BarbedWire
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Posts posted by BarbedWire
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Not sure whether to put this in here or in In The News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-24/pet-shop-licensing-laws-in-canberra/11339676
Canberra pet shops face licensing fees as owner calls for focus on online sales
By Tahlia RoyUpdated 25 minutes ago
Alexis Kilby-Luhrs says her pet shop is doing everything right when it comes to animal welfare and stamping out puppy farms.
Key points:
- Animal welfare law changes would see a licensing scheme introduced for pet shops
- Pet shop owner says government should instead focus on online sales of pets
- RSPCA says Canberra pet shops not involved in puppy farming
Belco Pets has worked with animal rescue groups to help find homes for hundreds of dogs and cats, and has not stocked puppies from breeders for many years.
But Ms Kilby-Luhrs could still soon be forced to apply for a licence designed to stop puppy farming — something she says has not been an issue in Canberra pet shops for some time.
"I don't understand the laws and legislation that they're trying to bring in for pet shops because I can't even name one that actually sells puppies and kittens anymore," she said.
"I think a lot of the pet shops are working towards adoption.
"It's not going to stop puppy farms in any shape or form, we've still got puppies being sold on Gumtree, kittens being sold on Gumtree."
Ms Kilby-Luhrs said improperly bred pets were often offloaded online, and that the Government would be better off focusing its efforts there.
She suggested microchipping all puppies bred in the ACT so, if a dog ended up abandoned, its breeder could be held accountable.
Asked why the Government was targeting pet shops with licence fees, Minister for City Services Chris Steel said the move was about ensuring high animal welfare standards.
"These new laws propose to establish a licensing scheme for the first time in the ACT that will enable the Government to have greater powers to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare apply in the ACT", he said.
Larger pet stores 'not a problem': RSPCA
RSPCA ACT chief executive Michelle Robertson said Canberra pet shops had rightly distanced themselves from puppy farms.
"We're very fortunate in the ACT that puppy farming isn't a particularly huge issue," she said.
"The well-known larger pet stores and pet supply stores, we don't see as a problem."
But Ms Robertson said she was supportive of the ACT Government's animal welfare crackdown as a way to deter would-be illegal breeders.
"If we have a very soft regulatory framework, then [puppy farms] could very much become an issue because there'd be nothing to stop people coming from other jurisdictions," she said.
Last year, a Goulburn woman was convicted for animal cruelty after an RSPCA NSW raid turned up 98 dogs in poor physical health.
Most were popular breeds, such as dachshunds, French bulldogs, cocker spaniels, beagles and pugs. They were all surrendered to rescue organisations who set about finding them homes.
Ms Robertson urged pet owners to properly educate themselves about where their puppies are really coming from.
"Educate yourself about the seller," she said.
"Anything online is so difficult to ensure that you actually obtain that animal in an ethical, humane, animal-friendly way."
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When they talk about peas do they mean the green peas in a pod or pulses/ legumes such as chick peas?
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3 hours ago, sandgrubber said:
BTW, don't worry about cuddling your pup when she is seizing. I always did so with mine. She took to coming to me and looking for a cuddle when she felt a seizure coming on.
Mine does this too @sandgrubber
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I think the second one is a seizure but not so sure about the first. Seizures come from a malfunction in the brain (that's my understanding but I am not an expert) and it would probably depend on what part of the brain was malfunctioning. It could only be the part that affects the legs. I have a dog who has had regular seizures since she was eighteen months of age. She is now almost twelve. Your voice in the background made me cry because that is just what I do when my girl seizures. It is horrible to watch and all you can do is love them and wait for it to pass. Cyber hugs to both of you.
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Kelpie DNA study unravels mysterious origins of Australian working dog, but finds no dingo
Posted 51 minutes agoThe Australian kelpie's origins have long been shrouded in mystery, but new genetics research has found some vital answers to the iconic working dog's ancestry.
Key points:
- Research has found no genetic link between dingoes and kelpies
- Kelpies are as "helpful as a farmhand" and many farms would be lost without them
- There's a fascination with the "iconic, spirited" Australian working dogs
A team of researchers at the University of Sydney looked at the similar characteristics shared by the kelpie and dingo — distinctive pricked up ears, similar body shape and coat colour.
Dog genetics expert Professor Claire Wade said despite the visual similarities, the study found no detectable dingo DNA in the working dog breed.
