Panto

Post 1 updated to include all provided suggestions so far... haven't had a chance to investigate shipping on all of them but they're in there. Really wish I could post in here as a table, but it ends up being all smooshed! So list it is... Specials on all pet gear at dealsdirect for a couple days - ends at 11:59pm 27/05/11 AEST Promotions in this newsletter begin at 12.01am 25/05/11 and end at 11:59pm 27/05/11 AEST, unless stated differently in the listing and while stocks last. Heated Pet Beds Clever Pet Pad -The Clean Indoor Doggy Restroom - Medium Cat Trees Cat Fun House Cat Play Tunnel 25cm x 130cm Deluxe Outdoor Cat Walk/Run Dog Bathing Station and Upgrade Kit Pet Loo available in 2 sizes Complete Box - Dog Tricks and Training Pet Bed with Sun Shade - Large - Black/Blue/White Digital Display Pet Feeder - Sensor Technology Stainless Steel Height Adjustable Pet Bowls Doggy Doors Pet Safety Gates & Barriers Octagonal Animal Playpen With Cover 196cm Diameter Dog House - 59 x 75 x 66cm Super Varnish Dog Kennel 100cm x 70cm x 66cm PetSafe Square Kennel Run Pet Beds Fish Tanks & Accessories Rabbit Hutches & Accessories Flea , Tick & Heartworm Treatments Pet Shampoo & Conditioners Pet Travel Bird Cages & Accessories And Lots, Lots More

Yes.. got me wondering too... Although I thought both the US and Asia initially. But upon further googling it appears the Germans and the South Africans got up to it first.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/9512450/dog-nurses-two-rare-liger-cubs/ I hope the puppies that the nursing dog had given birth to are ok too...

Hi Steve, City of Sydney council had a fairly informative page: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Community/Safety/RoadSafetyProgram/DogsTravellingInVehicles.asp

You won't know unless you go. If you've nothing to lose and it's good weather, probably a good day out. We will be playing it by ear depending on the weather... I would be very keen to get a caricature and take some photos on the day - have been playing around with new settings on my camera.

I've got goosebumps! What a great support network and very lucky dogs.

I would have thought the photo was taken recently for this article and the dog is 11 now, but the incident happened in 2003, eight years ago. People steal for all sorts of reasons, may have been no other motive other than a kleptomaniac wanting her because she looked like a nice dog, or even to sell her? Who knows... I wonder if she ever found out who it was that took her...

Liath - that's so sad! Sorry to hear about that. How long ago was this now? Tdierikx - what a great outcome... great team effort to find him!! I am considering making a tag for my girl that says "If ever I am found, I am lost. If ever I am stolen, my mum will search the ends of the earth to find me again. Pls help me get home: (phone number)". It would be a very big tag though! The thought that someone might even steal a dog never entered my mind til I overheard someone say near my car (my girl was in the car, I was out of car but within eyesight), "That looks like an expensive dog - it'd make a good present ey".

There was a thread recently which might give you a few ideas: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/218947-ideas-for-a-seriously-bored-dog-on-crate-rest/page__p__5263723__hl__crate__fromsearch__1#entry5263723 Good luck to you and your pup!

Found this article quite inspiring and warming that it had a happy ending. I would go to the ends of the earth to find my girl. http://www.smh.com.a...0510-1eh1i.html Desperately seeking a little dog lost Carolyn Webb May 11, 2011 Anna Holdsworth was determined to find her dog Millie, and her poster campaign eventually led to a reunion. Photo: Joe Armao WHAT would you do if your dog was stolen? Some people would leave it be, but Anna Holdsworth kicked up an extraordinary stink. She had 4000 leaflets and posters printed with a dramatic ''STOLEN'' across the top and photographs of the three-year-old gold-coloured spaniel, Millie. Every day for three weeks, Holdsworth stuck the posters on lamp posts and shop windows, and slotted the leaflets into letter boxes. Advertisement: Story continues below She hounded the local newspaper until they wrote an article, and she wrote to 40 veterinarians. ''I knew it was ridiculous to be going to so much trouble and that she was only a dog,'' Holdsworth writes at one point in her new book about the search, Millie's Gone: My search for a little dog lost. But Millie wasn't just a dog, Holdsworth tells The Age. She was a best friend, almost a child. ''I just desperately wanted her back. It's just like losing a child, like if a little toddler is stolen. You can't bear it. You just have to do everything you can do to get them back. I know it shouldn't be as bad as that, but that's how I felt. She was my companion, she was my friend and I loved her and I just wanted to have her back again.'' After Holdsworth's husband John died of cancer three years earlier, Millie was a ''ray of happy golden light''. Holdsworth had worked hard, successfully, to keep afloat the family's 120-year-old jewellery business - Holdsworth Bros, founded by John's grandfather in 1884. But she would come home to an empty house, her three sons no longer living at home. So she adopted a pre-loved dog, Millie, who became a great companion. Millie was an excuse to go for long walks, chat to neighbours and throw balls in the park. On April 23, 2003, Millie was untied from a tree guard outside the Malvern Coles supermarket, and stolen. Holdsworth remembers screaming, running across the road and accosting strangers and shop owners. Entering the local police station, ''sobs were racking my body; I was trying desperately to control the hysteria''. She says the policeman said they didn't ''do'' lost or even stolen dogs and directed her to the council pound. Happily, the community overwhelmingly did want to help, and three weeks later a man who had seen the startling ''Stolen'' poster in a Malvern coffee shop spotted Millie near Caulfield train station and rang the number on the poster. In a scene reminiscent of a movie reunion, writes Holdsworth, ''she threw herself at me, and I clasped her little wriggling body tightly and burst into floods of tears''. Apart from having had her eyelashes and fringe trimmed, gaining a few fleas, and her ID tags and leash removed, Millie was well fed and happy. Holdsworth likes to think so many locals would have recognised Millie as stolen ''that the thieves were afraid to ever take her outside so they let her go''. Now aged 11 and almost deaf, Millie is spoiled half to death and rarely leaves her mistress's side. If Holdsworth has to enter a shop, Millie now has to be within eyesight, or left at home or in the car. Holdsworth says she isn't angry, only grateful Millie came back. She wrote the book as an example of how we love our pets and to urge others to keep hopeful if their own pet is stolen because there can be happy endings. Millie's Gone is published by Melbourne Books at $19.95. Read more: http://www.smh.com.a...l#ixzz1MZyuLmgg

Or you can just buy a Roomba robot vacuum, which is what I did. It vacuums while I am not home and I come home to lovely clean floors every day. Unless you dog goes to the bathroom on the floor. There was a post going around twitter where a mans dog had pooped on the floor and then his Roomba did the rounds... Yep you guessed it... Everywhere. LOL!! Oh dear oh dear oh dear! I am new to the Roomba thing and have yet to brave setting it to do its job whilst I am not at home. My main reason was because of the amount of hair (long hair in particular!) seems to get the brushes stuck. Now there's another reason to be careful about letting it go whilst I am out (especially if i have a new foster dog around!). Anne - have any of your dogs ever chased it or damaged the roomba?

I've wondered that too, as there's often one joint product for dogs or horses, and a different one for cats. Are you able to comapre ingredients and %content of the included ingredients? Failing that might be worth calling the manufacturing company to ask.

Wow lots of great resourcs there Secret Kei - good stuff! Will update the list soon, been quite flat out! In the meanwhile, spotted dealsdirect have a special on heated dog beds today: 83cm x 63cm x 7cm -$25 58cm x 43cm x 7cm -$17.95 50x40 with edge - $29.95 75x65 with edge - 49.95 Shipping is 9.95, the second item was 7... it might keep going down for more, I'm not sure. there are two 'kitty kat' sleeping bags too - $25 and $29.95. I'm not familiar with these products, so if anyone has bought them before or have any insight on heated dog beds, I am all ears. I have bought from dealsdirect before, ok stuff, but the worst was high threadcount sheets that were soooo dodgy I had to return them. ETA: Just saw post for discussion on this special: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/220234-heated-dog-beds-on-special-if-anyone-has-a-cold-dog-d/

This. Things will be a little less anxiety ridden once you have a few steps in place that you can take, leaving you less overwhelmed. There may also be other people out there looking to share living that will spend more time at home, or might have a pet looking for a place (will your dogs possibly accept another dog, if even a certain age or a dog of certain criteria?). There just might be someone out there who is happy to have a room plus bonus with dogs who leave home after you / get home before you do. I certainly know of another situation where this has worked out for them. Wishing you all the best at this hard time.

This is true - Most if not all Pet insurance in Australia is underwritten by Hollard. Be sure to read the small print. And check out the policies on ticks, in particular Paralysis tick - even though they all have the same underwriter, some have not updated and do not cover for paralysis tick and treatment can get a bit costly for that.

Good find sandgrubber! Amazing photo!! Copied pics to forum for anyone that can't click through:

Good stuff... I will add the latest to the first post next week along with any new suggestions. Brennan's Mum - are there any Ebay stores in particular that you shop at or have had good experiences with? Thanks!

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/...0506-1eayq.html Team 6's dog of war Glenda Kwek May 6, 2011 - 12:30PM Fearless ... US soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his military working dog jump off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during training. Photo: Technical Sergeant Manuel J. Martinez/US Air Force Move over Inspector Rex, the super secret SEAL Team 6 has a smart dog. The mystery dog is likely to be a German shepherd or Belgian Malinois, the breeds trained by US military dog handlers, The New York Times reported. "There should be little reason to speculate about why there was a dog involved - man's best friend is a pretty fearsome warrior," said the deputy managing editor of ForeignPolicy.com Rebecca Frankel, who writes a weekly war dog column. Advertisement: Story continues below Even dogs need protection ... a military working dog wears Doggles to protect his eyes as a Chinook helicopter takes off in Afghanistan. Photo: Sergeant Jason Brace/US Army "They're a central part of US efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan - as of early 2010 the US Army had 2800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world)," she wrote on the National Public Radio website. Team 6's dog would have been strapped to one of the SEALs and dropped into Osama bin Laden's compound from a helicopter, The Guardian reported. It was probably used to check for explosives or sniff out bin Laden himself, the commander of the US Defence Department's Military Working Dog Centre, Major William Roberts, told the Times. Man's best friend ... US Army Staff Sergeant Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek in Iraq. Photo: Staff Sergeant Stacy L. Pearsall/US Air Force "Dogs are very good at detecting people inside a building," he said. "There is a cultural aversion to dogs in some of these countries, where few of them are used as pets. Dogs can be very intimidating in that situation." A military dog was also believed to have been used in the capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in December 2003. Canine warrior ... a Navy SEAL platoon performs a land warfare demonstration Photo: Mass Communication Specialist Chief Robert Fluegel/US Navy Fay Stokes, the secretary of the German Shepherd Dog League of NSW, said she was not surprised a canine would have been involved in the secret mission. "They're highly intelligent - very discerning and very loyal dogs," she said, adding that, while poodles were also smart dogs, they did not have the size and strength of German shepherds. "It's the soundness of their character ... but it's also about how well they are trained." Looking cool in the heat of battle ... Eddie the dog hops aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, along with Iraqi security forces and soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division. Photo: Spc. Daniel Bearl/US Army Last month, US dog trainers Cobra Canine was awarded a $US550,000 contract to train the animals at the US Special Operations Command's Naval Special Warfare Group 2, where the SEAL team would have come from, Wired magazine reported. The dog could have been decked out in a waterproof tactical vest worth more than $US21,000, the Times said. Last year, the SEALs bought four such kits worth more than $US86,000. Infrared and night-vision cameras would have been attached to the dog's vest so its handler could see what it was seeing up to nearly a kilometre away using a remote monitor. The vest would be either in camouflage or coyote tan and have a speaker on it so its handler could talk to the dog during the raid, the Times added. Australia's own hero dog, bomb-sniffing Sarbi, received the RSPCA's highest award for animal bravery last month after going missing for more than a year in the tough terrain of Afghanistan in 2008. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/...l#ixzz1LXM9bnZe

x2 I went straight home and flipped my girl over and looked for this pulse. It was a bit hard to find, and I can't see it, she's so hairy, but I could definitely find the one in the cleft of her paw, so I'll know what to look for now... good tip! Bril - I've learnt how to resusitate my dog and feel for a pulse from this thread! thanks!

Wow... good on her for taking on a mammoth venture... Just found this too- "Kathmandu founder Jan Cameron's $5m bounty to wipe out farm cruelty" - 22 June 2010: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/kathmandu...o-1225882469052 Although I dont like kathmandu gear/equipment (except for a basic piece here and there), sheds a new light as a means to an end and I won't feel as bad for buying it.

Pets Megastore have free shipping at the moment (orders over $30), ends May 5 (US time) although they are an australian company. www.pets-megastore.com.au They also have a special offers section for rescue and registered breeders: http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/rescuebreeders-c-173.html

Well done! I can imagine sheer panic, good thing she came back, what a relieft. Somewhat O/T, but what was the flea-spray? How scary!

LOL, hold the mouth closed & breath into the nose. Nose - check. LOL!!! now that bit of information is safely tucked away... I did think... oh! wet nose! I'm sure it won't even cross my mind at the time, but from the comfort of my seat right now... haha!

How can they allow dogs when dogs are not allowed in the national park?? It's closer to Perisher and Charlottes pass than Thredbo if you check out the link. It's also not located in National Parklands. Looks a good spot though, have always wanted to see how my dog reacts to snow!

Oh ..... I think he'd be taking it in good spirit, just as I think it was intended. Good on the bloke. I agree, Leelaa17 .... heaven please forbid me to find myself and/or my dog in such a situation, but I'd like to think someone might guess how much my dog means to me and be willing to give him the kiss of life if he should need it. When I did my first aid course many moons ago, the first thing I thought of when they were teaching mouth to mouth was "geez, if I ever had to resuscitate my dog, there's a whole lot more mouth to cover than a human's!"