Training and busing with our dogs - Column 8 continued

Column 8 Today - Sydney Morning Herald
"Fixing RailCorp's grammar (December 23) might be of academic interest," comments Richard Ure, of Epping, "but the point raised by Eedra Zey from Woy Woy in Friday's Column 8 is more fundamental.

• If a dog is not allowed on a level crossing, how about a horse?
  
• Or a mob of sheep crossing a line in the bush?
  
• Or a dog in a ute?
  
• For city folk, how about a dog, or any animal, caged or otherwise, crossing railway station concourses at places like Epping, Eastwood, Chatswood, Meadowbank and many similar urban crossings?
  

RailCorp owes us guidance. Or does it just want the fine?" We, too, cry out for guidance from RailCorp, in these troubled, uncertain times.

Dec 23
About the 'No pets not allowed' State Rail business of Friday," writes Teena Hughes, of Rozelle: "I was thinking that perhaps a shiny new comma or full stop could make this poster make sense. As in, 'No, pets not allowed', or, 'No pets. Not allowed'. I suggest everyone who travels near these signs can fix them immediately by adding either one - we'll leave it up to the public, shall we? Take a black marker pen with you, just in case.

Pets on Public Transport

Barking Mad (and mascot dog Pema) attended the Central Coast NSW Cabinet Meeting tonight.

Bag the government all you want, focus on the cuts to the department bureaucrats, the new budget deficit, scandals involving behaviour from MPs we would otherwise adore if from our footie teams. However, the opportunity to spend a few hours with all the State government ministers who have travelled to your regional area should not be bagged. Just because you are dissatisfied with community infrastructure, years of un-fulfilled promises, marginal seat financial gifts, etc., when an entire state government travels to your area, it's democracy in action.

Barking Mad as an organisation is cynical too - why fine a mother with her toddler as sole attendees at a playground $330 because she has her dog with her? Why fine people who park where they reduce visibility in pedestrian/school crossings less than the mum, bub and dog at the playground?

Just 200 people attended Toukley Senior Citizens auditorium to be part of the government’s roadshow which allowed people access to the Premier and his ministers.

Community Cabinet Meetings

Barking Mad fielded two questions at Premier Nathan Rees, including our suggestion the government use valet parking at railway stations (fit more cars into existing spaces and providing employment and security), and the ability to travel on public transport with our well behaved pets.

Dogs on! Sydney Northern Beaches

OUR ELECTION LOBBYING IS PAYING OFF:
COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, 14th October. Notice of Motion No 5/2008

Equitable Access to Community Space for Unleashed Dog Walking and to Beaches for Swimming, Submitted by: Cr Vincent De Luca OAM

That this Council resolves to:

• Note that 42% of Warringah’s residents own a dog.
• Note that currently there are no swimming areas available for dogs in the Warringah Council area.
• That Council officers conduct public consultation with Barking Mad Australia and members of the community as to options for unleashed dog walking and access to beaches for dog swimming and furnish a report to Council within three months regarding results of public consultation and options available.
  

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: (Must include full name and address to count).

CLICK TO SEND your support to Barking Mad
CLICK TO SEND an email to The Mayor

Barking Mad is ready with a consultation plan and questions, the beach areas we want and the case-law to take away any doubt that Warringah Council has the legislative instrument & imperative to make this happen without the approval of 13 other State agencies.

BARKING MAD is funded by responsible pet owners and carers. If you support what we do for you, please MAKE A DONATION.

Six Years of Hiding our Right to Public Transport

"Just thought you’d be pleased to hear I was successful yesterday in taking my dog on Newcastle buses for the first time. I had the support of a letter dated 14/2/2002 from Michael Deegan, Director General, Transport NSW advising that 'companion animals are permitted to board bus or ferry services. … at the discretion of the operator, keeping in mind the safety of other passengers, the cleanliness of the animal and whether the animal is restrained.' The driver was somewhat sceptical but acquiesced nonetheless."
Ian McKenzie
Councillor (Greens)
Newcastle City Council

Barking Mad Comments: YES, that is a letter dated 2002 - what other rights do they try to keep hidden from responsible pet owners? How about Council's lack of authority on beaches as stated in a plan of managment?

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.

A most unusual apology - VOTE

Maybe it's a green thing. Maybe the transport 'guys' see their big buses, trains and timetables and not the social and environmental importance of public transport, especially to our ageing population. Maybe State Transit has a sense of humour I don't get.

But after they admitted to the media I was travelling legally - after I was arrested, I received two penalty notices in the post totalling $300. The first for 'passenger take animal on bus without permission' (um, they even published I had obtained permission), $100, and 'passenger not leave vehicle when directed.' $200. That's right, this girl had a ticket to ride, let's call that a CONTRACT, and I was holding them to their contract. Place your bet: Will the CCTV have been working in this new bus when I was arrested? Vote Yes. Vote No.

Silly! That's all I can say; what a silly waste of time and resources from so many people. There was no problem, no noise, no violence, no disruption to any travellers until the transit police emptied the bus and (the Burwood police came and removed that passenger who had the contract to travel). Click on the photo above to read State Transit's report on making transport accessible to the majority of the community - that's the 40% "majority" who don't have pets, I presume. They even refer to the State Plan on their home page, like we do in our draft policy; we have common ground!

