Little Gifts

Do you have Grey Army in your area? I find them very reasonable for small jobs. I wouldn't buy the Gumtree door- you'd need to be handy to hang it so the lock part met given it is a bit smaller.

We have been lucky with all our dogs living good ages. Keeping their weight under control is important. I am not a big fan of giving dogs people food as we have so many additives in our foods and there can be hidden sugars, fats and salts. Our oldest was getting massage/reiki treatment for arthritis and was on Sasha's Blend. Our massage therapist recommended we start the same for our 9 year old girl even though she doesn't have identified arthritis or joint issues. It has made a huge difference to her activity, flexibility and general health. So maybe think about trying something like SB to see if there is a difference. Our oldest lived to almost 17 and never spent a day just sleeping. She was in the thick of it with the other dogs all day every day - she was just a little slower and did a lot of it sitting on her butt rather than standing up! She even refused to stay behind on walks so we had to buy a pram so she could go in that when she got tired. Let Bubby do whatever Bubby shows interest in doing and just adjust it according to his age limitations as needed.

I think people are being a little harsh. The OP did ask the questions they thought they needed to ask from several breeders, including the one who bred their pup. They then asked the breeder for clarification on this particular issue but still didn't quite understand the response. I don't think they have damaged future communication with the breeder. For some this is a lot of money and unexpected costs need to be understood. I am also someone whose dogs have all come through rescue for decades so this is as clear as mud to those of you who breed or who have recent experiences of of registering and transferring ownership but it took me a full read through to say I think I understand the entire process. The OP just needed some assurances and I'm sure they feel a lot better now you have explained the situation.

Could set an interesting legal precedent. I don't get the RSPCA. We hear about all these cases of hoarders and puppy farms and how things were borderline and no charges were laid. Everyone knows things could go either way for the animals yet they err on the side of caution and things continue unchanged and the animals continue to suffer, making them less suitable for rehoming in the future if they are seized. On the other hand you have this case where so many animals are determined unsaveable and have to be immediately shot to save them from a more horrid death. Where is the balance between these two situations? I had something similar happen to me with them. I rang and spoke to an inspector (I think in Orange or Bathurst) for my older sister after she was bankrupted and removed from her farm. They had to leave a whole heap of sheep due to lamb on the property who couldn't be moved and they were not legally allowed to return to the property to check on them. The maremma who stayed with them had also been removed by the ranger. So I called asking for assistance on my sister's behalf to see if the RSPCA could assist in legally monitoring these in limbo stock (the org who bankrupted them was not interested in the stock and obviously my sister was hoping/trying to have the eviction overturned and return to the farm). A senior RSPCA told me that if my sister and her husband were still responsible for them and if they did not adequately care for the sheep they could and would be charged with neglect. She was quite threatening and not at all helpful. Not what I was expecting.

Gosh she is cute! As for the box - we bought these little plastic foot stools for our old dog and it withstood Stussy trying to eat it numerous times. It folds up and I think it was one of those garden seats for people as they weed but it looks a little too flimsy for most human bottoms but perfect for food dishes!

Being property I think it is clear even though nothing may have been in writing between them that she left the dog with him. She left the relationship and country. He desexed and trained dog under his name and there will be evidence of this. He bought it food. She would have to show evidence of it being a temporary care arrangement in her absence and evidence she was reimbursing him for monies spent. She won't be able to of course. Sad she is being so horrible and has taken advantage of him.

...does a big, fat, smelly poo right beside the clothes line while I am stuck there trying to hang 3 loads of washing.

What a great idea! We already have stuff hanging from the old hills hoist (that we never hang washing on). Why not make use of it more! I predict it will be snowing in my backyard about 5 seconds after I hang a stuffed toy from it!

My personal opinion is that you can/should only rescue as many animals as you can safely accommodate - safely for them and for you. As for outside chaining, if we were talking working dogs then as long as there is protection from danger, the elements and they have regular food and clean drinking water I have no issue. But when we are talking about dogs used to running free in backyards and sleeping inside at night then I don't think this environment is good for that type of dog at all. If land and a few dog houses and some chain is all this rescue could offer then they should've said no. This is no better than the minimal comfort and resources puppy farmers give to their breeding animals. If they are saving dogs for the sake of saving them then they probably aren't quarantining or doing temp tests either and you can just imagine the crazy mix of dogs all in together. Imagine if an aggressive one got loose what might happen. Or what about a contagious one? Undesexed bitch getting loose? So much could go wrong and it would be the dogs paying the price for human stupidity.

Before I read what Pers wrote I came up with Shelton. I'll show myself out too.

