Follow the source, as well as the advice
Our new guides bring together published information from animal-welfare organisations, veterinary organisations and universities, and government services. Links sit alongside the advice and in a source list at the end. A cited organisation has not endorsed GAW or reviewed the whole guide.
These are practical explanations of existing guidance. They are not original scientific studies or a substitute for a veterinarian assessing your animal. Where a guide discusses a research finding, its scope and limitations matter as much as its result.
Use the dates for context
Each guide shows its publication or preparation date and when its article sources were checked. That checking date is not a guarantee that a service, fee or rule is unchanged today. Follow the current government or provider page for requirements and availability.
Older GAW articles retain their original addresses and publication dates. Where an article is revised, the updated version is labelled separately. The summer-hydration article has been revised; the other two historical articles retain their original text.
Know what a guide can and cannot tell you
The guides offer general care information. A change in appetite, toileting, movement or behaviour may need professional assessment. Urgent illness, injury or suspected poisoning should go directly to a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital.
NSW requirements are identified as NSW guidance. Readers elsewhere need the rules for their own state or territory. Information from an overseas welfare or veterinary source does not establish an Australian legal requirement.
Use diagrams as explanations
Our diagrams help explain arrangements and decisions. A room layout is an example, not a building plan. A dog-care sequence is not a deadline for settling in or a diagnostic test. Follow the accompanying explanation and adapt care with your veterinarian and rescue team.
Distinguish photographs from availability
The photographs illustrate the site. They do not establish that an animal is currently with GAW or available for adoption. Contact the team for current information, fees, included care and the application process.
Tell us about a correction
If a source has changed, a link no longer works or a passage needs clarification, use our website feedback enquiry. Include the article address and the point you want checked. Do not include private veterinary records or personal application documents.
For a concern about your own animal, contact your vet or the rescue team directly rather than waiting for a website correction.