Happy Birthday Pema

Pema is 6 years old today.

No chocolate or macadamia nuts

DOG NIGHT at the movies - in Australia, not Austria like our previous report of movie night for dogs.

If you would like to attend and meet up with other Barking Mad members, just email me. I'll send your details to other members in your city who have sent me their details.

DIGGING DEEPER:
You can ALWAYS bring your well-behaved dog to Moonlight Cinema, at least in Sydney; that's right, every screening, not just dog night. (Just like you can take "any" properly behaved dog to visit hospital or aged care patients (NSW) without involving payment to a charity, or for you to travel for 'special' training, or subject your dog to excessive testing....but I digress...again.)

Centennial Parklands Home - Sydney Moonlight Cinema

Moonlight Cinema - City Specific Site (change city at bottom right of page)

Tails of the city: Sydney's passion for pets

Don't miss this exhibition from Saturday 13 December 08 through Sunday 22 March 09. $10 entry (and we're trying to get a members discount and invitation for our well-behaved pets).

Importantly, this is at The Museum of Sydney (MOS). If you ever lose hope working for change, or get frustrated at our nanny state laws, think about MOS. It is on the site of Australia’s first Government House, built in 1788 as a home and office for the colony’s Governor, Arthur Phillip. Many people fought long and hard to prevent this site from becoming another light-restricting soul-less high rise. We owe it to those people, as well as our pets to make a trip to Sydney to see this show. Bookies, be warned. The MOS book shop is known to capture people for hours, only letting them out with a massive credit card purchase!

From the MOS website: "Australians are one of the biggest owners of pets in the world, with two in three households living with animal companions. Along with dogs, cats, birds and fish, we have shared our homes and lives with a variety of animals, from axolotls to yabbies, budgerigars to stick insects, and many in between.

Discover Sydney’s surprising social history of pets, from the early days of the colony where favoured animals served practical purposes for their masters, through to today's indulged furry and feathered family members. Tails of the city is an exhibition for the whole family that explores our passion for pets through photographs, paintings, objects, hands-on activities and film."

Should we know what an axolotl is? . . . And don't miss the talk about keeping a pet in the city by the wise, learned, experienced and lovely (my comments) Tara Mai Dethridge, Companion Animal Liaison Officer, City of Sydney Council (official comments). Tara's talk will cover de-sexing, obedience training, kids and dogs, off-leash parks and the importance of micro-chipping and registration. Sunday 18 January 2 - 2:30pm, free with museum entry, no bookings.

NSW has gone to the dogs … and fish and birds: Sydney Morning Herald article.

Sydney Harbour Picnic: Salty Dogs Day Out

Doggie Play Picnic & Info Day

Harbourside - Under the Suspension Bridge

Sunday, 23rd November 2008
11am – 2pm All invited.

Information about Barking Mad will be available.

RSVP to Kate, (requested but not required).

Mortlock Reserve Tunks Park, Cammeray
For you, your family, friends & pets

How would you feel if you planned a day out with the kids at the park and decide to take the dog too; then you get there to only find a NO DOGS ALLOWED sign?

Come along and show your support for a fair share of public spaces including transport, beaches, parks and accommodation. Gold coin donation for a hot dog & drink.

Our event is in Dog Friendly North Sydney Council. Dogs may be exercised off-leash in all North Sydney Council parks and public reserves, with a few exceptions.

Many thanks to Alan of Walk Syndey Streets fame for this image of the Cammeray Suspension Bridge

Poo Park Council Event Sunday

Please help us raise awareness. Pittwater Council have generously accommodated us at Dog Day by the Bay - Sunday 28th September from 10am - 3pm,

Thanks to members who are helping out, but we need a few more please. Email if you can help at our stall. Held at Rowland Reserve, Bayview (known as poo park). Poo Park is an excellent example of why having one-only swimming area for the 15,000 local dogs is a really bad policy decision.

Barking Mad, in alignment with the State Plan, the Local Government Act, and the Federal Greenhouse Strategy requires at least 40% of beach areas to be dog-friendly.

Dissenting View and (not) endangered species

I received a very interesting response in regards to the previous post. I am always grateful to people who take the time to write their dissenting view, and even more so when they do it politely and with facts.

First, I must clarify that our assembly at Long Reef Beach in May 2007 said nothing about that area becoming a dog-friendly beach. It was about the requirement of council to provide equitable access to resources for all their residents. The beach is a resource and 40% of Warringah residents have dogs.

