mita

Great how you're being creative & brainstorming all sorts of fundraising ideas.

You're right, Christina.... you've jogged my memory. I first heard of cat cafes in Japan, too! Seems like they may have started there.

Cat cafes are beginning to spring up....there's one in London called Lady Dinah's cat cafe, close to the main business district. People love to chill out with a cup of tea or coffee and cats to pat. Last time I looked, it was booked out for a couple of months ahead. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/feline-fans-flock-to-lady-dinahs-cat-emporium-londons-first-cat-cafe/story-fngwib2y-1226875251840 Makes sense to combine it with rescue, like you're doing.

Both AWL Qld & RSPCA Qld are also doing Pop Up Adoption Shops. The latter had one recently with kittens at Toowong Shopping Centre. Went very well. AWL Qld has one coming up at MacGregor on Brisbane's south side (26 April). And one in New York, too! With catachinos. :) http://www.fastcompany.com/3029496/fast-feed/new-york-citys-version-of-the-cat-cafe-strays-on-the-bowery-catachinos

I agree with Aussie on this. Doing something to contain the big dog is just as much in its owners' best interests, too. Hope all works out well.

I was thinking that might apply, given different dogs are behaving differently for different reasons. Maybe tips from behaviourists on how to read the situation could be helpful. Once when a huge German Shepherd came thundering across the park at me & our 2 shelties (on leads), I honestly thought our time had come. No way I'd leave the 2 shelties, so I put my arms around them. When the GSD got a few metres away, I just shouted 'Stop!'. Really had no idea what else to do....given it looked like we'd be thundered into. Amazingly, the GSD skidded to a stop. His owner, way across the park, heard my yell & whistled him to come. He went. But it was all more a matter of luck, than knowing what to do. With a different dog, it might have ended differently.

:)

I agree with those who've said don't just take advice from online.... but stick with an experienced, knowledgeable behaviourist. Which is what you're doing. Your dog's a lucky girl to have both you & your OH doing whatever it takes to help her. If you'd be OK with it, would you let us know how things go?

All our tibbies have been great for eye contact.... in fact, a tibbie chin on the floor with eyes fixed on your face, sends heaps of messages. Interestingly, when I first saw the breed at Brisbane 'Ekka, what first struck me was how those little dogs looked me straight & calmly in the eye. That was the first thing that attracted me.

Did he stay to the end to see how the lab's doting owners had re-landscaped their yard (at considerable expense) to rid it of rocks? If so, be prepared what he'll expect of you in the future, for his safety & comfort. :)

I am fairly certain that all of the legal stuff I have read in relation to dog control, refer to a dog being under control in a public place. Many attacks occur on private properties. I agree that the public need to be protected, but so do little children and elderly people when they are in private places. I don't know what 'legal stuff' you read & are referring to, about dog control. But the draft protocol from the UK police that I posted, referred to investigating serious or fatal dog attacks as much as in the home as anywhere else. Given that, statistically, most occur there. A reading of the questions that the investigating authorities have to ask, indicates inclusion of a domestic setting. As does some of the UK legislation that they see as possibly having a bearing.... for example, some relate to care of & responsibility for children within households and families. In everyday life, those UK police are called in to deal with/investigate both settings... domestic and in a public place. And that protocol referred to each. They also refer to the other agencies that are called in to contribute. I'm highlighting the domestic aspect because it's relevant to this topic. BTW, the term 'public safety' does not only refer to public places... it refers to people generally wherever they are.

The West Midlands Police in the UK have produced a draft protocol for dealing with/investigating serious or fatal dog attacks. Covers all the right questions. And makes links with the legislation ... including dog owners' responsibilities. They acknowledge the problem of breed identification.. & say 'each dog is to be assessed on an individual basis'. We need something similar here. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:gC25gZV8QMIJ:www.wlscb.org.uk/draft_fatal_and_serious_dog_attack_protocol_march_11-2.pdf+West+Midlands+Police+draft+protocols+serious+or+fatal+dog+attacks&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au

A tibbie owner was up working on his roof. He felt a poke in the ribs & there was his tibbie who'd climbed up the ladder to join him. But it's a breed with an inbuilt head for heights. My own tibbie caught outside in a storm, climbed a 6 foot ladder to the stop shelf in the storeroom... where she waited comfortably on a pile of old towels. I think this little westie was really intelligent. The momentum of the chase got him safely up the roof... but it was more dangerous turning around to go back. He was sensible to wait until the firemen with a ladder came to rescue him.

