darlingdog

We do breed rescue...when we see a FTGH of our breed we contact the advertiser and try to get them to put a price on the dog and desex it.....sometimes it works, sometimes they hand the dog over to us for rehoming and desexing, sometimes we get told to bugger off . I really don't know what the answer is...you can't legislate for stupid no matter how much you try to educate people that these dogs can end up in terrible situations there is a percentage of humans who just don't care so long as the dog is no longer their problem.

We do breed rescue and we certainly don't require papers in order for us to take a dog. We don't do crossbreds but as long as we can see the dog fits the breed characteristics of a purebred then we will rescue. BYB purebreds dont come with papers and sadly we get a lot of them.

Looking for recommendations for a behaviourist in the Lismore area NSW. Separation anxiety issues mild at this stage. The family, though they have great instincts, just need some guidance.Older rescue dog is otherwise wonderful with great manners. Reading matter for this family would be great too. Thanks.

Sorted.

Thanks for all suggestions. I will contact RSPCA QLd as this dog was released to me from there for re homing. Thanks again. Robyne :)

Looking for recommendations for a behaviourist in the Lismore area NSW. Separation anxiety issues mild at this stage. The family, though they have great instincts, just need some guidance.Older rescue dog is otherwise wonderful with great manners. Reading matter for this family would be great too. Thanks.

This link may be helpful - hope it works :)

http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/seperation-anxiety

Thank you very much :)

Hello everyone....I am looking for a good behaviourist recommendation who can help someone deal with separation anxiety that has surfaced in a rescue dog. Family is in the Lismore area in NSW. Great family with good instincts who need some guidance with an otherwise wonderful older dog. Reading material would be of help also if any of you could point in the right direction, thank you. Cheers, Robyne

Yesterday my friend and I were walking the dogs around the River Torrens in Adelaide, we were standing near the edge of the bank near the festival centre watching a family of swans, Yogi and Abbie were on their leashes standing next to me .

Abbie took a step towards the water, lost her footing and literally torpedoed into the water, she didn't pop back up and it was fortunate that I had the leash firmly around my wrist, my friend and I reached down into the water and grabbed her by her collar and easy-walk harness and managed to pull her up onto the bank.

My question is can all dogs swim or not? Abbie didn't seem to try to paddle or struggle and I fear she would have drowned if we had not been there

Abbie is a 35kg Amstaff x, she doesn't like water and wont ever go near it at the beach or our dam, she was found as a pup wandering the streets of Bankstown in Sydney so maybe never saw water as a pup,would this make a difference in her swim ability?

I almost lost a young doberman years ago when we went to the beach for the first time and he ran after our other dog who had leaped into the water off a high sand dune....young fellow followed, leaped in and went straight down just like yours ..I had to go in and pull him up. He never went near the water again he got such a fright. I now always make sure I gradually take any new dog into the water so I can be sure they CAN swim as we have a dam and a swimming pool here.

Our small group does breed rescue....we had one instance where we had our name down on a dog who was still doing it's time so not even for sale as yet...and I found her advertised on PR's page as being in danger and asking for donations WTH!!! I fronted them on it and they backed away at that time. We got the dog out and adopted to a lovely home who knows the breed.

Same with pounds or rescues selling desexed dogs no matter what. Blanket idiotism I'd call it. Desexing increases risk of osteosarcoma and other problems. Owners should have right to decide which risk to take ... at least some sense could be applied.

Its easier if the puppy is yours and is not desexed forcefully, you can do it later andjust pay higher registration. I did not have that choice not happy.

Are you saying that pounds and rescues should NOT desex before re-homing ????? You cannot be serious !!!

Hi all, it's very early days, thankyou those who had nice advice, I'm pleased that I took others advise, as the vet I had kind of brushed it off. I'm now understanding just how serious things are. Yes the vet has told me she maybe zombied a little but she's on a low dose. So we can ajust it. We've been booked in for a brain scan, I've been investigating grand mals. I was able to ask vet questions, and I know feel a lot informed. Plus it helped to know vets dog has same prob, so I didn't feel stupid. Trying to describe what she was doing.

Once again thanks to those that advised me to get second opinion. Being a vet I thought they were doing the right thing.

How wrong was I.

Thanks again.

So pleased you are getting on top of it. Hope it continues to go well as you tweek the dosage. :)

Hi crisovar, my dog does not need a new owner, before you criticize me, let me tell you, I have gone in debt for my animals, they are my number 1 priority, I did take her to a vet, obviously not the right one, I have since found another vet, whom has explained what grand maul seizures are & what happens, which other vet didn't, we are on meds now.

The other vet suggested to pts but I didn't feel it was time.

Another thing I love this bloody dog, I rescued her as a pup, taught her how to walk on a lead, & not all humans are going to beat her.

