mita

Absolutely! PAWS has a lovely selection of small breed dogs. Their foster-carers are brilliant at observing them in a regular home situation & writing up spot-on descriptions of their temperaments and type of home needed. Under 'Rescued by Denise', there's presently 2 Tibetan Spaniels, Senghe & Karuna, that have tibbie lovers drooling. Don't know, tho', about the shedding proviso by the OP's friend.

Coogie, I walked around a corner at a Brisbane pet supplies store & straight into a Tibetan Mastiff. OK, definitely big ... but I hadn't expected such a beautiful shining coat. It & my 2 little Tibetan Spaniels stopped dead, had a gentle sniff, then all 3 tails began to wag. One word for that TM... magnificent.

Behluka, that photo is beautiful. I looked at the pic before I read your post... & my impression was the same. Your boy has a 'person' looking out of his eyes. :)

Guardienne, I didn't have much luck, either. Only thing I could find was a general notice on the BCC's website. It didn't mention anything about rehoming where possible. It's has many 'motherhood' words... like 'safe', 'fair', 'voice for animals', but no actual behavioral strategies that could be observed & measured. Shall still keep looking: Animal shelters Brisbane City Council has two animal shelters that house homeless, lost or abandoned animals. Council's animal shelters provide a safe environment for lost cats, dogs and other animals. The animal welfare organisation, The Lost Dogs' Home (The Home), has been engaged to administer the animal shelters. Since 1910, The Home has been a voice for animals without owners. It has been a pioneer for fair animal laws and continues to work towards reducing the number of lost, abandoned and stray cats and dogs. The Home is currently managing pound and animal shelters services on behalf of 22 local government agencies, including Brisbane City Council. It is committed to providing high quality services for the ratepayers and residents of Brisbane, as well as visitors to the city.

Coogie, you're right in pointing to a dilemma. With the lives of dogs & cats held as collateral. That in itself points to something badly wrong.... & unnecessarily so. The bottom line is that the LDH is not operating as an independent organization in Brisbane. It's contracted with public money by the Brisbane City Council. There is no way that ratepayers are going to put up with dog/cat management services if they're not in line with the reasonable community standards, already achieved in this State.

Feel free to do so. Are you arguing that there should be one system only... large shelters mainly minimally funded thro' the public purse with charity fund-raising as well? Or for a balanced system where large shelters funded via the public purse/charity fund-raising are the mainstays, but supplemented by the efforts of some private community rescues? Or something else? I'd be interested to know what you're going to do in relation to this issue presently unfolding about the Lost Dogs' Home in Brisbane? I've said I'm taking the issue to relevant Councillors.... because the back story with the Petition claims that the LDH is not meeting community standards in how ratepayer-supplied funds are being used to run the 2 Brisbane Pounds. And that the private rescue system, which has previously supplemented that, has been turned away. Interesting to consider if the well-developed AWL Qld had also been a tenderer for the Brisbane Pounds. But were unsuccessful. Someone said this was so.... but I don't have any reference. If so, there might have been a totally different story re the 2 Brisbane Council Pounds. AWL has managed to implement a shelter system with public-money contracts from the Gold Coast & Ipswich Councils.... & also greatly attracting charity fund-raising. And using their own foster-carers & volunteers.. Also, cooperating well, in my experience, with breed rescue. In fact, when I approach the relevant Brisbane councillors, I'll be pointing out AWL Qld's success. What annoys me greatly, is that Q'ld already had that context. The Brisbane Pound management system should've made use of it. Rather than become a branch from a Melbourne context.

Thanks, both of you. I know there's such a service in Qld, but I didn't know about NSW. Just saw the update. Looking good for a nice little dog.

I couldn't tick any option. I have breeds I favour but each one matches a time in lifestyle. As primary kids, our family owned Border Collies. Fitted an active lifestyle & they were wonderful guardians of us children. When we'd ask could we go explore the bushland nearby, our mother would say, 'As long as Peter (the BC) goes with you.' She knew Peter looked after 'his' children, like he'd look after his flock. High school age, the family owned a Cardigan Corgi, Biddy. Sensible, loyal & versatile. Great companion dog at home, but brilliant out in our boat on Moreton Bay. Even when the men went out for weekends fishing, Biddy would go, too. Fast forward to our later family life. Then Shetland Sheepdogs.... active enough, but also sweet companion dogs (if you don't count Shelley who was a total nutter, but hugely loved); Then as life got a little more sedate, the wonderful Tibetan Spaniels. True Buddhist dogs. Still love all those breeds.

Coogie, interesting comments from variety of people at the bottom, too. Some say they've had direct experience as rescuers & one good soul actually phoned the LDH director to ask for comment on the numbers. Pleased that some urged people to contact Brisbane City Council & their councillors, as they are responsible for awarding/reviewing the contract. Rosetta, I agree, interesting to see the performance requirements in that contract. Like, if factors relating to saving at least some healthy rehomeable pets were actually written in. And if there was any community consultation prior to calling for tenders. BTW One of the comments claimed that the AWL Qld had also tendered but lost out to LDH. You're right AWL Qld has an excellent reputation.

Good attitude, Staffy. She sure grew into a very keepable dog, under your care. I think she's a poster girl for rescue.

PAWS have released a description of Karuna. Karuna means compassion and we have named this little Tibetan Spaniel to honour the highly respected palliative care service established in Brisbane by the Tibetan Buddhists who have been very kind and compassionate to a friend of Karuna�s foster carer. Karuna is in foster care with two small and one medium sized dog and, when he is not playing with them, loves to snooze on the couch, in your lap or stretched out on the floor. Karuna also enjoys going out with the family in the car. Karuna has a wonderful smile, a beautiful soft, silky coat and is very Tibbie in behavior as he thinks he is a Prince. Karuna would like a new home with a family or retired couple who will not leave him on his own for long periods and the companionship of another small friendly dog would also suit him. Karuna is a house dog that is house trained and will require indoor access at all times. Karuna comes desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed, on heartworm prevention and with NSW Local Council lifetime registration. He has also had a recent dental (teeth cleaned under anaesthetic). Contact details on http://www.paws.com.au Click Rescued by Denise. Scroll down to Karuna.

.... toes crossed now, too. :)

A cuppa is a very good idea I think! Don't forget the chocolate biscuit. But, if you don't want it, I'll take it. :)

Good advice.

I don't have any detailed information on what LDH is doing in Brisbane. All I know is that some rescue groups have started a petition asking that a policy of not releasing to rescue be changed. And current 'snap' adoption-available figures taken from their own website seem curiously small given the council area population is above 1 million. My response will be to go to those responsible for awarding the contract... the Brisbane City Council. I'll speak with our local councillor & also the councillor who chairs their animal management committee. As ratepayers, we have a responsibility & a right to get information and make comment. We pay for that contract. http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/governance-strategy/councillors-wards/ Pointing out (apart from the facts above): 1. there's been history of (at least some) healthy & rehomeable animals being released to rescue from Brisbane Council pounds. 2. UQ research concluded that it could be in a Council's economic interests to focus on rehoming, as there's costs in putting healthy/rehomeable animals to sleep ... both money & human mental well-being. 3. there's viable rescue groups who have offered to contribute to that rehoming, thereby reducing those costs. 4. viability of responsible rescue groups in SE Qld has been recognized by RSPCA Qld, who now host Adoption Days including them. 5 we already have a respected role model in SE Qld. AWL Qld contractually works with both the Gold Coast & Ipswich Councils in increasing rehoming of healthy/rehomeable dogs & cats. Both are huge population areas, too.

This petition is about the Brisbane pounds run by LDH. The RSPCA here in Brisbane works with rescue groups. They just helped present an Adoption Day where 30 rescue groups took part. It's not Melbourne & whatever history goes with it (tho' get your point, Aussie). The LDH needs to adapt to a different context & history. Brisbane rate-payers would expect that. I just did a Search from the Brisbane Council site where they say the LDH is running their 2 Pounds. One Pound said no animals for adoption. The other a couple of cats & a few dogs. Yet Brisbane Council, in terms of area & population covered, is one of the largest LGAs in Australia (no break-down into area councils). First one with a population over 1 million.

The contract for the 2 Brisbane City Council Pounds was awarded to Lost Dogs' Home, whose administrative headquarters are in Melbourne. I don't know who else applied. Saddest thing that could've happened. Those 2 Pounds, one north & one south, have operated for many years. But I agree with you, many Brisbane people wouldn't know where they are. The info, tho', is on the Net. I think, when the Pounds were under BCC operation, there was some cooperation with rescue. (Our rescue cat was an ex-Brisbane Pound inmate, taken out by a UQ for their research/adoption program). Seems it's not the policy of LDH, tho',

Good on you for getting Zippy so well prepared for rehoming. Fingers crossed that all goes well.

I heard on the radio news that the firefighters had to take out 1 dog on a stretcher. I thought... 'Bet he's big!'. Seems he was. Great to know all in-patients now safe.

Great initiative! Good on all who've arranged Bill Bruce's visit. Here's hoping the key messages spread to other states as well.

Great stuff, mel.

Yes, apart from doing most of what the O/P's already sussed out, I also saw it as an opportunity to get contact details so more detailed enquiries could be made. In my case, I was dead serious about getting my first adult (retired showdog) tibbie. So I also promised the breeders I'd be contacting that I'd first send them a very brief summary about us, our environment for pets, & our history as pet owners. Then when I phoned, they'd already know something about us. I think your comment about not taking up too much of the breeders' time at the show, was spot on, too. They need the time to catch up with their fellow breeders as well as do the many little tasks that go along with a show day.

Amen to that! Trouble is that Governments can tend to listen to the most 'popular' beliefs in the community. And pander to them. So I hope a lot of what Bill says can get reported to the general public as well. His visit is a great initiative.

Happens all the time, when you own a gorgeous Sheltie who looks exactly like "Lassie'. When we owned Shelley the sheltie, we got so used to cries from strangers, men, women & children... 'Look! There's Lassie.' Even two young police officers who called to investigate a lout who'd thrown a molotov cocktail (made from a lighter) at me & Shelley, when out walking. They were horrified... 'How could anyone do that to Lassie!' (Er.... never mind me :) ) And now the golden Tibbie girls who look beautiful & smile at strangers. I sometimes feel like part of the entourage of a couple of stars.

Thanks for that Facebook link. I notice that they say they'd welcome donations towards expenses & will later post how to do that. There'd be vet fees for checks etc. The dogs are beautiful... such gentle souls in their eyes. Shall pass the link around.