The smallest, whitest most dangerous dog

So the Maltese breed has been added to New South Wales' Government's list of dangerous dog breeds recently.

According to their Dog Attack Register, there were 12 attacks by Maltese dogs between June and September this year, eclipsing the result of the most popular breed of dog in the world, the Labrador Retriever.

Also featuring on the list are the Australian Cattle Dog and the German Shepherd, but by far the dog most identified on the list is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

It makes me wonder how the majority of these dog attacks happen, and why they are happening more frequently. In the many years that I have been surrounded by dogs and have worked with dogs, I have never been subject to an attack, and can only recall once incident involving a dog that happened to a workmate while at a veterinary clinic.

This incident occurred because the dog in question (an intact male pig dog) had been recuperating at the clinic for approximately 3 months and come to enjoy the attentions of all the female staff who were responsible for caring for him. When a male locum vet was employed by the practice, the dog felt threatened due to his presence (and probably wanted to protect 'his girls') and bit the vet on the leg one day.

In a clinic situation, these incidents are almost to be expected as it is an inherent risk when you work with animals. However, all practicable steps are taken to ensure the severity of these incidents are minimal and uncommon.

In my opinion, what we need to do to avoid dog attacks is learn about dog behaviour and body language. For me it's pretty easy to tell many of the emotions at any given time for both cats and dogs, but for someone who isn't used to being around animals or isn't aware of their various indicators, this can spell disaster when in a confronting situation.

It seems sad to me that entire breeds are being labelled as 'dangerous' or 'menacing' when it may simply be due to a misunderstanding of the language differences between people and a particular dog, or even worse, the misidentification of some breeds because this is what the victim perceives the dog to be.

As has been described, and will always be stated by animal professionals, especially those dog behaviourists, all dogs have the potential to be dangerous. It is a matter of knowing how to read the signs to avoid a dangerous situation.

We will endeavour to describe and source information on dog behaviour and body language on The Pet Hub to give you the information you need to read, interpret and understand dog language.

Spring news

Spring is finally here and despite the thick layer of frost I saw on the houses and streets around me this morning, it has turned into a bright, warm and sunny day.

It is also the time of year that traditionally heralds the beginning of breeding season, so if you haven't had your pets desexed and are not planning on breeding from them, please do this important act. It will benefit both your pet as well as you. If you know of someone who hasn't desexed their pet, please encourage them to do so. If breeding is something that you are wanting to do with your pet, there is one golden rule to follow - do your research!

The beginning of spring also means a new round of pet magazines are available! We don't have many pet-related magazines in New Zealand but the ones we do have are pretty good quality and I encourage you to take a look at them. There's Paws for Thought, Pet Magazine, and Two Cats One Dog (only available through your vet clinic).

This season, the magazines feature stories on Police Dogs, Arthritis, Lumps, and Caring for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs (2C1D); Pet Genetics, Pet Health Maintenance, RNZAF Working Dogs, Liver and Kidney Diseases, Sharing Custody when a relationship sours, and oxygen therapy (Paws for Thought); and Understanding Cat Speak, Training Dogs, Enjoying a Good Relationship with your Vet, an Interview with Mike King and a new Animal Sanctuary is profiled in Pet Magazine.

Take advantage of the longer days of spring with your pet - but beware of those critters that might dart across the road at night right in front of your car - this is also the time of year that cats are more active, and hedgehogs begin to come out of hibernation. If you do hit an animal, please stop to see how badly it is hurt (this is a legal requirement!), and if it didn't survive, please move it to the side of the road so no one else can run it over.

The Plight of Pet Ownership

It appears to be increasingly difficult to front up with enough cash to pay for our pets these days.

This may be pretty obvious to most people, and wording like "current economic situation", "recession", "affordability" and "cost of living" certainly isn't helping. However, it is both sad but also encouraging to see ads such as this and this on TradeMe.

Let me elaborate on what I mean by that.

The sad thing about these ads is the lack of affordability for the owner for their pet's treatment, but let's face it, the cost of veterinary treatment is not cheap. And of course recessions and increased living costs have made an impact too.

The encouraging thing about these ads is the fact that these owners are prepared to do whatever it takes to get their loved pets the treatment that they need. Even more encouraging is the comments from people at the end of the auctions who are so selflessly willing to help.

I have read a number of stories from people in a crisis situation, whether it be financial or due to a change in circumstance, where the threat of their pet or pets not being with them anymore fills them with despair. As a result, the messages of support, help, encouragement and even financial contributions in some cases have proven that most people are inherently kind-hearted and willing to share what they have with someone in a less fortunate position.

This is a lesson we should all remember - both when it comes to our pets and as we live life in general. I firmly believe that what goes around comes around, and that if you are willing and able to help, no matter how small you feel you can, it makes a significant difference to the person you are helping.

I also encourage you to think about opening a separate bank account specifically for your pets, or look into taking out pet insurance. It could mean the difference between a second chance at life or no chance at all.

The Dominion Post, 12 Aug 2009. Page 17

Heidy Kikillus uses TradeMe to help research turtle populations in New Zealand


Great story and photo - well done Heidy!

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The Dominion Post
12 Aug 2009

A timely reminder that pet First Aid is vital

August is Pet First Aid month at The Pet Hub, with the launch of our very own Pet First Aid Kits and Pocket First Aid Guides at Pet Expo on the 1st and 2nd of August. We are also going to be expanding on the information contained within our Cat and Dog Emergencies sections and hope to bring you much more on First Aid for smaller pets such as rabbits, rats, mice, guinea pigs, and our turtle and reptile friends.

In the meantime, the following video, recently posted on the LA Times website, shows an everyday situation (childrens' birthday party) during which a Chihuahua needed CPR. Yet another reason why pet First Aid training is so important:


If you own or care for a pet, you should know what to do in a pet emergency situation. If you are interested in learning more, or taking part in a Pet First Aid course, contact us and let us know.

Not too long left for WCC's draft dog policy

Submissions for the new Draft Dog Policy for residents of Wellington City Council's suburbs close on the 7th August (next Friday).

For those residents who want to have a say regarding this proposed new policy, please see the Council's website here.

In summary, the Council proposes the following changes:

• five new off-leash dog exercise areas
• improved access for dogs and their owners to the waterfront through the central business district
• a proposal for a destination dog park
• new provisions for Responsible Dog Owner status
• criteria to determine the need to neuter menacing dogs
• new policy objectives that recognise the positive community health benefits of owning a dog.

There are also some important changes being proposed to the current dog parks available to WCC residents, so it is worth checking out their dog exercise area maps here.

It is important to note that there is no mention in the Dog Policy Proposal document of making dog exercise areas safer or more accessible to dog owners and walkers by installing lighting or watering stations, increasing the number of rubbish bins or improving access to the areas. These are the key things I think are of most importance to dog owners in Wellington City.

To make a submission to Council (and oral submissions are encouraged as they "will carry weight with councillors" according to Councillor Iona Pannett), see the details on the Council's website.

Councillor Pannett also welcomes discussions with interested residents - her contact details are listed below.

Iona Pannett
Associate Social Portfolio leader and Wellington City Councillor (Lambton Ward)
Address: 27 Caroline Street, Mt Victoria, Wellington 6011
Telephone: 384-3382 (work)/021-227-8509 (mobile)
E-mail: iona.pannett@wcc.govt.nz

What do you want to see done with Wellington City Council's dog exercise areas?

An update from The Pet Hub

Wow time certainly goes quickly when you have a big event coming up. For those of you in the Pet Club, you will have received our email newsletter a few days ago letting you know that we are going to have a stand at the upcoming Pet Expo being held at the Addington Raceway (1st & 2nd of August). We have been super-busy preparing for Pet Expo and we're keenly looking forward to it. Drop by our stand (we will be on the ground floor in the dog area near the stage) if you come along - don't be afraid to say hi! We will have some great items to give away, exciting demonstrations that we hope you will be able to check out, and many other fantastic reasons for visiting. We very much hope to see you there.

It's also a good time of year to remind you to book your pets Christmas holiday accommodation. I know, July? But trust me, all the best accommodation providers will be near capacity already so get in now to avoid disappointment and pre-Christmas stress for you and your pets.

During July, we hope to also bring you new information about caring for your pet turtle, and how you can keep these cool pets happy and healthy.

We are also in negotiations to have an ongoing presence on another prominent web site which is very exciting. We'll update you as soon as we know whether this is confirmed.

Please bear with us over the next few weeks in the lead-up to Pet Expo. We will continue to work on the site as well during this time. And don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or queries whatsoever.

Purrs and woofs!
Rochelle and Francesca