| | | Love At First Sniff!
Source: petaholica.com 10.8.2006
Must Love Dogs…
There are 40 million single pet owners in America. This is why there are several dating companies popping up dedicated exclusively to pet lovers.
Leashes and Lovers hosts fun singles parties for people and their pets and has and has an online dating section called Fetcha Mate . It is a great idea because you can tell a lot about a guy by whether or not he is a dog lover. Plus the fact that parties are so much more fun if we can bring our four-legged furry friends. Another notable site where animal enthusiasts find true love is Animal Attraction . Both groups believe that pet lovers are warm, caring, responsible people and share common interests. They also support animal charities, so you can feel like you are contributing to a worthwhile cause while finding Mr. Right.
| | Domain » Sydney Morning Herald
Tenants and their pets. The do's and dont's.
July 26, 2006
Landlords are becoming more accepting of tenants who keep pets. Whether it's feathers, fur or fins, the mere mention of a pet can make life difficult when it comes to finding a home to rent. Research by the Australian Companion Animal Council shows that more than half of Australian households have a dog and/or cat. And yet many landlords hesitate.
Dale Hawken, property manager and principal at First National Dural, says that some owners don't allow pets because they have allergies and could have problems if they eventually move into the home themselves. More often, the reluctance is due to fears an animal might damage the property or cause conflict with neighbours.
Nanza Chidiac, a property manager at Elders Inner West, says that the type of damage landlords fear includes scratched doors, ruined carpets and damage to outdoor areas and gardens.
Such concerns are unwarranted, says Sue Chaseling, of the Companion Animal Council. "A responsible pet owner is likely to be a responsible tenant," she says. What's more, because finding a pet-friendly rental can be difficult, these tenants generally try to keep their landlord happy. Chidiac says landlords have become more accepting of pets, perhaps as a result of better insurance options.
Peter Taylor, senior property manager at BresicWhitney Estate Agents, agrees. "Some tenants used to hide [the fact they had pets] but landlords are now a lot more liberal," he says. Tenants should be honest on their applications so that their agent can work out the ideal situation for them and their potential landlords, he says. What's more, properties the agency advertises as pet-friendly have a definite advantage. "They're extremely popular," he says.
There are measures pet owners can take to help find themselves a home to rent.
CREATURE COMFORT - Make sure properties you're looking at suit your pet, with adequate fencing and outdoor space to keep them satisfied. Keeping a large dog in a small, second-floor apartment is a sure recipe for disaster, for instance.
Think carefully about the areas you're looking at. Around Dural (north-western Sydney), there's a lot of acreage, so pets are not necessarily a problem. "Some properties even have facilities for horses and kennels," Hawken says.
REFERENCES- A landlord might be more accommodating if you present a resume for your pet, such as references from previous agents and veterinarian records. "This can help demonstrate that you look after your pet and that it's not going to have a negative impact on the home," Chaseling says. Chidiac suggests a picture of your pet might help, too, showing the landlord exactly what to expect.
RULES AND AGREEMENTS - Taylor says that strata apartments usually have set rules about pets but, in other cases, an agent can consult with the owners corporation on the tenant's behalf.
Alternatively, an arrangement can be made with the landlord. A written contract (drawn up casually or by an agent) in which the tenant agrees to be responsible for any damage and even fumigate if necessary, as well as outlining how the pet will be kept (indoors or out), will often make a landlord feel more secure about welcoming pets.
| | National Desexing Month will commence 1 August 2006.
If two cats and all their descendents were not desexed the cat population would reach over 420,000 in seven years.
If two dogs and all their descendents were not desexed the dog population would reach over 67,000 in six years.
During National Desexing Month in August, the National Desexing Network (NDN) along with vets, refuges and councils around Australia, are urging cat and dog owners and people who are caring for stray cats and to get these animals desexed. More than 100 participating vets have so far registered with NDN and are offering incentives to desex cats and dogs to help stop this tragedy and reduce breeding before the spring breeding season. To find out which vets near you will be participating in National Desexing Month contact NDN on 1 300 368 992. | | Only in America? Maybe not
THE ECONOMIST- June 10th 2006 New York Pets Dog days
Paws are no longer good enough for the Big Apple’s streets.
if you, as a human, think it is hard to hail a cab in New York, just imagine what it is like if you are a dog. Or, to be more precise, imagine what it was like, because now New York dogs have acquired what they have been panting for since the city began: a pet chauffeur.