Secondly, as I researched the dissenting view offered to, I found errors of fact. Had it been based in fact, it would most certainly been something that we would have to consider and accommodate. HOWEVER, I am willing to be shown that I am in error, and that's why Barking Mad, as a professional lobby association, welcomes those with a dissenting view. Our only requirement is that you can argue your point without arguing people out of a room! But please come to us with research and facts - it will help us create a safe and pet-friendly community that both pet owners/lovers and pet haters can cope with.

HERE IS THE COMMENT WE RECEIVED:
While we agree that you and your dog have rights, the endangered species of birds in the wildlife refuge at one end of the beach and the marine sanctuary at the other are incompatible with the rights of you and your dog.

Please be aware that birds will not nest anywhere, or will abandon existing nests, that they can detect dogs have been near. They are endangered, your dog is not.

The marine reserve is home to endangered little penguins who are also very sensitive to the presence of dogs. Already there have been attacks by dogs whose owners are sure that their dog would not do something like this. The doggy ban is there for a reason. C.C,

HERE IS MY RESPONSE AFTER RESEARCHING 'endangered little penguins'.
In my quest for facts, I have researched your assertion that “marine reserve is home to endangered little penguins” and have found it to have no basis in fact. If you can show me otherwise, I would appreciate it.

There are NO endangered or critically endangered penguins in Australia. There are three species that are vulnerable, which does not include the little fairy. There is one colony of penguins that are an endangered population, and that is at Manly.

AND MY INITIAL RESPONSE (edited for length) BEFORE RESEARCHING THE PENGUIN CLAIM:

Thank you for taking the time to share your opinion, but I must say au contraire and ask for your qualifications. I have an environmental science background.

The doggie ban is for a reason and it’s revenue raising. Shorebird nesting areas are not related to this specific ban. Knowing your shorebirds and their nesting cycle AND their threats may lead you to a more informed response. The constitution, our federation and the High Court are there for reasons too. Think Aboriginal citizenship, Mabo, maybe even suffragists. Barking Mad supports legislation that protects shorebird nesting areas.

Of course, dogs off leash are a threat to little penguins – but NOT during the day. Also, these are seasonal, albeit a long season, and have must greater risks than dogs.

The other reason for dog bans is that it is much EASIER to get the dog owner than the parent whose youth drinks underage, drives like an idiot, swears constantly in public, likes to graffiti things etc. How many offenses are related to litter – and we all see a LOT more non-poo litter like drink bottles and cigarette butts. How about enforcing the alcohol free zones?

Endangered? We humans are the most endangered with the senseless way we interfere instead of integrate with our surroundings. Think cars and all they have done to our world, think import/export, shipping, mining. Sorry, my dog is down on the list and she is also a 24 x 7 health care worker – maybe even to your parent at a home that you visit once a week. She visits twice a week at least, and provides respite to the under-payed aged care workers as well. The benefits rein.

And just to clarify, my dog does not have rights as she is chattel. People have rights. A lot of animal welfare people want non-human animals to have rights – there is an argument for and against it, of course.

Beach Dog

Need some fun - too much lobbying with NSW Local Government Elections, change in NSW State Ministry, WA change of government and new Federal Opposition. LET'S GO WALKIES.

The purpose of the proposed assembly:

• Call attention to the requirement of Newcastle Council by way of the Local Government Act to provide adequate, equitable and appropriate services to the community, and that dog-friendly beach access for 40% of ratepayers with dogs is a service that is not now being adequately provided.
• Promote the integration of responsible dog owners in society.
• Demonstrate the health and fitness aspects of exercising on beaches for humans and supervised dogs.
• Call attention to the hierarchy of governance, Local Government’s lack of a Crown to govern in its own right.
• Promote peaceful political expression as an implied right in the constitution.
• Invite Newcastle Council to respect this constitutional right without the need to undermine it by touting council by-laws.

Assembly invitations, details and conditions here.

Manly Event Sunday

Hope to see you at Manly/Queenscliff Lagoon this Sunday. We will be there from 9:30 - 2:30.

Manly - We're IN Dogs Day OUT August 10

To quote Council: The aim of the Dogs Day Out is to be a fun and informative day and to promote responsible pet ownership. We say there is a profit motive in there as well due to the commercial stalls at last years' event!

Let's just call it a 'misunderstanding' that Council found Barking Mad material on our web "in conflict with Council's policies" so therefore unable "to be displayed at our stall". Maybe they just talked to Warringah whose unelected top dog administrator uses funds from the 40% of his rate payers who own dogs to publicise that dogs and beaches don't mix. (A page in the Manly Daily costs $4000 and this is where this was published).

We asked Manly how a not-for-profit organisation that:

• promotes a safe and pet-friendly community is in conflict with Council policies?


