PossumCorner

Not a Basenji, then.

What Sandy said.

Oh yeah, 'shock/shocked' used to mean in real trauma shock or total horror. Now it just means very mild surprise. How did that happen? 'Things' get hijacked also, and given meanings that take away their normal place - rainbows, daffodils, our flag, black dogs. Symbol hijacking can be as bad as word-theft. I'm okay with doctor for some vets - anyone who has earned a doctorate has the right, doctor of philosophy or whatever. Station break, fellow on ABC just criticising taxpayers' money being spent on dog parks - took his dog for a run this morning at no cost. There will be a cost if it get attacked by some mindless owner's semi-stray dog aggressive animals. Dog parks with good add-on facilities - including gated fields where little dogs can run in safety and then big dogs can run without owner stressing about a small fluffy initiating LD/BD outcomes - these are not a waste of money they are as much a community social need as footy fields and tennis courts. (I still reserve the right to call Rheneas what I like without fear of making him into something other than the wonderful dog he is).

I didn't much like the finger-wagging desk-thumping or whatever in the OP's opinion piece extract. But it didn't mention terminology, just gave over-feeding and poor exercise/lack of discipline a bit of a spray. It's just as valid to criticise situations where dogs are over-worked, under-fed and poorly housed. Does happen. On the baby talk or fur baby thing, I don't. (Well maybe the sheep now and then, because so many lead a less than happy life in this country, with an unlovely end). I'm anti-PETA with their stupid beliefs along with many airy fairy AR people who say we don't own animals, we are their guardians. More slightly nutter terminology. But I don't think it's right to dictate how people should or shouldn't speak to and with and about their animals: whatever works best between the owner's and animal's personality is good.

It's clearer that it started earlier in the race when looking at the stills - a dog went through the 'fence' from its lane - so the two ended up in the same catch-patch.

So - early days yet @asal, we can only hope. @tdierikxgood work - be careful of open lines, you don't know who is a member of what as far as readership here goes. Fine line between transparency and playing your cards close.

Yes, interesting topic. Should not be much argument against it - because it is for and about the dogs. All the anti-BSL ranting a few years ago was because the ego of the owners was being challenged (whatever their claims). Massive difference.

My old vet, long since retired, fed his own dogs only Pal tinned dog food. (His surgery stocked every known dog food, all the high end kibbles and supplements). He said more or less what @tdierikxhas said above but more pointed: that high end dog food is driven by the conglomerates to entice the better heeled or the more gullible or both. He was a bit straight from the shoulder and a top vet - large and exotics as well as dogs, cats.

Not having the last word, but for absolute air-tight, trawl op-shops for some old Fowlers Vacola bottles with lid, clip and rubber ring (the lids etc can also be picked up new at most hardware stores (except Bunnings I think). I was just given some of the rarer-numbered bottles, they still have the preserved apricots in them, probably 30 years old - although I'll be de-lidding and decanting them with a mask on just a bit south of the compost heap before doing a super-sterile job on the bottles.

Rort is indeed the word. @tdierikxa local case here recently mirrored exactly the one you describe. I haven't mentioned it because I'm close to parties and don't want the searchlight to suddenly swing and focus on me. They also rule by fear. On the prevention/punishment arguments - I don't think there can be prevention without punishment being a part of it. Because you can give people all the advice and education in the world, and if they are not aware that if they do wrong there are consequences of fines they will still go ahead and do wrong because it's cheaper or easier or they don't give a damn. Education is useless without some kind of enforcement. Aside from that, I loathe they way they operate, and pretty much also the governments various that do nothing about it - because it's cheaper and easier and they don't give a damn either.

I guess every pound and council suits itself. There was a shocker case in Vic where a bull terrier was euthed on day 1, and the owner tried for a long time with legal action but was just stone-walled. Then there were the ones who went to the sales pen and new ownership then the original owner turned up and wanted their dog back (forget the details of why they didn't find dog earlier, not doing blame and finger pointing here, just how things can go pear shaped). Between council rules and social media cowboys there is probably a lot of grey area without absolute right or wrong, both can have a best and worst outcome.

Circumstances vary - 20 yrs ago I took lost dogs to the RSPCA (who were also the pound-kennels for a couple of councils). Then I found out about the short time with no advertising involved for the large square headed dogs, and unofficial policy was a reduced time before euth. (A lot of us were naive about the RS years ago). When Piper and Frodo tunneled out and did a runner they were picked up and dropped at a vet 20km away. We were called to pick them up from a different pound, the cost was something like $300 for pound fees, plus a separate $300 bill in the mail from Council for having "dogs at large". Grateful all round, but it was an expensive exercise. In country towns in Vic the facebook system works well, a photo, word of mouth by phone or fb, dogs reunited. Vet can still check for microchip without having to involve the pound and/or council. I think it's a good system, balanced against changing staff at a pound who don't know a kelpie from a staghound or what has come in before their shift, and often people ring a pound about their dog and are told it's not there when in fact it is. Not a great system in some cases.

When Rheneas had the bad vestibular attack 3-4 years ago I don't recall any tests, the vet just "knew". I thought when I took him in that recovery could not be possible, that this would be fatal. Vet said don't give up hope I've brought them back when they've been much worse than this. He made a slow but great recovery, maybe never bounced back to his old puppy-crazy self but is now 18 and still with us. Treatment was something like sea-sick tablets - nausea control, some pain relief, importantly 'old school' re-hydration with bag and needle. @Kat05if you use the search button, there are quite a few posts with some information/experience re vestibular. (Rheneas is the Shetland Sheepdog cross in my avatar photo). Hope your Friday appointment is helpful for your staffy, let's know what the vet thinks.

We have to keep trying, I'm pessimistic but that's no reason not to do anything.

They do have a point - small species birdlife has reduced dreadfully in the ten years we've been here. I don't entirely blame the Noisies, they have certainly played a part though, as have the huge colonies or gangs of magpies, and the occasional harsh drought conditions. But I have seen the Noisy Miners destroy smaller birds nest, kill baby birds, harass birds enough to prevent them nesting let alone breeding. I don't support the idea of killing any native bird, duck hunting is nauseating, and I dislike the way cockatoos and ravens and ibis are culled 'informally' for being inconvenient or income reducing. There must be a better way of giving the small bush birds a chance, I can't see a solution.