tdierikx

One day I'm gonna have to make me a zoo tour of Australia... *grin* T.

Awww... that is gorgeous! T.

There are a couple of Foxhound breeders in Sydney, as we found out when we had one come into our rescue. Gorgeous dogs, but even more scent oriented than any Beagle I've ever met. I wouldn't want to try to raise one in suburbia unless I was highly involved in some sort of activity for it to expend it's energy on, T.

Your orangutan photo is stunning! Our orangs tend to hide in their day area inside because their enclosure is still a bit cool for them to come out for any length of time... bring on the hot weather is all I have to say! Adelaide has a lot of animals that Taronga doesn't... I need to get down there one day and check them out - loving the African Wild Dog... beautiful! T.

My fave local clinic sold out to Greencross... I don't go there any more as the vets there now have it built into their KPI's to be making lots of profit margin for the company. The best vets that used to work there have left in disgust. Luckily I found an even closer local vet clinic that has an awesome vet who really isn't all that interested in upselling products to boost his profit margin - it is all about what's best for the animals there. He reckons he doesn't have to be massively rich rather than earning a good enough living. He's not poor, but he's not rich either - he also loves his job. T.

It's MY hole!!! T.

Mr Richards is probably the practice manager for that clinic - all things probably have to go through him with regards to this sort of thing. T.

Walk into any pound in Sydney and take a look at the numbers of impounded dogs without microchips... this, and the fact that they are predominately mixed breeds, suggests that pedigreed purebreds are definitely NOT in pounds in any significant numbers at all. I haven't seen a large number of the popular designer breeds in any of the pounds I visit either - ie. the usual pet shop fare... My conclusion - purely based on anecdotal evidence (seen with my own eyes) - is that the majority of unclaimed impounded dogs are most likely originally sourced from BYB's. T.

Greencross are a franchise... T.

Keep reporting the days and times the offending dogs are likely to be around - then the ranger can be there waiting for them... T.

First thing that came to my mind when I read "raspy bark" was westiemum's thread about her Mac... http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/213566-doggie-dementiaccd/ I'd get the vet to check Kirah's larynx... T.

Run free Mr Wilson... you have left you mummy in body, but your spirit will live in her heart forever. Hugs to you and yours from me and mine perse. T.

Funny how the RSPCA pounds don't temp test pets that are being picked up by their rightful owners though, isn't it? Food for thought there... T.

If you are in Sydney Alison03, most of the pounds are really good at contacting owners via chip details - just make sure your little one's details are up to date, and you shouldn't have any issues if she ever ends up lost. T.

I have a copy of the RSPCA temperament assessment checklist... but it's in MS Excel format. If you want a copy of it Alison03, you'll have to email me for it, OK? T.

You do have the cutest dogs DD... can you give each of them a cuddle and kiss from me? T.

You could call her Puss... Seeing as you are going with the cat theme... lol! T.

This one MUP? http://narga.org.au/heartratings.html'>http://narga.org.au/heartratings.html Home page... http://narga.org.au/ T.

Not all vets have access to the registries. This... Not all vets in all states have access levels to the various chip registries which allow them to see the owner's name, address, or phone numbers. But the local councils DO have this level of access, and if you have the chip number they can contact the owner on your behalf and appeal to them to allow the transfer of ownership to happen - and the councils can usually also alter the registry details on the spot. I can see why the RSPCA (if tasked with companion animal management) would seize the dog from someone who is not the registered owner... how would any of us feel if someone had one of our dogs and tried to pass it off as their own - and that the people who had the power to reunite us with our dog just simply transferred ownership on that person's say so? I'm not a fan of the RSPCA temperament tests - so I won't comment on that part of the story. T.

My vets send a notification to CAR (NSW Companion Animals Register) when they euth any dog with a chip... that way the animal is listed as deceased on the chip register, and I think they inform council as well. I've never been offered a death certificate for any of my dogs, but then I've never asked for one either. T.

I'd say that 7kgs at 8 weeks old for nice healthy Labrador pups is a good weight - as long as they are properly proportioned and healthy, it's not the weight that really matters, is it? Some litters are lighter, some heavier. In rescue, I've seen pups that were 3-4kgs at that age who turned out to be in the 40-50kg range - and others who were closer to your pups' weight and only ended up in the 20-25kg range... it's all relative really... lol! T.

The problem is that we don't always know whether the dog has a history of incidents of a similar nature... by reporting issues - even the smaller but worrying ones - at least council will have records relating to the problem animal when there may be a more serious incident occur - and then they will be pretty quick to act on it. If there are no reports of escalating issues with the dog - then the owners will just use the "oh - he/she's never done that before" excuse and probably get off with only a warning... until the next attack... Prevention is always better than a cure in cases of aggressive dog behaviour. T.

What do you think of the names Fame or Spirit? I named some rescue girl pups Fable and Scout... their new owners loved the names and kept them... *grin* T.

It does happen Alison03... there are people out there who believe that if it has a pulse, it must be "saved"... T.

OMG! Those ears are so cute! and the gorgeous wrinkly head in between... lol! Aramis is a fine name for such a handsome boy... well picked! Have you decided on your girl's name yet? Midget Widget? Mini Me? *giggle* T.