~Anne~

Personally I think you are better of removing some of the laws, which will in turn mean that resources that are currently spent policing them (yes, we know it isn't much but..) could be spent on educating, encouraging and rewarding good behaviour.

Jed: Can you clarify this statement?

Encourage resposnibility through education and reward. Focus on the positive, not the negative.

Really? I've never heard those definitions put like that before but it makes sense.

Yes, agreed it does look a little different but it could also just be the pics. As I said, I've emailed them and no harm done if it isn't their dog.

Dogs are often picked up by people in cars who think they are doing the right thing. She may have been driven, stolen or whatever. Anyway, I've emailed the poeple who have lost their dog and if it is theirs, good, if not, no harm done.

Coburg is somewhere in Vic. I have no idea where it is in relation to where you are though. It is the same state if nothing else.

I think those thinks are creepy. I had one given to me as a gift... I put it in my bedroom... and then realised in the middle of the night one night that it actually makes a creepy little clicking sound while breathing.

(oops, sorry, I was clapping at Shel's post) Thanks Greytmate. I too would love to hear from breeders who have collected data.

Sorry, I was referring to abandoned/surrendered family dogs, not rescue/shelter dogs returned after re-homing. How many pups/adult dogs that are sold to pet homes are abandoned, dumped or surrendered?

Further to the details in the link above; http://www.lovemypet.com.au/tickfaq.htm

Poor dogs. I hope they didn't suffer too much.

Is there a way of getting in touch and pointing them to the pound. (Even though they are different States, stranger things have happened.) I emailed them anyway thinking the same thing. You just never know.

We could never aim for a 100% success rate. The ideal would be a lot lower than what it currently is I guess. But what exactly is the current rate of ownership vs dump/surrender? Are we assuming it is bigger than it should be/could be? Common sense says it is, but is there any information gathered on this to show us how big/small the situation is?

A Pug would most likely not go after a feral kitten. Only a small number of Pugs would chase a cat. IN having said that, if a Pug was living with a dog that was a cat chaser then the liklihood of the Pug chasing the cat would naturally increase. Still, it would again be a lower number than with most other breeds.

Steve, I met a couple of pet shop representatives at a Clover Moore rally. They are objective in their views (as much as a pet shop owner can be) and seem to understand where many animal welfare enthusiasts are coming from. They are also willing to extend the olive branch it seems to sit down and discuss things. They actually care about the welfare of animals as much as anyone here does. I haven't had contact with them for a long while, but I am happy to forward on some details to see if they may be able to assist in providing infomration about the things you are asking. Email me if you want more detail. As long as it doesn't infringe on their raking in the $$$, no doubt. Some people have the ability to look at profit and the care of animals Sheridan... rescuer, breeders and pet shops. Animals are sold for money in each and every case. And please don't try and tell me that none of them apart from the petshop owner thinks of the outlay vs income generated.

When i looked at the link Dee al had for the council there was a JRT in there under information it stated the dog was Microchipped. My question is - Do all Councils Pounds / Rescue's contact people when a dog is microchipped ( or even Registered and weraring a tag )or do they simply wait until an owner actually comes looking for the dog. Or would it be the poor little JRT's Microchip details are not current or the owners have ignored him/her. They contact using the details on the chip. If these are out of date, or not recorded (ie the chip could have been implanted and the details not entered onto the register), then the dog remains for the set time and is then euth'd or sold.

Sorry, I haven't read all of the thread, but my two cents worth on the Pug is: they are loving, crazy little dogs who are not the smartest of breeds. They shed hair like there is no tomorrow. They shed BUCKETLOADS and BUCKETLOADS and I can't stress that enough. If you have wood and tile floors, enjoy vacuuming and sweeping, and train them not to get on the lounge, this won't be too bad.... but I can say I will never quite get used to finding Pug hairs even in my underwear! The hair gets everywhere. They are also not the kind of dog that will live outside and be happy. They are house dogs and shouldn't be thought of as a dog that can withstand the great outdoors 24/7. They could be nicknamed "velcro" easily as they will stick to you 24/7 to the point of frustration at times becuase everytime you move to turn around or change direction, you almost kill yourself on the snuffling little snorting and sneezing creature at your feet. They are inquisitve and this would be a worry about snakes as I would guess they would walk up to have a sniff and say hello. They have the attitude that everyone and anything is their best bud, including the cats. This means they are prone to being attacked by other dogs and scratched a lot by cats that are not used to dogs coming up to say hello. They're slow to read the body language of other animals too. Overall they are a great little dog and they will provide loads of love and laughter, especially for your daughter. Some airlines will not carry them so you might have problems on the transfer to NZ. They are also affected by heat moreso than other dogs and care must be taken to ensure they are not left in situations where they can overheat.

Doing a google, there was alittle Malt x Poodle lost in Sept this year in Coburg and it is recorded as wearing a 'pink nylon collar'. Is that close?

The poor little thing. She must have been so frightened.

I don't believe the hysteria mounting about microchips anymore than I believe peanut butter causes cancer. Internet hysteria again at its best in my view. Microchipping is an answer to some of our problems if the logistsics are sorted suitably.

Steve, I met a couple of pet shop representatives at a Clover Moore rally. They are objective in their views (as much as a pet shop owner can be) and seem to understand where many animal welfare enthusiasts are coming from. They are also willing to extend the olive branch it seems to sit down and discuss things. They actually care about the welfare of animals as much as anyone here does. I haven't had contact with them for a long while, but I am happy to forward on some details to see if they may be able to assist in providing infomration about the things you are asking. Email me if you want more detail.

I am always happy to help Julie, although my time is limited these days.

Contact all the local schools in the area, dogs often end up finding their way to a school yard.

Oops, just realised I wrote Lee from PetRescue, it should say Lee from Pet Search