tdierikx

As part of my involvement with Animal Care Australia, I regularly assist in our submissions relating to animal welfare policies and legislation Australia-wide. Currently looking at the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) for Wellington Shire Council in Victoria - https://your.wellington.vic.gov.au/domestic-animal-management-plan-review - and came across this interesting tidbit... Heads up to any of our breeder members here who might be targeted for council visits (or worse) if you live in that shire and advertise any of your pups on this site. T.

Vaccinations might cost a bit, but treatment for Parvo (or even euthanasia) is much more expensive... Maybe vets could be more active in advising that there is a vaccination for Parvo alone if owners are too cash strapped to go the full C3 or C5 vaccinations - at least they'd be covered for the more prevalent of the 3 killer diseases in dogs. Distemper and Hepatitis are around, but definitely much rarer in domestic dogs that don't come into contact with wild animals or their scat. T.

The footage shown is disturbing for sure. What stands out is that it looks like the owners of the dogs in question are there and trying to help get them away from the target, but the lack of leads and collars is making that difficult. At no stage do the dogs seem to be targetting any humans, and appear to be being handled by at least 2 individuals with no aggression shown. The target is solely the on-lead dog, which is clearly not impressed at being approached in an aggressive manner and is trying to retaliate. Notably, not one of the 3 off-lead dogs is of any bull breed mix visible to the eye. This sort of reporting both highlights the issues that are becoming more prevalent, but also incites negative reactions to dogs being out in public spaces - especially larger breed dogs. Dog are increasingly being restricted from more and more places other than their own homes, which in turn reduces the opportunities to socialise them to multiple scenarios and experiences. Is it any wonder that we are seeing less sociable behaviours? Legislators are all too happy to enact laws without considering the long term effects of that legislation. Also, it's far easier to legislate a ban on anything they don't like than it is to legislate anything that requires policing/enforcing. The problems we are seeing here are a result of poor legislative application - especially in the policing/enforcing of said legislation. The article highlights the lacklustre responses from police and local council officers when called to deal with an incident - time matters here, and neither enforcement agency mentioned seems willing or able to allocate resources in a timely manner when an incident occurs. What we have here is not simply a "dog problem", it's a policing resources problem. I fully agree that there is no room for antisocial dogs in public spaces, but we also need to consider the statistics here. Consider how many pet owners have larger breed dogs in relation to the number of negative interactions with larger dogs in public spaces. What is less likely to be reported (or factored into dog attack data) is the number of negative interactions with smaller breeds of dog, simply because the damage incurred is less than that of a larger dog. The data is therefore skewed to one particular premise - that is that larger breed dogs are all inherently dangerous - and can lead to knee-jerk reactionary legislation based on that skewed data. T.

I rented when I owned 5 Rottweilers... never lost a cent of my bond at any place I rented, and always got glowing reports from each agent as to how well I kept the places I lived in. I always left a place in better condition than when I'd moved into it. T.

They probably wouldn't knock them back... The reality is that carnivorous animals need a constant supply of meat and it has to come from somewhere. Any means that reduces financial costs involved with that would be considered I would think. The fact that this zoo isn't candy coating that fact is commendable, if a little disturbing to our way of thinking. Would it surprise you to know that the farmyard section in many Australian zoos is not just there for visitors to enjoy domestic animals? Ever wondered what happens to excess piglets, goat kids, lambs, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc? Excess kangaroos and wallabies from the Australiana sections? Not that those sections make much of a dent in the overall feeding requirements for larger carnivores, but every little cost saving helps. Another fact to remember is that European zoos are run slightly differently to our zoos here, and they don't sugar coat the fact that their carnivores eat meat and it has to come from somewhere. The public killing, dissection, and consequent feeding of the young giraffe to the lions some years ago at another Danish zoo probably went too far, but only because they did it in public... the reality is that it was going to happen anyway, and they made the decision to show the public that aspect of their practices. It's interesting to watch people who think nothing of picking up a tray of meat from the supermarket for their own consumption getting all righteously indignant that carnivorous animals in zoos need a source of food too. Just putting it into perspective here. That tray of meat in the supermarket was once a living being too, yes? Are their deaths any less meaningful just because we don't see it happen? For the record, I eat meat, and know exactly where it has come from, but in knowing that, I also don't waste any of the meat that animal died to provide me with. T.

