I would like you to be reassured that Australia isn't full of feral packs of dogs, waiting to be euthanised after being kicked out by their owners. It really is like the UK, with good and bad owners. LC
I agree LC, you are 100% correct from my experience. I've lived in urban and rural Australia and never once seen an act of cruelty to pets or any other animal for that matter. Most Aussies I've met will dob in anyone who they thought were mistreating animals... including unsentimental country people who raise animals for the slaughterhouse and not just house pet keepers.
The Australia being described isn't one I know? It's hard to say why Alliekate sees it so very differently?
We have a 11month old border colly/kelpie cross. He was rescued by us from RSPCA QLD - Fairfield Office. We wouldnt dream of getting one from anywhere else! Named him Ozzy!
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Joanne & Mark
Countdown to Christmas.......24 days
The Australia being described isn't one I know? It's hard to say why Alliekate sees it so very differently?
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Hiya Fat Pom and a Very Happy New Year to you and your family..
Now back to the debate lol
I suppose with AllieKate working in this environment it is hard for A to switch off, especially seeing as she is so passionate about animals. I dont think she is saying that there are not good pet owners just that where she works she is seeing the bad side (as you would working in the RSPCA). People working in such lines of work RSPCA and Social Services etc... really do see what goes on and that perhaps some of us are lucky enough not to see, I believe that A is just trying to let us know what is going on and she wants support or just to come on here and let of some steam. And dont forget at the moment A is feeling very emotional after she has just lost her beloved pet.
When we were visiting Oz they had these Dog shops that sold clothes LOL so that goes to show that there is the side where it is like here and people treat their animals like people and part of the family and like to dress them up (bless). But thats properly another debate lol
Yes it is properly like here the good and the bad, but come on it's good to make a difference and help the less advantage and A is doing a great job!
I think what A is trying to do is highlight the need to care for animals and to rescue where possible from a shelter and to give the pets a caring and loving home.
Yes I am biased towards animal welfare cos it was my career for a long time, and animals are my passion. There are great many animal lovers In Australia, and I have never said any different and I mean no offence to those people.
The point I am trying to get across is this - that there is no real neutering/registration scheme here in Queensland (I cannot speak for anywhere else in Oz), and as a result thousands of animals are being born that have no chance of ever getting a home.
As I have said, the Townsville shelter euthanases at least 30 animals every single day, and one shelter alone in Brissie recently euthanased over 1000 in one month alone.
The Inspector who is trying to deal with cruelty complaints has to travel thousands of miles to get round his patch - in the UK we had a group of six Inspectors dealing with maybe a hundred or so square miles. (eg for Townsville there would be a group of 5 or so alone). (there are about 300 Inspectors in the Uk and Wales, and believe me the workload was staggering).
The RSPCA in Queensland does not have a fraction of the resources the UK one does - lets face it there is a far smaller population here from which to raise funds. My argument there is that surely the Government/council should be supporting the RSPCA here until matters get under control ?
I will say here again, I have nothing but true respect for the RSPCA here, and I also want to say to all animal lovers that I mean no offence - I am just trying to raise awareness of what is truly going on, and try and make a little bit of difference.
Hiya Fat Pom and a Very Happy New Year to you and your family..
Now back to the debate lol
Happy New Year to you and your family also :) Hpoe the waiting game hasn't blighted your Christmas break?
The debate!
Yeah? I think I'm well aware of alliekates understandable emotional state which is why I didn't comment for a while. If you recall she started her crusade prior to her dog dying. I didn't think her mode of crusade was right or likely to be effective... but good luck to her anyway. I'll support any animal rights initiatives provided its done sensibly and legally. :)
All along I haven't questioned the facts and figures side of it because I can't? I simply wouldn't know and don't doubt they're correct. What the national figures are would be interesting though?
I feel the picture that's being painted about Australia generally with respect to animal welfare isn't correct. Generally they're quite passionate and proud of the flora and fauna, particularly the natives but they're also just as intolerant to any animal abuse or mistreatment as the brits. You stand a real chance of jail time if caught physically abusing any animal as some teenagers learnt in Sydney recently... I think they escaped jail but the general public (or more accurately the media) were baying for blood.
