tdierikx

Microchipping has been mandatory for decades, yet the number of unchipped animals in pounds and shelters is still significant. Desexing is also strongly encouraged, and sweetened by offering cheaper council registrations, but the numbers of undesexed and unregistered animals in pounds and shelters is still significant. None of these issues are properly addressed in current OR proposed legislation... basically where the entire system fails is in the policing of the legislation Many councils have introduced limits on the numbers of various types of animals, yet there are still people who keep more than those numbers - basically, if one doesn't microchip or register their pet, then they can't effectively be traced, can they? The only way to truly get a real idea on the number of pets in any LGA would be to doorknock and insist on seeing/counting all pets... and we know that ain't gonna happen. Again, legislation/policy that can't be effectively policed. The current enforcement model is to sit and wait for a complaint to be called in by a member of the public, then the authority decides whether it's worth their time or effort to follow up on that complaint. Reactive, not proactive, policing is a flawed model that is obviously not working, yet those responsible for drafting animal welfare legislation continue to stick their heads in the sand with regards to even attempting to fix the problem... instead, in order to be seen to be "doing something", they just impose even more draconian rules that only make it harder for those actually doing the right thing, but those who aren't will still operate as normal, flying under the radar. The simple truth is that the current system that relies on a third party charity to cover all policing of legislation is not working. The proposed new NSW legislation offers a paltry sum of money to help fund same, but why throw money at a system that clearly doesn't work? What is actually needed is a complete overhaul of how we police our animal welfare laws... and it should NOT be done by a 3rd party charity organisation, rather it should be done by a truly independent agency that has no stake in the industry it is tasked with policing. Any policing agency should also be fully accountable for any overstepping of powers... say an ombudsman or the like. Introducing more laws that can't or won't be policed is a waste of time, effort, and money. Simple truth. T.

You make a very interesting and valid point there @asal... More and more restrictive legislation introduced over the years certainly has seen a decline in the numbers of registered, pedigreed, and purebred pups being available for the general public to obtain. As you say, waiting lists for quality pups from great breeders are now the norm, and often those waits can be for a very long time because of limits imposed upon breeders with regards to the number of intact animals they can have, and the number of litters those animals can produce over their lifetime. This new proposed legislation in NSW will be the most draconian yet... even more restrictive than the recent legislation introduced in Victoria... grrr! Unfortunately, it won't really make much of a dent in the number of puppy farm pups, as those who are currently unregistered with any industry body, or operating clandestinely, still can't (and won't) be policed effectively... meanwhile, all those who ARE doing the right thing and complying with legislation will be subject to even more restrictions and scrutiny. Obviously the demand for puppies hasn't waned much from year to year, and the pandemic also created a perfect storm in that regard, meaning that less conscientious "breeders" have risen to meet that demand... and made a tidy profit while doing so - whether they be mass producers or backyarders. The biggest problem overall is NOT necessarily those breeding animals for the pet market though, is it? It is the DEMAND from the general public that encourages and facilitates those willing to do anything to meet that demand and make a profit from it. Funnily enough, nothing in the proposed new legislation actually addresses that particular problem in any effective way... one tiny section that basically tells DPI to work out some form of educational campaign warning about "puppy farmers"... but as said legislation also refuses to define what constitutes a "puppy farm"... well, you can see the problem here, yes? Technically, anyone with 2 or more intact female animals will be classified as a "commercial breeder"... and just the term "commercial breeder" raises concerns in that regard too, as the general public have been conditioned over the last few years to equate "commercial breeder" with "puppy farmer"... T.

"The surrender of dogs and other small mammals means giving them away to a reputable animal shelter, where they will be taken care of and don't have to fend for themselves. Global animal welfare organisation Four Paws said surrendering your pet means they will be given a better chance of finding a new home through adoption." Ummm... the reality is that surrendered animals have a 0 day holding period, and as such will be more likely to be on any subsequent euthanasia list when space is tight, and there are no spaces in rescues to take them from the pounds. Technically, the pound or shelter one is surrendering to could theoretically euthanaise that animal straight away. Strays (or abandoned animals) in NSW have a mandatory 7 day holding period if not microchipped, and a 14 day period if they have a chip. "People get to a point where they feel helpless and ashamed. They don't know what to do." Not to mention when one is told they will have to wait up to 8 months (AWL NSW) to surrender their pet... this is untenable for those in situations where they may have become homeless and can't find a rental that allows pets, or have had a massive change in financial circumstances where they are having to choose between feeding their dog or their children... but I will also contend that those circumstances may be being over-represented in surrender statistics, as it is a much more palatable excuse than "I don't want the pet any more". "RSPCA NSW said their shelters across the state were experiencing less demand than those in other states." ... or any other pound/shelter/rescue in NSW it seems. Something fishy there methinks. When AWL NSW has an 8 month waiting list to surrender a pet, and pretty much EVERY other pound/shelter is overflowing, WHY is RSPCA NSW not seeing (or reporting) the same numbers? When you consider that the LARGEST and most well advertised "rehoming organisation" in this country is saying that it is not the first port of call for those wanting/needing to surrender a pet by their own reporting, I'm highly suspicious as to what really may be going on there. T.

