This year’s winners of the Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards have been revealed and Newtown local Shelley Tinworth has been named Volunteer of the Year.
Shelley and her wife Belinda volunteer for Greyhound Rescue and care for two ex-racing Greyhounds, a whippet and an 18 year old cat who rules the roost!
Also exciting news is that Greyhound Rescue took out this year’s Outstanding Rescue Group Award! They have a new facility called ‘Greysland’ in Bargo.
Shelley said: I am completely humbled to receive this award, and slightly embarrassed, as I am just one small cog in the wheel of our incredible rescue group, and so many others do so much more than me. Volunteering with Greyhound Rescue has been completely life-changing, in so the best possible way. I have made lifelong friends, who share the same outlook in terms of animal welfare and compassion for these beautiful creatures. It is an absolute honour to spend time with the greys at our rescue centre each week, and know that you are contributing, albeit in a small way, to them finding their loving forever homes, as they all deserve. Volunteering has also been hugely beneficial to my mental health – you can’t help but be on cloud 9 after a shift at Greysland!
“In our third year, the Rescue Awards has been very competitive with more than 1,000 entries across 10 categories, which made it very challenging for the judges! Our amazing winners demonstrated excellence and innovation in their approach to improving the lives of companion animals during these difficult times,” said Cathy Beer, Rescue Awards Founder and pet adoption advocate from Pets4Life, an independent education resource for cat and dog guardians. Following the announcement of the Finalists in September, one winner from each category was selected by an expert panel of 20 Judges. The winners were revealed at a virtual Rescue Awards Ceremony run by Gold Rescue Partner, Refuel Creative in Adelaide. The Ceremony was broadcasted live at 4pm AEDT across the country via the Rescue Awards Facebook page.