Little Gifts

I remember the RSPCA had an adoption day where all private rescues could come together and people could come and look at a range of dogs. Back when Peiradise was operating we were there one year and I had a lady with her two kids and a leash in her hand who would not leave. She had done a meet and greet with a pei she liked in a closed off area. The dog showed absolutely no interest in her or her kids. The dog was a bit of a runner and had some prey drive and this lady had no fences and kept chickens in her back yard. She just would not accept that the dog was not going home with her.

I was referring to the RSPCA as a whole (rather than just the ACT), including the identified need to run educational programs to turn the situation around. I didn't realise ACT weren't being financially buffered by the larger entity - I thought they would all get an allocation from centrally managed funds, although I appreciate they would still need to prove they are viable and necessary as I doubt any national organisation is willing to throw money away. I'm really glad the new CEO there is making a difference and I hope the organisation as a whole is willing and able to disperse funds where they are most needed otherwise what is the point?

The main issue for me is still that some people who might be good owners don't even get past the initial email phase or maybe the application phase as something they have written gets them a cross rather than a tick. They are then discouraged because they don't really understand why they are being rejected. They assume another rescue group will just do the same so they go elsewhere. Not everyone is savvy to rescue's expectations and rescue doesn't have the time to educate on the why behind their expectations. Some of these people will go on to buying a pet from a pet shop or BYBer because they feel they are ready for a dog in their lives and these dogs will lead perfectly good pet lives. Don't get me wrong, I do understand the need to rely on standard written apps and enquiry emails given most rescuers need to fit rescue into busy lives and I absolutely agree that finding the right home for each and every dog is the main goal, but I think it is at the one size fits all front end of the process we are losing potentially good adopters. To those of you who are flexible in their approach do you do the majority of your vetting at the enquiry or application stage or do more happen after meet and greets or home checks? I'm just curious to see if it fits my theory.

So why aren't they already spending some of their money on education? They are well and truly in the black as an organisation so where are their tv ads or print media campaigns? Why didn't they devote a segment on all their tv shows to responsible pet ownership advice? And there are a couple of very basic spelling errors in that story. What the hell ABC?

My sister spent the day with the Dalai Lama and she was telling me how he yearns to be able to return to Tibet but will be shot the minute he re-enters the country. Then she pulled out some Tibetan/Buddhist chimes she bought today and this metal bowl that she tapped with a metal handle thing to make it resonate. Tempeh (a shar pei) was fast asleep on the lounge while she was talking and while she clinked the chimes but the minute she touched the bowl Temp jumped up, ran over and did the deepest growl right at it. I know China and Tibet have a long history of conflict and shar pei were bred as protectors but who knew Comrade Tempeh was such a hard core traditionalist? I guess the bowl will have to become a high shelf dust catcher (or suffer the consequences of our own Imperial Guard).

How disappointing! It was such a great act that surely people behind the scenes knew at least three dogs were on set with her and their names could've been included - Jules, Matisse and friends? It could've all been avoided. In other news there is a link to another BTG act called Old Men Grooving which is hilarious!

They buried it? What the hell were they thinking?

Very interesting. I think there are some intrinsic problems. Most private rescues are operating under the steam of volunteers and the dogs are not in a central shelter location. Most of the initial screening is done by email or written applications (for convenience reasons) and you get a restricted sense of who the people behind the application are in relation to the dog they are interested in. People can and do lie on applications (for whatever reason), while others don't even understand the need for all the questions but in person I think you get a different understanding of who they are, their strengths and weaknesses as pet owners. I think a good home check can also reveal some interesting and important information but an applicant has to get to that stage in the process. I know plenty of average people knocked back by private rescues who managed to fairly easily get a dog from the RSPCA, which of course to them seems irrational.

I'm lucky to have a double basin in the laundry, which is next to the kitchen. Our kitchen tidy has lived in the spare sink there since Miss Stussy arrived some 7 odd years ago and started raids on it. And I still never leave tissues, jars of Vaseline (for the lips), or lip balms on anything lower than kitchen bench height. The poor love has so many weaknesses.

Bloody hell! Stussy remains a doona eater and also destroyed a six by six foot corner lounge over time when she was a teenager but if I came home to that I'd probably just turn around and go straight back out the door again!

After I fed the dogs last night I put some music on and got into a beading project in the lounge room. I went in to the top part of the house once and discovered all three dogs on my bed, which is kind of strange at that time of night but I just left them to it. At one stage I thought I heard Stussy scratching in the laundry (which she does if a piece of stray kibble appears). I yelled out to her to quit it and she did. I decided to make my own dinner about an hour and a half later only to discover the fridge door wide open and a trail of packaging leading to my bedroom. All three of them had pretty much emptied the fridge of all proteins (limp vegies rejected) but I'm pretty sure it was Stussy who led the attack. There wasn't a lot in there and luckily nothing that is harmful to dogs. I don't know whether I left the fridge door open accidentally or one of them has learnt some tricks from Stan. It was hard to chastise them for something already done so I just picked up the packages and Tupperware and left them to sleep off their binge on my bed. I think it is the first time we've had group naughtiness too. Note to self - if it is too quiet or they are acting strange you just know they are up to mischief! Hit me with your stories so I don't feel so bad!

Hello beautiful!

Are you for real? You started a public pissing contest over a case of mistaken identity and make a bullshit statement about why people go around trying to destroy others when that is exactly what you were doing? I hope you have personally apologised to Kylie directly and I think you should also add an apology and explanation in the other thread so everyone is clear. This is exactly the kind of behaviour that stopped the council and ranger from wanting to work with rescue in the first place. Imagine if they had read these threads and pulled the plug on the idea for being too much of a hassle. You may not agree with everything Kylie and her group might do at Cowra pound but she deserves your respect for being the only one to achieve something positive for the dogs out there.

