Welcome to Paws & Claws e-news! Every bi-month we will bring up to date information on what is happening in the pet and animal world. Your news, thoughts, ideas and suggestions are always welcome.

Our aim is to bring you the most informative and educational articles while promoting responsible pet ownership and care for our wildlife. To date, we have donated over $140,000 of advertising and article space in Paws & Claws Magazine to non-profit animal organisations. We donate a further 10% of our profits to the Animal Welfare League of Qld and the RSPCA Qld annually, so please support our advertisers.

"CELEBRATING PAWS & CLAWS 10TH ISSUE ANNIVERSARY"

Feature Story:
Zimbabwe's Voiceless Victims
Meryl Harrison, former Chief Inspector of the ZSPCA, speaks to us on how her team carried out one of the largest animal rescues in recent history.

Training animal stars is no ordinary job! ...Read about what Katie and John, animal trainers for motion pictures and TV, look for in your pet to be the next star!

Healthy Hounds – just add water! Find out why swimming is a great form of fitness for your pooch.

Breed in Focus:
The Border Collie dog
The Ragdoll cat

Avian Practitioner, Peter Wilson, explains the effects of trichomoniasis disease in pet birds.

Guest Master Groomer, Vanessa Parsons, talks about the health benefits of grooming your dog regularly.

Vet's advice on Feline HIV.

The latest global news on Animals Overseas

Stories from the Animal ER

How to care for your Smitten Kittens with Dr Cam Day, Animal Behaviour Vet.

Penguins have been a part of the Sea World family for over thirty years. Many long-term Gold Coast residents and fans of Sea World will remember the penguin enclosure that used to be situated right by the entry to the park near the ski show. They were the first animals you would see in the morning and the last you would say goodbye to in the afternoon.

Sadly, most of us also remember when disaster struck the Sea World Fairy Penguin family early last year. An unidentified toxin killed 25 out of the 37 resident penguins.

It was a sad time for everyone, especially the Sea World family. Penguins, you see, mate for life, and there was real fear that the survivors of the mystery toxin would fret for the loss of their mates and literally die of broken hearts.

However, almost a year to the day last year's toxin struck, Sea World was proud to announce the opening of their state of the art penguin exhibit, Penguin Point.

Penguin Point is a far cry from the original enclosure. Not only is it located at the opposite end of the park with views overlooking the pools of Dolphin Cove, but it is open, airy and bright.

Director of Marine Sciences at Sea World, Trevor Long, and Animal Carer, Belinda McGahan said that staff were initially worried that, upon release into the new exhibit, the penguins would be afraid to explore until they had become more 'at home' with their new habitat. However, the staff were excited to say that the penguins took to their new enclosure immediately and have not wasted a minute checking out their new surrounds.

Penguin Point boasts and amazing 100,000 litres of water in a large pool, new substrate consisting of pebbles, grass and grassy plants have also been added to provide natural nesting materials. The system of burrows, affectionately referred to, by staff, as ‘condos,’ is a vast improvement on the original housing structure. Where the original burrows were constructed from timber, these new burrows are constructed from concrete, resulting in superior insulation for the precious residents of Penguin Point, and providing them with a more natural place to live and breed. Breeding is one of the biggest hopes staff have for these brave little survivors and their new friends.

Trevor assures us that, although penguins form a life bond, the survivors from last year will definitely form a new bond

with one of the new penguins, hopefully leading to a successful breeding season this September. Of course, with penguins arriving from Coffs Harbour and Perth, and the continuing Australia wide search for new stars, there will be no lack of mates to choose from. Penguin Point currently houses eleven penguins with two more in quarantine. It is hoped that Penguin Point will be built up to its 60 bird occupancy capacity in the near future.

As for concerns of a possible repeat of last years deaths, Trevor would like to assure us that Sea World has taken every possible step in preventing toxic substances entering the new exhibit and raises hopes that these brave survivors and their superstar friends can carry the Fairy Penguin conservation message to new ears, eyes and minds for many more years to come.

Wild Fairy Penguin colonies often fall under threat from predation by foxes, domestic cats and dogs and the increased urbanisation of our coastlines. Other issues affecting Fairy Penguin populations are oil spills, pollution of both water and food sources, and plastic! Plastic bags can be mistaken for food and plastic bottle rings and discarded fishing wire can entangle a penguin leading to suffocation and death. Sea World’s surviving Fairy Penguins stand as a reminder that although Fairy Penguins are fighters and survivors, we should all keep a close eye on our rubbish and dispose of it thoughtfully and responsibly and we should also take care of our coastal regions so that the Fairy Penguin habitat remains unharmed.

Nevertheless, while this new family regains it's grounding and begins to grow, why not stop by for a visit?
Forget Happy Feet – Sea World is home to the happiest penguins on Earth!

