You can read our 2024-25 Annual Update here.
At the time of writing this year’s report, Liberty Foundation Australia (LFA) is at a pivotal stage in its development. It’s truly been a privilege to witness the progress of the charity over the past eight years, from its humble beginnings, to now being on the precipice of expansion.
Specifically, the opportunity presented to us by grant funding awarded by the NSW Government. Our successful application under the Research Animal Rehoming Grant will enable us to deliver our Coming Home project, which commenced in May and will continue until 2027.
The centre piece of this project is to deliver a pilot adoption centre for small animals from research on the Central Coast of NSW. And, to investigate options for sustaining the centre at the end of the project.
As you’re probably aware there are many ‘moving parts’ in animal rehoming. We need to have relationships with research establishments to secure the safe release of animals. We need somewhere for the animals to go while we find them permanent homes.
We need people to help with foster care, cleaning, socialising and providing the animals with the support they need to transition from research into the community.
We need people to make donations and most importantly, adopt our animals into their homes and families.
If any one of these ‘parts’ isn’t moving, it tends to slow everything down and stop us from helping more animals.
The cost of living crisis has really bitten hard in recent years, with adoption rates plummeting. We’re hoping the recent interest rate cuts, will lead to a drop in our average wait times for animals to get on with the next stage in their lives as pets and companions.
Expanding our services through establishing a ‘home base’ for our animals and doing more advertising and community outreach, will all make it easier to keep the wheels turning.
Looking back over the past year, there have been several big changes and lots of new faces at LFA, mostly furry ones!
From July 2024 to June 2025, we rehomed 131 animals (down from a record 169 animals in 2023-24) – mostly rats, mice and guinea pigs. By the end of the financial year we had rehomed around 920 animals since we commenced operations in late 2017.
We couldn’t achieve these results without the help of other charities and their dedicated volunteers who support our rehoming mission.
We’d like to acknowledge some special people who have made such as difference over the past year, including Ali, Anna, Ann, Arrabella, Ben, Jane, Kaitlyn, Liz, Sally, Sophie, Tam, Terry, Tiffany, and Dr Kat. As well as our wonderful adopters.
We’ve also made changes to our Board over the past year with five new directors joining in April and May, bringing the total to seven. There were 11 meetings of the Board during 2024-25.
We were saddened to receive the resignation of one of our founding directors, Michelle, who played such as important role over the years. We wish her all the best and extend our sincere thanks for her dedicated service.
While we don’t know what the next year will bring and if all our plans will come to fruition, we can guarantee we’ll give it our best shot… for ourselves, for our loyal supporters and for our precious animals from research who need us more than ever!
Please connect with us online for all the latest updates.
Best wishes,
Paula Wallace
Director and Founder
You can read our 2024-25 Annual Update here.
