Baby Dragon

Thank you :)

I just got a juicer and I was wondering if giving my dogs the pulp every day would be ok? I gave them a little bit and they loved it. I use apple (I take the seeds out first), whole pears, whole lemons, carrots, celery and ginger. Thanks :)

Please inbox

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Thank you for all those links! I'm sorry, I haven't met the dog and don't know much.

No, not from a rescue so we really have no contacts. We will look up Amazing Greys, thank you

Hi, my friend needs to urgently surrender her greyhound to rescue. Located in Melbourne. All vet work done. She asked me to help find a rescue thst can take her dog but I'm not sure where to start. Can anyone please help? Thank you

I'm probably just worrying for nothing :) It's just that he's only just started doing this. If he did it while awake, I would be worried that his temperament was changing or something.

Thanks everyone :) It's just so loud... he's always done the little 'wuf, wuf' sounds :) But this is more of an "I'm going to eat you" growl at 2am and it's quite scary to wake up to it (he sleeps beside me.) It's like a really loud growl he would do to warn off another dog if they get too close while he's trying to eat. I get up and have to make sure the dogs aren't fighting. Is that still a normal thing?

Thanks perse :) When he does it he scares the crap out of me though lol

My 9 year old dog has started growling in his sleep and waking himself up. At first I thought my other dog might have disturbed him or something, but it happened again last night and I saw that she was nowhere near him. When he wakes up he just kind of looks around and goes back to sleep. Does anyone else's dog do this? Is it something to worry about?

Legitimate assistance dogs are screened and trained to exactly the same standards as guide dogs. Guide dogs are a 'type' of assistance dog, there is no legal distinction between the types of assistance an assistance dog gives. I agree with you that a pet dog that simply makes you feel better shouldn't just have a vest put on it and have it claimed as an assistance dog. That's not the way it works. The DDA (I posted the link last night) has a definition of what an assistance dog is under the law.

The changes made to the DDA a few years ago were made to bring greater protections to legitimate guide/hearing/assistance dog users, to bring clarity to required documentation and to give greater protection to those in charge of public spaces to kick the fakers out. I guess in any industry you'll have the complainers, people doing the wrong thing, and ruining it for others. Not just the fakers, but also people in charge of public spaces. It's still a huge learning curve for everyone and I think better education is needed.

I think you'll find that people with legitimate guide/hearing/assistance dogs are very aware of the laws and abide by them. It's most often the ones with the 'fake' dogs they're trying to pass off as guide/hearing/assistance dogs that are causing the problems and seem to be the ones that complain the most, as they run into the most access issues due to being unable or unwilling to produce correct documentation.

Sorry OSoSwift I was also agreeing with you, didn't read who wrote what properly :)

sandgrubber, that's pretty much what the QLD govt card says. Also, the cards from the AD organisations. I agree, not demeaning at all! Much less demeaning to carry the QLD govt card for example, than a Dr's letter everywhere. A national one would solve the issues of recognition etc, like you said.

Please read the DDA sections pertaining to Assistance Animals, as it's obvious you're mistaking some overseas laws for Australian laws, when our laws are very different. If you're not sure, like I said, give the Human Rights Commission a call. They were extremely helpful to me many years ago when I started out with my first Assistance Dog and again when the DDA changed and stricter regulations were added. Some of the statements you've made (eg verbal identification is enough and there is no standard that an Assistance Dog must be trained to) are extremely worrying and if you're truly taking a dog into public places and claiming it to be an "assistance dog" then you really should know the laws. Otherwise you may be making public access even more difficult for people with legitimate assistance dogs who are abiding by the laws and regulations. You are correct in that part of assistance dog training is being sure they meet appropriate standards of behaviour and hygiene for being in a public place. This falls under standards that assistance dogs must be trained to (and conflicts with your prior statement that there are no standards that assistance dogs need to be trained to to be covered under the DDA.) What it comes down to is that it's every handler's responsibility to know the laws when they're handling an assistance dog in public. Assistance dog handlers do have rights, but there are also responsibilities, and some people seem to forget this fact. If you truly are taking a dog into public and relying solely on verbal assurances ("yes this is my assistance dog") while providing no proof whatsoever of the dog's training, then you are not covered under the DDA and your dog is not considered an assistance dog under Australian law, therefore you should not be claiming it as such. I'm not saying these things to be nasty - I know it can be confusing, but there are services out there to help, and it really does make sense to know the laws and your responsibilities if you are going to claim public access rights under those laws. If you choose to ignore them, that's your choice, but you will find it very difficult in the long run.

Much of the information you have is incorrect and this is greatly disturbing since you say you're currently using an "assistance dog." Part of the process of receiving a legitimate assistance dog is being educated on the current laws in Australia. It saddens me when people misquote them and still continue to work a dog in public You are correct that a doctor's note saying that you have a disability as covered under the DDA is considered proof of disability. You are incorrect that verbal assurance of training is enough and that there is no standard that an assistance dog has to be trained to in order to legally have public access rights. Have you read the link I posted to the Australian Disability Discrimination Act? Have a read of it, it explains a lot. If there's something you don't understand, give the Human Rights Commission a call and ask them about it. It's important that you understand your rights and responsibilities if working an assistance dog in public, for your benefit and for the benefit of the people at the location you're accessing with your dog.

It sounds like you may be quoting USA laws there. Australian laws are quite different, and the Australian Disability Discrimination Act was changed a few years ago to state that you do need to prove that you have a disability (although you don't necessarily need to specify what the disability is) and that the Assistance Dog is trained to certain standards. If you can't prove certain things as stated in the Australian DDA, a public establishment can legally kick you out. Disability Discrimination Act 1992 That's why the QLD Assistance Dog card system is so good - it covers those things and can easily be used as proof. A national card would be even better IMO.

While there's no specific "ID card" in particular required, you do need to prove that you have a disability and that the dog is trained to mitigate the disability and behave to an acceptable level in public access situations. An ID card can go a long way towards this and it makes life easier for everyone.

Most, if not all assistance dog organisations give their recipients ID cards with pictures of the person and the dog. QLD also has a government ID card. Even though legally the cards are recognised in all states and territories, I really feel like a national ID card would be better and less complicated.

Oh I understand, thank you! I'd hate to jeopardise anything, if that's a concern then I'll just use the photos I already have permission to use. I will PM mita just in case! Thanks :)

Thank you!! That's a good option! I guess I'm just being impatient and want the footage NOW so I can put the video together over the next few days lol the fundraising is this weekend so there's not heaps of time. Also, if I go to the pound, I might cry! So I thought if anyone had 10 seconds of video ready to go that was taken with permission, that they wouldn't mind letting me use that would just be easier. If not, that's cool! I have heaps of photos I have permission to use :)

Thank you!!!

Hi guys, I'm putting together an awareness and fundraising video for a local rescue group and I'm after some help! They are a very small organisation and don't currently have any video footage of visits to the pounds. I'm wondering if anyone here has non copyrighted, legally taken video footage of dogs/cats in cages etc from pounds that rescues work in, that they wouldn't mind if I used it in my video? Even just 10 seconds of walking past the animals in cages. I just want to add it to my video if possible to give some perspective on what rescue organisations do. I'm not even sure if filming in pounds is allowed, so if it's not then please disregard!! I'm totally new to all this. But I don't want to just steal someone's footage from youtube etc, I'd like to have permission to use whatever footage we use. I hope all that makes sense! Can anyone please help me out?