Link Exchange Requests

Hands up who is sick of getting these . . .

. . . you and me both!

I mean why do these people bother writing you a b$#* s%$# e-mail when you know darn well it's all lies, lies and more lies.

Take a look at this e-mail I received today:

[quote]

Dear Webmaster,

I have visited your site http://www.american-cocker-spaniels.com and found it quite impressive. John dearest this is NOT my site, it is a site belonging to a webring I once managed that has the HTML version of the webring code on the site and you got my e-mail address from the NavBar. If you wanted to contact the site owner you needed to write them on THEIR e-mail address found on THEIR site.

I am dealing with a site which is based on the same theme of yours and looking for high quality related sites who can give me link backs. Hells bells John I just don't see how THEIR site and your site are based on the same theme, but hey maybe I missed something. Be damned if I can find it! Me thinks you didn't even go to THEIR site John darling! My site is having a PR of 4 and if you will give me a link back then definitely our site will also get benefited.

This would be a win situation for both of us and I would really appreciate if you add my site with this information.

Link Details:

Title: Lap Band Surgery

URL: http://www.topsurgeons.com/

Description: TopSurgeons is a premier provider of surgical services on the West Coast. We offer Lap Band surgery, plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery and dermatology services. The Lap-Band surgery is proven highly effective in helping morbidly obese patients lose excess weight.

Thanks & Regards,
John B.
topsurgeons@dwtseo.com
http://www.topsurgeons.com/

[/quote]

John clearly didn't look at the site just wrote a standard e-mail asking for a link exchange. He lost any credibilty he may have had in writing lies, lies, lies!

I grow so tired of it all.

My Car a Write Off

Some 13 years ago I purchased a brand new Mazda Bravo plus.

It was decked out to suit my dog oriented life style; going to dog shows, obedience trials, a little tracking and the odd hunting trip.

Perfect for the job and I loved that car.

In that whole time it had been in two accidents. Both in a car park and both time my car was hit by a reversing car, both times I was not at fault.

This second time was very bad, very very bad. The only panel that was not damaged was the front quarter panel. I have no idea how the driver of the other vehicle could have done soooooooooooooooooo much damaged except to say he surely must have reversed way too fast and obviously was not looking for other cars.

My mum was in the front passenger seat and it was that passenger door that got the full brunt of the hit by the other car; window glass smashed and mostly landed in mums lap, some on the ground. Mum was very shaken up and was taken to Casey hospital for a check up. Thank the good Lord above, she was not hurt. She was kept under observation for some 3 hours (give or take) but was glad to be released from hospital and to come home.

I have to say publicly how wonderful my insurance company of choice, GIO, was. Within a week everything was sorted out and I was able to go and purchase my new car.

I purchased another Mazda. This time a BT50 dual cab turbo diesel. Dark blue, with bull bar and hard canopy already on. Not brand new but good enough for me. It is an ex Mazda demo vehicle which had done 12660 kms.

Thumbs down to the driver of the other car . . . watch where you are going and who is around you!

What Was He Thinking?

BUS ROUTE: 800
BUS NUMBER: 29
BUS SCHEDULED DEPARTURE: 0708
BUS ACTUAL DEPARTURE: 0709
BUS STOP: Oakleigh Train Station
BUS LINE: Grenda's


I catch public transport to work each week day.

It saves me a small fortune.

Yesterday I boarded the Grenda's bus service at Oakleigh train station at 0705.

The bus had arrived before scheduled time so it waited until the next scheduled departure time, 0708, from the Oakleigh stop.

Shortly after boarding the drivers mobile phone rang. He answered and talked a while.

He talked a while longer.

He talked a while longer still.

At 0709 I walked to the driver to ask when he would be departing and just as I got to him he began to drive off, still talking on the mobile phone, driving with one hand.

I told him he should not be talking and driving and he should stop the call.

He did not.

I sat shit scared as I watched him driving single handed, laughing out loud with some one on the other end of the mobile phone line.

He continued to talk and drive single handed right up to the very last traffic lights located on Middle Road in Chadstone.

