Little Gifts

Here is a hypothetical. Has anyone from the rescue world gone to get a rescue bitch desexed only to find she already has been? I'm only asking because I have never heard it happening before and I'm thinking if ear tattoos weren't mandatory this would be an issue that crops up. Not all rescue dogs come with vet history and I've seen plenty of bitch bellies where no scar is visible if they were desexed a long time ago or (like my girl Tempeh) the vet is an artiste! Obviously it is different with boys - saggy sacks and lack of training wheels are easier to look for than scars or tattoos!

Ummmmmm.....I WAS by myself, and it was a fight between two bull breed dogs. Wheelbarrow is essentially useless and I would NEVER do it again. As for throwing the dog....two bull breeds....you'd be throwing TWO dogs!! This is why I have to use the towel idea and get as forceful as I can on the back end to kind of off balance steer a dog away. I am not tall enough to get enough up leverage (or flinging leverage!) for a true wheelbarrow and rely on that split second when one dog needs to loosen its jaw to regrip to get them apart. Keeping them apart can be the next challenge. I hope most people never have to experience this anyway.

I have a technique of grabbing a towel and dropping it around the face/eyes and snout of the aggressor and during the fray it can distract that dog long enough that they let go temporarily or end up with towel in their mouth when they are trying to get a better grip I use the opportunity to drag them away by their back legs (wheelbarrowing). The non-aggressor or less aggressor can use the opportunity to escape. Even better if you have two people, once the aggressor loosens grip or lets go for that nano-second, if one person pulls the dog back the other can wrap the towel (or another towel) around their eyes and jaw so no-one can accidentally get bitten and even if that dog gets close to the other again it is hindered in being able to latch on again. I've also used wet towels and they are heavier and work slightly better. Of course this only works if you have a towel handy. In my backyard we always have at least one draped somewhere because we keep stuff like that available for toad spits or just cleaning up dirty dogs paws before they run in the house. So for us, if we heard a skirmish in the yard we would run out the door, grab a towel, dunk it in one of the dogs water bowls and be there at the fight within seconds all prepared. I also tend to have at least a hand towel (and water) with me on walks so it would also work to a degree if an unknown dog went for one of mine in public. Having broken up a couple of fights over the years one thing I have to remember is to grip the back legs harder (I find tail lifting too hard) and not be afraid of being rougher with the dogs when it counts. My adrenalin shoots through the roof and I tend to collapse afterwards, totally zapped of all energy and I think it also muddles my thinking a little. Instead of focussing on wounds and who has who and what happened (all the emotionally distressing and draining stuff), I need to simply focus on separation and be more determined to make that physically happen, worrying about what I will find after that is done.

I was once told by the owner of a pet shop that sells puppies and kittens that I could tell a puppy was a pure shar pei because it had a black tongue. She was manhandling that pup and it was terrified. This was not very long before I started fostering the breed and can confidently say now it was a cross, a terrified cross. That particular pet shop is gone now. It took local whoopsie litters so was only selling them for no more than $850. But the huge pet shop in a shopping centre up the road never sells anything for less than $1200. I can walk past a window full of pups and pass it again several hours later and half those pups are already sold. It shocks me the money people will spend on a pup of unknown origin and a purchase without/with limited pre-planning. I'm sure they also buy leads and beds and toys while in the shop then probably toddle off to Coles to buy the cheapest food they can for it because they have already 'spoiled the puppy' buying it expensive accessories. The prices of dogs through a breeder or rescue are so much more affordable AND you get so much more with the dog, including support for your questions or concerns. I've given up trying to understand the mentality behind why people randomly buy such expensive dogs from pet shops.

I was going to suggest K9 Angel as being the Queen of Doggy Birthdays but as she's already involved I'm sure she has already shared her wisdom with you! If there are kids there and any of the dogs do tricks or do dress up you could have games such as Best Trick or a Fashion Parade with the kids doing it? It would keep them amused too and with treats on offer the doggy guests are bound to enjoy it! If there wont be many kids the other alternative is to make the whole party open to prizes and let the invited guests know awards will be given to best dressed dog, best trick, happiest dog, best behaved, etc. I was at a baby shower on the weekend and had a blast. The only kids who came wore cute aprons and were the help for everything - handing out and picking up stuff, including food. As the centre of attention that kept them part of things but not distracting to the adult guests. A couple of games that were good included using play doh to make a baby and the mother to be picked the best and worst (I got worst as I didn't get any limbs on it in the time set). You could use edible dough, get them to create a likeness of Miah and Miah gets to pick her favourite. We each got a baby pin when we arrived and if we heard anyone other than the hostess or mother to be say 'baby' we could take their pin. The person with the most at the end wins a prize. Another one was we got handed out a sheet of animal names and had to write down what their babies names were ie - echidna/puggle, fish/fry. Another was a whole heap of baby words that were scrambled and you had to put them in the right order. It was harder than it sounds! Another had lines from kids nursery rhymes on it and you had to write the title down. You could do all those with a dog theme - use songs with the word dog in it for the nursery rhyme one. You could have a guess Miah's weight contest too. I know these are for adults/humans but if the humans are having fun then the dogs will be too!

