Little Gifts

Also what can you do about owners who have to work more hours to keep a roof over their heads? I have a young neighbour who works very long days and and travels a distance for work. She got herself a puppy and just continued her lifestyle. The pup's cries late at night were pitiful. It was sometimes alone for 15+ hours a day. Neighbours complained so she got it a bark collar. Then it started destroying her property so she got it a doggy friend. She got a job closer to home but then started socialising more so is still never home. Four years on and it still cries for her actual attention. Never seen it leave the property even. It still barks out of desperation for interaction and I think we talk more to it through the fence than she does. Some nights when I am going to bed I can hear her finally coming home and putting food out for it, going mad at it for something else is has damaged, then shutting the door again. She has ruined a beautiful dog. But I can see her easily claiming she had to work long hours to build her career and now as a single person has to work long hours to pay her mortgage. But she loves her dogs you know! Maybe they should just be spending the money on educating - how to pick the right dog from the right people, what it needs to grow to be a great doggo, what it costs to feed and care for it over x number of years. How to value it as a living thing, etc.

They can't police parents doing that with their children so there is no hope of doing it with pets. Plus, I work from home and Albert is on the couch next to me most days. Sure if he started choking I would notice, but generally while I am working I am in my zone. I'm not playing with him, I'm not talking with him and only if he comes right to me do I pat him. We are technically together most of the day and all night but it is not till I turn off from work that I really start engaging with him. Sometimes I even work through his dinner time, only stopping long enough to put food out before running back to my computer to finish up something urgent. What about people with kids who come home from school and then hubby? Five minutes of hellos to the dog before doing the things they need to do (dinner, baths, etc). So being home does not equate to engagement. I also see plenty of people (and have dog sat for them) who have a set distance they brisk walk their dog once or twice a day. Same route even. They don't let them stop to investigate or sniff anything, it is all just physical exertion and usually on concrete. Is that engagement?

All of my pei have hated the cold weather so live in coats, but I am constantly checking and adjusting to make sure there is no rubbing on the underside or that it is not pulling too tight around the neck. I'd be horrified if one got injured. I stick to a couple of homemade styles that accommodate the extra pei rolls and provide as much coverage as possible (although the last 2 will not wear anything with legs). All soft stuff too - no buckles,zips, clips or fancy hardware features. No coats for walking with Albert as he gets quite warm and he also sunbakes for a bit most days (when the sun comes on to the patio) so coat is off then as well. I just don't understand how people don't notice this stuff.

Such a beautiful man and such a beautiful relationship he had with Annie. Can't believe he also just lost his wife.

Most of my major injuries are dog related. I chipped a front tooth when a foster tried to 'jump into my arms' and our mouths connected. I fell down some stairs and shattered my wrist letting a foster pup out to pee in the dark (we had visitors sleeping in the lounge and I didn't want to wake them by putting a light on). While still in a cast after a second surgery to repair that same injury that same dog got excited at a park and the leash got wrapped around me and ripped me off a park bench onto that same arm (no further damage thank goodness). And one of my own tripped me up while I was carrying a basket of washing. I landed hard on my bum on concrete and developed an abscess on the base of my spine. It resulted in three months off work in bed high on painkillers and two surgeries to treat and repair (one experimental so not covered by my health insurer). Fun times! Still wouldn't be without one!

They are the kinds of lost dog stories you want to read!

Sad to see OES on the list. The first ever dog of my own choosing was an Old English and she was a cracker of a dog. So many amazing breeds on the list that we might eventually lose out here because of a lack of interest.

As a Queenslander I have camped many times on the island. But my last stay was about 25 years ago. We had set up by ourselves in a flat spot just off the beach (so not in the camp grounds). We had a 4WD with a tent that flipped off the back to create a sleeping area with a base. All our food items were in metal eskies and lock boxes and we had a cooking tray that pulled out of the 4WD, so nothing of interest in our tent area but us humans when we slept. We'd locked up and were down the beach fishing. I decided to walk back to camp as it was getting late and a bit cold. On my way back I started to get 'rounded up' by about 5 dingoes. They were trying to get me surrounded and pushed into the shrubbery and very nearly succeeded. My partner couldn't hear me over the wind and waves. I only just managed to get back to the car and lock myself in. Never been back to the islands since (friends still used to go every Christmas and New Year). My second close call with dingoes - the other was at Ayres Rock. Both packs were very opportunistic. They've learnt and adapted and we haven't. Time to give the island back to them I think or only camp in fenced areas and travel only in high vehicles, like you would on Safari in Africa.

I think she thought she was in Asia and hey she did buy the harness from Temu! But seriously, did it not dawn on her that she hadn't seen other people driving their dogs around like that? And does she not have any friends or family who could've mentioned something?

I find people like that quite sickening. I truly don't understand the interest in watching any animal fight either for its life or to kill another life. Even worse they are deliberately creating an artificial life and death spectacle that there is no natural need for (ie they are not wild animals trying to survive and thrive). I have no idea what goes on in these people's brains and can't relate to them in anyway. Plus add to it the forced breeding set up you have to wonder what other sick stuff, violence and power plays these people are also into.

Just magical to see! And I didn't realise but she is only 3 now and given she was lost for over 500 days she was quite young when her ordeal first happened, so I think they are even luckier that she has adjusted as quickly as she has.

There was a post accusing Kangala of stringing it out so they could make more in donations. The person (American I think) said they've trapped loads of strays and never took so long. Always someone online who knows better!

There is some video footage of Valerie. She looks amazing! https://www.facebook.com/kangalarescue

Lets not forget that had they brought in suitable skilled rescuers they likely wouldn't have paid them a penny to do days of heartbreaking work to triage, save, euthanise, rehabilitate or relocate any of the koalas, so cost was not a factor in their decision. Probably what was was outsiders seeing the reality of what had happened and how many koalas were harmed and lost. Decisions weren't made about the koalas - they were made to suit the humans, as usual.

From what I saw volunteers sighted her (perhaps on trail cameras) in March this year a couple of times in the same area, so were able to commence a targeted rescue. It still took them almost 2 months to capture her. She's obviously been off the radar for a very long time and stopped behaving like a spoilt pet. From memory the owners stayed in the area for weeks searching for her when she first went missing and I guess it gets to a point that without any signs of life, at some point you'd have to assume she's passed to the elements. It would be awful not knowing what happened to your doggo, especially in such a harsh environment.