There should be an investigation protocol after serious or fatal dog attacks.... just as there's a protocol to go thro' following car accidents to sift out what contributed. And the authorities could then report on the findings which would educate for public safety. Start with risk factors... The elderly along with the very young are in the greatest risk groups for dog bites/attacks. Look at the dog's behavioural history. Was it known for menacingly aggressive behaviour towards people. One neighbour claimed it was a concern for people passing by....would investigators find more than one person giving such a witness statement. Experts in dog behaviour/owner management could sift out more. Learning from horrible incidents like this, might help prevent similar in the future.

Yes to this. In fact, a BIG yes, to this.

i was thinking much the same. Is there a child-friendly restaurant with park play facilities nearby?

They originally asked for easy coat care. With a 'fluffy' comes shedding, the need to keep brushing out undercoat & maybe professional grooming. Denise at PAWS has a pretty 'fluffy' (shih tzu x), just come in, named Elizabeth. Fostercarer has yet to describe nature & needs. But she's gorgeous! http://members.optusnet.com.au/paws/FosterCare/FosterCareDenise.htm

Only study I could find was published in Animal Cognition. French researchers concluded that dogs can recognize their own species... even tho' there's a huge range of different appearances among dogs. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214103703.htm That didn't address if they could recognize their own breed, within the species. But it's tempting to wonder if the visual discrimination (or whatever) skills needed to recognize their own species.... might also let them pick out their own breed.

Exactly what'd happen at the Tibbie picnic. Tibs that'd never met before automatically 'grouped' like a family & accepted new arrivals. But, when, someone walked past with a kelpie that was minding his own business, he got ticked off.

Woman going by & noticing my 2 purebred tibbies, retired showdogs & Aus Champions. 'Are they those Designer Dogs?'

I agree. There's some cues that they pick up. We used to have tibbie breed meet-ups at a park that was popular with dog owners. Few times, I got there first, with 3 tibbies. Cars would pull up on the road on the far side of the park. I couldn't make out the details of the drivers & dogs inside. The tibbies would ignore most cars ... & all sorts of other breeds would get out. But now & again, they'd go into alert stance.... & then before anyone got out... their tails would start to wag. Sure enough, someone would get out with tibbies. The weirdest thing was that it didn't matter if it were tibs they'd met before or ones coming for the first time. Even at the boarding kennels, the staff have mentioned this. They have a number of tibbies (whose owners don't know each other) who come to stay. The staff report that whenever there's tibbies staying, they'll automatically form a little 'family'.

Zoe, a Corgi X, is a likely type for such a home. However, she's on hold with Hunter Rescue. I wonder if that adoption is completed? http://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/285501

Yes, someone has to be the designated 'owner' who's responsible. The greyhound that was resident pet in the Brisbane nursing home, for nuns, was in the care of the (non-retired) nun in charge & her two assistants. They called in Dr Harry to ask about a health problem, which was easily fixed. The San Francisco pet therapy greys, do it on a visiting basis. They're owned by a couple in the parish.... who do Racing Greyhound Rescue/Rehoming. The other 2 Brisbane therapy dogs I know of, are owned by a staff member & come to work each day.... but return to their own homes at night. One a tibbie, is owned by the manager. (His name is Aspro... brilliant name for a therapy dog! ) The other, a lovely natured maltese boy is owned by a nursing sister. Same set up. This malt boy actually got his great home thro' contact on DOL Rescue Forum.

I haven't a clue, either, which would apply in this case of a commercial kennel ...EPA noise measurement of decibels or rate of barks within a time frame. I also don't know what the rescue means by 'noise readings' (?) not been taken. Decibel measurement or bark rate? Also can't figure why if either done, the details of the results haven't been told to them. I hope they're getting some good advice from someone with legal expertise.

Could only find the Gympie Council's general statement about noise. They say they have to act in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1994. That Act requires an actual noise audit be carried out, with levels tested. The Gympie Council has that info on its site. But the Rescue says that an audit has not been carried out. No one from the council or any other department has done a noise reading on premises... If that's so, how can the Council lawfully arrive at a decision to fine or close down? https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/noise I saw such an audit carried out when our neighbours were (rightly) complaining that a loud refrigeration unit on roof of shop nearby was keeping them awake. The Brisbane Council arranged for a noise audit in compliance with the Act. I saw the officer who came with the noise measuring instruments... & everyone had to be totally silent in the house while the noise levels taken. Except, the officer was puzzled by a loud rumbling. It was the homeowners' tiny Tibbie, Lily, snoring in her soft crate. She was passed over the fence to us, so she'd stop interfering with the testing.