Latest news with #barking
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
From giving goldfish their own tanks to barking dogs – your pet queries answered
HE is on a mission to help our pets . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions. Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm has helped with owners' queries for ten years. 4 Q) I HAVE three goldfish. Swimster and Bubbles bully Gillbert. They share a big tank. Should I consider giving Gillbert his own tank? Sarah Cooke, Plymstock, Devon A) Are they really bullying Gilbert? Is this a sudden thing that's started recently? If your goldfish are of age then perhaps spring has sprung and Gilbert is in fact Gilbertina, and her tailshake is bringing all the boys to the yard? If they have a big tank and plenty of places to swim away from one another or hide when needed then I would say keep them together. Fish feel more secure in shoals. Look up breeding behaviour and signs in goldfish and come back to me with an update. I think this is more likely than bullying. Q) PLEASE can you help us with our 18-month-old Cockapoo, Jed. He was given back to his breeder by his original owners at four months old because their work commitments changed. I'm a property expert, here are the five key things when moving with a pet We got him a month later, so he's had a bit of an unsettled start. He's a really good dog in every way other than barking in the garden at the neighbours, passing cats or when he hears other dogs bark. I'm worried they are getting annoyed. I've resorted to keeping him on his lead in the garden first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If I don't, he runs along the fences, barking. But on his lead, he doesn't bark at all. He's obsessed with me, thinks I'm the best thing ever. Perhaps when he's on the lead, he feels safe? He's booked in to be neutered at the end of May. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Gemma Stone, Leeds A) Without observing him in action it's difficult to say what the motivation for this behaviour is, and hard to give advice on tackling it. There are many reasons for barking, including anxiety, territoriality, excitement, boredom and so on. And it may be different on different days and with different triggers. I would highly recommend a qualified animal behaviourist observing you and Jed in action together and working through what's going on. It always surprises me how much money dog owners are willing to spend on food, grooming, toys, leads and accessories but flinch at the cost of a behaviourist consultation. They are worth their weight in gold. Trust me on this — hire one and thank me later. Q) I'M due to emigrate to Cyprus in the next few weeks . . . But I'm really worried that my cat Mika will be very scared on the plane trip. She is three years old but doesn't like other people and hides when they visit our house. I am using a reputable company but I'm still concerned over the four- hour trip. Am I worrying too much? David Potter, Brierley Hill, West Midlands A) It's natural to worry about this, and to worry too much. The company you have chosen will have done this many times and will know how to keep Mika as calm as possible throughout. You could speak with your vet about calming supplements, sprays and so on to take the edge off the journey too. We tend not to recommend sedative drugs for pets in transit any more as they cannot be monitored. Indeed, most airlines won't allow them. If this is the one plane journey she has to make for four hours in her entire life, then it's worth taking and allowing her time to recover in a safe environment when you land. She'll have forgotten about it in a few days, all being well. Star of the week ARTIE the miniature Cavapoo has been hailed a hero after she helped detect her owner's breast cancer. The three-year-old has been given an award for being an amazing pup by Pets At Home. 4 Owner Suzanne Nuttall, 62, of Sheffield, South Yorks, said: 'She was frantically licking and nuzzling into me. 'It was only after a routine mammogram revealed I had Stage 2 breast cancer that I realised she must have sensed something was wrong. 