samoyedman Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 FOR the first time in Australia’s history, pet populations are falling significantly, writes Dr Chris Brown. This is a serious problem because pets make us happier and healthier. Article here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/dr-chris-brown-australia-we-need-to-talk/news-story/b82de3dc4a192dc9a1cd6c44dd0ab764 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) ...I'm confused .... Edited June 8, 2016 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I don't think a decline overall actually reflects how many individuals or households still own pets though as 1 dog does not necessarily equate to only 1person. We used to be a 3 dog, 2 adult family. One recently passed away and we are unlikely to get another. But that is still 2 dogs in this one household. In NSW people can own far more than 2 dogs per house as well so that also skews data. And what about other companion animals? Pet guinea pigs and rabbits would have to be good for people's mental health too. Not surprised if stats are dropping though as so many people rent and simply can't have pets anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosmum Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) ...I'm confused .... About what? I think regulation is having a huge impact and not always beneficial. Making it harder to keep pets under conditions we don't approve of, or to do things that cause disadvantage to others doesn't = more responsible people keeping pets. All it does is make pets more inconvenient for more people, and fewer familiar with the requirements and expectations of personal responsibility. Transfers responsibility from owners to authority. With an assumption 'we' are not fit and able to take responsibility. Not every one is a responsible parent, but we don't regulate that because just about every one is familiar with the expectations of parents. Advise or help is as close as the next person when we do have problems Pets though are fair game and it seems should be invisible, so familiarity with management issues is much harder to find. Instead of demonstrations of how to get maximum value from them, methods to avoid conflict, or fostering communal expectations, we tend to legislate the problems away. Edited June 8, 2016 by moosmum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I don't think a decline overall actually reflects how many individuals or households still own pets though as 1 dog does not necessarily equate to only 1person. We used to be a 3 dog, 2 adult family. One recently passed away and we are unlikely to get another. But that is still 2 dogs in this one household. In NSW people can own far more than 2 dogs per house as well so that also skews data. And what about other companion animals? Pet guinea pigs and rabbits would have to be good for people's mental health too. Not surprised if stats are dropping though as so many people rent and simply can't have pets anymore. Single adult, 3 dogs, 2 foxes, and foster animals rotate through too... *grin* I'm doing my bit... lol! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 ...I'm confused .... About what? I think regulation is having a huge impact and not always beneficial. Making it harder to keep pets under conditions we don't approve of, or to do things that cause disadvantage to others doesn't = more responsible people keeping pets. All it does is make pets more inconvenient for more people, and fewer familiar with the requirements and expectations of personal responsibility. Transfers responsibility from owners to authority. With an assumption 'we' are not fit and able to take responsibility. Not every one is a responsible parent, but we don't regulate that because just about every one is familiar with the expectations of parents. Advise or help is as close as the next person when we do have problems Pets though are fair game and it seems should be invisible, so familiarity with management issues is much harder to find. Instead of demonstrations of how to get maximum value from them, methods to avoid conflict, we tend to legislate the problems away. ...what regulations?.. I wonder wether this is now a success message for the de-sexing promotion lobby or whether is it a devastating figure for them as it might require a paradigm change?...the health and behaviour benefit myths they claimed for de-sexing already debunked by several scientific studies - and now this: the last pillar of their arguments - overpopulation - isn't anymore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I think the fact that suburbia is a lot more crowded these days has a lot to do with it. The blocks are getting smaller while the houses are getting bigger so there is now no room for the pet dog. The days of a first home on a quarter acre block are long gone, and as another poster observed many more people are renting these days as buying a home is simply out of reach for a lot of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Smaller yards and less places where it's acceptable to take your pet out... it's definitely getting harder to accommodate a pet's needs, yes? T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog_fan Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosmum Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments This sort of regulation for starts. And the sort that gives us higher Rego. fees for entire dogs. Most of it realy, except what relates directly to clear welfare breaches and identification. Promoting practices that AVOID problems works. Promoting an idea that you can eliminate the chance of problems doesn't. Until you eliminate dogs. Edited June 8, 2016 by moosmum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Flying Furball Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments Yep, 15 kgs in both my recent unit complexes. Yet a terrier may be way less suitable for unit living than a great dane or big dog??? Fortunately, I have not seen this enforced so far. I tried for "CAn I have up to 15kg's of pets...1 x 4kg papillon and 1 x 5 kg rag doll and I could have something else?" My strata manager laughed :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Kisses Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments Yep, 15 kgs in both my recent unit complexes. Yet a terrier may be way less suitable for unit living than a great dane or big dog??? Fortunately, I have not seen this enforced so far. I tried for "CAn I have up to 15kg's of pets...1 x 4kg papillon and 1 x 5 kg rag doll and I could have something else?" My strata manager laughed :D As a former strata manager that would have made my day! Best part of the job was asking people to submit pet applications with photographs included where possible. And yes the photos were shown around the office for stress relief. :D I can tell you that in NSW at least, there is a move for strata schemes to become a lot more pet friendly as there is a growing recognition of the tremendous benefits of pet ownership. Developers are also seeing that having pet friendly by-laws brings in the $$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Peta and all the other loonies are making in roads it seems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments Not to mention a lot of families where no one is home most of the time, and a lot of kids who would rather be in front of a screen than behind a leash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosmum Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments Not to mention a lot of families where no one is home most of the time, and a lot of kids who would rather be in front of a screen than behind a leash. And very little active/social promotion of dog ownership aimed at the general population, or out side of a dwindling K.C membership. Here in Aus. anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 In some apartment complexes there is even a weight restriction for apartment dogs set by the owners corporations. There are many no pets rentals and many no pets owners corporation rules for many apartments Not to mention a lot of families where no one is home most of the time, and a lot of kids who would rather be in front of a screen than behind a leash. And very little active/social promotion of dog ownership aimed at the general population, .or out side of a dwindling K.C membership. Here in Aus. anyway Not sure Id agree with this the MDBA have members coming in every day. In the last month we have had over 100 new members and right now we have a pile a mile high that we haven't counted waiting for approval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I'd like to know just from where he gets his stats? Cat ownership down by 200,000? Dog by 100,000? Weird figures. From a rescue POV in Victoria I can tell you that I haven't noticed much of a decrease in ownership - what I have noticed is a decrease in admitting ownership officially. Since Victoria ordered councils to offered lower registration fees for desexed animals, a certain strata of population have decided not to register their pets. When challenged, the usual response is either "it's just money grubbing by greedy council" or "I will register him/her as soon as I can afford to have him/her desexed". Applies to both cats and dogs. I also see a lot of unapproved pets in rental homes - and lo and behold, they get found out and pet is dumped into pound or into rescue's lap. Before adopting out, I will always ask for a written approval from landlord or rental agent if the applicant has stated they rent. - but I worry that some of the "home owners" are really renters and there is not much I can do about liars. There is some level of over-regulation it is true, but by and large the regulations imposed on pets have been put into place to compensate for the lack of responsibility of the worst of the pet owners. Those of us who do the right thing are penalized along with those that don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 The study was commissioned by Mars Pet Care Aus but i can't find the actual report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I'm with you, RuralPug. The figures don't ring true, although I do agree that pet populations have actually been on the decrease (per capita) for many years. It's why the argument of 'over supply keeping our pounds full' is false. If anyone manages to locate the actually study, please post it up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Thanks Powerlegs I've been searching for that report too. I'm finding a lot of news articles regarding it in the second half of last year. Possibly Mars just did a media release without attaching the actual report to it? The news report with the most figures that i found was this one:My link 5 OCT 2015 - 9:23 AMIt's raining cats and dogs no more according to new research. Australia's passion for pet ownership is slipping, according to new research that shows the population of four-legged friends is in steep decline. In the 12 months to December 2014, cat numbers nationwide fell by 200,000 and dog numbers by 100,000, research commissioned by a pet care company and released on Monday shows. Despite the published benefits of pet ownership, including fitness for dog owners and greater self-esteem, it seems social issues are standing in the way of Australians adopting a canine or feline family member. "This new data is an early warning that pet populations will decline further unless we address some of the factors affecting the pet ownership decision - for example, with more people renting we should look at encouraging more pet-friendly properties," researcher Tim McCallum said. "There is still time to turn this situation around, but we can't take pet ownership in Australia for granted or lose sight of the enormous value pets bring to our lives." Tasmania was the aberration among the findings, where both cat and dog ownership showed a small increase during 2014. South Australia and Western Australia both showed an increase in dog ownership. New South Wales boasts the highest populations of cats and dogs, with 642,000 and 1,304,000 respectively. Like Australia's human population, Mr McCallum said the nation's pet population is ageing. CHANGES IN AUSTRALIAN CAT AND DOG POPULATIONS (2014) STATE DOG CAT NSW -1.2% -7.9% VIC -11.1% -14.2% QLD -4.3% -11.6% SA 9.6% -5.1% WA 6.4% -15.8% TAS 4.0% 3.0% TOTAL -2.9% -11.0% SOURCE: Mars Petcare Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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