What kind of rescues are you talking about Steve? Large well known names or small independant groups? I've been involved with several rescue groups over the years and I am yet to see any become lucrative businesses. Even the one I have supported on and off for many years which has grown substantially still can't scrape up enough money to buy a shipping container so they can bulk buy. The rescue is still being essentially run from someone's lounge room. There are never enough volunteers, foster carers or money. Always plenty of cats and dogs in need though. Most just don't have the skilled manpower to seek donations, source and sell merchandise and be a PR machine as well as care for the growing number of animals. Any money they have coming in is spent on vet bills. Any new volunteers or foster carers they source simply means they take on more animals. The only growth is in the number of animals moving through the system. I must admit that whilst it makes business sense for a rescue org to be 'lucrative' it seems so unlikely that I would be suspicious if they were. Where were they cutting corners? What are their operational goals? What was their admin costs as opposed to what was spent on the animals? I'd hate to see more laws because people are stupid, selfish idiots but this situation is yet another example of the existing ones being inadequate when it comes to the public expectations of what is acceptable care of a companion animal. For me it boils down to what is in the best interests of these particular dogs and this definately isn't it.

Steve from what I read they had reported it and continued to monitor the situation awaiting action that seems to be slow coming (well too slow for my liking). One of the main issues for me is that these dogs were reportedly rescued from a worse fate and yet this is now where they are stuck in limbo, still without the hope of a home. It would be a highly stressful situation for many dogs who are already dealing with the loss of their original families and not used to existing in such chaos without exercise, attention or relief. Many of those dogs were probably never chained or left to sleep outside overnight before. Then you have the cold temperatures at night and exposure to the weather during the day. Someone has taken these marginalised animals and put them in yet another traumatic situation. That is not ok with me. Some of these dogs will not be good rehoming options after this as they will develop food, dog or human aggression (or perhaps it already existed unchecked because no-one seems to live on site). Some will need specialised care to get them to trust again and be used to living in a family environment. That is going to be a burden that falls on the shoulders of yet another non-profit rescue group. These are companion animals who have been deprived of companionship at a crucial time in their lives. Sure it may not be illegal but it is not in the best interests of these particular dogs who were already at risk. That's the difference for me. How has this type of rescue saved these dogs? It hasn't. They've just replaced one shitty semi-life with another and made these dogs even less likely to find new homes. If you want to rescue then at least have the decency to improve a dogs situation.

One of the FB pics has a dog with some kind of dead animal in its mouth. I couldn't tell if it was a piglet but then I didn't scrutinise it either. How terribly sad that thousands of people are now aware of the plight of 40 companion animals living in less than ideal circumstances (especially with colder months upon us) yet nothing can legally be done to remove them. Even sadder is the fact that some have been identified as stolen and some were 'rescued' from other poor circumstances. It doesn't sit right with me and I know it doesn't sit right with the OL people. As a society we should be angry that this is even possible while council and the RSPCA debate whose responsibility it is and if there are even any grounds to seize. Protecting all creatures great and small my arse. This is how we treat our most vulnerable in this country and it's not good enough.

Dr Susan Dawson, Anvet Kedron (the staff there are also amazing). She has a way of examining a pet without them realising they are being examined and she used to look after all the rescue pei for Peiradise and took on a lot of difficult medical cases for them. Link below. http://anvetkedron.com.au/Staff.aspx And Dr Sidney from BVH (see link below). Renate has been my vet for decades but she is doing less hours now and is very direct and not everyone's cup of tea. We've been transitioning to Sidney and he is very clued in on new medical treatments and strange animal health issues that require investigation. A very caring group of people, particularly when you are in a crisis with your pet. http://www.beenleighvethospital.com.au/meet-our-staff.html

Tempeh is a perfect time keeper! She knows when it is getting closer to 7am and 5pm (her self chosen meal times). If you are engrossed in something she gets increasingly antsy in the lead up to her meal times to make sure you hop to it and get that food happening! She's very much a go to bed when the sun sets and get up when the sun rises kind of dog. If I am working I get up at 6.30am and if I am not it is 7am. Thursday night I went to bed and forgot to set my alarm but somehow she seemed to know it was a work day and she woke me at 6.20. I don't put out clothes or my work bag the night before and I still stay up late watching tv but somehow she knew it wasn't a sleep in day. She also seems to know when she is due for a worm. I've noticed she gets late night hangries the closer it is to worming time. Last night she was uber whiney and I checked and she is due to be wormed in 2 days!

This is part of the education I wish would be shared with the general public before they get a puppy and decide it costs too much. I am scared to work out what my dogs cost. They eat better than me, have medical care more often than me and own more expensive accessories! They even have newer beds and blankets than me. Oh and grooming sessions and massages and new toys.

Do the incentives reach their goal? When microchipping laws were introduced its was supposed to be about identification - well if you want an incentive for everyone to microchip having no registration fees would seem to make more sense. No but I'm not sure they know what else to do as they are confined to their own local government legislation so they are trying to lead people in a certain 'take some responsibility' direction. Some people who get a dog will be happy to take advantage of discounted desex rates and registration fees and some people will continue to not give a toss. But unfortunately we are moving into a world where we have so many rules because common sense seems to have left the building and people need to be protected from their own stupidity. I wish it wasn't so. I'm sure when I was first an adult and registering my own pet the only other tick box was working dog (and they didn't have to pay anything). Now we have a tiered fee structure! In my original post in this thread I talked about educating people on a range of pet owning matters that might actually help people become more responsible pet buyers and owners in the first place. I wish education is what the RSPCA would spend some of their millions on.