She said the research found the dingo connection was no more than bush folklore.
"While both the kelpie and the dingo have the up version of the ears, when you look closely at the DNA you can see that it's quite different," Professor Wade said.
"So it's very unlikely it would have come from the dingo."
Professor Wade's paper, published in the journal Genes, is the first peer-reviewed study of its kind to conclude that the domestic and wild dogs shared no detectable common DNA which could impact their coat colour or ear type.
YOUTUBE: Is your Kelpie a dingo?Where did the dingo myth come from?
The kelpie, a herding dog derived from the Scottish collie or farm collie, was brought to Australia in the late 1800s from Scotland.
Dingoes, which are classed as a native species, were believed to have arrived in the country more than 4,000 years ago.
It was believed the original kelpie breed was developed by crossing the Scottish collie with the dingo when it first came to Australia, to make it more resilient to the harsh climate.
(ABC South East SA: Bec Whetham)Professor Wade said details about early breeding were shrouded in secrecy.
"Originally there were meant to be some farm collies imported from Scotland, but it was quite secret and the person who imported them held them very closely and wouldn't share the breeding females with anybody," she said.
"But the fellow who became known as the first kelpie breeder [Jack Gleeson], managed to exchange a horse to get one of these collie offspring because they were meant to be extremely good working dogs.
"But at that point when one of the first litters was bred it had yellow puppies in it, all the others were black and brown, so people immediately presumed that these yellow ones had come from mating with a dingo."
Other studies have been inconclusive
Former champion shearer and author Bill Robertson investigated the origins of working dog breed in his book Origins of the Australian Kelpie - Exposing the Myths and Fabrications from the Past.
In his book, Mr Robertson said the infusion of dingo genes began at Warrock Station in Victoria in the late 1870s, when a dingo was bred with a collie.
He believed that was kept secret at the time because of punitive fines imposed on anyone who kept a dingo-cross at the time.
The University of New South Wales carried out tests to investigate the theory but was unable to determine the timeframe if, and when, dingo genes were possibly introduced to the kelpie breed.
Kelpies: A Dash of Dingo( Landline )Professor Wade said the Working Kelpie Council of Australia had indicated that "might have been tried but it was never successful".
"I think it's much more likely that the dingo had kelpie in it, than the kelpie had dingo in it.
"Apparently in the old days when people would abandon their farms, they would just leave the dogs behind.
"And so sometimes they got integrated into the dingo populations, which is why our dingos are now very intermingled with domestic dogs."
Working dog genes
The kelpie samples in the research — funded by the Australian Research Council, AgriFutures and the Working Kelpie Council — were part of a larger genetic project helping breeders produce the best possible working dogs.
Professor Wade said a lack of fear or anxiousness and intelligence were the two most influential factors of a great working dog.
"So those are the two areas we're concentrating our research in now, is to understand the genes that are involved in fear and intelligence."
Professor Wade said the main aim of the project was to connect farmers with breeders who produced working dogs with the attributes required for specific tasks.
"A kelpie is basically worth pretty much a farmhand in terms of the work they help you accomplish, and a lot of farms are lost without them."
Australia's two types of kelpies — the working and conformational dogs — each have different purposes and characteristics.
Professor Wade said there could even be an opportunity in the future for researchers to help farmers find suitable mates to meet their needs and breeding animals.
"A dog that has to go and work on its own to muster sheep on the farm, that skill set is quite different than a kelpie that's used for working in the saleyards and working with cattle is quite different than working with sheep."
(ABC Rural: Courtney Fowler)Professor Wade said the fascination with the Australian kelpie breed was not surprising, particularly with its infiltration in pop culture and movies such as Red Dog.
"They represent iconic Australia.
"They work with us so well and contribute so much to our lives as pets but also our economy as well," she said.
"They're tough, resilient little dogs, they've got a lot of spirit."
(Supplied: Lachlan Douglas)https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-06-28/kelpie-study-finds-no-detectable-dingo-dna/11250106
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4 hours ago, sandgrubber said:
I'm not sure findings from Shetland sheep dogs and border collies can be generalized to all dogs. In my experience in the boarding kennel, BCs are particularly high strung (we didn't get any Shetland sheep dogs so can't say, there).
I've owned Labs in periods of high stress. Their reaction to my blow outs was consistently calm and soothing. Perhaps they were affected... it would be interesting to have cortisol measurements, say, from dogs trained to work with people suffering from PTSD or severe spectrum disorders.
