Little Gifts

Dog's may not know why but I do think they can sense when something is not right with us humans. My sister's dog is usually very aloof but is always attracted to pregnant women - even when we can't tell or don't know. She goes into a protective mode with them sheltering them from the carry on of our other dogs. I'd be very proud of Maddie if I were her mum!

Someone gave that to me after I had to part with my old girl Ricky this year. She was nearly 17 and it helped me to realise how lucky I was that she got to such a grand age because so many beloved dogs don't. They don't live long enough if you ask me. Why the hell does a cockatoo need to live to 80 or a tortoise to 150 when old in some dogs can be only 8?

My brain is very tired tonight but there are two or three books written by a Brisbane journo about his dog Lucky who they took on a sailing adventure. The name Lucky is always in the title and they were heartwarming stories. The others I've read this year include the book about Oogy who was a dog fighting bait pup who is very disfigured but adored by his humans and Giant George, the world's tallest great dane. It is a bit like a Marley and Me but how they manage this huge dog who towers over even kitchen benches and sleeps on a queen sized mattress on the floor of their bedroom is funny. Sorry I can't remember the exact titles but their names are in it so it shouldn't be hard to search.

The scrap book is a very special idea Rach! I've never done that before but have thought about it. You should do a new paw print every month for the first year so you can track how quickly she grows. That would be cool in a scrapbook album!

I think those onesies suit My Billy! And of course I love the bully outfits - nothing makes me laugh more than a tough dog in a dress!

Mine is clearly broken. She can't lie normally. If it looks uncomfortable then she will be lying on it. I currently have a tent sitting in my front room that I have to take back to Anaconda. It is a pop up tent that is supposed to fold up into a bag but we can't get it to fold back up so can't store it. Anyway, there is a lovely dog bed sitting next to it but today I found Stussy lying in amongst the tent on top of the hard case bag, steel tent pegs and guide ropes. If I am watching tv and knitting at night then you can bet she is draped across both my thighs and being hit in the head with my needles. If I'm on the computer then she is trying to sleep with her head resting on my feet which are on the foot rest. In bed she wants to sleep longways on top of my legs. Maybe she came from a big litter and was used to making do?

Frodo is the all time king of dress ups though. It is one thing to dress them up and a whole other to get them to stand still for a photo. Frodo actually poses for his happy snaps. He was born for dressing up!

I give you Christmas Fairy! Mine really loves to frock up (as you can see from aeroplane tail pic) and I've purchased a few kids fairy outfits for her now. Not a fan of things on the head though. Bummer.....

She is BEAUTIFUL! She has the most gorgeous markings on her face too! Notice the ears seem to be growing slightly faster than the rest of her at present though!

I know mgardner - I was making light of the situation really as they are like a pack of wild dogs (all breeding with each other too) and it is the owners who let them wander and attack anyone who dares go past their house. It drives me crazy but my neighbours just don't get that just because they are small they can cause real problems when not disciplined and contained. I don't think they have even ever walked them or taken them in the car even as their vet lives three doors up and if they ever go on a holiday the dogs stay there and a family member simply turns up to feed them. They lack stimulation. I'd feel sorry for them if they weren't constantly driving me crazy!

Apologies to the breed lovers out there but I am yet to meet a chi I like. OK, well maybe it is more that they don't like me so it is a mutual thing. They like to nip my feet and ankles and hump my leg and repeatedly bark at a high pitch at me and chase me away from my letterbox and sit smack bang in my driveway causing me to manouvre around them. A large family of these Attichi's have lived across the road for 11 years and there's been no respect for this poor rate payer since day one.

I was reading all the DPI Vic info today and was shocked to see well behaved American Pit Bulls used in the breed identification fact sheet. Some were not attached to a lead and not one was wearing a muzzle. How unsafe the photographer must've felt in the presence of this killing machine of a breed! It's non-sensical really - targetting all APBs as too dangerous to live in society while clearly showing images of actual dogs displaying nothing threatening and not being restrained! Even if those dogs came from another state or country it doesn't make sense to target the whole breed!

It's a sad, sad day for Victoria and Australia. Death by ignorance.

Thank you for clarifying Poodlefan. I knew criminal law was seperate from civil and more likely to have been approved under the agreed parliamentary processes given it does link to harm of others? I obviously don't know all their is to know about the law as it relates to our constitution but find it very interesting and am continuing to develop my understanding of it. My interest was originally around media law and I have to use numerous pieces of state and federal legislation in my job and always find people's (including magistrates) various interpretations of some aspects of it interesting. I also understand Queensland has its own constitution and I am yet to establish in my brain how it links (or doesn't) with the commonwealth constitution.

Poodlefan there is a movement within the farming community, including at least one barrister, challenging state and local council legislation and actions right now in the high courts. They have been steadily doing so for a couple of years now. Mainly farming issues that I know of relating to land use, particularly in NSW. As you would know with law matters that once precendents are set other cases can be fought on the basis of those outcomes. I think the barrister involved is doing lots of pro-bono work for the farmers. I'm not sure how long ago VCAT came in to being in Vic as we had the same thing happen in QLD - we created QCAT only a few years back. I think cases up here are going through QCAT fairly quickly from what I see through work but from a state govt perspective we are still pursuing actions as needed with our clients regardless of what is before QCAT. Say for instance that a foster carer wishes to have a decision reversed regarding a child in care having been removed from their home. The child remains removed and in a different placement and is only returned if QCAT over rules the department's decision. So I am assuming that with a dog it would remain in the 'care' (using that word loosely) of the council until the matter comes before the tribunal and an outcome is made. I certainly wouldn't wish it on any dog but I bet few councils would be set up to care for dogs long term while matters went to VCAT? Perhaps that is a weak point in their plan and we should encourage anyone with a seized animal to appeal through VCAT whatever the outcome? And legislation is civil law (not common law) but was not created according to the agreed processes under the constitution. That is if you recognise the constitution as the defining or over-arching contract or rules for operating this country. Gotta fly - late for a dental appointment.