I still see council fees as incentives and if you want to own a dog and be responsible then you pay the fee relevant to your situation. If you don't want to register your dog because you don't like the cost then you take a risk of it ever being picked up (like being uninsured) and having to pay through the nose then. If you don't like the fee structure then appeal to your council on whatever grounds you think are relevant. Your choice. I pay $32 a year x 2 for my desexed girls so $19.20 is a bargain. I'm sure we are also getting very similar council animal services for that money too.

Here's my take on part of the problem for homeless dogs and rescue groups and why council registration rates are like this, trying to curb the creation of potentially homeless dogs in the first place. People who deliberately mate their dogs to make some money don't care where those puppies go and I believe it is highly likely the wrong dog in the wrong home is a reason for a percentage of surrenders or dogs who end up at the pound and don't get picked up by their owners. These 'breeders' of undesexed dogs don't care about the future of the puppy they have bred but the money. Then you have the oops litters and once the owners have worked out they can't palm off a 'cute puppy' to friends, family, neighbours or give them away on Gumtree they get surrendered. These people have no clue how to work out what is the right home for that dog and just keep their fingers crossed someone doesn't try to return one. They didn't want them in the first place so they certainly don't put much effort into finding the right home - they look for any home. These puppies have no value to anyone and are the true unwanted. Enforced desexing (or by hitting an owner in the hip pocket) could have an impact on these two scenarios, making it hard for deliberate back yard breeding and harder for accidental matings. But I think education is also missing if we want to reduce the over production of unneeded dogs, inappropriate purchasing and dumping cycle. Many people seem quite clueless about owning entire dogs, wouldn't have a clue their girl was in season until after she had escaped from the yard or even imagine the creative ways a dog will access a bitch. Loads of people in rescue have heard the stories from people who own an entire male and an undesexed female in the same house - "I never thought a brother/sister or mother/son would mate together!" or "I only took my eye off them both for a minute!". Many of us have also heard the hilarious "She should have one litter first!"! So educate about the pros, cons and risks of desexing and not desexing, include financial information regarding the cost of desexing (some people think it costs too much to even consider) and also the cost of whelping and rehoming a litter and raising a dog from puppyhood for its entire life. Give people the information so they can be responsible for all their dogs needs. Create incentives for responsible ownership and create barriers for irresponsible deliberate breeding and selling. Make those effers go and get real jobs!

He sounds like such a good boy I think we need more pics!

Honestly they are just the cutest breed of dog!

I wonder if the Chilly Dog coats are made from a thermal but lightweight fibres rather than the usual fleece? Lots of travel gear for humans now has special properties. Weighs nothing and packs to be quite small. I haven't got time to check on my phone but I wouldn't be surprised.

I'm not in a position to make any custom coats at present but here is my advice. I designed and starting making a coat similar to the Chilly Dogs Great White North coat. I was doing double layers - high neck, the top section of coat (over the back) drops down a lot more at the back for more leg coverage (when they are lying down it gives a blanket effect), the under body section (which then wraps back up over the coat and velcro's or ties on over the back) to be as long and wide as I could get it without the armholes being floppy or it being susceptible to being peed on. It took a bit of playing with a commercial pattern (I got the idea from Kwik Sew 3544) and it can be made with a plain and a print. Great for dogs that need extra body coverage but their joints may not allow them to wear pyjama style coats. If you know anyone who sews or find someone who will do you a custom coat I'd be happy to pass my ideas and suggestions on to you (I have the patterns and drawings somewhere!). I called mine the Cold Frog! http://www.chillydogs.ca/index.php/product/index/30 PS Just editing to add that like with keeping ourselves warm it is about the fabric (type and thickness) AND the amount of body covered so heat can build up and be maintained. How a dog with its entire back end hanging out of an acrylic jumper made in China is supposed to stay warm is beyond me but you see it all the time. It would be like us wearing a mini skirt without thick stockings.

Each situation is going to be unique. If you think about dogs from their living in the wild, wolf background then any barriers to toileting, walking, finding somewhere safe to sleep, hunger, accessing food and water and consuming it would be considered a serious life threatening problem. But because they live with humans we can compensate for all those things. I think that makes it hard for us to see the truth from the dog's perspective and always know when the time is right. Scottsmum your suggestion about someone less attached looking at the situation is a good one - what do they see that we can't?

Thank you Swain. Yes we have lots of great memories and pictures and two other dogs to keep us distracted so we are lucky in that way. I wasn't posting my recent experience to detract from what you are going through but to express how difficult a time this is and how emotional and hard on ourselves we can get. We wait and watch and agonise and perhaps we need to be more like our dogs and be in the moment while we can. I'm sure they devote no time to worrying about the end because they are too busy just enjoying the now. Of course it is hard to find a balance between going with the flow and oh my dog we need to the emergency vet right now. There's not really a way to make this easier. I'm so sorry you are going through this but at least you know here on DOL you are not alone.