Victorian councils consider compulsory 24-hour cat confinement

Councils in Victoria are considering the introduction of compulsory 24-hour cat confinement, triggering strong responses from members of the public. The setting of cat traps as part of the plan has angered cat owners.

Read details of the story in the Leader Press - click here

At least 10 Victorian councils have made it an offence for cats to be outdoors at night. Read more here.

The Cat that was made in Australia! The Australian Mist

The delightful Australian Mist proudly wears the label 'Made in Australia".

This home-grown Aussie cat breed has evolved from a predominantly Burmese background, with Abyssinian and domestic shorthair input. From this combination has come the most confident and companionable of cats with the loving personality of the Burmese, the intelligence of the Abyssinian and the vigour of the Domestic tabby.

The breed's hallmark spotted jacket comes in a wide variety of attractive hues, from warm brown to blue, chocolate to lilac and gold to peach - with the misty background colours highlighting its delicate but distinctive spots.

A personality-plus puss with a penchant for fun, the Australian Mist thrives on human companionship. Tolerant of even the youngest of children (and not inclined to scratch), these friendly felines enjoy playing games and being part of the hustle and bustle of a busy household making entertaining companions for people of all ages.

Their enjoyment of family life also makes them happy to remain indoors at night, or even lead wholly indoor lives. Some Mists can also be trained to go for walks on leads.

Independent, intelligent and self-assured, these charming cats know exactly what they want out of life - and how to go about getting it!

Winter walks

It’s easy to spend the winter months snuggled up by the fire with a good book, a box of chocolates and the dog curled up at your feet. Truth be known, the dog would much prefer you to put on your walking shoes, grab a lead and go for a walk.

In most parts of Australia there are very few days where the weather is so bad that a walk is unpleasant. Winter and early spring bring crisp mornings which are far more pleasant for walking than summer heat.

If the weather is nasty, both the dog and owner can wear rain gear. Pet stores have a large choice of dog coats ranging from the purely fashionable in an array of colours and patterns, to the very practical oilskin. It may not be possible to take the dog for a fitting but all you need is the dog’s measurement around the middle at the deepest part of the body, and also the length of body.

In many parts of Australia, dogs are banned from beaches during the warmer months so winter can be an ideal time to take the dog for a walk along a deserted beach. Many beaches allow dogs off lead during this period and there are few dogs which do not react with joy at running free on the sand, sniffing unusual smells of the sea, and even having a paddle or trying to catch waves.

Dogs which get wet during a walk should be toweled off and an old chamois used after to remove water and mud from the coat. Long coated breeds should be dried with a hairdryer and then brushed or combed to prevent the hair from matting.

Both owners and dogs who continue to walk during winter will be trim, taut and terrific when summer arrives.

Take Your Dog to Work Day, Friday June 20, 2008

Progressive businesses have recognised the value of allowing dogs in the workplace and are supporting an annual event called 'Take Your Dog to Work Day' Friday June 20 in an attempt to support and develop this healthy trend.

Innovative businesses in the US like Amazon, Google, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and universities have developed official pet policies as part of the employee handbook and have set out rules and procedures for introducing and maintaining pets in the work environment.

These initiatives not only encourage worker loyalty and take the strain off leaving pets at home; they can also be effective in stress relief and socialisation of staff as well as having a welcoming nose for clients.

Having a pet at work can:
· increase productivity
· add to a casual corporate environment
· encourage healthy relationships among staff as they socialise with the animals during the day
· encourage needed physical and mental breaks
· enhance the sense of community


Your work might like to think about writing a “Pets at Work” policy. If so, make sure it takes into consideration:
· the needs of non-dog staff and those who may have pet allergies
· a standard of animal etiquette and behaviour
· the security of the office environment
· the importance of up to date vaccinations
· lead requirements when entering or leaving a building
· animal’s being reliably house or office trained so they won’t leave behind any surprises!

Further details on “Take Your Dog to Work Day” are posted on www.muttspace.com.au.

Just Walk Me on the Gold Coast

Alf Mikelat spent a lot of his working life getting his hands dirty. Before joining the Gold Coast City Council and working his way Team Leader position of Animal Management, he’d made his crust as a mechanic in South Western Victoria.

