Hans here,
You know as the weather cools down I like to make little burrows in mums bed and snooze the day away. But today I got dragged to the office to keep the breadwinner company so I insisted on wearing something fabulous!
I scored this beauty from the AWLQ Op Shop today and boy does it keep me toasty.. So to all those chilly dogs out there I say visit an op shop and keep your wiener warm! There are so many bargains to be found!
Love and licks
Hans Sausage x
Through my job at the Animal Welfare League of Qld I am privy to pretty much every cat and dog related campaign nation-wide. Some are kooky, some are creative and some are all of the above.
Once in a while though you see a campaign or an event that really speaks to you, My Human Family did just that.
My Human Family is a community initiative based in Sydney NSW that really pulls at the heart strings. With the aim of creating awareness around abandoned, surrendered and neglected dogs, the My Human Family community photographic project invited people to submit family photos and share their personal stories about the dogs in their home and in their lives.
Stories of these shelter animals have been uploaded, (Hans Sausage and Odie Sanchez included) to the website and so a community of dog loving, animal welfare advocates was born.
Some of these animal stories are sad, some are happy and some are downright hilarious. But all have one thing in common and that is that these animals a have been given a second chance by people who are dedicated to ending pet overpopulation and choosing to adopt.
In 2013 the Animal Welfare League of Qld hopes to bring this project to Queensland and bring more awareness to how important it is to adopt over buying from a pet store and I urge you all to get involved.
But for now a make sure you visit the Pine Street’s community gallery in Sydney from the 7th of July 2012 and see the images from the project. If you can’t get there check out these other locations who whope to host the project later in the year.
Proposed touring venues
· Customs House – Circular Quay Sydney
· Margot Hardy Gallery – Milperra
· Riverside Theatre – Parramatta
To see the complete project online click below
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/ImageGalleries/MyHumanFamily.asp
Some of the photos (inlcuding Odie and Hans) in the exhibit
Dog’s in cafes.. It is a topic on the Gold Coast that ruffles residents feathers every time it is brought up.. Which is why when the question was asked in the Gold Coast Bulletin today there was a colourful commentary and a poll that had a dog hair margin of people who thought it was o.k to have their 4-legged pals dine with them for brunch. (52% of voters in agreeance compared to 48% against). Read the article here
The Gold Coast is becoming more and more UN-pet friendly with stats from the Animal Welfare League of Queensland constantly stating that the main reason an animal is surrendered is because the owner is a renter and cannot find any pet friendly accommodation in highrises, duplex’s and estates. The lack of this type of housing puts an added pressure on the non-profit charity who have a growing wait list of people who have to part with their companion animals, not because they can’t afford them or no longer want them but because they themselves will become homeless unless they give up their animal.
Think about how much you love your animals and then think about if you needed to move from your current home, (say the lease is up, the rental is being sold or the property is being taken over by new management). I would be devastated if I had to surrender my Hans Sausage & Odie Sanchez to an animal refuge just because the city I called home had limited pet friendly rentals. I simply could not fathom that kind of predicament and do not envy anyone who finds themslef in this situation.
And it’s not just the renters who this applies to. More and more community living is emerging around South East Queensland and on the Gold Coast especially, and the body corporates of these dwellings are insisting on property owners either
A. have no animals allowed
or
B. are only allowed to have an animal 10kgs or lighter.
What sort of free country are we living in where even when you own your own home someone else is allowed to dictate to you how many animals you are allowed to have and how big those animals are allowed to be.. The Gold Coast City Council also has a 2 dogs only policy for each home owner (which could soon be under review fingers crossed) whereby if you would like to own a 3rd dog you need to purchase a permit. WHICH COSTS QUITE A LOT OF MONEY I MIGHT ADD!