What a fluff article... virtually no information whatsoever except for the fact that the show was on May 3, and he'd been arrested yesterday in relation to it. Would be useful to know why he'd been banned from attending the shows and what his banner said. T.

Interesting that they report that she had her dog on a retractable lead, and that she tangled herself in it and tripped over during the incident. Those leads should be banned, as they are a hazard in more ways than one, and no-one using them ever has any actual control over where their dog is going. I certainly don't condone the larger dog attacking the smaller one, but I note that we are only hearing one side of the story of this incident, and have no idea what the actual circumstances leading up to the attack were. I've had people walk their dogs on retractable leads by my house, and many of those dogs have decided to toddle up my driveway while the owners were oblivious to where they were walking until the lead hit it's end point, or they heard my dogs going mental at the arrival at my front door of a strange dog. I've also had small dogs on those leads rush up at my dogs when we've been out and about too. T.

Unfortunately, because 1080 is relatively cheap and easy to disperse, the authorities are not likely to stop using it - despite it not actually being terribly effective in the long run, affects non-target species with the same efficacy, and is generally a nasty way for any animal to die. Remember, government at all levels need to be seen to be "doing something" about non-native animals in the environment... grrr! T.

Oh... and the AWAC has 11 members, but it only takes a quorum of 6 to constitute a meeting in which decisions are made. If 3 of those 6 who actually turn up to a meeting to discuss changes to legislation or COPs are animal rights advocates and/or representatives for RSPCA, you can see how changes would be slanted towards their agenda. As it stands currently, we can see summaries of all AWAC meetings, but it doesn't mention who or how many attended each meeting. Food for thought... T.

We all have to get a license to drive a car, yet still people break all the rules on a regular basis... just saying... As for the proposed code of practice itself, here's a link to the consultation page. Have a read of the summary at the bottom, don't forget to check in all 3 tabs... https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/welfare-dogs-act ... then read the actual proposed COP... https://hdp-au-prod-app-act-yoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/7017/4908/3635/Draft_Code_of_Practice_for_the_Welfare_of_Dogs_in_the_ACT_A52614760.pdf When you consider that 2 of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) members are the CEO and head vet from RSPCA ACT, and another is a prominent animal rights lawyer, is it any wonder we are seeing such changes to legislation and codes of practice. In the explanatory opening paragraphs on the consultation page it explicitly states... "The draft code is underpinned by an updated animal welfare framework that recognises: animals are sentient beings who can feel and perceive the world around them animals have intrinsic value and deserve to be treated with compassion and have a quality of life that reflects their intrinsic value people have a duty to care for the physical and mental welfare of animals." and "Proposed changes include: - introducing a new animal welfare framework which recognises dogs as sentient beings who can feel and perceive the world around them" @persephoneyou may be interested in the change that forbids tethering of working dogs for longer than 2 hours also... as the proposed COP also applies to working dogs. I'm thinking that if you were subject to this COP, the Boss would have to build fancy kennel blocks at the farm to house the dogs when not working, and take temporary kennelling with him if out working on other properties, so he doesn't tether the dogs when they are not working. Interesting to note that all disease prevention stuff - vaccinations, parasite control, etc - are only mentioned as guidelines (read NOT mandatory). Microchips and registration ARE mandatory, yet the basics like vaccination or parasite control are not?? Yes, I understand that over-vaccination is a thing, but titre testing can be used to check immunity levels to ensure that doesn't occur. Note that RSPCA can do you over for your dog having a worm burden or lack of adherance to a schedule of preventative measures for same... so worth noting that the guidelines may also be used against you in a legal sense if RSPCA wants to mess you up. Then note the guidelines for feeding your dog... "G2.3 Dogs benefit from a range of foods which should contain all the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, and minerals to maintain good health. This is most easily and safely provided by a complete commercial dog food which, if used, should include all the essential ingredients for a healthy diet and be fed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations or nutritional analysis as performed by an animal nutritionist or registered veterinarian based on metabolic needs of the dog. G2.4 Although home-prepared diets may consist of a variety of fresh food including meat, vegetables, fish, and rice or a similar carbohydrate, it is unlikely to provide complete and balanced nutrition without vitamin and mineral supplementation. Before feeding dogs a home-prepared diet, advice should be obtained from a veterinary nutritionist or a registered veterinarian. Vegetarian diets pose particular risks; therefore, registered veterinary advice is essential to ensure such a diet is complete." This inclusion basically pushes the idea that processed foods with chemical supplements are the "best" diet for your dog, and beware if you choose to feed them anything else. The last bit about vegetarian diets must have been hard fought against the vegan animal rights input - as they would argue that simply adding chemical supplements to "make up" the shortfalls should be ok... note: they are NOT. I suggest that everyone read the proposed COP, as if it passes in the ACT, other states will follow suit... T.

Interesting concept... but very hard to police it methinks. How in dog's name are the authorities going to enforce that rule? I'd think it would be impossible to prove one way or the other unless there was 24/7 surveillance in place. Yet another example of the animal rights mobs dictating legislation (or in this case, codes of practice) without any thought as to how such stupid edicts will be policed. T.

Funny that the payslip with the minimum wage hourly rate says "Animal Attendant"... which is fancy talk for kennel hand... *grin* T.

I worked at one of those pet resort places a couple years back. They had ONE "deluxe suite" on site... and it certainly didn't look like the ones pictured. In essence, it was a separate building sort of like a converted fancy shed that had a cutesy "bed" thing (read the kind of dog bed that vaguely resembles a human bed) in it instead of the standard trampoline bed in a regular kennel, and it had it's own "courtyard" area. Cleaning that "suite" was a bugger and took longer to do than a regular kennel - especially if the dog housed in it wasn't appropriately toilet trained... ewww! Things may have changed since then, but if they have, I'm tipping that kennel hands hate it due to the extra work involved trying to keep the "suites" presentable and clean. T.

Does snapping a finger tendon tucking in a cover on the couch count? It was on the dog couch... T.

As a female dog is capable of being fertilised more than once over a period of up to 10 days during her estrus cycle, it's entirely possible for a litter of pups to have more than one sire. The biggest issue is if she's impregnated early in that period, and again later in that period, ostensibly the later mating pups will be gestated for less time than the first mating ones, which can result in less developed pups being born. Timing matters so much when the gestation period is only 9weeks... just one week less gestation can result in some pretty serious defects. T.

The most common cause of certain issues in dogs is their owners' unrealistic expectations for them to be like furry human children... and anxiety and the like is on the rise with human children too... maybe there's a common thread? Seriously... why can't we just let dogs be dogs? Let them do doggy things instead of expecting them to act like humans to "fit in". T.

Forgive me for being a little cynical, but I wonder how many puppies they've put down due to parvovirus rather than raising them... I'm cynical about the diagnosis being used to kill them - it way or may not be 100% the case, as unfortunately we only have their word for said diagnosis, and I don't trust anything the RSPCA says. Deformities are more likely when 2 dogs are chucked together with little forethought to the timing or suitability of the mating(s) between two dogs, so I'll concede that one. T.

OK - I spoke to another friend who is an implanter, and they still have access to enter the details of the dogs they chip directly to the database, so whatever the issue is with new owners being unable to access their pet's details is not related to that, unless vet clinics who chip dogs/cats are being slack at entering those details because they are too bloody busy with everything else they do in any given day. Most likely it's when the change of ownership information is required to be entered into the database that there is some sort of delay, but I'm pretty sure that vet clinics aren't responsible for that stage of the identification process, so whatever excuse is being given for the PetRegistry portal not working as planned is probably just made up to deflect attention from the fact that the stupid thing doesn't work because they are constantly having to change how it works every time government makes legislative changes. T.

