United we Stand, Divided we Fall

Have you clicked on the campaign section of the web that has just been added? Don't miss the deadline to express your views to Pittwater Council about Makerel Beach. This campaign has some very big legal issues that could work strongly in our favour - to end the discrimination of responsible pet owners.
I can't believe we have so much happening in so many different places - and not all the campaigns are uploaded yet. Where is that web content editor we need so badly? (work for us while not increasing your taxable income!).
United we stand, divided we fall. This is my mantra as I think about all the people, all over Australia, who have to fight to have ONE dog exercise area, or ONE place to swim their dog. Although this is a phrase that is hundreds of years old, and was used successfully by Ghandi to obtain the independence of India, it is as relevant today to Barking Mad as it was to those before us.
NIMBY: not in my back yard - so many people work so hard and achieve success in their little area for ONE dog beach, or ONE dog park. WE NEED TO UNITE so that we avoid these one-off, one-small-area, one-dog-beach-please fights. The laws restricting responsible pet owners from parks, beaches, transport and accomodation have NOT been challenged. That means they are fair game. They are not tested, they are not robust.
Please - if you are running a local campaign, come to the Barking Mad pack. Your local council does not MAKE laws. They are the meat in the sandwich. The states makes laws and we currently have excellent support in the NSW Parliament. We hope to have our cause debated within the next two months.

Please - if you are running a local campaign, come to the Barking Mad pack. Your local council does not MAKE laws. They are the meat in the sandwich. The states makes laws and we currently have excellent support in the NSW Parliament. We hope to have our cause debated within the next two months.

City CBD Dog

In support of Clover Moore's amazing work to make the City of Sydney dog-friendly, (read their policy here), Pema and I went into the CBD for a day's work. We went to St. Vincent's hospital first. In the lift from the carpark I was told that my dog was a health risk. I asked, then why are sick people in the hospital and we are out here? (Pema is a hospital visiting dog, anyway). And is she more of a risk than I am having just had the flu and a major stomach bug? NO ONE CAN TELL US WHAT THIS 'HEALTH ISSUE' is about dogs - and why guide dogs ARE NOT a health issue.

It's a myth and Barking Mad is debunking it - stay tuned for our report.We had a conference with one of our solicitor's - we have so many interesting cases. In a crowded legal office, Pema had a snooze under a desk. I must write up the case of the dog being fined when crossing the beach from a boat to a water-access home. It was thrown out of court last week, with a slap on the wrist to Pittwater Council, who the Judge was quite critical of. We need more cases. If you were fined for being responsible (but illegal), we can help you contest it.

While crossing the road at a busy intersection, my dog broke the law - AGAIN! She was interested in a border collie-x walking across from the other direction. This dog was interested in her, too - so they BOTH broke the law because they RUSHED at each other. Yep, rushing at any person or dog means the owner is guilty of an offence. Strict Liability - meaning the REASON it was lunging isn't relevant. Check out this silly law. Both dogs were on leads, the other folks in the crossing thought it was cute, I thought the dog AND its' owner were cute. All-in-all it brought a smile to a few bleak faces on a windy, cold day.

We then went to District Court and Pema went through her first x-ray machine. I've been in court for years now because I was defrauded from a business and my superannuation. That's why I ended up getting a dog and that's when I realised I was limited in where I could go and that's why I started Barking Mad! This was Pema's first visit and she was a big hit with the registry folks on level 9.

Then to the bank where she wasn't even noticed tied under the table just inside the doors, while I did business there for 20 minutes. (5 minutes of business and 15 minutes of waiting). We had a rest in Hyde (Australia's first) Park, welcoming the lack of 'no-dogs' signs. We also had a look at the Anzac Memorial. Then off to our 5 star hotel for the Barking Mad top-dog, top-drop thinking and drinking (board) meeting. After nearly two hours, we were kindly told that no dogs were allowed, so we moved Pema to the car to wait. The management at this hotel will talk to us about the pros and cons of being a pet-friendly hotel. They are very supportive of Barking Mad and what we are achieving.

Roads, Rates & Rubbish

Back in Australia where I think local councils should go back to their mantra of rates, roads and rubbish and leave us responsible dog owners to ourselves. Do they have 'small-government-syndrome' or what?

I attended our local board riding competition this morning – yes, at the beach, WITH the dog. 40 kids, 30 adults, food cooking away on the BBQ, 2 marquees and 15 dogs, most off-lead. WHAT THE? Food and dogs and beaches, surfers and kids – all mixing. All with a permit issued by a sensible central coast council.

To Sydney councils – wake up and service your ratepayers. More homes have dogs than kids; you have a legal duty to provide us with equitable services and you can’t just say ‘no dogs’ on the beach. You can't tell mothers not to take their toddler AND their dog to the playground. You can’t just wipe out the amenities of half of the population in one sweep. We will not tolerate this discrimination. We will work with you if you wish, otherwise, we will mount a legal challenge that will cost your ratepayers dearly. Get sensible – go after things that have a real risk factor. (rave over – off to play café-dog games in the Manly Council turf).

