You can tell a lot about a person by their dog.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Don't have one? You are sad and lonely, especially if you own a cat instead.
If the dog breed ends in anything "oodle", you are either a wanker or first-time dog owner, and you definitely own your own home. Someone who has more than one pooch of the same rare breed - two Dalmatians, a pack of Swedish Vallhunds - is super high maintenance, but a true dog lover. Chihuahua owners are just like their pups; selfish, paranoid, gnarly demon-rats.
And if you have a mangy, mix-breed mutt - the kind where strangers ask you, what is it? - you are just a really good person. In fact, better than other people. Because you have a rescue dog.
IN OTHER OPINION:
My gorgeous Albie has a furry brindle coat, one white paw and a handsome fluffy chest. His huge head is made cute by little brown eyes and a floppy tongue.
When I took this big buffoon from the pound, he tried to sit on my lap as I sped down the highway. I knew then that yes, I saved him but really - he saved me.
He saved me from going to after-work drinks because I have to walk him twice a day. Saved me from trips away because I can't find a dog-sitter who lasts. Saved me from spending money on superficial things like nice clothes or jewellery, because visiting the vet is more expensive than a night out in Kingston.
He saved me from ordering Uber eats, because he will first scare the delivery guy and then land all four paws on the kitchen bench to down three whole pizzas and a garlic bread in the two minutes it took me to find $5 and tip the poor bloke.
I love him so much.
IN OTHER DOG NEWS:
He loves me back, but not more than he loves other doggos. Around another pups, he is like the kid your parents made you invite to your birthday party. The one who drank two litres of red cordial, stole the last chocolate crackle and then bit your mum on the bum.
The one who turned into the guy that makes inappropriate jokes at work, and stands too close when he talks to you. Grabs your jacket with his teeth, and won't let go until you offer him peanut butter.
Partly because of Albie's obsession with other doggos, I foster as well. OK, it's also because of my obsession with other dogs. It's a win-win - another pup for both of us, but food and vet bills paid for by the rescue. Albie has redirected his chewing habit from my underwear to the other doggo's leg, or face.
My current foster is Fudge, a gorgeous four-month-old Kelpie-cross puppy. He is like a little worm, constantly wriggling for attention, his tongue always in lick mode.
Fudge was abandoned outside a regional NSW pound one night, found in the morning by kennel staff stinking and starving. He still smelled by the time I got him, my car seats reeking with the stench.
When he is put up for adoption in about a week's time, I will be inundated with applications. I will reject great homes, because I can afford to be fussy.
Many aspiring dog owners in Canberra and other big cities can spend months searching for a rescue dog. At the same time, thousands are put down each year.
Canberra has one pound, the Domestic Animal Services. Despite an adoptive pet costing only $90, kennels are already full. RSPCA ACT says they have about 200 pets in their care this Christmas, twice more than usual.
So why is it so hard to adopt a dog when so many across Australia are also put down?
Partly, it is because there is huge demand for some dogs and not others. An English Staffordshire puppy will cost thousands from a breeder, while an American Staffordshire or cross (like Albie) has to practically be given away. The least adoptable dogs are brindle or black, big or old.
Adopting a dog from a pound is pretty simple. Turn up with a lead and take home a best friend. An ethical breeder might require a yard check and application, but a puppy farm or backyard breeder will give a pup to most anyone.
A rescue requires an application process, some of which are ridiculously intense. Foster caring, a great way to save the lives of pets, can also be hard to do. My rescue is the only one I know in Canberra which lets carers have other pets.
Which is lucky, because I live with a dog, two cats and two rabbits (all kept separate).
And a puppy, of course. Fudge, who needs a family willing to wait the months to find a pooch that just wants a warm bed, a bit of extra training and a whole lot of love.
And a bath. A really, really long bath.
Where to adopt ACT and surrounds
- RSPCA ACT: www.rspca-act.org.au/adopt-pet
- Domestic Animal Services (Canberra pound): www.cityservices.act.gov.au/pets-and-wildlife/domestic-animals
- Goulburn Mulwaree Animal Shelter: www.petrescue.com.au/groups/11042
- Queanbeyan City Pound: www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Services/Animals/Find-Animals-For-Sale-Adoption-and-Lost-Pets
- ACT Rescue and Foster: https://fosterdogs.org/
- The Rabbit Sanctuary: www.rabbitsanctuary.com.au
- Canberra Pet Rescue: www.canberrapetrescue.org.au/adopt/
- Best Friends Pet Rescue: https://bfpr.org.au/
Where to foster in the ACT and surrounds
- The Rabbit Sanctuary: www.rabbitsanctuary.com.au
- Best Friends Pet Rescue: https://bfpr.org.au/
- ACT Rescue and Foster: https://fosterdogs.org/
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram