Little Gifts

Geez this is terrible. I've never been to the facility before or since AWL started running it but I do know from years of experience in govt that long term positive change does not happen overnight and working co-operatively rather than forcibly achieves more in the long run. What is the council doing to help them achieve the agreed upon contract goals given how badly they were previously operating the pound? Some problems run very deeply and it is about learning from them rather than putting band aids over the top to make it all look pretty. Poor animals of Ipswich.

Well I am here to tell you they can change! My sister used to leave an assortment of tasty food out for her husky/shep all day. Usually concerned she hadn't eaten anything my sister would sit and hand feed her and talk to her and fuss over her every night. My sister and her dog moved in with me in 2005 (or 2006 - can never remember) and at the time I had 2 sbts with competitive eating issues so we couldn't leave food down. My sister started feeding her dog sitting on her bed! Then someone else came to stay temporarily and bought a 4th (tiny) dog - it was also used to grazing all day. I put my foot down and said they will eat if they are hungry. They all started getting fed at the same time twice a day in different spots, with us humans guarding the fast eaters from trying stand over tactics on the fussy ones. It didn't take long for the fussy ones to realise if they took too long they'd lose what was still in their bowls when nasty me picked them all up, finished or not. Today, my sister's dog eats quicker than my sbt! She has gone from gourmet meals of 4 varieties (which she'd pick at) to quality kibble with extras on top (same as the rest of the household). She did still have an issue for a bit about only eating small kibble and my sister was giving her loads of treat food at night but that is gone now too. They all still have their spots but they also have different bowls so sometimes I still mix it up a bit and feed them in different locations but from the same bowls. They would follow their own bowls anywhere! So I think the trick is to get a nasty Aunty to do the feeding, one who doesn't buy into all the emotional eating stuff, ignores the bad and encourages the good. Even when I house sat for Tapua she has one dog who they expected to go off his food while they were away. Nope! I followed their routine, didn't buy into his mood in relation to it affecting his eating (although he got lots of extra attention aside from food), gave him a timeframe, left him to it and he'd eaten it all from the first night onwards! Just keep telling yourself "they will not die of starvation!".

Yep, that is a lot to do by yourself and I'm always surprised how quickly dogs settle in at the vet. I have my fingers and toes crossed for your girl's recovery! Keep us updated please!

I did not mean that in a negative context towards groomers and actually regretted posting those actual words after I'd logged out. I really meant that a good groomer might want to watch that story to see what happened then shake their head in disbelief. So I meant 'tsk, tsk' in a sad way (like my mum would do) not in a smug context at all. Caz is a special person to me and I was writing it to her (with some anger), trying to express that her story may have had a limited audience and affected no real change through those mass media programs. They do localise them so I would not necessarily get that story up here in QLD and they are so into over-sensationalising the crux of the story can be lost. What is happening here on DOL between dog lovers and those working in this industry is far more powerful. And you have now added that groomers far and wide heard about Buddy's Story and were horrified, which to me is so important because the general public do think groomers love dogs, know how to manage them and would do everything to keep them safe. At the very least you assume they have common sense and appropriate equipment. We now know that is not the case with this particular salon. It is like a Dr operating with rusty instruments and watching his favourite footy team play the finals at the same time - not good enough! So to all our wonderful groomers out there - you do a job I am not capable of doing and I commend you for it as I'm sure you see some terribly neglected but well loved pets. I have a local salon tucked away in a side street I go to and it is tiny and often messy but they are great people who love what they do and I am always allowed out the back to help with bathing and nail cutting on my dogs - they have always cared as much for me and my needs as they have for my dogs and the numerous fosters I have taken there. It is the type of place that suits me and in turn my dogs, even though I know it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.

That is soul crushing GB. I'm not sure I could bear it. Take care of yourself. Bob and Molly wouldn't want you to be sad - they'd want you to remember all the love that was shared. XXX

I wish my day was that exciting!

You know what Caz I'm happy TT and ACA don't want to do some bullshit emotive story on this issue. The only people interested in that will be local people and perhaps other groomers who will watch it and go 'tsk, tsk!'. What DOL has is dog ownership power across every single state of this country. Because of Buddy's story I have shared my absolute disgust on how he was 'managed' while in the care of a third party with my local groomer and my vet. My vet and the vet nurses make sure to mention appropriate care of dog while at a groomers with their new customers/new pet owners (inc puppy school). Not only that I have shared it with every single friend I know who has a dog that goes to a groomer. They have started questioning their groomers about their practices and watching how their dogs behave when arriving at the salon and upon pick up. They have also shared Buddy's Story with their friends and family who use groomers. They have all said to me that they never thought to question their groomers about how they treat their beloved pets when in their care. They simply leave their dogs, come back, pay the money and leave without giving it a second thought. But no more. People do care about these things. They love their animals and couldn't bear to share the same experience as you. Buddy's Story has been a very powerful one that I think is spreading far and wide to the people that matter - loving pet owners. In turn they are placing expectations on their local groomers and know the questions to ask before placing their pets in their care. That is the kind of change that truly matters, not that the media didn't consider this story more important than a sports star in trouble for acting inappropriately in public. Hugs to you honey - have faith that the message in general is getting out far wider than your local community and you have every right to name the salon responsible. The facts have been told quite simply and they have been proven to be true. What happens to that salon now is up to them while we dog owners take responsibility for our own charges by having this knowledge. This is Buddy's legacy to all us.

