maxandmilo

Max is an approximately 3 year old Great Dane/Mastiff cross. He was found out in the bush in rural Victoria abandoned and starving. A very kind lady named Jillian took him home, but found that she couldn't keep him in her unit, so we took him in. We know nothing of his life prior to this time, but it's a safe bet that things weren't good for Max. He has many scars from either fighting or hunting feral pigs and calluses from being kept on concrete. Now he spends his days in our front garden under the big gum tree, and his evenings are spent lounging in front of the fire. He is a kind and gentle dog and loves the kids dearly. He weighs about 65 kilograms (143 pounds) and stand about a metre tall.

Milo is our 6 year old Chocolate Burmese cat. He has been a member of the family since he was a kitten. Although we would never trust Milo unsupervised with the birds, he is very trustworthy for a cat. He even gets beaten up from time to time by the rescued Magpies, but he just puts up with it. He thinks that the ducks and chooks are his flock and has even been caught several times sleeping on top of a clutch of eggs near the back door. Perhaps he is a bit confused? We make a point of never allowing Milo to be outside after dark for the safety of the small nocturnal native animals in the area.

Irresponsible pet owners are allowing their cats and dogs to kill native wildlife at an alarming rate. We get countless birds and marsupials in our shelter each year who have been attacked by domestic pets. The sad part is that these rescues have only a small chance of recovering from the injuries and shock. We are not against anyone having whatever pet they prefer, but a person should be aware that Fido or Puss are a real threat to native wildlife and should take whatever steps necessary to prevent their pet from causing the injury or death of native birds and animals. A cat should preferably be provided with an outside cat run so that they get the benefits of being outside without access to wildlife. But at least, they should never be allowed outside between dusk and dawn. The same applies to dogs. More and more areas are introducing tough new laws regarding cats, and some areas are prohibiting them completely. In one area in Australia there is even a "3 Stikes" rule for cats which means the third time they are found wandering the streets after dark they are euthanised. It's sad to think that idiot owners are allowing their cats to become such a problem that responsible owners are having to put up with more and more restrictions, but for now that is the way it is going to have to be to at least reduce the threat to our native animals.