• exposed the positive climate-change policy of our legal right to travel on public transport with our pets in conflict with Council policies?


• has assisted your residents to (rightfully) keep their beloved and well-behaved pets in their units is against Council policy and would council rather support rescue organisations than the causes of pet surrenders?


• has Federal government recognition for raising the profile of the domestic dog as a 24 x 7 health care worker is in conflict with Council’s policies?

We didn't receive an answer.

We reminded Council that they are only a regulatory authority and don't make the laws. In fact, at last years' event the rangers used their statutory discretion to let dogs play with their families in the playground - the mum's and bubs were NOT fined $330 for having a fun time together.

Thanks to the intervention of Independent Councillor Mark Novak, the misunderstanding has been resolved and we will be attending Dogs Day Out. Mark says "for 4 years I have frequently been a lone voice on this Council appealing for change. Following this Council election, the change agents must be in the majority." Mr. Novak is standing for mayor in the upcoming Council election; I support him and hope you can too.

Manly also let us know that they are also working to support pets on public transport, and wrote to the relevant ministry after the bus arrest in February. Even better, we're slowly gaining support for a Salty Dogs' Day Out on a section of the beach - just like a surf club event. We would love to do with working with Council.

Will you help us on the stall on Sunday 10th August?

Diamond IT Doggy Day Out:Sept 21

Join us where Barking Mad is most welcome. Cooks Beach Surf Club Fundraiser. Sunday 21st September 2008.

COMMENDATION EVENT OF THE YEAR – The Diamond IT Doggy Day Out event was inspired by the Year of the Lifesaver. The event brought together business, government and the broader community in an attempt to recruit new members to the volunteer services the lifesavers provide. The event has generated the potential for growth and the attraction of tourism. Furthermore the events contribution to the community included support for other charities involved in pet services.

One more sleep

One more sleep. We're really looking forward to a morning with members and their pooches having a good time. All we will be doing is something the majority of dog owners can do - as long as they don't live in a Sydney coastal council. What's the HARM? See you in the morning for a sunny time.

Our Legal Right to Protest

We've had our final check-in with the NSW Police. They are the regulatory authority for the assembly we are holding; we assemble under state law, not council. Our right to assemble does not take away council's right to issue infringement notices for council's regulations. Because we are actively challenging council’s interpretation of several NSW laws, infringement notices are a possibility. Remember that Barking Mad will challenge these if issued to Barking Mad members. If you are not a member, you can sign up on the day.

We expect participants to sign in, read, understand and abide by the terms and conditions of the assembly, and wear the name badge provided at registration.

We expect good behaviour from you & your dog/s. Silly as it is, ‘earning’ back our rights to public space by demonstrating responsible behaviour (even though many of our rights were removed with doubtful due-process decades ago) may be a quicker way to regain our non-criminal status back in society than a protracted court challenge. If your pooch isn’t acting how you would like, take appropriate action such as putting it on a short lead or removing it. Be sensible, be cautious, respectful, helpful and HAVE FUN.

**Two dogs mauled, violent attack on police and two rangers still missing**. This is NOT the headline we want. The media has been known to exaggerate. Our society tolerates assaults on people by other people, crimes against property including graffiti, drunken and disorderly behaviour, littering and speeding a lot more than it tolerates one dog protecting its space against another animal – these are the facts, be they logical or not.

Our analogy to Sydney's ban of dogs on beaches is this: people exceed the posted speeds on roads in their cars, yet they don't ban all of us from driving. So why do they ban us all from the beach because some people 'exceed the speed'? It's nonsensical. Once again, we do not support Ranger Anger. From my discussions with participants over the last week, I acknowledge there is a lot of frustration at the chosen priorities of northern beaches rangers to issue notices for dog offences.

I've also heard that many people think the ban of dogs on beaches is state wide - it's not! I live one hour north and 90% of our beaches are dog beaches (some on lead, some off lead), and yes, it's an urban area. See you on Salty Dog's Day Out, until then, enjoy your companions!

Manly Council Meeting

Barking Mad invited by the chair of the companion animals committee, Mayor Peter Macdonald, to address Manly Council on 9th May 2007.

Salty Dogs Day Out

Barking Mad has now been invited by four Sydney councils to present our draft policy for access for responsible animal owners. All this has happened before our premier event, the Salty Dogs Day Out. It's good news. We have the support of the mayor of Mosman, Manly and Sydney. We have received their well wishes for 1 April. The Administrator of Warringah declined our invitation, and we are still waiting to hear from the Pittwater Mayor.