Hey @asalI heard that there have been changes made to the NSW microchip online registry whereas licensed implanters can no longer directly input the animal's details to the chip registry in NSW via the online process? I was told that this is now supposed to only be done by local councils or vets. Is this true? As an implanter, can you still access the NSW online registry to enter details for newly chipped animals, or do you have to send paperwork or an online form off for someone else to enter those details? I was told the above during a conversation about issues with new owners not being able to register their pet via the NSW online PetRegistry portal, as there is a backlog of details having not been entered by vets or councils in a timely manner. I'm thinking that it would be stupid to remove the ability for implanters to immediately enter animal details at the time of chipping, and that the backlog most likely pertains to the change of ownership form details not being entered in a timely manner when that pet is transfered to the new owner... is that more likely the case here? T.

This is what happens when proper research into exactly what they want the database to do is not done before declaring they are building one. There are other state registries (databases) that are functioning "reasonably" well in this sector, so why couldn't they look at modelling based on one of those? It's not actually rocket science, but there are some small intricacies that need sorting out before attempting to build such a database from scratch. Quite frankly, I think that a national registry/database is needed rather than different states all doing different things in this sphere - and none of them talk to each other. T.

This is reported as coming from Randwick council. The actual figures, which took me 5 minutes to find and fact check, are... 65 attacks reported for the whole year of 2024 in Randwick LGA - and 5091 for ALL reported attacks in the whole state of NSW for the year 2024. The stats are published by quarter on the OLG website for anyone to find btw. So, 65 attacks (also broken down into attacks on humans or other animals) recorded in an LGA with 26,254 dogs microchipped as living in that LGA, doesn't seem like a massive statistic to use to claim that there seems to be a chronic issue, does it? Maybe the fact that the current fines don't actually cover the man hours spent chasing up the reports of attacks might be more to the point? The other fact that most LGA's haven't got the staff to functionally enforce the laws couldn't be an issue either, could it? Interestingly, the Randwick stats actually show a decline over the 2024 year for the number of reports made. Jan-March was 19, Apr-Jun was 18, Jul-Sep was 17, and Oct-Dec was 11... which doesn't really gel with what the article is inferring, right? As for the total NSW attack figure of 5091, when you break it down as a proportion of the total number of microchipped dogs (and this doesn't factor the numbers of non-microchipped dogs) in the state which is 3,094,312 (as at Dec 2024) - the numbers, while not great, are still a very small percentage, yes? Just remember, there are lies, damned lies, and statistics... all of which seem to be apparent in this article. Check the stats for yourself here... https://olg.nsw.gov.au/public/dogs-cats/responsible-pet-ownership/pound-and-dog-attack-statistics/ T.

If that were the case then surely the fine would have been much larger, and the dog would have been seized and euthanised, don't you think? T.

While I agree that there is no excuse for the dog attacking the little girl, the above line in the article stands out... it implies that the child's mother (or any other adult) wasn't necessarily paying close attention to her child while they were in the dog park. Honestly, children should be closely monitored in such places, don't you think? I'm not a fan of young children running around in dog parks... too many opportunities for things like this to happen if/when adults aren't closely monitoring interactions with strange dogs. That said, $300 seems a very small fine for a dog actually causing harm/injury to a person... maybe there are facts we aren't being told in this story? One would think that at the very least the dog would have been impounded while investigations into the incident were taking place? T.

Perfect summation of society today... unfortunately... T.

Seriously... after how many news articles and TV coverage of same regarding dingoes on K'gari are people going to understand that it's not a great place to be taking your kids to for a holiday? As the article states, dingoes are opportunistic hunters, and children are by nature not all that clued in about self preservation, not to mention that parents seem to have so little control of them in most scenarios. Seriously, why would you take a child to a place known for wild animal attacks? T.