When we launched Where Do Puppies Come From? we focused on the few things people can do to check out a breeder before they buy (visit their premises, don’t buy if you can’t meet the parent dogs, don’t shop on the internet etc).


So what I’ve seen today is a double whammy for both us and dog kind. See the ninemsn homepage from this morning (right). The most common search terms in Australia right now are “labradoodle” and “cavoodle” with the link at the bottom taking you to search results which feature some of the biggest bulk dog farmers in Australia. The public, who simply don’t know any better will find this kind of mainstream exposure, legitifies internet purchased, designer oodles.


While Where Do Puppies Come From’s advertising campaign has been a bit rocky to date, we are trying. But where is the mainstream AKC campaign promoting healthy, stable companion animals?


Meanwhile the puppy farmer’s message is loud and clear – buy from us.

I had $25 sandwich for lunch today. And rather than feel ripped off, I was very, very happy.


The staff were friendly, the premises immaculate and the food really good. Everything about the place was aimed towards client satisfaction – they have to be a worth talking about to compete with the multitude of other cafeterias in the CBD.


If you were a sandwich van or a fast food outlet, you could produce exactly the same sandwich; equal ingredients and tastiness and you would be unable to charge $25 for it.


Because the factors that allowed them to charge $25 had nothing to do with the actual sandwich. The story this cafeteria told was that of guaranteed satisfaction and that’s what you pay extra for.


I think this is where we in rescue sometimes sell ourselves short. We look at our mixed bunch of pets and think we can’t charge much because as individuals, these pets aren’t seen as valuable. But we can offer our adopters so much more than any other source of pets – if we dare to make dealing with us an experience in satisfaction.


We are experts on pets and how to live successfully with them. We can help people get the right pet for their family. We will be there to support them for them for the life of their pet. And only we can provide them with the feel good that comes with saving a life.


We can be the $25 sandwich. And trust me when I say it was worth every cent.

Pet production is big business here in Australia and like all big business who’ve yet to turn ‘green’ it produces a enormous amount of waste – taking the form of surplus and unwanted animals.


For a long time rescue has chosen to clean up after this industry and lobbied to get them to change their practices and incorporate a more humane attitude towards companion animals… to little avail.


But change is here. See the latest article from Virgin Blue’s inflight magazine ‘Voyeur’

Carbon Neutered
You may have gone green, but what about your pet? It’s time to make Fido and Fifi eco-friendly too.

Recycle a pet; Adopt from an animal shelter. Check out www.petrescue.com.au for surrendered animals looking for loving new homes around Australia.

No longer the domain of fanatical environmentalists, organic, cruelty free and environmentally friendly are now mainstream. Consumers are more educated than ever and they want to know the full story of the lifecycle of the things that they buy.


The very thing that makes pet rescuing such a unique industry is the very thing that consumers are now demanding in every aspect of their lives; socially responsible purchases. Rescue have the edge as all our pets come with a big ‘green tick’.


Ironic, that the animal welfare focus that made us work behind the scenes cleaning up, has turned into our biggest strength as consumers start avoiding the profit driven pet industry and bring about the change that we’ve been trying to achieve for decades.

… that one day we’re all going to find out animals are much smarter than we think and that we’re going to have to apologise?

If this isn’t the evidence – I don’t know what is…