogs can have a second chance at a forever home.

“It is very straight forward to adopt a dog from our pound, firstly the expression, then an initial meeting- followed by more, and perhaps a home visit before final adoption,” Ms Davis said.

“We try to only offer dogs to the community that don’t need extensive training, rehabilitation or have health implications.

“Dogs that may need extra assistance in their rehabilitation journey are generally rehomed with Rescue agencies and put into foster care whilst they undergo rehabilitation.”

Along with Councils pound facilities, back in May 2023 Council partnered with Corrective Services where inmates take care of several canines while they are awaiting there forever homes.

The inmates follow some training schedules and endeavor to bring the shy and traumatized animals out of their shell and learn to trust.

The rehabilitation programs assist the dogs and the inmates, the inmates have a space in which they can visit the dogs and relax or play amongst the responsibility of feeding, grooming, training and exercising the dogs.

Speaking from experience after adopting five year old Ned who had spent the last six months as part of the program, the impact of the dog rehabilitation program on both the dog and inmate was profound.

It was apparent how much the inmate cared for Ned and was able to answer all our questions and give information on his loving nature.

A gentle giant, Ned quickly became right at home with us and his little brother Watson.

Completely obedient with all the basic training down pat, we can only contribute his ‘good boy’ behaviour to his time spent in the Corrective Services rehabilitation program and we would encourage anyone looking for their next pet to contact the Council on dogs available for adoption.

Council has responsibility for determining when a dog is ready for adoption through the program by carefully evaluating their progress and suitability, Council ensures that these remarkable dogs are given the best chance at a fresh start.

A new initiative introduced by Council is their Canine Catch Up days at the K9 Café offering free checks of pet registration and microchip details.

The initiative aims to help residents ensure that their pet’s information is accurate and up to date in the event of an emergency or escape.

At the new K9 Socials dog café in Cooma, the Cooma Canine Catch-up also gives residents another opportunity to meet pups from the pound that are looking for their forever homes.

Our animals are part of our family, by adopting both Watson and Ned from the Council pound we were able to give them their forever home and we remain grateful to the Council Rangers for making the process so easy and their part in making this happen.

If you’re looking to welcome a new pet into your home visit www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au