Like many clever businesses, this one emerged from a customer’s most desperate need. A decade ago, David Lang bought an old station wagon and began delivering food and medicine from vets to their clients. Before Long, veterinarians were requesting Mr. Lang to do a return trip with ailing pets. So Pet Chauffeur was born.
New York swarms with dogs that have wealthy absentee owners. Mr. Lang fills the Gap, and it is a very, very, large gap. His old station wagon has been junked, replaced by a fleet of seven specially equipped mini-vans (with dog seatbelts). Given a moment of free time, an eighth would be added.
Mr. Lang’s office resembles a war room. The front wall is taken up by a vast erasable white board, staffed by two employees who constantly rub out and add new requests to each driver’s schedule. Telephones ring constantly. Mornings and evenings are always packed, as is lunchtime, as are rainy days (when, Mr. Lang says, it really does rain cats and dogs). Conversations with Mr. Lang, beyond a few key questions to confirm street and time are impossible. He has 10000 clients, including many celebrities (dog confidentiality precludes disclosing their names), and more are constantly being added. Medical runs to the vet are now just a tiny part of the business. Several owners use Pet Chauffeur to commute with their dogs to work in fancy midtown offices. An extensive dog social network also exists. They are picked up for afternoon “play-dates” with friends, or for dog birthday parties (Pet Chauffeur provides cakes). For dogs lacking close friends, there are more than a dozen designated dog parks in the city where new acquaintances are usually available, and Pet Chauffeur knows them all. Two days a week, it runs a shuttle to a dog resort in a suburb. And, for those hot days, it frequently transports clients to a dog pool on Ninth Avenue.
Naturally, competition has emerged, but such is the demand that the various firms work together during peak hours, referring customers. Prices are, inevitably, higher than for the average human but, of course, to the owners, these passengers are more valuable. They begin at more than $30 for a short hop, and can reach $200 for a trip from Manhattan to Newark airport. None of his riders, says Mr. Lang, ever complains. | | One year's jail for kitten cruelty
From: AAP June 15, 2006
A SYDNEY man who bashed a 12-week-old kitten, tried to drown it and tossed it into a bin has been jailed for a year and banned from owning another pet.Stephen John Clancy, 45, of Blackett, was sentenced today in Mt Druitt Local Court for serious animal cruelty.
He pleaded guilty to torturing or beating an animal with intent to inflict severe pain.On January 24, Clancy repeatedly picked the kitten up by the tail and threw it to the ground, before trying to drown it in a dog's drinking bowl.
Police alleged Clancy, thinking the kitten was dead, then threw it into a garbage bin.But the kitten, known as Puddy, survived the attack, climbing out of the bin and returning to the back door of the house.
The animal was sheltered by the RSPCA after it was removed from Clancy's home, and renamed Katie after the vet who treated her. Clancy was today sentenced to 12 months' jail, with a non-parole period of eight months.
The court also banned him from owning pets.Speaking outside court before he was jailed, Clancy blamed the incident on his drug abuse. "I was on drugs, quite 'effed' up at the time," he told the Ten Network.
"Of course, I'm sorry. Wouldn't you be?" Following a spate of attacks on kittens, the State Government last year made animal cruelty an offence under the NSW Crimes Act, punishable by a maximum five years' jail.RSPCA Chief Inspector David O'Shannessy said Clancy was one of the first, if not the first, to be sentenced under this legislation. It sent a strong message to the community that cruelty against defenceless animals would not be tolerated, he said. "We're certainly very happy with the result," he said. "The RSPCA lobbied for a long time to have harsher penalties, and the government took that lead."
