In an unimaginable horror to anyone with a heart – let alone a dog at home – 100 sled dogs were allegedly shot and knifed by an employee of the companies ‘Outdoor Adventures Whistler’ and ‘Howling Dogs’, both sled-tour providers.

While the details are still uncertain, what is known is that the killings came to light after the employee in question claimed compensation for post-traumatic stress syndrome because of the nature of the killings.

According to documents in the possession of the SPCA of British Columbia, dogs were tethered and had to witness hours of brutality before the gun was turned on them, with scenes of unmentionable horror being described.

Peter Fricker from the Vancouver Humane society said, ‘We think as the public finds out more of the details of this case that they are going to be completely outraged.’

The killings allegedly took place in April, after the business and tourism boom produced by the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics died down.

While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the SPCA are investigating the case, experts have warned that cruelty cases are often difficult to prosecute.

The case has shocked dog-lovers and animal rights groups around the world, and shone the spotlight on the sledding tourism industry itself.

‘We’d like to see the entire sled dog industry shut down,’ said Fricker. ‘Something like this can never happen again.’

Image sourced from: pups-seeking-homes.com and urbanitebaltimore.com

Now you don’t have to leave your pooch at home when you head out for the evening…

Are you the type of dog owner who likes to take your pooch everywhere? Do you scour for dog-friendly beaches, holiday houses and cafes? If this sounds like you, then you’ll definitely be interested in Ford Fiesta’s Moonlight Cinema, an outdoor event that has a dedicated doggie night, so your four-legged friend can enjoy a trip to the movies as well!

Held in five capital cities around Australia, the Moonlight Cinema runs all summer and offers patrons the opportunity to experience movie-going in the great outdoors.

Once a season, the Moonlight Cinema opens its gates to our canine counterparts, and creates a special dog-friendly environment (no chocolate or macadamia nuts allowed on the premises!) for everyone to enjoy.

The Sydney dog-friendly night was held on Sunday 16 January – and it was certainly a sight to behold. Over 100 dogs were in attendance and they ranged from tiny teacup Chihuahuas to German Shepherds and Great Danes. The environment was friendly, hyper and at times hilarious, especially when a dog would bark on screen and send up a chorus of responses from the furry crowd.

The recent floods haven’t just had a horrendous impact on humans…

We’ve all watched in horror as the flooding disaster has unfolded throughout Queensland, affecting 75 per cent of the state, devastating homes and tragically claiming lives.

While the death and damage toll continue to dismay, there is another group of Queenslanders doing it tough who don’t have a voice to complain – the animals.

Domestic pets, livestock and wild animals alike have been affected by the floodwaters, with some residents left with no choice but to abandon their pets in their inundated homes.

Michael Beatty, Queensland RSPCA spokesperson says he is frustrated by the RSPCA’s inability to do more:

‘Anything to do with animals, everyone calls the RSPCA. Unfortunately, the situation in Brisbane now, in regards to us physically being able to take in animals, is non-existent because we simply can’t,’ he said in an interview with the ABC.

‘We don’t have an operational shelter in Brisbane. The animals that left the Brisbane shelter have gone into foster care and we just really thank the foster carers and the volunteers who came in to help.

‘But at the moment, we basically can’t take in any other animals.’

How to help

Providing temporary homes for lost and/or abandoned pets will make an enormous positive difference in the coming weeks and months. Michael Beatty has also urged people who can to volunteer, but with so much recovery work ahead of them, the people of Queensland are already stretched to the limit.

However, we have seen some extraordinary images of inter-species kindness and solidarity. The images of a man wading through rising flood waters to save a stranger’s horse warmed the hearts of many, but it was the picture of frog hitching a ride on the back of a snake that made the biggest impact.

The Pedigree Adoption Drive has put a call out to rescue groups and foster carers in flood-affected areas who are in need of food and supplies to make contact through its Facebook page.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to donate to the RSPCA Flood Appeal, you can do so here.