There are differences of course. You very rarely see dogs roaming the streets. Its probably not tolerated as well as just 'not done'. A colleague of mine lost his dog once... someone opened the gate during the day and it made a bid for freedom as they do. A dog patrol picked it up and it cost a fair bit to get it back? The real big money was vet fees... several thousands of dollars for cancer treatment. There could be basic economic issues at play here causing a local pet problem????
Owners are expected to remove their dog dirt and do so quite routinely. Consequently one thing many peope from the UK notice first is virtually no dog dirt on the paths, pavements, verges and parks. It's much better than where I grew up, that's for sure.
Because of the lack of roaming dogs and low dog dirt problem it's my perception that a higher degree of owner responsibility is demanded. So there you go... the truth is out there somewhere.
Our Inspector dealt with a cruelty case of a horse - it came to court last month.
This horse had been suffering for seven years from laminitis - the hooves were so overgrown and agonising the horse could literally not move. The video shows the horse constantly biting at his legs. The vet said it was the worst case of laminitis he has ever seen. The owner kept it in his front yard and saw it every day. The Inspector had to put the horse down as there was nothing that could be done.
And you know what the owner got ? A $5000 dollar fine (and there is no ban system like in the UK). There has been quite an outcry here about it, so I am not alone in feeling angry.
Come on Fatpom, please can we be friends ? I am up for healthy debate and I fully respect and understand your position - so can we be mates??? A xx
ps it is not just animals that cause me concern. A few weeks ago a group of ten men were tried here for gang- raping a ten year old girl. (And it's understood that this was not the first time it has happened). However, the implication that came out in court suggested allegedly that the child had agreed to consensual sex (??????????) and the men walked out of court, I think scot free. That again has caused an outcry amongst the local community. And been raised in Parliament according to my hubbie.
Come on Fatpom, please can we be friends ? I am up for healthy debate and I fully respect and understand your position - so can we be mates??? A xx
No worries. :) Just because I don't always agree doesn't mean your wrong or I'm right... far from it. By the way I'm in favour of improving animal rights as well as environmental issues across the world but it has to be done with cultural context and sensitivity.
I certainly don't get passionate about these things. If anything I'm concerned that you'll get your fingers burned over this issue. If I wanted to do this campaign, I wouldn't lead it and I wouldn't canvass other poms either, I'd get like minded Aussies to front it... just my opinion?
There is definitely something about me and animal welfare. You know what happened today ????
Please DO NOT READ THIS if you are sensitive.
We took our Sophie for her very first walk on Saunders Beach today, only to come across a cat that had been shoved in a tiny bird-type cage, weighed down with a huge brick/slab and chucked into the sea. And then washed up on the beach for everyone - including hundreds of kids - to be around. It may have been thrown from the beach, a boat, floated from another nearby island, who knows ?
The locals were brilliant (but mostly my wonderful hubbie), rallied to support me , get the cage out of the sea and into a bag, while I got the RSPCA and the Police, and they were obviously very very upset. I presume there will be no microchip to identify this cat, which looked heavily pregnant, so the offender will never be known. It's now in our cane-toad freezer waiting for delivery to the RSPCA on monday. Nice.
I know cats/kittens are often treated like this, even in the UK, but this was really horrible. And so, so deliberate.
I'm afraid these things follow me around I always walk into animal welfare stuff without knowing how I got there - and if my hubbie is reading this, thankyou for your help. I know it was the last thing you needed today. At least Sophie seemed oblivious.
Any suggestions on bringing my campaign further on (especially you fatpom ?!!) gratefully received.
Much love a xx
ps there was no microchip, so no lead to who did this. But it will be in the local paper - they got the pictures today, but won't be able to publish them, they are too horrific.
pps it was in the Townsville Bully today, and they have just been here to take a full story from me, complete with piccies of Sophie !!!! Think I might have started something here.
LC
