Your Rights, Our Rights; Animal Owners V Pet Haters

Everyone has rights, basic human rights, right of freedom of speech, rights to worship as they wish and, the right to live you life as you wish provided it causes no harm/injury or malice, the right to live where you want without persecution or vilification ..We all have these rights and more.

We all have the right to have pets, most do not live in a guarded, exclusive, lock down estates and we own our homes and are not restricted by landlords whims. You have the right to choose not to have pets, my right, your right. We have a right to expect that dogs will bark at intruders; that is part of their lifestyle; intruders may be right on someone's property line but intruders; that they are; to dogs. You have the right not to have to put up with CONSTANT and PERSISTENT barking. You have the right of complaint via various avenues and the right to expect that the complaint be looked at, we have the right to decency, due process and objectivity which would include the polite act of calling in and introducing yourself and politely mentioning something that may seem an issue to you, that avenues undertaken adhere to due process and do not facilitate unnecessary conflict.



You have the right to complain in a TRUE and FACTUAL manner, we have the right to expect truth and fact be the cornerstone of the issue., not vindication for someone's insecurities. You have the right to pursue your lifestyle choices be they sport, chainsawing, building additional buildings on your land, keeping poultry, using machinery at 0700 on a weekend...We have a right to pursue our lifestyle choices of playing with our children in our yard in whatever manner we decide, throwing a ball for dogs to fetch, training them to "speak". Children have a right to free expression in play, loud and boisterous, quiet and reflective, it is their right. You have the right to utilise whatever statutory authority you see fit to use, we have the right to bipartisan understanding and total objectivity from any such authority. You have the right to discuss any matters with whomever you wish, that does not make it right to collude in the details of any reports. You have the right to complain, we have the right to defend any such issues in any manner we see fit.

You have the right to anonyminity, ( apparently) should you so wish; we also have that same right but for the right reasons. You may claim the right of "we lived here first" but that is not a right, it is an issue. We have the right to live where we wish. You may think you have the right to complain numerous times however unless you are willing to follow all guidelines to the letter, your complaints are tantamount to frivolous and will be treated as such. You may claim that there are too many animals in the area already, this is not a basis to target the most recent inhabitants. Your CHOICE may be to reside where there are no animals, that is your CHOICE, not your right. Live in a closed estate if you want that to be a RIGHT!!

Some dogs are meant to have kids.....

Some children are meant to have dogs, and some dogs are meant to have kids, Lawson falls in to the latter category. He was always meant to be with those he sees as needing him and regardless of often argued diatribes about working dogs and such; some dogs just have a sense of what they need to do when they have kids. I speak from the heart and from the knowledge that since Lawson arrived home with us in early December I have noted a remarkable change in the behaviours and speech patterns of our middle child.

From day one, when Lawson was taken on a “tour” of his backyard and its surround by this same child: I watched in awe as he spoke clearly and almost coherently telling Lawson the names of all the things about the yard. Lawson trotted along behind, diligently; as if he was always meant to be there. I have watched them sit for hours on the grass in the shade, Lawson having his ears, nose, feet and tummy inspected and dutifully enduring it, our son naming the body parts. Talking to Lawson and him responding in kind with licks to the face when it seemed appropriate. I have oft found Lawson in the boys’ bedroom, playing with a sock or such whilst they played cars with Lawson as a bridge. He has worn hats with aplomb, had his teeth looked at more times than I care to think of and all by his own determination. I would stop the kids from unusual or frightening actions, if I thought Lawson would be affected but sometimes a hat appeared upon him or socks upon his feet.( he must have sat still for it and felt it was ok as when he was wearing sock or a hat he trotted about as if he thought he’d should wear such attire every day).

Both of them lay and watch clouds float by; Lawson has taken to rolling on his back too. When they are all in the yard playing, Lawson follows the middle child, ALWAYS and EVERYTIME. When we arrive home from school, he seeks out the same child to greet, he jumps up to me and the eldest, bowls over the youngest but sits at the feet, on command, of the one he understands.

Now at seven months, Lawson is big and robust; he has adult teeth, the colours of his heritage, eyes of yellow and brown; alert and unwavering. He chews on a bone upon the verandah with our son beside him, telling him about Letterland and what he did in school today, his arm draped over the dogs back. Our son lays his head beside Lawsons and Lawson licks his ear and I know that some dogs are meant to have kids for a reason.