I agree that the sample is limited and what you say is interesting in that my anxious dog definitely has some border collie in her mix. I also had a couple of border collies when I was a child (1950s) before it was a recognised breed. One of them was a calm dog and a great mate. The other was off the planet with his stress and would chase anything that moved even cars and buses. I have never had a shetland sheep dog but they are reputed to be barkers which is possibly a symptom of stress. When we start discussing temperament in dogs I do think that different breeds have different temperaments and the study has not taken this into account.
I also thought about therapy dogs and it is often recommended that anxious people get a dog to help them relax and I have no doubt that some dogs do this very well. I wonder if some breeds make better therapy dogs than others.
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12 hours ago, Snook said:
I can only speak for my dog but his noise phobia isn't inherited. He was never bothered by any loud noises, and I used to have doors and windiws open during storms and fireworks, without him batting an eyelid.
This is interesting Snook. I keep wondering about gunshy gundogs and I know some people recommend that a gundog that is gunshy should not be bred from. I have googled it and there does not seem to be a consensus of opinion about it. I don't know how to tag people here but perhaps sandgrubber has some information. My noise sensitive dog is a mixed breed but none of my boxers cared at all about noises and they were highly strung in that they were super excitable or perhaps it was me. One of my horses, a part arab, was also highly strung or super excitable, but my other horses were mostly calm but I am becoming irrelevant. We are talking about dogs.
I am also thinking that it might be more complicated than we realise. Maybe noise sensitivity can be learned as well as inherited. Maybe there is a gene for it and it just has to be switched on. Maybe it is more likely to be switched on if the owner is stressed. Just thoughts.
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I think it is all not s simple as the report makes out. Noise phobia I believe is inherited. Only one of my dogs has ever had a noise phobia so I think it is nothing to do with me. I am not worried about thunder lightning etc. and hopefully my dogs have picked up the cue from me. At the moment of my two dogs one has no anxiety about thunder, but the other, my anxious dog, totally freaks out when there is lightning or thunder. I also believe it is crucial that when a dog is attacked the owner stay calm which is a big ask I know, but your anxiety about the attack is transferred to the dog. After all it is natural for dogs to spar to move up the pecking order in their pack. (Sorry I haven't expressed that very well. I am getting old and sometimes I struggle with finding the right words.) I know I probably damaged my dogs by freaking out when they were attacked and screaming for someone to come and help. After they were attacked (twice in three days) I became so tense and anxious whenever we saw another dog that I know they were aware of it and became anxious too. These days whenever we pass a dog barking behind a fence I give them a treat. I don't say anything because your voice gives away your anxiety but I guess you all know all of this.
I thought it was interesting about the difference between male and female dogs. I have only owned two male dogs and I can't say I noticed any difference.
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What I see as a problem with the above is that the stressed owners fill out the questionnaire on behalf of their dogs. Do stressed people more readily see stress in others (people or dogs) than the non-stressed? In other words do we think that others (dogs or people) experience life the same as we do?
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-07/your-mental-health-can-affect-your-dog/11188804
How your mental health can affect your dog
By Bronwyn OrrPosted about an hour ago
If you think your dog looks stressed out, it might be your own stress levels that are affecting your pet pooch.
A study published on Thursday in Nature's Scientific Reports shows pet dogs may synchronise their stress levels with those of their owners.
More than just being man's best friend, it appears our pet dogs may be mirroring our mental state too, and that can be bad for their health.
It's all in the hair
Swedish researchers studied 58 dogs — 33 Shetland Sheepdogs and 25 Border Collies — as well as their owners. The dogs selected were balanced for sex, breed and activity level.
Both dog and owner personality was assessed through standardised personality questionnaires, with owners filling out the Dog Personality Questionnaire on behalf of their pet.
The researchers also measured the hormone cortisol in the hair of dogs and their owners over a year-long period.
Cortisol is a measure of physiological stress, which can be raised during mental distress. But it's also elevated for short periods such as during exercise and illness.
Cortisol found in hair is a good way of measuring long-term trends in stress levels, as hair grows slowly (about one centimetre per month) and absorbs circulating substances from the blood.
Impact on dogs
The results showed a significant correlation between human and dog cortisol levels across the year.
