How one little puppy became king of the castle.

I was thinking this morning how things have changed since we got our puppy Jack back on Easter Sunday. Oh boy how things have changed! And I thought I would share our furry journey with you!

So if you know us you would know the story of John (my hubby) saying NO all the time to my pleas for a puppy. You can read about that HERE. Then finally on a trip to the RSPCA he caved, because this innocent little kelpie looked at John as only a little pup who needs a mum and dad can, and that was it. Not only was John smitten, but he declared that Jack had picked him. You can read all about that HERE.

And so, we take our little bundle of fur joy home, and John instantly put down the ground rules. He is to sleep outside. He’s not allowed on any furniture. His inside mat will be at the back door and he is NOT to move off that when he comes in.

And so on night one my new baby boy cried and cried and cried outside, so I slept on the lounge and he slept on his inside mat next me on the floor. Next day we bought him a kennel and sleeping outside was no longer a problem. Somehow though his inside mat stayed next to us on the floor near the lounge and Jack was never far from his Dad’s feet!

Then John started bringing Jack upstairs of a morning before his walk to have a quick snuggle on the END of the bed! Then on John’s first trip away from us, I may have given him his own blanket to sit on, on the end of the lounge. It was winter, I was cold, he was cold and well, John was away so who was going to stop me!

Then I’m afraid I turned Jack into a complete mama’s boy on John’s second trip away from us. The second night of John being away, I put Jack out and went to bed. I then heard him barking at some people who walking past the side of our house.

The people, no doubt drunk, then came up to our side gate and started barking back at Jack. Jack was beside himself, crying and throwing himself at the back door. Like any good mum, I raced downstairs and took him up to bed with me. And so it began of Jack sleeping inside. He of course got kicked off the bed once John got home, but had his own nice little bed in the corner of our room.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, and if you didn’t already think he was one spoilt fur-baby. Jack has now decided that not only is he king of the bloody castle, he’s also more human than dog, and requires a pillow for his morning nap on our bed before we go to work!

So what was it that I was saying? Oh yes. OH BOY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

And the moral of the story is? John’s a big fat softie, and I’m a very proud mama! Yes, god help our future children!

Why this little piggy has made a choice.

I eat pork. I eat bacon. I eat steak, chicken, and I eat lamb. I have never ever associated the meat I eat with an animal. Call it naive, silly, whatever, but it’s true.
Until now.

On Sunday night I watched the 60 minutes story about pig farms and the atrocious conditions in which these animals are kept.

Close to tears and watching the disturbing pictures, I realised that by eating the pork, the bacon and the ham that we do, we are not only condoning these hideous pig farms, we’re also financially supporting it.

Instantly my husband and I made a decision to not eat it at all, or to source out organic or RSPCA approved products from pigs, from farms where they have been humanely treated.

It was quite rightly pointed out in the story that if someone were to treat say a dog how these pigs are being treated, they would be charged and prosecuted no questions asked. So why does this not apply to all animals? Is it because pigs are a food source and dogs are not? I don’t know. But whatever the answer is, it’s wrong. No animal should be treated this way.

The only way to fight this horrible practice that occurs on these pig farms is for the consumer, YOU, to make an educated choice. Clearly the Australian Pork association has been useless in keeping an eye on these practices, one, because a director of this company was one of the worst offenders with his pig farm treating his animals appalling, and two, because according to Andrew Spencer CEO of Australian Pork, the pigs apparently liked being shoved in a sow stall with only a centimeter of room on each side. Pfft. Give me a break Mr Spencer. How about we shove you in a stall with 2cm of room and see how you like it.

Here’s an excerpt from the 60 minutes story transcript. It starts after Mr Spencer was shown images of the filthy pig farm run by one of it’s Director’s.

ANDREW SPENCER, CEO AUSTRALIAN PORK: That’s an old shed. It’s filthy, doesn’t look good and I can imagine people seeing that and being a bit revolted by that.

LIAM BARTLETT: A bit revolted?

ANDREW SPENCER: However, look at the pigs. Those pigs were in fantastic condition.

