The drought crisis in Queensland and New South was has created a surge in dog surrenders.
Dog rescue groups Australian Working Dog Rescue and herd2home, which specialise in rehoming working dog breeds, have been scrambling to deal with the wave of abandoned working dog breeds.
Australian Working Dog Rescue national administration officer Cheryl Arsenault says the financial hardships of drought make it harder to look after working dogs, while the fact that farmers in drought-affected areas were destocking meant there was less work for them.
Herd2home co-founder Perri Chappell says this drought period was different because dogs still physically and mentally able to work are being surrendered.