How did Jack and Teddy go overnight Rach?

That is so terribly sad Rach. You have already had your fair share of losses. Good on you T fot taking these kids on! Look how big Harper is next to them! And Tango is still looking beautiful!

What a sad situation for the owners. Thanks to everyone who helped so quickly.

Yep, a lot of good dogs have been taken by snakes this year. RIP beautiful girl.

I wonder if her partner does the dog's hair as well?

What confused me most was that lying on the ground getting hosed you have an almost clean brindle yet sitting up and smiling that dog is still covered in mud. And I would suspect some hacking up of water from the lungs would've been necessary to bring a drowned dog back to life? Maybe a bit of mouth to snout even? It's still a happy story to cling on to but that chunky monkey looks like it was having a sunbake after a roll in the mud to me!

What a fantastic idea! I wish my current dogs loved the water. When I was younger I had an OES who was constantly wet and sandy and we also had a beach loving cat (called Alby after Alby Mangels). We lived across from the Broadwater on the Gold Coast and my partner would go over to do some fishing or throw the net and Alby would follow and be right there in amongst whatever we were doing. If we didn't catch any fish he would walk home before us in disgust. He also loved car rides. He was an odd cat. PS Thanks for sharing the great photos Huga!

I used to take my dogs on random short outings because they loved a car ride. But I once got out of my car to open the garage door (closing the car door behind me) and the dogs locked me out - engine running, headlights on, pizza on the floor, no windows open. By the time the RACQ guy got it open for me the pizza was gone and someone had peed on the front passenger seat. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way!

Neurotic I have passed the info on to Ams and she will ring the lady to see what assistance she can offer.

Congratulations Morton Place! I hope your future surgery goes well and you can return to breeding your beautiful babies again soon!

Yep, Jen is still taking in Neos - she can't help herself! She also has mobile phone issues at home so if you don't hear from her in the next 2 days please message me your info and I'll call on her home phone and pass the info on.

Make a Coat - Warm a Heart

Bluey it is so hard to comment on this. People in rescue tend to be very passionate about their beliefs in what they are doing and why. How shelters or private rescues are run is often determined by the resources available, including manpower for cleaning, feeding, socialising and training. This group sound like they have been doing their very best with what they had but maybe it still wasn't enough for the animals in question? That's why it is hard to comment without seeing or knowing the shelter or skills of the volunteers. Perhaps things have deteriorated since you got your dog from them? Perhaps the RSPCA had already notified them of changes that needed to be made and they were unable to comply? It is so hard to know but I understand your anger and the distress of those who have been running the shelter going through this experience. I know that I would feel the same way if this happened to a group I was involved with. And please don't take this the wrong way - it is simply a comment to get you and other angered supporters thinking - in the time it takes you to do up and send a letter of complaint to the RSPCA you could've cleaned a couple of those kennels or fed the dogs at that shelter or taken a couple for a walk. It sounds to me like they desperately need more people to volunteer regular time at the shelter and I just wonder if any of you who are angry have thought about how you can assist in a more practical and ongoing way so this never happens again? Volunteering is incredibly rewarding for both the individual and the animals.

Maybelle the chook! We had one called Big Red because she was big and red! We had another chook called Lucky because she nearly killed herself through chook stupidity on numerous occassions so she was lucky to still be alive!

I've probably posted some of these before. Woody - budgie who liked to chew sticks and who was eventually killed by one! Waddles - irritating, feet chewing duck Hey Dog - corgi/GSD cross named by original owner who was a young, deaf boy. He also responded to Gordon and Ian. No idea why! George and Ba-Ha - nubian goats Talia and Beauregard - black moor goldfish Randy - bubble eyed goldfish (and no he wasn't randy) Ben the Bastard - nasty tabby cat My younger sister has very strange cat and pet mouse naming standards. She has had Dr Julias Sumner Miller (she always used his full name), Socrates (Soccy), Noble and a range of other scientist/Nobel Prize winners names I can no longer remember. Most of them you couldn't even give a decent pet name to!

Maybe Suleiman likes his water with a spot of 'cordial' in it for more flavour? I really need to video Tempeh doing her mail inspections every day. She takes it so seriously and practically gives me an all clear nod when she is satisfied I can open the mail. Window envelopes and small packages from China get the biggest sniff down.

I hope it goes well Panto and that your car overflows with trackie coats! Hey you should try and think up a cool name for them - I know that the pyjamas I will be making are going to be called 'pei-jays' (Made in Peiradise!). Maybe something like Winter Warmies for you and the workshop? (I don't have my creative hat on this arvo!).

This has made me realise I have boundary issues in the other direction. I know potential adopters are vetted by Ams before they come to meet and greet any fosters at my place but once they arrive I don't care what they do or where they look! And our meet and greets often take place in our lounge area as it is big and there is air cond and we can confine/comfort the foster if they are a bit unsure of what is going on. I guess we are lucky in that one of our dogs is also the household security guard so if someone was wandering around doing anything remotely suspicious she'd be telling the world about it and they'd probably be soiling their pants! I don't even bother putting my handbag and wallet somewhere discrete so this is a timely reminder to me that not everyone can be trusted. I have obviously been very lucky so far.