In 57 of the dogs in summer and 55 in winter, cortisol levels matched those of their owners. This means that for these dogs, their cortisol levels rose and fell in unison with their owner's.
This correlation was not influenced by dog activity levels or dog personality. It was, however, influenced by the personality of the dog's owner.
Owners with higher stress levels tended to have dogs with higher stress levels too.
Female dogs had a stronger connection with their owner's stress levels compared with male dogs. Previous studies have shown that female dogs (as well as rats and chimpanzees) are more emotionally responsive than males.
There's also evidence that increased oxytocin (the love and bonding hormone) in female dogs results in increased interactions with their owner, causing a corresponding increase in the owner's oxytocin levels. This effect wasn't seen in male dogs.
A limiting factor to the new study was that it did not identify any causes of elevated stress in the dog owners. But what it does show is that regardless of the cause of the stress, our reaction to it impacts our dogs.
Our relationship with dogs
Researchers have long discussed the concept of what is called the "human-dog dyad", a close bond between humans and dogs. This relationship, developed over 15,000 years, is unique in the animal world.
There is evidence to suggest dogs evolved alongside us and consequently are in tune with our emotionsand bond with us through eye contact.
Although many aspects of this inter-species relationship are positive (particularly for us), it's likely there are some drawbacks to this close relationship with dogs.
Like many animals, we can share diseases with our dogs such as the superbug MRSA and Q Fever. What's more, dog bites are an issue of increasing importance to society.
We know that failing to providing basic care like food and shelter is cruel, but we often overlook how disregarding the mental lives of our pets can also negatively impact their welfare.
Helping our dogs cope
Dogs are sentient animals. This means they can experience both positive and negative emotions, such as pleasure, comfort, fear, and anxiety.
A poor mental state, where a dog is regularly experiencing negative emotions such as anxiety, can lead to poor animal welfare. If owners have an impact on the stress levels of their dogs, it means we also play a role in protecting their welfare.
The impact we have on our dog's stress levels goes both ways - positive and negative. If we reduce our own stress levels, it's likely we will also reduce our dog's stress levels.
We know chronic stress is bad for both humans and dogs, increasing the likelihood we will get sick as well as decreasing our quality of life.
If you don't work on decreasing your stress levels for your own sake, perhaps you will do it for your dog. There are great resources available for decreasing stress levels, and the good news is that some of them, such as getting out in nature, can be done with your dog right by your side.
Bronwyn Orr is a veterinarian and PhD student at the University of Sydney. This article originally appeared on The Conversation.
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Owning a dog is influenced by our genetic make-up
- Date:
- May 17, 2019
- Source:
- Uppsala University
- Summary:
- Scientists have studied the heritability of dog ownership using information from 35,035 twin pairs from the Swedish Twin Registry. The new study suggests that genetic variation explains more than half of the variation in dog ownership, implying that the choice of getting a dog is heavily influenced by an individual's genetic make-up.
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FULL STORY
A team of Swedish and British scientists have studied the heritability of dog ownership using information from 35,035 twin pairs from the Swedish Twin Registry. The new study suggests that genetic variation explains more than half of the variation in dog ownership, implying that the choice of getting a dog is heavily influenced by an individual's genetic make-up.
Dogs were the first domesticated animal and have had a close relationship with humans for at least 15,000 years. Today, dogs are common pets in our society and are considered to increase the well-being and health of their owners. The team compared the genetic make-up of twins (using the Swedish Twin Registry -- the largest of its kind in the world) with dog ownership. The results are published for the first time in Scientific Reports. The goal was to determine whether dog ownership has a heritable component.
"We were surprised to see that a person's genetic make-up appears to be a significant influence in whether they own a dog. As such, these findings have major implications in several different fields related to understanding dog-human interaction throughout history and in modern times. Although dogs and other pets are common household members across the globe, little is known how they impact our daily life and health. Perhaps some people have a higher innate propensity to care for a pet than others." says Tove Fall, lead author of the study, and Professor in Molecular Epidemiology at the Department of Medical Sciences and the Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University.
Carri Westgarth, Lecturer in Human-Animal interaction at the University of Liverpool and co-author of the study, adds: "These findings are important as they suggest that supposed health benefits of owning a dog reported in some studies may be partly explained by different genetics of the people studied."
