Dog_Horse_Girl

I find it hard to believe that the message hasn't reached everyone by now... I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, and maybe they honestly didn't know... So I wonder what more can be done, that hasn't already been done, to get the message out there. You'd certainly think so. If they have enough understanding of the legalities to open and run a business no matter what it is, you'd think they'd have enough understanding of the laws pertaining to Assistance Dogs. And cultural differences should be no excuse for breaking the laws. Frankly, I'd like to see the book thrown at people who put another obstacle in the way of people who require assistance. Yes, but what if their cultural beliefs don't understand the importance of assistance dogs? What if where they come from, dogs are disease-carrying pests? What if where they come from, dogs are feared in the way that some people fear rats or mice or cockroaches or snakes or spiders? It's easy enough for us to sit in judgement and say that anyone with a food business should know the law. But reverse the situation - how much do you know about their culture which may explain their lack of understanding of our laws and customs? I know a lot more about various cultural norms and customs than what I used to know, because I chose to educate myself as to this in a number of jobs I've held. Otherwise I would be ignorant of the reasons behind some people's genuine fear of dogs because where they come from, dogs are believed to carry deadly diseases and are said to be harmful according to their religious beliefs. Or of their fear of speaking to authority figures such as Police because where they come from, these sorts of authority figures harm innocent people.

How do you know this, lillysmum? I sent you a PM...this is not for general info on the board.

I think it's partly cultural differences as often these cases would appear to involve people from diverse backgrounds and having a lesser understanding of the laws relating to assistance dogs. Ignorance is no excuse but I wonder if we need to be educating people from diverse backgrounds by using information in their languages rather than in English? And perhaps if the messages could be delivered by people from their own cultural background this may improve understanding further? Just a thought.

I don't see why they have to get $0.01 of my hard earned tax money. Every year they cry poor and people feel sorry for them. If you want to help - go donate a bag of dog food to the poor guys in the ACT pound. And before anyone asks - I have had several run-in's with the RSPCA over the years and I have a lovely tape of one their "senior" staffers who called my answering machine a few years ago. The language was interesting to say the least - maybe I should give a copy to the Canberra Times?? Yes, donated food (if you give it to the RSPCA) is not used in its shelters due to the commercial deal it has/had with Hills. Instead, if the food has not been opened or tampered with in any way, it will sit in storage and it may eventually be delivered to pet owners who are struggling to feed their animals. But the ACT shelter had a whole storage room full of donated food, and bins full of "opened" donated food that was not provided to pet owners in need for months if at all. Donate to your local pound or rescue instead. They will be grateful for the help and will use what is given in the spirit of its having been given. That is, it will be used as expected and it won't be sitting around gathering dust. JMO.

Jed, I'm still thinking of you and every time I hear of a housefire, you're the first person who springs to mind. You're stronger than you know - and we're here to lean on any time. Sending you more healing vibes for body and soul. And a hug.

Gee when did its no-kill policy come into force??? It certainly wasn't a no-kill shelter when I was last there. ETA - it gets a lot of government funding as it provides an overflow impounding facility to the government as well. And despite that arrangement, it was sending lots of dogs to the pound anyway, claiming it had no room at its shelter so had to send the dogs elsewhere.

I missed this thread originally. I am so happy that this family will have some Christmas cheer! Misty is adorable. It's at times like these I realise that I'm not badly off at all. Merry Christmas Missty and family! ;)

My husband and I separated in August but continued to live under the same roof until last month. Initially I was taking Molly (my dog) and he was keeping Ruby (his dog) and Lilly (our dog together). Then he decided that they should all stay together and that I should take them...I was gob-smacked that he didn't want Ruby (his dog, remember). That he didn't want Lilly was less of a shock as we adopted her together and she would be happy pretty much anywhere with a couch! This sounds like he could get nasty. I second the thought to get the dogs now. You're the registered legal owner. He should make a claim, if he has one, through the proper legal channels. In the meantime, they are your dogs so go get them. You can PM me for support any time. I know what it's like to go through a break-up and mine was pretty good by all accounts. I just have a lazy ex who's a bit selfish in the mix, but of course he doesn't see it that way.

We were considering adopting a greyhound, when we were in the pet shop looking at fish and saw her. She was out growing the cage (had already been there for 1 month) all her brothers and sisters had sold, she was discounted to $100. We instantly fell in love with her. That's why it should not be possible to buy a live mammal from a retail outlet. ;) A greyhound from a reputable rescue is always going to cost more than $100, unless s/he has a special need which is stated by the rescue group. But you have a good idea of what type of dog you're adopting because these groups (often run solely by volunteers) do a lot of in-home work with each dog before homing him/her. With a pet shop pup, who knows? You have a nice mixed breed pup whose origin is unclear. Nothing wrong with that as I've only ever had one pedigree dog (my rescued greyhound) as all others have been rescued crosses/mixes. Would never buy anything from a pet shop that sells pups or kittens. Just couldn't bring myself to allow people to profit from the misery of the dogs used to supply these pet shops. But that's a whole other thread. You've come to a good place to learn about rescue/adoption/pet shops and about how to raise your pet to be a well-balanced and well-behaved one. I hope you stick around! Oh, I see no bull breeds at all in her. Whatever she is, I hope she's a keeper! When you need info about desexing, vaccinating etc, please drop into the health and medical forum...there is a huge amount of knowledge here for you to draw on. And welcome!

