At the bughouse, we feel very fortunate to be working with teams of incredibly dedicated passionate and zealous individuals in the very crowded and competitive not-for-profit industry.
Our world has certainly been broadened through this experience. Nothing is more humbling nor more motivating than being around people who are clearly driven, not by self-gain, but to benefit others. Their tireless efforts are focused on providing the financial means to maintain the safety, health, wellbeing and often, survival of diverse communities.
They help us remember there is goodness in the world despite the barrage of negativity and bad news which dominates the media.
World Animal Protection Every animal deserves a life worth living – from an elephant in chains to the millions of chickens suffering in factory farms every year. The forgotten, the ‘ugly’ and the unloved. They deserve a life that allows them the five freedoms of animal welfare. Freedom from hunger and thirst. Freedom from discomfort. Freedom from pain, injury and disease. Freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear and distress. And when we give animals that life, we can protect our ecosystem, too. Only if animals thrive can we feed the world sustainably, meet global development goals and protect our planet. Nakivale Refugee Settlement Nakivale is one of Africa’s largest and oldest refugee settlements. Many refugee families have been forced to flee violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), yet while they have found a safe refuge in Nakivale, resources are becoming increasingly stretched. Many young people have lived most of their lives in the settlement, and are unlikely to return to their homeland in the near future. Nakivale is more than a temporary shelter – it’s a place where children and families need long-term support and opportunities to grow and thrive. They need access to education, clean water, healthcare and skills training, so that when they do return home, they can rebuild their communities and create a better life for future generations. Adopt a Greyhound Every year there are countless numbers of Greyhounds retiring from their racing career. They typically race for 2-3 years, after that, the lucky ones will be adopted into a family home (we won’t talk about what happens to those that don’t). Through the work of various Greyhound Adoption Programs and foster carers these incredibly gentle, loving, sensitive (and sooky) dogs are re-trained to adapt to life as a family pet…and having had Roy and George, our own rescue Greyhound as part of the BUG team, we can speak from direct experience. Check out these sites: Speaking of adoption…How about a cute cuddly Koala? Did you know our totally huggable national icon brings in around $1billion of tourism dollars into Australia each year* but they are also one of the most vulnerable species with the population rapidly dropping due to the decline in our Australian bushland and spread of disease. Today habitat loss and urbanisation (i.e. traffic accidents and dog attacks, tree cutting) are the biggest threats to the Koala population. When land is cleared for residential development, road building, forestry or agriculture, the tree corridors, which provide the Koala’s food source (and mating potential) is cut. This in turn results in colonies being marooned in areas of declining bushland (no food), inbreeding = genetic weaknesses (e.g. infertility), rapid spread of disease (e.g. Chlamydia), often leading to slow and painful death….oh and now with the effect of drought, add bushfires to the equation. We sound like the voice of doom and gloom, but this is the reality of what is happening. *Source: Australia Koala Foundation
You can help by donating to the various Koala rescue organisations (see below), but one of our favourites is the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, which runs an adoption program. Our adopted one-eyed koala (Kempsey Carolina) recently went to the big gum tree in the sky, but she was one of the lucky ones passing away from old age as opposed to disease…check it out.