'I truly believe she was trying to tell me. She's been my little lifesaver.' Amy Angus of Pets Foundation, the charity established by Pets At Home, said: 'Our pets are capable of amazing things, and Artie is a testament to this.' WIN: AI pet companion WANT to communicate with your pet and even give it treats when you aren't at home? Now you can with the ROLA Petpal AI Robot Pet Companion. You can programme it to dispense treats at set times, see and speak to your four-legged friend in real time on camera, play with them remotely, and your pet can even say 'hello' to you too! For a chance to win one worth £269, send an email headed PETPAL to sundaypets@ by June 15. See enabot. com. T&Cs apply. RECORD BREAKERS JOIN GUINNESS' PET-SET GUINNESS World Records celebrates its 70th birthday this year with a special edition featuring record-breaking pets. The world's tallest living dog Reginald, a seven-year-old Great Dane from Idaho Falls, USA, has just met the world's shortest mutt – a four-year-old Chihuahua from Florida called Pearl. 4 Reggie stands at 1,007cm, while Pearl is just 9.14cm. Further records include Bonnie, a five-year-old Spaniel, and Simba, a three-year-old Border Collie, both from Reading. They have four: the fastest time for ten side leapfrog jumps by two dogs (16.78 seconds), and three one-minute records. These are bottles put in a recycling bin (16); coins into a bottle (13) and clothes hung on a washing line (17). Mr Pugsley Adams, a two-year-old Maine Coon from Minnesota, USA, has the longest tail on a domestic cat at 46.99cm. The fastest 10 metres skateboarded by a cat is held by Bao Zi, a two-year-old American Shorthair from China (12.85 seconds). Coco, a five-year-old guinea pig from Carolina performed the most tricks in a minute (16). While the most items identified by a parrot in three minutes goes to four-year-old Apollo from Florida, who named 12.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Aussie's five-year legal battle with council over pet dogs: 'Spent over $100k'
A dog owner accused of letting his two Jack Russells bark all day and night has vowed to fight his local council, despite claiming he's already shelled out over $100,000 on the gruelling five-year legal saga. Glenn Tong first got wind that his neighbours in an apartment block in Melbourne's eastern suburbs were reportedly unhappy with his pets Marco and Mia in 2017. The long-time Hawthorn resident told Yahoo News he started receiving letters from Boroondara Council alleging the dogs were creating a nuisance and waking others up at 2am. 'There were three or four of these letters, and every single time I wrote back 'Well, it's not my dogs',' he said. 'They sleep with us under the doona in bed so if the dogs bark, my wife and I would wake up straight away, and we don't like waking up at 2am. They didn't listen.' In October, 2020 Tong copped two charges from the council — one for each Marco and Mia — alleging he was allowing them to bark excessively, particularly early in the morning and late in the evening. 'This is a lot rubbish. It's complete nonsense,' the biotech expert reportedly told Brett Melke, who specialises in canine law, when he called for help. 🏍️ Woman's surprise passenger on Aussie road prompts $376 fine 🚐 Aussie council makes major caravan rule change to tackle housing crisis 🪴 Locals fume as 22-year-old roundabout garden destroyed by council After four years, Tong finally appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in February, 2024 with Melke and his criminal barrister Tass Antos, but it didn't go as they had hoped. 'The magistrate was adamant that she would not give us the time that we asked for to present our evidence,' Tong claimed. 'My legal team and I basically said, well if we can't present all of our evidence here, we're going to lose anyway, so we made the decision to not provide any.' As a result, he was found guilty and copped a $2,310 fine. Tong was also ordered to walk his dogs on a daily basis, and hire a professional trainer. Less than an hour later, Tong — who claims to have spent over $100,000 on the lengthy legal battle — and his team filed an appeal. A hearing in the Country Court of Victoria has been set for November, which he expects will cost another $55,000 to $60,000. However, not appealing the ruling could leave him without a home, Tong said. 'My dogs are certainly not barking at those times and in those situations and I'm not going to plead guilty to it,' he told Yahoo. More importantly, a guilty verdict could prompt the complainants to obtain a removal order from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), forcing he, his wife, and their pets, from their home of 21 years. 'That would be disastrous,' he said. A spokesperson for the City of Boroondara told Yahoo the council 'understands excessive barking can be a nuisance and will investigate complaints from Boroondara residents and take action as necessary'. 'As this matter is before the courts, we are unable to comment further,' they said. Tong has created a GoFundMe to help fund the upcoming court case. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
