The RSPCA Care Centre

Today, mum and dad went to a new breed of adoptions centre in Australia. It is called the RSPCA Care Centre. The official opening was last night, on the 11th.



The new Care Centre was developed after research showed that some people were put off visiting shelters because they were perceived as loud and overwhelming, too emotional, or they thought there must be something wrong with the animals. It is much more like a 'pet shop'- spacious, clean and air conditioned with light colours. The difference is that the animals for adoption are all from the local RSPCA shelter. This is an artist's impression of the centre. It looks just like this.

One thing mum and dad really liked was the way the pens were set up for the animals. They had areas they could hide out from the public in, and the lighting was soft. It was a big difference from the small glass sided cages with flourescent lighting where the animals spend the day being overstimulated and tapped at by children.

As well as being a pet adoption centre and retail outlet, the Care Centre houses a veterinary out patient clinic and a pet advisory service. The staff are all RSPCA accredited and trained in animal welfare. All the animals available for adoption are desexed, microchipped, vet checked and behaviourally assessed. As well as puppies and kittens, there are older dogs and cats and other animals that the shelter may have. Today, there were guinea pigs and rabbits.



Mum was quite excited to hear it. Being in a shopping centre, it is much more accessible than shelters. The staff were great too. Mum doesn't think they will give the kind of advice she heard in a pet shop a couple of week ago- that there is no point doing any kind of training with dogs until they are older. That's when you know if they "want to learn". Craziness.

We hope that this wonderful centre has lots of success:)

Stop Puppy Mills Day

Today is Stop Puppy Mills Day. It is the day we can all come together to educate ourselves on how we can hopefully stop this awful industry.

Puppy and kitten mills have been around for decades, filling the gap in supply from concientious breeders and demand from an under-educated public. Demand for certain breeds ebbs and flows. When a Paris Hilton wanders around with one of her chihuahuas, it becomes all the rage amongs some of the more impressionable people. A good breeder, aiming to produce puppies sound of health and temperament, will not suddenly ramp up their breeding schedule to fill the gap in supply.

This leaves it to mills, who see the opportunity for a quick profit. As you can imagine, to increase that profit, any cost that can be cut, will be. This includes such basics as good quality food, veterinary care, flea and tick prevention, and adequate shelter. It is common practice for mills to be largely based outside- open to the elements, including rain and snow. Mums and their litters are forced to huddle together, to try and share some warmth.

A failure to test for genetic diseases, and then the inbreeding of stock rather than paying for Stud or Queening services, means a prevalence of genetic disorders in mill animals. Weak genes are reinforced, and it is common for those who have bought mill animals to have to shell out for veterinary care after getting their new aquisition home, if their new puppy or kitten survives the first few weeks.

Many mills onsell to pet shops. This helps them to avoid attention from concientious buyers who want to see the conditions the animal and parents live in. Store's like Petland and Dave's Petbarn support the profiteers in the mill industry by turning a blind eye to where the animals come from.

Auctions are held for mill animals, where unsound animals are sold for inflated prices, and added to the breeding programs (if you can call them that) of other mills.

Possibly the worst implication of mills is that these animals live in cramped, filthy places, with a total absence of human care and affection. Many mill animals do not even have names, let alone know how to play, walk on a lead, or generally enjoy the company of humans.

Those people interested in a purebred animal are especially at risk of being taken advantage of by a mill. There are some basic steps you can take to check out a breeder, prior to taking an animal home.
Good signs:
-Is the breeder registered with a recognised state or national registry?
- Insist on seeing where the kitten has been living, the mother and rest of the litter, and if possible the father. Do they seem healthy and alert? Clear eyes and noses, good activity levels?
- Ask for results of genetic testing done, and discuss how the breeder has taken steps to decrease the likelihood genetic diseases have been passed on.
- Does the breeder show animals? How are they regarded in the show world?
- A good breeder will be open and honest with you. They should encourage you to check them out, and will discuss the breed charachteristics with you, to make sure they are a match for your family.
- A good breeder will be easy to contact. They will want to stay in touch after you take the puppy or kitten home. Remember, they breed because they love these animals, and will want to know how they are getting on.
- A good breeder will never let you take an animal before they are at least 8 weeks of age.
-Are the puppies or kittens living in a home environment, and are they being well socialised towards people and other animals?

Some red flags:
-Does the breeder want to meet at a neutral site, such as a park or at your home?
- Does the breeder identify themselves as being registered with an obscure or little recognised registry?
- Attention from a humane or rescue organisation.
- The breeder makes excuses for not seeing the parents, or claims to be an agent for the sale, rather than the breeder.
- The puppy or kitten looks dirty and not well groomed, has gunky eyes or signs of an Upper Respiratory Infection.

If you are not interested in a purebred animal, but don't want to support the mill industry, there are ways to do this. Some pet shops, such as several PetSmart stores in the US, support local rescue groups, and allow their groups to set up stands to show their kittens and puppies. Local rescue organisations and humans societies like the RSPCA are a great starting point. There are also some dedicated breed rescues, so if you are after a purebreed, they can be a great help.

If you would like some more information,

A Day In The Life of a Rescuer by E.S. Everitt is a very informative read on what a rescuer goes through at a mill auction, and their first hand experiences.

The Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project has a lot of very good information, first hand accounts, laws and legislation, rescue stories and what you can do to help.

"...if one person is unkind to an animal, it is considered to be cruelty, but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people." -- Ruth Harrison

Happy Tails Day, October 10

Happy Tails Day is coming! This is a super special day for the RSPCA to raise some much needed funds to help the animals who need it. While they are the organisation that the public turns to when they see an animal in need, they only recieve 2-3% of their budget from Government grants. This is despite taking enormous pressure off the various Government agencies, the local governments in particular.

We love the RSPCA. They do so much wonderful work- helping animals dumped at their shelters, investigating allegations of cruelty, mistreatment and neglect, helping animals left behind in disasters like floods and fires, trying to teach the public about how they can be heroes for animals, among so much more.

The people who work at the shelter have to face some really awful situations, but still manage to keep their spirits in tact. The uniformed officers tasked with investigating complaints are the Inspectors. Across Australia, there are approximately 84 Inspectors, and they were responsible for investigating over 55 000 cases of cruelty and neglect in the last year. This includes complaints about the treatment of companion animals, farm animals and native animals.

If not for a group like the RSPCA, I shudder to think what could have become of the cats and dogs who come into their care. Instead, they were desexed, vaccinated, wormed and de-flead by the shelter, and matched up with people who will provide them with a safe happy home for the rest of their lives, as often as possible.

To continue their good work, the RSPCA needs the support of the public. Without it, they could not function. So for October 10, get a hold of some great Happy Tails Merchandise, and support the people who support our animals.

For more information, click here.