When he pulled in to the bus stop I told him it was the worst trip I had ever had and I would be reporting him to Grenda's and the Police.

Can you believe he actually tried to convince me he was talking to his sick wife!

Granted I only heard his side of the conversation but it was no indication he was talking to some one sick. Besides he is NOT allowed to drive and talk on the mobile phone.

Simple!

It IS against the law.

I was beside myself and could not think what to do while this dangerous journey continued. I now wish I just asked him to stop and let me off but when the heart has stopped racing from fear and the mind is not processing all the bad stuff that can happen, it is easy to see that would have been the best thing to do.

After stepping off the bus, I called Grenda's and lodged a complaint.

I now have Oakleigh Police Station number in my mobile phone so should some other selfish, careless driver decide to do the same I will call them to catch him/her in the act.

How can a bus driver who is entrusted with the lives of other people be so selfish and care so little for them to continue a dangerous activity of talking on the mobile phone and drive (in peak traffic)single handed.

Fido For Dinner

Head of Seoul's (South Korea) department of food safety, Lee Hae-Woo, will do his darnedest to convince the central government that dogs must be classified as livestock.

It is no secret that dogs are consumed in their millions in South Korea each year. This brings about a whole set of health and hygiene issues relating to the slaughter of dogs because they are not classed as livestock therefore there are no regulation to control this mass killing each year, a situation that must be addressed according to Lee Hae-Woo.

The South Korean government has always been somewhat ambivalent about dog meat and to avoid any adverse publicity before the 1988 Olympics, the city banned dog and snake meat. With some 500 plus dog meat restaurants operating in Seoul, the order is largely ignored.

Animal activists call it a step back towards stone age, calling for support to help stop this reclassification.

"Imagine dog meat next to beef in the supermarket equally it would be sickening to see roast dog on the menu," said Lee Won-Bok president of the Korea Association for Animal Protection.

Save The Internet . . . uh???

What the ! ! !

Who does ComCast think they are?

Don't just sit there, go write the law makers to stop ComCast.

Or go see SAVE THE INTERNET dot com.

101 Dogs Suffered

On Wednesday 9th January 2008 RSPCA raided Waterford Boarding Kennel and Cattery located at Lot 13 Buccan Road, Benleigh 4207, Gold Coast, Queensland and found more than 100 dogs in the most appalling conditions.

Geraldine Fooi Fong Robertson is registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission as the owner of the "grooming and boading" business however she does not have a valid license for the boarding kennel nor does she have any environmental authority to conduct such a business in the Shire, according to Beaudesert Shire Council.

Of the 101 dogs found on the property, 6 were boarded there by their owners all of whom have been contacted by the RSPCA and a further 8 were bought and were to be shipped overseas.

This is a timely reminder to those who seek to board their beloved pets to make ABSOLUTELY certain you know where you are leaving your best friend. All too often what we see in the office a boarding kennel is not what is behind the closed door.

Here is a newspaper clip about the above kennel, FYI.

A good boarding kennel is happy for you to come and inspect the premises and some will even allow you to 'test board' your pet before you leave them for boarding. There will be a fee of course but this is a good way to see how you pet will settle and certainly a good way to judge the quality of care for your four legged family member.

I would also suggest you speak with the breeder of your dog and/or cat to see if they might offer care service while you are away on holiday. I do this for Weimaraners I have bred. I feel happier knowing they will be safer and happier in a home environment. AND of course my gorgeous Zeta loves to have company for a play and chase. The owners feel happier and more relaxed knowing their precious and beloved four legged family member is safe and happy.

Walk The Talk

Last year on 2nd September I wrote about a pregnant bitch who attended and competed at a tracking trial. I was appalled that her owners would put her through such an extreme canine activity just 5 days from whelping.

I made the decision then I would do two things, the second depending on the outcome of the first;

1. Report this incident to the Weimaraner Club of Victoria Inc., (W.C.V. Inc) and report it to the Victorian Canine Association Inc., (V.C.A. Inc).
2. Report this incident to the R.S.P.C.A. in the event option one did not yield an appropriate out come for this disgusting behaviour by the owners.
   