Where's the like button!

Well these are cool! Are you also waiting for your adult colouring book to arrive?

I'm another really excited to see a rescue group with a sound history now able to work with this council. It's all about the animals and already there are dogs benefitting from the new relationship. Obviously GDR/SAS has been working behind the scenes during the recent social media campaign and they deserve a pat on the back for achieving (discreetly) what no-one else has. Lets not eff it up for Kylie and GDR/SAS with he said she said stuff because it will be the animals who suffer when council closes the pound door in everyone's faces again. I suspect this is going to be a very transparent operation anyway and concerns can be raised constructively and responded to with facts. The changes might be small and hard fought right now but over time hopefully a good working relationship can be embedded so working with rescue is never again a dirty word at this pound and council.

Hey, cute AND warm is what I'm all about!

YAY! I'm so very, very happy with this news!

Yep, you need to get rid of the plant in pic number 2. My pei developed a contact rash on her throat maybe a year ago and we had to identify and pull out all potential suspects (including the plant in pic number 2) but discovered it was a bromeliad in a pot she liked to drink rainwater from. It had drooped down and she leaned her neck on it when she drank. Brom gone and problem gone. So if you have any of those you might want to shift them to a part of the yard your dog can't get to as well. Also search calendula tea rinse here on DOL and you will find something that will soothe that poor skin.

Tempeh has loads of funny routines but it is Stussy's who makes my heart melt. When she was a pup I used to let her lie on my chest while I watched tv and as she grew she kept kind of doing it. I lie on the lounge watching tv at night propped up against loads of pillows. Stussy now lies in between my legs with the top half of her body draped over my right groin. She likes to drop her head back against my belly and look at me while I rub her face and ears. It is terribly uncomfortable for me (possibly for her too) and it looks a little like I'm giving birth to her but I still love it when she lies there and looks at me with her eyes rolling back in her skull with delight. Her other odd habit is she loves having her inner thighs rubbed. She will fling herself against people sitting on the lounge or on the floor with her legs all splayed and will drag their hands down to her nether regions without shame. Her other funny habit is a winter one. Even if she has a coat on she likes to get under the doona and blankets and spoon me. Unlike Tempeh's attempts to spoon which push me out of bed, Stussy can contort within small spaces and seemingly not even need oxygen. She crawls out if she gets too hot then just burrows her way back in again. I sleep through the whole thing usually.

Looks like a mini old English! Very cute! I believe strongly in fate and the delays just meant the right dog wasn't ready for you yet! Everything happens for a reason!

You're right. I saw the red near the eye and on the ears as a sign that perhaps there was some damage in those areas consistent with a dog fight but like you I can only see one actual puncture near the groin area. If they are wounds on the face they are certainly not fatal looking and more like grazes. A lot of blood seems to be pooling under the chin area so I assumed if it was a dog attack (and I'm still not sure about that) then the fatal wounds were shielded from view and on the underside or other side of the dog. However it happened it is sad that it died from some kind of trauma. Cryptic, do you have a rough idea of how many dogs and cats they might generally have impounded at any given time? And do you have any idea of how much time the ranger might spend there on a daily basis? Is his office there? Does he do his paperwork there or at council chambers or at the refuse office? I guess I was just thinking that if there are only ever a small handful of impounded animals (ie under 10) then cleaning and feeding would not take up a significant amount of time if they needed a volunteer or to hire a casual to do it. One of my ongoing concerns has been around injured, old, very young or whelping animals being left without monitoring for extended periods of time, particularly as it does get down around freezing in that area. I sincerely hope the investigation might open council up to looking at a better way of managing this facility, possibly doing some upgrades and definitely recruiting volunteers to do the work paid staff can't. And if nothing changes I hope residents who have genuine concerns will continue to keep social media informed until public pressure forces the council's hand.

Anne there were definitely pics of the dead dog's face showing the wounds. Have a look at this link if you want to see the face but be warned - it is graphic. https://www.change.org/p/councillor-councillor-judi-smith-deputy-mayor-cowra-council-nsw-council-cowra-nsw-gov-au-stop-the-unethical-treatment-of-dogs-and-cats-impounded-in-cowra-council-facility?recruiter=83480938&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Maddy I used to volunteer and clean at an older RSPCA facility (puppies and adult dogs) so I'm familiar with what you can put in brick, concrete and metal pens that is both safe, comfortable and can withstand boredom. I know it is tricky, particularly temperature control, but there are options if a council is interested and upgrades could be staged to keep costs at a minimum. They don't need to reinvent the wheel either - there are plenty of other shelters who had the same problems and who have come up with alternatives and solutions. I appreciate a pound is not a home but it still has a public responsibility for the animals in its care so some minimum standards should still be expected, particularly as it was built with and is run using public monies.

What have I not told the truth about? It might be usual for ranger's to be fining people re animals but parking fines and security guard duties too? Is there no-one else who can do those tasks? And his contract salary would be a matter of public record. I am personally glad that an investigation has been carried out and that the outcomes were acceptable but I still think there is an issue with how that pound is manned and lots of people seem to have witnessed (and photographed) some inadequacies over an extended period of time that could be addressed by more onsite man hours. I'm not saying that ranger needs to work more or differently but what about a casual kennel hand for cleaning and feeding once a day? Or what about them recruiting volunteers they can work with if they can't afford to employ a casual? I don't think these are radical ideas if they take their responsibility to the animals in their care seriously. So I guess time will tell now if things continue along the same or council use this as an opportunity for change.