Little Gifts

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.

Isn't it the case that council have excluded working with rescue groups or volunteers for an extensive period of time, like forever? I'm sorry Wreckit but I disagree with pretty much everything you have written, and I am saying that as a person who has had positive dealings with the ranger. The council has caused these problems for themselves. They continue to ignore any concerns raised over the years or offers of help and it has resulted in this. They have a well paid ranger doing several other tasks and prioritising revenue raising over basic care of the animals at the facility. They charge people a daily fee for the care of those animals. If you were to do a home assessment for a potential adopter and find faeces, minimal water, no bedding in freezing conditions and open tins of food lying around would you consider that adequate? I suspect all rescue groups would answer no. So why is it ok for a council pound facility? In some ways shouldn't we hold them to an even higher standard given they are built for purpose? The issue for me is more than the ranger and the dead dog - it is how the facility is being run and maintained and how that leads to the inadequate care of any animals held there. Why is the ranger the only person caring for the animals? He can't be expected to be there 24/7 and do the rest of his job adequately. I can only imagine what happens to sick or injured dogs that come in if no-one is on the premises regularly monitoring the animals there. So lets take individuals out of this scenario and see if the issues still exist. I think they do and this is probably not the only pound it would apply to, it just happens to be the one under fire at present.

Front page news in our local paper yesterday that the new Logan track is no longer going ahead. I do feel bad that all the crappy breeders, trainers and owners have ruined it for those who do care about their dogs.

I thought there used to be an add that scrolled across the top of the page? Anyway I've told her about Petstock and she can go check them out. I've also told her to get human panty liners instead of pet store ones. Even though I've said on my LG page that I'm not doing coats now I'm back working I've had 11 requests in less than a week from past customers. Hard to say no when you already have the patterns made up. Plus I guess it helps get rid of some of the fleece fabric taking over my sewing room!

A customer who ordered peijays off me last year wants more this year for a new dog but also asked me about bitches britches. I don't make them and have never even seen a pair in real life but I thought perhaps we either have a DOLer who does or someone on here can recommend a commercial supplier's info for me to pass on? I'm happy if people just want to PM me the info. I guess I'd love to see another DOLer selling their wares get a new customer if possible! Thanks in advance!

What the hell? Creepy AND funny looking! Plus easy to make I reckon!

Weird how the deceased dog was wet all over from a leaking tap. This is just getting more suspicious as the days go on.

Some big changes here in QLD today after the response to the final report into the industry was made in state parliament today. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-02/greyhound-live-baiting-queensland-racing-boards-abolished/6514112

Bargain!

Yep, that lady makes animal activists just look like psychos! At least a review is happening and perhaps they might include consideration of the ranger's duties so he splits his time between doing call outs and managing the pound rather than the other odd jobs he does for council. I'm not sure giving out parking fines should be a bigger priority than ensuring the animals have food, water and clean and weather suitable housing. Especially given most councils (including this one) charge people for the number of days a dog is impounded. You would assume this is to cover cleaning and food.

I also think it is a great idea and they have made the content look fun. My thought is that if people do this and find they get positive results with their dog it might encourage them to do more training and be suitable responsive to any issues that might arise in the future - seeking help rather than giving up.

I just saw these and had to share them with you in case the need to dress up Neko ever arose!

