Little Gifts

Good luck! I hope the three of you have a brilliant time!!!!!

I'm so sorry. The old ones are very hard to let go because they have been part of our lives for so long. You'll never be forgotten Gus.

She is just gorgeous! What a cutie pie!!!!!

FM I think there is something wrong with your puppies skin - they seem to have too much of it!

I spent two years travelling around Australia in the early 80s, in a trusty old Torana. That was back when you could easily have a dog in a camp ground and there were no rules about National Parks or great Australian landmarks. Back when you could leave your dog sitting outside a shop and it would be there when you came out again, back when no-one worried about your dog on the beach with you and back when you could camp for free in lots of spots around this beautiful country. I don't doubt that Badger would be fine with the travelling but I do worry about how limiting this will be for him and you because of all the no dog zones you will face. What will you do in a hot town when you want to visit somewhere? You can't leave him in the car. What will you do when you are bone tired after a long day of driving but can't find a camp ground that will let you have an animal? What if you really want to visit a particular National Park but can't even park there because you have poor Badger. Yes I know how this really sucks because he is a beautiful boy and just a pup. Back then I owned an adult old english sheepdog (who would've taken up a lot more room in the Torana!) and I practically broke up with my partner over him not allowing me to bring my dog with us. I couldn't understand it given he was an animal lover himself, but pretty much straight away I realised how difficult it would've been, particularly in the summer in QLD, NT and northern WA. And there were so many places we visited that my girl would've sruggled with - she couldn't have climbed inside caves or spent hours floating around in hot springs or watched from the hot sand as we snorkelled the ocean. What would we have done with her when we went on short side trips to islands? Sorry to be Devil's Advocate but there is a lot to see and do in this great country and taking a dog with you will restrict what you do and how you do it. If you are ok with this then go for it, but if you make a list of what you want to experience and for at least 10% of it Badger has to be exluded then you need to think realistically about how you will manage this from Badger's perspective. One thing about travelling around Australia too is that it is easy to get side tracked by things, people and places you never imagined existed and whether Badger goes with you or not I hope you have a magical trip. It really is an amazing country.

There are a lot of sick people that we have to share our world with.

I think a star must shine over your house Rachel guiding the lost animals to your door. Poor Lucky. You did your best and he passed with someone at least caring about him. And I think you did the right thing with Jack.

Tnank you Ams. I like to do home checks in Brissie when I can but the heat is really knocking me around at the moment and I'm a walking zombie so no driving for me until I am alert again!

Julie I'm currently knitting two dog coats for you so will post once they are done - probably a week or so.

Thank you for including us on this joyous journey - they are all so squishable!

I can apprecaite the need to 'legally' fundraise because there are unscrupulous people out there who pretend to be representing not for profit organisations. Rescue groups that become incorporated can also offer tax receipts, which is an encouragement for some people to dig into their pockets. I can also appreciate other rescuers asking for monies to go directly to a vet bill or transport company or only asking for goods. I really think the more options the better. But still for me it is about the dogs and I don't care how a group or individual rescuer operates - if I feel they are genuine at what they are doing and a dog is in need (even if said dog doesn't make it through treatment) I will provide money or goods or pay for services rendered. I'm sure there are others like me out there. There are a couple of things I am uncomfortable about providing towards (which not everyone will agree with) - mid to late terminations where it is not necessary for the safety of the mother and long term kennelling where foster placement or return to home options are not being actively sought (ie taking into consideration Pacers where the aim may be for the animal to return to its original owner when it is possible). I personally don't feel a dog has a chance of being rehomed if it remains too long in a kennel environment. There are a couple of things I'd love to provide funds for - a joint foster carer recruitment drive between a couple of rescue groups (which I'm sure a big dog food company would also love to get behind) and retaining/training specialist foster carers. Wouldn't it just be awesome to have a difficult or sick dog come into your care and have somewhere special for it to go?!

My girl has a bed right beside the computer but when she thinks I have been distracted long enough she comes around the other side and swats me repeatedly on the arm with both paws like was a prize fighter.

This cracked me up - he sounds like a failed foster!

As someone who donates mine and other people's money I have fundraised to rescue every month I can tell you that I know rescue costs will forever far exceed anything I donate. I don't care if you spend 'my' money on toys for the dogs to destroy because I know you will also be spending money on the basics such as food and vet fees as well. I also have no concerns about donating to rescue groups interstate (as well as locally) or to groups or individual rescue because the need is everywhere and I do it for the dogs. Their love and trust knows no boundaries so why should my commitment? My motivation to donate is partly because I am not rescuing myself and am therefore not spending money directly on animal care, and partly because I desire change. Before I die I'd like to live in a society where animals were not so disposable. I can also tell you that when I first started donating, particularly when I donated items, I desperately wanted a little thank you. But then I realised how unrealistic that was and that it detracted from rescuers doing their work. I realised that meant I was doing it for me and not for the dogs. So I would be horrified if you kept detailed notes of how you spent my money or took time to send me photos or updates. I'd much rather you spent that precious time on the dogs! If I want to know how you spent my money all I need to do is ask. I am not your accountant and I am not the tax man - it is not my business how you manage the limited finances that rescue attracts against the potentially huge outlays. As for the people who use our office book club or who partake in raffles or other fundraising activities I regularly run, not one of them has ever questioned me about where the money goes. Not one in three years. They don't even ask who I give it to (which is always my choice) let alone want to know which dogs or what equipment or treatment it was spent on. My last comment is that those of us who donate do not know you are in need unless you say so. I have two places I regularly donate to but if there is a specific dog with specific needs that comes to my attention then I can divert funds anyway I choose and for however long I choose. So if I don't know I can't help.

Thank you Raffikki - the pics on that one were much bigger.

One of them is definately a type of wandering jew. It is going to be painful to remove but it must go! The others seem to be ok. I did image searches for common ferns, creepers and ground covers in Australia and found the names and looked them up that way. I actually have a lot of jade plants in my back garden and never knew they were poisonous! I've never had a tree/shrub chewer though so I'm not going to worry. And I have a native I know as an inch plant that I thought was ok but see that the wandering jew plant family are also known as inch plants. Mine are more like long grasses with little red flowers on the ends. I might go to the nursery and get the proper name and search that as well. I have always put fresh aloe juice straight from the plant on dog sores and itches believing it was non-poisonous if they licked it but nope, according to the ASPCA I could be killing them! Plus I have spots of rye grass in my lawn which must be yanked up too! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!

Just found this link - YAY! http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants.aspx?style=User&url=http://www.aspca.org/toxicplants/M01831.htm&page=1

I'll see what I can do - the areas are kind of dark as I have large trees overhead so I'm worried pics wont come out well. Plus I've found some plants that I never put there so I guess birds may have carried the seed? I might pull them out just in case, but the creeper/ground cover thingy is going to be a pain. It is all green and it reminds me a bit of the leaves of a moses in a basket plant (but smaller and all green). The moses plant is bad so I'm thinking this creeper/ground cover is not good either and I can see little bits of it everywhere along the back fence.

While doing a yard clean up I've noticed that my new neighbours to the back and side have planted loads of new stuff that now seems to be growing through to my side of the fence. There are now ferns and creeper type things on my side of the fence. I have a pied SBT and she gets itchy on her underside at times so I try to be careful of what I put in the garden. I know there are very long lists of toxic plants out there (like the ASPCA one) but I am yet to find one online that has pics that will help me check whether what is now in my garden is dangerous or safe. Has anyone found any sites that might help me with images as there are about 5 plants all up. I've done a DOL search but haven't come up with links to pics - just lists of names, which wont work for me at present. I think there is nothing more awful for a dog than to be continually itchy. Thank you!

Magic!

All these puppies have made me melt so badly I went in to a pet shop that sells puppies today (gulp) just to look at this poor little pei boy who was all alone in the window. The lady quickly whipped him out and handed him to me. Apparently pure bred (doubtful based on body) and only $900! He was born 29/11 and was far too young to be alone and for sale. He keep making all those little grunty noises tired puppies do while I held him. I can see how people get sucked in because I didn't want to put him back in that cage all alone and just a baby. It was terrible! If I could run fast I may have just absconded with him. But anyway I blame all of you with beautiful puppies for making me temporarily lose my mind today!!!!! I feel like I set back the cause even going in there and gushing like I did, let alone holding one of the dogs and chatting with an evil puppy seller! She probably expects to see me back with my credit card. Oh the shame...

Yes Please! We can never get enough Julie What about a donated dog coat - do you still want already knitted items for auctions too? If so where do I send it?

I like to think it was Jake telling you all is ok in his new world and that he wants all to be normal and ok back here for you. There are lots of stories of people who say a lost loved one has visited them while they are in bed while they are grieving, as if to tell them they were ok. For me it has more been like a feeling that Ricky is just still here, somewhere in the house waiting for me to trip over her

I've also been knitting some funky dog coats for rescue and I'd be happy to donate one for your silent auction if you were doing this again this year? I didn't have the knitting bug when you started this unfortunately!

I actually had a wierd dream about a DOLer and her new pup only last night! I dreamed I simply turned up at K9Angel's place for a brief holiday. Her relationship with her new pup Takoda was amazing to see - that dog was so focussed on her! She fed me a very nice stew (the weather was cold) and I hung out with her two boys and was there when a neighbour dropped off a wandering dog for her to look after while the owner was found (she does that kind of thing). I remember thinking her house was smaller in my dream than I expected and I was thinking "oh that is where she had her xmas tree but she has already taken it down". Her boys were just gorgeous and happy confident little men. I was dissappointed not to be able to go outside and see the other dogs in their runs (I think she keeps some in runs?)as it was already night time. She didn't seem at all concerned about me dropping in and expecting to stay! Oh and in my dream her house was 2 storeys but I think it is really only 1 storey in RL. And in my dream it was like I was just visiting DOLers I respect from the rescue threads - I think Mother Moocher or tdierikx were next on my list. Is this borderline stalking????