Studying twins is a well-known method for disentangling the influences of environment and genes on our biology and behaviour. Because identical twins share their entire genome, and non-identical twins on average share only half of the genetic variation, comparisons of the within-pair concordance of dog ownership between groups can reveal whether genetics play a role in owning a dog. The researchers found concordance rates of dog ownership to be much larger in identical twins than in non-identical ones -- supporting the view that genetics indeed plays a major role in the choice of owning a dog.
"These kind of twin studies cannot tell us exactly which genes are involved, but at least demonstrate for the first time that genetics and environment play about equal roles in determining dog ownership. The next obvious step is to try to identify which genetic variants affect this choice and how they relate to personality traits and other factors such as allergy" says Patrik Magnusson, senior author of the study and Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Insitutet, Sweden and Head of the Swedish Twin Registry.
"The study has major implications for understanding the deep and enigmatic history of dog domestication" says zooarchaeologist and co-author of the study Keith Dobney, Chair of Human Palaeoecology in the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. "Decades of archaeological research have helped us construct a better picture of where and when dogs entered into the human world, but modern and ancient genetic data are now allowing us to directly explore why and how?"
Story Source:
Materials provided by Uppsala University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Tove Fall, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Keith Dobney, Carri Westgarth, Patrik K. E. Magnusson. Evidence of large genetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish Twin Registry has implications for understanding domestication and health associations. Scientific Reports, 2019; 9 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44083-9
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10 hours ago, asal said:
think the real danger is now this has been legislated it is not just dogs "who never go for walks and spend their lives on chains" that will be seized and the owner charged.
whatever made you think "the RSPCA says they can not do anything about it because it is legal"
have you read the thread about the ten border collies taken in S.A. ?
the had the textbook, big, yards, excellent condition and grooming. Dogs and yards, Clean as a pin. But the rspca took them anyway, because they didn't come when called by the inspector, who decided they were "mentally traumatised" 9 of the ten either already had a litter or were pregnant, one was a male I understand. The rspca had them for months, raised and sold the puppies, aside from one litter they euthanised because at two weeks they decided the puppies were "not sufficiently socialised"? I know a number of breeders were puzzled by that as at that age their eyes are just opening and that is when a breeder begins to do what? Socalise the puppies, they dont come to you, you go to them, let them sniff and get used to your scent and they begin to play with you.
but, they obviously know more than anyone else. So many breeds are "suspicious of strangers" many have it even written in the breed standard! But now if your dog will not go to, or interact with an rspca inspector in a friendly way your sentient does not have that right to decide no. the sentient being can now be legally classified as "suffering mental trauma" even sadder, now grounds for euthanising it. Because it is suffering and cannot be safely retrained or rehomed.
After the puppies were sold they applied for a court order to euthanise all ten and were granted , they then also asked for a court order to seize and eutheranise all the owners other dogs on the grounds they too were mentally traumatised... they lost out on that because unknown to them, the owner had realised the danger the other dogs were in and by all the press and media released by the rescue groups. they were given to rescues who successfully rehomed all the dogs the court had passed the seize and euthanasia application.
far as I know the law you put up is the first, dont know of it being law in S.A. yet they dogs were taken because they were "mentally suffering"
sure sounds like the sentinent card being played.
I understand your concerns. It is a grey area isn't it? This article is about Canberra. For what it is worth the member of our local assembly photographed in the article is my local member and it is the first time I have heard anything from him. Maybe he is becoming concerned about re-election. I don't think it is being discussed anywhere else in Australia.
I once had what for me was a shocking experience. I was sitting in my lounge with my dog (a beautiful male boxer called William) watching television when there was a knock at the door. It was the local ranger. He was responding to a report that my dog had just attacked a child. I felt sick deep down in the pit of my stomach and said that my dog had not been out so it couldn't be. He asked to see my dog and then said that it wasn't him and left. No apology or anything. I have often re-visited this incident and wondered what I could have done if he had said my dog had done it and had removed him. I know I would have resisted this, violently if necessary. He was a brindle boxer and some ignorant people are suspicious of all brindle dogs as being aggressive and obviously one of my neighbours had accused my dog of being the culprit.
The point of this is that I sort of understand your angst but of course your experience with the RSPCA is much more serious. I am so sorry for you. It must be so painful. Take care and be kind to yourself.
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26 minutes ago, Maddy said:
If they come from the water, they're going to have died in a way that would not be considered humane for other animals. Simple as that.
