Souff

Cargo barriers in station wagons are excellent for the most part, but again, in the event that a dog is thrown forward when we brake suddenly, I have reservations. I fortunately don't have to transport large and giant breeds, but if I did I would opt for a dog trailer to take dogs to shows etc, rather than have the dog in the car on the car seat. The dogs travel really well in the trailers and most dogs love them. btw, the shopkeeper who sold me the harness was astounded when I showed him the two sections of dissected webbing. It was top quality webbing and he had no suggestions, other than to use a crate in future. Souff

Crate user here. No more harnesses ... ever. 200km into a 300km highway journey and the pooch had chewed completely through the harness webbing! Not a sound, such a good traveller! I had no idea that I had a loose dog in the car and I shudder at the thought of the damage that could have happened to him if I had to brake sharply at high speed. I had no alternate arrangements for him, no crate, no second harness. So I had to complete the journey with a loose dog in the car Since then the crate has been employed, strapped in securely with human seat belts and the dog is safely inside, usually curled up asleep on comfy bedding. Souff

So many good points made in this thread. When I buy oranges from the supermarket, each orange has a little sticker on it. Same with the furry kiwi fruit. "Hobbits Farm Oranges" or "Ridgydidge Apples " or some such thing. I pick the stickers off before I give the peels to the chooks, otherwise I might end up with chooks guts all blocked up with adhesive stickers! Note, I did read them. But I honestly didnt think too much about what those places were like. I sell a pup. I got to know the people and their kids quite well, after all, they were here every second weekend with more toys for the little pup even before the eyes were open. They had been months before that too and we had talked about many things. They had the puppy care sheet and all sorts of stuff to read - hours of consideration had gone into the wording they were supposed to read, all about the things that they had to do to keep their puppy healthy, all of which is based on modern veterinary principles and decades of breed experience. Three weeks after the pup went home, the phone rings. They were not really too sure about what the next type of food should be .... not a biggy. And when could they start with the heartworming stuff. Nice caring people. I mentioned that all that is included in the puppy care sheet and there was a slight clearing of the throat on the other end of the phone. Ah yes, there was some paperwork wasnt there. Truth is, these people were so smitten with the puppy and yes, they lead busy lives, the paperwork was not really of much interest to them at all. The puppy was far more important. I could write a long list about such puppy buyers and how some of them ended up with quite nasty vet bills, all because they did not read the puppy care sheet. It was no doubt neatly filed away somewhere .... We can put labels on pups and state where they come from. It might even create some more employment for somebody, but there is something scratching around in the back of my head that seems to indicate that most buyers wont even bother to read it. They will be too busy enjoying their puppy! People go to a PET shop because they are buying a PET. It is going to take a very long time to change that mind set. And to those people who think that pet shops will be made to stop selling live animals, well, please don't hold your breath. It ain't gonna happen .... at least not until you change the federal trade laws first. As breeders I think the best thing we can do is to continue to BREED WELL and to PRACTICE GOOD ANIMAL WELFARE and to continue to PROMOTE the fact that we breed well and practice good animal welfare. If we don't tell anybody that that is what we do, then how can they be expected to know? Souff

You were almost making it sound as if it was the parents fault they brought this person into the world. Dont sound out all parents just because YOU would have a hard time claiming someone like him as your son. The jet ski cant be sold real quick. It is part of a criminal investigation No, I did not mean to make it sound as if it was the parents fault, not at all! These actions were the deliberate actions of a 19 year old MAN, not a baby whose parents were still teaching him how to live. His parents are not responsible. He is. He is responsible for his own actions and in no way do I think it is the fault of the parents. We all get to make choices, and at 19 he chose very badly when he saw that swan. Yes, I do understand that the jet ski is part of the investigation, but after the trial he would not be getting it back if he lived under my roof. It would be sold, if the court hadn't already ordered that it be sold. Souff

This real parent would not be in a hurry to claim it, and the jet ski would be sold, real quick.

There was Vic legislation that had a schedule of diseases attached, about 2 years ago. Perhaps Victorian dog breeders might like to now ask their new government to repeal that piece of legislation? It is a dangerous piece of legislation that is capable of wiping out some breeds. Breeding carrier to clear (and desexing any affected progeny) should never be legislated against. It can be the only way out of a worst case scenario. SOuff

Floods like this are killers. Many animal lives are lost and it is really tough cleaning up later.

Parents? Who would want to put their hand up and claim this trash as their own?

Which all goes to show that breeding is still an inexact science! And there will probably be a few humans out there just wanting to use this as an excuse for their own inadequacies. Happy New Year ASAL, may it be a goodie! Souff

It is also about an animal being able to eat and function properly and without distress and pain. The dog's health and welfare should be uppermost in everyone's mind.

Maybe this one could help out in Bali too .... with any luck he might get bitten .....

Wonder what he will be doing for the next 4 years .... perhaps he could help out in Bali .....

