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tdierikx

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    All things animal related

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    NSW
  1. The issue @coneye, is that there are too many people who think that they have their dogs "under control", but in all honesty, they don't. It only takes one incident we haven't factored into the equation and it could be game over for that dog, another dog, or even a human. Quite frankly, the most dangerous places to take a dog nowadays are designated off leash areas, as those frequenting them seem to think that it's a free for all playfest, and their dog that is snarking all the others is "just wanting to play". Most pet owners are completely clueless about their pet's body language, and all of the laws we should be following when we want to go out in public with them. Easier to just go for a nice leashed walk with your dog somewhere else and avoid that particular nightmare methinks. As our society moves towards higher densities of humans and animals we will face ever increasing issues. Gone are the days when kids and dogs used to free roam together and only come home when mum called that dinner was on the table... sad, but also our new reality. T.
  2. Hahaha! Not about to let the whole world know that I might have taken my eye off the ball long enough to get hurt by animals in my care... errr! As for your heifer incident... I've had that happen with an emu... he thought I was his one and only, and it got to the point that I couldn't enter his enclosure during mating season, as he'd beeline straight for me to love me long time... lol! He was a lovely boy outside of mating season though, and I even managed to teach him to roll onto his back for tummy rubs... Further to the horn in the face by the goat, I was left with an impressive shiner, and when other staff asked me what happened, I told them I'd asked the boss for a raise... lol! Funnily enough, the only injury that had me take time off work was the pig vs thumb incident, as I couldn't wield a rake or shovel for a couple of days. Leg injuries slowed me down a bit, but judicious strapping with vetwrap and tape stabilised the leg enough to get on with the job. Even the time I was hospitalised by the horse, as soon as I was discharged the following morning, my mother dropped me off at school. The first day I visited my friend's monkey sanctuary, I got slapped upside the head by a cheeky macaque as I was locking the enclosure door - taught me to keep an eye on exactly where the monkeys were at all times... luckily I only got slapped, not grabbed and bitten. Also taught me to NEVER become complacent around animals... especially exotic ones you don't know intimately. People might remember the incident at Shoalhaven Zoo where the keeper was mauled by the 2 lions... I know that person, and she wins all the scar competitions. It is very sobering to see the scars though... she is lucky to be alive. She takes all responsibility for what happened, as she had not double checked that the slides to the outside area were shut before entering the dens to clean up. The 2 young lions had only wanted to play with her, there was no intent to actually hurt her, but we just aren't built to play with a cat (or 2) that weighs over 150kgs. Note that she had hand raised them from small cubs, and knew them intimately. I think the takeaway from all animal related incidents is that complacency and/or lack of education on the actual dangers of living/working with animals are key factors in all incidents... especially with companion animals. We seem to have shifted from looking at them and treating them as animals, and expect them to behave like furry children, which they are NOT. T.
  3. I can't say that I've had any incidents requiring a trip to the doctor or hospital with any dogs that have lived with me - either my own or the hundreds of fosters I've had over the years. As a teen, I got kicked in the ankle by a calf that had me in emergency getting xrays - nothing broken, but some tendon damage. Also as a teen, fell off a horse which then fell on me - one night in hospital - 3 cracked ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken toe. Horses are heavy! When I shared a house rental, I tripped over the resident cat in the middle of the night, causing me to stumble and break a toe on a table leg... ouch - but didn't go to hospital. Toe was obviously broken, so I strapped it to the next toe and got on with hobbling about for a few weeks. Working at a petting zoo, tripped over a curious piglet and smashed my knee - cracked the kneecap and messed up tendons, and a small cut as well. Turns out that you can get up and run a short distance with a broken knee when faced with six 30kg piglets coming at your face as you lie on the ground groaning. Also at petting zoo, damaged cactus thumb trying to catch an escaped piglet - little bugger ran past me and I tried to grab it, but it headbutted my thumb. I don't remember which petting zoo animal helped me tear my thigh muscle. Horned in the face - about 1cm from my eye and temple - when hoof trimming a fractious goat. Nailed on the hand by a cat when I was a student vet nurse. It got me on the vein with a single claw hook. Had to get a tetanus shot and ABs for that one. Considering the high exposure to so many animals over the years, I've been surprisingly injury-free I'd say. Can't say if it's down to good luck or good management... probably a bit of both... *grin* T.
  4. I think you will find that there are actually laws stating that dogs must be on leash unless in a signed off-leash area. Just because there aren't signs every 100m telling you to leash your dog, doesn't mean that it's not the law. I suggest you look up the local laws in your LGA to find out the actual reality here... and leash your dog. Some councils even state the length of the leash required... T.
  5. There is no actual law (in NSW anyways) that says that you have to be a registered breeder to sell a pup/kitten for more than $500... more likely a Gumtree rule... T.
  6. Any large breed dog can inflict massive damage or cause death more readily than a smaller breed dog... but that doesn't necessarily mean we should ban all large breed dogs, does it? AmStaffs/Pitbulls (or most bull breeds) do not "lock" their jaws as is the commonly claimed myth, but they do have powerful jaw muscles that make it hard to prise the jaw open once they bite down. T.
  7. Considering that pitbulls were banned from import into Australia in 2011, and you can't legally breed them, I'd say that there probably aren't too many pure pitbulls around. The issue then arises around identifying a dog as a pitbull (or cross thereof)... and the fact that crossbred dogs may not have the same temperaments or inclinations as any breed in their mix... BSL just can't work to reduce dog attack statistics. Seizing and killing any pet based just on what it looks like is not the answer here. Seizing and destroying a dog that has shown certain inclinations is a whole other ballgame, and rightly so... there is no place in society for any dog that has shown such inclinations. The identification issue was brought up by numerous witnesses in the recent Qld inquiry relating to this topic, but none have any real hope that the government will listen to that information/advice. T.
  8. Any bull breed cross with a "red" nose will be identified by rangers as a pitbull - regardless the red nose comes from kelpie or other similarly coloured breeds in the mix. This is another strong reason why people shouldn't just buy a "cheap" or "trendy" dog type from unregistered breeders. With a pedigree there is no doubt as to what type of dog you are getting... or the traits inherent in them. It's going to be a mixed bag in a crossbred litter every time. T.
  9. The survey itself only attracted some 30,000 responses, and only around 5000 were used to produce the stats... so I'd take the results with a grain of salt. T.
  10. Qld are currently trying to legislate BSL... despite pretty much every animal welfare, industry or training body advising that it has been tried before in many jurisdictions and it simply DOES NOT WORK... T.
  11. OI! Albert! You need to listen to mummy LG and leave your owwie/itchy bits alone mate... My foster boy Prince had big knee surgery and has been a good boy not licking or chewing his owwie bits... be a good boy like Prince, OK? T.
  12. There will be little leniency from the court if you pursue this matter... that is simply a fact, OK? You have admitted the offence occurred, and it wasn't the first time your dog had gotten out and upset the complaining neighbour. If your dog wasn't wearing a collar and tag with your details on it, they will most likely pursue that as an extra charge, on top of the "at large" you are currently being asked to pay for. They could also throw in "menacing", as the neighbour was possibly frightened by your dog rushing towards them. They could then also throw in "not under effective control". Add all of that up, and then add council's court appearance costs, and it could be a rather pricey endeavour for you. The court could also order that your dog be further contained in a pen of some sort in your yard to make sure that it doesn't escape in future... and that's gonna be a big hassle for you to have to pay for and build to specific requirements - if your dog is declared "menacing"... If, by some twist of fate, you win the court case, that will be recorded by council, and any further escapes will have the book thrown at you... and they won't be making any mistakes for any further breaches of the law. Do you really need that extra scrutiny? In the end it will be the dog that may suffer from your fervour in pursuing this matter now. In all honesty mate, I'd just suck it up and pay the current fine, chalk it up to experience, and make darned sure that your dog can't leave your property unless you are in control of it. It's not worth the possible outcome for your dog to pursue it because council got the time of day slightly wrong on the infringement notice. Just one final question... would you be pursuing this matter if the ranger had changed the time as you asked, or are you simply reacting in kind to their indifference to your request? T.
  13. Definitely. But my point was more along the lines of knowing your dog has gotten out once before, there should be more care that it doesn't happen again. Council Rangers will usually give a little leeway and only issue a warning for a "first offence", but are more strict for repeat offences. The fact that the dog ran across the road to say hello to the neighbour worries me too... what if a car had been coming and the dog got hit? The owner would have a fine for dog at large, repair bills for the car, and possibly a horribly injured or dead dog... T.
  14. Seriously though, friendly staffy type dogs seem to have no boundaries when it comes to enthusiastically rushing up to complete strangers - and not so friendly ones will also rush at people or other animals... so if you aren't sure which type you are facing, it can be rather confronting to say the least. As I said before, your dog escaping once is an accident... more than once is not so accidental... and unless you can show definitively that you have taken all possible corrective actions to avoid any escapes, I think you will find that you will lose in court. Relying on the error in recording the time of the incident will not be a defense, trust me. Losing in court will result in a cost much more than the 300 you are in for right now. My advice is to pay the fine, and take this as a hard lesson as to what will or won't be tolerated in your neighbourhood, OK? T.
  15. As per the legislation posted above by @Deeds, even if the dog just rushes at or approaches anyone or anything in a way that causes the target fear, that is deemed an "attack"... just so you know. Even if your dog is just over-friendly and runs at people for a pat, or wants to play with other animals, it can still be deemed an "attack" if the approach is not wanted. The fine you received was pretty lenient actually, as you could also have had them hit you for "not under effective control", and if your dog wasn't wearing a collar/tag, they could have thrown that in too... not to mention "menacing" or "attack" could have been thrown at you. If you are going to fight the fine in court, be aware that if you lose, the costs may be much higher than the original fine. Personally, I'd suck it up and pay the $300, and make all attempts possible to keep your dog secured to your own property in future. Escaping once is an accident, but any further escape is frowned upon. T.
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