Mr O'Shannessy said Katie had a tooth knocked out and suffered a fractured pelvis, broken ribs and bruising after being repeatedly thrown onto a concrete surface. But she had "almost made a complete recovery" and had been adopted by a couple in Sydney's inner west
| | Pet dog alerts family to fire From: AAP June 13, 2006
A PET dog has helped save a family of four from a Queensland house fire by waking them up with its barking.The two adults and two children woke to the sounds of the dog around 1.30am (AEST) today, which alerted them to a fire in the carport of their Darlington home, near Beaudesert, police said.
A police spokeswoman said the family managed to escape the house uninjured before it was engulfed in flames.
The family car was also destroyed in the fire. | | Boffins breed sneeze-free feline
From: Agence France-Presse From correspondents in Los Angeles
June 08, 2006
Hairy ... could a scratch-free cat be next? / File US scientists claimed today to have bred the world's first hypoallergenic kitten, opening the doors and arms of millions of pet lovers for whom cuddling a cat has, until now, been a curse.
At $US4000 ($5400) a head, the allergy-free felines will not be cheap.
But the biotechnology firm behind the project believes sensitive owners will happily fork out extra for the chance to have a cat that does not leave them wheezing and sneezing.
In a statement, the San Diego-based company, Allerca, said it had produced the cats using a technique known as genetic divergence.
After identifying the genes of kittens with proteins that provide less of a reaction in humans, they selectively bred litters over several generations to end up with an allergy-friendly "super cat".The company said its customers are expected to take delivery of their hypoallergenic kittens in early 2007.
"For the first time, people who have been unable to own a cat because of their allergies can now enjoy a pet of their own without the associated risks and costs of allergy treatments," Allerca CEO Megan Young.
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, approximately 30 million Americans suffer from some form of cat allergy.
Ms Young said the company expected to be breeding 10,000 of the cats every year by 2009.
The American Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) gave a cautious welcome to the Allerca announcement, saying it might help reduce the number of cats abandoned to shelters by allergic owners.
"But it will also be important to monitor the long term health of these cats to ensure that silencing the gene does not result in unforeseen effects on them," the ASPCA said in a statement. | | Rosie the terrier barks for Oz .
From: By Stuart Sherwin
June 05, 2006
Fan ... Rosie's all kitted out. Picture: Nathan Richter IT'S the designer top for every patriotic pooch, but so far Rosie the staffordshire terrier is the only dog in Australia to have her own Socceroo shirt.
The $60 strip was especially made for her to wear when Australia takes the field at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Her soccer-mad owner, Sarah Russell, 20, of Loganlea, Queensland, thinks her pet looks a picture in green and gold.
"I always wear my Australia top whenever the Socceroos play and I thought Rosie would like to show her support too. I think she looks great – who doesn't look good in an Australia shirt?"
Sarah, a final-year psychology student at Griffith University, is a diehard Queensland Roar fan and flew to Sydney last year to watch Australia qualify for the World Cup with a nail-biting win over Uruguay.
But she was horrified to discover that Australia's World Cup team will play Japan on June 12 and Brazil on June 18, as she must sit exams only hours after both matches.
She said: "The games are in the middle of the night and I don't know whether to watch them or get some sleep. I cried for an hour when I saw the exam timetable. Some people might think that's sad, but football's my life."
Rosie's top was made by Nadine Packer of Brisbane-based Fluppies Dog Fashion.
| | Pet theories for healing
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
By Harriet Alexander
May 11, 2006 
It's not just humans who turn to holistic medicine. Fah is not easily distracted when it comes to dinner time, but a whiff of juniper is enough to do it.
When the grey gelding's aromatherapist, Catherine Bird, waves the scent over his stable door, he is drawn from the trough and towards the sweet object of his desire. Then she offers him some ylang-ylang and he goes back to his feed.
The theory is that animals will go for what they need, Bird explains, which means Fah is a little bit worried - thus his hankering for juniper - but feeling pretty sure of himself, so he is indifferent to the insecurity-alleviating ylang-ylang.
In the world of equine aromatherapy and massage, Bird is big. She teaches the subjects at Richmond TAFE, runs equine body work courses in the US, developed her own stream of aromatherapy and is the Australian division head of the International Equine Body Worker Association.
But her resume says as much about the industry as it does about her. It is not yet mainstream, but people are taking their pets increasingly to animal naturopaths in a trend that mimics the growth of holistic medicine for humans.