However, sitting at his desk, sending out reams of fact sheets with contact details of animal behaviourists to people having difficulties with their dogs just didn’t cut it for Alf.

“Experience has taught me that the average person can feel pretty confused with the kind of language we tend use in local government. It can all seem too confusing and overwhelming to people who just want a simple answer on how they can spend more time enjoying their dog in the community.”

So Alf and his team developed the “Just Walk Me” program. Here people that experience difficulty with their dogs can meet up every Sunday with members of the Animal Management group to walk their dogs and become socially responsible pet owners.

“It’s a great opportunity to show people what normal dog behaviour is. Owners can feel nervy about their dogs, but once they understand realise that their dogs are behaving like everyday dogs do, they relax and realise that they have nothing to worry about.”

By sending out flyers to promote the program to people in areas where high regulatory taking place, Alf can bring people having difficulty with their dogs together in open off leash areas.
“It’s a great way to get the dogs that are having problems right out in the open. It means we can deal with issues right in front of us.”

Since it began in October 2007, popularity for the Just Walk Me program has increased across the board. Initially the public open space was deserted but now Alf and his team find that more than 70 people are turning up to exercise their dog, seek guidance and make friends with neighbours.

“The first few times we came, we parked the dog truck in the middle of the park and hopped out in our AMO uniforms. And people took off, all running off in the opposite direction! We learnt that lesson pretty quickly,” he laughs. “We changed our shirts to a friendly green, stuck up some colourful signage and painted up the truck and it wasn’t long before word of mouth got around.”

Alf continues to do the Sunday rounds with two animal management officers, believing that face to face community contact is critical for the program to work.

“We’re here to provide information and answers,” said Alf. “If we can’t answer the questions, we take down contacts and send out whatever information they required.”

Communication is key to running one of these programs successfully, so Alf handpicked animal management officers he knew that community members would feel comfortable to approach.

So far, the program has been a success, with a plateuing of animal complaints just one of the benefits.

Someone like Alf doesn’t rest on his laurels however; Alf has in his sights a pet awareness strategy that takes a cradle to grave approach. With pre-natal programs being rolled out in hospitals, kindergarten programs with the Wiggles and Doris the Dinosaur, and a similar strategy to the Just Walk Me program is being developed to target senior residents with pets who can’t get out as often as they’d like.

“If we can fix just one complaint, one concern, then I reckon we’ve done our job,” says Alf. “Primarily I want to make sure that these Sunday’s are for people with dog problems. Sure it should be fun too, but it’s more important I think, that the dogs with difficulties are getting out where we can tackle those problems head on.”

“I’m really stoked at how well the programs gone. It’s not only been dead easy to run, but dead cheap too!”

How to run a “dead easy, dead cheap” Just Walk Me Program

· Turn one of your trucks into a Just Walk Me truck. Alf got the engineering team to convert his station wagon into a promotional vehicle that also converts into an information table.

· Turn the public image of AMOs on its head. Instead of your usual AMO officer uniform, pick up some shirts in “friendly colours”, green or yellow, and embroider them with the “Just Walk Me” program logo.

· Set up lots of signage in the area advertising the event. Tall “feather” signage like the colourful ones you might see at the beach or at outside events are just the ticket to get people’s attention.

· Link up to an existing health program that’s running in your council. Alf hooked the “Just Walk Me” program in with the Gold Coast City Council’s “Active and Healthy” program. In doing so, he was able to get assistance with signage and promotion.

· Target areas that are displaying the most regulatory action and high registration numbers

· Send out flyers for the programs when sending out regulatory notices or fines

· Handpick officers who have good people skills are and are capable of talking with people from all walks of life

· Evaluate the program both the teams’ progress and dog owner’s general ongoing exercise and training activities.

· Provide a simple healthy morning tea with fruit and juice.

Alf Mikelat has been with the Gold Coast City Council for 6 years. He also works as a chief training officer at Burleigh Heads Surf Life Saving Club.

For further information on local government animal management solutions go to www.ccac.net.au