Volunteers and committee members are needed to help care for and provide for dogs surrendered at Ararat Dog Rescue.
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President of the charity organisation, Jill Worrell said anyone interested could give her a call or email their interest.
"We need volunteers and foster carers," she said.
"Volunteers help fundraise, man the market stalls and anything else we have, plus any fundraisers we have going.
"We've developed into this little family, and we're all looking look after each other.
"We all have a wonderful time, and we get together, but it's helping with the fundraising coming up with ideas and hopefully taking on committee roles."
Jill has been a part of Ararat Dog Rescue for six years.
"There was a street stall outside the Bendigo Bank, and I started talking to the previous president Helen, and the next moment I started as a volunteer, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and then I became a foster carer," she said.
"We've got a very small, tight-knit group, and we're all family.
"The new people benefit by being exposed to how rewarding it is, and we increase the size of our little family.
"We get together lunches fairly regularly just to touch base with everybody."
Ararat Dog Rescue is in need of foster carers, with dogs turned away due to an increased number of surrenders.
The increase in dog surrenders has meant Jill has had to say no to "so many" dogs due to a lack of foster carers.
"We don't have enough foster carers, and nine times out of 10, the dogs will be put down," she said.
According to Jill, committee members sit with potential foster carers to understand what they were looking for and assess their backyard.
"They've got to have the love and the time for a foster dog," she said.
"You don't have to be retired to have a foster dog.
"You can be working, but if you've got to have the time to put into a dog to teach it basic manners and basic obedience.
"We will welcome you with open arms."
Jill said that many people believe they can't become foster carers because of the emotional attachment they create with the dog, however, it shouldn't hold them back.
"We cry over every dog that goes to a new home, but they're happy," she said.
"It means we've got room for another one to come in.
"It doesn't mean that we haven't got a few foster fails within the foster carers.
"A foster fail is someone who fosters a dog and then falls in love with them. We're all guilty of it, but you do get to the stage that you can't take on any more dogs on your own."
Dogs are placed with foster carers temporarily. According to Jill, that could be any where between one month to 12 months, depending on the dog's needs.
"Most of them seem to be three to four months," she said.
I've only seen 12 months once or twice since I've been a part of Ararat Dog Rescue.
"It depends on what the dog needs."