Thought for the Day!

[Maureen K Clifford]

Poor Maya what a tragedy - no one deserves that Bob. I would like to have an hour with whoever did that to her.

That's it exactly Bill

If any are in any doubt as to why so many of us love our dogs - check this one out - read the body language and look into the eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvohJgh93sk

[mummsie]

Thought I'd share this lovely story with you, the author is unknown
No Charge For Love
A farmer had some puppies he wanted to sell. He painted a sign advertising the four pups, and nailed it to a post, as he was driving in the last nail, he felt a tug on his trousers, he looked down into the eyes of a little boy. 'Mister,' he said,' I want to buy one of your puppies'. 'Well' said the farmer, 'these pups come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money'. The boy dropped his head for a moment, then reached deep into his pockets and pulled out thirty nine cents, and said 'is this enough to take a look'. 'Sure', said the farmer,gave a whistle and said 'Here Dolly'out from the doghouse and down the ramp came Dolly and four little balls of fur.The little boy pressed his face against the chainlink fence, his eyes danced with delight, As the dogs made their way towards the fence, the little boy noticed something stirring inside the doghouse, slowly another little ball of fur appeared, this one noticeably smaller, slid down the ramp, and in an awkward manner, made its way hobbling towards the others doing it's best to catch up....'I want that one' the little boy said, pointing towards the runt. The farmer knelt down next to the little boy and said 'you don't want that one son,he'll never be able to run and play with you like the others.With that the little boy stepped back from the fence and began rolling up his trouser leg, revealing a steal brace attatched to his shoe. He looked at the farmer and said 'You see sir,I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands'. With tears in his eyes the farmer reached down and picked up the pup, holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.'How much' asked the little boy.'No charge' said the farmer, 'There's no charge for love'

I understand exactly where your coming from Maureen.
Sue

[Frank Daniel]

I'm sorry I started this post.
I didn't want to offend anyone, but that's the way it was back in the forties and fifties.

Rabbits were in plague proportions and the law stated that we had to get rid of them by any means.
Dogging them, ripping and digging burrows and warrens (some as much as half an acre), trapping, using gas and poison (larvacide). The poor old bunny was the real victim. However we made a good pound or two selling their skins.

The dogs I mentioned were members of the rabbit pack, not our working sheep dogs.
I'd also like to make it clear that we didn't make a practice of shooting dogs, unless they suffered severe injuries or bad health. I don't think we even knew or heard of a Vet.
Shooting dogs was a common practice on the land in those day, there were thousands of dogs too and I might add that when they reached their 'use-by' date nobody wanted them. Many a turned out dog became a sheep killer and terrorised the mountains interbreeding with the dingo on the Great Divide and the south coast regions. They are still there today. They can also be a hazard to travellers, believe me.
Those farmers who wouldn't shoot their unwanted dogs are the one's to blame.
Our dogs lived a merry old life, we had some them for ten or twelve years. Some were born on the farm or were dropped off at our gate by townspeople who didn't want them. Some were five and six years old when they arrived.
Because we were on the main road we were a good dropping off place and so we often had too many dogs and passed a lot of them on to farmers on by-roads. Everyone had a rabbit pack.

I'm sorry for offending you girls and concerned gents. Our girls, Mum and Sal, never had a pet dog except for 'Blucher' 'who owned us all'. He was allowed to go on the hunt with us and the pack.
He was a bit posh, and on return at night he would disassociate himself from that other lowly lot who lived at the wood heap,and go straight to the back verandah and make out that he was starving. He never had a kennel and didn't want one. We built him a comfortable kennel with a flat top once but all he did was drag his blanket out and when Mum chucked the blanket on top of the kennel he slept on top of it for his last ten years. He was sixteen years when he passed away.

Joe

[Bob Pacey]

Nothing to be sorry about Frank. That's the way things were back then.

A good robust discussion is like a tonic.

Bob

[Heather]

No offence taken Frank.

Heather

[Bob Pacey]

Is that the American spelling of offence ?

Just asking that's all

Nudge Nudge

Bob

[Frank Daniel]

Wink Wink mate.
At least you can't see the spelling when your talking.

Joe

[Maureen K Clifford]

Definitely no offence caused Joe - and nothing to be sorry about -that is how it was then and to a degree that is still how it is today. Sad but true - life on a country property is so much different to being in a city - farmers wont spent $$$$$ to help a sheep that only gets a few dollars in the sales yards - a bullet is quicker and cheaper. You don't have to like it - I never did, but money speaks and if you don't have it - you can only do the best you can and you can only hope that you at least get across the importance of doing the job in a quick and humane manner. It is amazing (to me) how many blokes on the land have a completely callous attitude to animals and the degree of suffering that is inflicted on them, and think it is acceptable...and many of these blokes that I met were respected community members who people looked up to and whose opinions people respected.

As Bob said good robust discussion - we might on occasions have to agree to disagree as to how we see things for we are all different and we all come from different backgrounds - but I think everyone on this site has compassion and a sharing and caring nature if the words we read that others write are anything to go by.

Thanks Sue for sharing that lovely yarn with us - every life has value.

Cheers

Maureen

[warooa]

Nothing to be sorry about Frank. A good robust discussion is like a tonic.

Bob

Sound like one of them pollies, Bob . . . they always seem to tie the two together - Frank and robust discussions.

[Bob Pacey]

Hey I moderated the moderator !!!

A great day in the history of forums.

The corner people revolt. Rise up and smite the aggressors.

Bob