~Anne~

Importantly then - is your dog on a heart worm preventative? If she’s getting bitten by mozzies, she’s at risk of heart worm. The heart worm larvae are carried by mozzies.

Just as an aside - one reason I recommend seeking out your vet for advice is what happened to my last little pug. She had what appeared to be a sudden onset contact allergy of some sort, mainly on her abdomen. It turned out to be a rare cancer. She was dead 3.5 months later.

Treatment will depend on cause. My first advice is - visit your local friendly vet to have it looked it. Otherwise - more info might help narrow it down: Have they just suddenly appeared? Has she ever had any other skin issues? Has she been walking through bushes, grass or gardens? Could she have been bitten by something? Did you recently change foods or has she eaten something show doesn’t normally eat? Are they caused by mites? Could it be bush ticks? if it’s an allergic reaction, antihistamines may help. But better would be to remove the allergen. Allergens can be food related, or in the environment. The heat and humidity is probably not helping, regardless of what it is. Sometimes a cool bath with specific medicated soap can help - again though it really depends on the cause. Mites need a completely different treatment, as do ticks. If you can be more specific it might help people offer advice.

I think you're too cynical although the idea of keeping the public away form boarded animals sounds very plausible. Id imagine there's more to it though - they're trying to run an organisation and having people walking freely throughout the kennels unannounced is a recipe for disaster in more ways than one, not just for OH&S but disease control, but process, time and efficiency.

I regularly use Aussie Housesitters and can recommend the site. It’s free to join for people looking for sitters. Sitters pay a membership fee. aussiehousitters.com.au

You don't need to be a trainer - it needs a content writer and an online course developer. The only time a certification would be required, I would think, is to actually do the physical teaching. ie If it were a face-to-face or part F2F training situation. The course would be best provided as an online course in my view. Online is accessible to most people. F2F courses cost mega dollars to facilitate. As it is, funding will be hard to come by so unless you have deep pockets... Definitely agree it will be easier to get off the ground on its own, at least in the early stages, for a number of reasons. Firstly - the current courses are offered by TAFE and a few other RTOs. It won't be easy getting them to spend money they don't have in adding a component to their current course. Course delivery costs money. Once the course is established, uptake is healthy, and they can see a return on investment, they may be more inclined to take it on. Secondly - how many rescuers currently undertake animal studies courses? I'm guessing very few, so take-up will be only from those who are planning careers or work in an animal related field. Rescuers aren't planning a 'career', they're planning to save the world, one animal at a time. It needs to be a course for rescuers, specifically. It needs to be accessible, cheap (subsidised through funding perhaps) and targeted to prevent the failures and issues we currently see - especially if you're hoping to get funding. It has to be a solution to a problem, and a way of saving money, not just a course to educate people.

Would mites transfer via foxes? I know mange mites do. Id follow your vet’s advice.

I’m really sorry you had to go through all that. I hope Hiro’s ashes are returned to you today and you can put this ghastly experience behind you. Sadly it seems no one understood the distress and sensitive nature of the situation.

I really feel for you. Are you able to visit a business address and talk to them? Otherwise, as Deeds has said, contact your vet. They may also be a go between with contact if they’re in regular touch with the service.

I've been thinking on the idea of a course some more - it would be ideal to propose it to a few Councils. I'd aim for those who have massive spend in animal control perhaps with the bottom line being they provide funding support to create the content and the delivery through an RTO (as an online course) and they save themselves money on their bottom line in expenses. I would have suggested OLG in NSW... but I'm not sure they'd see the bigger picture. They would be the ideal channel though, in NSW at least, as they oversee and govern Councils and the CAA Act. There would be a similar State Gov dept in every State.

I’d imagine you’d need to write the content, apply for it to be a recognised course (which is the hardest part of the process) and find an RTO to deliver it (or become registered as a training org yourself).

I did the course - at least I started it. I can’t recall if I finished all of the units. It was pretty simple and probably too easy for me. I also recall the book. The intention of the course was great and well considered. It’s a shame it didn’t continue as a real registered course. There’s something that someone should investigate…

I still recall my very first foster. Sam, who looked a little like a fox, and who was gravely unwell. I collected him from an 'interim' carer, after work. I later found out he'd been collected from the pound the same day I collected him from the other carer. He was in a house with multiple other dogs and and he did not undergo any quarantine. Within an hour of collecting him I rang the org owner and explained the dog was unwell. I was told he was probably just stressed. I argued this as I didn't believe it was stress. I kept him apart from my dogs as much as I could as I had no idea why he was unwell. Throughout the night he vomited, and he would not eat or drink. I rang the same person again the next morning and said the dog was not well. This time she asked me to drive him out to her Vet. He was dead the next day. I was told it was corona virus but who knows - I didn't have much faith in the vet either from what I saw of the clinic and him. This was my FIRST foster. I was new to the org, new to fostering and had 2 of my own dogs. That is how unregulated rescue is. At least I had some idea and experience - imagine how many foster carers are subjected to this kind of appalling mismanagement, not to mention the risk to my own dogs, the emotional stress and the poor dog which was suffering the entire time!

Most definitely they could avoid some problems by having a plan - ANY plan. That's the issue. Many don't consider rescue a business, which is the gravest error made. For all intents and purposes it is a business. One that often relies on charity and one that doesn't use the language of 'profit' unless it is in the Not For Profit way, but it should be managed as a business and it should have plans, policies and goals.

I don’t think that’s new and I don’t think there was any notable self-regulation ever. I first became involved with animal welfare almost 40 years ago and it’s been over 20 years since I first kicked off my rescue, after being a foster carer first. Rescue has needed regulation from day one. I’ve witnessed ignorance, naivety, stupidity, cruelty and abuse by rescuers and this is not just today, but ever since I first became involved in animal welfare. I don’t believe the extreme thoughts and actions of some animal rights activists is the cause. Rescue is largely the domain of average people who love animals. Very few are business savvy, financial managers or knowledgeable about the legislative pieces they should be operating under. As you’ve said before, they rule with their hearts, not their heads and THAT is the biggest issue in my view.

That's awful. Not great chances of finding whoever it was. A warning to readers might be a good idea, Deeds. Its upsetting to read.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/10029234 She also had unregistered firearms.

They look like little teddy bears. So cute!

Wow, some amazing pics. That streamlined BC jumping is amazing!

The bolded comment is so true.

I've walked into a few rescue's yards to collect Pugs when I ran my rescue, that were much the same. Some of the much loved members here are included in that comment too - back in the rescue heyday of DOL.. If only people knew...

Oh, I didn’t know that. Thanks. I’ll have to try it next time I try to upload something.

I use an app called Compress - it’s free (if you don’t upgrade to pro) and simple to use. Just click out of the ads or it will be getting you to join up to the paid version. They’re annoying, but I use it so infrequently I don’t care.

Definitely contact is paws, underbelly. Flea is also definitely base of tail. From my personal experience when running my rescue, food or environment allergens (dust mites etc) was typically chest and anywhere on the body with limbs being the last to show skin issues. Most food allergens also resulted in hot spots and ear issues, whereas environmental didn't. In addition - demodex typically starts on the face (eyes and muzzle), whilst sarcoptic mange was in creases first (groin, elbow) and quickly spreads.

Thank goodness you don’t. I agree and good for you.