From a delivery to a rescue group's boot
A delivery arriving at the hub sets a lot of work in motion. There are pallets to unload, goods to organise, requests to work through and collection times to arrange. Michelle coordinates with the groups waiting for supplies so their volunteers can come in and collect.
After a large Mars Petcare delivery, Warwick from Storage King Midland unloaded the pallets into the sheds. Michelle then began working through 40 requests for food and arranged the first six collections. Deedlebug Cat Rescue Perth, Marco Small Pet Rescue Perth, Jacaranda Cat Sanctuary, Perth Rescue Angels and Awesome Funky Felines were among those involved.
What is available changes from one delivery to the next. One load might include cat food and treats; another might bring different supplies. We arrange collections around the goods we have and the requests we receive.
Food for rescue animals and family pets
For the people doing the daily feeding, a donation of food can make room for other parts of animal care.
We supplied cat and dog biscuits to FOCAS Animal Group. Richelle thanked our team for work that “helps all our rescue groups focus on the care and well being of our animals”.
Kerryn, who cares for colony cats, explained that donated biscuits left more money for vet bills and petrol, including trips to take humane cat traps to other rescuers. She also helps people searching for lost or injured cats. Keeping her cats fed helps her stretch the resources available for that work.
Our support also reaches family pets through community organisations. We supplied pet food to Help Care and Share to help families struggling to feed their animals. The charity passed on families' thanks, along with photographs of the pets receiving the food and treats.
Handmade help for wildlife carers
Food is one part of what we provide. Pouches, nests and other handmade items are another, with our Craft Guild connecting people who sew, knit and crochet with animal carers.
Our WA team provided pouches and milk crates to Darling Range Wildlife Shelter, where the team was caring for 24 brushtail possum joeys.
Ella helps share these connections between makers and carers. WA makers also contribute to ARC's national craft supply. Milica donated 14 possum palaces and two sets of nests, while Nardeen in Busselton contributed pouches, beds, crate mats and bat wraps. Their work was among the WA donations received at our national craft distribution hub in Leichhardt for carers around Australia.
There is room for different skills, from making an animal pouch to donating fabric. If you would like to make something, start with the Craft Guild's current requests and patterns so your time and materials go into an item carers can use.
Darling Range possum joeys · Meet some of our WA makers · Explore the Craft Guild
Getting supplies further afield
Getting goods out of Perth can mean several people sharing the journey.
Colin from Awesome Funky Felines collected a load for TLC Kitty Rescue in Narrogin. He took it from Midvale to Maddington, ready for Cathie to collect on her next visit to Perth. It is the sort of coordination that helps a regional rescue make use of a collection in the city.
During the Kimberley floods, the distances and disrupted transport made that coordination more difficult. Our WA team prepared four pallets of wildlife food, medical and craft supplies for transport to Broome, with onward transport being organised to Derby and Fitzroy Crossing.
Glen Forrest Stockfeeds, also known as Specialty Feeds, donated two pallets of supplies. When an order of wildlife supplements from the east coast was delayed, Gemma and the team at West Coast Pet Supplies in Wattle Grove filled a local order and delivered it in time for packing.
Our team finished wrapping and labelling the pallets at 11.50am. They were collected 20 minutes later.
Derby Native Wildlife was still cut off by floodwaters and needed to keep feeding animals that would remain in care longer. Working with local suppliers and the people arranging transport helped us send supplies towards those carers when getting goods north was especially hard.
A collection for TLC Kitty Rescue · Our Kimberley supply effort
A community around the hub
Our volunteers give their time to the collections, packing and organising that make these donations useful. Rescue groups bring their own volunteers to collect. Businesses provide goods, makers contribute handmade items and financial donors help us keep the work going.
Fundraising brings those contributions together too. At our stall at Mundaring Arena, supporters donated handcrafted goods for us to sell. Bags, crocheted items and other handmade gifts filled the tables, with people contributing both their craft skills and their purchases to support ARCWA.
Petbarn Foundation is a major supporting partner of ARC. We are grateful to the businesses and individuals whose contributions become food, care supplies and practical help through our Perth hub.
Help our Perth hub
Make a financial donation
Your donation helps us move food, bedding, care items and useful supplies through our Perth hub to rescuers and community animal programmes. You can give once or become a monthly supporter.
Offer food or supplies
If your business has pet food, stockfeed, litter, bedding or other animal supplies to offer, we would like to hear from you. That includes suitable surplus, clearance and discontinued lines, whether you have a one-off donation or would like to discuss ongoing supply.
Tell us what you have, the quantity, the date shown on any food, its condition and location. We can discuss suitability and collection or delivery arrangements. Short-dated or past-best-before stock needs assessment first. Please arrange a handover with us before travelling to the hub.
Talk to us about donated products
Request help
If you care for animals or coordinate a rescue or community organisation, tell us what you need, where you are and which animals you support.