Dog Owner Etiquette.
To the woman in Seddon Fields with your 2 dogs who stared at me condescendingly while I struggled with my leashed reactive dog, thanks so much for your empathy while you proceeded to throw the ball right in front of me several times to your unleashed dogs...perhaps you should consider being kind instead of judgmental. Yes, my dog was barking at yours and lunging but no, you are not aware of the fact that I have recently had surgery and had difficulty holding her because of the pain in my arm. You also don't know that my dog is reactive through no fault of her own because of unleashed dog attacks and has in fact been to several renowned dog trainers to help her with her anxiety. Your rude stares and lack of compassion when seeing another dog owner struggling, was not something to feel proud of. If I see another dog owner struggling, I always try to make the situation easier for them, not more difficult as no one knows the owner or dog's circumstances. Your attitude sucks.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!