Update on Sutcliffe, the baby bearded dragon

Sutcliffe chills on an ornament while his enclosure is cleaned.

For those SAT readers dying to know, little Sutcliffe the Central Bearded Dragon is chugging along very nicely, although he would prefer to see the end of these grey skies and accompanying torrential rain (wouldn't we all??? - I've seen so many miserable dogs in the last week who aren't getting their daily walks and don't like peeing if it means getting their feet wet. Can't say I blame them). He hasn’t grown visibly but is happily eating the Hills a/d and taking his calcium Sandoz without much fuss.

Sutcliffe meets world renowned herpetologist Dr Glenn Shea.

When he does catch a moment in natural sunshine (as opposed to the artificial UV light he is exposed to) he comes alive. Otherwise he mostly sleeps.

Close up of Sutcliffe catching a nap on the hand of Dr Glenn Shea.

If you’re looking for tips on reptile husbandry check here or grab this awesome book.

Meanwhile the Australian Veterinary Journal will this month publish case reports of horses contracting Australian Bat Lyssavirus, a very concerning development. Read more here.

Finally, don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a doublepass to a nighttalk at the Australian Museum. Details here.

Animals and the law

Cow sculpture in the garden at Bear Cottage.

Later this year Voiceless will be hosting the Australian-New Zealand Intervarsity Moot on Animal Law (cleverly named so it can be abbreviated thus: ANIMAL).

The aim is to provide law students with the chance to develop knowledge in animal law while honing their written oral and advocacy skills.

ANIMAL is open to all Australian and New Zealand law students. It will be held at Bond University over the weekend of 18-19 October. Individuals and teams are invited to register. Questions and facts will be released one month before, at 9am on 15 September. Written submissions must be emailed on October 17.

You can view the draft program here.

The program includes optional question and answer forums with senior animal law academics and panel discussions with legal experts in the field.

If you aren’t a law student you can still attend as a spectator. Contact the organisers for more information.

Speaking of the law

Newspapers have seized onthe story that a vomiting cat was the reason a footballer got off lighter thanhe could have for a speeding charge. There’s a lot of speculation as to whether this was a legit or “dog-ate-my-homework” kind of excuse (though I am here to tell you that dogs DO, occasionally, eat homework – as well as the odd mobile phone)(and if you’ve not experienced a vomiting cat before, feline emesis can be dramatic and terrifying).

But before you think that the animal-in-distress excuse works, one of my clients had a French bulldog who actually went into anaphylaxis on a freeway and the judge wasn’t lenient at all.

Do professional associations matter?

Professional associations, those organisations we pay fees to, play different roles. This month the Australian Veterinary Association is one professional organisation participating in the “Associations Matter” study.

It’s a chance to provide feedback about what the organisation is doing well and what could be done better. We’re a big fan of professional associations here for a range of reasons including advocacy and ethics, but an association is only as strong as its membership and can really only help if we provide specific feedback.

Meeting Frankie from Bear Cottage

Frankie from Bear Cottage shakes paws.

SAT readers may be aware that SAT has been behind a fundraiser for Bear Cottage, a children’s hospice based in Manly. We learned about Bear Cottage when we read about the residentassistance canine, Frankie, who among other things can operate the electric train set and use the lifts to get herself around the place. Frankie is the non-human member of an incredible team who care not only for sick kids but their entire families.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to Bear Cottage to meet the team (although Phil sat this one out in front of the heater).

It was a pretty miserable Sydney morning, the traffic resembled a scene from Ben Elton’s Gridlock and it the rain poured down. The moment I arrived Frankie greeted me at the door, gave me an enthusiastic sniffing-over then laid down on the couch with her head in my lap.  

Frankie lies down on command.

As I toured the Cottage I could see first-hand just how important this kind of place is, providing comfortable accommodation, art, music and play therapy, a homely environment and total care so families can spend precious time together. And Frankie’s presence just adds to the warmth of the place.

Bear Cottage is a resource in demand – it operates at 100 per cent capacity and staff try to accommodate the needs of visitors as very best they can.

Frankie contemplates her next trick...and a treat.

Frankie agreed to demonstrate a couple of tricks for me (for a small price of course, she is a Labrador). When I returned from the car with a basket of presents for her she knew that she was the intended recipient and started to unwrap them immediately. She received a new bed, a food hopper, a bag of toys, some Greenies and potato ears (like pig’s ears but made of potato instead of pork).

Frankie embraces one of her new toys on her new bed.

I wish everyone I gave gifts to responded with such enthusiasm! It was a fantastic morning and a real honour to be able to visit the team. Frankie was still on her new bed when I left.

Frankie rapidly established that potato ears are better eaten than worn.

I have one more superdeed to perform as part of my fundraising commitments before hanging up the cloak til next year. That involves giving a lecture at the University of New South Wales next week. You can donate to this effort here, or find out more about Bear Cottage here. 

Win a double pass to the Australian Museum night talk and a TED talk about mental illness in animals

After reading our post mentioning their night talks, the Australian Museum have generously offered SAT readers TWO double passes to their night talk on the White-fronted Chat (a chat about a chat – but you can’t take your cat!)(okay, I will stop now).

The White-fronted Chat, Epthianura albifrons, is a small honeyeater. It used to be found all across Sydney but is now isolated to two patches of saltmarsh which are surrounded by urban development.

Ecologist Richard Major has been undertaking research to look at the decline of the endangered Sydney population. Using genetic techniques, he and his team have set out to determine whether urbanisation is the problem and has also trialled cages to help protect nests from predators.

Dr Major is the Principal Research Scientist in Terrestrial Research at the Australian Museum. His other research interests include birds in backyards and historical changes in the birds of Sydney.

If you’ve not been to a talk at the Australian Museum it is well worth the experience. There’s something cool about popping into the Museum after hours and hearing from experts in their field. The talk is will be held on October 30. Tickets are normally $30 each (or $20 if you are a member of the Australian Museum). For more info, hit this link.

To WIN a double pass, simply tell us in 30 words or less why you’re keen to go, and don’t forget to include your name and contact details. Entries must be received by 9am on September 30.

In other companion animal news, Jess sent this link to a fascinating TED talk by Laurel Braitman about the mental health of animals, and what it means for humans. I found this take very interesting, particularly the discussion of humans acting as assistance companions for animals, growth of the pet psychopharmaceutical market and the difference between history taking when discussing human vs animal anxiety, depression and mental health (its about twenty minutes but quite interesting - definitely worth making a cuppa for this one).

The late actress Lauren Bacall has left about $AUD10K to ensure the ongoing care of her dog Sophie, a Papillion. Bacall once described herself as a dog yearner.

“I didn’t have a dog growing up in the city with a working mother. As an only child, I yearned for someone to talk to.”

Sophie accompanied Bacall on set. Good for her – taking your dog to work is fantastic if you can do it, and if you can afford to put money aside for your pet’s care in your will it can help avoid family dramas.