Eating Dog

In the land where they eat dogs - Viet nam - a surprising number of families keep a pet dog. Most of these dogs are kept well, and funny how they hang around the dining table and the kids - and the beach - and the tourists and no one makes a fuss. I haven't heard one bark yet - so different from the constant barking of dogs in Nepal. They are quiet, passive and friendly dogs - none of them jump on you. Maybe it is just too hot! We're investigating if some of these may be sold - when the dog catcher comes around. Not really the dog catcher as we know it, but a talent scout - for DINNER. Most dogs that are eaten are farmed, with similar disregard to their suffering as we have for many of the animals we eat in Oz. {think 8 week old roaster chicken who lived it's life in a space no bigger than it's body}. We've heard there is a dog catcher who will pay when they take dogs; likely from poorer families, but we haven't confirmed this yet.

THANK YOU to all new members - please keep signing up and remember that your 'paid up membership counts for at least 100 votes when lobbying government. It is a much stronger tool than a petition.
Just found a cool article on us at Dogs Australia http://dogsaustralia.wordpress.com/2007/06/30/barking-mad/

Gone Sailing

Most of Barking Mad is having a break to warmer shores and will return by 10th August. We'll be in limited contact. Please be patient with your inquires and we'll be back soon.

"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are" ~Tobias Wolf

21 July - OK and SORRY. I haven't yet written up the review of the brilliant Animal Law Conference yet - but we finally got the membership kits mailed! Thoughts from the conference are still prominent in my head. I've been thinking about how Australians love and adore our companion animals, yet allow the massive suffering of the animals we eat and export. I think of the pigs nursing piglets in sow stalls in which they can not move, or the chickens we eat having lived their whole life in a cage on a space of an A4 sheet of paper, never seeing daylight, never flapping their wings, and killed to be grilled by 12 weeks of age.

Barking Mad will continue to be a single-issue-party on the issue of ACCESS for the majority of Australians who are responsible pet owners; however, we are continually made aware of many other issues involving animals. More to come...just not sure when.

A big weekend working on memberships and the web. The patience and dedication of those who act on their beliefs is inspirational. Thanks to all who offer to help, I'm working on getting everyone involved and organised. For those in Sydney, I hope you can attend a meeting Tuesday afternoon (the 24th) - we may have phone links for those out-of-state. Be sure to send in your comments for the members section of the web, including any classified adds you may have. We had a great trip on the bus yesterday; it certainly will make life easier for those who don't have a car or choose public transport.

The good news is that we have a (NSW) state member willing to table our policies and issues. We have additional legal representatives to support our challenges to the existing laws. We have new information to help renters. We have people ready to take Barking Mad forward in South Australia and Queensland. CAPACITY PLANNING - I was asked once how I was preparing for it and the answer was, as the fact is, deal with it when it comes. It has arrived - HELP!

Capacity Planning - or HELP!

A big weekend working on memberships and the web. The patience and dedication of those who act on their beliefs is inspirational. Thanks to all who offer to help, I'm working on getting everyone involved and organised. For those in Sydney, I hope you can attend a meeting Tuesday afternoon (the 24th) - we may have phone links for those out-of-state. Be sure to send in your comments for the members section of the web, including any classified adds you may have. We had a great trip on the bus yesterday; it certainly will make life easier for those who don't have a car or choose public transport.

The good news is that we have a (NSW) state member willing to table our policies and issues. We have additional legal representatives to support our challenges to the existing laws. We have new information to help renters. We have people ready to take Barking Mad forward in South Australia and Queensland. CAPACITY PLANNING - I was asked once how I was preparing for it and the answer was, as the fact is, deal with it when it comes. It has arrived - HELP!

We have tele-communications again! Broadband has returned to Barking Mad. New members - your memberships are now being processed and you will receive your membership kits early next week. The member's area of the site is being revised. Send in your member notices for events or other classified adds.

Laws - really?

brought my lovely companion dog Pema with me into a local shopping centre today to test the NSW law that this is 'not prohibited' (i.e. 'legal') if I'm on the way to a pet shop, vet or similar establishment. What an amazing response we had. As I sat on a bench with Pema lying at my feet, people wanted to pet and chat to her, but between this socialising, one shop attendant told me he would be fined if the dog was there. I tried to enlighten him on legal-ease, but he was not to be enlightened. Pointing to the 'no dogs' sign on the door, he raved. Security was called. They were willing to be enlightened a bit. I invited them to call the police. Shortly later, a cop walked by, glanced over and went on his way. Pema was bored and fast asleep by this time. The 'no dog' sign appears to be a blatant violation of law. If it was REALLY about DOGS, then assistance and guide dogs would be prohibited too! Let me just say it was a quiet time at the shopping centre. Pema was on a short lead, our presence would have caused no impact had shopkeeper not gone off his face. Even then, our impact was minimal. The outcome is: the owner of the shop we were going to now understands the law (as written) and will have a chat to the off-his-face cafe person - and next time we will have an assistance dog with us AND the media.

