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The Lost Dogs’ Home says an animal lover’s $3.6 million gift will fund the rebuilding of its Cranbourne shelter and save thousands more cats and dogs per year.

Joy Christensen’s bumper bequest, described by the home’s staff as phenomenal, is a record donation to the 113-year-old animal welfare charity.

Here’s to Joy: Employees at the Lost Dogs’ Home’s Cranbourne centre, Brock Bushell and Annie Damerdjian, with Roscoe.Credit: Simon Schluter

The dogs’ home’s gifts and wills manager Ross Anderson said it was an exceptional gesture. “It’s an incredibly generous and thoughtful thing to do,” he said.

Christensen, who died aged 99 in 2020, indicated in 2003 that she would leave a significant legacy to the home, but didn’t specify how much.

Earlier this year, Christensen’s house in Brighton, in Melbourne’s south-east, sold for more than $4 million, and she had over $1 million in other assets and savings.

Christensen, a widow, had no siblings or biological children, but her stepdaughter inherited some of the estate, with the bulk going to the dogs’ home.

Joy Christensen as a younger woman with her bulldog Bullie.

Anderson said the bequest demonstrated the strength of Christensen’s love for animals. She adopted many dogs and cats from the home.

“Her pets brought so much love and joy to her, during her lifetime, that she wanted that to continue, for other people, in the future,” he said.

Christensen grew up on a cattle farm at Katamatite, north of Shepparton. She worked in accounts at various companies and lived in Brisbane for some years, moving back to Melbourne after husband George Christensen died in the 1960s.

Anderson said a favourite pet of Christensen’s was Hundi, a blue heeler-corgi cross, a Lost Dogs’ Home rescue dog. “He used to accompany her wherever she went,” Anderson said.

Joy Christensen later in life with her beloved dog Hundi.

“Later in her life, there was a smaller dog, a dachshund-terrier cross called Holly, who she adopted from the home at Christmas, and she chose a festive name.”

In 2012 Christensen wrote in the home’s newsletter about Tobi, a bichon frise-maltese cross she adopted, who had recently died. “I am finding it hard to come to terms with the loss,” Christensen said.

“I am enclosing a small donation – I hope it helps with your wonderful work.”

Joy Christensen’s Brighton home that was sold earlier this year.

Christensen also, at different times, owned three cockatiels, all called Cookie, a budgie called Louie, a rabbit and cared for native animals.

In 2015, Christensen wrote a letter to the home to say she would include it in her will. “I want the Home to be able to continue the wonderful and dedicated work they are doing to help all lost innocent animals,” she wrote.

“It’s important for me to know that all the lost animals are well cared for and given a second chance in a happy home.”

Ross Anderson said most of the $3.6 million bequest will go to building a new veterinary clinic and animal adoption centre at The Lost Dogs’ Home’s Cranbourne site in Melbourne’s south-east.

Its animal accommodation will also be improved.

The site currently comprises a farmhouse that came with the property, rudimentary adoption facilities and outbuildings.

More than 3000 dogs and between 5000 and 6000 cats and kittens arrive at the Cranbourne site each year.

“Thousands more animals in the future will be able to re-homed and cared for, as a result of Joy’s gift,” Anderson said.

The Lost Dogs’ Home, whose headquarters is in North Melbourne, gets no ongoing government funding.

On average, it receives $5 million per year from deceased estates – about one quarter of its income.
Another quarter comes from donations from living people.

The other half of its income is derived from council contracts to care for stray animals and from pet adoptions and the home’s veterinary clinic.

The Lost Dogs’ Home’s previous record bequest was $3 million, announced in 2011, from the late businessman Frank Samways, which funded a new North Melbourne veterinary clinic in his name.

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