Little Gifts

I have a kong hater here. Even with food inside it she still doesn't know what the hell she is expected to do with it. But leave a used tissue somewhere and hours of fun can be had shredding it into teensy tiny little pieces of confetti!

For me it is about what the treatment would achieve for the animal. I adore my dogs and am a VIP client who gets a discount at my vet, so that tells you how much money I have spent there over the years. As an example - I have an old staffy who has cancer. I know owners who would say they didn't care what it cost they had to try and save their dog. I say she has cancer, it is terminal and rather than subject her to excessive treatments to prolong her life so I can feel better I will closely monitor her and seek vetinary assistance if/when she needs it. I will feed her what she needs to keep her body strong. I will massage her to keep her joints and muscles active. I will change how I walk/exercise her to minimise strain. I will create more comfortable and accessible sleeping arrangements. I will give her more of my love and attention for as long as she has got left. So far that has equated to several quality years together even though the cancer is now in her organs. When there has been an accident and bones are broken I think it would be very difficult to say no to treatment but I would be seeking a second opinion and ensuring I was paying for a specialist if the bill was high. I remember taking one of my dogs to an emergency vet after she was collar choked by someone breaking up a dog fight and all her eyes went red with burst blood vessels. It would be negligent of me to have a healthy 1 year old dog go blind because I didn't get it checked, but it cost a lot to be told it was all ok and would heal. I remember on Bondi Vet ages ago a lovely dog with a deformity who had to have all four legs reset with pins and the owner had to tighten the pins every day. How do you explain that pain and encumberance of a metal frame around each leg for months to a dog? I am still not sure I could put a dog through that kind of surgery because of its inability to understand what it was going through. It cost thousands as well.

I love my old girl but don't like the fact her brain and her arse are no longer connected. It is like caring for a puppy all over again.

I've certainly come to appreciate larger breed dogs since being on DOL. Instead of thinking they just look big and scary I can see their lovely personalities and realise that they don't see themselves as a particular size - if they want to sit on your lap for a cuddle then they still give it a try!

That really pisses me off! If local councils or the RSPCA were managing the issue then there would be no need for private shelters or rescue groups whether they are registered or not. Rescue groups spring up in response to need, not because the people involved have nothing better to do with themselves. People put all the spare money and time they have into trying to give these dogs (and cats) a chance to live without expecting anything in return. I find it offensive that the focus has been shifted from why all these dogs need to be rescued to the people who choose to rescue them. Shame on you Vic government.

Mina I loved the self washing staffy and Nala! So funny!

What a beautiful collage of memories. He was such a cuter as a pup and had such a great personality as an older dog. He is missed by lots of people - even pug thread lurkers like me.....

"I was doing you a favour - pirated dvd's are illegal you know!"

Renovation Rescue- "But I thought you said I'd look after the soft furnishings while you picked the right colour yellow for the walls?"

That cracked me up! I've never had a simple or a helper dog but I have had one flop around the house like a dying fish (just in case I hadn't noticed he was extremely unhappy from the other irritating things he had done like walk very slowly in my way while I was carrying something heavy or lie on top of the things I was trying to pack). They probably think we are terribly stupid or uncaring sometimes!

I just had a very simple idea regarding this. Remember years back where people would have Neighbourhood Watch stickers on their letterboxes to indicate a safe place and responsible resident inside? What about something similar for good dog owners? People who had registered and perhaps even obedience trained dogs, or social dogs able to spend time with other social dogs could have stickers on their letterboxes. This could indicate to new residents or even potential new dog owners in your street someone who was like minded and who could give advice on local vets, dog parks, etc. I'm not saying people with stickers were experts on dog matters (no-one expected neighbourhood watch people to be experts at anything) but linking people with similar interests might provide a support and trouble shooting network. As an example - I own 3 dogs who we take to the beach and several local parks, including an agility park. I also have a great vet. A new neighbour with a dog moves in and knows none of these things about the area but sees I have a sticker and might come and ask me for some suggestions. It would be up to the owner what they then did of course. And a household with a single dog might benefit from interaction with another dog, or an owner might need to be away overnight. I'd be happy to try my dogs with other new dogs on play dates and I'd also be happy to feed a neighbour's dog and keep an eye and ear on it for a night. I have that kind of relationship with a couple of my direct neighbours now but lots of neighbourhoods have lost that. We spend all our time indoors behind locked screens and surrounded by 6 foot fences.

Is there a timeframe we are working towards? I only ask because of Christmas coming up and people out of town etc. Has this also been forwarded to any specific rescue orgs or groups in any states or are you wanting us to do that if we are linked with any? Thank you for your efforts in preparing this.

YAY STEVE! I love a good shit stir!

So the morons should get smart or suffer the consequences. I have an older sister who is all whoa is me about anything and everything. Hasn't worked a day in 27 years and claims every little thing she can from my taxes. This sister has dumped a dog and a cat over the years. The dog came to me and was a lovely boy who just needed some attention. Cat was dumped in an industrial estate. If she tried that today I would dob her in and let her suffer the consequences. People know right from wrong. Some just choose to ignore it and do whatever the hell they please. Maybe a big fine might actually impact on their self-focussed lives enough to stop them from bothering to try it again. And someone commented above that animal abuse and child abuse are two totally different things. After working in statutory child protection for over 20 I have to disagree with you. Some issues go hand in hand and I can assure you that if the kids are neglected or being subject to physical abuse/DV then so is the dog. If a parent can't give a shit about the basic needs of their children then I can guarantee you that they care even less about any animals living in the family home. I have not seen any incidences of links between sexual abuse of animals and children in the same household but with sexual abuse often comes physical abuse and/or neglect of children (and in turn any animals at the house). It is all about the absence of compassion for or understanding of the basic needs of other living things. I really think change has to happen at several levels simultaneously - use of media (inc online media and blogs/FB), public opinion/discussion, education through schools, pounds and tv advertising, cheaper desexing and micro-chipping, making it easier to genuinly rehome, better matching between owner and dog, no emotive sales (ie pet shop windows), making it easier to own a dog (ie renting, exercising locally), better law enforcement. These are my suggestions and some of them are happening right now but on a smaller scale and only locally uncoordinated. I used to think most of this was the RSPCA's role but?????? Some might disagree with shock value tactics but the use of graphic adverts has been proven to have a positive impact on the public. Think in terms of ads about road deaths and the original grim reaper ad for AIDS /HIV. I have these visions in my mind of say a man lovingly washing and waxing his hotted up car whilst out in the back yard sits an emaciated and chained up dog. Or a woman so excited at buying a pair of very expensive shoes but then baulking at the vet in paying a bill for her sick dog. Or even a small child with tears streaming down its face just sitting there by itself with nothing and then a puppy hiding because it is afraid. Or an old person in a nursing home with no visitors and an old dog shivering in a pound. Or a family all excited and going out in the car somewhere fun like the beach while their dog cries in the backyard for a single pat. We need people to make the link between meeting the basic needs of an animal and ensuring they understand they cost money and your time and they grow up and might live for quite a number of years. It is a responsibility to be taken on out of love, not a burden to shed yourself of. If you feel the latter then get a stuffed toy - not a real pet. Actually I think that is my new motto - A Responsibility, Not a Burden