Dog Diaries’ thoughts are with everyone affected by the floods – two-legged, four-legged and no-legged alike!

Image sourced from: Meat Trade News Daily

ABC News

In a recent interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Wally Conron, the man who created the Labradoodle breed, has admitted he has his regrets about creating the dog that has since become wildly popular.

It all started, according to the interview, when Conron (who was then working as breeding manager for the Royal Guide Dog Association of Australia) was asked to breed a hypo-allergenic guide dog for a woman in Hawaii whose husband was allergic to dogs that shed.

After a series of failed attempts, Conron finally succeeded by orchestrating the now-famous cross between a standard Poodle and a Labrador. At first, he says, no-one was interested in buying the cross-breeds, but with a clever marketing campaign that saw the breed affixed with the quirky moniker ‘Labradoodle’, it quickly became the designer dog to purchase and spurred an apparently endless list of other crosses with equally bizarre names.

Not proud

Despite the popularity of the Labradoodle and the way it has helped people through the Guide Dog Association, Conron insists he isn’t proud of his contribution.

‘All these backyard breeders have jumped on the bandwagon and they’re crossing any kind of dog with a poodle,’ says the now 81-year old. ‘They’re selling them for more than a pure-bred is worth and they’re not going into the backgrounds of the parents of the dogs. There are so many poodle crosses having fits, problems with their eyes, hips and elbows; a lot have epilepsy. There are a few ethical breeders, but very, very few.’

It seems that best laid plans and good intentions are no match for irresponsible people who will seek to compromise the health and integrity of a breed to make a quick buck.

‘I released a Frankenstein,’ Conron claims. ‘People say, “Aren’t you proud of yourself?” and I say, “Not in the slightest. I’ve done so much harm to pure breeding.”’

• What do you think? Which breeds do you think were a mistake in hindsight? Should humans stay out of designing new breeds?

Image Sourced from: Ask Spike Online

‘In the ’70s, the breed that people were afraid of was the Doberman; in the 2000s, it’s the Pit Bull. See, nothing has changed,’ he said. ‘So the solution is education. If we start to ban breeds, what that tells me is people are afraid or people are ignorant about it. It’s not the breed, it’s the human behind the dog.’

Millan himself has many dogs, but probably the most famous of these was Daddy, an American Pit Bull. Daddy passed away at age 16 earlier this year, but not before Millan had adopted a new Pit Bull puppy, named Junior, who became Daddy’s protégé. Both Daddy and Junior are known for their calm, empathetic and non-aggressive temperaments, but when Millan attempted to bring Junior to his stage show in Ontario the Provincial laws prohibited it – and refused to make an exception even for this famous and well-trained dog.

Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and German Shepherds have all come under fire for being aggressive, but Millan and others advocate owner-education rather than simply issuing a blanket ban for these breeds.

It is true that some Pit Bulls have been bred to fight, and an aggressive animal certainly needs to be taken seriously, but fuelling the stigma behind certain breeds is not the answer, says Millan.

• What do you think? Are certain dogs just ‘bad breeds’? Is the answer to ban them or should we focus more on community education? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Image Sourced from: dog walker

Christmas is family time and for most of us our pets are part of family celebrations. Nearly all of my friends have a little something wrapped for their fur-friend on Christmas day and include their pets in their festivities

With all the hustle of preparation, the joys of family and friends arriving, exchanging gifts and finally sitting down to enjoy festive fare and drinks, it is easy to not notice the mischief, or trouble that the family pet may get up to.

With a little planning and supervision mishaps and mayhem can be avoided this Christmas.

Decoration distractions

There is nothing more enticing to a cat than a tree to climb and how easy it that symmetrical pine tree – plastic or real. The trouble is that the trees were meant to have a star on top, not a 3kg cat, and the cat and tree will likely come toppling over. Cats rarely listen to requests not to do something so it is best to keep the tree and the cat in separate rooms or to make sure the tree is secured.