My girls are inside all day every day... They wouldn't have it any other way...except perhaps Ruby who is anything but feminine and would spend her days belly-up in the sun on grass to which she's highly allergic.

I'm dancing a happy dance at my place...this is the best news! I know you share with someone, but I would be trying to get him to understand just how serious and potentially tragic this escape could have been. Is there anywhere Tess can be safely put while you're at work, at least during storm season? Even a laundry or bathroom would be fine. Just because you improve the fence's integrity doesn't mean Tess won't find other ways to escape if she's terrified and running for her life. I am so relieved this has ended well. I just hope there's not a next time, for your sake. Now go hug your dogs a million times!

Looking good the vet has a jrt called Tess, chances are she is my Tess, I'll be heading up soon to get her Any updates GG...I'm so hoping it's your Tess they have and am sending out positive vibes. I also spoke with my ex last night, told him about Tess...he works in the area so is also keeping an eye out for your baby girl.

Oh, no!!! I'm hoping for a safe and swift return. This is my worst nightmare too. Tess, please go home! Your mum is worried and so are we.

I've just separated from my husband of 15 yrs...his decision. We have three dogs. One was always his dog (Ruby), one was more his than mine (Lilly) and one which was always mine (Molly). Initially I was going to move into a cheaper rental (we were renting and had literally moved in three weeks earlier) and he was going to keep Ruby and Lilly and get a house-mate in to share. I couldn't find a rental which I could afford that would take a dog so we ended up staying in the house a few months longer. Long story short, a few months down the track and I've moved away from Brisbane into a cheaper rental, he's moved into a cheaper rental in the Brisbane area, I've kept all three dogs. He didn't want the responsibility. He didn't want the work-load. He didn't want the expense (although for now we are still sharing medication costs). I was totally and utterly gob-smacked that he didn't want Ruby. I never saw that coming. But he (and I, as it happens) believe the dogs are better off together and they're doing well since the move. They seem to have stopped looking for him, but whenever they hear a certain car in the street they think it's him and get up to go to the front door. He was away a lot when we lived together as part of his job. I think the dogs may think he's just away. I have learnt there is no one right answer in this situation. We figure it out as we go along. Hugs to you, it's a really shitty situation. I'm told it gets easier though. :D

That's a tough question...play it by ear...she will let you know when she's coping better and it may be sooner than you expect. Leave her environment as it is for the moment, just so there aren't too many changes/losses for her to deal with at once. We can manage a heck of a lot more than we think we can, emotionally speaking. But there comes a time when every one of us reaches breaking point IF we don't take the time to feel our emotions and letting ourselves cry and feel sadness/grief is not the easiest thing to do when we receive messages of " be strong" and "hang in there". I know people mean well when they say these things but just feel what you need to feel and behave how you need to behave.

Sometimes there is nothing we can do to ease their grief and sometimes another dog (even one which is visiting/staying short term) can help enormously. I wouldn't recommend a puppy around an older dog which has recently lost an older canine friend. The older dog may not cope well and could go downhill even faster. Maybe mind or foster another older dog? I am sorry for Sam's loss...you must be going through so much grief right now. I know how that feels.

We stayed in a motel in Rocky on the way to Cairns back in 2003. It was the A1 Motel South or something similar - there are two of these A1 Motels in Rocky but AFAIK only one (at that time) was dog friendly. They don't appear to have a website but their number is 07 4927 4944. There isn't much at all in Rocky which allows dogs. We avoided the place 18 mths later and stayed further down the coast on our way from Cairns to Melbourne.

It's about bloody time too. That seller has been doing horrible things to pups which end up at the markets for years. ;) Every time I took a foster dog to the markets with ARF, I was inundated with enquiries and the numbers of people who were horrified at the puppy seller's behaviours was incredible. I'm surprised they're still there to be honest as I had hoped public pressure would have closed them down before now. :D

I missed that post, could you help me find it please?

Sorry, Raz but this is one issue very close to me and I get rather upset when I know that someone is deliberately putting themselves and other road users in harm's way. And this involves an innocent pup to boot.

Thank you! Dju - I pity your dog. I only hope for the dog's sake that nothing ever happens while he's in your vehicle unrestrained. Go ahead and do whatever you feel is important to you and who cares about your dog? I certainly shouldn't. I feel sick at the risks you're taking with his life. I really do. I don't care if you take risks with your own life, that's your choice. But I'm sure you wear a seatbelt yourself because you would know how stupid it is not to, right? :D

Do you want to harpoon me because I carried one of my chickens in a box on my lap to the vets when she had an injured head instead of strapping her into the back seat with her standard grade chicken car harness?For doG's sake, it isn't even any of your business whether I buy a harness now, later, or not at all. How about I look after my poor dog and you look after your poor dog? Does that sound okay to you? I said I'm getting a harness, but Hugo will have to brave those four traumatic car trips until then, but for now, just back off me please. Actually, you made it public by posting here that you can't be arsed in restraining your pup when it travels in the car. So it IS my business because you made it so. If we don't speak up for those without a voice, then people like yourself will continue to do whatever you please even when it's been pointed out why that's not the right thing to do. The thread is about restraining dogs in cars - I fail to see the relevance of your chicken reference but as you have raised it, then you should have put the chicken in a crate as well. It's common sense...really. BTW - I have three dogs. My smallest is always crated in the car. The other two are harnessed in and restrained using the proper retention straps which clip into the seatbelt keeper and attach to the harness with a snap fitting. Not only is it the law, but it's the right thing to do. I can also crate my middle-sized dog as I have an airline crate to fit her. This is suitable if I'm only taking her and not the others as I only have a smallish car. I've been witness to more than one motor vehicle accident involving a dog in a car. Believe me when I tell you that it's a tragedy which the people could have so easily avoided by doing the right thing. I've also lost a family member and their dog in a low-speed crash which was caused BECAUSE THE DOG WAS LOOSE IN THE CAR AND TRIED TO GET INTO THE FRONT SEAT - THE PASSENGER UNDID HER SEATBELT TO SHOO THE DOG BACK, WHEN THIS FAILED THE DRIVER TURNED AROUND TO SHOVE THE DOG BACK, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR, THE CAR THEN ROLLED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE PASSENGER AND DOG WERE KILLED WHEN THEY WERE BOTH THROWN OUT OF THE CAR. And yes, I'm shouting at you because you need to understand how effing serious this issue really is. It was never going to happen to them either. They were just nipping into town for the weekend papers and fresh bread. The dog loved to travel in the car and they had never had a problem with the dog moving off the back seat until this one Saturday morning.

Really good point, megan. Yeah, but I don't think the poster cares...they want to wait to buy a harness in the possibly false belief that nothing bad will happen because they are only going to puppy preschool in a residential speed zone. Of course that's protection enough, isn't it? Poor little puppy.

Uhm, because puppy preschool is ten minutes drive on a 50 km-an-hour suburban road away from our house? I have a crate, but it's a metal crate that is too big to fit in the car's boot, let alone the back seat. It's weird, from the PMs I got, some people are acting like every time me and Hugo step into the car, we're all like ten seconds from being in this massive road collision and witnessing our pup go flying through the windscreen before shattering into a million pieces, then spontaneously combusting mid-air. People have just got to stop.. freaking out. Chances are if by some unlikely event that my mother has her first accident in thirty years and it happens to be while driving on a Sunday to and from Puppy Preschool, and that accident is big enough to cause any impact that isn't just a little bump on the fender, not only will Hugo probably be launched into the glovebox (considering how low my seat is and the fact that Hugo is fast asleep the very second he climbs into my lap when we get in the car) and fall onto the floor, but any worse than that and we're all dead, there's no airbags in our car and if something bigger hits it with enough force, it's going to be utterly destroyed anyways. He will have a harness, as soon as he gets a bit bigger. I would suggest that firstly, you have never worked for a car insurance company (thereby seeing just how many people have low speed crashes which are not their fault) and secondly that you have never seen the results of even a low-speed crash caused by someone else's failure. Have you NEVER seen someone come out of a driveway or intersection and FAIL to give way??? Have you never seen anyone crash because they were distracted by their phone/passenger/radio control etc? Why not get your poor little dog a harness now? People think it will never happen to them. Well guess what? It does happen to them. My mother's cousin and her son were driving in country QLD where they live; their farm dog (also their pet) was loose on the back seat. Driving on a quiet country road, the dog decided to jump through to the front of the car. Mum's cousin tries to shoo the dog back. Son who is driving then has a go at the same thing, turning around for just a split second, he loses control of the car, his Mum and dog are both killed. Yes, it can and does happen. How the bloody hell do you think you'll feel when it happens to you when you could have prevented it? Get your precious dog a harness or airline crate NOW. A metal crate - not necessary and not usually suited to car travel. An airline crate takes up very little room for a dog the size of yours. I have a PP20 and it fits neatly on the front passenger seat where I use the seatbelt to strap it in. It also fits in the middle of the back seat easily (this is only when I don't have my other two dogs in the back seat, harnessed in). ETA - Mum's cousin took her seatbelt off to shoo the dog into the back seat. That's why she was killed as she (and the dog) were thrown out of the car as it rolled. Speed at which the car was travelling was estimated to be 70kms/hr so not exactly high speed.

x3 I have a mixed breed, she's likely to be a staffy x kelpie but as I'm unsure of her exact parentage, she's a mixed breed or staffy cross. I also have a greyhound. Self-explanatory. Or perhaps she's an "ex-greyhound" as someone recently asked...nope, she's still a greyhound, but she is an ex-racer. My heart dog is a mini foxie x chihuahua. Perhaps I should call her a mini foxiehuahua? You know, just so she doesn't feel totally, like you know, left out of the, like you know, whole designer dog like scene?