We're half a world apart yet we talk up the same message - some of the actual words we say are a bit different but both of us can be understood by most pet lovers in our respective countries - and now both our shows can be heard in both our countries at the same time!
 Hal Abrams and Judy Francis, co hosts of America's most listened to pet show with an audited (Arbitron) listenership of 2.5million people every week - gave us a surprise call (right click to download) just to say 'g'day' to Australia and Pet Talk Radio listeners.
As it happens, listeners to the Animal Radio Network - www.animalradio.com - the only 24/7 'all animals all the time' programming, have also been able to listen to Pet Talk Radio! since 2005.
Hal and Judy seem to have a similar sense of humour (yes that's how we spell it here guys) to us so it has to be their mutual love and respect for the animals :-)
Since February 2006, we have been writing a small column for the Animal Radio Newsletter, and we thought we'd re-print those items here. (reverse order - latest issue is first)
______________________________________________
All spelling has mostly been left as 'Aussie English' :-)
______________________________________________
Read 2006 'Letters' here
November 2007
 G’day from Down-Under….
We love our veterinarian – she’s both a traditional and complimentary practitioner and always gives us a few different options if anything happens to go wrong with one of our four dogs. Her fees are fair and reasonable and we’ve learnt a lot from her.
As a pet owner, have you ever gone to the internet for advice?
Was it free or did you have to pay for it?
Either way – did it help solve the problem you and your pet might have had?
If it did that’s great – but have you noticed more and more websites are springing up everywhere offering free advice or on-line animal training and veterinary advice or even ‘community generated answers’ as at least one major website does?
We are very fond of the internet – we were early adopters marveling at what we could do on a 28k modem – then thinking how smart we were when an early (and very slow version) of broadband first appeared.
Our radio interviews with people in other countries are now almost all done thru the internet using Skype – we use YouTube and like millions of people, can’t live without our e-mail.
But the internet’s blessing is also it’s curse.
You see – there are some people who study for many years to get a degree in some area such as veterinary science. Most then set up a practice and charge a consulting fee. The same with animal behaviourists and dog trainers etc etc.
Along comes the internet and literally anyone can be an ‘expert’ offering free advice to anyone who will listen. Given we all like things for free, it’s very tempting to take up these free offers – after all it’s called ‘freedom of choice’ right?
But is it the best choice for our pets? In one of our recent shows we had a blast at an on-line forum for dog lovers here in Australia quite simply because the information they were posting was just plain wrong!
And this is not just us saying it is wrong – this is straight from the mouths of experts – people whose very bread and butter comes from giving advice to animal owners.
We’re not alone here in Australia for mis-information or advice that is either out of date or simply out of touch. It happens all over the world and with such easy access to this information and the fact it is often repeated on other websites etc, it makes it all seem so credible.
Our point? – Find yourself a recognized and respected professional dog trainer, behaviourist or veterinarian. Trust your instincts and if you have any doubts about the information you get from them – get a second or third opinion.
Having animals around us costs money – so we need to be prepared to dig deep to fund those animals, any problems they may have and to get the answers we seek.
Radio shows like Animal Radio and Pet Talk Radio! are simply voices to share information and to hopefully point animal owners in the right direction for advice.
We get people on our shows we believe to be experts – but as most of our (PTR) guests say – ‘this is just my opinion’.
So who do you trust? – well we think you should trust yourself first then any experienced person you have first hand knowledge of in the work they do.
Information is still only as good as the amount you are prepared to pay for it. So think about supporting your local professional veterinarian, dog trainer or behaviourist.
After all they worked hard to get where they are because they really do care for animals and want all of us to have the best possible advice – after all what price do you put on your animals?
Hugs for your pets
Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
October 2007
G’day from Down-Under….
We received an e-mail from Animal Radio host Hal Abrams recently. Short but to the point….
Hal was pretty upset! The email also had a link to a news story that Hal thought we should be doing.
It was a news story about dog owners being warned about Fox Baits.
We thought Fox baits? News?... we often mention it when we get media releases from local councils but it’s rarely ‘news’.
