Wyndham Residents Can Open Their Hearts and Homes to Adorable Puppies, Supporting the Australian Border Force's National Detector Dog Program.
Are you a resident of Melbourne or the Greater Geelong area with a secure yard, a lot of love to give, and a desire to make a positive impact on your community? If so, the Australian Border Force (ABF) has a unique opportunity for you. The ABF’s National Detector Dog Program is in need of foster carers to provide temporary homes for their newest and most adorable recruits, and the City of Wyndham is included in this call to action.
The ABF’s National Detector Dog Program facility is preparing to welcome an upcoming litter of 70 puppies before the year’s end, adding the delightful pitter-patter of little paws to their premises. In response to this imminent influx of four-legged trainees, the ABF is urgently seeking foster carers to open their hearts and homes to these future detector dogs.
For those willing to become foster carers, the ABF offers comprehensive support. They provide all the necessary equipment, cover the costs of food and veterinary care, offer foster carer education, and ensure access to a 24/7 support service. Even vacations won’t be a hindrance, as the ABF is ready to take care of the pups during your time away.
ABF Commander David Coyles stressed the importance of foster carer involvement in shaping the success of these future detector dogs and the vital role the community plays in enhancing national security. He explained, “The dogs need to experience a variety of different places, people, noises, and walking surfaces to be confident in the many areas they may one day work in. Socializing the dogs through exposure to shopping centers, schools, sporting venues, train stations, playgrounds, and traveling in cars helps to prepare them for busy airports, ships, luggage conveyor belts, and large events. Our foster carer program is a great example of partnerships that we seek day in day out with the communities we serve and protect and which our officers are themselves a part of.”
If you reside in Melbourne or Greater Geelong, the prerequisites are minimal – a safe and secure yard, the ability to walk the pup once a day, a willingness to socialize the pup, and availability to attend the facility three times during the 12-month period for pup training sessions. Worried about saying goodbye after 12 months? The solution is simple: foster another!
The City of Wyndham, as part of the Melbourne and Greater Geelong region, is encouraged to participate in this rewarding program. To apply and learn more about fostering a detector dog, visit the [Foster A Detector Dog] website.
This is a unique opportunity for residents to give back to their community while experiencing the joy of nurturing and preparing these future heroes of national security.