MUP the kelpie is a papered dog, it is young and is shaping up well from what my sister has told me. She is going to contact the breeder. The other 2 have been working the property for a while and are older dogs. One of them is a little hard to handle. She has some contacts for these she is following up but I'll let you know if things don't pan out. Andrea is taking the 2 maremma (THANK YOU, THANK YOU!). I didn't realise it but the 2 maremma are getting on in age. I last saw them a year ago and for 2 outside dogs they look and act nothing like their age. Not sure how they are fairing without their human and livestock family though. If anyone on here saw 2 old maremma looking for new homes they'd be wishing harm on the owners but this experience has helped me realise that we can never really know the background on some dogs and why they have ended up in need. No-one in my family has ever had to give up any animal they owned and in fact, when we were kids, our parents ran an animal park and took in anything that needed rehabilitation. We also lived near the ocean so could have foxes with missing legs in one pen and oil covered penguins in another as well as donkeys and horses and pidgeons and dogs and any other 'pets' that no-one else wanted. My sister and her hubby have been farming for over 40 years, one of her kids has also run their own farm for about 10 years and my parents also had a large cattle farm at one point. So despite all the animals that have been in our lives over all these years, this is the first time we've needed outside help for something of our own, so it is sad. Things can and do change for people over the course of their lives.

Don't know Rozzie but will suggest it to my sister. Should've thought of it myself!

Thanks for letting me know Koala as it helps me look at other options instead given you guys are backed up.

Their FB pages are just for their volunteers. I couldn't find a general one (although I only searched awdri and not 'working dogs'). Thanks MUP - I will pm Koala.

I'm trying to get hold of someone from AWDRI urgently for advice relating to three working dogs currently in Cowra NSW. I have contacted through the website a second time but my first message was over week ago and no response so I can't wait another week to hear back from someone. One of the working dogs is a young, papered kelpie who is showing great promise. The other two are older dogs, a german koolie and a collie/kelpie cross. Whilst the dogs were initially going back with their owners (my sister and her hubby) more legal attacks are happening and it is looking likely they will not be able to own anything again without fear of losing it all again so they are having to seriously rethink their future as farmers. Andrea, if you read this my sister may be contacting you soon re surrendering the maremmas. She's feeling crushed about it. I'm also pursuing other suggestions (again) about the goats and remaining couple of sheep.

They have taught me to enjoy the little things, live in the moment and that it is ok not to like every other person from the same species that you come across. It was Stussy's 6th b'day this week and I said something like she never lets me go to bed feeling alone and never lets me wake up feeling unloved. I hope I make her feel the same!

It was a small, local disaster group who organised rescue, temp care and then food drops to abandoned animals when the Bundy floods happened. I want to smack council and the RSPCA when that occurs because it is those organisations that have the infrastructure and physical resources but only the smaller, local groups that seem to bust their balls and spring into action when it is needed. We need to turn that around as the issue of pets and livestock is a major reason why some people don't leave their properties during and post a disaster.

I've watched and read your thread, always through tears and I don't think I've posted before now because what is there to say? Dogs love us unconditionally and you know, if you were terminally ill and in great pain your dog would (if she could) end it for you and bear the loss and sadness that went with that life changing decision. You did for Roo what she would've selflessly done for you if it was needed. There is no greater sacrifice, no greater declaration of acceptance and love than that. I know it is not the same but for quite a while my life and this household revolved around the needs of my almost 17 year old SBT. It took me months after we had her pts to settle into a new routine without thinking. A great burden of care was lifted but there was a hole left behind. It was almost 12 months before I was able to go back to thinking about having another dog in the house (back to fostering) and once I made the decision I had the most unsettling dream involving my old girl and both of us dying. I still can't bear to analyse it and work out what it means as it was the last time I got to see her and I still can't move on from that part of it. It is now over two years since she has gone but there are reminders of her in pretty much every room in this house. I'm happy with it like this and would probably hyperventilate if anything was moved or went missing. In effect she is still in my life everyday this way. I will never know if I ended her time a little too early but I know for an absolute fact that if I had ended it too late, with her suffering needlessly and me not being there to help, then I would never, ever have forgiven myself. You could be the same - you had to make a decision to save Roo from something unknown in her future that may have been far worse. Don't beat yourself up (too much) for making that sacrifice. XXX

I'm waiting for a response from my BFR contact.

