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January 2006
Edition

Pages in PDF

Regular
Features

› Son Of A Gun
  with Mick Pacholli

› Fab's Ravings

› Technology
  with Chris Jacobs

› Are You
  Puzzled?
  with
  Narelle Stegehuis

› Boredom in
  Children
  with
  Marilyn Brideson

› Planet Clare

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  Crossword

› Live Theatre
  with Blair Edgar

› Movie Scene
  with
  Charlie Alexander

› Entertainment
  with Gary Turner

› Grazing in the
  Suburbs
  with Mick Pacholli

› Talking Manure
  with Mick Pacholli

› Furry Friends
  with
  Dr Graeme Smith

› Racing
  with Ted Ryan

› Rant & Rave
  with
  Paddles Hackett

› Bowls
  with Mick Pacholli

› Motoring
  with Garry Fabian

› Short Cuts
  Writers
  Competition

Ownership Should Need A Licence
A Seasonal Message From The Managing Direct Of The Lost Dogs Home

[by Dr Graeme Smith, Managing Director of The Lost Dogs Home]

At this time of the year the Lost Dogs’ Home always traditionally stresses its basic message that “A pet is for life not just for Christmas”. We really mean it, because the Home sees the sad results of pets that have been abandoned or neglected because, for some less responsible people, the novelty of pet ownership has worn off.

Slogans alone however don’t work. I believe that it’s high time to put some teeth into the message. I believe that those who want to own a cat or dog should need to have to demonstrate an understanding of the responsibilities and obligations of animal ownership.

They should have to prove that they know enough about an animal’s needs and welfare to avoid being cruel to them through neglect or ignorance.

The community also needs a mechanism to identify and prevent demonstrably irresponsible people from owning dogs and cats, and to discourage the impulse buying of them, especially at Christmas time.

How can we, as a 21st Century community, achieve these objectives? It’s obvious! To own a gun, drive a car, or pilot an aircraft, we must pass a test that demonstrates our ability to handle these things responsibly.

We ought to need to do at least as much as that before we can own a dog or cat and take on the commitment and responsibility for its welfare and well-being for the rest of its life.

The Home has advocated this for years. Whenever we have stressed this issue publicly the public response has been overwhelmingly favourable.

That’s why we still hope that our State Government will eventually get the message and make Victoria a world pioneer in leading the way by introducing a licencing system for dog and cat ownership.

Anything that you can do to bring this about sooner rather than later will be of tremendous value to the welfare of domestically owned dogs and cats.

So why not make it a New Year resolution to help promote this cause in 2006?

by Dr Graeme Smith

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