In fact Fox baiting is a very common procedure mostly September through October here in Australia .
Just so you know…each year in Australia Foxes actively target farm animals (mostly sheep)… kill them by their thousands and leave them to die a slow death. They are now in our suburbs and also target domestic animals much the same way.
But you may think like Hal (and a number of Aussies too we should add!!) that “this is a pretty cruel thing to do to a sentient being!” but the little Fox is considered a highly dangerous pest down here!
So how does Fox baiting work? Here’s an excerpt from one of many ‘official’ websites:
‘1080 has been used for many years in Australia for control of introduced pests such as foxes and rabbits.
Foxes and other canids are extremely sensitive to 1080, whereas most wildlife are reasonably resistant to it. This is because our native wildlife co-evolved with plants containing 1080 and built up a natural resistance to it. Foxes on the other hand, having evolved without contact with these plants, never developed such resistance.
This allows the use of tiny amounts of 1080 in each fox bait - in fact just 2.5mg per bait (two and a half thousandths of a gram). At this ultra low rate it is sufficient to kill an adult fox (and unfortunately most dogs), yet too low to cause serious injury to most wildlife. All baits are meat-based, which makes them unpalatable to herbivores. Each bait is buried 10-15cm deep in the ground, which greatly reduces the chances of carnivores and scavengers finding and taking them, and thus preventing foxes from eating them. All uneaten baits are also recovered after 21 days and destroyed.
In combination, these factors create a baiting system that makes the baits hard for wildlife to find in the first place, unpalatable to most species if they do find them, and even if they are found and consumed, the amount of 1080 ingested should be below a lethal dose. On the other hand, foxes, with their keen sense of smell and natural habit of burying food for later consumption, are able to locate the baits readily and will be poisoned by ingesting a single bait.’
More reading reveals:
‘Nearly on an annual basis, we get a fox come into the Park and we may lose anything from a couple of animals to last year where we had a family of foxes and they came here for nearly two months and we lost 22 animals in two months, which is pretty catastrophic. We had them indiscriminately going from one yard to another, so they weren’t hitting the same spot, they knew their way around the Park.’
Just Google ( Australia ) – ‘Fox Baiting 1080’ to read more…..
So is Fox baiting ‘cruel’? – well that opens up a whole Pandora’s box of questions doesn’t it? … Is it cruel to kill ANY animal. What does ‘to kill humanely’ really mean?
For instance is it cruel to have ‘no-kill shelters?’ What happens to those domestic animals that can’t be re-homed… etc etc etc…
We might save some of those questions for a show sometime… but we’d love to hear your feedback on Fox-baiting here in Australia . Check out our new Forum at http://www.pettalkradio.com/phpBB2/index.php What do we think? – you’ll have to listen to Pet Talk Radio to find out!
Meantime – hugs for your pets from Brian & Kaye.
______________________________________________
September 2007
Bula Venaka… and G’day from down under!
Those first two words are from Fiji… it’s a traditional welcome.
The Republic of Fiji is a group of about 320 tiny islands in the South Pacific… about the same flying time from LA to Hawaii…
But that’s where the difference stops!
We went to Fiji from Sydney Australia about 20 years ago to an island resort called ‘Mana’ – or magic. And Magic it was at the time – spearfishing, game hunting and turtle eating… all of which we pretty much did!
Boy how times have changed…
Fijians have now all but consumed most of their native birds and turtles – the endangered Hawksbill Turtle for instance. Storms and tourism have demolished much of the habitat of native birds and the (now) endangered Banded Iguana and Banded Brail – a kind of flightless bird.
The lack of animals locally really astounded us, and alerted us to what is really starting to happen across the world generally.
No we’re not wannabe environmentalists – but we are becoming acutely aware that if we don’t all stop to think of the long term consequences of whaling, indiscriminate fishing and hunting, commercial and tourist development, logging habitat areas and even back burning for fire hazard reduction, then it will be even harder for our children’s children to see any wild animals at all!
To their credit, Fijians have now realized the result of their past unsustainable traditional ways and have made great strides to turning around what potentially could have been an absolute disaster. Fiji relies almost totally on tourist dollars. Imagine going snorkeling and not seeing a fish or only seeing dead coral!
