Little Gifts

Imagine if that could happen at more prisons for more dogs! It would be a great outcome for both!

Yes there was a recent anniversary for him. Two years maybe? The not knowing must be impossible.

This is in the UK but could it be the same out here? It's a Community Drone service too. Also what struck me was the dog's leash had caused it to be stuck in place so searchers on the ground couldn't locate it. We had a case in QLD a while back of a grey getting scared on a walk and getting lost in bushland still wearing a leash. Dog was never found. It was heartbreaking and I think they tried to get a drone but couldn't. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-67892869?at_link_origin=BBC_Family_%26_Education_News&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_format=link&at_medium=social&at_link_id=B0A2EB54-ADF6-11EE-BAE9-E24987A28522&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_type=web_link&fbclid=IwAR3Br2B3Bxzx0f2VnfM5VQelaXZ_VtD390p-2CL8cdzN_xW2KXGOtBF-TTU

That is huge!

I feel their is a huge cost of living and housing accessibility issue affecting animals in need at present. I don't know a single rescue that hasn't been calling out desperately for help in all ways for months. Not enough carers, not enough money and obviously all the strategies out there to address unwanted pregnancies isn't achieving all it hoped. At least the RSPCA has money in the coffers to cover the vet bills and has a shelter base. For every RSPCA shelter there could be 5 to 10 unfunded small rescues working just as hard from people's homes on no money.

Oh dear!

I've never had pet insurance. My two oldies both got sick last year requiring major specialist treatment and surgeries (one had chemo too). I nearly sent myself to the wall covering it (living on food vouchers type poor). They were both healthy otherwise and I've spent very little on them over the years at the vets. I have no regrets about spending the money for these life threatening illnesses. I got myself a second and then a third job and now one much better paying job. I estimate it will take me 2 years to get back to where I was financially and one has since passed of old age and the other passed of a whole new condition. But the time I got with them - good quality, healthy time for them, was worth it. I'm unlikely to get insurance for a future dog either. I accept quality vet care costs money and have no plans to shop around to get things a bit cheaper because I value the relationships I have with my long term vet (who are reasonably priced for a hospital type vet). Plus I have a breed prone to genetic issues and that reflects in insurance rates whether they have the condition or not. Just personal opinion of course - I also regret getting health insurance in my 20s (now 60). The amount I have spent on it versus what I have claimed doesn't even compare.

I think it is the general public causing some of their own problems too. So many people these days claiming any old dog is an assistance animal. I adore my pets and they give me a great deal of comfort but they aren't trained for any of it. All I expect of an animal with a job is that it is capable of the task under a range of conditions. So if you fly with your support dog, for their sake and yours, in a confined space I want to know it is safe, you are safe and and the passengers and crew are safe. I don't think that is too much to ask. And those of us who know the breeders behind Tapua Labs know the work that goes into those pups from the minute they are born to prepare them for a range of roles and how they identify which pup might be suited for what role. Some of it is the dog's natural abilities and some of it is their conditioning and training. That's why I'm also for formally assessing the capabilities of approved assistance dogs. Once they are working they have an enormous responsibility.

I just noticed this! He came to the attention of the pei community up here when this pound post first went up so it has been spread far and wide. Hopefully his circumstances have changed by now. It's a terrible circumstance for an oldie to find themselves in.

On the news last night they referred to it as a staffy bully cross.

So sad. Those poor owners. Fly free beautiful boy. X

If there's more to the story then the first people to tell are the police, not sending out crumbs to see which media might pick it up for some cash. I agree she will have out of pocket costs especially for trauma treatment and if she chooses a private plastic surgeon, but this fund is already sounding tacky and attention seeking.

Panda the Pei. He was even lying on top of me on the lounge for cuddles tonight.

Thank you too Powerlegs! They told me they were on his tummy (not how many) and even though they didn't seem busy were not interested in doing a handover of any kind. I've been all over him and can't see them. With his dark hair and light skin I thought they'd be easy to find. Will bath him tomorrow and have to wait for vet visit. We are sanitising frequently as he wants lots of cuddles and smooches. He's a very happy boy. I have to reduce photos of him so I can add them.

Thank you for that T! I also noticed aloe vera gel is pretty good on them. Not trying to avoid vet prescribed treatment but was just wondering about options I already have on hand to be honest as I'm not sure when he will have his vet visit for it.

I know this is an old topic but does anyone know how the calendula is with ring worm on dogs? Looks like a foster with it is coming our way. Thank you!

I must confess the whole emotional support dog claim seems to be becoming very over used. I'm assuming you'd have to prove it for a flight, but people who just want their untrained and unaccredited dog to go everywhere with them is damaging the system for those doing the right thing. Not saying the people with unapproved dogs don't have needs, but that their dogs are not trained for the roles they are placing them in. Sitting next to a farting dog for that long would do me in too. That stuff clings.

I can also recommend slow water feeder bowls. We had to use them here for a throat issue for my girl. The disc floats on top so they can't gulp it down. If that fails there is a gel that can be put in a pets water too to make it thicker. I've heard of others using it with success. Besides the kibble have you worked out what other additives your girl could have? Due to food allergies we stuck to 2 different types of kibble but were able to add other things to the top - sardines in oil, eggs, Greek Yoghurt, raw chicken necks, etc. We also fed twice a day but at times of weight loss due to illness spread it over 3 meals with a slight increase in quantity. Another option you could consider, especially for summer is bone broth ice cubes. You'd have to either buy or make it with the ingredients you know are safe for your girl but bone broth freezes quite soft so is easy to chew and gets nutrients and liquids in.

