Letter from the editor

Look what we've been able to do with your help!

With the overwhelming support we have received in donations this month, we have been able to have our first ever PetRescue posters designed and printed. THANKYOU SO MUCH!!

We think they look fantastic - check them out and print one for yourself!

Our first mailing is to vets throughout Australia; sending the poster to display in their surgeries along with a letter introducing PetRescue and giving a bit of background on how we benefit homeless pets. Vet surgeries are full of pet loving people, so it's an excellent way to get our message out to the community.

Thanks again to everyone who has donated so far - you've really helped us take a big step forward and we're very excited at what we will be able to achieve with your continued support!

Cheers,

Michelle Williamson
shel@petrescue.com.au

P.S. Due to a slight hiccup in our orders, those people who donated by paypal have had their badges delayed. We're really sorry! Stay tuned - we promise they'll be with you soon :)

PetRescue posters

Print out a few of our great new "Take us home!" posters and help spread the word about PetRescue. These posters look great printed at A4, A3 and even A2 size - print some out today and put them up in your workplace, local shops, cafes, friendly pet shop or just about anywhere.

A HUGE thankyou to Jack from Cordelia's Canine Rescue and Janene of Janene Wells Animal Rescue for their amazing photographs, and to Marc Edwards for the poster design and artwork.

(By the way, every one of the gorgeous faces on our poster is a genuine PetRescue pet!)

Download a PDF copy of the poster here.

Rescue pets with Facebook!

PetRescue gets a Facebook application

Okay, I admit it - I have an addiction and I need help...

Facebook has taken over my life. Last time my computer addiction reared it's head it was playing "The Sims" - a game where the main aim is to shop and decorate a house (what's not to like?)

Then I thought I had it beat when I was able to divert said addiction to PetRescue (at least it's constructive!) but now, I've been sucked into a Facebook vortex and I can't seem to get out...

Rescue Pets Rock! - our Facebook group

Find your new best friend! - our Facebook application

And also our brand new MySpace page: www.myspace.com/petrescueaustralia - many thanks to Andrea Jankovic for her MySpace wizardy!)

See you online!
:)shel

iinet customer of the month!

JB, our resident Web Monkey, has been featured as iinet's customer of the month - check him out!

Designer doggies make the headlines

Pet shops and designer doggies were the talk of October, with a new bill before NSW Parliament and several media features on pet shop bought pets.

Pet shop ban

Introduced by MP Clover Moore, the ANIMALS (REGULATION OF SALE) BILL 2007 is designed to reduce the number of pets being surrendered to shelters by banning the sale of puppies and kittens in pet shops. Often bought on impulse, it is shown that pet shop bought puppies only make up 0.02 percent of all puppy purchases, but make up one third of the shelter dog population (according to saynotobackyardbreeders.com).

This means pet shop bought puppies are 25 times more likely to be surrendered than pets bought from another source.

Another benefit to this bill is the reduction of demand for puppy-mill puppies, as large scale farmers no longer have retail outlets to sell to.

Designer doggies

Poodle x Labradors (commonly called "labradoodles") and Cavalier x Poodles (often called "cavoodles") are cross bred dogs sold for high prices to ill-informed yuppies who think they're fashionable. Not that we think there's anything wrong with cross-breeds... in fact we ADORE them for the wonderful, unique, loveable creatures that they are! But when consumers are being deliberately fooled into thinking they are getting something more than a common "mutt" (poodle crosses are commonly available at shelters across the country, but without the fancy name!) then we feel we have to let people know the truth.

High-priced designer doggies are a scam.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is likely trying to sell you one!

More articles on the pet shop ban, designer dogs and puppy farming are below:

(US study) How puppy mills affect a dogs' psyche
All of these dogs have never napped on a sofa, gone for walks, been given treats or any individual love and attention. While we're working on their health issues, we're also giving them love and attention for the first time in their lives.

