Little Gifts

Little Gifts is a hobby I have developed to raise funds for animal rescue. The first major fundraising event for Little Gifts is taking place on Saturday 4 August, 2pm to 4pm at 3 Parkhurst Place, Kuraby. All monies raised at this event will be donated to Peiradise –Shar Pei Rescue Queensland’s large vet bill. The majority of items available at the event are original designs handmade by myself. Prices are as follows: Necklaces - $15 Bracelets, bookmarks, Pandora style keychains and embroidered jewellery rolls - $10 Earrings and silk jewellery pouches - $5 Loose Pandora style beads - $2 There will also be lucky door prizes and snacks available at the event. All purchases will come in either a brocade silk gift bag or chiffon gift bag (for smaller items). All animal lovers welcome (but please leave your pets at home)! Please note this is a CASH ONLY event. **I will include a couple of photos below but more photos are available on my Facebook page

As a foster carer I see it as my job to maximise the potential of a foster dog to find their forever home, so I would hope to have a dog placed with me that can benefit from the home environment I can offer here as well as any particular skills myself and my sister have in caring for them. Our two dogs are also very different in personality so they are also an important factor in considering the personality of any foster dog placed here. It is all about being able to provide a nurturing environment that meets the needs of that particular dog (and all of us!). At present I am home nearly all the time so I can care for a dog requiring more intense support. I also like the challenge of having a foster dog that might need something specific addressed while it is here. As a foster carer I have to verbalise all this though or how will my rescuer know? I think it would be harder for carers who don't have a coordinator to deal with because we do have questions and concerns and as each dog is different we are developing our skills with each and every placement. So ultimately I rely on the rescuer to match a foster dog to me (although I can make suggestions!) so we have the most positive end result for the dog that we can. Using this approach has worked well for us and the dogs we have had to date.

Teela I'd never seen a baby crestie before! So cute! Actually all the dogs are so gorgeous as puppies that it makes me shake my head in disbelief that people can dump or harm young animals. Each one is so precious.

Esky we all have our fingers and toes crossed for you and Penny here. Very hard waiting for news by yourself.

You will be sadly missed gorgeous girl. XXX

See I really don't get why some people don't like black dogs (thinking rescue here). You can't look at Brett and not think he is absolutely stunning with his shiny coat and the light showing up his muscle definition!

How can you tell them all apart? All that creamy fluff!

Wendy go into the rescue threads and post there as there are several breed specific rescuers who I'm sure would love to share knowledge with you. Edited because of several brain farts....

Thinking of you Rach. XXX

What an amazing outcome from some amazing efforts by rescue yet again!

My sister has a husky GSD cross that looks very much like Ollie - same ears, head shape, snout and even fur and colourings. My sister's has a very bushy tail and pants - I joke she looks like Basil Brush from behind. Her build is bigger than Ollie's and her personality is more husky than GSD. Huskies can be headstrong and have a high prey drive. I'm going with husky/kelpie for Ollie as he does definately have kelpie looks and size more than GSD for me.

Poor Toby was obviously in the wars as a youngun but hasn't he turned into the most handsome boy!

There are dog beds or lounges in nearly every room in our house so our dogs are with us (usually sleeping) wherever we are until we go to bed. My girl and any foster dog sleeps with me and my sister's dog sleeps with her. If either of us are not going to work the following day then the dogs all switch over to whoever is still in bed. Even the most active foster dog gets hit with the slug stick and slots into the same routine here!

Just re-read this. It was the most beautiful tribute to an amazing girl. I held out till the end with the tears, but only just. It also reminded me of an old song by Little River Band - "Oh pretty Emma, you sweet contender, why don't you stay around....."

Greyt I actually thought she was the CEO of the council - hence my offence at such a simplistic comment because I thought she was using it to defend the pound's actions. Not surprised I read it wrong given a CEO for a rescue group seems rather regal.