The time line for this follows;

• 10th September 2006 email sent to W.C.V. Inc and V.C.A. Inc
• 17th September 2006 confirmation email from W.C.V. Inc confirming my email 10th September 2006 and the matter was put to the committee
• 21st September 2006 email from V.C.A. Inc seeking further information and the matter was referred to the V.C.A. Inc CR & R Meeting in October 2006
  
• 21st September 2006 my email reply to V.C.A. Inc
• 22nd September 2006 acknowledgment from V.C.A. Inc to my 21st September 2006 reply
  
• 19th October my email seeking out come of the V.C.A. Inc CR & R Meeting in October 2006
• 19th October 2006 email from V.C.A. Inc advising the V.C.A. Inc CR & R Meeting was not held in October but is scheduled for 1st November 2006
• 8th December 2006 email from V.C.A. Inc advising the matter was referred to Management Committee with a recommendation that it be forwarded to Investigations and seeking full details of owners and the bitch in question
• 10th December 2006 email sent to V.C.A. Inc with all the information requested
• 15th February 2007 hard copy of letter from V.C.A. Inc advising the matter was referred to Investigations Committee
• 1st June 2007 my telephone call to V.C.A. Inc to follow up on the out come of the investigations committee, the information of this call will not be available until the matter is resolved, except to say the rules of the V.C.A. Inc will be changed to protect pregnant bitches in the future being forced into extreme canine activities during their pregnancy.

Yet ANOTHER rule for something which should never have a rule for it;

S-E-L-F

R-E-G-U-L-A-T-I-O-N.

Why can owners not self regulate?

The answer seems obvious to me, the Blue Ribbon Syndrome is the all mighty motivator even if it yields bad decision and at time perhaps even life threatening ones.

Rules are only ever made for those who fail, GROSSLY FAIL to self regulate.

Will I proceed with option two?

That remains to be seen.

In the mean time, as a purebred community isn't it high time we started walking the talk? The talk of 'we care about our dogs', 'we exercise animal welfare before anything else' and other feel good phrases, regardless who is on the receiving end of this walk, be it dear fiend, a family member, another fellow competitor or our worst enemy.

Walking the talk should never be based on who but rather on actions of the who because if it is not, as a purebred community we will always be tripping ourselves up and lagging behind.

Pregnant Bitches - where is the line?

I attended a tracking trial on Sunday 20th August with Ally.

At this trail there were other Weis tracking but there was a bitch, Nambeapark Fatal Atrakshn TD ET owned by Mr. B and Mrs. L Evertsen, that was doing Track 5 (1,200 meters) who was 5 days off having a litter. I thought it was odd that she should be wearing a coat on such a warm day but didn't even consider she was in whelp and that may have been the reason she was wearing it. Turns out she had 6 puppies that very same evening and I found out tonight she only has 2 still living. Where IS the line when a bitch should be just allowed to be in whelp and that is all?

Personally I firmly believe that she should be just that, in whelp and NOT a competitor, especially Canine Sports AND especially tracking. The fittest of dogs in peak health come back panting like crazy. The terrain is often very uneven, hilly, thick grass and shrubs or even outback bush conditions, none of which are very friendly to a bitch in whelp let alone 5 days off having a litter.

Surely the vanity level is not so high that breeders and/or owners can not just allow bitches in whelp the stress free time they surely deserve?

Even when I was "anal" about showing some years back I didn't show any of my bitches when they were in whelp.

Am I the only one that thinks bitches in whelp should be given the respect they deserve?

Further it turns out that the said bitch was very restless the night before . . .

. . . I just can not understand what were these people thinking in bringing her to the tracking trail.

I feel sorry for their other bitch, she no doubt will be treated the same way.

Oh and it turns out some vet gave the OK for her to attend!

Go figure!

That vet would not get my business!

It's not Rocket Science to see that a bitch in whelp should not be attending a grueling event such as a Tracking Trial.