mita

I'm a lazy shopper. So I'll just take whatever gets sent back to Shonkypaws Kennels as unsuitable.

Best thing that's popped up in my email for ages....that gorgeous pic of Tango & family. Thanks, Tybrax. And huge hugs to you & all the others who stood behind them in that long, awful battle. May this sort of thing never happen again, over a totally innocent family dog.

Isn't Misty pretty! And looking well. I love how 3 legs are fine for hopping up on couches! Lovely gesture with the Christmas cheer.

Yes, the 'outdated assessments' were made by the Government. The RSPCA claims it's ignoring service demand increases since 2005. You stated that the RSPCA's assessment of costs was not up to date.

Why? Do they not have an accounts manager? Any business or charity whose assessment of costs is not up to date is sunk. SOuff The 'outdated assessments' refer to the critieria by which the Government assesses what annual funding the RSPCA ACT will get. The article states that a case had been made to negotiate increased funding in line with 40% rise in service- demand since 2005. But the Government had failed to take this need into consideration. Rather, Treasury is asking those groups, like the RSCPA, making submissions for the 2011-2012 financial year, to scale back spending, despite any increase in demand over recent years.

I agree about the mixed views. And also have seen results from 2 approaches. Years back, I bit the bullet & got our then 2 tibbie girls, clipped. But only at the hands of a groomer who was known to be excellent. When the 2 little dogs came bouncing out, they looked gorgeous. The breed has a firm & nice little body shape. I don't know why, but their coats grew back the same as before by the next winter. So no ongoing problems. However, I now take our 2 present tibbie girls to other groomers, who have a great reputation. They said, 'We don't ever want to ruin the magnificent coat & look of a tibetan spaniel!' So they don't elect to do a full clip. They throughly strip out undercoat, do a fantastic bit of 'disguised' cutting back at the rear end, a tummy trim & very subtle trims elsewhere. When I saw the results, she looked stunning & more breeze could get thro'! She's the 'work' of wonderful Scandanavian breeders & it showed. The groomers were happy, too. They said, they'd just do this a few times over the summer.

There's some brief reading here. Refers to cooperative moves by San Francisco SPCA & the City authorities to figure out ways that people living in apartments can own dogs. The point is that large numbers of people now live in apartments (affordability etc) but still would like a pet. And pets need good homes. So how can they best be brought together. Don't get put-off by the listing of specific breeds as being suitable on the low-, medium-, high- energy scale. Because there's a sentence hidden away that says....each dog is an individual & can be higher or lower energy than the 'average'. I'd also add that goes for breed characteristics. Like, Shelties are on the list that seems to say they'd tend to be fine for apartment life. But we owned 2 Shelties who were totally different in personality. One was very noisy & always busy. The other was quiet & calm. All of which is more support for breeders to make their judgement calls as they see it, from their own breed experience & the welfare of their own dogs. And weighing up the circumstances an owner wants to keep a dog in. If a pet owner doesn't agree with a 'No' , they can go check out another http://www.canismajor.com/dog/apart.html

Yes but, Braithwaites. (I sound like the girl from Little Britain! ). My point also was that a patient or a puppy-buyer may not agree with the judgement call of a breeder who says 'No'. That doesn't make that call either right or wrong. Just a call the breeder has to make. And some breeders may have assessed that their preference is strong for 'No' to apartment life, for their particular breed. There may be squirreled away out there, another breeder who has a policy 'Yes, if a lot of criteria is ticked.' So checking with other breeders is perfectly OK. Medical doctors will also be the same. One may make a call for a strong preference for one standard form of treatment (to avoid risk). Another may have a preference to look at emerging treatments (with not such a long track record). Like so much in life, we just have to juggle often conflicting information & choices. That's why I originally posted I have no criticism for breeders who elect to go either way. A routine 'no', or a 'yes, if criteria ticked.' Even the Metro Dogs author, who supports dogs in apartments, points out that it takes a lot of thought to make it work for individual dogs, owners & community.

I agree. It's not discrimination for a breeder to say 'no'. It's actually the same for when they say 'yes'. It's a judgement call. Every time a person goes to their doctor, that doctor has to make a judgement call about diagnosis & treatment. Even human medicine isn't an exact science. That's why it's perfectly acceptable for people to go get 2nd or 3rd opinions from other doctors. A judgement call is based on someone's knowledge & experience in looking at all the factors involved & giving a preference. Many times that preference will be strong. If it's good enough for doctors to make judgement calls (& they have to), it's good enough for dog breeders (who also have to). And it's also good enough for dog buyers to go seek other opinions from other dog breeders. If they can deal with the personality issue of feeling 'rejected' (& all of us can feel that way). Seems to me that's the elephant in the room. Feelings of being humiliated because someone said 'No'. Turned-away owners feeling they were being told, 'YOU are not suitable.' Instead of, 'The CIRCUMSTANCES you offer, are not suitable, in my judgement call.'

Breeders force potential owners to go the pet shop/BYB route, by saying 'No' when they believe the home won't match with their pup/dog? You're attributing blame to Group A for something Group B decides to do. That's like saying License Testers force people to drive unlicensed, because they assess that someone isn't up to independent driving. Deciding to purchase from the pet shop BYB route, comes from the purchaser's own mental processes....for which he/she is responsible. Just like an unlicensed driver, deciding to operate a motor vehicle independently....is using his/her own mental processes. And is fully responsible. You've actually given an example of the 'Someone Else Made Me Do It' Syndrome....much loved by very young children. And it seems by some adults who didn't grow out of it. I'll grant you that breeders saying 'No', might influence what someone does next. But it doesn't force them to do anything. So breeders should not be guilted into saying 'Yes' to everybody who asks. What the turned-down pet buyer does next, depends on their own mental processing re solving problems, level of 'education' about the issues re pet shop/BYB route....& even their personality, in either being able to delay gratification or not.