Griff I am desperate to get some goodies made by this lady and have a friend coming to photograph my bubbas this weekend for me as I have no good photos. So excited you got something done too and are happy with it!

No takers yet? Unfortunately all the Peiradise peibes are on a different diet but I can check if BFR could use it? There is normally a couple of BFR peeps on here and I thought they would snap it up. Want me to check in with them and see if they can use it? I can also ask Ams if there is a smaller local group who could benefit.

The best news eva! He looks happy to be home whilst a little worse for wear!

Bugger MUP. Just read through the thread, hoping of course he was home by now. Sending 'return to mummy' vibes Mr Huxley's way. Poor bubba.

Thanks Loreley. My sister works in constitutional law so has legal assistance coming out of the wazoo. I was just surprised at the RSPCA's position on things. They were fighting the eviction right until they were forced off (wont go into the reasons) and the inspector made out they had been negligent in not organising somewhere earlier for the goats. But as the goats are in kid moving them by vehicle is problematic. They managed to move every other animal somewhere safe, right down to chickens but just couldn't find somewhere safe for the goats and dogs and were hoping they wouldn't even have to leave. They have a farm now and can start emptying the farm house out tomorrow, giving it a clean and then they can move themselves in. The goats will be able to be droved across to the new place. The ranger still has the dogs. It has gone better than expected.

Don't mean that either Mini - just cheesed off that one case has attracted so much enforcement attention, probably due to publicity and public outcry. If they have excessive manpower for this then why don't they have it for some of the other ongoing cases involving puppy farms and the like? Why don't they respond en masse when we express outrage about those? Is it because it isn't so visible? The money in manpower alone that has gone into this case already could've achieved so much for so many more dogs in need and it could've also ensured these particular dogs were vetworked and safe rather than just talking about it. I bet that will still fall down to rescue, while others claim pats on the back for it. I know the system doesn't work like I wish it did. I'm just being a moaner. I truly wish these dogs and puppies well but am struggling to let go of the hypocrisy of the overall system regarding animal abuse and neglect in general. Maybe we should take all these damaged souls currently in rescue into our respective CBD's and something might change? Maybe we should show and shock the public so they can see in the flesh how bad it can get for some animals? I wonder are people getting immune to looking at graphic images on their computers, TV's and phones? Maybe they need to see it in real life to take a stand and express their dissatisfaction so police, council and RSPCA will act? Maybe that is what has happened here and we can learn from it? Mind you, if rescue took a bunch of damaged dogs into their CBD's to share a few home truths with the public they would be pegged as nutters.

I know Aloysha but I just wish they were willing to put this much effort into other bigger ongoing abuse cases that are happening day in and day out too. He's just one man, two adult dogs and one litter of puppies and they still haven't sorted him out either! The amount of resources being wasted and achieving nothing bugs me today. Tomorrow I may not care so much!

I'm sorry but this totally pisses me off! We've got police, council and the RSPCA all involved in a case involving one man and one litter or puppies? Why can't they get this involved and do something about an actual puppy farm which is effecting hundreds of dogs? The salary costs alone in pursuing this one man could've paid to desex the adult dogs, remove, accommodate, vet care and rehome the remaining puppies with a rescue group. More action, less fricking talk.

If Brisbane based people want preservative free treats and to also help out rescue then PM Ams (or me). Ams makes dried chicken necks, dried chicken breast and lamb liver treats - absolutely nothing added and human grade meats used. Great prices compared to what you will spend in shops and on commercial products. I wont give my dogs anything else now (and they love it!).

What happened to him? Almost looks like something has been poured over him and sort of burnt his skin? What I don't understand is why? Who thinks that is funny? And if you have so much anger in you that you can do that to a puppy then you need to hand yourself into a psych ward because it wont be long before you are doing the same to other human beings. And we can shout all we want but why aren't we getting any better as a society? Why is this stuff still happening when the majority of people know it is wrong?

Did you see the Horrible Cards line? Hugging a dragon's gonads was the best!