Fiji now has designated marine parks, breeding programs for Iguanas and Turtles and much more and it’s starting to show. Kids are being educated about their environment and we hope that in another 20 years, many species of bird, fish and land animals will have made a remarkable return to this South Pacific paradise.
So what has this got to do with pets and how can we do anything about it?
Regarding pets – Cats are superb hunters and can destroy several birds, snakes and lizards every day if allowed to roam. They don’t have to be in cages, but cats can be trained to stay indoors and prefer indoors – it’s a choice cat owners need to make!
Much the same with dogs. Here in Australia dogs kill hundreds of Blue Tounged Lizards every summer without ever leaving home! Dog owners need to locate local fauna habitats in their own gardens and either fence it off or keep their dogs away from the area.
Take a moment to listen to Pet Talk Radio via the Animal Radio Network for more of our recent visit to Fiji… and no... we won't be eating turtle meat again - ever!
Hugs for your pets from Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
August 2007
G'day from Downunder...
Kids and pets... what does it teach?
With an increase in violence here in Australia - particularly among young kids and teenagers - we have to ask "Why?" ... What is causing needless vandalism, domestic violence, animal cruelty and creating muggers and murderers in our society?
Hey we know we're not fully qualified to answer these questions - neither perhaps are you, but we personally believe two things happen when young kids have a pet.
The first one is - if shown how from an early age - kids learn to respect, care and love another being. This hopefully sets them up for a lifetime of the same attitude towards other animals and of course people.
The second point is probably more valuable though - because when a child is seen to mistreat an animal whether in their care or not, it is the perfect time for we adults to pull them back in line. To show them why it is wrong to do what they've done.
Kindergarten and early school teachers armed with this information could easily single out (discreetly) young kids with obvious 'attitude' problems and hopefully - with the right kind of professional counseling - steer them in the right direction.
So where have we gone wrong? - Why do we still see an increase in violence even though pet ownership is thought to be beneficial?
Could it be high density housing? - Here in Australia we are literally 'running out of space! - It's true - The largest continent on earth has a very narrow coastal fringe where 95% of the population lives.
To accommodate more and more people, councils are now cramming as many hi-rise and multi-dwelling apartments as possible in less and less space.
Ok - so New York and London landlords may allow animals inside... but not here!... well with very few exceptions.
This means then that kids can't have pets (except perhaps fish) and while we can't say for sure that this (no pets) is the problem, it certainly makes you think.
Of course violent movies, computer games, peer pressure and not so responsible parents have a lot to answer for, but we think if more animals were allowed to be kept in apartments, some of the problems kids now get into in later life might be alleviated.
Oh - and did we mention 'civil libertarians?' - seems a 'kick up the backside' by a parent for misbehaviour is no longer allowed.... never did us much harm!
Anyway - all food for thought as they say....
Feel free to comment on this or any other story we bring you from down-under... we're reasonable pet owning people you know :-)
Hugs for your pets - Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
July 2007
G'day from Downunder...
Are you getting on in years? Do you have a pet?
And while we don't wish this on anybody of any age, what plans have you made for your pet after you have 'passed on'?
Pets these days are living longer due in part to better veterinary care and better nutrition. And that dog, cat and particularly some birds (like parrots) that you took in as a companion recently may very well out-live you!
With dogs and cats living 15-20 years now and some species of parrots living to 70+ years owners are making sure there is money and specific instructions as to what happens to 'Polly' after the owner's death'.
It's not enough to just say 'oh our kids will take care of all that' because the kids may not feel the same way as you do and find it easier to simply surrender Fido, Fifi or Polly and imagine how confused your pet will feel then!
Of course just like our pets, people are living longer too and many of us may actually need to go into a nursing home in our latter years (although we'll be kicking & screaming we hasten to add!).
So what will happen to our pets then? Another reason to plan for the future.
But it's not all doom and gloom - out of Japan comes the story recently of a new nursing home for dogs - old dogs! Apparently there's private rooms, TV's round-the-clock monitoring by veterinarians and a bunch of playful puppies to help keep the older dogs moving and keep them fit.
