Little Gifts

My old girl was tough and could handle the rain but she had dementia and would get it all wrong. As long as her head was out the back door she thought it was ok to go. My carpet has never recovered. Two of my dogs now would rather have a catheter inserted than go outside when that acid stuff is falling. Tempeh also likes to toilet on concrete and unfortunately one section is on a slope. She often does one of her mega pees the wrong way round and ends up with warm front feet. I laugh of course.

He just oozes gorgeous! I can't wait till his ears take on a life of their own!

Oh I hope there is a cure for Rocky! Thank you Nekhbet!

I think it is fairly obvious from my comments that I don't know any staff. If I did I would still have a lot of questions for them. There have been concerns raised about LDH for many years and many of those concerns relate to the actions or inactions of employees, not management. If you know someone who works there who has been trying to effect change my hat's off to them because I don't know how they can work somewhere like that on a day to day basis. I still believe there is evidence it is more than just a management problem and I still think they are wrong to consider their work coming under the animal welfare banner and garnering donations as such.

Oh my dog! All the stories on that site! So many lies! Who are the people who run and work at this place? There is something very wrong with all of them! Not everyone who worked/works there is a horrible person ffs. Lets focus on management. Can you honestly tell me that you could work there under that management and undertake the work as instructed and beg for donations whilst knowing most dogs were simply pts? Did you read the stories about the most simplest of processes to reunite dogs with owners not being undertaken by staff? A multi level problem exists there. Get serious. There are lots of things we no longer do as a society because we have learned how to do it better. Anyone who worked or works there who wasn't fighting for change or speaking out is part of the problem. I'm not saying they should be convicted of a crime for following orders but how dare they pretend they were part of the animal welfare continuum. It's not good enough.

Oh my dog! All the stories on that site! So many lies! Who are the people who run and work at this place? There is something very wrong with all of them!

Thanks for finding it LT - I looked in rescue but didn't see it there. Got my story a bit wrong but it was still LDH.

Was LDH also involved in a case last year where and old man in an agitated state surrendered his dog and when his daughters went to claim it back they found out it had already been pts? I think the man had alzhiemers and the daughters had rung while the dog was still alive only to be told it wasn't there, but when they kept looking for the dog they found out it was but had been pts after their initial phone call. I looked but couldn't find the original story.

Yes but the dog was desexed, vaccinated, chipped etc so I thought it was a fair price. I have to confess that I find it strange that one rescue group (usually a larger, wealthier group) charges another rescue group (usually a smaller, poorer one) to rehome a dog for it. I'm sure it happens but it just doesn't seem right, especially when one of those rescue groups is contracted and funded to undertake the work in the first place. Sort of double dipping. For the sake of any homeless dogs I hope the truth is uncovered and any necessary changes are made. And just because a dog is going to be pts it is not acceptable for any animal welfare organisation to treat them inhumanely during the time they are in their care. May anyone found guilty of doing this rot in the pits of their own personal version of hell for eternity.

I'm only ever concerned about people who have undesexed dogs who are careless and clueless. Gee, I can't believe my in season bitch got out of the yard! And oh my dog I can't believe my dog is pregnant - she only got out of the yard once! I'm sure she'll have such beautiful puppies and it's good to have at least one litter, right? But I would only ever comment if behavioural concerns were raised by the owner. I'd share some realities I knew they mightn't like the sound of to get them thinking. The decision is still theirs. My sister only got her dog desexed last month at 11.5 because she'd developed pyometra. She always had irrational fears of her dog having surgery but to go with that her dog was always securely maintained during her seasons so there was never a risk of pregnancy. She made a choice and she managed it until it compromised the ongoing health of her dog. You can't expect a responsible owner to do much more than that.

You could check out the Aussie House Sitters website. You could also check out the MDBA Award nominees for the last couple of years and see if anyone from SA has been nominated - could be worth a follow up. As an aside, I've house sat for breeders and if you have the right person you should be able to safely leave your cats in their care too. The right house sitter is there for your animals - to meet their varied needs as the first priority, not to simply have a little holiday themselves. We've had discussions here on DOL before about things some house sitters refuse to do, which bugs me no end. It is actually not hard at all to continue a routine a dog or a cat is used to - where they sleep, how they are exercised, what they eat and when. I would hope that a good house sitter costs you far less than $2200 for all three animals.

Our pei talks all the time (the Queen of deep sighs too), as does the husky/shep mix (husky noises) but my poor sbt has no talking skills. The best she can manage is some high octave trills at the end of a yawn. She only does them out of desperation when she is uber excited and has to share it verbally somehow.

I use one of those small collapsible bowls and mine just attaches by a carabiner to my doggy walking belt. Depending on which doggy belt I'm using my water bottle is either in a spot on the belt or in a bottle carrier that just loops around my shoulder so I can be hands free. The same bottle waters me and fills the dogs bowl and if we run out I just top up at a tap. Just adding that the bottle carriers I use suit big and small water bottles and they have been purchased at camping supply shops over the years. I have several different varieties.

I never understood what a heart dog was until I got one. I've loved every single dog that has come into my life but around 7 years ago this terribly naughty little pied sbt came to stay with me temporarily and I just felt this unconditional love from her, like I was her whole world and that her life was not complete unless I was by her side. I got bedridden sick not long after she came here and even as a puppy she seemed to know. She didn't whine about a lack of attention or misbehave but adjusted herself around me. She would bring me her favourite toy and lay it on my chest to cheer me up. She seemed to know when I needed her touching for comfort or when I needed to just have her within arms reach. She has always seemed to be able to tell when crazy play is ok. Even when I shattered my wrist a couple of years back she lay by me but was never in the way, like she knew where I hurt. She was incredibly destructive for her first three years but never once have I hated that about her or been really angry with her. She does have an aspect of her personality that makes me sad or disappointed when it shows but I consider it is up to me to manage her triggers because they are breed related. She is a dog that pretty much loves everyone and everything. She is oozing joy 24/7, which is hard not to love! I think I was most proudest of her when we were fostering - she was so nurturing of the most damaged dogs and helped them find confidence and happiness again. I saw a whole different side to her. So for me I see her 'love' in how attuned she is to me, which naturally started pretty much when she arrived and wasn't something I trained her to do. I should add she is also like this with other people. If my sister is having a hard time she will sleep with her, and has a way of just letting me know that she's not ignoring me but feels she is needed elsewhere. And she has never exhibited any jealousy over my interactions with other dogs either. She's an excellent sharer!

I love the one of Sid's bottom underwater! (Well I think that is his name?)

Tempeh is not much of a smiler and given her extra skin it is not real easy to see when she is anyway. But a friend caught this pic of her clearly in a treat induced heaven that makes me laugh every time I see it.

My heart girl Stussy. She smiles a lot. She makes me smile even more.

Is your girl desexed? I ask this because my sister's husky/shep (almost 12) wasn't and she was pretty much doing all the things you mentioned (but was barking more). She went to the vets a few times for it last year and was prescribed vivitonin but some things didn't really change. Anyway just before Christmas last year I noticed a discharge and told my sister to take her to the vet. She ended up having emergency surgery for pyometra. Until we saw that discharge we had no idea she was having that kind of problem but we were warned by our vet she could be susceptible to it after she had a bladder infection early last year. Lucky find on our part given she has the world's furriest girl bits. She recovered well from the infection and surgery and we no longer have any of the dementia symptoms. Our dogs can't tell us what is wrong so when their behaviours change we have to consider there is a reason behind it rather than automatically put it down to old age.

But what a life he had in those 7 months! Galah's are so inquisitive and he got to explore a whole new world with you and be part of an eclectic 'flock'! I know you were expecting to have him for years and fate had other plans but try and remember all the brilliant things about him because it was clearly brilliant sharing your lives with him. Fly free now Henry.

My mum keeps chooks - silky bantams and frizzle types which spend their days being clucky rather than laying teensy eensy eggs. But she has an animal hating neighbour and he complained to the council because.....wait for it......some of their feathers blew onto his driveway between the dividing fence.

I thought of that but even if they weren't crate trained, in the event of an emergency they would probably end up in one for a few hours while being transported. I guess I was trying to think of a solution that acknowledged the need to be prepared for fire season and shared the responsibility for that between the kennel and pet owner given the pet owner is choosing to use a kennel that could be in an evac area. The kennel owner would be responsible for moving the dog to safety so why shouldn't the owner provide the cage/carrier it gets moved in? And I'm assuming owner's would be warned in advance of the need to supply an evac crate. There would have to be a transitional period. And you will always get an animal who turns up without one.

This is simply an idea. To reduce costs to the kennel in a fire prone area would it be possible to ask every owner to supply a suitable crate that could be used in the event of an evac when they drop off their pet? And if new kennels are being built or old ones renovated could there be high shelf storage in every single kennel and these crates be put there so they are quickly accessible for each and every dog? I can't imagine staff having to drag crates from storage that may not have been used in eons and dragging them in to runs might cause some dogs to spook. I suggest this idea because many people choose kennels where they feel their dog is safe and cared for to certain standards rather than just for cost or location. If I used a kennel regularly/annually and was really happy with the service then this requirement would be fine by me. In fact it would seem sensible. Crates remain the property of the pet owner and so storage and maintenance is not an issue for the kennel owner. They would have to be clear about crate type as it would be no good if people tried to use cardboard cat carriers. And perhaps they are only a requirement in high fire danger periods. Why shouldn't a kennel owner ask a pet owner to share some of the responsibility?

What breed or mix is this cutie pie? Can I see a brachy snozz there? I hope her skin keeps improving and yes, we will be needing more photos!

You can always tell what time it is by Tempeh who must be fed by 7am, 5.30pm and a late night snack at 11pm. First she starts with the question mark noises about half an hour before("Mummy, are you paying attention to the clock?"). AS time ticks on we get nibbles, then your whole hand disappears in her mouth and she makes gnawing noises for good measure, then she claws at you with her paws to get your hands away from whatever you are doing and the noises and general carry on increase right through until the food is on the ground. It's really quite a spectacle. If I'm still in bed she will sit on me and still do all these things which would make me laugh except if I'm still in bed it means my sister is up and should be the one getting attacked. But in Tempeh's mind I am the food provider worth hassling for breakfast and dinner. And in Tempeh's quirky mind it is my sister's job to provide the late night snack so she only gets hassled for that. I could go into the laundry and rummage in the snack area and Tempeh would still be chewing on my sister's hand. She is odd.

Such a terrible outcome for both dogs. The foster carer and new owners must be devastated. RIP Millie and Megsy. It just wasn't meant to be.