Another thing this dog has gotten me through some very dark times in my life. Eg, try having a subnaracnoid bleed & stroke, and see how you feel, it was my dog who laid with me when I got out of hospital after 3 months, it was she who put a smile on my face, when I'd cry all the time, knowing my life would never be as it was. It was my dog who I only remembered out of all our animals.

Now it me who sits on the floor with her when she has the seizures, it's now me who cleans up after her, it's me who will have to make the decision to let her go, it will be me who digs her grave. It's me who will miss her terribly.

It's me who posted on this forum for advice, it's me who took the advise,

Now tell me if she needs a new owner.

Good on you for seeing another vet.....I am wondering how the she is doing on the medication ? The first couple of weeks with my dog were terrible but now a month into it and he is doing great...I hope your girl does well on the medication too. :)

You keep bringing this up, Steve. All I've worked out is that your definition of a puppyfarm isn't the same as other people.

x2

Hi Aussie, my mate, when she has these grand mauls, her whole body goes stiff as a board, and is unable to stand.

She falls down, her eyes become big. And she doesn't know someone is there, the lights aren't on.

She's not a young dog, no she's not on meds, as the vets told us she'd be like zombied out.

She does sleep a lot, both during the day & night. She was being fed dog dry food but we changed her to all fresh meat food.

This we thought helped as her seizures went from 3- 5 a day to 1-2 a day, but now were back to 3-5.

Just not sure what to do.

I would be changing vets immediately. My dog was diagnosed with epilepsy just a month ago. Yes the medication zombied him out for the first 2 weeks but with trial and error he is now functioning just fine on it and doing well. You need to have full bloodwork done to rule out other possible causes but if it IS epilepsy then put your dog on the medication it will at least give some quality of life and this medication is not expensive. My dog is on Phenomav. The first dosage he was put on was awful he could hardly walk he was so zonked but it was tweaked and we now have a good outcome. You owe it to the dog to at least try. I wish you all the best.

No my pointer is not a dalmation cross :) ...or a great dane puppy ...or a GSP !

More reasons for people to stay away from pet shops.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/nasty-illness-striking-down-pet-shop-puppies-20120716-226j4.html

A PUPPY virus outbreak has claimed the lives of at least four pups at Melbourne pet stores.

At least one pup has been confirmed dead at pet shop franchisor Pets Paradise while another three puppies from pet chain Passion For Pets are dead from the highly contagious canine parvovirus that causes bloody dysentery.

Panic about the virus that attacks the intestinal lining, causing ulcers in puppies has spread over Facebook and animal-lover internet sites.

Maroondah City Council confirmed it had put a three-week ban on Pets Paradise in Eastland shopping centre in Ringwood selling puppies and put sick animals in quarantine.

There are also reports of sick puppies at Pets Paradise in Fountain Gate, Narre Warren, and Southland, Cheltenham.

Passion for Pets at Carrum Downs confirmed it had six puppies of different breeds infected this month, three of which died, and a further two that were sent back to the breeder.

Animal advocates have used the outbreak to call on the governmnet to ban the sale of animals through pet shops, which they say are the retail front to inhumane puppy factories.

Managing director of Passion for Pets Chris Blackwood said the virus came from a puppy wholesaler.

"We were very quick to get on top of it," he said. "It's very rare to see parvo out in society but we vaccinate everything that comes in."

Several councils are investigating the cases, some of which link back to a Gippsland breeder that supplies the shops and which animal campaigners have labelled a "filthy puppy factory".

Pets Paradise yesterday confirmed a puppy sold at it Southland store last month had died and said the customer had been given a refund.

Animal advocates Oscars Law produced medical records that showed nine-week-old cavoodle puppy Harvey died at a Malvern East emergency centre of the virus and that another puppy from the same pet shop pen was also diagnosed.

Group founder Debra Tranter showed The Age an email exchange with Pets Paradise business manager Kristy Humphreys in which the company acknowledged other puppies were treated by the South Eastern Animal Hospital.

"All the other puppies made a full recovery and are now home enjoying their new families," Ms Humphreys wrote. She wrote that she would visit the Gippsland breeder as a matter of "high importance".

City of Casey confirmed it was investigating the Fountain Gate case, "in full co-operation with Pets Paradise".

Frankston City mayor Brian Cunial has asked officers to investigate the Southland report.

Pets Paradise would not comment on the Fountain Gate or Southland cases.

"It is of some concern that such serious allegations are being made without any particulars," lawyer Omar El-Hissi said. "We reserve our right to respond to any specific allegations made once you are in a position to provide details."

Senior veterinarian at the Melton Veterinary Clinic David Chang said young puppies and dogs that had not been vaccinated were susceptible. It can live for a year in the environment, including on concrete, making it highly contagious.

"In confinement, hygienic conditions aren't ideal with all the defecation and urination and also the stress," he said.

He said it cost at least $1500 for Parvovirus treatment. Vaccination costs about $90 a visit.

"These dogs have profuse bloody diarrhoea and what kills them is the shock and dehydration."

Pointer

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/nasty-illness-striking-down-pet-shop-puppies-20120716-226j4.html#ixzz20nNBFD79

Poor puppies....and don't you just love the term 'puppy wholesaler' ......

In QLD it pays to build a relationship with the pounds and the RSPCA so they know what it is that you do. Otherwise how do they know you are not just a dealer, picking out the valuable dogs and selling them for profit?

The RSPCA had a register of breed rescues that they could call on, I'm not sure if that still exists.

The RSPCA still charges a fee to rescue groups, and the dog is desexed and assessed before it is allowed to go. Pounds have their own procedures as to how they sell their excess dogs.

They are wary about dogs going to dealers or breeders, so they may have a policy of only selling dogs directly into homes.

If I were you I would start writing to these places, and include links to your website, your policies and procedures, and anything else that demonstrates that you are running an ethical rescue organisation. Before you go in and ask to take dogs.

The RSPCA do still have that register for breed rescue....we are on it in NSW and waiting to speak with the rescue co ordinator for Wacol as she has been away. We have pulled dogs from RSPCA, AWL and Lost dogs home with no problems working with the rescue co ordinators there but most of these have been in NSW predominantly, and then Victoria...this was my first experience in my own local area. I agree with you that I need to develop a working relationship with the local pound and I have asked to register our group with them just as you suggest and I agree with you that is the right thing to do. I did not go in and ask to take the dog.....I asked if I could see the dog to determine it's breed and said if it was one of ours that I would like to help the dog. I still think that is a reasonable request as I have 4 desexed dogs of the breed registered in this shire and a licence to have them..something they could have checked on very very easily as 5 minutes before I had paid the renewal registrations. I have not been doing this for very long and I have a bit of trouble getting my head around people thinking the worst ( from their past bad experiences with people ) and then moving up from there....but I will get the hang of it in time !

Some QLD councils don't have very good attitudes towards multi-dog owners, regardless of how responsible they are. Possibly because there are so many irresponsible ones, keeping more dogs than what they are allowed to and making a lot of noise. Some of the councils view multi dog ownership as a threat to development or a threat to wildlife. Some councils are supportive of ethical rescue, some are supportive of any rescue and some are quite anti-rescue. They view rescue as being something like a Crazy Dog Lady /Hoaders/Market stall holder. Because there are people that fit that description.

There are some great rescues in QLD, and there are plenty of dog dealers, and some really dodgy and unethical 'rescues'. Unfortunately your breed is sought after by some people for breeding pig dogs.

I don't think you have done the wrong thing at all. I found attitudes surprising when I first came to QLD, and had to do a lot of relationship building. I also had to realise that my own groups' reputation would be tarnished by the actions of other groups around.

So many councils in QLD, you will have to find out from each one who to address a letter to and do a big mail out introducing your group and what it does. Also, some councils will not really allow dogs over the limit, even if they are short term foster dogs, so find out what steps you will have to take to allow you to foster at home.

Good luck with this.

Thanks Greytmate for the encouragment. Yes I do see how I will have to feel my way. I had a very positive meeting with the RSPCA rescue co ordinator today and she is in fact releasing a dog to me this week so hopefully I can do the same with other organisations up here. Re the pig dog breeders yes it saddens me that our lovely breed is used. I personally adopted a puppy farm bitch from Sydney recently who had been used as a breeding machine to breed pig hunters by mating her to mastiffs. I can only speculate on how a quality bitch like her came to be in that situation. Thanks again. Cheers.

In QLD it pays to build a relationship with the pounds and the RSPCA so they know what it is that you do. Otherwise how do they know you are not just a dealer, picking out the valuable dogs and selling them for profit?

The RSPCA had a register of breed rescues that they could call on, I'm not sure if that still exists.

The RSPCA still charges a fee to rescue groups, and the dog is desexed and assessed before it is allowed to go. Pounds have their own procedures as to how they sell their excess dogs.

They are wary about dogs going to dealers or breeders, so they may have a policy of only selling dogs directly into homes.

If I were you I would start writing to these places, and include links to your website, your policies and procedures, and anything else that demonstrates that you are running an ethical rescue organisation. Before you go in and ask to take dogs.

