tdierikx

Fair enough @Powerlegs... For the record, I have nothing against rehoming senior dogs, and I admire and respect the work you do in that regard... but this particular dog has many other issues that make him much harder to rehome - PLUS the fact that he is older won't be going in his favour with the general public looking for a family pet... And you know as well as I do that the ranger doing an inspection only has to 'form an opinion' that a particular animal needs to be siezed, and a large dog (especially a senior dog) in kennels for an extended period of time would definitely tick their boxes on that count, regardless of meeting the standards (which are in fact surprisingly low). The onus is then on the accused to prove otherwise in an expensive and lengthy legal process designed to work in the favour of the accusers. Been there, done that... and it's soul destroying... I do hope Brock finds a new home soon... but at what point do you admit that it may never happen for him? 2 years in kennels? 3 years? 4? When they find that he's passed away overnight on his own? T.

I know I would respond positively to Brock's various issues myself @peter fenton... but I've also worked in rescue for a number of years and know the realities. I'm certainly not in the position (or of the inclination) to adopt a dog like him, and I'm fairly experienced (read qualified) in animal care/husbandry (of many species). I personally don't think a dog with his issues will make a great family pet... and asking someone to step up and take him on knowing about those issues, the amount of work needed to rectify them, AND the fact that he is a senior dog with few years left in him... it's a bit of a stretch to say the least... I have had previous experience with a foxhound we had in our rescue... it was bloody hard to find him a suitable home, and he was a young dog with very few issues. We had him in care for 3 months before that suitable home was found - even though we had many adoption requests for him. Foxhounds aren't usually suited to being suburban family pets. @Powerlegs - he obviously hasn't passed all behavioural tests if he's not social with other animals... in fact, this actually makes him a liability - a large strong willed dog intent on not getting along with others is not a pleasure to walk, and he will need regular walks. His time in kennels will have seen any house/toilet training completely gone, he has a loud and annoying hound bark that he's likely to use if he's not got company at home, and I worry about the reference to him liking food a bit too much... He may well be a lovely boy for shelter staff, but the reality is that he's a very poor adoption prospect... and I stand by my previous statement that there are worse things than being given his wings with love and dignity. T.

Does he poop in the morning? What are you feeding him? Some cheaper kibble can result in multiple poops each day - premium kibble may result in less poops... and thus negate his need for the lunchtime evacuations. T.

Well met @Powerlegs... I value and respect your opinion as always... The fact remains that AWL would have seized animals from our rescue if we'd had any in kennels for half of the time this old man has been in theirs... and the double standards are glaring... There are reasons beyond his age that are stopping him from being adopted... but living out his final years in shelter kennels is not optimal for his health and wellbeing either. https://www.awlnsw.com.au/animals/59413/ He needs to be an only pet (antisocial with other animals?), he barks when alone (separation anxiety?), needs great fencing to keep him contained, needs extensive retraining to be a house pet (will not be house/toilet trained)... and he's quite senior for his breed, which could mean a bunch of vet bills not far into the future... I understand fully that after this length of time, shelter staff may have become attached to him, but that is no reason for him to languish in kennels for such an extended period - that alone will have lasting negative implications for his adoptability chances, and sometimes the hard decicions just have to be made. The longer he is in kennels, the more institutionalised he becomes, and thus also becomes less desirable to adopt. There are worse options than being given his wings with love and dignity... T.

The AVA have been recommending triennial vaccination for some years now... but some vets are still insisting on annual for some reason... The clinic I'm at do triennial for the core vaccines (C3), and annual for the Kennel Cough component. My own dogs haven't been vaccinated in years... errr! Pickles is now 9 and her last vaccination was her first adult booster around 8 years ago. Harper is 7, and was last vaccinated about 5 years ago only because I had to go to hospital for an operation and she had to go into boarding for a week. T.

You'd be surprised mate... 2 years in kennels in a shelter environment - read constant stimulus of confused and unsettled dogs all around, a short walk maybe once a day if there are enough volunteer staff on to do the job - he's an old dog with other issues that make him less desirable to adopt... Maybe you should adopt him then @peter fenton... or are his issues more than you can take on too? How many other more adoptable dogs could have used that kennel over the past 2 years that didn't get the chance because Brock has been languishing there? The simple fact is that we can't "save" them all... and some are actually better off at the Bridge, OK? I worked in rescue (with kennels) for 7+ years, and we would have been crucified if we held dogs in those kennels for any extended period of time - the AWL/RSPCA would have been all over us for POCTAA breaches in that regard.... so what makes their shelter kennels any more suitable to house an old dog for 2 years? T.

@Steve... I think this one is right up your alley... *grin* Note: Steve breeds Maremmas T.

Basically, the stimulus must be enough to get attention, but not high enough or long enough to actually hurt the animal @persephone A wall socket in your house delivers a maximum of 10 amps - which theoretically can kill you (volts don't actually kill, the amps do), so 100 milliamps is about 1/100th of that strength - certainly enough to get attention, but not enough to do real damage. T.

Sometimes the kindest thing is... Two years in kennels will have left it's own impression on Brock also... T.

Still stunning.... I'm in luuurve! T.

We seriously need a big fat LOVE button! Stunning pups! T.

... and if he couldn't get through, he would have just gone over... foxes can climb like cats! Digging under is the last resort... T.

How in dog's name does anyone justify keeping any dog in kennels (shelter kennels at that!) for TWO YEARS!?!?!? If that was any other rescue organisation, the hordes would be baying for blood... grrr! AWL should know better... T.

All I can find is greyhound tattoo info... https://www.facebook.com/196341957367614/posts/ever-looked-in-your-greyhounds-ear-and-wondered-what-the-tattoo-meanssimply-put-/231610910507385/ T.

I've had 3 dogs over the years pass from the big C... each had something different... and each had different timeframes after the diagnoses. Don't beat yourself up about not going all out with explorations or treatments that are uncomfortable for your boy... I wouldn't either faced with osteosarcoma that has taken hold and messed up at least one large bone/joint. Enjoy your boy, and let him enjoy you for whatever time you have left together, and analgesics will make that time more comfortable for him. As for "knowing" when will be the "right" time for him to leave you... that can be a hard one to answer when one doesn't know the dog or family in question... but please believe me when I say that he will let you know when he wants to have that final long sleep, OK? Also trust in your vet and listen to him/her when you have progress checkups... he/she will keep you informed of the progress of the growth, and the general wellbeing of your boy from a health perspective. Massive hugs to you and your family... from someone who has been there too, and can feel your pain and confusion... Please give your boy an extra cuddle and kiss from me too, OK? T.

Meet Stanley the grass puppy... he's the friendliest moo you'll ever meet! T.

Pickles (17kg) eats the same amount of food as Harper (36kg)... errr! I put it down to Pickles' mobility issues mean that she burns more energy than Harper... neither is fat (or skinny)... They both eat raw chicken carcases, thigh pieces, turkey necks, and/or giblets and are fine specimens for their ages - Pickles will be 9 later this month, and Harper tuned 7 a couple of weeks ago... I took Pickles to my vet clinic work placement yesterday... no-one believed she is 9 years old. The vet gave her a once over and reckons she's on par with a very healthy 5 year old dog - and her teeth are gorgeous... lol! T.

Yep... that's how it's done here too... lol! I also hold the mouth shut and blow into their nose... guaranteed swallow reflex... T.

The regular flea tapeworm and hydatid tapeworm are fairly easy to see off with a tapeworm specific over the counter wormer... however, there is another type which needs a vet to prescribe some fairly hefty costing stuff to get rid of - but they aren't very common thank dog! Pups should be fine without water overnight in the cooler months, but I'd always have some in the crate during summer - regardless of the fact they may play in it... T.

Re the worms... could be a few reasons they are still visible in the poop... * heavy burden of worms, and/or dosed wrongly (if the worms seen are alive/moving in the faeces) * heavy burden of worms and are still being evacuated (if worms are dead in the faeces) * the worms are tapeworm, and the allwormer used didn't cover them (most only cover hook, whip, and round worms) * the dog wasn't wormed at all Re water in crate overnight... best bet is to get a bowl with a heavy base (or a non-tip type), so pup doesn't knock it over. T.

Dags makes a darned fine collar model... lol! T.

All of Marcus looks pretty good methinks... lol! I bet he also smells good, yes? T.

Aren't they stunning?!?! Well done Arkey (and mumma)! T.

The usual tactic is to bully you into surrendering the animals at the time of seizing @asal... if they decide to take a lot of animals, they tell you that you'll be up for holding fees at $xx per day per animal if you don't surrender them, etc, etc... What they don't tell you is that you don't actually have to pay any of those fees until if/when you are actually found guily in court of any offence regarding those animals. They also have up to 60 days (from memory) to lay charges after seizure. So technically, the animals you have had taken from you, and bullied into surrendering, could be sold off long before you even get charged or start the legal process of trying to defend yourself. T.

And you don't even want to guess at the financial cost to fight any charges... especially if you are actually innocent... grrr! T.