This touched us all at work today!

I am your animal control officer. I am not the dreaded “dog catcher” or the “murderer” you call me.

I am not the one who allows your pet to roam the streets to be hit by passing cars.

I am the one who must look into those sick, pain-glazed eyes, try to remove the animal without causing it further pain and then humanely put it to sleep to end its suffering.

I am not the one who allows your pets to breed, then dumps the unwanted puppies and kittens on roadsides and in shelters.

I am not the one who abandons unwanted animals on farm roads, telling myself some friendly farmer will surely take them in and give them a good home.

But I am the one who must pick up the frightened animal that waits in vain for its beloved master, wondering why it has been abandoned.

I am the one who must help that friendly farmer trap, tranquillise or kill that animal because it has begun to hunt in packs with other abandoned, hungry animals, killing livestock, fowl and game.

I am not the one who keeps a pet confined in an area too small, without food, water, shelter or exercise.

But I am the one who must deal with the irresponsible owner who does.

So, remember, the next time your pet is picked up, or you are cited for neglecting or abusing it, remember, I am only trying to get you to fulfil your responsibility to your pet, your neighbour and yourself.

Do not scorn me.

Respect me, for I am the product of your responsibility.

I love animals and I care.

September

where is the year going …

Signed up to Walk to Health and went to the opening walk on Sunday. Didnt win any spot prizes – need new shoes so thats why I went. There is another one this Sunday too so I will go to that, then another out here at Edgecumbe – so may as well keep trying.

The WOF is due on the ute, so I got organised this morn, did the dogs walk then drove into town. Had the walking gear on to walk home. Estimated it would take three hours. While walking past Columbus about 5k from the garage I decided to have a mocha and muffin (great start to a walk … not). Anyway, I reckon im addicted to that place. Text Delys and Dianna telling them of my stupidity … then all of a sudden Delys and Dave pull up offering me a ride home. I just cracked up. They had just dropped Daves vehicle off at the garage too. So, I was a lazy cow and took the ride. I did get them to drop me off at the start of the farm though and walked the next 20 mins to home through the paddocks …

Beaut day here … Ive been catching up on washing and housework mainly.

Laughing

well … August has been a mixed bag for me. It started well with the half marathon completion without injury, then a visit for a week from Mum which had issues to deal with (not my doing), then I get told at work that I cant laugh out loud because its too loud. So Ive taken it very personally until I found out who it was. All I can say is Ive always thought the guy a “wet blanket” anyway. However, it has been revealed that he complained about my boss using the speaker phone to talk to people AND he has put a spanner in the works because he has said that when our immediate boss is not in the office the rest of us are louder than normal. So the rest of the team are more furious than me now.

The result of all this is that I dont laugh at work now. I grab any callouts so am out of the office more than in. Doing more patrols of the district so for all those dogs and owners out there keep to the rules.

We will be out more from now on anyway as we are sighting and fining unregistered dogs and uplifting repeat offenders.

Looking at doing the Hamilton Half Marathon early october. Ive signed up for Walk to Health again. That starts on the 7th September. Im going to try and do lots of the organised walks as they give away shoes and I need some!

What is it about people who cant have fun, so they wreck other peoples fun … look I know work is work, but we didnt want to be in an open plan area and sometimes our release is laughter. Nevermind … I aint laughing at work no more. And … I have started recordingthe times and dates I laugh out loud. Once on Thursday at 10.15am (my boss made me laugh) and once on Friday at 4.45pm (my boss again made me laugh). My boss has told me to laugh as much as I like, however I have decided that Im not going to laugh …

Defensive Driving Course

Thats what I was sent on today … and you need it on the road from Whakatane to Bay Park in Mt Maunganui. Its a horrid road … anyone travelling on that be carefull. Its the 2nd worst stretch of highway in the country for road deaths. The drivers are appalling.

