Sunday 16 September 2007

Poster Puppy

Isn't our poster puppy on the home page gorgeous? You can have yours as the next poster pet, just send us a good quality photo.

Peaceful co-existence with moments of tolerable but utterly frustrating annoyance. It's not my quote, but it sums up what Barking Mad is trying to achieve. Can we achieve peaceful co-existence in our community with the wide variety of people and vast range of preferences people have? Leaf blowers, loud parties, graffiti - different activites both legal and not, driving us crazy - but only AT TIMES.

I always considered myself a cat person (providing they were kept in at night). But no more - dog crazy I now am, even those little snappy yappy ones. How did this happen? That dogs are preferable company to the human male is one theory, but we won't go there. I happened upon a rescue border collie 2 years ago when she was 18 months old. Two things resulted from having a canine housemate for the first time. One, I found out how limited my recreational and transport options were in Sydney if I wanted to have my dog with me. And two, I found myself interested in lots of other dogs breeds, and curious about why the people who now talked to me on my walks (JUST BECAUSE I HAD DOG) choose that particular breed. How do we love our pets? 'Let me count the ways'. The stories people share about how they came to love their particular dog, be one that farts, chews, snores, drools or slobbers, or one that is so old it is no longer house trained – or one that has cost them $3000 from injuries; the commonality is caring and compassion.