A Gift From Hanami
For almost 10 years, a little dog named Hanami (Ha-Nah-Me) became Mount Avoca’s unofficial wine dog.
"O'Hanami is the Japanese word for tradition of viewing the cherry blossoms"
Hanami was saved from being “put down” at a regional council pound by Victorian Dog Rescue Group (VicDRG).
VicDRG were the first rescue group to work in rural Victoria, bringing pound dogs and cats to Melbourne for rehoming. VicDRG brought Hanami to the city, where she was placed into foster care. In August 2012, Hanami, approximately three years old, was adopted by Kitty, an employee of Mount Avoca.
Kitty decided to call her, ‘Hanami’. O’Hanami is the Japanese word for the tradition of viewing the cherry blossoms.
People gasped when Kitty told them she paid a $500 adoption fee. That $500 contributed to the cost of bringing rural dogs like Hanami, to Melbourne, giving them much needed veterinary care, desexing, vaccinations, microchipping, and other surgery, all paid for by Victorian Dog Rescue Group. VicDRG also has a lifetime, money-back policy if the adoption didn’t work out.
Kitty and Hanami did everything together, including working at Mount Avoca’s cellar door and participating in photoshoots.
In 2019, Kitty fled from an abusive relationship. Hanami was with Kitty as she gave her first police statement. For five hours, Hanami sat underneath an officer’s desk without a peep.
Fearing for her life, Kitty was too frightened to leave her immediate neighbourhood. Going to the supermarket was cause for panic attacks. Attending multiple court cases and lacking adequate understanding, compassion or support by many friends and family as to the impact of domestic violence, Hanami became Kitty’s lifeline.
A fool once said, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’
Despite being more than 10 years old, Hanami went on to become a registered Assistance Dog, helping Kitty manage PTSD.
With Hanami by her side, Kitty’s world began to open again.
Kitty and Hanami went everywhere, including eight domestic flights across Australia. The pilot often came out of the cockpit to say hello to Hanami, while the ground-crew gave the little dog their flying badges and a VIP passport, and loved to request photographs. On their last flight together, the passenger sitting next to Kitty and Hanami said it was the best flight he’s ever been on—all because of Hanami.
Photographs of Hanami appeared for three consecutive years in the Victorian Dog Rescue Group annual diary, and including the front cover.
O’Hanami is a celebration of life’s simple beauty and fleeting moments in time. When the delicate pink flowers come into bloom they mark the end of the harshness of winter. They also represent a poignant awareness of the transience of life, since they only bloom for a few days before wilting and scattering their petals.
On 6 August 2024, lying in Kitty’s arms, Hanami left this world.
Kitty says, ‘Without Hanami, I probably wouldn’t still be here today. People sometimes say to me, ‘Oh, it’s so great you saved her.’ The truth is, Hanami saved me.’
HELP US SAVE ONE DOG AT A TIME
Victorian Dog Rescue Group exists only through charitable donations and fundraising.
Mount Avoca has initiated a campaign to assist the rescue crisis.
We call it, ‘Hanami’s Gift.’
In memory of Hanami, from 6 August 2025, Mount Avoca has put together packs of three of our best-selling organic, vegan wines, at 50% OFF.
100% of the wine price is donated to Victorian Dog Rescue Group.
Each pack includes 3 or 6 bottles of wine, featuring a certified organic and vegan Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Tempranillo.
Whether it’s for yourself, or a gift for someone else, we hope you will purchase Hanami’s Gift Wine Pack.
Multiple studies show that dogs help humans recover from depression, isolation and trauma. Mount Avoca recognises the complex societal problems that impacted Kitty and Hanami.
So that’s where we are placing our efforts. To support the underdogs. The ones who love us unconditionally. The ones who deserve a second chance at life; just as we all do.
Animal Rescue organisations such as Victorian Dog Rescue Group receive NO government support or funding.
Every day, rescue organisations face pressure from individuals, pounds and social workers to please help save this pet. Despite their best efforts, rescue groups are unable save them all and have to say no to many. Some rescue organisations are so overwhelmed by the volume of abandoned dogs, they are forced to close their services completely.
Due to the rise of backyard breeders, puppy farms and the abandonment of dogs following the Covid lockdowns, in 2024, for the very first time, VicDRG was forced to close for a month. Their volunteer staff were broken and exhausted, unable to keep up with demands put upon them with more and more sad, desperate dogs in need of homes.
Help us support Victorian Dog Rescue Group to continue their inspiring, and often heartbreaking, rescue work.
ABOUT VICTORIAN DOG RESCUE GROUP
Victorian Dog Rescue Group are a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity entirely run by volunteers. Their goal is to stop the unnecessary killing in pounds and shelters, to help companion animals in need in the community, and to promote responsible pet rescue and ownership.
Since 2005, VicDRG has been proactive in trying to change companion animal welfare.
VicDRG initiated the Drought Dogs Program and were the first rescue group to work in rural Victoria, bringing pound dogs and cats to Melbourne for rehoming, which they continued to do for ten years.
Now that many other rescue groups are available to assist, VicDRG also take on puppy-farm dogs. Puppy farmers are unscrupulous breeders who keep their dogs in horrendous living conditions. Hidden from the public eye, these poor dogs are kept in extremely dire captivity, often forced to eat and defecate in tiny outdoor cages (described as upright coffins), without any medical care or human kindness. The dogs are forced to breed repeated litters until they die or are discarded like trash, left for rescue groups to provide urgent veterinary care, rehabilitation, and re-homing.
VicDRG take in surrendered dogs, many of these have belonged to older people who can no longer care for them, or from those whose situation is precarious.
VicDRG also run their Pets in Crisis program to aid individuals who have mental health issues, are homeless, or are fleeing domestic violence.
VicDRG ran a campaign to have community foster care networks (a name initiated by VicDRG), written into the Domestic Animals Act, and to have the right to a Section 84y, so that groups like theirs could take pets that need vet-work from pounds and provide them with the veterinary care they needed. In the past, rescuers were forced to leave pregnant animals and unweaned puppies and kittens to die.
VicDRG have desexed more than 500 dogs and cats belonging to low-income dog and cat owners in Victoria and ran a $50 pound cat subsidy scheme to enable more cats to leave rural pounds alive. They continue to run a low-cost desexing program to supply food to those in need.
VicDRG organised the setting up of the Dog Rescue Association of Victoria, together with several other long-standing rescue groups, to form a lobby group to enhance the standing of community foster care networks in our community.
VicDRG believe that it is the responsibility of groups like theirs to show how the community can, and should, look after and value their companion animals.
The rescue and re-homing of a dog by volunteer organisations such as Victorian Dog Rescue Group costs on average $1500-$2000 per dog.
Mount Avoca is grateful to the adopters, supporters, carers and volunteers that enable Victorian Dog Rescue Group to continue saving dogs like Hanami and ultimately helping people like Kitty.
** Approximately 250,000 dogs are euthanised in Australian shelters and pounds each year due to lack of suitable homes. This number includes both healthy and treatable dogs. Irresponsible breeding, failure to de-sex pets and lack of education about adoption contribute directly to this issue. On average, adoption is four times cheaper than buying from a breeder. It is also safer, as puppy farms are well-known to abandon litters and seriously neglect breeding dogs.**