Yes for just $800 a month you too can send your dog to the Soladi Care Home in Tochigi, eastern Japan.
It actually sounds pretty good - a bit like that movie 'Caccoon!
The old dogs get specially fortified food and we hear there's a heated pool, massage and of course those young puppies to play with. Sounds like a lot more fun than a boring old 'nursing home' eh? Maybe it's an idea some well heeled entrepreneur could look into here!
Hope you continue to enjoy what we offer on Pet Talk Radio! and of course Animal Radio Network™
Take care and hugs for your pets - Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
June 2007
G'day from Downunder...
We all agree that one dog bite is one too many.
However here in Australia, BSL or Breed Specific Legislation, limits on the numbers of pets we are allowed, no pets allowed in many new developments all of these things along with compulsory desexing of all domestic pets are just the start of what we see as a greater subversive movement to ensure no one ever has a pet in the future!
It's easy to blame the politicians who make these laws, but the real problem are the activist groups who don't want us to have pets or 'companion animals' at all. They think ALL animals should be free and are chipping away at our right and desire to have animals as pets in our lives.
There are increasing rules with what we can and can't do with our dogs including (in the USA) restricting ownership to dogs under a certain size or weight a town in New Zealand where no dogs or cats are allowed housing developments in Melbourne Australia with much the same restrictions, Queensland & South Australia councils banning selected breeds or requiring muzzles on Border Collies! (it's true!)
But the big one right now here in Australia is thinking that dog bites can be reduced by two things:
1) Slowly killing off the biggest dog breeds by compulsory de-sexing
2) Forcing owners to keep larger dogs muzzled or locked up in our backyards
Any 1st year veterinarian or animal behaviourist can tell you dogs are more likely to be territorial and generally more anxious if kept muzzled or locked up for any length of time.
Of course these anxious dogs are more likely to bite.
Then Voila the activists immediately have a reason to say that ALL dogs bite (duh!), are dangerous and therefore they should all be banned.
We MC'd and event recently here in Sydney called 'Solving The Dangerous Dogs Dilemma'. But we didn't see any dilemma... we know any dog can be dangerous but the 'dangerous dogs' that were plenty in number on the day all behaved impeccably.
Any dog can bite - just look at the close-up photo of Cosmo, our Miniature Apricot Poodle... a wonderful 'softie', except when he has bitten us (several times in the past) a few groomers, a neighbour (twice) and yes - A RANGER! (but the ranger did say afterwards they approached him the wrong way!)
Whilst it's true that some dogs have threatened, attacked and killed humans over the years - to our knowledge it has never been shown absolutely that a dog ever did this out of hate, jealousy, spite, retribution, religious or political reasons.
The same can't be said of humans.
Internationally respected animal trainer and Pet Talk Radio co-host Steve Austin summed it up a few years ago when the dangerous dog and BSL legislation was first being talked about - he said: "Bad Dogs are not born they are created by us. Let's educate the dog owners lets educate the dogs and dog bites will drop like the proverbial lead balloon"
That said, we'll be back next month with something a little lighter...
meantime, hugs for your pets from Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
May 2007
G'day from Downunder...
We recently had a look at some of the videos on the Animal Radio website – Sylvester the cat who plays dead is a classic!...
Not just because it made us laugh, but because it was obvious the owner had spent a lot of time training Sylvester – and Sylvester was adopted from a local humane society so he probably wasn’t a kitten to start with!
At the other end of the scale here in Australia , we’ve heard reports that a family took their 9 week old puppy to the vet recently BECAUSE IT WOULDN’T SIT!
Unbelievable but true, and we are appalled. How can people be allowed to even buy an animal in the first place when they have not got a single clue about… about anything!
In case there are new readers or wannabe newbie pet owners reading this for the first time, we should just say simply that ‘dogs and cats don’t come pre-trained’… it is up to the owner to socialise the animal from as early an age as possible, go to puppy classes in the case of a dog and for cats put them on a lead and start walking them as kittens. The interaction with people will ensure a well balanced puppy & kitty and one that won’t be skittish and – like Sylvester the cat in the video mentioned above – can be trained to do just about anything.