I just had a very interesting phone conversation with my sister. This ranger is on about $150,000 a year. His job includes issuing parking fines, acting as a security guard at council evening meetings and being a council rep in court for local matters. This is on top of being a ranger for a fairly large geographical area. He attended their eviction from the farm with several marshals. After they had been forced off their farm he located and removed the working dogs on the basis that they had been evicted and had 'abandoned' them. This would've all occurred within a matter of hours, not days or weeks. The animals were not listed on the eviction order and my sister and her husband were able to seek approval to return to the property post eviction and could have retrieved them (as could other people) so technically they weren't abandoned. Still, I think he helped them out and gave them their only option at a very difficult time so I remain grateful for that. Apparently the two maremma had lost weight and were filthy when they picked them up about a month after he had removed them from the farm. The pen they were in at the time of pick up was only just large enough for both of them and one of the dogs ran off to roll in the grass and just be in the open at the first opportunity so they were worried they had been caged for all the weeks he was caring for them. They had to sign a document saying they were returned in acceptable condition and given everything else going on they did. He advised them he could rehome one of the dogs - a young purebred kelpie hubby had trained to work on the farm and they let him do so, again because of their circumstances. He led them to believe it would be going to another farm. Wouldn't it be a kicker if he had kept this dog for himself and it was the deceased one in the photo? That would make me really mad, taking advantage of them like that. My sister is going to ask hubby when he gets home what colour the dog was and what markings it had as she can no longer remember. And I've now seen two different petitions with two different pics of the deceased dog. One is a close up of the dead dog. In the other you can see the supposed aggressive dog being touched/held on the face by someone on the other side of a fence run and it is not wet like the dead dog shielded behind it. It seems really weird as it looks quite calm, the tail is down between its legs and there is no blood on it. It doesn't really look much like a bull mastiff to me either - maybe another dog was loose (even though all the pen doors look closed)? Maybe they hosed the injured dog to check which wounds were bleeding the worst before realising it had passed? I'm feeling all suspicious now.

I agree. Me, too. The high-lighted bit reminded me of Tibbies .... 'What's the point of this?' and 'What's in it for me?' If Tibbies figure an answer for both.... they're the most cooperative dogs. If they figure 'None' and 'Nothing', you have Buckley's chance. But I like this trait because they have a mind of their own... and they don't give it away lightly. I've learned to trust our Tibs' point of view. I read that breeds from Tibet have this trait.... even the horses. In a harsh, dangerous land, survival depends on making your own fast decisions, whether you're a human, dog or horse. Like, the horses invariably 'feel' rock slides etc before their rider, so the humans trust their responses. I don't know how true it is ... but I was told that this independence of mind is also found in other eastern breeds. I definitely think this could also relate to pei and chows. They were all originally bred for similar purposes and it makes a lot of sense to me now I see it in black and white. They have to be free thinkers for survival purposes and to do their jobs. I see Tempeh's mind ticking over all the time while our other dogs just 'see and respond'. And her ears are constantly doing 360's listening to everything, even while she is resting. But it is still her who decides what is important and what is not - she has her own yardstick!

And that would make sense why a recently deceased dog is lying wet with blood pooling under it where people can see it. They may have tried to hose them apart without success. One story also said the dog that did the killing was still loose on the premises when the dead dog was photographed. It also matches in with why tinned food would be on the floor and the cage had faeces in it - not easy to work with a dog if it was that aggressive. So I feel sorry for the ranger because that does sound like a true story to me and not a normal occurrence. But I've heard other things about the ranger services and how the facility operates and I think there are some funding issues that need to be addressed. Nothing will change unless that council is pushed publicly to address it.

My sister lives in that area and was actually a councillor for a short period because there are some very long term issues with that council and how they spend public monies. So I do have some inside stories. I have also heard many third hand stories about the ranger from that council not being a very nice man. He has been in the job quite a while. BUT, a couple of years ago when my sister and her husband lost their farm he was there with the marshalls and seized all their working and house yard dogs. The dogs had been hidden in some remote, unused sheds on the property and the plan was that friends would go back and get them that night, but that was not to be. My sister and her husband were homeless for a bit so I was in contact with authorities trying to help out from up here. The RSPCA actually threatened to charge them with neglect about the goats and sheep that couldn't be moved (they were due to kid/lamb) but that ranger was great. He stayed in contact with me, he cared for four or five dogs without charging and he did so for several weeks until my sister and her hubby were able to make other arrangements for them (thanks to Andrea for taking on the maremmas!). If they were neglected then I know my sister would've mentioned something to me about the condition when she retrieved them so I have to assume they were fine. Remember, I am talking working dogs and not indoor fluffies. So while I believe there have been other concerns for how this ranger goes about his business and how the impounds are cared for I also know he is capable of concern for animals and owners in genuine need. Given the other issues with this council I wonder what instruction or funding he is given to do all the jobs allocated to his position for such a large geographic area. So I have signed the petition on the basis that it is going to council and not the ranger and council is responsible for adequately funding and running the pound facility (not the ranger). If the petition results in an investigation and the facility is found lacking then it needs to be rectified by council. Tapua is also from that area and may come in and comment on her experiences. I'd like to also add that while the Cowra Guardian does print articles and letters about rate payers issues with that council and the councillors (most are long standing) it also has an inside source and has been caught out printing internal gossip only known to council members. I'm not confident they are that unbiased when it suits them.

