Your Questions About Dog Care

How to transport my dog from Honduras to UK?

She, Coco doesn’t come from an approved qualifying country for the Pet Travel Scheme so I’m feeling a bit stressed how to bring her home with me to UK. I understand that she would have to go into quarantine but I don’t know how to find the way for transport service that will accept a dog from Honduras. Maybe quarantine will be so sad and stressful for her and also so expensive that she would be better to find a new home in Honduras but to be honest with you right now she is healthy and tick free but people in developing countries don’t often take good care of dogs and now I feel either way that her life is not going to have a good outcome unless she can come to be with me in UK. Any links for animal worldwide transport services that will take a dog from any country?

BSL in the UK *may* be repealed next year. What do you think?

For UK people more than anyone as it will directly affect them (Lorraine? Memphis Belle?) but of course everyone is welcome to give an opinion.

A new dog control bill is going through parliament right now. If it passes as it is written, part one of the Dangerous Dog Act (the bit that bans specific breeds/types) will be repealed.

Unfortunately, the rest of the bill isn’t so great. I’m not brilliant at interpreting legal mumbo jumbo but I think the jist of it is that the police will be able to euthanize any dog in their care (BSL isn’t the only reason why dogs are seized I’m guessing) that is suffering from kennel stress on welfare grounds. Name me one dog that wouldn’t suffer from kennel stress.

What are your opinions?

Links:

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/dogcontrolhl.html

http://www.politics.co.uk/legislation/animal-welfare/dog-control-bill-$21380130.htm

BSL = Breed Specific Legislation.

Come on, am I really going to be talking about British Sign Language in the dog section?
It’s not even close to being passed yet and won’t until next year at least – and even then I think it’s another 6 months before it becomes the law and can be enforced. So we’re looking well into the second half on next year or even 2012 before BSL is repealed… and that’s even if it does go right through as it is currently written.

This is not the end, nor is it the begining of the end but it is the end of the begining.

We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken
… or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn trials
of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we
will finish the job. ~~Sir Winston Churchill, 1941
Not the Republic. It covers Northern Ireland, but their laws are slightly different anyway.

How much do police dog handlers get paid in the UK? and can you answer the following?

I’ve just left school, and have a college placement that starts in september doing public services for 2 years, covering 4 units, covering war and conflict, the criminal justice system, government and the public services, understanding discipline.
Anyway, iv recently decided i’d like to go into police dog handling, and was just wondering how i would get into that?
I’ve heard you need to do 3 years as a standard police officer? Do i need to do an animal care course at college? Would i need to go to university? How much would i get a year from police dog handling? Do you mistreat the animals? ..because im really against animal cruelty.. but wouldnt mind basic dicipline with the dogs, just not over the top stuff?

Au Pair in the UK. Bad idea?

Hello everybody! I’m 22 years old and I study History. I’ve been to the UK before and I would like to be an Au Pair (London or somewhat near) for a year (maybe more if needed). An Au Pair is supposed to work 25 hours a week, and receive a stipend of about £70/80 for that (per week). She is supposed to help with light household chores, mainly regarding the children (info from Home Office).

The problem is I’m stumbling across these adds where families don’t seem to quite understand what an Au Pair is supposed to do. They ask for 40 hours a week (or more) and housekeeper-like services (heavy cleaning, taking care of big dogs, farm work and the like). Even if they pay a little more (about £100/120 a week), the Au Pair wouldn’t really get the chance to have a “cultural experience”. They ask for long hours, with a “broken schedule” (2 hours in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, 2 at night) that wouldn’t allow me to take classes, for example. Some even expect the Au Pair to sleep in the same room as the children (total lack of privacy). The list of what i consider indecent demands goes on and on. Just to list a few: curfews (I think as long as I provide responsible childcare I should not be treated like a child), long uninterrupted hours during weekends, cooking every meal for everyone in the house everyday, do all the shopping, giving mandatory language lessons (I’d be more than glad to teach children my language, just think it should be an extra, not a demand), gardening, walking cleaning after more than one (big) dog…

Isn’t that wonderful? A 24/7 nanny/maid/driver/language tutor/assistant/pet carer?