Today Tonight story - designer dogs
Like Gucci and Armani, dogs have become fashionable brands, such as the labradoodle and the spoodle: "designer dogs" marketed to yuppies. The clever marketing of these designer dogs is the reason unscrupulous puppy farmers are mass-producing dogs like they're going out of fashion. But don't be tricked: none of the breeders for these dogs can legally be registered.

Designer dog breeding disaster
"Our records over the last seven years show a dramatic increase in these designer dogs ending up at our shelter with all kinds of defects." Mr Carter said puppy farms had become money-making ventures where thousands could be paid for "what is essentially a mongrel. We're talking hip dysplasia, eye problems, temperament problems - all kinds of things. These people have no conscience - they aren't dogs to them, they are animals," he said.

Clover Moore's pet shop bill
Like any commercial enterprise, pet shops exist to make profits. Site location and shrewd marketing are as essential to a pet shop as they are to any other retail business. I cite a pet shop guide produced by the Entrepreneur Business Centre: "The scenario is simple: Someone will walk by, fall in love with an animal and buy it. These sorts of impulse sales can add dramatically to your profits".

Bred to death
Now think about costs over the span of a dog's life, and add up how much hard-earned cash goes into caring for a pet. We pay this because we love our pets, and it would be impossible to put a price on the love they give back. But in the world of commercial dog breeding, the money flows the other way. Dogs are there to make money. Riddled with congenital defects, arthritis, infection, tumors, and advanced age, the dogs are kept breeding anyway.

MP tries to ban dog and cat pet shop sales
Ms Moore said pet shops promoted this impulse buying and irresponsible breeding for profit, and led to the backyard breeding and puppy farms. She said animals were often kept in appalling conditions where they are forced to breed until they cannot breed anymore, before being killed.

What does a puppy mill look like?
More than 240 dogs seized from puppy mill - amazing footage from a puppy-mill in Texas.

Are you a semi-owned cat owner?

She hangs around your front door begging for attention. She's affectionate, and as she winds her way around your legs you know she must have been someone's pet in the past - maybe they've abandoned her? She looks skinny so you dig something out of the cupboard for her to eat and she is happy. And you feel good too. You make a mental note to buy some cat food when you're out next...

And just like that, you're a semi-owned cat owner!

"Semi-owned" cats is the term used to describe the cats living between "owned" cats (domestic cats with owners) and "feral" cats (cats who don't rely on humans to live).

Semi-owned cats are one of the most successful segments of the cat community. They don't suffer from lack of food like the feral cat, which has to fend entirely for itself, allowing them to maintain good health and weight. In addition, unlike owned cats (the latest figures suggest that over 90% of these are desexed before adulthood) semi-owned cats are able to breed freely and due to their healthy condition, they are able to do so more than once a year.

This leads to the shelters being over-run with babies during kitten season, while mum is often left to breed again.

So what can you do?

If you've accidentally been adopted by a semi-owned cat, or if you suspect that the "neighbours" cat you've been feeding all this time is actually moonlighting to several houses in your street, you can take action.

1) Firstly, determine whether this cat already has an owner. Buy a cat collar and a keyring tag (like you would use to identify your car keys) and put a note on the cat - "If you own me please contact Michelle on 0411 111 111. Otherwise she will adopt me".

2) If after a month or so you've not heard anything, put puss in a cat carrier and nip to the vet for a microchip scan and to find out if puss is desexed (they can help you look in her ear for a tattoo).

3) If she's not been desexed, book her in.

Notes: If she is ownerless and you would like to adopt her, get her microchipped and put a proper identifying tag on her and make her your own.

Discount microchipping/desexing is also available from shelters. You can desex all the semiowned cats in your neighbourhood should you want to.

By desexing the cats who have no one owner, you know you're helping stop the flood of kittens being killed at your local shelter.

Australian rescue update

National Summit to End Companion Animal Overpopulation
The Summit was organised by the Animal Welfare League of Queensland and the National Desexing Network (NDN) - with support from Animals Australia. The conference proceedings are now available for download.