We recently stumbled across the fact that in broad terms, there are approximately the same number of dogs in the state of NSW (New South Wales) as there are cars.
No points for guessing the percentage of deaths by motor vehicle compared with ‘deaths by dogs’ is wildly different – no doubt about it, but can we safely assume that ‘cars are killers’?
To back up this statement a local university study showed 98% of motor vehicle deaths were caused by human error (eg: not faulty brakes, not blown tyres etc) – there are no such figures for dog attacks as far as we can find right now, but we’re ready to bet that nearly 100% of dog attacks were because of ‘human error’ – so ‘dogs are dangerous’ is not strictly a true statement.
In both cases ‘people are a problem’ is probably more accurate!
With minor exceptions due to intentional breeding as fighters, attack training or mis-treatment – the majority of dogs are simply not aggressive, vindictive, jealous or ‘out for revenge’. They are not politically or religiously motivated and couldn’t care less if you speak Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese or if you are black, white, red or a pale shade of green!
Compare that with what we humans inflict upon each other every day. (Virginia Tech, Columbine, 911 etc)
So – a quick note to ALL pet owners – PLEASE… socialize, socialize, socialize, socialize, socialize your pet.
Animals are unpredictable but always show their true colours (eg; a growl = back off etc) but by learning about their behaviour and more importantly - teaching non or new pet owners some of the absolute basics, we’ll not only save human lives, but just as importantly, we’ll save our precious animal’s lives too.
Hugs for your pets from Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
April 2007
G'day from Downunder...
How well do you know your pets?... How much do you trust them?
How good are YOUR kids with other pets - in this case, dogs!
The reason for these rather direct, and pointed questions is that we went on a picnic with friends today.
The wife - we'll call her Rene - thinks her dog, a Cocker Spaniel is a 'pussycat' around kids... And when we visit their home, this seems to be the case.
The dog plays happily with all the kids - albeit quite boisterously, but everyone seems to have a lot of fun.
So Rene thinks her kids (aged 6 & 9) are 'dog-proof' - she believes she's done well. And maybe she has.
She is confident her kids love and understand ALL dogs and are not scared of them so that's pretty well it as far as she is concerned.
But we noticed something very strange... We took our smallest dog Kismet on a picnic with our friends. She's a very small 12 year old Apricot Miniature Poodle.
We often take her out by herself (rather than our 3 others) mainly because she is a sweetie - has NEVER bitten anyone let alone kids, and is a real softie, enjoys attention, lots of pats and of course treats! (the word spoilt also comes to mind!)
But guess what? Our friends kids - the one with the Cocker Spaniel? They all seemed to be quite scared of our little Kismet. And we wondered why...
There were some very interesting moments on this picnic 'body language wise...' from the kids as they moved around the picnic table occasionally followed by our inquisitive little Kismet. Bodies turned sideways, legs gingerly lifted 'out of her way'. Not one of them called her over for a pat and not one of them showed any interest in her whatsoever.
As it happens nothing came of all this and we never mentioned it - but it made us think... 'how dog proof are our kids really?'
In America every year, an estimated 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs, ranging from minor nips to major attacks. (source HSUS)
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/dog_care/stay_dog_bite_free/index.html
Here in Australia the figures are smaller due to our smaller population with an estimated 13,000 dog bites each year which require medical attention in hospital, and of those around about 1,400 actually require reconstructive surgery of some sort, and about 60% of those occur in children under ten years of age. (source: Radio National-Health Report)
However one state - New South Wales - has started an education program called S.P.O.T - or Safe Pets Out There.
http://www.spot.nsw.gov.au
It's aimed at every primary school kid in the state over the next 3 years. The program has several partners - Delta Society, RSPCA etc. and while we don't think the allocated money - equal to about $7.00 per child is enough, it's a step in the right direction.
We all know far too many young children get bitten by dogs. Sadly most of these attacks are from the family dog, so 'dog-proofing' - or trying to teach kids how to act and react around dogs is essential if we are to stop the number of dog bites.
ALL DOGS BITE - but with the right education from a very early age, adults and kids alike can live the 'dream' that we all have of a safe and happy family with our pets.
Don't forget - in the US, the third week of May is National Dog Bite Prevention Week.
Writing this little story has prompted us to see if we can get something similar rolling here too.
After all, we love our pets that's for sure... But kids are our future and it's up to us to protect them too.
Hugs for your pets
Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
March 2007
G'day from Downunder...
Do we love our pets too much?... We'll find out in just a moment.
But first - Guess what!... We just installed a water tank!... 'BIG DEAL' I hear you say... But here in Australia about 95% of the country is officially 'in drought'. And that means level 4 water restrictions for many parts of the country - no watering gardens at all - no washing cars, homes, windows or pathways...
Bottom line though is, it's raining and our 2,500 litre tank is now 3/4 full after just one day!... :-))
Despite all the doom and gloom regarding 'global warming' and officially the worst drought in 100 years - in fact here in Australia we're just having a 'dry spell'.. Our own personal water tank is a hedge against restrictions so we don't lose our small but pretty garden.
So what has this got to do with pets - or animals of any kind???
Lots! - Our dry spell has encouraged native animals of all kinds to migrate towards our cities... We have pools, rivers and (in our case) a 'swamp' in the backyard created when we emptied (re-cycled) our 50,000 litre swimming pool last year! (of course rainwater pools in the bottom and voila - instant swamp!)
The skinks, lizards and other creepy crawlies are thriving in this 'natural environment' we have accidentally created in our own backyard.
We call it our 'Backyard Safari' and have been telling our listeners about it for several months now. And the best thing about it is that we are starting to notice all kinds of other things in the animal world - such a variety of birds, insects and flora that we wonder how we actually missed all this stuff over the last few years... And it's RIGHT HERE... In our own backyard!
Best thing about it though is that this 're-newed' wild-life at home has reminded us how adaptable animals of all kinds are.
They move from place to place to find food, shelter and water... And if it's not 'there'... They'll find it somewhere else... Like here in our own backyard (or yours!) and you can see it yourself if you choose to look.
Our pets are just as adaptable too... If we move house - they will survive... if we ignore them while 'human concerns' are top of mind - they will survive... If we get a new job that takes up more of our time - they will also survive...
And you know what?... While we all love and cherish our pets, we're starting to realise that our pets are much stronger than we often think - and have a much tougher 'will to survive' than we often give them credit for.
So next time you cuddle your little 'coogee woogee baby waby' dog or cat or whatever, remember they are superbly adaptable. And you've just been conned!
Their way of surviving is to fit right in to your soft, 'I'll take care of everything' lifestyle and oh boy... Don't they love it? (and so do we!)..
But seriously... Go easy on the love meter... We all need to know we can be independent and that means our pets too. They'll be better for it in the long run if we keep the love meter down a notch or two...
That said 'hugs for your pets' from Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
February 2007
G'day from sunny down-under.....
It's February already and the Christmas/New Year holidays are well and truly over...
For we antipodeans it's a time of getting back into the work routine, and for many pet owners - stressing out over our pets.
Will they be ok at home all alone?... Will Fido, Fifi or Frenchie (the cat) think we've abandoned them? What if they try to escape?
These are genuine questions from genuinely concerned pet owners... But are we worrying too much?
As it happens we should be a bit concerned, (trades-people leaving gates open, wind doing the same - a dog or cat 'on heat' somewhere in the neighborhood) but believe us - animals adapt very quickly to change and you can rest assured they'll be fine... Mostly... Well sort of :-) ... But nothing to worry about... HONEST!!
Seriously though, animals do love routines.
In fact the stronger and more consistent the routine, the happier and more content the animal.
It's true - but we humans are soooo inconsistent!
Our four dogs ALWAYS eat after us. There is no begging, no hanging around the table and they know we must finish our meal first BEFORE they get fed. That's putting us (hopefully) at the top of the pack - we're the 'Alphas' in this family (well Kaye is really). In fact we sometimes call her the 'dominant bitch'... But she knows we are using that phrase as a 'scientific' expression :-)) (A bitch is an un-spayed female dog in case you were wondering)
Anyway - as soon as we have cleared the table, our 4 pack are right there waiting for their meals to be prepared and given to them.
