RSPCA Santa Paws

Where and When

Dates:
Friday 8th, Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th December 2006

Where:
RSPCA Education Department
3 Burwood Highway, Burwood East

Prices from:
- $12 for a 5" x 7" photograph in a presentation folder
- Additional copies $8 each
- 3 Photo Deal: Three photos for $25
- 5 Photo Deal: Five photos for $40
- $2 delivery fee or photos can be collected from the RSPCA.

Bookings will be essential as times allocated are restricted to 20 minute intervals.
Call RSPCA reception on 03 9224 2222

Bentleigh Hodgson Reserve.
Date: Sunday 22 October
Time: 2–4pm
Venue: Hodgson Reserve,
Higgins Road, Bentleigh (Melway 77F1)

Celebrate the opening and enjoy an afternoon of free music and
family activities at Bentleigh Hodgson Reserve.Entertainment will be provided by the dynamic Brazil Capoeira troupe, TimTim balloonologist and MC, the fabulous, stylish Stiletto Sisters, paint
pot painting for the kids, a jumping castle, face painter, and patting zoo. Cricket enthusiasts can test their skills against the Bentleigh Cricket bowling machine and dog lovers can enjoy watching the Bayside Companion Dog School’s dog show.

Melbourne Dogs' Breakfast
Sunday 12th November : Copyright © 2006

Highlights - Walk your dog then enjoy a BBQ Breakfast.

• Free IAMS Breakfast for dog participants
• Dog Agility Displays
• Dog Stalls

Best Dressed competitions plus many other festivities

Pet Microchipping Day

PETstock wants to thank the community for its support over the last 12 months and is inviting you, your family and your beautiful pet to come to along to its South Melbourne store to enjoy a birthday party with a difference. This exciting event will be packed full of fun activities, information and demonstrations and will culminate in a 'Blessing of the Animals' by Father Bob Maguire at 4.00pm. Proceeds from activities will be donated to the Father Bob Maguire Foundation. Father Bob will be on hand to meet you all.
PETstock, with the support of its key suppliers, has planned an amazing day full of wonderful surprises so please join us - you are part of our family!

ALL CREATURES DAY
Sunday 14th March
10am - 4pm
RSPCA Burwood East
Phone: 9224 2222

World Farm Animals Day
Sunday 2 nd October

World Farm Animals Day was launched in 1983 to expose, memorialize, and mitigate the suffering of billions of innocent, sentient animals in the world's factory farms and slaughterhouses. The date of October 2 honors the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, foremost champion of humane farming.

ARTICLES

Hot dogs- The Age 6 June, 2003

The latest must-have isn't a Prada handbag or a pair of Versace sunglasses. It's a pooch. In stylish haunts like Hollywood and Paris, it's not unusual to see spruced-up dogs tottering in the wake of their equally spruced-up owners.

Hollywood stars from Jennifer Aniston to Calista Flockhart are often spotted leading their canine pals on designer leads. And backstage at fashion shows, tiny peepers peer from the oversized carry bags of young models, and every top designer owns one. Here in Melbourne the pooch-craze is also in full swing - bowls of water are now found outside most cafes - with fashionistas stepping out with the latest in canine accessories and enlisting a full complement of professional groomers, walkers and even designers to preen and pamper their charges.

It is also paramount that your lifestyle suits the dog. For example, it's no good expecting an exuberant working cattle dog to live the quiet life in a one-bedroom apartment in the city. It will go mad, and so will you. So choose wisely.

A dog is for life, not just while it's in fashion.

Pets in paradise Story by Leigh Dennis

RACQ can help with some tips, if you want to take your pet on holidays.

Pets and their owners used to take their holidays separately? you and the family would head off, while your faithful pooch or moggy checked in to the local kennel. But that doesn't have to be the case anymore.

A growing number of accommodation proprietors have realised the benefits of allowing holiday-makers to bring their pets with them, and the RACQ recently launched a guide to help owners find 'pet friendly' locations.

RACQ product manager Andrew Millward said the new guide, Travelling With Pets, would help members who made pet enquiries when using the Club's accommodation booking service.

"The family pet deserves a holiday too and RACQ's Travelling With Pets has more than 180 accommodation properties across Australia that are happy to offer you and your four-legged friends a place to stay," Mr Millward said.

"The colour guide contains many features to help the traveller. As well as illustrative icons and map indexes, the book also includes star ratings, a pricing guide, property features, photos and property pet policies."

"Some of the properties also offer pet minding facilities, for those times when it's really not appropriate for you to take your pet along to see the sights."

"Hopefully, the introduction of the guide will encourage more establishments to become pet friendly, which in turn will provide greater facilities for members and their pets."

More than 90 percent of the properties listed in the guide accept cats and dogs, and almost one-third also accept horses. A few select properties also cater for those with more 'distinctive' companions and will accept wombats, snakes and even buffalos.

RSPCA Queensland community relations manager Claire Munro said while the society did not endorse any individual accommodation facility, it received many calls from people who wanted to take their pets with them on holidays but didn't know where to go.

"It will be helpful to be able to say this book is available and that it offers travelling advice and accommodation choices for those who want to holiday with their pets," Ms Munro said.

"Pets are an important part of the family, and providing they are used to travelling and their safety or welfare isn't compromised, it's great to take them with you.

However, it still falls on the owner to take responsibility for animals while on holidays.

You need to make sure your car is safe and that it has the right restraints for your pet. Also, make sure your animal companion has a current ID tag on its collar, including a telephone number for you when you are travelling, and that its vaccinations are up to date.

You also need to make sure that you make plenty of stops along the way, so neither you or the animal get too tired."

Ms Munro said the RSPCA could not stress enough that owners should never leave animals in a parked car, especially in Queensland, because it took just a few minutes for a dog to die in a hot car, even in winter.

The guide also features six pages of helpful pet travel hints from RSPCA Australia President, Dr Hugh Wirth.

Travelling with Pets is available from RACQ branches at the special member price of $10.95 ($16.95 for non-members). Also for information about pet insurance, call RACQ Insurance on 13 1905.

Reproduced from the August/September 2003 edition of The Road Ahead.