Anyway, this course is one of the best courses I have ever been on. I urge you all to do a defensive driving course. It opens your eyes to “speed” and what to do in bad bad situation.

Theory in the morning, then all afternoon in the vehicle doing it. I was very conservative in the beginning. However, these people got me pushing the boundaries by the end of the day. I got chocolate for the most improved …

Driving home I saw things differently BIG TIME … go do it everyone. Send your staff on it if you employ people.

Dont ya just love that face?

Delys took this awhile back. We also had a photo session today with all the gun dogs. Of course Ted stole the show with his sense of humour …

3 hours 29 minutes and 29 seconds

Well I got under the 3.30 mark … for the first time ever I had a toilet stop at 10km. I was busting … after that I felt a hell of a lot better (as ya do in these circumstances). Anyway, I took off at the 15k mark as I was thinking to myself … hmmmmmmmm the foot and back are not hurting I may as well go for it otherwise I just wont know. And it worked out good. Beaut day, excellently run half marathon. Those Taupo people just know how to run events. We got sick of waiting for the prizegiving so came home.

The weekend was great. We stayed at the Wairakei Resort. $96 each in the end. That was for the room and dinner on saturday night. I thought it was magic.

Went shopping on the saturday (pouring and cold). I got a $49 thermal top in Katmandu in Rotorua. When we were sitting having lunch one of the girls spotted a desinger shop she wanted to go to (Anna S) so she went over there. We finished lunch and some time later went over to see damage as she was in there a long time.

She bought a dress and jacket. Ali bought a jacket too. I stood there in amazement at how much they spent, then fixed the eftpos machine so they could pay … I should have got commission.

When we got to Taupo they wanted to go to that same store. They ended up swapping clothes that they bought in Rotorua. It was all to much for me so I told them I was going to have a coffee down the road and see you there when you are finished.

We got our registration packs for the half marathon and I won a spot prize – chocolate. I was over the moon. The t-shirts were nice – blue for a change.

Anyway, Ali has got all excited and wants to do another one. So we are aiming for Hamilton early October. We are going to do Tois here in Whakatane in November too. I better get some savings and buy decent shoes. I had a whoa of a blister on the inside of my right foot. Other than that no probs. Its so exciting to get through the injuries.

I left the boys in the kennels all week. It was a good break only having Chelz, Jessejames and Cleo here. Picked them up yesterday morning and they were as good as gold.

Ive been very busy this weekend with dog attacks. Honestly abit of media coverage always brings out a flury of complaints. Ive just got home after dealing with a real dumb one. It will go in my journal titled “Dumb and Dumber” …

Going to read the paper and have a cuppa. Should be doing housework but I need to wind down abit.

Three sleeps to go!

Then its crunch time in Taupo at 9.10am … Ive got new socks to wear.

Taking off Saturday morning. Being picked up so I will not have to worry about driving.

This week has been long … weve had a bit of publicity in the local paper. Two letters to the editor bagging us for fining them for their dogs roaming … then support letters to the editor telling them they are plonkers. Of course no-one puts their name to the letters but we know who they are …

Got a granny chair for Ted today. A workmate was getting rid of “stuff” and its just perfect for Ted!

Trying to rehome a skin and bone Hunterway that arrived in the pound. Maybe going to Wellington … so I may come down for a quick trip.

We are short staffed but I cant see why if everyone else has time off I cant either.

When I drop the dogs off to the kennels on Saturday Im leaving them there for a week … just need a break. Chelz will be going to Delys for the night so she will think its bliss when I pick her up on Sunday. So will Jessejames. Im looking after Diannas Pointer at the moment … done a bit of training with Cleo.

Had to put down a duck today … got attacked by two dogs in a lake in the middle of town. Im over ducks in town!

The builders are at the pound at the moment. Finally we are getting our extension made. More room for the doggys so they dont have to share.

Anyway, hope everyone is ok out there. Im going to aim to walk the half marathon in 3 and a half hours. Mainly because Ive done rubbish training. Took me 3 hours 10 to do the Wellington half last year with training. So we will see.

The Boys!

Well the boys went for their annual health check today … Tana passed with flying colours – well one colour actually because he is black … Shultz has lost weight so the vet and I came up with a plan – feeding him twice a day instead of once, plus she discovered he has a heart murmour. However, the good news is that she said he is very fit and to keep him active as much as I can. His age was initially put down as three, but she thinks he may be 5 or 6 years. So, while I was gutted she assured me that he is lucky he is with me and to just carry on giving him a great life. Then there’s Ted … he came away with sun block … and we have decided to get him fixed up in the not too distant future as white dogs develop cancer of the “balls” more often than non-whites …
So … my boys are on different “plans”. Shultz will get a coat also as he needs to keep warm. I have got him a huge blanket for his cage … he is snug as a bug in bed now …

We also discussed Chelseas skin condition and the vet has given me a few more tips. Chelz is very good at the moment. The best for quite sometime, so Ive got a few more ideas from Karen. Omega 3 and 6 is one … ie, more fish in the diet. Anyone who lives in this area I recommend Karen Gow for your vet. Ive known this for awhile and have moved from one clinic to another to specifically have her see my dogs and cat.

So … while I was a tad sad about Shultz I am just so pleased I have given him a home here … its an honour really to be getting to know him – he is a real gentleman.

A Rare Breed of Love

Joined the library yesterday … work at the council and have just joined the library!!!! anyway typical me already read two of the books … A Rare Breed of Love by Jana Kohl touches the heart and gets you thinking about cruelty!

Its Raining Again!

We are halfway through winter and I am so so sick of this rain …

Been doing “stuff” … gearing up for the Half marathon in Taupo on the 2nd. Got the thermals ready as Im always cold in that place. Three of us have decided to stay at the Wairaki Resort the night before instead of travelling down 6am in the morning.

Work has been interesting. Im working Monday to Friday at the moment as we are an officer down, so the boss wants me in full time. Would rather work saturdays to be quite honest … spose its what you get used to. Had a court case on Tuesday and we had a smarty pants lawyer representing the defendant, however he made an error by irritating the magistrate, she adjourned proceedings and we had to go back in the afternoon and when we did she was ruthless … and the fine that the defendant got was large. The whole case has caused trouble at work for us, I cant go into it as my workmate and I have complained about a staff member at the council trying to get this guy off because he is a personal friend. As far as I am concerned Im going the whole hog on this one. I loath dishonesty, unfairness and down right dodgyness.

Had to put a dog down on Friday that basically is the worst case of mistreatment I have seen. They must have beaten the hell out of this little Pitty girl all her life. Normally after feeding a dog after a couple of days they want to please you. I called this little girl Bella as I Knew her mother and she was the spitting image of her. What got to me was the absolute fear in her eyes. After 6 days she finally wagged her tail when I walked near her cage … on the 7th day she allowed me to feed her through the bars i.e. she took a biscuit from my hand. Everytime one of the other officers approached she would crawl back to the corner and cringe. When I put her down she allowed me to handle her but I felt so sad. I rarely get affected these days but that will stick with me forever – the fear in her eyes was just so hurtful.
She now can rest in peace … no more worries.

The shitheads dumped her at the SPCA with 6 pups. The SPCA called us as she escaped from them and wanted to attack everything. We cornered her in a motorcycle yard … had to use two catchpoles to get her back to the vehicle.

We are busy with registrations … I hate this time of year as all the Moaners come out about fees. They should feel lucky that we have a very simple structure compared to other councils. The bottom line is if youve got a dog bloody register it.

Ive been to Napier too … it was a nice weekend away. Went to the Crab Winery. I recommend their wine. It was cold there, however it was a great weekend helping out with the Memorial for Jenny Thompson.

Thats all for now … I gota go watch Tabitha rip into these hairdressers …