"In the early 1990s, I could probably count the number of [animal] therapists on one hand," Bird says. "Now there's a lot more out there."
Natural animal treatments include after-life channelling, animal communication, hair mineral analysis, chiropractic, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, homeopathy and herbal medicine. There is also a market for natural products such as shampoo, flea and lice shield, skin cream, magnetic beds and blankets and flower essences to deal with sibling rivalry, confidence, fear and crises.
Barbara Fougere is described by one veterinarian as "the respectable face" of alternative animal therapy. She graduated in veterinary science before taking up practice in holistic veterinary medicine 20 years ago and now works from All Natural Vet Care practice in Russell Lea.
"We're all conventionally trained vets but we use natural therapy wherever possible," Fougere says of her practice.
"We try to take a holistic approach to everything we do."
Sometimes the people who take their pets there have used natural therapy themselves. For others, conventional medicine has not cured their animals and they have come "to the end of their tether", Fougere says.
The veterinarians compile an extensive case history for each animal to understand what is going on behind the illness. Pain-relief drugs and antibiotics are still prescribed when appropriate, but alternative options are also explored and administered. | | VIENNESE DOG OWNERS PUT THROUGH THE HOOP Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 30 March 2006
AUSTRIAN dog owners are being encouraged to take an "owner licence" to improve human/canine relations.
A two-hour exam will test how tolerant owners are of other animals and whether they understand dog ownership etiquette. Owners will be challenged on topics such as why a dog wags its tail, what it means when it yawns, and whether it is a good idea to take it shopping.
In the practical part of the exam, owners have to prove they can put on a muzzle, pick up droppings and take the dog on the underground rail system.
The licence, a "hundefuhrerschein", was introduced by Vienna's environmental councillor, Ulli Sima. She said: "We are trying to improve the way in which dogs function in the capital, as well as testing their and their owners' social skills. In so doing we're satisfying the safety needs of the population."
The focus was on "social tolerance rather than pure obedience". The $A45 licence is a response to a recent questionnaire in which 85 per cent of Viennese said the behaviour of dogs and their owners was poor. In another survey, 34 per cent said they felt threatened in the presence of dogs.
Politicians are under pressure to find a way of removing up to 10 tonnes of dog waste a day.
Owners who pass the test will be exempt from the $79 dog tax for a year. | CAT-OWNING KIDS 'MAY GET LESS ALLERGIES' Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 29 March 2006
Children brought up with cats may be less prone to develop allergies than those in feline-free households, according to a new study.
Research has found that unless children already showed symptoms and a family history of allergies such as asthma, eczema or hayfever, they were likely to develop a stronger immune system if they had a feline friend.
Sydney paediatrician Catarina Almqvist has conducted a study of 516 children born in Sydney hospitals from 1997 to 2000.
Tests last year showed that 29.3 per cent of the children, whose families had acquired cats in the past five years, had atopy, or a positive skin prick test for allergy.
This is compared to 47.2 per cent who had atopy but lived in a feline-free household.
There were similar findings for dog-owning families, with 51.8 per cent of kids without dogs testing positive for atopy and only 39 per cent positive if they had a dog.
However, the study focused on cats because some of the families already had dogs at the time the children were born. None of the families involved in the study had a pet cat at the time of their child's birth.
The results were in line with similar studies carried out in European countries, said Swedish-born Dr Almqvist, who now works for the Woolcock Institute for Medical Research at the University of Sydney.
"Children who are exposed to pets or children who grow up on a farm have a reduced risk of atopy," she said.
"The theory is it is some sort of modulation of the immune system."
Dr Almqvist said parents who had been thinking about getting rid of pets because they feared their children may become allergic could now make more informed decisions.
"If the parents have asthma and allergy and their children have asthma and allergy and react to cats, they should not have a cat," she said.
"But if they don't have any symptoms, they may very well keep the cat."
The Childhood Asthma Prevention Study also showed the reduced risk of atopic diseases, such as allergic asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis and dermatitis, did not depend on the age the child acquired a cat.
And there was little difference in terms of allergic reaction in children, if the cat was kept indoors or outdoors.