LIAM BARTLETT: We showed the pictures to Andrew Spencer, chief executive of the Australian pork industry. He argues the alternative to sow stalls is much worse – sows on the loose, fighting, and he gave us his pictures to prove his point.

ANDREW SPENCER: They’re trying to run through each other’s ribs at 20km/h. That does bad things to pigs. That is an unacceptable welfare situation.

LIAM BARTLETT: So, you are completely happy with the welfare of those pigs in those pictures?

ANDREW SPENCER: No. I’m disgusted with the filth in that piggery, let’s make it absolutely clear. But I have seen the pigs and what’s important to me, and what’s important in a welfare discussion, is what is the state of those pigs. They look good.

LIAM BARTLETT: It turns out that a shareholder and director of the company operating that filthy piggery is Dr Ian Parish, who also sits on the board running the pork industry. Dr Parish declined our request for an interview. So the industry, the pork industry, is run by people who are happy to keep their animals in that sort of condition?

ANDREW SPENCER: No, and I think that’s a pretty unfair extrapolation. You’ve got an activist who’s gone into one piggery because their ultimate objective is a vegetarian one for our society, they want us out of business, so they will do anything that they can to do that.

LIAM BARTLETT: But when we asked to see conditions at any piggery in the country, we were told ‘no’. Instead, the industry provided footage of the Queensland University piggery and said research showed pregnant sows were actually happier in stalls.

ANDREW SPENCER: It’s a big, pregnant animal that’s not looking to frolic around. It wants to eat and sleep – that’s pig heaven. Sow stalls are good for sows, the research shows it.
Remember the backlash when the public found out how chicken’s were being kept, and it forced egg cartons to state if the eggs were from caged or free range chickens? Now tell me how many of you would willingly buy caged eggs now? I certainly do not. So why should it be any different when it comes, pork, or ham or bacon.

The RSPCA has released a list of RSPCA approved farms you can check out the list HERE.

You can read the full 60 minutes transcript or watch the story HERE.

So if you make no other choices or changes to your life except choosing to buy happy pig, then it’s a choice well bloody made. As much as I hate the term people power unfortunately without it these innocent animals will continue to suffer.

Summer, Swimmers & UGH.

I’d like to say Summer is almost here, but after last week’s weather, not only is Summer here, it’s graced us with it’s presence with a big hot and windy slap in the face.

So now that Summer has hit us, it’s time to drag out the dreaded summer attire of, yes you guessed it, the swimmers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Summer, but I’m more of a comfy shorts, or maxi-dress kinda gal. So the thought of having to put on a pair of swimmers is far from being my cup of tea.

I recently weighed in on the body image issue, you can read about that HERE, and trying on a pair swimmers just ain’t what it used to be.

I’m afraid I have to admit that I seriously feel like I’ve grown old before my time. Exhibit A of this would be standing in the change rooms trying on a nice simple black bikini and the bottoms don’t, well, they don’t properly cover your butt crack. Yes that’s right they don’t come up high enough, and if you pull them up you run the risk of your butt cheeks falling further out of the sides of the bikini bottoms. Painting a great picture ha! And is it too much to ask that the bikini tops actually cover something. Not everyone wants their girls hanging out.

I own so many pairs of swimmers that could fit all creatures great and small, and NONE, I repeat NONE of them are right. Why do we buy things that aren’t just right. Actually I think that’s a whole other Puff Piece! So I feel another ‘little black’ adventure coming on. In case you missed the first one: The Little Black Shoe (LBS) you can read about that HERE.

Where was I? Oh yes the new adventure to find the LBB, the Little Black Bikini. I can’t wait to traipse around the shops and try on a heap of bikini’s in those lovely change rooms with those even more lovely, HIDEOUS lights that make your skin look l like you need a chemical peel all over your body. Ugh. And don’t even get me started on boardshorts. Oh, ok I will then. You see, I see boardshorts now as a necessity and refuse to go out in public without my boardshorts on when wearing swimmers. But then when you’re actually in the water the feeling of wearing the boardshorts is yuck, with them all wet and riding up you know where and then when you get out they stick to you, and UGH.

Gosh and I thought I loved Summer. Maybe I’ll just stick to my lovely air-conditioned house this year.

What will you be wearing this Summer togs wise?