About our Founders

Pet Alert started in late 1999 when John lost his Doberman "Kenya". I met John after I read an article about John and Kenya in a local paper. I was already keen to put together a national resource centre for strays and pets for adoption, and was ready and willing to help.

I was, at the time, still working at Lort Smith Animal Hospital here in Melbourne. Lort Smith is one of the shelters for Melbourne so I understood the problems of a busy shelter as well as seen far too any euthanasias of unwanted and unclaimed pets. I had started down the road to my dream of having a resource centre in  February 1998 when a group of staff discussed trying to put our stray and adoption animals on the web. At that time Lort Smith didn't even have a website. It took approximately 12 months to get that site up and running and the next step was to work on the database.

I started to think we should try to bring all the shelters together and, after discussing my ideas with Lort Smith's director, I came to the conclusion the database should be run independently to the shelters.

After I met John we started to work on Pet Alert. Neither of us were database specialists and it has been a long haul. However as a veterinarian if I can avoid euthanasing a single pet because it is reunited with its owner, or rehomed, then the effort has been worth it.

I would like to thank Peter Hill of Modulus for lots of support, to thank the people who to supplied the photographs for the home page and to my friends who gave my help and support with many ideas.

Unfortunately John has found it necessary to leave Pet Alert although I know he still wishes this wonderful site success, however more importantly to help pets and owners and for no owner to have to go through those long weeks when Kenya was missing. John's story gives me inspiration, as I hope it will you.

Fiona

NB. I am also interested in art. Please visit my Artist Website and Art Show Events Calendar, an art site I am involved with.

John's Story

We decided to build the Pet Alert website after our Doberman "Kenya" went missing for 6 weeks before we eventually found him, literally on his last legs. He was very thin, had infected feet and mouth and was covered in ticks and sores. BUT! we have him back at home now and he has made an excellent recovery.

During the time we were searching for Kenya we were unable to find an Australian website that had links to Local Councils, Animal Shelters or a lost and found database.

This is our way of saying thanks to all of the Vets, Animal Shelters and Local Council staff who offered encouragement and support during the search for Kenya.

It is also our way of showing our appreciation to all animal welfare workers. We really did learn a lot while we were searching for Kenya, particularly about the hard work, the heartache and the genuine concern for animals by these people.

Kathleen & John
Gish, Kenya & Mtani

P.S. Read about Mtani on the GOOD NEWS