I think it's a particular breeder's call when they're trying to place a dog in the best possible circumstances. I wouldn't criticise those who just say 'no' to their dogs being raised in an apartment. Nor would I criticise those who say 'yes'. Because so much depends on the details....like size of apartment, proximity to an exercise area ( huge difference if there's a park across the road!) & owner's experience with the needs of that breed & with the time/means to meet them; There's a fantastic book called Metro Dogs written by a US dog trainer, dealing with how to raise dogs in apartments in places like New York City. Even tho' the author gives lots of brilliant hints & guidelines ... and is all for dogs in apartments... he makes the point that you need to have a well-thought out organisational structure (especially if you work longish hours), to do it right by the dog (& the general community). By the way, many of his ideas re toilet-training, dealing with barking etc, are of use in most situations.

Chocolate, champagne, diamonds.....whatever...to the person who picked Tess up & got her to the safety of the vet's. So glad she's home.

yap, mumof3 has posted some truly great supporting advice. But I'm betting that the huge shroud of grief doesn't let the details get thro'. Have you checked with a good doctor you trust, re possibility of now being depressed? That'd be terribly important, for a start. I suggest you squirrel away mumof3's posts....& the others, too....so that you can come back to them later. But first, please see a doctor & ask that question. I bet your beloved doggie cared as much for you, as you did for her. I bet, like with all our dogs, she could pick up on your moods & if you weren't well. That's when dogs just snuggle that bit more! She can't care for you, in person, any more. But her spirit would want to make you feel better. So, to honour your lovely girl, go see the doctor and ask about depression.

Tess, please be Tess! Looking good.

Here you go, GG. Not as good as the Brisbane one....with its pics. But the Moreton one gives you an after hours no. It's an RSPCA one, so you've probably done that. It tells you who to contact & what shelters for checking. http://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/living.aspx?id=650 Worth keeping an eye on the Brisbane site, too....in case someone's picked Tess up to get her out of the storm & continued on to Brisbane. But maybe Tess is still reasonably close by... I could be wrong, but she may be hiding somewhere. So your door knocking/calling her name, wouldn't have been wasted. People are aware to look out for her. Also put a pile of her dry food on the footpath side of the open gate. Any answer yet from the text message to the 'Found Dog' person?

GG, it's worth checking what your Council has online to help people with Lost & Found dogs. I doubt if Strathpine would be Brisbane....are you Moreton? Brisbane gets pics of Found Dogs up fast. http://transactions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/se...OUND/DOG/SEARCH

This may be the bleeding obvious. But have you notified the Council for your area? She may have been handed in to the pound...for your area. Or does the RSPCA shelter at Dakabin count for your pound? Quick letterbox drop in all surrounding streets. Big notices at local service stations. Asking for info on sightings too. Any answer from the 'Found notice' text message yet?

I love the mental pics of all of us getting different dogs into different cars in different ways. Someone should follow dog owners around & make a documentary....with a suitable soundtrack. Got to be music that'd fit.

A very wise suggestion.

Deelee, I used the towel under the tum, getting a big, fat, senior sheltie up 4 stairs. But you still have to lift, even enough to get the front paws over the edge. Funny, but I use Greytmate's idea for helping the tibbies into the back seat area of the Mazda. We call it The Wheelbarrow! And I didn't think of doing that for the Goldie. So it's a 'Doh!' from me, too.

What did I suggest to others....especially supporting Diva's comment that individual submissions will count? Tease out the details yourselves, in the ACT, & make a submission as an individual or a group if you wish Content? Your own thoughts & opinions. I deliberately didn't give a link to the Gold Coast area system. Another situation is a chance to think afresh. The draft bill is part of a democratic process. You've set out your list of your feared goals & ascribed them to my thinking. Your terrors belong to you. I'm too busy being 'cleaver'.

For those thinking of making an individual or group submission, this information might be of use. It relates to UQ studies on earlier desexing of cats (note they say the same does not apply to dogs): 'It is safest to desex kittens at 12 to 24 weeks of age. Statistics show that after 6 months of age, substantial proportion of female cats are already pregnant, making the surgery more complex, risky and ulitmately too late to prevent any unwanted litters. Put quite simply, early desexing of cats is better. If more cats were desexed between 12 to 24 weeks, rather than at the traditional 6 to 9 months, there would be fewer unwanted litters & fewer kittens euthanised.' CCAH at UQ 2008

It's O/T, but as you've already been told, in another thread... yours is an extreme 'definition' of Green. And you've added a pseudo-motto. 'End dog slavery...' The Greens have entered a draft bill in the ACT. As with any draft proposal, it's open for negotiation & lobbying. And redrafting. A good thing. On face value, the basic structure doesn't appear very different from the jointly designed system in the Gold Coast area. Except there's a clearer statement about desexing. As others have said, details need to be teased out. So proactive submissions will count.

I've seen somewhere, for sale, ramps for dogs to get into cars. And I've a vague memory about someone saying they use a ramp designed to get motor-bikes onto flat back vehicles. Hope you find a solution. In the meantime, would a large towel, used as a 'lifter' under the Goldie's tum, allow her to get her front paws over the edge & she can scramble the rest of the way?

So great to hear positive stories about dogs & cats! Thanks for posting.