In defence of @Powerlegsand other rescuers of undeniable integrity... I'd say that they DON'T have a "god complex"... they are just wanting to make sure that the dogs they rehome never have to see another pound/shelter again. The current problem of overflowing pounds and shelters is testament to what happens when dogs are sold to the first person lobbing up with the money... T.

This is an interesting article... https://www.9news.com.au/national/animals-surrendered-sydney-influx-post-covid-and-cost-of-living/ed10bcd5-5613-4ac3-a1e2-192910476371?fbclid=IwAR2VFT7jwulSzKRl_YRlj8meBAGtMzTNGfGEYDdufeFUBL9RVsPIFudMogU I call suss that RSPCA NSW are reporting less surrenders than same time last year... yet AWL have an 8 month waiting list to surrender a pet, and virtually every other pound and shelter is overflowing. T.

Animal Care Australia are a political lobby group trying to do exactly that @moosmum... they don't run candidates for elections, but are heavily involved in the legislative process to try to counter all the stupid changes that AJP keep trying to push through. ACA are the advocates for common sense animal welfare laws... T.

Hmmm... every shelter except RSPCA are reporting massive increases in surrenders... something suss there methinks... Wouldn't you think that if you were told it would be 8 months before you could surrender your pet to one shelter, you wouldn't try your luck at another? T.

@Steve may be able to answer (if she still comes here any more), as she runs MDBA... T.

Yep... the most well funded and largest "rehoming organisation" is completely exempt (in NSW) from having to consider taking animals from overstretched pounds... meanwhile, they still get to police all the rescues who might take on more animals than they can adequately care for due to the pressure now put on them by the stupid AR movement who pushed the stupid legislation through... sweet deal hey? Oh... and let's not forget that the same stupid AR mob (AJP) also pushed through harsher penalties (read fines) for animal cruelty/abuse/neglect... which gives RSPCA even more incentive to go chasing people so they can get their cut of the riches... how cool is that for them? AND... they also got a nice little lump sum of $500k to specifically target "puppy farmers" - which basically targets anyone who breeds dogs... awesome, yes? T.

Ain't that the truth! And now with this new legislation, compounded by the huge number of surrenders due to poor choices during pandemic lockdowns and cost of living pressures, means many more animals in pounds and shelters with NO legal holding times, and well-meaning rescues are feeling obliged to take in way more animals than they can adequately care for or rehome responsibly... it's a recipe for total disaster... ... which is actually what the AR nutters want. Total chaos with regard to pets means they can push for further legislation to abolish pet ownership altogether. T.

... and in NSW it's pretty much the same... only compounded by AJP's legislation change to force pounds to try to offload their excess onto private rescues before they are able to even consider euthanasia. Note: RSPCA is exempt from having to take offered animals from pounds - they lobbied very hard for that exemption - and they will definitely have the highest kill rate come annual reporting time I reckon (considering they've been gloating about their 2020/21 reports being nice and low... gonna come back to bite them bigtime this year... grrr!) T.

Same... only the damage was from children, not pets... grrr! T.

Back then it was only done at one or two specialist clinics, and I'm pretty sure she had it done at the specialist vets somewhere in the northern suburbs of Sydney. Now it can be done at quite a few places, and I hear that Vineyard vet clinic are pretty good - they treated another friend's puma (I have friends in the zoo industry). Depending on where you are located, you may find multiple clinics in Sydney or Canberra (or maybe even in slightly smaller cities/towns) that offer stem cell treatment for a range of issues. T.

If the dewclaws are well attached, then most vets would prefer not to remove them... the standard removal of rear leg dewclaws is precisely for the reason that they aren't usually well attached, and can more easily get caught on things... front dewclaws, not so much issue. As others have said, if the actual claws on the dewclaws are kept properly trimmed, they are rarely a problem, and do allow the dog some added dexterity when manipulating objects with their front paws. The vet nurse talking down to you or coming across as condescending is not on though... maybe you should mention it to the practice manager or the vet. Your request was in good faith, and no-one deserves to feel belittled simply for asking a valid question about possible injury issues with their pet. T.

The same large shelters who had adoption drives with offerings of cheaper prices to empty their shelters during covid lockdowns are now the ones seeing a lot of those same dogs coming back too... unfortunately this was always going to happen, as people who had time to spend on a pet while locked down now don't - back to work, kids back in school, etc... cost of living going up hasn't helped either. As for pets in rentals and the rental home supply crisis, that issue has been going on for longer than just recently, and is not actually the major issue here IMHO. It certainly isn't helping the problem, but definitely isn't the main problem as the media will like you to think. Some states have enacted legislation (or are in the process of doing so) to address the issue, but the fact remains that a property owner still needs to have some rights over deciding who rents their property. @coneye, your statement that pet owner renters are more likely to damage property is not exactly correct... it's more likely that people with young children will cause more damage than the average renter with a pet. @sandgrubber, it's the backyarders breeding "designer" crossbreeds, "rare" colours of established breeds, or those breeding the latest "fashion trend" breeds to satisfy some insane demand for them, with no regard to the longterm health and stability of the animals they are supplying to the market, that are the crux of the problem. These breeders are often unregistered and not exactly easy to find and shut down by those tasked with policing animal welfare laws... and those seeking to change those animal welfare laws seem to have completely missed the point in that regard, only making things more difficult and onerous for those who actually are doing the right thing by their animals. T.

I think you will find that they are still selling for between 4k and 8k... and still flying out the door at those prices... Cheaper to actually buy a pedigreed purebred from a registered breeder nowadays... *sigh* T.

A friend of mine who had an elderly ACD got stem cell treatment (very expensive) which gave her dog an amazing improvement and new lease on life... so much so that the silly dog blew a cruciate doing zoomies down the hallway... considering that before the treatment, the dog had to have a pram for walks, it was a well worth every penny spent. T.

Given that labradors can shed a bit, I'd say go for the colour that matches your wardrobe and home decor the best... *grin* As for temperament... I'd look for a reputable breeder like @Tapua first... they breed all 3 colours with solid temperaments, so you'd be well served no matter which colour takes your fancy there. T.

Good girl Bobbin! Clive is a good boy and just wants to be your friend... maybe if you let him have half the bed? T.

Interesting to note that Coonhound Disease in Australia may have a link to eating raw chicken... does your boy eat raw chicken by any chance? T.

Naw... she so purty! T.

The general "rule" is that if your dogs are doing fine on whatever you are feeding them, all is good... *grin* I've fed all sorts of things to my dogs over the years, and to be perfectly honest, haven't really noticed a drastic difference except for how much poop is produced. Generally, the cheaper brands of kibble produce more poop and of a varying consistency, whereas the high end premium kibbles produce smaller and firmer poop. I've found that raw meat produces even less poop, and it has the added bonus of going white and breaking down faster (if left in situ of course) - not to mention that it doesn't stink much either. As a vet nurse, I was rigorously schooled to plug the "complete and balanced" packaged pet foods (and we were even tested on that "knowledge" in order to pass the course)... regardless of what I feed my own dogs. Pretty sure vets are schooled in the same style where packaged foods are concerned. Personally, I go by the general "rule" above... unless your dog has allergies to certain things, or has another health issue that can be managed by diet... in those cases, maybe take your vet's advice on what to feed, or seek the help of a qualified pet nutritionist to create a diet plan that will best serve your dog's needs. T.

@persephone, try Easy Thumbnails... https://www.fookes.com/easy-thumbnails T.

Hmmm... is it possible he has gotten access to some sort of poison, like weedkiller? Some organophosphates can cause paralysis in dogs... The administration of charcoal tablets seems to point to the vet having a thought along those lines. Have you or the neighbours sprayed for any weeds recently (and around the time of his last episode)? If he's had a chomp on treated grasses/weeds, as dogs are wont to do, that could be a lead... Alternately, do you feed your dogs raw chicken or duck? Apparently some bacteria on raw poultry products (particularly chicken necks) can also cause this sort of issue - specifically Campylobacter... worth seeing if your vet can test for that. T.

Have you had blood tests and xrays done to rule in/out possibilities? A basic blood test will definitely show if your dog has an infection at the very least... and a basic xray will show up any spinal/neck anomalies. Do you live in an area where there are paralysis ticks? Or had visitors from areas that do? Visited an area yourself that does? Is your boy a lot more adventurous or physically active than your girl? An injury perhaps? A cranial xray done to highlight soft tissue may show if there is a tumour in play in the brain... as a last resort possibility, an MRI may be beneficial if there is no other cause found by the above diagnostic methods. At 6 years old, your boy is far from being a senior dog... he should be fit and active and full of beans... T.