Tuesday 6 May 2008

Parliament House NSW - Wednesday

Hi everyone, I'm out of hospital and working one or two days a week for the remainder of the month of May. Thank you members for your terrific support, cards and messages during these last few difficult weeks.
Tomorrow many Barking Members will be joining Paws for Action at NSW Parliament House. Pema and I will be there as well and are being accommodated at a wonderful Sydney Hotel. (Think Paris and her dog. Do you think she would put up with the 'no pets' signs so prolific in some parts of Australia?)

On a serious note, we love to rescue pets and give them a second chance. It can be rewarding and satisfying (Pema is a rescue). As so many animals lovers know, or quickly learn when they volunteer to rescue, is that Australia has a shocking record of pet euthanasia. We are really bad, which seems inconsistent with the money we lavish on our pets, but it is true.

The most interesting thing about the 'Animals Bill' is the amount of mis-information being touted about it; a time wasting tactic that diverts attention from the real issue. Pet owner education that includes reducing impulse pet purchases as well as integrating pets into our communities (housing, transport, recreation) will reduce the pet surrender rate.
  • The UK has not had dogs and cats sold in pet shops for years. They still have high pet ownership and a lower surrender rate than we do. Pets are also welcome on public transport and in pubs, and frequently live a happy life in a unit or with an owner who rents.

But we don't like 'facts', they don't make good media or create shock. Example: North Sydney has had the majority of parks off-leash for ten years, yet that hardly figured in the vigorous and often vicious and personal debate about the City of Sydney's (successful) plan to expand their off-leash parks. Please come to Parliament House between 11.30am and 2pm if you are able.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I recently became a foster mummy to a gorgeous young girl that I'm sure was someone's christmas present...

Princess appears to be a cross between a Whippet and a Ridgeback - so she is tall and lean - weighing in at 17.5 kgs at approximately 6-7 months old! But she would have been divine as a young pup I'm sure...

I think she was also an "outside" dog, because she is not toilet trained and obviously never slept on a bed with people and other dogs... she has adjusted to those things VERY well though... lol!

She is VERY friendly with people and other dogs, but has a habit of jumping up to be patted - we are working on that - and she is a bit manic at dinner time, but that is subsiding nicely too. She has integrated perfectly with my other dogs, and is actually curled up between them right now.

I am happy to have her here as long as it takes to find her a forever home with people who have other dogs, and who will love her unconditionally...

I am dead against dogs and cats being sold in pet shops... grrr!

T.