RSPCA kills half of rescued cats, a third of dogs
More than half the cats and a third of the dogs rescued by the RSPCA as people neglect and abandon their pets are being put down. The pet overpopulation problem is a simple formula: While Australia has one of the highest levels of pet ownership in the world, we are still breeding more animals than we can find good homes for.

Animal control officers struggle with heartbreaking jobs
Statistics say over 200,000 thousand pets are euthanased every year in Australia, with the task of killing these animal given to our animal control officers. So how do they cope?

A dog's life, but it needn't be short and brutal
More than 20,000 greyhounds are born in Australia annually but the total greyhound population is just 35,000, which suggests that the average life expectancy is less than two years. So what happens to greyhounds past use-by date?

(WA) Can you foster a mamma cat and kittens?
Foster homes needed right now for 7 litters of kittens handed in and homeless.

(ACT) Fireworks survey
Take the ACT government's fireworks survey.

World rescue news

A break for freedom - lobsters escape from supermarket
Lobsters in Germany took fate into their own claws and broke out of an Asian supermarket. They now face a brighter future in an animal home.

A recipe for human-canine disaster: when dogs speak "dog" to infants and young children
When a dog bites a person's face, it's not uncommon for someone to attribute the wounds to the dog's predatory nature. However, these bites rarely represent predatory responses. More often than not, these dogs are playing by dog- rather than human rules, thanks to the animal's relationship with humans.

Top ten items surgically removed from pets
Our pets are sure curious, and their curiosity can definitely get them into trouble sometimes. Especially when they swallow something they shouldn't have. Here are the top ten most common items surgically removed from pets.

Responsible parents and dog-savvy children are the way to prevent bites
Dogs were an integral part of the family but as a dog and not a cuddly stuffed toy, she said. It was unfortunately common to hear how dogs had put up with lots of inadvertent mishandling by boisterous children before finally biting - which could have been prevented with the right parental supervision, she said.

Why are rescue groups so mean?
The latest media regarding the Ellen DeGeneres botched dog adoption has brought to the attention of the public the inflexible policies of dog rescue groups when it comes to their adoptees. But why do these groups have these policies and why do some adopters claim "it would have been easier to adopt a child than a rescue dog" and is it really in the best interests of the animals?

Adopting a feline? Consider cat instead of kitten
Every year as spring approaches, shelters and rescue groups face a daunting challenge: Find homes for the cats before the kittens arrive. That's because once kitten season starts, even the sweetest, handsomest and most well-mannered cats may run out of time before anyone recognizes them for the wonderful companions they are.

(US) Will work for food
Alley Cat Rescue is offering an opportunity for farmers to obtain "mouse patrollers" and for feral cats to have a second chance at life.

Top 10 things to do before you bring your new dog home
Congratulations, you're getting a new dog! Your first job as a new pet parent is to prep your home and your family, and yourself, too, for the furry bundle of fun who's about to come barreling into your life. After all, you do want to get this relationship off on the right paw!

Crates provide refuge for stressed cats
Letting dogs indulge their denning instinct in crates has become commonplace, but felines are not usually offered those molded-plastic refuges, except for being placed in carriers - often under audible protest - for the occasional vet visit. And at least one veterinarian, Myrna Milani, has said she thinks that's too bad.

Dog's got the back-to-school blues
Pets can get down when their favorite people spend time away, but some dogs take their unhappiness with separation to extremes.

Behavioral science turns to dogs for answers
Since the university's "Clever Dog Lab" opened its doors in a ground floor apartment in Vienna's Ninth District in April, the city's dog owners have inundated the place. What may seem like simple amusement for Guinness and her fellow canines is in fact revolutionizing cognitive research.

(US) Woman rescues abandoned chickens, finds them homes
Another day, another liberated chicken.

Program helps match senior dogs with senior companions
To help seniors take advantage of the companionship and health benefits a canine pal can offer, Dr. Goodwin and the American Brittany Rescue suggest aging adults utilize local animal rescue programs that specialize in pairing aging adults with senior dogs.