The RSPCA do still have that register for breed rescue....we are on it in NSW and waiting to speak with the rescue co ordinator for Wacol as she has been away. We have pulled dogs from RSPCA, AWL and Lost dogs home with no problems working with the rescue co ordinators there but most of these have been in NSW predominantly, and then Victoria...this was my first experience in my own local area. I agree with you that I need to develop a working relationship with the local pound and I have asked to register our group with them just as you suggest and I agree with you that is the right thing to do. I did not go in and ask to take the dog.....I asked if I could see the dog to determine it's breed and said if it was one of ours that I would like to help the dog. I still think that is a reasonable request as I have 4 desexed dogs of the breed registered in this shire and a licence to have them..something they could have checked on very very easily as 5 minutes before I had paid the renewal registrations. I have not been doing this for very long and I have a bit of trouble getting my head around people thinking the worst ( from their past bad experiences with people ) and then moving up from there....but I will get the hang of it in time !

Council can sometimes suffer from Savemybuttitis, an insidious infection common in all levels of government. If there is not an actual ruling that something is allowed, it is disallowed automatically.

You would think that anyone with half a brain would welcome an expert in a breed just in case they were listing the dog incorrectly as a cross breed when the owners were doing a frantic search for their Ceylonese Couch Dog or whatever. Unless of course someone's ego maintains that if he/she has pronounced it a mixed breed, then so shall it stay forevermore...

If you have a contact who is resident in that council's area, ask them to enquire of their local councillor who may be able to organise permission for you or you could just contact the council CEO direct and ask.

Actually I AM resident in this area, it's my local pound ! I had thought to contact my local council rep as you suggest so I think that is what I will do. Thank you for the reply...I thought it was strange and could not surely be usual practice but being a newbie just wanted to check.

Hi everyone, I am reasonably new to rescue having only been involved this year. We are a small group who does breed rescue and most of our breed comes up in NSW or Victoria for the most part.We have a good working relationship with a half dozen shelters or pounds and so far all is going well. I am in QLD and for the first time a picture came up on the local pound site that looked like it may be our breed but it was hard to tell from the picture so I phoned and said I was from a breed rescue and that the xbreed they had on the site may be a purebred and would it be ok to come over and look at the dog. Yes fine and I was told the opening hours. I drove over an hour later only to be told that the dog was definately a cross breed and as I was not the owner I could not see the dog. The dog was a stray and is not chipped. It has been there I think for more than 2 weeks. My question to those more experienced than I....is this normal practice that I was not allowed to see the dog ?? I was pleasant and polite, , normal middle aged woman who does not look dodgy ( LOL I hope ! )and I have 4 of my own dogs of this breed all desexed and legal and registered.....I don't get it ????

As it happens one of my dogs was diagnosed yesterday with epilepsy. Full bloods are done to rule out underlying causes ( liver problems, brain tumour etc) History is relevant, in my boys case he has had some very small muscle tremors etc over the past few months that have now culminated in 2 full blown seizures within a 12 hour period. He has been started on meds given his history of the past few months. Don't panic about the weekend.....just keep him comfy and out of harm's way while he is fitting and go talk to your vet next week. There is no definitive test for epilepsy I was told.

Is there any news on this lovely dog ?? I keep thinking about her and her family..

This dog was stolen 5 days ago from W Wyalong area. Her name is Mitch....if anyone sees her or knows of anyone thats just aquired a dog please let me know and I will give you owners details.

This is terrible ! I have shared on our English Pointer Rescue Australia FB page. If you can pm me details we can keep a look out for her in case she turns up in rescue. I am so sorry this has happened it makes me sick to my stomach.

OHHHH! I think I just got what it meant when everyone was talking about "supervising" Hugo.. :laugh: We're at home pretty much all day, 7 days a week, there's always someone in the house and if we go out, we never leave him in the yard, we lock him inside a bedroom. Is that slightly better? At least if the dog attacks him, we'll hear it and it would take two seconds to get outside. The dog is terrified of humans so maybe it'll stop attacking if it sees us? Oh GOd, I hate talking about this like it's actually going to happen

I think the brains have been smacked out of the dog next door by the look of how hard the guy was hitting him. I'll look for some bamboo fencing at the Reject Shop the next time I'm out shopping, maybe the dog will forget that Hugo exists, idk.. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, I want to report the dog/owner but some people in this world are truly crazy, and I don't want to experience my first dog being baited!

I am so sorry you are having these problems but PLEASE report them for hitting the dog !!!!! That poor dog has NO one to help it out...I cannot BELIEVE that..as you say it's brains may be smacked out by how hard he was hitting it....you have not contacted RSPCA !!!!! PLEASE REPORT THEM !!!

I have 4 dogs....my favourite is sooo laid back...but..he HATES my mother in law to the point if she is here we have to restrain him ! I know it's not a laughing matter...still....

Now that is hilarious...

:)