The first time Honey saved Dale Bernard's life, was back in 1999, Honey was only 4 years old and it was 3 a.m. and Dale's blood sugar had dipped so low it was 17, it was so low that she was ice cold, her eyes were wide open, her swallowing reflexes had stopped. The bed was soaked and Dale was unresponsive. Honey pawed at Dale's husband, Paul, on his cheek, barking and nudging him until he awoke and called 911.

A week later, almost to the minute Honey did it again; and a year after that; and years after that. Every time Dale's diabetes flared, every time her blood sugar fell dangerously, life-threateningly low, Honey got her help.
 
"The last four times I don't know what you'd call it. It's not barking. It's not yelping. It's talking," Paul explains, "The Dog Talks. What's even stranger is that we understand her talking.”

The Bernard family got Honey from Brenda S. Bryant, Breeder. They had just moved from

an apartment to a house, and Dale, who was often housebound because of her health, wanted a dog to keep her company. Honey, an easygoing toy poodle puppy, was the very definition of a "Lap Dog."

The two bonded soon after, when Honey broke her paw and Dale had to carry her everywhere. "She was totally connected to me. She was like an appendage," Dale said.

Honey was a year old when Dale noticed she acted odd sometimes, sniffing and licking Dale's arms and legs. The family thought something was wrong with the dog until Dale realized Honey's episodes always occurred just before she had a diabetic reaction. Soon after they realized that, Honey went from warning about low blood sugars to actually getting help.

"She wouldn't leave my husband alone," Dale said about that first time, "She kept nudging him with her nose and poking him hard with her paws. She would literally stand on him with her front paws and bark. So he woke up and there I was. I was totally out of it, in a coma state."

Because Dale had much of her pancreas removed 30 years ago, her diabetes can be hard to control. Dale also has had Tuberculosis, Melanoma, Tropical Sprue's, and several other health problems that have complicated her diabetes along with nearly a dozen major surgeries.  Honey has brought help so often over the past 13 years that Dale has lost count. But on every occasion, Honey's cries for help were answered just in time to save Dale's life.

Dale with Honey who's waiting for her Christmas treats; apricots are her favourite.

The last incident happened just before Christmas. Dale slipped into a coma in her bedroom. The bedroom door was closed and Paul and the two daughters, Bethanie and Abbie, were occupied. Again Honey began to talk, Abbie who was in her bedroom across the hall when she heard Honey and immediately knew it was a call for help. When Abbie walked in to the room Dale was in a coma, eyes wide opened, ice cold, sweating and unable to respond. Abbie ran for Paul while Bethanie tried to help her mother. Paul immediately administered a Glucagon injection and forty minutes later Dale was again coherent. "We all knew that this Christmas there would only be a couple of gifts under the tree due to increased prices for oil and gasoline. But if it wasn't for Honey, we would have been having a funeral. As a result of Honey's love and devotion to Dale we enjoyed another Christmas together and even let Honey eat at the Christmas table” said Paul. When Dale is in the middle of a diabetic crisis, Honey is normally calm and gentle, she cries and won't let anyone near her - snapping when someone tries, "She's a totally different dog until I'm able to talk to her," Dale said. The family believes Honey can sense Dale's plummeting blood sugars. Veterinarians have told Paul the poodle probably smells a change in body chemistry. How she knew to wake up Paul or alert the family? They don't know. Paul believes God has gifted Honey and has allowed her to serve as a guardian angel for Dale. Honey will celebrate her 13th birthday April 8th, 2008.

Honey has had a hip surgery operation and now has lost her hearing. Despite Honey's medical problems she remains faithful to Dale and diligently watches over her daily and continues to communicate with the family.

"This is not just a dog," Paul said. "This dog is like a Superhero."

Honey is endowed with a power that enables her to fight death. The death of her beloved master, Dale J. Bernard. Honey is a 9 year veteran in saving Dale's life!
You can write to Honey and send her cards at Honey Bernard, 451 Lower Street, Turner, Maine 04282

dreamworld's stars in stripes turn one

Dreamworld's tiger twins, Indah and Rahni, did what most one year olds do on their birthday; they got to taste their first ice cream cake* and in the process smeared it on their nose, the ground and over each other as they celebrated their first anniversary at Tiger Island this morning. Born on Tiger Island on March 31, 2007, the Sumatran sisters have grown in leaps and bounds and are now weighing in at a healthy 65kg, almost two-thirds the size of an adult Sumatran tiger.

Doting dad and Tiger Island Manager, Patrick Martin-Vegue said, “Indah and Rahni are very healthy happy one year old cubs and like most young animals they are at a curious stage. This is the first time they will star in their own show, and unlike our well-trained Bengal tigers, this new presentation will a little more chaotic.”

“You will see them chase after saplings, rumble with their handlers, and if the weather is hot enough, jump in the pool for a swim. All the activity takes place less than 10 metres from the Tiger Island viewing platform and is easy for kids to see.”

