If you don't know already, our team at Personalised Pet Collars produces a magazine for its community of Pet Owners aptly named Hooman Magazine.
The Magazine is full of fact filled, short form articles on subjects relevant to Dog Owners and Cat Lovers, one such articles we are sharing with you now which is our Pet News for Spring 2020.
We hope you enjoy, and if you do feel free to subscribe to the magazine, it is absolutely FREE!
New Taskforce to Stop Illegal Puppy Farming
I saw an excerpt from an ABC Article written by Haley Craig in the Pet Industry Association Newsletter that I thought was worth looking at and sharing.
The NSW Government has vowed to crack down on dog breeders as puppy farmers start turning to social media to help them sell dogs at inflated prices.
NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall, said the Government would fund a new RSPCA taskforce to investigate and dismantle illegal dog breeding facilities.
The team of RSPCA investigators will work with the NSW Police to track down and prosecute the perpetrators.
The announcement followed raids of breeding facilities in Inverell and Wagga Wagga, both of which are still under investigation.
The new taskforce will consist of six RSPCA inspectors who will exclusively spend their time inspecting breeding facilities across the state, ensuring they meet the NSW Government's robust animal welfare requirements putting illegal breeders on notice.
Under present rules, any breeder found to be doing the wrong thing can have their animals seized, fines issued of up to $22,000 and jail time of up to two years per offence.
The pandemic had seen demand for companion animals skyrocket as people stayed home. Sadly there are people breeding the animals that are not adhering to the rules and looking to take advantage of the increasing prices.
So the taskforce will work with intelligence officers to monitor online activity on sites like Facebook and Gumtree. Hopefully they make some headway into stopping these opportunists from operating any longer, we will post updates as we hear of their progress.
Research shows Burmese Cats are at higher risk of Diabetes.
They are on our cover and are also our featured Breed for Issue Two, but when doing my research I discovered an article on Pet Industry News that unfortunately their genes are not being kind to them when it comes to Diabetes.
West Australian researchers have discovered six genes that put the Burmese cat breed at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Western Australia’s Centre for Diabetes Research found Australian Burmese cats were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than American Burmese and also other cat breeds in Australia.
It took eight years of research, but the discovery paves the way for vets to be able to arrange genetic testing, and work with owners to help prevent high-risk cats from developing the condition. Cat breeders can also use the information to breed low-risk cats.
Cats with type 2 diabetes tend to develop it later in their lives and experience health impacts similar to humans with the condition. Symptoms include inadequate insulin secretion and impaired insulin action, and they are more at risk of obesity and physical inactivity.
Knowing if a cat is at higher risk allows vets and owners to pay closer attention to early intervention strategies such as weight control and diet changes, which in the long run will work out cheaper for owners than an expensive bill treating it later.
More than 100 Australian Burmese cats were involved in the project, with their genetic information compared to the genetic information of 84 American Burmese cats.
If you want more information on the Burmese Cat breed, we have a great article that highlights the breed that you can read HERE.
NSW Court of Appeal delivers landmark ruling for Pet Owners living in Units
A huge win has been delivered for Pet owners in NSW who live in apartments thanks to a five year fight by a Sydney dog owner unable to live with her dog in her apartment.
The NSW Court of Appeal has ruled that an attempt by the Horizon Apartments in Darlinghurst to ban animals was in breach of NSW law.
Court of Appeal Judges struck down attempts from the apartment strata to enforce bylaws that restricted pet ownership and banned residents from keeping pets.
This will now set a precedent in NSW, so pet owners that want to buy into an apartment while they are going cheap ... there is nothing stopping you now.
If you plan to get a new pet for your apartment, make sure to check out our article on Preparing for a New Pet.
Jetpets Companion Animal Rescue Awards Winners Announced.
The Companion Animal Rescue Awards recognise the achievements of rescue organisations across Australia. Winners were chosen from a panel of 20 expert judges and were presented via a virtual awards ceremony on the 15th October.
2020 Winners
Category 1: Outstanding Rescue Group – Greyhound Rescue NSW
Category 2: Outstanding New Rescue Group – Liberty Foundation Australia (NSW)
Category 3: Outstanding Animal Shelter – Cat Haven WA
Category 4: Outstanding Council Animal Shelter – Shoalhaven Animal Shelter (NSW)
Category 5: Innovation in Rescue – Central Coast Animal Care Facility (NSW)
Category 6: Community Education and Outreach Program – Banyule’s Free Cat Desexing Program (VIC)
Category 7: Volunteer of the Year – Shelley Tinworth (Greyhound Rescue NSW)
Category 8: Refuel Digital Technology Award (new) – The Rabbit Sanctuary (NSW)
Category 9: Advocate® People’s Rescue Story – Kate O’Donnell and her dog Wolf (NSW) adopted from Dog Rescue Newcastle
Category 10: Drontal® Foster Carer Story (new) – Rachel Arthur and her cat Sass (NSW); foster carer for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home
Plus a Special Foster Carer Award: Mumma Zura, an American Staffy who has fostered over 200 puppies.
You can follow the Rescue Awards on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Hope you enjoyed the latest news relevant to Dog owners and Cat Lovers in Australia. If you want to catch up on some more news, we have a Winter News article for you to check out.
See you in Summer.