Tree decorations look like dangly toys to cats, and some dogs. If you have pets it is better to use unbreakable decorations rather than glass baubles. The glass used to make the baubles is very fine and splinters can be hard to remove from pads, or worse if swallowed.Tinsel is glittery and just begs to be played with. However it is usually made of metal or plastic and can cause problems if swallowed.

Gifts under the tree?  Now what self respecting dog could resist opening a gift or two? Not only will this wreck your gift-giving but the contents of some gifts may be harmful to the dog.

Keep pets secure
Make sure that pets are securely confined when guests are arriving.  If young children are visiting, supervise your pets at all times or confine them away from the children. Children can over stimulate pets, especially at a time when the children themselves are likely to be over-excited

Guests sometimes neglect to shut gates and doors. Make sure your pets are secure and cannot escape your property.

Well-meaning people often share their Christmas dinner with the dog but be do be careful.  Rich food, or even just over-indulging, is just as bad for dogs as it is for us- it can cause tummy upsets and pancreatitis.  Cooked bones can splinter and get caught in the mouth or gut. Onions, both raw and cooked are toxic to dogs as are macadamia nuts. Chocolate is also toxic to dogs ( particularly cooking chocolate) and should never be given.

During all the festivity do remember to check on your pets and make sure that they are cool, comfortable and have fresh water. I suggest giving them a safe treat and putting them somewhere quiet during meal time.

[INFORMATION AND IMAGE COURTESY OF www.drkatrina.com]

The recent heavy rainfall hasn’t just caused flooding issues in some parts of the country. For pet owners, it also means this is set to be one of the worst tick seasons on record.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) reports that ticks are thriving thanks to this year’s mild winter and the current wet weather. Plus the AVA warns that the previous years of drought means there is not enough antivenom (a natural product that can only be made during tick season) in stock to cope with this year’s onslaught.

The recent Advantix Protect the One You Love pet owner survey conducted by Bayer Animal Health has shown that around 30 per cent of pet owners are unaware of paralysis ticks and the risks they pose to their pets.

Dog Diaries is therefore urging pet owners across the east coast of Australia, where paralysis ticks are found, to use preventative treatments, such as Advantix for dogs, fortnightly during tick season to make sure that their dogs don’t get bitten by ticks.

‘The holiday season is approaching and many pet owners will be travelling to coastal regions with their pets where paralysis ticks are common. We love our pets and wouldn’t want anything terrible to happen to them, and whilst laboratories are working hard to produce enough antivenom to alleviate the shortage in the next few weeks, it is important to understand the risks and symptoms of tick paralysis and how to prevent your pets falling victim to these dangerous parasites,’ says Dr Bob Rees, Bayer Animal Health Technical Services Veterinarian.

What should you do during tick season?

1.      Prevention is better than cure – make sure you are treating your pet with a preventative treatment, such as Advantix for dogs, every two weeks throughout tick season. Repelling ticks before they bite is the key to prevention.

2.      Check your pet every day for ticks – the best way is to feel, not look, for ticks. Start in the common places such as the head and neck, but make sure you search everywhere, including the ears, around the eyes, under the collar, between toes, etc. Your pet is also bound to enjoy the extra attention!

3.      Look out for the telltale signs:

• Weakness in the hind legs or staggering, which may be followed by paralysis;
• Vomiting or regurgitation;
• Change in you dog’s bark due to paralysis of the throat and voice box;
• Laboured breathing, which may include a ‘grunting’ sound.

4.      If you are travelling with your pet – check with your vet if you will be travelling to an area where there are paralysis ticks. If so, make sure your pet is treated every two weeks and checked for ticks daily.

5.      If you notice any of the warning signs, take your pet to your vet immediately.

Take the time to protect the one you love!

Of all the breeds of dog, the Greyhound is one of the least popular for keeping as a pet in this country. The reasons are varied and many, but among them is a misguided perception of Greyhounds as uncontrollable and vicious. In fact, the opposite is true. Greyhounds as Pets (GAP) is a Western Australia adoption program that aims to change the way the public views Greyhounds and show people what incredible pets they can make.