I'm going on a bit about this because it's been over two weeks and my wrist is still sore and strapped up from big boy police officers who interpreted my reaching over to unhook dog lead from bus and collect by bags as 'resisting arrest', and who felt the need to hang on and pull handcuffs that were so gently (ha) applied. Also, members are STILL being hassled by bus operators, although finally today the reports from members travelling has been positive. One even got a free ride, but we won't tell anyone about that.

We're moving ahead with our call to the Federal Government to announce a national transport strategy for pets on public transport. The policy is a copy of the current policy in London - why can they do it, and why haven't we? Please write your support for this policy to your local Federal Member and to the Minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese.

To the Feds we Go

Our NSW and Federal Transport Ministers and the NSW Police force at Marrickville.

Pema and I have finally made it home from Sydney to the Central Coast via public transport - the same way we got back into the city for a day of media interviews and filming after the Daily Telegraph article. We had to spend another unplanned night in the city because the transit police were waiting for us at Central Station. "We know who you are", they wrenched my phone out of my hand. I'd had enough, I could see they were not going to let me get on my train, so I was going to leave. Nope, they wouldn't let me leave, wouldn't let me get my train, they were just being obstructionists - and ruff. They asked if Pema was a registered assistance dog. All Barking Mad members know the answer to that one: 'yes, of course, and she has $10 million public liability insurance".

They demanded ID and didn't like it when I asked why if they knew who I was. I am also not obliged to give them ID unless they put me under arrest, but they didn't look happy when I quoted my rights. And these uniformed folks obviously didn't know the Disability Discrimination Act or the difference between a companion dog, an assistance animal and NSW RailCorp unique definition of a 'Therapy Dog'.

Still, winners are grinner's, and we finally got the State Transit to admit what we have known and acted on for nearly a year. We gave Minister Watkins many opportunities to help us end the harassment we were receiving from uninformed bus drivers and even bus Depot Managers. Why did I have to be rolled by the police, charged with resisting arrest (get the irony? That was the charge - so what charge was I resisting?) before he and State Transit admitted their own policy. I can happily say "I told you so" but that does not accomplish our objective. I have no need to stay in the past.

• We have the admission we wanted, Barking Mad and our faithful members have been vindicated.
• We have a strategy that is aligned with the NSW State Plan.
• We have some very pissed off members who are taking up the issue of the police treatment of me (that is not Barking Mad's issue).
• We have good federal and state (NSW & Queensland) support for many of our policies and we need to build on that.
• Barking Mad members will continue to use public transport when appropriate and respect those with opposing opinions or fear.
• But more than that, we will enjoy public transport more than anyone because we ALL experience conversation and people chatting to our dogs while we travel - and we love that sense of community!
  

What we ask now of Minister Watkins is to assist us in getting a national pets on public transport strategy. We ask him to work with his Federal counterpart (Minister Albanese in the top photo) for our draft policy which is based on the existing pets on public transport policy in London:

Animals

1. You can bring an assistance dog with you without charge. You can also take with you without charge any other dog or inoffensive animal, unless there is a good reason for us to refuse it (such as if the animal seems dangerous or is likely to upset other customers).
2. You must keep it under control on a lead or in a suitable container, and must not allow it on a seat. Staff are not allowed to take charge of any animal.
3. If you bring an animal with you, for safety reasons you must carry it on moving escalators or through automatic ticket gates. If you have an assistance dog, you must ask a member of staff to open the manual gate to allow you to enter or leave a station with automatic gates. If there is a moving escalator and no staircase or lift, a member of our staff will stop the escalator to allow your dog to travel on it when it is safe to do so (generally outside the rush hours and when the station is not busy).

In practice, this proposed change comes down to "behave and be responsible”. Both Ministers Watkins and Albanese have excellent reputations for being honest 'nice' guys. Let's hope we can work together with them and the relevant environment, health (ageing) and community ministers to bring more common sense (scents?) to the important public amenity that is transport.

Wet Dog

Only a wet dog photo would be appropriate in the deluge coastal NSW has been experiencing for most of February and a lot of January (send in your wet-dog photos!). We have a tin roof, which makes phone conversations near impossible in this weather. It's difficult to think of all the other things we have happening in this NOISE, but I'll try.

• NSW - We are meeting with lots of State members to advance our draft amendment to the Companion Animals Act, get pets on public transport as is supported by the State Plan and raise issues of discrimination of renters, unit dwellers, the aged and those with a disability.
  
• Syndey -This is important for all of us nationally. We put in a 26 page submission to the City and wrote letters representing members' views. Read letters here (members sign-in required).
• TRANSPORT PASSES - not needed to travel on Sydney buses, but helpful. I am doing a bulk order for members in hope that they will take less than the three months it took to get mine. Members, to get a STA bus pass email me.
  
• Queensland - What a bland response we are receiving in regards to the 'one dog per family' policy. Many members have commented on the lack of humanity, responsibility or even care in the response from member Warren Pitt. We will change strategies, stay tuned.
  
• Federal - We are meeting with Federal Members to raise the profile of dogs (and pets) to health, aged care and independence, public-safety and also for national transport guidelines for pets on public transport. I've heard more than one story of holiday-makers who needed to get home after a vehicle break-down and found themselves stuck because of their canine companions.