Why this forum?

[Katrina]

Dear rescuer, foster carer or supporter of rescue,

Over the last couple of years the animal rescue community has expanded considerably, with new groups popping up all over the place, while existing groups continue their work.
This spread of activities can only be a good thing for companion animals in Australia, more are getting out of pounds and the public are increasingly seeing rescue as a safe and valid way to find a pet.

However, rescue is a broad and scattered community which might be short of resources individually, but collectively is rich in knowledge. Groups operate across the web and Facebook, and every day you can see groups reaching out to each other, supporting other groups and being supported.
I thought it might be helpful to rescue overall to find a way to weave those rich networks together to create a rescue community of practice to share ideas, issues, concerns and questions.

This is not an attempt to centralise rescue, but rather to celebrate the diversity of practice and experience, to create a collaboration built from the grassroots of small rescue groups.
To this end I have started a stand-alone rescue forum which all rescuers, foster carers, shelters and anyone else interested in companion animal rescue is invited to participate. Although I set it up, I hope it will be a place for all of us who care so passionately about saving lives to come together.

Where the forum goes in the future is very much up to the rescue community, but I hope that together we can build a safe, collaborative space for rescue groups of all kinds.
The forum can be accessed at AARC.blackhobyah.net
Please feel free to register and start participating. Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested.

In the interests of transparency I'd like to introduce myself.
My name is Katrina and I am a co-convenor of Heading for Home: Central Victorian Animal Rescue, a small animal rescue group based in Central Victoria. I have been part of HfHCVAR for three years, before that I spent several years volunteering for another rescue group.

Along with my day job and animal rescue, I have a long-standing interest in online communities and spent several years running the aus-standardbred, horses-oz and dressage-oz groups.

You can contact me at blackhobyah@gmail.com
I hope to see you online.

Katrina
Australian Animal Rescue Collaboration forum

[Dagmar]

I think that is a wonderful idea!

Networking is the key to save animal lives!

Dagmar

[Katrina]

Networking really does make a difference. As the Boxer Rescue Network has already proved!