You can get snitty about it if you want, but the fact remains that eating fish (living, breathing, feeling creatures) does not make you a vegetarian. You. Eat. Meat.
Whatever Maddy. So pedantic!! I do make an effort not to eat meat which was the point of my post and I can survive doing that but some people (I should know. Isn't that what DOL is all about?) just like to nit pick others' posts because it gives them pleasure and makes them feel superior. You know I am having a shitty time at the moment and I am actually quite depressed. I did not sleep much last night knowing that you would come back at me Yeah I am vulnerable! Does that make you want to put your boot in even more? Yeah I hurt, I am hurting. I am depressed. My daughter is unwell. Life is shit. I am crying as I write this.
I had hoped this thread would discuss the plight of dogs who never go for walks and spend their lives on chains and the RSPCA says they can not do anything about it because it is legal but it has gone way off topic which I guess some threads do.
Snook I hope I am not being insensitive. I do feel for you and Justice. It is a difficult time for you. Cyber hugs. I always ask my vet what he would do if it was his dog and take his advice.
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10 hours ago, Maddy said:
Sorry, but you are not a vegetarian. You're eating an animal that may have been suffocated to death, crushed to death under the weight of other fish, frozen to death or otherwise caught/killed in a way that would be totally unacceptable if the animal in question was cute and furry. A fish is not a vegetable.
The way fish are harvested (or farmed, in the case of things like salmon) is horrendously inhumane, destructive and wasteful. And if you want to talk about environmental harm, commercial fishing is responsible for a considerable amount of it.
Sorry but how do you know where the fish I eat come from?
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On 5/15/2019 at 12:19 PM, Snook said:
Instant is good, as is it not scaring any of the other animals. I would hope that everyone who kills animals this way is skilled enough to also make it instant.
You know we really don't have to eat animals. I have been a pesco-vegetarian (not a vegan) for seven years and my health is excellent for someone in their middle to late seventies. I do eat a lot of chick peas and lentils and I drink soy milk with calcium added. I don't eat eggs but I do eat fish once a week and I have a little milk in my coffee. I really don't need meat but unfortunately my dogs do and I have to cope with that. As some early posters have said people are eating too much meat and it is shameful to see it being thrown away. I also think people eating less meat would be better for our environment as fewer grazing animals and more growing of vegetables and legumes etc would be better for the planet.
Sorry powerlegs we posted at the same time.
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I originally intended this thread to be about dogs as this is a dog forum. I notice that on a Canberra facebook page posters are mainly concerned about having to walk dogs every second day and wondering how it will be policed. I personally welcomed the concern about dogs being kept on chains or otherwise confined which I think is so cruel but it is not illegal so long as they are provided with water and shelter. I have a neighbour who keeps their dog this way and it distresses me. Not an immediate neighbour thankfully but the immediate neighbour says she can't bear to hear the chain clinking as the dog moves during the day.
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Canberra set to recognise animals as 'sentient beings' that are able to feel and perceive in Australian first
Updated 17 minutes ago
Pet owners who keep their dogs locked up and do not allow them to exercise for longer than one day could face a fine of up to $4,000 under sweeping changes that enshrine animal feelings into ACT law.
Key points:
- ACT to recognise animals as "sentient beings"
- New laws include harsher fines for mistreatment
- Pig dogging and steel-jaw traps banned
Under the bill, confinement is judged on the dog's size, age and physical condition.
And anyone found confining a dog for longer than 24 hours would have to provide two hours of exercise or pay the fine.
Under the proposed laws the ACT would become the first jurisdiction in the country to recognise animals as "sentient beings" — the idea that animals are able to feel and perceive the world.
The concept recognises that "animals have intrinsic value and deserve to be treated with compassion" and "people have a duty to care for the physical and mental welfare of animals".
"The science tells us that animals are sentient," ACT City Services Minister Chris Steel said.
"I know with my dog he gets very excited when we're about to go on a run.
"I think most dog owners, most cat owners know their animals do feel emotion."
The animal welfare amendments, to be introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly this week, would establish a suite of additional offences, including hitting or kicking an animal, abandonment, and confinement in a car that is likely to cause the animal injury, stress or death.
A person would be allowed to legally break into a car to protect an animal from serious injury or death, if they acted honestly and there were no other reasonable options like calling the police.
Having an animal in a moving vehicle without proper restraint would also be punishable by up to one year in prison or a $16,000 fine or both.
