willowite animal sanctuary
freshwater creek - victoria - australia
wombat
Wombat is a Staffordshire Terrier who was found dumped at Point Henry near Geelong Australia in June 2005.
From the day he joined our family he has shown us every day the Staffy's endless capacity for love.
Here is his story ..
On a dark winter night in June 2005 one of the Alcoa Emergency Response Officers (David) rode his bicycle to work along Point Henry Road. David works with me at the Alcoa Point Henry Aluminium Smelter 10km from Geelong.
There are no street lights on the point and David's bike lights were lighting his way on the bike path as he rode towards the smelter. Two km down the 5 km point road he noticed a tap tap tap noise behind him.
It was a busy road in the dark and Wombat had no road sense yet.
One of the things that make Wombat special is his slightly unsteady and ungainly gait. He may have had some slight brain damage at birth which has left him with a stiff legged, funny looking walk.
He sort of prances. He also drags his front paws a little making a tapping noise.
This was what David heard.
If not for this minor affliction he would not have been heard and most likely would have died that night alone in the dark.
But that was not Wombat's fate.
David saved Wombat's life that night and Wombat's new life began.David slowed down and allowed Wombat to follow him to work. That night he and Heinz fed Wombat and kept him safe in the Security Office where they work.
Most of his little body was covered in mange (Demodicosis) and he had cuts and scabs on his neck from being tied up with a rope. It looks like he was dumped on the point or perhaps left outside the Geelong Animal Welfare Shelter at the beginning of the Point road.
Wherever he started, Wombat decide to look for help. With all he had suffered he still trusted people and went to find someone.
When I arrived at work the next morning I saw this bald, mangy, scabby thing who snored and smelled bad.. I told David to clean himself up a bit and show me the puppy. (I laugh every time I read that .. )
We think he was 4 to 5 months old. As bad as Wombat's condition was and as miserable as he felt, whoever approached him that day was greeted with a wagging tail and a look that would melt the hardest heart. The Wombat had landed.
Here are some more pics of Wombat showing his wonderful recovery: