Retired Working Dogs currently has about 45 dogs available for adoption. Here are some of them. Photo: Supplied
A group helping to find new homes for retired farm dogs has been hit by a "double whammy" as both farmers and potential adopters struggle with increased costs.
Retired Working Dogs, a charitable trust founded more than 10 years ago, fosters and helps to rehome retired or injured farm dogs as well as working breeds not suited to farm life.
The trust works with about 500 farmers each year to rehome working dogs on their behalf, at no cost to the farmer.
Listen
Trustee Marie-Claire Andrews said high on-farm costs meant an increase in the number of dogs in need of new homes.
"We're seeing a rise in the number of dogs and we're think that's actually because a lot of the surgeries we need to intervene on are orthopaedic ones, so they're very expensive, and for some farmers the cost of that can just be too much with all the other costs they're facing."
At the same time, the trust had seen a slowdown in the number of people looking to adopt - for similar reasons.
"The cost of owning an animal now is so much more expensive ... [it's] an additional cost for a household already struggling with constrained income."
The trust has about 45 dogs looking for new homes. All are working breeds, from huntaways to collie crosses, and they range from puppies to retired working dogs around 10 years old.
Eric, a former pig dog turned pampered pet, at home with Marie-Claire Andrews of the Retired Working Dogs trust. Photo: Supplied
Andrews, who joined the trust after adopting her own retired pig dog, said he had changed her life.
"With my experience with Eric, I was a first-time dog owner. With Eric I had an amazingly well trained, beautifully obedient dog.
"All the hard work had been done. It was super easy to bring him into our life."
She said working dogs made "amazing pets", citing their loyalty and intelligence.
"They've done some complicated work and been trained to a high level often so that kind of intelligence and curiosity makes them really special to have in your life."
As part of the adoption process, the trust assesses applicants' living situations - including fencing, and whether they have young children or other animals - before checking to see if a dog is a good match with a meet and greet at the home. If that goes well, there is a month-long trial.
The trust charges an adoption fee of $350, which includes desexing the dog.