The new laws would also create specific offences for failing to provide appropriate food, shelter, water, hygienic living, grooming and medical treatment to an animal.
For example, an owner could be prosecuted if their pet suffered an eye infection due to hair growing into its eyes, was impaired due to unclipped nails or had irritated skin due to fleas.
The bill also doubles penalties for cruelty to an animal to up to two years' imprisonment or a $32,000 fine or both, and increases punishments for aggravated cruelty to three years behind bars or a fine of $48,000 or both.
Fines would also apply for injuring animals and not reporting it — such as a car hitting an animal, including kangaroos.
New protections for guide dogs, assistance animals
For the first time in the ACT, guide dogs and other assistance animals would need to be accredited and listed on a register.
It would become an offence to prevent a person with an assistance animal entering a public place, remove an assistance animal or impose a charge for the animal — with a fine of up to $8,000 for an individual or $40,500 for a business.
And anyone caught pretending that an animal was an assistance animal would face a fine of up to $3,200.
Pig dogging — using dogs to hunt wild pigs — would also be banned under the laws.
"Dogs will still be allowed to go out hunting with a person but we're specifically looking at banning practices like pig dogging," Mr Steel said.
Steel-jaw traps, which have metal jaws that close against each other when an animal enters it, have been banned in other Australian states and would also not be permitted in the ACT.
Penalties would also apply for any trapping of animals without a permit.
Animal sentience could have broader implications
The ACT adheres to the national code of practice in culling animals, including in kangaroo culling, which is supported by the RSPCA.
Veterinarian Dr David Rizkalla, from the Gables Veterinary Group, said the recognition of sentience was a good place to start enforcing animal rights.
"It's more about protecting animals from people who can harm them, than giving animals better opportunities," he said.
But he said it was important to clearly define which animals were recognised as sentient.
"It could get in the way of the economy," he said.
"I think it has to be quite clear if you introduce that sort of thing to large animals, like cows.
"Farmers spend money on the animal if it gets them more money, it's a profit thing, it's not a sentimental value, it's an economic value."
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On 2/10/2019 at 4:11 PM, FootprintsinSand said:
Click on photo to follow the link. Another old fellow at DAS. He has been there for about a month so may be running out of time.
It looks as if this boy is safe as he has left the pound hopefully adopted or to rescue.
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Click on photo to follow the link. Another old fellow at DAS. He has been there for about a month so may be running out of time.
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KTB this thread always lifts my spirits which are often sagging. Your dogs are so loved and your photos so beautiful and lifelike that I can see the expression in the dogs' eyes and I want to reach out and pat them. You are an inspiration and you make the world and DOL a better place. Thanks for sharing and a happy new year to you and your entire household.
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Hmm!! Interesting reading
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31 minutes ago, Gallomph said:
Have you got a small syringe? That's what my vet told me to use for my old boy. Use some lube, of course! Use the valium as soon as possible - when you see the initial behavioural warning signs. Don't wait until the seizure full on.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much Gallomph. That is exactly what I wanted to know. I don't have a syringe but I will go to the chemist tomorrow. She is sleeping at the moment.
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I don't really know where to put this and I hope KTB won't mind but my girl has just had another seizure which lasted for at least five minutes. Is it true that seizures lasting that long cause brain damage? Also my vet gave me some valium and I am supposed to put it up her bottom if she has a seizure. How would I do this? Just with my finger inside a latex glove. My vet has closed down for Christmas and I am feeling quite alone with this. I had my dog there on Thursday for something else and I never thought she might just be brewing another seizure.
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Okay I will start the ball rolling
I thought that each state had its own regulations based on based on state laws. For example NSW has Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1979) https://www.rspcansw.org.au/what-we-do/animal-welfare/prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals-act-1979/ and the ACT has the Animal Welfare Act 1992 https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1992-45/ I think the other states also have their own legislation. I also thought that within a state each RSPCA had different guidelines on how they interpreted their state's legislation but I may be wrong.
I live in the ACT and I am quite happy with what the RSPCA ACT does to protect animals from cruelty and abuse and I regularly make donations. It seems to me to be unfair to tar them all with the same brush if you are unhappy with your local one because they are all different.
Travel Sickness help needed
in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
Posted
One of mine was car sick and nothing worked. She grew out of it by about twelve months. Good luck with yours.