:thumbsup: So where do you find a constitutional lawyer and how much do they cost ? Contact my sister Sue Maynes at flora dot reachnet dot com dot au She has been assisting barristers with several cases. She is quite well known for speaking about constitutional matters involving farmers in Australia and if you google her name you will find links to her so you can verify that. When I spoke to her about this issue (her son owns an Amstaff and I own a BST here in QLD) she was very interested in what was happening.

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/general/constitution/chapter5.htm The American and Australian constitutions are two different things. Their 'Bill of Rights' is actually an amendment to their constitution (ie where it is the right to bare arms, the right to free speech etc) ours is not necessarily as clear cut as what you see on the TV. The right for states to create a legislature that they enforce is within the Australian constitution. The Federal court will not interfere until all the state courts are exhausted. Ah yes but they are not creating laws, only legislation, and none of what they do should breach our rights under the constitution. The constitution sits over the top.

OK, I spoke to my sister about Australia's Constitution. Australia's Constition is a contract between free people living in this country and the Queen on how these free people chose to be governed by her servants (govt employees). Common Law is seperate to the Constitution but is intertwined as it relates to the operation of our society. Common Law is essentially how the govt deals with harm to the people and the Queen has given authority for her servants/employees to administer this law. The Constitution determines the process to be followed to create 'law', however, no new 'law' has been created in Australia since 1973. Everything else, whether state or local is actually only 'legislation'. Common Law has nothing to do with animal ownership UNLESS your animal harms someone. There is nothing in our Constition saying govt can legislate what you own unless what you own harms others. Local by laws (legislation) have no legitimacy outside the town they are created for. State laws (legislation) have no legitimacy outside their state. They are in essence suggestions for community living and we obey them because we think we have to. Legislation can be changed on a whim and is approved outside what we agreed to under our Constitution so can't be recognised as Common Law or as even constitional in this country. Now can you see why on American crime shows people are always wagging their tongues about something being 'unconstitional'? State and local laws have led to an increase in Civil Law, which is the exact opposite of Common Law. Under Civil Law state and local authorities are basically saying we don't trust you to do the right thing so are going to impose restrictions on you. We are removing your free will/rights and making the decision for you, even before any harm has been committed. Under Australia's Constition our homes are our territories and we are able to do whatever we want and own whatever we want within the confines of our property as long as it does not harm others. Once harm occurs to others then Common Law applies. What is happening now is that council and the state govt are unconstitutionally telling us through legislation how many dogs and even what breed we can keep on our property on the basis that they might cause harm to others in the future, without that harm having even occured. Not only do they not have a right to enforce that but they have no right to tell us what type or breed of animal (let alone dog) we can and can't keep on our properties because that is not the basis of the agreement between the free people of this country and our sovereign. So the problem is whether someone is willing and able to challenge this new legislation on it's constitional aspects as it is certainly going way too far in it's assertion that harm to others will occur by this specific breed and cross breed of dog in the future. They cannot predict that and in effect are causing harm to others themselves and breaching Common Law by pursuing this course of action and seizing/destroying other people's property.

If DNA profiling cannot identify an APBT then how the hell are council officers able to do it with their little checklists? That is just ludicrous! And I also need to get some clarification - are these laws state govt ones created and passed in state parliament for councils across each state to administer or are they local council by-laws? I know there are some people on DOL with legal knowledge but my understanding is that constitional law would still be over and above both state and local laws so if they are breaching constitional rights they could be tested if someone is brave enough and financially fluid enough to do so? My older sister does a lot of constitional law stuff regarding state and local laws placed on farmers that breaches constitional law and there is a group taking cases to the highest court fighting these breaches. I'll have a chat to her about where pets might fit under this as obviously farm animals would be considered differently.

I'm so sorry Ruth. Run free now to your heart's content little one. XXX

We had a beautiful nubian boy called George and he used to even come for drives in the car as well as be in the house whenever he wanted during the day (usually eating the paper or house plants). They are amazing animals and I am so sorry you have lost your boy Jake after such a long life as part of your family. Take care. xxx

I'll be keeping my eye out for a QLD event and inviting everybody I can think of. The government should never turn their backs on pissed off voters. People power is a force to reckon with.

I am so sorry Lizandel. A lot of great dogs have been taken this year and I can only hope they are meeting up at the bridge and having the biggest party! Take care of yourself. Elly will live on in your heart and memories. Alyson XXX

I remember seeing this and meaning to offer Frankie up as a name that a man could use in public. I see you like Harli and Indi as well. I feel like Indi has been done to death but do like Harli as long as other peeps don't think she is named after Harley the motor-bike. I work in child protection and some names I just can't stomach anymore because they get used for children, pets, alcohol, drugs AND machinery!

The snake was around 7 foot - we know that because it slithered up our 6 foot fence and it's head was up in the air off the top while the tail was still on the ground. It was arm thickness. The snake guy my sister got on the phone said the warm weather has brought them out from hibernation so he would've been looking for food. I have noticed a lack of geckos out the back. Would they eat those? I did have an evil thought about it eating the yappy chi who lives across the road! The wounds have scabbed over and the area around it is not hot, red or swollen but I will keep a very close eye on it. She really is terrible 'terrier' can't catch mice, lizards, flies, grasshoppers or even a slow moving, very long snake! It would've made it into the house if my sister hadn't of seen it!