Now - if we are late home they get a little 'edgy'... You can actually feel their eyes willing us to hurry up and finish!
Anyway, we always make them wait - it's the only way to have good control over four very pushy dogs!. Now breakfast is a different matter.
Matisse - the podgy Bichon Frise knows the time between the toaster popping and him getting a breakfast snack is about 12.5seconds - just enough time to put some butter on the toast and break a corner off for him.
Just recently though we've gone 'all healthy' and have started having bowls of bran, corn flakes, Yoghurt and skim milk.
Matisse is not so keen now and has the 'grumps' with us... But we know all will be forgotten in about 5 or 10 minutes after breakfast.
And the same thing goes with your pets when you leave for work after being with them during the holidays or over a long weekend.
Most animals - dogs particularly - live for the now... They have very little concept of tomorrow and even less concept of time.
If they are well fed & watered, excercised regularly, have good comfortable shelter and a variety of toys that are rotated regularly, then chances are when you walk out that door at 7:30am on your way to work, your dog, cat, bird or whatever pet you have - will simply snuggle up somewhere safe in the knowledge that you'll be home soon... Then it's time to play, eat and sleep once more and do it all again tomorrow.
Kinda sounds like a pretty good life eh?
Just a reminder that Pet Talk Radio! resumes its 'LIVE' season 2007 from the first week of February
Hugs for your pets from Brian & Kaye
______________________________________________
January 2007
G’day from Down-under…
It's summer down here and HOT HOT HOT!
December/January is also our traditional holiday season so the family pets enjoy all the attention and having everyone around - they have absolutely nothing to worry about. Or do they?
Despite shows like Animal Radio and Pet Talk Radio saying "don't buy a pet for someone at Christmas unless you have discussed it!" - thousands of people already have.
Ok - we're not going to bang them over the head for it... we understand the urge to have a pet can be overwhelming for some people and of course puppies and kittens are very cute and can have a great future if the new pet parent does some basic research and looks into what is involved.
But the truth of the matter is so many animals are surrendered in Australia either just prior to Christmas or just after - usually later in January early February when they get back to work. The pre-Christmas surrenders are usually people who have decided they can't take their pet on holiday and boarding is too expensive. The only option - surrender! (can you believe that?)
The post Christmas January/February surrenders are just the opposite. Puppies bark, dig and poop everywhere... Kittens - although less of a problem scratch and also do their business all over the house. The family is just getting back into work or school mode and the novelty of 'pet ownership' has started to wear thin... especially for 'mom' who usually ends up washing feeding & cleaning the animals.
There are always exceptions to this scenario of course but the increased surrender figures speak for themselves every year.
But this is not a 'lecture' about the appropriateness of buying a pet for someone at Christmas time. As experienced pet owners yourselves, we actually hope you'll help someone with a 'Yuletide' pet - especially if it's their first - to overcome the 'holiday hump'.
Tell them about Animal Radio and the other great animal shows Hal & Judy have gathered together - Tell them about Pet Talk Radio - not just because we want more listeners, but because all these shows have expert guests and stories that will help and encourage new pet owners as they learn to bond with their new charges.
There are also many great magazines devoted to dogs, cats, guinea pigs, reptiles, horses, rabbits etc, so make sure you buy a copy as a 'welcome home pet' gift. And regularly ask "how's it going with Fido or Fifi?"... Be interested in their new pet and offer support at every opportunity.
It's only through other more experienced pet owners like you and us that we can help newbie pet owners realise the life long commitment they have undertaken. And doing so just might help slow the insidious situation of surrendered pets everywhere.
Have a great 2007 - We look forward to working more closely with Hal & Judy from Animal Radio and perhaps sharing even more stories of people and their pets around the world.
Hugs for your pets from Brian & Kaye and the Pet Talk Radio! team.
______________________________________________
Read 2006 'Letters' here
|
More Reading 
