Queenie with senior veterinary nurse Julie Parsons at the Mundaring Veterinary Hospital in Glen Forrest.
Camera IconQueenie with senior veterinary nurse Julie Parsons at the Mundaring Veterinary Hospital in Glen Forrest. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Prison dog Queenie goes on a weight kick to raise money for Flying Doctors

Lynn GriersonThe Advocate

PRISON dog Queenie is on a canine rehabilitation program to shed excess kilos and raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

The nine-year-old Labrador has lost more than 5kg in seven weeks.

She weighed in at 46kg when she started the challenge.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Under the care of senior veterinary nurse Julie Parsons, the health-bound hound is on track to lose a third of her body weight.

“Queenie is a small lab who should weigh between 26 to 28kg,” Ms Parsons said.

“Since she started the daily weight-loss and exercise plan, she has transformed from a dog barely able to hold her own weight to a pet with personality and energy.”

Support for Queenie is gathering momentum in the community through sponsorship for every kilo she sheds, culminating in a sold out quiz night at the Mundaring Hotel in August.

Hills businesses have thrown their weight behind the RFDS fundraising effort and donated vouchers and gift baskets for the charity event.

Ms Parsons and the team at Mundaring Veterinary Hospital have partnered with Acacia Prison dog-caring staff and inmates to save Queenie from a premature death.

The veterinary hospital in Glen Forrest recently trialled the healthier lifestyle program for dogs.

Staff had become increasingly concerned about the number of pets seen with obesity-related illnesses.

Dog owners who signed up for the weight loss challenge saw their faithful friends shed the kilos and return to good health.

“Thanks to their owners, 10 dogs who graduated from the program now have a greater life expectancy,” said Ms Parsons.

“The results were really quite amazing.

“We saw a big increase in the dogs’ energy levels and the return of their waistlines.

“The dogs lost 32.4kg between them in 12 weeks.”

Ms Parsons said many pet owners were unaware of the high fat content of teeth-cleaning treats for dogs and they needed to be included as part of a calorie-controlled diet.