Social change is always the hardest part. We live in a fairly tolerant and socially just society yet we still have crime, stupidity and ignorance. Most normal people would not consider child abuse acceptable yet it still happens in increasing numbers every single year. One of your neighbours or someone you know may even be guilty of harming a child. So what chance do we have when it comes to animals? I think we, the people passionate about the issue can immediately: 1. encourage adherance to existing laws by all pet owners we come in to contact with 2. EXPECT that the agencies currently responsible for enforcing these laws do so 3. Live as role models for good pet ownership 4. Share our knowledge about good pet ownership in a constructive way (with the laws picking up the true criminals) particularly if you are a registered breeder or legitimate rescue group 5. Continue to be passionate and compassionate about the issue whether that makes us friends or enemies 6. Have a voice when the time is right. Social change is slow and it is about setting standards for others to identify and aspire to. So many people don't know any differently. Some people just don't give a shit. I want to live in a society that doesn't tolerate either. Responsibility happens at every level of our lives and owning a pet should be no different. In some council areas you can now get fined for not keeping your yard tidy. You get fined for parking too long in the one spot. You are expected to dress, speak and act a certain way in your workplace. You can't go into a shop and take a packet of chewing gum without paying for it. But you can starve your pet, dump it and get away with it? Why? Why are we so gutless to say that is not acceptable in our community/country? I wonder what the RSPCA would do if we started fund raising and putting out media messages of our own, saturating wherever we could across the country for change? Are we scared of doing this or of giving mixed messages or looking like radical activists? Should that matter? Just putting the idea out there because we still have free speech in this country and we seem to be afraid of hurting someone else's feelings by using it.

I know of several cats that returned to former homes after a move. One of the homes was half an hour away by car. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and I can imagine him up on a hill sniffing into the breeze for something familiar. Despite bad weather dogs can still sniff out living and dead people in disasters and in the snow. So give him some time and hopefully he will be found heading home or turn up all by himself.

They were talking on the radio this morning about all children should know how to swim and that it should be taught at schools. I think animal care should also be taught at schools. I remember when my friends were always bringing the kindy bird or other kind of pet home to look after it on the weekend. But after kindy what? Caring for another living thing is something that would help kids grow up with more compassion and understanding. How many parents complain the kid wanted the dog but never looks after it? How many dogs get dumped because the kids left home and left the unwanted dog behind? This is an area we can have some impact on for the future and it may also curb animal abuse as well as abandonment. I agree that there is a need to assist the elderly to keep their pets. The same can be said for people escaping domestic violence (and I know there is some work around that happening in QLD). But I see an even bigger issue here in the govt agency where I work - landlords who wont let people have pets. I think some education needs to happen here as a lot of these landlords would have pets of their own but they don't want their tenants to have them. Even social housing (the old Housing Commission) allows pets! If a property is legally able to have pets then the issue should be about the tenants and their dogs adequate care of the house and property. We need more pet friendly rentals across the nation but I am more for public education than subsidising this.

First time I took my youngest to the beach she couldn't help herself and kept drinking the water. Then of course it kept coming out all squirty from her other end. As it was a long car ride home we had to stay at the beach for a few extra hours till it was out of her system. Some dogs just don't click to it not being good to drink (or eat the sand). Glad he is ok now - it sounded scary for you.

I took this of my sister's dog in the early hours of this morning. All I can imagine is she had a hot freckle?????

I love your horsies Ellz - they have such great expressions!

I got 90% How the hell did that happen? I don't think yearly heartworm should rate differently to other treatment options either. We do what we think is the best for our dogs and cover is cover regardless of the method. I just tried to register and they said my email address is already in use. What the? My email addy is not mainstream so how the hell could that be possible?

Her name is Cherie - she is not on DOL and she wont mind me mentioning her first name here. I don't know any of the names of her cav friends but figured it would still be up to you to assess anyone who said they could assist. Actually I also know someone who breeds aussies up at Redcliffe so I will check with her as well - she may know someone suitable too. I'd really hate to see you give up the dogs permanently.

My friend has just emailed back and she is not allowed pets in the complex she is currently living, but she will ask her cav friends and let me know. Hopefully you will end up with a few options to consider so the dogs can go to the right people.

Jed I know someone in Brisbane who used to breed Cav's and who knows you or knows of you. I will email her now and check if she can assist as if she was I know she would be happy to care for your dogs as long as was needed. I know she broke up with her partner and moved so that may be the only reason she can't. Will PM you when I hear back from her.

This is a fantastic milestone! Go Tammy!