Radio National Program Life Matters - Pound Dogs

[Curlybert]

Just heard a plug for an item on pound dogs on Life Matters on ABC Radio National. Not sure of the angle - hope this isn't a bum steer! In Canberra RN is 846 on the AM dial. Sorry I don't know all the others, although Sydney is lower down the AM dial. If you miss it, the program is repeated around 8 or 9pm tonight EST. It's only one segment among a number of others, not the whole program. I'll report back if it's worth tuning in tonight for those miss it this morning.

Edited July 18, 2010 by Curlybert

[mita]

I'm just listening to it now! The author said she got the idea about her book when walking dogs for her local pound. And she wanted to let people know what lovely dogs they are.....so this is why she turned them into characters. She's made up a place called Tumbletown Dog Pound. Where the pound dogs have a lot against them in surviving.

She based the dog characters on real dogs she walked for the pound....Tiger & Flip & Spike.

Jenny Ferguson....'The Incredible Pound Dogs'.

The interviewer has just said that the message of this book is the power of pulling together.

Pound dog story has a happy ending with Sutton Forest author

ALISON BALDING

29 Mar, 2010 08:06 AM

SUTTON Forrest author Jenny Ferguson was so moved by the plight of the dogs at the Moss Vale Animal Shelter she wrote a book about them.

Becoming a grandmother inspired her to turn the dogs into heroes and make their story known to the wider world in two adventure stories - The Incredible Pound Dogs.

Working as a volunteer dog walker for the shelter for the past seven years, Ms Ferguson instigated the formation of the volunteer group called Friends of the Wingecarribee Animal Shelter (FOWAS).

“We walk the dogs every morning, help care for the cats, pay for thousands of dollars worth of veterinary costs each year, buy food for young animals and collect donated food from the general public in bins situated throughout the Highlands,” she said.

“We also help improve the facility - buy paddle pools for the dogs to splash about in summer, shade sails for their runs, fans and air conditioners for the catteries, cages, hydrobath, kennels. Wherever we can help, we do.

“Our posters advertising the animals are placed in shop windows throughout the Highlands and these help in re-homing.”

Ms Ferguson said she was particularly concerned to find out that Councillors would revisit the euthanasia debate when they put the management out for tender.

“We were disturbed to read in the News that council would even consider changing the way things are managed out there,” Ms Ferguson said.

“The management is excellent, that is why our organisation will strongly recommend that council retain Lost Dogs Home in the management of the Shelter. To do otherwise would be a sad and retrograde step.

“While the location is just as terrible as that of the Tumbletown Dog Pound of my story, the care of the animals and the re-homing rates could hardly be better.

“The staff is dedicated and thoroughly professional, disease has all but been eliminated thanks to a new quarantine cattery paid for by FOWAS and high standards of hygiene and cleanliness.”

Ms Ferguson hopes that, like in her stories, good triumphs over evil and the lost and unwanted can live in peace for the rest of their lives.

Edited July 18, 2010 by mita

[mita]

Here's what the book looks like & a synopsis of the story.

http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-incredible...0980715408.html

[Curlybert]

Thnaks Mita. She also said it's a children's book - apparently she based the Tumbeltown Dog Pound on her experiences as a volunteer at the Wingeecaribee Animal Shelter in the southern highlands. And even though the Tumbletown shelter is located behind the town dump and is a very grim place, she was at pains to point out that the Wingeecaribee Shelter is well run with good and compassionate staff. There are lots of baddies in the book though, based on some of the dodgy types whose wretched dogs end up in pounds. Many pound volunteers will have experienced those types - I know I have!

Edited to add: Sorry, most of this is redundant - our posts crossed.

Edited July 18, 2010 by Curlybert

[mita]

It'd make a great gift for the children in our lives....& for primary school libraries, too. I'll be buying a copy. Published by Forget-Me-Not;Books, Moss Vale NSW, in 2010.

[Loving my Oldies]

Is Wingicaribee still open? Someone here used to post about it, but I didn't follow the thread.

[Loving my Oldies]

It'd make a great gift for the children in our lives....& for primary school libraries, too. I'll be buying a copy. Published by Forget-Me-Not;Books, Moss Vale NSW, in 2010.

And not only children. An adult niece of mine gave me a book a few years ago: "Unkown" by Colin Thompson, illustrations by Anna Pignataro. It is about a dog in a pound who was constantly being overlooked. I treasure it :p

[mita]

You're right, MM, it's an excuse to read the books ourselves!

There's another one called Let's Get a Pup, said Kate....that you'd love, too.

Family go to the animal shelter & adopt a cute puppy. But they can't get out of their minds, a grey & elderly dog who just looked at them so sweetly.

Yep....they go back & adopt her, too.

By Bob Graham, an Australian....this book won awards for its positive messages about rescue dogs...young and old.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1068302...a_Pup_Said_Kate