Dr Almqvist presented the findings of the study to the annual scientific meeting of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. | BARBIE FOR PETS
Source: Sunday Herald
Date: 5 March 2006
IT'S just the thing for pet owner addicted to conspicuous consumption: Barbie pet accessories. Moose Enterprise (www.mooseworld.com.au) has developed a new range of Barbie-branded squeaking boots, balls and bones to spice up the lives of bored cats and dogs across Australia. The range also features a dog lead and matching collar and tug toys, including the Squeak Heart Mouse and Fashion Kitty Tail, both of which come complete with dental rope to keep your pet's teeth clean. Prices start from $11.00. | WHY TV IS GOING TO THE DOG
By: Richard Clune
Source: Sunday Telegraph
Date: 5 March 2006
PETS have become the latest weapons in the ratings war on television.
Former Young Talent Time host Johnny Young is making a comeback this month as presenter of the ABC's The Pet Show, while dancing model Nicky Buckley is host of the Nine Network's new show, Talk To The Animals.
With Seven's Dr Harry Cooper, the residnet animal expert on Better Homes And Gardens, this means all but one network have put their faith in animals to woo viewers.
Young, 61, told The Sunday Telegraph he relished his return to television.
"To get any time on TV is fantastic," Young said. "But I'm the luckiest kit on the block to get to do it again."
Young hopes The Pet Show will make for ideal family viewing.
"It's an enjoyable and relaxed program about pets," he said.
"We deal with issues that concern pet-lovers, but there are also guests - Kamahl and Amanda Keller, among others - who will provide some fun."
Ninés Talk To The Animals is a 13-part, Saturday-afternoon series tha will screen from early April.
Also on the show is vet Dr Chris Brown, from Burke's Backyard, wildlife expert Chris Humphrey and animal behaviourist Dr Jo Righetti.
The new program marks Buckley's return to Nine, where she spent five years on game show Sales of The Century. | FEEDING OUR NEED TO BE LOVED
Source: Daily Telegraph - NSW
Date: 26 January 2006
SPENDING on pets rose 10 per cent last year as a growing number of small animal lovers went upmarket and fed gourmet grub to their furry friends.
The sharp rise in pet spending was reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday, and pet store owners said the increase was all coming from bigger spending on food.
Retailers also reported a growing number of people buying small pets to keep them company in an ever-increasing number of apartments, with small dogs, cats and goldfish in high demand. | PETS AND BUSINESS BOOM
Source: Brisbane City News
Date: 20th October 2005
AUSTRLAIANS are giving greater affection and spending more money than ever on furred, finned and feathered members of their households.
While a bone and pat may have once been enough for the faithful pooch, owners and their pets now have the choice of special hotels, gyms, salons, psychiatrists, spas, fashion, bedding, perfume and, at the end of a long and happy life, their own cemetery.
There are also a bewildering variety of pet foods, which is marketed to a degree to make even humans salivate. For many pets, life has never been better because of the ongoing trend connected with the need to humanise pets.
Comments recently by Dr Rebekah Bennett, a consumer behaviour expert at the Queensland University of Technology, give a very favourable view of pets in society and of the future of the pet business of Australia.
This has come about through demographic changes - more single-person households and couples chossing to start families later, or not at all.
"People still have a need for companionship, to show love or nurturing and when that need is not being met, perhaps by having children or a partner, it's being expressed through pets," she said.
According to the latest survey, 64 per cent of Australian households have one or two pets. In the 2003 Euromonitor survey, Australia had about 3.6 million dogs, 2.3 million cats, 7.5 million birds, 13.2 million fish, 850,000 small mammals and 2,000,000 reptiles. Australians spend more than $2.5 billion annually on pets with more than half spent of food.
Dr Bennett said without children and higher disposable incomes, owners were able to lavish more money on their pets. "The pet's status in the household has risen but it's also backed by buying power," she said.
For those who may think we are lavishing too much on our pets, Dr Bennett says it's not all a one way street, as pets give a lot of love in return. "There are very therapeutic benefits in having animals," she said. "And there's no harm in loving your pet back." |
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Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA)