13 June 2023

Rescue group welcomes new status as peak season approaches

| Gail Eastaway
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Wombat

Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue group LAOKO has been granted DGR status. Photo: LAOKO.

Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue group, Looking After Our Kosciuszko Orphans (LAOKO), has been granted its charity DGR (deductible gift recipient) status which will greatly assist with the rescue and rehabilitation of native wildlife across the Snowy Monaro region.

Covering a 15,158 square km area, the 100 per cent volunteer-run wildlife rescue organisation rescues, rehabilitates and releases native wildlife.

Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue receives very little government funding, relying on monetary and in-kind donations from the general public.

Vice president Allyson Jennings said, “The awarding of DGR status is a welcome announcement for Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue as we approach our busiest period of the year, ski season.

“The workload for our volunteers increases considerably due to the influx of tourists to the region.

“During the 2021/22 ski season, we took more than 200 calls from members of the public for injured and orphaned wildlife on our 24/7 phone line and as you can appreciate, this places additional strain on our resources with this increased need for assistance,” Ms Jennings said.

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Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue is also celebrating its 35th birthday this year.

All funds received go towards essential resources such as triage and medical treatment, specialised formula for young animals, equipment, volunteer training, wombat mange treatment and much more. Donations $2 and over are fully tax deductible.

“Every bit of support we receive is greatly appreciated and it assists us to provide the best possible outcomes for the region’s native wildlife,” Ms Jennings said.

LAOKO Inc is a not-for-profit wildlife rescue group based in the Snowy Monaro region of NSW.

Formed in 1988, it is the second longest running wildlife rescue group in NSW.

LAOKO’s group of trained volunteer carers assist in the rescue and care of native wildlife in the local area.

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Each year hundreds of native animals are injured or killed as a result of car accidents, dog attacks and human intervention in the form of unauthorised culling.

As a result, many young animals are left orphaned and LAOKO assists in the raising of these orphans and rehabilitating for release back into the wild.

If you find an injured animal in the Snowy Monaro area, please contact LAOKO as soon as possible on (02) 6456 1313.

Donations can be made via GiveNow or via the LAOKO website.

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