I feel like because Tempeh (shar pei) chose me as her person she trusts me implicitly even when she's scared. She loves my sister too and adores my mum but if something she hates needs to be done (ie an ear clean) it is me who she will submit to. Sure she goes stiff like a statue but she stays engaged. But on the other side of things we have her stubbornness. We use NILIF and other behavioural techniques because she has a lot of quirks that need managing. So something simple like making her sit for treats and her breakfast or dinner becomes a battle of wills. I give her the sit command and she makes a half arsed attempt. I give it to her again and she gives me a questioning noise and slight dip. I say it again and she takes a solid stance and paws me. The other dogs are dribbling and giving her death stares. She's looking at me like what the hell's wrong with you, give me my treat already! I can see her thinking she gave me a stupid sit in response to a pointless command - why fully sit when she likes to eat standing up? As she was initially a foster she did her training in a group setting and learnt a lot (and quickly) by following what our other dogs did when given commands. She is not in to tricks (she can't seem to see the point) but is a natural at agility. I never feel like she wants to please me and I never feel like she is motivated by anything in particular. But in reality I am her safety blanket so I know on some level she must consider me important! Most of the time I only feel one step ahead of her shenanigans. Damn smart dogs!

Shar pei are well known for their stubbornness. They are a smart dog so pick up commands quickly but then like to decide whether they want to do them or not. They also tend to choose who they like (as opposed to say my sbt who loves everyone and everything and just wants the same in return). Some pei have no interest in other people or other dogs either. I've been at peinics with maybe two dozen pei who don't know each other and yet there were no fights because the pei were really only interested in what their people were doing. I've also had pei who don't know each other all crowded around me for treats without anything kicking off. Here's just one example from my time fostering the breed. I had an adult male who constantly refused to do as he was told only in regards to being on my bed. It was a regular battle of wills. I would command him to get off and he would ignore me. I would push him off and he would get straight back on. He just pretended I wasn't there. Every room I tried to confine him to he ate the beds and the door frames. A can't remember now why I didn't crate train him but there was obviously a reason as all the others were. Yet once on the bed he was as quiet as a mouse and there were nights when I just gave up so I could get some sleep. Some people came to meet him and he turned on the charm and they adopted him. They lived in a two storey townhouse and decided he would sleep downstairs on a dog bed. I told them my concerns but right from the first night he slept on his bed in the lounge room. They never heard him come upstairs during the night and he never tried to get on their bed. Even when they were home he never tried to even come into their room. Eventually they decided to let him on their bed for cuddles but only at their invitation. Last I heard he had never abused their trust in him. This is because what they want is important to him and his relationship with them. He didn't want the same relationship with me. They are not recommended as dogs for newbies because those cute bundles of rolls can grow into strong bodied and strong willed teenagers.

I'm still shocked at how much like sbt's shar pei can be. They love zoomies, bitey face, do full body wriggles of happiness, like to hold conversations with you, treat stairs like flight launching pads, give kisses and basically love their humans to pieces. I actually thought pei would be sloth like given all their wrinkles and skin but they can be very agile and playful. And naughty!