``If you don't want to be responsible for a dog for its entire life, then don't ever buy one,'' she said. Wow, that's a narrow POV that is not going to change one little thing. There would be lots of reasons a dog ends up in a pound. A good education program and working with local rescue groups might do more for the overall issue in that local council area than pointing the finger of blame after the event.

I used baby socks with the tread dots on them and attached them around her legs using surgical tape. An idea that didn't cost much. She hated them but they helped.

I should not have looked in here because all that is running through my head now is "I love my pony, I love my little pony!"

There were runners in there too. First we started putting all the clippings there and it nourished the soil as it broke down and the runners just took hold. We always have lots of runners from when we whipper snip (because we don't do it very often!) so they get raked and dumped with the clippings. Same if the dogs dig a hole. We put the soil back in and keep topping it with the grass clippings and whipper snipped bits and it all breaks down and the grass regrows. I am no green thumb so it all seems a bit magical to me! We may also be lucky to have good soil here. Generally the drainage is good so I know that also helps.

Rest easy beautiful old girl.

I have no idea about grass names but when I moved in here (3 dog house) it already had this great lawn. The grass strands are really fat - the kind you could easily cut with a hand mower and it grows in strands with little roots on it so if you have a bald patch you just chuck a bit down and it takes really quickly. The back fence area was bald where they used to throw old car oil and I just kept throwing all the grass clippings from when I mowed down and in no time I had a nice thick lawn there. It grows thick rather than very high but will send runners over the pathways if left too long. It is quick to mow but retains moisture if it has been raining so you have to empty the catcher quicker. Seems to grow better in full sun (patchier in fully shaded areas). I have a pied SBT who has been prone to garden itchies and this grass doesn't bother her. I could always take a pic of it if needed as someone here will know what it is!

Oh dear Zeebo is just beautiful! I could never let an old girl like that go. She looks precious!

I wonder if it is that whole black dog thing for poor Rusty? I personally love black dogs because their coats are beautiful and glossy and in shorter coats you can see all their muscle definition. Rusty also has lovely dark eyes. I think he is very handsome!

The highlighted bits above are why I am so angry with the authorities in that state, although a search said the Dept of Environment and Natural Rescources was the authority responsible for enforcing the act, not the RSPCA? The act is quite clear to me if someone could be bothered pursuing the areas of the act that the PF owner is breaching as per the section below. Even worse - the RSPCA have history on this place to build a case. I just don't get how they think this is ok. ANIMAL WELFARE ACT 1985 - SECT 13 13—Ill treatment of animals (1) If— (a) a person ill treats an animal; and (b) the ill treatment causes the death of, or serious harm to, the animal; and © the person intends to cause, or is reckless about causing, the death of, or serious harm to, the animal, the person is guilty of an offence. Maximum penalty: $50 000 or imprisonment for 4 years. (2) A person who ill treats an animal is guilty of an offence. Maximum penalty: $20 000 or imprisonment for 2 years. (3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1) or (2), a person ill treats an animal if the person— (a) intentionally, unreasonably or recklessly causes the animal unnecessary harm; or (b) being the owner of the animal— (i) fails to provide it with appropriate, and adequate, food, water, living conditions (whether temporary or permanent) or exercise; or (ii) fails to take reasonable steps to mitigate harm suffered by the animal; or (iii) abandons the animal; or (iv) neglects the animal so as to cause it harm; or © having caused the animal harm (not being an animal of which that person is the owner), fails to take reasonable steps to mitigate the harm; or (d) uses the animal in an organised animal fight; or (e) releases the animal from captivity for the purpose of it then being hunted or killed; or (f) causes the animal to be killed or injured by another animal; or (g) kills the animal in a manner that causes the animal unnecessary pain; or (h) unless the animal is unconscious, kills the animal by a method that does not cause death to occur as rapidly as possible; or (i) carries out a medical or surgical procedure on the animal in contravention of the regulations; or (j) ill treats the animal in any other manner prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this section.

I'd also be writing to the CEO of the RSPCA in SA. Not good enough! They may not be able to shut the farm down but that doesn't mean they can't rescue any neglected animals at that property and prosecute.