Mila's Mum
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Posts posted by Mila's Mum
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(although they use a stock standard Lab picture instead of a picture of Migaloo herself)
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Move over Indiana Jones, there is a new dog in town.
Meet Migaloo the wonder-pup who can sniff out 600-year-old bones more than 2m underground with her sharp sense of smell and keen eye for adventure.
The three-year-old black labrador mix has been hailed as the first archaeology dog in the world.
Owner Gary Jackson found Migaloo at a rescue centre 14 months ago and says they have been inseparable ever since.
"She's a really special pup. She had the drive we needed for the job and was absolutely ball crazy," he said.
After only a year on the job, Migaloo already holds the world record for the oldest archaeological find by a dog.
"The previous record was 174-year-old remains from the US civil war," Mr Jackson said.
Migaloo made the startling find at an Aboriginal burial ground in South Australia, where a 600-year-old grave had been found a few years ago.
"We were given about an acre to search, the elders and museum officials knew where the graves were, but not us," he said.
"But within two minutes, Migaloo was circling the spot and clawing at the ground and digging and it was exactly where the grave was."
"It was remarkable because bones that old don't have any flesh left on them, yet she still smells something!"
Her helpful snout has even managed to sniff out fossils dated by palaeontologists at between 2.6million and 5.3million years old.
Narangba-based Gary Jackson, who has been training dogs for more than 30 years, taught Migaloo using 250-year-old Aboriginal bones borrowed from the South Australian Museum.
He trained her to recognise their odour in the hope the duo will be able to uncover more hidden treasures in archaeological digs. His canine students have worked with indigenous elders to recover old ceremonial sites and have helped police in the Ivan Milat/backpacker murder investigation.
He hopes he and Migaloo will be able to unearth some dinosaur bones near Roma in the next two weeks.
"I'd love to get the chance to search another dinosaur area but I think Migaloo is more concerned about getting to sink her teeth into her tennis ball," he said.
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I wonder how many are still being sent to the uni
Logan stats 2011/12
Just 725 dogs and 349 cats made it out alive via rescue and direct from pound adoptions. Compared to 1,504 dogs and 2,101 cats who were killed.
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AN ABANDONED dog has been put down by Logan City Council despite desperate pleas by a local resident to adopt it.
Cherie Fisher said she first saw the abandoned animal on April 13 and contacted council wanting to help it.
Ms Fisher said she had no agenda other than to save the dog's life and give it a chance.
"It was left malnourished, covered in a skin condition and who knows what else. Her photo just made my heart bleed," she said.
Ms Fisher said she visited the pound twice and after three working days understood the dog to be the pound's property.
She said she offered to buy the animal or foster it at her own expense.
"We are bewildered to understand why will they not take up the offer of help," she said.
"Is the Logan City Council so flush with cash and kennels they don't need assistance?"
A Logan City Council spokeswoman said pound staff had told Ms Fisher that any decisions about the dog would be based on advice by a vet.
She said council's standard practice saw abandoned animals listed on council's website - if they were not registered or microchipped - in an attempt to find the owner.
She said on this occasion, after the standard time lapsed, the owner was not identified and the animal became council's property.
"It was examined by CVLC vet staff and their advice was that the dog was in extremely bad health with a very poor prognosis and the decision was made to euthanase the dog."
The spokeswoman said Logan City Council Animal Management Centre operated a sales and rehoming service for all suitable, unclaimed animals.
"In situations where cats and dogs are lost and become impounded by council, our primary goal is to reunite these animals with their owners," she said.
"If a dog is not reclaimed by its owner, it is assessed by Logan City Council to see whether it is suitable for inclusion in our sales and rehoming program. which involves a veterinary health check and behavioural assessment.
"If a dog fails (its) health check or behavioural assessment then council will consider the options available."
The spokeswoman said council had sold 75 dogs through its sales program since the beginning of the year.
What do you think? Should Logan City Council have put down the dog? Tell us below
(see link at top of post for comments section at bottom of article)
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8533768/Dog-beaters-sentence-sends-message
A man who savagely beat a puppy with the handle of a fishing rod and punched it in the face several times has been jailed for six months.
Maxwell Johnson, 29, of Mangere, pleaded guilty this year to wilfully ill-treating an animal – the most serious charge under the Animal Welfare Act, with a maximum penalty of five years' jail.
In the Manukau District Court today, Judge Charles Blackie rejected a pre-sentence report advising a period of supervision and community work, saying it would not send the right message.
"I don't consider the sentences suggested to be appropriate," he said.
"They wouldn't demonstrate the seriousness of your actions to the point where you and others are deterred from taking this action against animals that are always vulnerable."
On June 29, Johnson punched the puppy in the face several times "with full force", then hit it several more times with the wooden end of a fishing rod.
He told police the dog – a year-old bull terrier-cross called Boy – had bitten him, but officers could not find any evidence of that.
A member of the public reported the attack and SPCA staff went to the address the next day to investigate.
They found the dog "drooling a bloody fluid". He was stiff and slow to stand and limped on his front right leg.
A veterinarian's examination showed the dog had a penetration injury to the left eye, one tooth knocked out, several others loose and damaged, a fractured jaw and a fractured right foreleg.
The eye had to be removed, as did five teeth.
When asked what he did to offer treatment to the puppy, Johnson said he had thrown a bucket of water over him.
At the time, Johnson admitted to police he had struck the puppy on previous occasions, but in court today he denied that.
His defence counsel said Johnson was unemployed at the time, but had recently got a job as an arborist and bought a house, where he was living with his partner and three children.
Johnson had no history of violence and his lawyer described the attack as "impulsive and spontaneous" rather than sadistic.
Paw Justice spokesman Craig Dunn, who was in court for the sentencing, said outside court that the attack was horrific and should have warranted a longer jail term.
Regardless, he was pleased Judge Blackie had sent a message to other potential offenders.
Johnson was jailed for six months, ordered to forfeit any other animals in his possession, banned from owning a pet for 10 years and ordered to pay $4331 costs to the SPCA.
Ad Feedback He wiped away tears as he was led away by police, and his partner wept in the public gallery.
Boy is now healthier and living with a foster family.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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And here's another - has been going for a while and proceeds go to Golden Ark Rescue
http://www.muttsbeluvbarkery.com.au/Golden_Ark_Rescue.asp
These are fantastic cookies!! organic and wheat free - the dogs love them
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I have been asked to post the following -
Hi Everyone,
The introduction of compulsory desexing was a battle won, now we turn to mount another campaign - the reduction of animals being carelessly bred in the community. This is the only way to reduce the numbers entering the pound.
Some members of the committee have forwarded in advance of the meeting a report to all committee members and pound management. The report highlights that the Blacktown area is vastly over-represented when compared with the other seven council areas which use the pound’s facilities. It had twice as many stray and surrendered animals as the other seven councils combined, yet Blacktown’s population is only half that of the other seven councils.
While tremendous progress has been made at the pound, with fewer dogs entering, and even far fewer being killed, the situation for cats is dismal and seemingly out of control. The number of cats entering the pound has increased every year, with a 163% increase between 2003 and 2011. In 2011, 3,248 cats were killed, an increase of 155% since 2003. How many will be killed in 2012? There is evidence that suggests that over half of Blacktown’s cats are feral cats. Something must obviously be done.
During the course of the meeting the committee will discuss some strategies acceptable to Council to implement programs to address irresponsible pet ownership and subsidised desexing to reduce the number of unwanted animals entering the pound.
Meeting details
Urban Companion Animals Management Advisory Sub-Committee (UCAMASC) Meeting
Meeting date: Tuesday 14th August 2012
Time: starts promptly at 6.30 pm (advise that you come earlier since everyone has to go upstairs in the lift - it all takes time)
Address: Blacktown City Council Chambers
62-68 Flushcombe Rd, BLACKTOWN
Instructions:
Parking: large KMart car park is opposite and there is some on-site parking too.
If parking in the KMart car park, walk across Flushcombe Road, through Council's carpark on the right hand side of the building, and go around to the back of the Council Building.
Hope to see you there!
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Italian Activists Rescue Beagles Destined for Vivisection from Breeding Facility
In broad daylight today, as reported in the Italian newspaper Giornale di Brescia, Italian activists conducted a bold and daring raid of Green Hill, one of Europe’s largest breeder of beagles for vivisection labs, and rescued at least thirty beagles destined for painful procedures inside laboratories and eventual death from either the fatal results of experiments or the slaughter afterwards when they are deemed no longer useful.
At least 1000 activists organized by Occupy Green Hill who came from all over northern Italy started their procession in Montichiari, a city about 60 miles east of Milan where Green Hill is located. Many of them wore signs saying “We are the 86%,” referring to the percentage of Italians polled who were opposed to animal-based experimentation. On their approach close to Green Hill they were met by police and roadblocks. Groups of activists then cut through the fields and across other streets to the fences surrounding the facility.
There, about 300-400 demonstrators tried to open gates in the perimeter as teams of mobile riot police and police who were deployed tried to contain them. On the side of the gates, however, the protesters opened a breach in the fence and broke into the farm, with others simply scaling the fence, carefully avoiding the barbed-wire. Once inside they scrambled into the sheds and rescued at least thirty dogs, many of them being handed over the fence to waiting hands on the other side.
At the end of the day, it was reported that police had arrested 13 people. Some protesters said they had suffered violence by some officials. View video of the march and the raid here.
So why Green Hill?
Within Europe, Green Hill is now the largest breeder of dogs destined for laboratories. Green Hill houses 5 sheds which imprisons 2500 adult dogs, plus several litters. The sheds are closed, aseptic, without open spaces and without natural light or air. Rows and rows of cages with artificial lighting and ventilation system are the environment in which these dogs grow before being loaded onto a truck and shipped to laboratories where abuse and pain await them.
Among the clients of Green Hill are university laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and renowned trial centers as the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences in England.
Who profits from Green Hill?
Several years ago Marshall Farms Inc., an American firm, acquired the company. Marshall is infamous throughout the world as the largest “producer” of dogs for the vivisection industry. The Marshall beagle is actually a standard variety. For about €450-900 ($600-1200) you can buy dogs of any age. For those who are willing to pay more one can also obtain a pregnant mother. Green Hill and Marshall also offer its customers on-demand surgical treatments, such as the cutting or removal of vocal cords so “researchers” cannot hear their cries of pain.
Marshall’s dogs are shipped by air all over the world, but with the purchase of Green Hill as the European headquarters and the construction of a huge farm in China, Marshall is pursuing a plan of expansion and market monopoly.
To Green Hill and Marshall Farm, animals are merely merchandise, commodities to just breed and sell without any thought to the pain and suffering — both mental and physical — that they will suffer. Through the work of these activists, a few lives were saved from the horrors of industry, and shows to those who profit from the lives of innocent beings that oppression will not be tolerated.
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Great news - I believe Sarge has been found
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Many people have contributed to last night’s success with the vote in favour of mandatory desexing. It was a huge team effort to get this issue across the line, and many people have provided support along the way - I wish it was possible to mention everyone who has lent a hand. However, two people in particular deserve special mention – without their input, it is doubtful Option 2 would have succeeded last night.
Mariette Blackmore (ex Blacktown volunteer)
Mariette has spent untold hours researching pound stats, pulling together relevant information, analysing data, and compiling it into reports that showed in no uncertain terms, just how bad the Blacktown situation was. Here is an example of one very important piece of data -
Blacktown Pound is the largest NSW Council Pound, and caters for the lost and discarded animals, mostly dogs and cats, of eight metropolitan LGAs, whose total population is 871,741 (2009 Census), of which Blacktown's population represents 34.4%. The eight Council areas concerned are Blacktown, Parramatta, Holroyd, Auburn, Ryde, Lane Cove, Hunters Hill and Canada Bay. According to the DLG's 2009-10 Survey of Council Seizures of Dogs and Cats, 8,104 dogs and cats were collected by those eight councils, of which 69.4% came from Blacktown.
If you compare the ratios, you might see that Blacktown has a huge community problem - they are vastly over-represented, with 34.4% of the human population contributing 69.4% of the lost and unwanted dogs and cats. The kill-rate in the past was horrendous, being up to 50% of dogs, and as high as 90% of cats, yet Blacktown Council steadfastly blocked all attempts to help reduce the oversupply of animals by desexing.
So while the Chairman of the Urban Companion Animals Managment Advisory Sub-Committee was claiming that people were responsible (and therefore should be entitled to adopt an entire animal from the Pound), the stats clearly showed this was definitely not the case.
Not only did Mariette pull together and present very critical information, but she has been a prolific email writer to various Councils, newspaper contacts, and rescue organisations. Her articulate and well written correspondence, coupled with reports and information that showed a very sad state of affairs at Blacktown Pound, was distributed far and wide.
I could write paragraphs about Mariette’s contribution over the last few years towards the issue of compulsory desexing, her drive to keep plugging away despite the bullsh*t that Council would trot out at each meeting, and her unrelenting emails that would surely have had more than one or two councillors squirming in their seats. Suffice to say, the information Mariette researched, analysed, compiled, and distributed to the various Councils and other organisations, was critical towards last night’s success.
Denys Clarke (former Blacktown councillor)
Denys’ contribution has been invaluable in providing Mariette with information and advice about the ins and outs of Council workings, tactics, politics, and contacts. Most significantly, it was Denys who alerted Mariette that the desexing report had been issued, and that it was going to the Policy Committee. Had he not done that, no-one would have known. It would have quietly gone through Council, and probably Option 2 would have been rejected. We would have known nothing about it until it was too late.
Thanks to Denys’ constant monitoring of the Council website, and his subsequent notification to Mariette as to what was about to take place, the floodgates opened, and the email tsunami kicked in. All councillors, in all the Councils who use Blacktown Pound were notified of the upcoming meeting, and were also provided with the critical information that clearly showed the Pound’s abysmal performance over the previous years. The Blacktown Sun was also contacted and printed the article listed in Post 1 (a big thank you to those who wrote comments at the end). Anne Greenaway started a letter-writing group, some of whom sent suggested (form) letters to Councillors. Councils and councillors were being bombarded with people urging support for compulsory desexing.
I’ve been told that having the AWL & RSPCA coming on board was what probably tipped the table completely, and the audience helped to clinch it as well.
Every contribution, both large and small, has played a part in finally bringing about this much needed change at Blacktown Pound. Hopefully this is the start of a brighter future for the Blacktown poundies, and greater awareness in the Blacktown community towards responsible pet ownership.
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED :)
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Wasn't expecting it to get past Pendleton, so well done!!!!!
Anyone there last night to tell us how it went, was there alot of opposition?
I received the following -
Wow! That was a great meeting tonight - you should have seen the numbers that turned up - the gallery was full, Council didn't stand a chance. I think that Tim Vasudeva and Steve Coleman coming on board with their offer to help with desexing made a huge difference. Tim spoke well tonight as did Dr Robert Zammit at the public forum.
It was great that so many Councillors (8 or 9) gave speeches supporting compulsory desexing, even Cr Edmond Atalla and Cr Stephen Bali who had voted against it at the Policy Committee meeting. I guess they had to redeem themselves. Cr Bali even said that animals issues (eg. bybs) in the community must be addressed to reduce the animal population. Cr Leo Kelly asked that it be implemented immediately, not in 6 months time. Several Councillors questioned why it had taken 12 years to come to this stage - well, we all knew the answer to that! Cr Collins moved that the trial period be extended from 12 months to 2 years before an evaluation is done.
When the vote was held and acceptance was unanimous, the gallery broke out whith cheers, whoops and whistles, and some Councillors left their seats to congratulate us. Well, we disrupted the whole meeting, for everyone was on their feet talking and hugging. It took a while to get everyone out so that Council could resume with other matters.
Many Councillors mentioned the mass of emails they had received. Some said they did not mind form emails (thanks Anne) because not everyone could write, or had the time, and they were still expressing their opinion.
Callan Lawrence from the Blacktown SUN was there and was interviewing Tim after the meeting. I'll be interested to see his story in the paper.
Well, Hawkesbury pound is next on the agenda - we'll have to do something, for now every puppy farmer and byb will be heading to Hawkesbury.
Plan B will also swing into action at the next UCAMASC meeting on Tuesday May 22nd, to reduce the numbers of animals in the community. Blacktown is over-represented in the numbers of animals entering the pound compared to the other 7 councils who also use the pound, AND an increase of 165% in the numbers of cats compared to 2003 is just shocking. Tim said that Steve Coleman had said that the RSPCA were considering Blacktown for their next CAWS project after Campbelltown. Good, bring it on, and also Joy's AWL Qld programs - we'll be pushing for it.
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Any news yet?
It is with great pleasure that I advise Option 2 (compulsory desexing) has been approved
:thumbsup: 
:cheer: -
I've received the following -
Good News! Tim Vasudeva (CEO AWL) and Steve Coleman (CEO RSPCA) have sent a joint submission to Blacktown Council saying that their organisations will assist Blacktown Council with the desexing of dogs and cats sold by the pound should the numbers exceed the capacity that Council has currently. They will assist with desexing resources, but only if they are required.
Tim will be one of the keynote speakers at the public forum at Council's meeting next Wednesday, May 2nd. The public forum is held at the start of the meeting.
Council's Agenda for that meeting is now up on their website under Business Papers (http://bcc.yarratech.com/EBP%20BlackTown/bccwebpapr.nsf/Public?OpenFrameSet ). The Policy Committee's recommendation regarding desexing, comes in as number 6, under Item 10, where all Council's various committees report in.
People are permitted to come and go from the gallery, so you could arrive later (but would miss the public forum), except it will be difficult to judge the time, since sometimes things move quickly. We can all leave once the Policy Committee's recommendation to adopt compulsory/mandatory desexing has either been adopted or rejected.
Here is what Council will have before them to consider:
PO1556
SL320041 - Options for Desexing and Pricing Structure for animals rehomed from Council’s Animal Holding Facility 117-262-1
RECOMMENDATION (Tyrrell/Bilic)
1. That Council adopt Option 2 for the mandatory desexing of animals sold from Council's Animal Holding Facility as provided in paragraph 12(a) of this report.
2. That the Policy provided at Attachment 2 titled Mandatory Desexing Policy be adopted by Council and be advertised.
3. That the pricing schedule provided at Attachment 3 (Option 2 - Mandatory Desexing) be adopted by Council.
4. That Council Officers formalise arrangements with the University of Sydney to progress the payment for desexing services for animals sold from the AHF and formalise an arrangements with local veterinarians to provide veterinary services for animals sold from the AHF as identified in this report.
5. That a letter of appreciation be forwarded to Dr Deniston Stewart for his assistance in providing information relevant to this Report.
6. That mandatory desexing initially operate for a trial period of 12 months from implementation to enable a evaluation of financial impact and the impact on euthanasing rates and a report be presented to Council for consideration at the end of the trial period.
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If u tell me on FB where it was I will go in and say something.
Please do. The last thing we need are idiotic, overzealous people causing a scene.
How do we arrive at idiotic and overzealous people, from someone who has an idea to do up t shirts that support compulsory desexing. It was an idea they had - don't even know if it is going ahead.
An email has been sent to one of the committee members with t shirt person's contact details. If she wants to contact him, it's over to her.
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Not sure it is a good idea. Feel free to ring the person I know on the animal companion committee, she has known council for
longer then anyone who has attended the meetings. If she says it may piss them off, then for me that would be enough
to put a stop to it happening. Why even jeapordise a possible victory?
I don't know the person with the t shirt idea - that's just what I've been told. It was a FB thing, so don't know if it's gone ahead or not.
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I've heard along the grapevine (so who knows if truth or not) that people intend wearing some kind of t-shirt to the meeting?
Not sure if is a dig at the mayor shirt etc
The last I heard, it would be more of a 'plug for desexing' kind of t shirt - not a 'bag the mayor' kind of t shirt.
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One of the Blacktown councillors is a vet... is he for or against the idea? If he is "for" it, maybe he could be persuaded to do some of the work at a discount rate through his clinic?
T.
I've been asked to post this -
Cr Dr Russ Dickens is a vet and and he supports compulsory desexing, always has. He does discount desexing for rescue groups. However, he cannot do desexing for the pound as that would be a conflict of interest.
A number of vets have already been approached, and agreed, to provide discount desexing for the pound. The mechanics of introducing compulsory desexing are fairly straight forward - the only thing that has stopped it happening so far is the continual refusal by Pendleton to bring about its implementation. And you have to ask yourself why? What's in it for him? Why block a decision that is morally and ethically correct, that will benefit the community, and will provide protection for the dogs and cats against bybs? What's the hidden agenda? Hopefully next week, the other councillors will be able to stand their ground and vote according to their conscience, and not be coerced or bullied by party politics.
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I've added a comment.
Fingers crossed it helps.
Thank you
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... a councillor has told me we should contribute to the local newspaper's discussion on this, it's being looked at closely.
There are some great comments from the public at the bottom of this article. Please add your support to the others who have contributed already - it doesn't have to be long. Just by showing that there is an ever growing ground swell of support for compulsory desexing, will help sway votes in our favour. The more the comments there are, the more the councillors will sit up and take notice. LOTS OF COMMENTS = LOTS OF NOTICE !!
Come on people - have your say. Do it for the poundies - we are their voice
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If anyone is going to the meeting and would like to speak - you need to be at the Council chambers at least 30 min prior to register. If you just want to attend, you don't have to be there that early.
I'll be lobbying my local councillor - I strongly encourage others to do the same :)
Hi - I've been asked to post this -
Could you post a note asking people to please not speak. Only 2 people can speak for a motion to be accepted (ie. compulsory desexing), and we have two well-rehearsed dedicated keynote speakers lined up to do this.
Lobby councillors for sure - go for it, but please do not speak at the meeting.
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Can't get the link to work on my phone but a councillor has told me we should contribute to the local newspaper's discussion on this, it's being looked at closely.
Blacktown Sun (per OP) but I can't find a comments link.
To comment on the article, just scroll to the very bottom of the article, and there are various boxes to fill out
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http://www.blacktownsun.com.au/news/local/news/general/pound-desexing-under-review/2523087.aspx
Pound desexing under review
BY CALLAN LAWRENCE
16 Apr, 2012 12:00 AM
ANIMAL-WELFARE advocates will wait anxiously for the next Blacktown Council meeting after the long-awaited pound desexing policy split the council last week.
Most councillors voted to adopt a policy that would see all animals sold from Blacktown Animal Holding Facility desexed mandatorily, which has been the option pushed by welfare advocates.
But the policy is far from secured. The three Labor councillors who voted for mandatory desexing expect their caucus will compel them to vote for the voluntary desexing policy favoured by the party.
Labor councillor Leo Kelly, who supports mandatory desexing, did not understand why some colleagues thought people had a right to breed animals from the pound.
"Some of my colleagues think if you want to breed animals then you've got a right to do it but if you want to breed you should have a licence," he said.
Cr Kelly said the backyard breeding of animals was a virtual black-market operation that was tax-free.
He said mandatory desexing at the pound would stop those animals breeding if they escaped or were abandoned by their owners.
If the Labor caucus held him to support the alternative policy, Cr Kelly said he would ask for an amendment that required potential owners of "intact" animals be "screened" before purchase. Mayor Alan Pendleton has long-supported voluntary desexing at the pound. He said people should have the right to buy an intact, or undesexed, animal from the pound if they wanted.
He said sterilising animals at the pound was to say "none of our residents are responsible enough to own an entire animal".
"Breeding a pet, having the family watch and learn about it, is an experience that's a part of life," he said.
This shows just how much we need to support Option 2, compulsory desexing, at the May 2nd Council meeting (6.30pm for a 7 pm start). Although the Policy Committee's vote to adopt a compulsory desexing policy at the April 11th meeting was important, it can still be reversed and/or amended at the May 2nd Council meeting. Please attend this meeting if you can.
Four Blacktown Councillors opposed Option 2 - they were: Mayor Cr Alan Pendleton, Deputy Mayor Cr Tony Bleasdale, Cr Edmond Atalla, Cr Stephen Bali - they favoured giving people a choice to breed more animals, and using the pound as a source of breeding stock.
Mayor Pendleton, who is Chairman of the Animals Committee, has always opposed compulsory desexing.
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I received the following email - just passing on this info -
Hi Everyone,
After only 3 meetings last year, instead of four, and yet more delays in producing the Compulsory Desexing Report, Blacktown Council’s Urban Companion Animals Management Advisory Sub-Committee, will meet again on Monday 13th February at 6.30pm at the Blacktown Council Civic Centre.
At the last, 13th October, meeting there was an update on the compulsory desexing report, which was that Council had met with representatives from Sydney University Vet school at Camden. It seems that Council is placing all its Blacktown Pound animal desexing hopes in the lap of Sydney University. The hold-up in the report was blamed on Sydney Uni since they had not made their submission yet.
The proposed December UCAMASC meeting was cancelled due to there being no further progress with the submission from Sydney Uni. A very convenient excuse, one in a 10 year history of excuses delaying desexing at the pound. Sydney Uni has managed to desex 10 Pound animals per week for years, and now will join the RSPCA in their CAWS project in the Campbelltown area, and is therefore highly unlikely to be able to take on more animals from Blacktown. (CAWS = Community Animal Welfare Scheme, to reduce the oversupply of animals in the community by offering cheap desexing).
Dr Deniston Stewart, a local vet and UCAMASC member, had given the Committee a list of local vets he had sourced who were willing to offer discounted desexing of pound animals. No-one seems to be asking Pound Management the question as to whether they had actually spoken to these local vets to see what they could offer.
Since the tender system (which was supposed to discourage puppy farmers and back yard breeders) has now been scrapped, it’s easy pickings for backyard breeders to buy undesexed dogs cheaply from the pound. They just have to be first in line to submit their ‘Expression of Interest’. The only thing that will discourage breeders is compulsory desexing.
A further update of the Compulsory Desexing Report is listed on the Agenda for Moday 13th Feb – will there be more excuses? Will Sydney Uni be blamed for the delay again?
There will also be an update on the volunteer program. If you are a Blacktown volunteer, you have a very clear picture of what a shambles this program has become, the result of mismanagement and sheer incompetence.
Letting Blacktown Council know that many people DO CARE about the animals in the pound, and that people are watching, has stirred Council to take action in the past , and progress has been made. Your attendance at these meetings has made a huge difference, so please, do come.
Meeting details
Urban Companion Animals Management Advisory Sub-Committee (UCAMASC) Meeting
Meeting date: Monday 13th February
Time: starts promptly at 6.30 pm (advise that you come earlier since everyone has to go upstairs in the lift - it all takes time)
Address: Blacktown City Council Chambers
62-68 Flushcombe Rd, BLACKTOWN
Instructions:
Parking: large KMart car park is opposite and there is some on-site parking too.
If parking in the KMart car park, walk across Flushcombe Road, through Council's carpark on the right hand side of the building, and go around to the back of the Council Building.
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Is this for the pound or a specific rescue organisation? Will the person have to go into the kennels and get the dogs out or will the dogs be brought to them?
I ask because I've been to Blacktown and know they are short staffed and how the dogs are kept.
Lynne Thurston, who has been taking photos at Blacktown nearly every Saturday morning for over 10 years, will be leaving the area in the near future - she is looking for someone to take over this valuable work. Maybe it's a task that can be shared by several people?? Photos are then numbered by the wonderful Jan Baker, loaded into flickr, and then onto the Blacktown thread.
News From Oklahoma Tornado
in In The News
Posted · Edited by Mila's Mum
scroll down to see video
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50147264n