There has been a shift in trends where people are having kids later in life or choosing to fore-go them altogether, which is why when they adopt an animal more often than not that dog is treated as a member of the family. Most sleep inside (and most likely on their owners bed). Pet owners have a bond with their pets which can be likened to that of kids. Sometimes companion pets act as a trial run before people decide to get pregnant or completely hate the idea, ( I hear this ALL THE TIME).
So back to Dogs in cafes, Why is it OK to take screaming babies to fine dining restaurants or to breast feed in public but when you stop for a bit of brunch after a run on the beach with your dog on a Sunday morning your local cafe is at risk of a $1500.
Hopefully with a new Mayor these rules will change, (Tom Tate was quoted in the article stating he was a dog lover and he didn’t see a problem with it). At least give restaurant and cafe owners the choice to decide for themselves whether or not they will allow diners of the 4-legged variety to enter. (I for one will fully support any cafe in my neck of the woods who will allow my Sausage and Sanchez to hang ten while I meet a friend for coffee).
Support the cause and keep in the loop on Facebook
Happy long weekend!
Love Brooke, Hans Sausage & Odie Sanchez
By now I am sure you are beginning to realise I am a bit of a photo junkie. I can’t get enough of taking photos, looking at photos, critiquing photos (or the things and people in them) and just about anything to do with the art of photography. (I blame Pintrest, oh and by the way check out my account).
There are so many beautiful images in the world and amazing photographers that truly take my breath away, (some I have mentioned in this blog).
I hold a special place in my heart for pet photographers because lets face it, it aint easy photographing animals. Working at a shelter I have come to realise that a photo can be the difference between an animal being adopted immediately or again be left to wait another day. Our shelter is lucky to work with one photographer in particular who calls pet photography her “heart work”. Diana from K9 photography is always too happy to help photograph an animal if it will help it find a home sooner rather than later.
Diana has a beautiful 16 year old dog named Max who she is crazy about and she has the same enthusiasm for just about every other pooch she meets. Originally calling Sydney home she is now based on the Gold Coast and volunteers her time between the Animal Welfare League and Best Friends Rescue. Her words to live by are:
The Animal Welfare League of Qld is very close to Sausage & Sanchez’s heart because both Hans Sausage and Odie Sanchez came from their Gold Coast shelter. This is why we just had to be apart of their newest creative community initative; Craft 4 Cats.
Craft 4 Cats is an exciting community project that will raise money specifically for their cat and kitten rehoming program and allow all cat-lovers and animal-welfare advocates to get involved and help spread the word about shelter cats in need.
The AWLQ is currently full to the brim with Cats and Kittens in all 3 of their shelters because people are surrendering their pets unplanned litters. The warmer months see un-desexed Cats breed in huge numbers which is why the non-profit organisation created the National Desexing Network.
Craft 4 Cats will be a fun way to keep the kids busy over the school holiday’s while teaching them the importance of choosing to adopt and to desex their pets.
Get Involved
There are two ways to get involved in the project
1) Make a Cat Softie
2) ‘Adopt’ a Cat Softie
If you choose to make a Softie, you can either download a pattern that suits your ability level (there is a pattern to suit the experienced right through to the basic level crafter!) or you can make one ‘free-hand’.
Whichever way you choose, make sure you check out the examples They’ve provided and read the ‘tips’ section first. This is to ensure that all the softies made are of consistent size, style and quality.
Remember – you don’t need to be a professional sewer or crafter to make a Cat Softie! You can be a total amateur and still create something lovely to contribute to the project! What’s important is that you put your love into it 🙂
If you choose not to make a Softie, then you can still get involved in Craft 4 Cats! All you need to do is ‘adopt’ of our handmade Softies for a small donation. All our Softies will be available to adopt for a donation of either $10 or $20 (depending on the size and the detail of the creation). The AWLQ will be posting photos of the Softies up on their online store as they come into us, so there will be plenty of opportunity to ‘adopt’ a Cat Softie that’s just right for you!
Intrested? Then click here to get started
Sausage & Sanchez 