Because I have a dog, I have a community.

Pema and I have been welcomed with open-arms to our new, small beachside community on the Central Coast of NSW. Having moved numerous times in my 40+ years, I have never had so many welcoming chats and invitations within the first week of arriving somewhere - and I've never had a dog when I've moved before.

At the beach this morning, rugged up with hat and scarf, the sunrise was welcomed by the human walkers, but probably unnoticed by the 10-12 dogs who were blissed-out on their morning jaunt. Since Pema is the new girl in town, I keep her on a lead while she gets to know the residents. Once the butt to nose dance is completed, she is free to romp with the other mutts. Meanwhile, those dog owners tell me about the community, about how dog-friendly they are, about the lake and the lagoon (and the flooding), about the best cafe, the Saturday routine of walk than coffee, and they introduce me by name to other dog owners.

We are indeed a social bunch. Many Sydney folks tell me they know other folks by their dog's names, but often don't know the 'owners' name. Thank you to everyone who is working with Barking Mad to make our place as pet owners in the wider society more welcoming. A brisk beachside walk in 9 degrees with playfull pooches (combined with Warrigah Council's 'dogs and beaches don't mix mantra) is all I need each day to keep lobbying and mounting legal challenges for a fair-share of public space.

Dog Friendly Beach

Moving! Barking Mad is relocating to a home/office in the bush 100 metres from a designated dog beach. What bliss for dog and owner. Telecommunications are proving to be slow - so we will be on dial-up only, and limited mobile coverage, until Telstra Next-G kicks in sometime next week. Thanks for you patience. New member kits are late - next week, promise

Top Drop Top Dog Drinking and Thinking Board

Members old and new - Welcome! The Barking Mad Top Drop Top Dog Drinking and Thinking Board is meeting on the evening of the 18th of July somewhere around Sydney city. We have much to sort out having just had abundant media coverage and excellent support from many (NSW) State members. We also have engaged coordinators for Victoria and Queensland and have interest in South Australia. If you can attend, email eedra@barking-mad.com.au

My heart is joyful and my eyes have feasted on the breathtaking beauty from a simple dog walk on Umina Beach. Happily working on the computer this morning between radio and print interviews, the puppy Pasha decided that I had done enough. A walk was required to save the house from puppy destruction! Off to the beach we go with Pema, to the south end of Umina.

What a glorious day! Warm water, one gentle surf break just in front of the surf club and the warm westerly wind flattening the rest of the bay. Puppy had an abundance of children to play with due to school holidays and the proximity of the caravan park. Pema had 20 dogs to play with and I got to talk to about 5 different people - what joy! Why are Sydney people denied this pleasure of walking dog on the beach?

Barking Dash Mad

BARKING HYPHEN MAD or should we be BARKING DASH MAD. Are we a dash mad or does the hyphen represent the dog lead? Either way, we are at barking-mad.com.au AND barkingmad.net.au AND shitonmyshoe.com.au (may change that to poo on my shoe....) Thanks for visiting.

Page 3 of the Herald

Herald page 3 - Thanks to all the members who contributed to this article. Thanks also to all the members who 'put their money where their bark is' and support the work of Barking Mad to increase our access to parks, transport, beaches and accomodation. If you are a responsible pet owner who wants a fair-go, please join us.

Members Web

Barking Mad is busy behind the scenes. We are in discussion with four NSW ministers taking up the issues of discrimination and social disadvantage that the current anti-dog laws foster. Talks are going very well. The Member’s Area of the web is growing and all the juicy news on the rights you REALLY have (not the ones that your local council may want you to believe) are in this section. We're involved in challenges for several of our members including dogs prohibited in unit dwellings, penalty notices issued outside of juristiction or improperty and harassment or targetted campaigns by rangers.

Campaiging and the Law

We have received the latest guide to rights and responsibilities for campaigning and the law in NSW. Very handy stuff and available to loan to members.

New Web Pages

Thanks to members for two new web pages: How you can help now and member comments. Check these out and be inspired by the dedication and creativity of Barking Mad members. We also have a family page coming soon!

Warringah Council meeting

Warringah Council Animal Advisory Committee Meeting - Barking Mad will be presenting to their next meeting on the 9th August. Let us know if you want to attend. Although we think the issues are more about equity for community members and less about animals, we welcome this opportunity. When we attended another Council's meeting - not one member could come up with a REASON on why dogs are prohibited from beaches. All reasons that were provided (all being different), were normal things in all of society, like crowded footpaths.