In 2012 the committee of the Victorian Basenji Breed Association (VBBA) saw a need for a National Basenji rescue and adoption service and website.  Thankfully, the number of Basenjis that find themselves looking for a new homes or that end up in an animal shelter or pound is relatively low. However, it was apparent to the VBBA committee that people looking for a Basenji to rescue were generally fairly parochial; only looking at local websites for Basenjis to adopt. In doing so there was a potential to ‘miss’ dogs in other jurisdictions. Hence the VBBA’s Basenji Rescue and Adoption Service was born in late 2012.

Donations and how they are spent
The VBBA has extremely strict rules pertaining to the use of monies that are donated to it:

• all funds donated for Basenji Rescue as per Club Rul 30.3 can only be used for the purposes of Basenji rescue. For further information on how donations to our ‘rescue fund’ may be used in accordance with our Rules please refer to the expenditure section in our Rescue and Adoption Policy.
• our accounts are completely transparent and members are regularly updated with accounting reports and have access to view the Clubs accounts.
• we use funds carefully and dockets are required for expenses incurred during the rescue and adoption process. We pay our foster carers for their out of pocket expenses such as veterinary fees, food and travel (petrol reimbursement if requested; for collecting a rescue from its existing home; taking a rescue to a new home or to the vet) Where possible we use the services of GTE Dog Transport. In the event that air travel is required we utilize the services of a pet transport company such as Dogtainers or JetPets. Using a professional pet transport company means that a member of the VBBA does not travel with the dog; the VBBA determined this would be both costly and totally unnecessary.

Assistance and volunteers
If you are able to assist as a volunteer; with transport, foster carer etc click here.

Our thanks to GTE Transport
The VBBA sincerely thank GTE Transport for their kind assistance with transporting our most recent rescue, Jabari, from Young, NSW to Warrigal, Victoria, at a reduced rate. Being rested overnight in Bendigo he arrived in Warrigal unstressed having slept most of the way. This was a great weight of the minds of his old owner and his new owners.

Recent success stories
Ricky – renamed Rick was reluctantly relinquished because he needed more walks than his owner, who had undergone surgery, could give. A home was immediately available. And after transport was arranged all within 2 weeks, Rick moved from Victoria to Queensland where he lives with Neville.

Jabari – Jabari’s owner had a change of lifestyle which meant she traveled in remote areas and was concerned about Jabari consuming poisoned bait. His journey to his new home began from the bush outside Nyngan, NSW. His first overnight pit stop was at Young, NSW where the next day, GTE Transport collected him and transported him to Bendigo, Victoria for his second overnight pit stop. Then onto Warrigal to be collected by his new owner and then on to the final leg of his journey to meet his new family in Bairnsdale some 1500km later.

Jabari found a new home the same day as we were advised of his situation and within 2 weeks he was curled up on the couch with his new family. Thank you to all who assisted in the logistics of Jabari’s adoption.