I’m not after the money, I can make way more in my home country. I genuinely like children and I think i would love the experience (my idea is to take the DipTrans exam meanwhile and get to know the UK culture a little bit closer), as long as the family understands the 5 hours/5 days a week concept. Some extra hours would be more than fine if needed too.

I know some horror stories are exceptions, but, in general, do you think british families get the “Au Pair concept”? Do you think I’d be bound to experience a complete disaster? As a british person, what comes to your mind when you think “au pair”? Should I just give up and get a real job?
Great answers so far! Thanks! I’m an Argentine-born Italian. I suppose I could teach Spanish (even though Argentine Spanish has its quirks), but I would like a part-time job and that’s why I’m considering the au pair deal. UK is where I have to be, the programme I intend to take is only taught there… Besides, I’m a bit of anglophile (well, maybe except for that “enslaved au pairs” part lol)

Does it fill you with fear that Social Services have this kind of power?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/06/21/a-gay-couple-adopted-our-grandchildren-115875-21458815/

So they helped themselves to some cute kiddies (who already had a loving family in their grandparents) just so some “entitled” gay men could play daddies.

HOW ******* DARE THEY?!

The whole point of Social “Services” is supposed to be to “serve” and “support” families. . how have they done that here exactly? Can someone explain that to me please?

And as for refusing to allow these children to see their own flesh and blood grandparents ever again, and allowing the children to beleive their grandparents are “dead” . . well that is disgusting beyond words.

As for this “gay couple” . . . they should be ashamed of themselves. Although I’m sure they’re too selfish to care. They wanted some kids, they got them. To hell with everyone else eh?

Perhaps they’d have spared everyone a lot of pain if they’d gone down the dog pound and got themselves a puppy to play “daddies” with.

(and no I’m not “homophobic” I’d be just as disgusted if a heterosexual couple were doing this).

Who else feels we’re living in a country where the Government’s power has become frightening?
Theth – no we are not “too quick” to jump on Social “Services! They are a horrific mess and just another Government control body. they don’t “serve” anyone – remember, this is the same system which allowed Baby P to be beaten to death by his mother and her junkie boyfriend! Social Services utterly disgust me. I’ve know domestic abuse victims who’ve been too scared to even go to the Police for fear of the Child Snatchers getting involved with their kids. Social “Services” deserve all they get because they are CORRUPT, INEPT AND SELF SERVING!
Also, I’m getting the impression that this “wealthy middle class gay couple” might have oiled the wheels of the whole adoption thing here. I bet some money changed hands. Corruption is rife in local Government. I bet that couple bribed someone in SS to procure some kids for them . . .
“The fact that they pursue custody says so much about the kind of parents they would be.”

Exactly. Anyone selfish enough to adopt two children whose grandarents desperately want to hang onto them and then alow the children to believe their grandparents are DEAD is disgusting and does not deserve to be called a parent.

You’re right. This is just pure selfishness.
“his is an old story being recycled yet again. I doubt that the adoptive couple are selfish, they probably want a child more than anything in the world and so many couples know how hard it is to have one naturally so why deny them.”

I could not give a SHIT about how much this couple “want” child. Tough. The reason they are being “denied” is because they can’t procreate naturally. What gives them the “right” to take someone else’s kid just because they “want” one?

I can’t be bothered to read the rest of your stupid, snobbish reponse. The child snatchers who took these kids are selfish and should be ashamed of themselves. The kids should be returned to their grandparents. People like you should mind your own business.

Oh and just because the kids’ mother is a drug addict does not mean it was her parents’ fault or that they cannot bring up their grandchildren. The kids were not hungry or destitute, they had a family, from which they were stolen, just to placate some selfish men