Greyhound racing

Because Greyhounds are bred and used for racing, many dogs find themselves homeless once they are retired from competition. Because racing dogs are usually retired between the ages of two and five (and their life expectancy is around 12-14 years) this leaves an alarming number of dogs homeless – and, if they don’t find homes, ultimately facing euthanasia.

The muzzle myth

Because Australian laws required Greyhounds to be muzzled when they are in public, you could be forgiven for assuming a Greyhound has a vicious nature. In actual fact, Greyhounds are very gentle, and the muzzle law came about to prevent Greyhounds from snapping at each other while they’re racing. GAP is lobbying to have this rule amended due to the misconceptions it causes about the breed.

Hard to handle

Another factor that causes people to baulk at the thought of owning a greyhound is the need to keep them on a leash whenever they’re not within a fenced-in area. This is not because a Greyhound is more wilful or disobedient than any other breed of dog, but because they are easily distracted due to their excellent eyesight. The Greyhound can see clearly up to a kilometre away, which means there is a whole world of delights to be explored within his vision. Combined with their lightning speed, this is a recipe for a runaway dog. For its own protection, it’s a good idea to keep your Greyhound on a lead.

Loyal family members

Greyhounds are incredibly affectionate, loyal companions and make excellent pets for a number of reasons. They have non-shedding coats and require little grooming. Despite what their size may indicate, they actually do not require a lot of food and they have few health problems. If you think you could make some space in your life for one of these majestic creatures, visit your local rescue group or the GAP website for more information.

Image by: Pettalk

Dog Diaries has already discussed the dangers of pet store impulse buys. As a result of sympathy, pressure from the kids or the irresistible face of a kitten behind the glass, many families make pet purchases without the proper commitment or forethought that bringing an animal into your family requires.

The result, sadly, is that once these pets grow beyond that adorable baby phase and the reality of the work required sets in, many of these pet-store purchases are abandoned and, worse, eventually put down.

A petition was recently brought before the Queensland State Parliament requesting that cats and dogs are not allowed to be sold in Queensland pet stores. The move comes after several other countries have enforced similar bans to prevent the abandonment of cats and dogs in particular.

Signed by 2597 concerned citizens, the Queensland petition states: ‘Animals are often purchased by ill-informed people who later discard their pet when they realise that pet ownership is not as easy or cheap as they thought. Your petitioners request the House to ban all pet shops from selling cats and dogs.’
While stricter codes of conduct have been put in place over recent years to attempt to better vet prospective owners, the problem is still a big one, with over 200,000 pets being put down each year in this country.

•    What do you think? Do you think banning pet shop sales is the answer? We’d love to hear your opinions!

Image by: chattanoogapulse

At the end of a long, hard day, sometimes all you need is someone to vent to. You drop your bag in the hallway, kick off your shoes, pour yourself a glass of red and unleash all the day’s worries to your dearly beloved… who, for his part, sits still, listens dutifully – and when you’re finished, showers you in affection.

Then he licks your face and scratches himself.

That’s right, we’re talking about the family pooch, who, it would seem, is quickly taking his place in the family as resident therapist and sympathetic ear.

A new poll conducted in the US by pet-loving website Petside has discovered that one third of married, pet-owning American women and 18 per cent of their male counterparts admit that their pet is a better listener than their spouse.

With more and more pet owners discovering the therapeutic value of a furry friend around the house, and the amazing connection that develops between people and their pets, this comes as no surprise to us at Dog Diaries. Pets have long been used as natural healers and helpers, with guide dogs, aged-cared therapy pets, cancer-detecting dogs, seizure-detecting dogs and now even dogs that can help your child learn to read becoming a standard part of our healthcare system.

So even though this may be a slightly dismal advertisement for married life, we say it’s yet another endorsement of the joy a pet can bring!

Images by: Grazie, davvero and Ars technica