With less than 400 left in the wild, Sumatran tigers are listed as one of the world’s most critically endangered species by the Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).
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currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary helps injured pelican

A pelican named Rex that suffered some rather nasty cuts while being fed near Charis Seafoods at Harley Park in Labrador was bought into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for emergency care this last week.

The cuts were close to the bird's eyes so it is lucky to not have suffered permanent eye damage.

Veterinary staff are unsure exactly how the injuries were sustained, but believe the large bird may have caught its head in something which it then frantically tried to get out of. The seafood shop is a popular bird feeding destination, and members of the public noticed the injured bird right away.

Rex was lucky enough to be released back into the wild on Wednesday, 26th March.
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mittens flood in for rescued Moon Bears

An appeal by Animals Asia Founder and CEO Jill Robinson for supporters to make mittens for rescued Moon Bears undergoing surgical checks has resulted in an avalanche of super-size mitts arriving at the charity’s offices around the world.

Ms Robinson said she was overwhelmed by the response. “I was hoping that a few kind supporters might knit or sew some mittens, but it’s been amazing. We already have around 400 mittens, in all sorts of shapes, colours and patterns – and I’m told that more are on the way! We have them in polka dots and stripes, knitted ones and ones made from polar fleece. They are all so lovely and they represent the incredible support we have around the world. We have even received mittens from a supporter in Kazakhstan!"

“If the mittens keep arriving, we may look at forwarding some on to other groups that care for

bears,” Ms Robinson said. “Our offices in the UK, US, Germany, Australia and Hong Kong have all been inundated with mittens from kind supporters. One thing’s for sure, our bears are going to be toasty-toed in surgery for many winters to come.”

It's Party Time, and you're invited to the grooviest party in town!
So turn up the volume on your computer and click on the link below for your funky invitation!

http://www.animalsaviors.org/fashionwithcompa.html
Wednesday, 30th April 08, 6:30pm

Please join us and support the campaign...for more information on the campaign, please click here.

Book now by either phone or email:
0433 413 453 | (07) 5561 9210 | peter@animalsaviors.org
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Join us at
Fashion with Compassion!


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AWL dog wash every second and last Saturday of every month!

Have your pooch smelling nice, ready for any occasion! Every second and last Saturday of the month, the AWL holds their regular Dog Wash.

For just $10, your dog can be pampered with a full hydrobath, towel dried, brushed, sprayed with doggy cologne and given a treat for all their hard work.

The AWL asks that you please provide your own towel, however just in case you forget, the AWL have a new range of Dog Bath Time Towels available for sale in Pink, Blue and Green, in all sizes and are only $10.50!

Don't forget that the AWL is open from 10am to 5pm (with Hydrobathing running from 10am – 2pm), so while you are here, feel free to wander through the pens and meet all of the wonderful dogs and cats, who would just love a new home!

Also, join us on:
Friday, 11th April: Our Animal Friends - Art Benefit Exhibition. $5.00 entry fee, Schoolhouse Gallery - Cnr Ashmore Road and Carrara Street, Benowa. Open - 12th to 13th April, 10am to 4pm daily. Sausage Sizzle on Sunday 13th April, 11am to 3pm.
Wednesday, 30th April: Animal Saviors - Awareness Campaign. The Animal Saviors Fashion with Compassion Show. Saks Restaurant, Marina Mirage, Main Beach. 6.30pm to 8.30pm. $60 per person.

Love your Pet? Then give them the nutrition they deserve…… Mutt Munchies!
The Trout we use in our Munchies have NO preservatives, NO antibiotics, NO chemicals, NO Growth Hormones and NO artificial colouring. They are produced with rainbow trout from Australia’s first commercial farm, set in flowing snow waters within the Great Dividing Range. The finest Quality Australia has to offer! Mutt Munchies contain Omega 3, which aids in the treatment of Arthritis, promotes wellbeing and improves both skin and coat condition.
Call us today for a better nutrition tomorrow!
Phone 02 6677 9435 ~ Mobile 043877 9435 ~ fishermansbounty@bigpond.com

are offering you the chance to WIN an Everything Equine store voucher valued at $100!

Coomera Pet Barn and Paws & Claws are giving you the opportunity to WIN a total fish set up worth over $3,000!

It's EASY to ENTER, simple fill in the entry form below and drop into the fish tank @ Coomera Pet Barn, 147 Old Pacific Hwy, Oxenford before Tuesday 29th April 2008

The winner will be notified via phone or email on the 29/04/08.

Simply answer this question below and email your answer and contact details to horsecomp@arcadiapublishing.com.au.

Which of the following is a breed of pony?

All correct entries will go in the draw to win. Prize will be drawn 12th May O8 at 4pm AEST. Winner will be notified via email or phone.

GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED! WE SHOW YOU HOW...
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN OVER $15,000 WORTH OF MARKETING AND ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS. HURRY! OFFER ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME.