Sydoo

We went on an abattoir tour in junior school, then again in high school. Certainly wasn't the most fun I've ever had on an excursion but at least we had a crystal clear understanding of where meat comes from. I couldn't personally judge the more humane of private hunting or commercial slaughter without seeing both first hand. There will always be variations - some abattoirs are better than others and no doubt some hunting methods/hunters are better than others - but I wouldn't assume commercial slaughter is consistent just because it is somewhat regulated. Vets/doctors/hospitals/schools are also regulated - do you really think they all deliver the best standard of care and expertise to every patient/student?

I'll second that Dogmad! WildatHeart: Not at the moment, though I can't say whether they are planning on introducing one. You just have to restrain the dog somehow for it's own safety and so it is not an 'unsecured load'. DPI do recommend a cage though... http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/4790_8373.htm There were some (long overdue IMHO) legislative changes not too long ago preventing drivers from carrying animals on their lap inside a vehicle and on the tank of a motorcycle whilst riding. Perhaps more in the works?

;) Where can I get one of these husband gates? Would be great on the bathroom when I want to relax in the tub.

They are only on some Saturdays...but I regularly see dogs at the Powerhouse farmers market in New Farm.

I once facilitated the forcible removal of animals from the care of a mentally ill relative. There is no doubt in my mind that they would have continued to suffer without intervention. This person ate (albeit rancid scraps of food in no way constituting proper meals) but had no concept of the animals as dependents. They were just hazy figures in her house, along with Napoleon and Mary Queen of Scots. I doubt she offered her delusions so much as a cup of tea, let alone food and water for the animals. Mental health services had brushed their hands of the whole situation so it is quite likely those animals would have died. I am no bleeding heart and it is hard to gauge from a brief article what exactly happened in this womans house so I won't judge or defend her however I wanted to highlight that yes it is possible for someone to be ill enough to entirely neglect their pets/children.

Torturing this poor dog would have taken more effort than just calling the council to collect a contained stray. Hope a switched on magistrate sees through his excuses.

Our old lab would happily swim in the middle of winter but heaven forbid you asked her to put her precious paws on the cold morning grass to pee! I would let her swim and just ensure she has somewhere warm to dry off afterwards. Unfortunately you might need to look in to a wetsuit or some waders :D

Seconded. I have bought several lots of Artemis and Ziwipeak from there without issue.

Can you make your entire room darker? Billie sleeps in later with our 'night shift' curtains drawn than our usual sheer curtains as it stays completely dark in the bedroom. She still wakes up before me most days but she will stay quiet until she hears my alarm...then she sits at the foot of the bed waiting for signs of life before coming up for a cuddle.

Dogs name My mobile OH mobile Vet phone She also has pet register and council tags on flat collar. I wish the council offered a metal tag - even if it was an optional paid 'upgrade' you could order if desired.

Aww happy dog! Happy birthday big guy. Billie has a hard boiled softie - hands down one of her favourite toys. She will throw it around for herself when us humans are boring her.

I hope they cater for 27 year olds...I told OH recently that I'd rather a petting zoo than a wedding. Lovely photos - looks like everyone had a ball.

I grew up in a flood-prone area and I would stay. If you are able-bodied and well prepared, it is feasible (depending on your location and flood height obviously). Unfortunately not everyone can do this...my grandmother wouldn't be able to stay in her place but luckily a younger neighbour has offered to take her dog if they ever start evacuating. Bushfires are a different kettle of fish and I would leave early with the dog.

Our doglet ate about half a packet (after chewing the zip out of a closed suitcase then removing and destroying my toilet bag). She was only ~6 months and the vet said she would be fine, maybe just a little nauseous. I hope your little one is ok!

We have made provisions for Billie in case we both die or are otherwise incapacitated and thus unable to care for her. We had a sudden, unexpected death in our immediate family recently that has highlighted the importance of this issue as there were no provisions or instructions for the orphaned dog. I doubt he had even thought about it, given his age and good health.

My girl is crazy for the hose too...or any water stream. Easy fun. Her favourite water activity is to stick her snout down into her water dish and blow bubbles out her nose, then paw at the bubbles. Repeat (getting more and more excited) until dish is empty.

Mr M came home from a business trip last week and commented that our bedroom smelled funny. Cursory inspection didn't reveal anything... the smell worsened over the next couple of days until he couldn't even sleep in there (I can't smell so wasn't bothered in the slightest). Moving the furniture around for a thorough search revealed a rancid half full kong from (I think) a kangaroo mince and yoghurt day. I am generally pretty careful about where she takes bones/kongs as I can't track them afterward but this one obviously slipped right by me.

We will always be a pet-friendly landlords. In my experience, it often encourages tenants to stay on long-term - definite bonus! Funnily enough I've had two different property managers actively discourage us from allowing pets. We rented a house with decent yard when I was studying and our property manager refused permission for a pair of desexed guinea pigs. Found out later (during OFI when we were moving out to our own place) that the owners would have said yes if only the PM had actually bothered to ask them.

Billie is confined to our upstairs verandah after dark to keep her away from the rotten things. Haven't had a problem during the day and she spends very rainy days upstairs or inside so that shouldn't be a problem. My childhood lab stayed clear of cane toads but thought large green frogs where the best 'squeak' toy ever...she would follow them around, nudging them with her paw so they would croak.

I was desperately in love with old english sheepdogs as a young child....made my father collect an awful lot of Dulux paraphernalia.

If the size of the dots is the only issue, you can get glue on a roller - sort of like liquid paper tape dispenser. You can get it in both permanent and repositionable varieties.

I can't give you any advice, only sympathise as we are in a similar situation - our neighbour's dog barks for hours on end. We are finding it very hard to train our pup not to bark when this one is going all the time. I have worried about the repercussions of any complaints or letters on our dog so we have just put up with it so far. OH was planning to have a casual conversation about it next time he saw the father out in the garden (from a sympathetic point of view, ie. our dog barks too) so we can see if there is a known reason for all the barking and what (if anything) they have tried but we haven't seen him for ages. Hoping we can work together to keep them both reasonably quiet.

Oh my dog...certainly a few lambs on the way (or another full-size ewe)

Happy birthday Orbit! Yesterday was a non-event for my furry monster as I had to unexpectedly take a friend's dog to the vet then stayed with her at their place until they arrived home. Got home late last night so we were playing until the early hours this morning. Both had a good sleep in, then Billie "helped" me read the paper in bed (must vacuum up later). She is outside in the sun with an iceblock now. We have a dog friend coming over for the afternoon then OH is due in early this evening so I'll take Billie on the airport run. Lamb shanks all around for dinner...ours in the slow cooker now and Billie's in the fridge. I bought a hide-a-squirrel earlier this week so that will debut at some point. Looking forward to 2 show holidays this week.

I found a small dog in the middle of the road one morning not long after we moved here. Quickly discovered it was post-surgery of some sort, stitches down his abdomen. Hastily doorknocked nearby houses to no avail. I had no idea where the pound was yet so put him in the car and went to a vet just around the corner for help. Receptionist tried to call the number from his chip but no answer then suggested I just put him back on the road where I found him. I thought she was joking but she reiterated that my only options were to put him back on near the road or take him home. I asked about pound/rspca and she said they were closed on weekends and would suggest the same options anyway. No interest in checking on his condition despite obvious recent surgery. I took the dog home and kept calling - thankfully reunited him with his owners that evening. I understand why a vet surgery would not take in a wandering dog but was very disappointed in their advice. I certainly wouldn't have been upset to have a ranger explain correct/legal protocol to me afterward as I honestly didn't know what to do....perhaps this has just been blown out of proportion by the radio station involved?