I feel so blessed with Jonah. I could drop the bitterest of pills on the floor and it would be in his cakehole and gone before I even bent down to retrieve it. Floor=Score! Stussy was the same except she was very suspicious of her chewable heartworm, so I had to pretend I was giving her treatie to Jonah if she wasn't going to eat it and that always worked.

I am so happy to know this information!

No wonder you are traumatised Rebanne. This was a very traumatic experience and you are no doubt just replaying it over and over trying to come up with a new outcome. I'm very sorry you had to go through this. Little consolation but it sounds like it was a quick passing for Opal. She's safe over the bridge. X

As someone who has fallen in love with shar pei I've had plenty of people call my dogs and the breed ugly. Even more common is people not knowing what breed it is and me having to remind them of the toilet paper ad. I'm a bit on the fence about animals with disabilities and disfigurations. I follow quite a few with physical disabilities and find it inspiring and a reminder of the inner strength of some animals. But there is also a very well known rescue here in Australia that takes in a lot of popular breed neonates from breeders with conditions that other breeders would probably just euth (serious clefties). Every pup costs multiple thousands to raise and I've become turned off the constant trawl for cash because of how much it equates to for each pup. A small rescue could run their entire group for a year and help multiple animals for the same amount. It also gives some breeders an out for poorly bred pups. Not really seeing much educational value from the process either. The number of these pups is rising each year. I don't know how big the adoptive market for these pets is. But then I look at one the disability doggos I follow and I think well if they weren't give a chance they wouldn't be here living their best life now. Here is one pei boy I adore. Nuggy was born with chicken wings. He has a cart, he has an owner who converted her entire house suit Nuggy and other dogs with disabilities. He has enough personality for about 3 dogs and little holds him back - https://www.facebook.com/rubytwosdayandcheyenne/videos/786469769342543

Thanks Boronia. I'm going to check that out. I actually don't want to see an increase in the number of dogs euth'd but a stronger burden of responsibility on owners and ensuring there is an opportunity for circumstances around an incident to be fully explored so dogs with no history of violence, who may be reacting protectively, are not automatically declared as dangerous. It seems once declared there is no coming back from your black mark. There is no encouragement for owners to work with trainers and behaviouralists, learn any triggers and manage them. In all the instances it is the dogs that suffer. Plus we need to learn from the serious and fatal attacks and what failed for them to occur. I still often think of the DOLer who was out walking with her dog late one night, an old guy scared them all and her dog injured him. What she went through after that was horrible. There was context around that incident that the law didn't allow for. Her dog suffered, as did she. After she got it back she disappeared. But I still think about her and her doggo and hope it went well for them after they were reunited.

I had a pei that at times would attack my stafford (no other dogs). The triggers were different each time. I had 2 trainers and a behaviouralist assist me, the latter being the best. Great and easy to implement strategies. But sadly my girl had a number of demons (related to how she was socialised before she came into rescue) so we had extreme anxiety in certain circumstances, grand standing for attention and a lot of other things also going on that reduced her quality of life. We did a lot of mental puzzles with her to wear her out as she was terrified of leaving the property. They definately wore her out and she was getting most of her kibble/dry based meals in a puzzle. So that is something you could try too. My next pei boy didn't like certain breeds because he had previously been attacked by them. Not overly social with dogs outside his other breed but did live happily with other breeds of dog who allowed him his space. I never took him to dog parks (unless we were having a pei get together) because having multiple dogs come up to him at the same time was not comfortable for him. I always watched him like a hawk with the leash around my neck ready to remove him if I noticed any discomfort. I was careful to street walk him where there were no dogs rushing the fence and had several big parks to take him to but never parked near the dog park sections and walked by them because I never wanted to set him up to fail. I wanted him to have safe fun. While he wasn't aggressive as such I could tell when he became uncomfortable and he was ready to react if he felt he couldn't escape a situation. That didn't make an outing fun for either of us. There are things you know about your girl that are positive. You have to find ways to do more of that and not worry so much about the other stuff. Its her walk and exercise and doesn't need to fit a box. My boy loved sniffing and marking. I was always on the look out for new areas we could walk or dog parks more likely to be empty at certain times of day (we'd leash up and leave if someone else turned up). He had opportunities to socialise with pei he knew but really spent very little time in their company and rarely 'played' with them. So if your girl loves her ball focus on that for your outings - find a dog park that is less frequented and go in for some pure play. Not playing with other dogs doesn't make them less sociable. Those skills still exist, as do their likes, dislikes and discomforts. It's just about acknowledging what makes them most comfortable and enhancing those opportunities. My stafford was super social too and I could literally stick her in any situation and she'd make the best of it. But I'd never do that to my boy simply because they both had different needs. They quite often got very different outings to each other because of it.

I'd be disappointed that the breeders either did not notice she was deaf or they did and sold her without advising she has differing needs. Under consumer law you have been sold a 'product' that is not fit for purpose. Obviously you don't want to return her and get are replacement. So I'd be contacting them once you have evidence of the deafness and asking for a partial refund. You will need to seek a professional skilled in training deaf dogs so you can both develop the skills you need (as opposed to just going to your local doggy training school). Perhaps you can do that homework first and identify that cost as what you would like for the refund, plus the testing fees. She will be loved regardless, but keeping her safe and looking to you for visual cues is obviously needed.