Sigh ..... Gillybob, most of our governments cannot manage to look after their own backyard properly....... There is apparently internal politics at work in Bali, in conflict about the dog problem, or so I am told. The people who do the vaccinating are at odds with the people who do the culling and somewhere in between there is another group who are desexing ....... Perhaps if they could all put their cultural and political differences aside and POOL their resources and attack the problem from a united front with the local population included - culling, desexing and vaccinating - then the problem might be controlled sooner. I wouldn't be calling for Aussie govt funds to be given to another political fracas. Throwing money at a divided problem never solves the problem. There has to be a united front and a combined action plan to get a good result from any funds. We have more than a few thousand Aussie tourists in Bali and many of them have already given money to the various groups who are involved with the dog problem, and no doubt they and the expats will continue to give because it is a place that they have a serious interest in. Souff

I hope they lock him up for a while and when he comes out give him some community service working with camels or donkeys for a few years - both have a wonderful knack of sensing who is mean to animals, and they remember them .... and they pay out .. big time. Kick. Bite. Spit. He deserves it all. Hope the court orders that the jet ski be confiscated and sold, no matter who owns it. Proceeds of sale can go to a bird sanctuary. Souff

A bit too close to home really. Let's hope that both cultural and government attitudes there can change quickly so as to contain the problem. Souff

Hi, and welcome! You raise a very good point. There is no star rating or Michelin rating scheme for dog breeders, and if there was it would still not be foolproof. As Erny said, contact the Master Dog Breeders & Associates. Also, talk to other owners of the breed, ask them what they think about their Schnauzer breeder. Ask other Schnauzer owners on this site. "Recommendations by Word of Mouth" is still one of the best referral systems going! Souff

Yes, contrivation is often in the mix but you would think that getting the facts straight should come before the entertainment value is considered. jmho Souff

Correct. Which is why the people around them who can see the problem must seek help.

Indeed, Mystiqview I understand that police officers around here, if they need to make inquiries about such allegations, would probably park the marked patrol car outside, would knock on the front door and say something like "Good morning, this is Det Sgt ----------- and I am Constable ------- and we understand that you own a dog. We have a couple of questions. May we come in please?" If you weren't home, they would note this fact and the date of the visit. They would make a return visit at a different time and usually would find you at home. They wouldn't normally bring a ladder to climb into an upstairs window and proceed to take your dog anywhere simply because it had a short tail. They wouldn't normally have a camera crew with them although the video camera in the patrol car can be left running I understand. If an animal was in pain or in danger they would take steps to remove a window pane of glass (and probably decorate it with that nice blue/white checkered tape before they left) or they might break down a door in a bid to rescue the injured or threatened animal. Do you notice any difference between the two approaches? Souff

All the best Silverdog! Souff

And, unless the law has changed in the ACT, after you have de-sexed and ordered custom made fake balls (if that is what your heart desires), should you decide you want cho on the menu, you are still legally able to kill the dog and eat it. Makes it hard to take this Greens politician seriously. Souff

When an RSPCA inspector can enter your home if you are there or not without a warrant simply because he "believes" something is happening or is "about to" happen. Yet a police officer must have reasonable suspicion and further has to convince a court magistrate to issue a warrant to allow entry. That alone is enough to tell me that the RSPCA inspectors have more power than the Police and yet still no accountability. Even police can not arrest you until you have committed a crime. RSPCA can enter your home and sieze your property simply because they think you might be about to do something in the near future. In regards to who to "kick up about it" that is half of the problem. Who do you kick up to if an inspector enters your home. Regarding lodging a criminal or civil claim against the inspector, how can you if the law under which they enter your premises allows them to do it. They have not broken a law. They actually have permission to enter your home if they believe something is being done or is about to be. How can you prove that what someone believes is wrong? I may believe in Santa Claus. How can you rule that I may be wrong because I choose to believe something. I may beleive that my neighbours are a family of potential homicidal maniacs. I may be right or I may be wrong. But if thats my belief, thats my belief. I can't call the police and have him arrested because of what I beleive. But an RSPCA inspector can believe that you are guilty of an act of cruelty you are going to commit tomorrow and so can enter your house tonight and seize property (Animals and equipment) based on that belief. Thanks Yarracully, you have put it very well. Should a police officer behave like what was seen on that show, you know that you can go somewhere and take action. That they are answerable to a proper process. Souff

OR THAT THE DOG COULD HAVE DIED under the anesethic, all done without the owners knowledge or CONSENT. no vet can do that but the rspca can and will and DOES. Asal, I know it is Christmas morn and I wasnt going to comment today, but you have raised several important points there, in regard to our vets needing owners consent give a general anaesthetic and pointing out the risks of GA. There are also quite a few dogs out there in different breeds with natural bobtails, short tails that they were BORN with, many of which look just like a docked tail. Owners have to produce veterinary proof that the dog has in fact got a natural short tail before they can be exhibited etc. and owners of new pups are given a copy of the veterinary certificate so that they can ward off the questions of accusers. Yet their bobtailed dog can be safely in its own home and be removed by an RSPCA officer who has unlawfully broken into the home, and then be subjected to an unnecessary general anesthetic - all to satisfy somebody's suspicions. My Christmas wish is that somebody will better educate RSPCA officers in regard to these matters and that the lure of being on camera is not as strong as considering the real health of the dog. Dogs dont die because they have a short tail, nor are they in pain, but they can most certainly die under anaesthetic. Christmas wishes to all - and I hope everyone can better educate themselves as to all the variations in the dog world and keep all our beautiful dogs safe and respect them for what they are. Souff

Not having seen a draft of this legislation, your guess is as good as mine at this stage. Would like to think that ALL dog breeders are more accountable for the welfare of the animals themselves, in the same way that registered breeders have to work to the code of ethics and not over breed etc, but this will depend on what the final wording is in the legislation.

O know I can't wait for this to go through. We can all go pick up next pup at the lcoal shopping center pet store and have full assurance that Anna Bligh says it has been bred by a licensed puppy mill! Well, if you cant get rid of puppy farmers and pet shops because of the protection they enjoy through taxation and trade practices legislation, then you might as well resign yourself to the fact that at least this type of state legislation has some form of accountability in place to rein them in a bit. Not a lot of room to move Shortstep, when you consider that some of the puppy farmers in the past have in fact been registered breeders. There is no magic bullet but at least this legislation is not yet done and dusted and if dog breeders are half smart they will ensure that their voices are heard before the ink is dry. Souff