Issue 4 ~ August 2008 ~ $2, members free

www.barkingmad.org.au

to the fourth issue of the Bite. Barking Mad works with all levels of government to protect your rights as responsible pet owners. We work to increase access to public spaces, parks, beaches, transport and accommodation with our pets. Our goal is to make our communities safe and pet-friendly. Please support this work by becoming a member.

In this issue we focus on transport; public transport including buses, ferries, trains, trams and taxies. We have a pets on public transport policy we want implemented across Australia. What good is it if we can travel by train, but then are not permitted on the bus to complete our journey? Our policy is quite simple. Travel with a clean, quiet pet and be responsible. This mirrors the policy in London. On our web you will find a parliamentary briefing document as well as the policy. We need help on this campaign so if this is your passion, let us know. As we get older, as petrol costs rise, as we choose to limit our private vehicle use by choice, due to illness or because we want to reduce our carbon emissions, the very term public transport says it all: public, including the 65% of people with pets. Responsible owners make appropriate decisions as to where their pet should or should not accompany them.

The Government is committed to ensuring public transport is affordable, convenient, easy to use and able to connect people to key activities in the community. (NSW Ministry of Transport, Annual Report 2007) And: creating greater travel opportunities for the community (Sydney Buses website). We are actively lobbying so that clean, wellbehaved pets are able to accompany their responsible owners on all public transport. The legislation gives the Director General the power to make this happen now. ======================== Did you know you can travel with a dog on Melbourne trains, but not buses? You can travel on Sydney buses, but not trains. Brisbane claim they cant risk having pets on buses, yet they havent even done a risk analysis! Question those signs. A sign is not necessarily a legal document. Later in this newsletter you will find out about the bluffing transit police.

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Butch on a Bus

Kane on a Plane

Daily Telegraph Feb08

Pema on a Train

It took getting arrested while legally travelling on a bus to Sydney CBD, back in February, to get the facts about bus travel in the media. Although Barking Mad had been writing to the relevant ministers, it was only after The Daily Telegraph ran the story above that the NSW Deputy Premier decided to share what Barking Mad found out. That is: A Bus Operator may allow a customer to board a bus with a dog, cat, bird or other animal. This decision is at the discretion of the operator. In making this decision, operators should consider other passengers, travel time, whether the animal is restrained and animal cleanliness. Bus Operators need to satisfy themselves on the following points: Is the animal restrained? Does it appear clean? Does the animal appear vicious, or likely to annoy, threaten or inconvenience other passengers? Will having the animal on-board impair operating the bus safely? Will the animal owner undertake to leave the bus clean before exiting? (Assuming it

Not too long ago in our Australian history, a dog ticket on a train was a price fare for your dog. Today, a dog ticket (in NSW but not VIC) is what the three grey uniformed men with boots and mace give you when pooch is resting on the floor under your feet taking up no extra space, and it costs $100 for the ticket. For two days in a row, the F3 from the Central Coast to Sydney had been closed due to accidents. On the third day, we took the train and on the return journey, got a dog ticket. Weve taken the matter to the courts. Are you the type of person who reads signs and believes what they say? How about this:

Rail staff bluff in handing out fines

Sun-Herald 4 May 08

was clean upon boarding, we hope!)

"We have no power to ask for a date of birth but invariably when we ask, people tell us," he said. "We also don't have the power to ask for ID but, like with the date of birth, people tell us." Mr Banks said transit officers also had no power to detain anyone so, if the police were called, offenders could leave before they arrived.

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Travelling with your pet. BARKING MAD ASKS you to be very sensitive to people's reactions as more dogs are seen on public transport. An initial reaction from passengers may not be favourable. This is an opportunity for us to assert our rights gently. Please ensure your pooch is clean and not stressed. Please be confident of your control of it. If we start using public transport with barking, slobbering (sorry) or stinky dogs, it will work against us. Its ok to have screaming, stinking and vomiting kids, but dogs aren't kids and may not attract the sympathetic nerve that a baby does. It is simply unrealistic to deny public transport to responsible pet owners who choose to travel with their pet, or need to due to a veterinary requirement. RailCorp (NSW) allows you to travel with your dog if your dog provides a therapeutic benefit to you or someone other than yourself. (Dont all our dogs do this?) You can get a DOG PASS if you and dog are well trained (pun intended). Disability Law and Dogs: One in five Australians have some form of disability. Disability may refer to impairments or restrictions on activity and participation. It includes invisible conditions such as depression, anxiety, diabetes and epilepsy. If you or an organisation trained your dog to assist you to alleviate the effect of your disability - it has the same rights as a guide dog. Paws for thought: Youve taken a driving holiday with your family, including the family dog. You are 500km from home and your car breaks down, is stolen, or in an accident. The kids need to get back to school and you to work so you arrange the car to be towed, but HOW DO YOU GET HOME? Cant fly (dog). Cant take the train (dog). The bus (maybe if you call Barking Mad). This has happened to a member. We were able to get them on a bus but it wasnt easy.

Barking Mad has a draft user-pays companion dog policy. This policy may best be explained by a comparison to your drivers license. A normal license requires a certain test and fee. To obtain further privileges such as riding a motorcycle, additional training and financial contribution is required. In other words, you earn and pay for those privileges. A dog user pays policy would involve training for the dog and owner to a certain standard, an additional fee paid, and would provide an ID for dog and owner. Should the dog change owners, the privilege would not transfer. Should the owner obtain another dog, the training process would have to be completed again for that guardian/dog partnership. The recent achievement of unifying the microchip database provides the technical capabilities for this system of identification to be implemented now. Our research shows that: 94% of dog owners would attend training if this would allow them greater access with their pets. 72% would pay more for registration if this would allow them greater access with their pets.

We are offering a free special membership on the web just take the survey. But if you really love your pets, youll join as a paid-up member to make sure we survive.

Until next time, enjoy your companions.

Barking Mad Ms. Eedra Zey PO Box 310 Woy Woy, NSW 2256 info@barkingmad.org.au
Disclaimer: not to be taken as legal advice.

Phone: 0418 463 360

EQUITY FOR PET OWNERS !

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Barking Mad making our community pet friendly. Barking Mad will lobby for companion animal laws that reflect the importance of pets in our life. www.barkingmad.org.au

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Card Holders Name (as it appears on the card): ...... Card Number: . Card Expiry Date: ... Signature: . Institution and address Your membership of Barking Mad makes a difference. Please include your email address or a FAX number to receive our newsletter, The Bite. Post to Barking Mad, PO Box 310, Woy Woy, NSW 2256 or email member@barkingmad.org.au Consulting Services Would like help making your strata by-laws pet-friendly? How about making sure your elderly parents can keep their pet if they move into aged care? Want to create a pet-friendly workplace or run an event in your neighbourhood? We can assist you in challenging stupid dog fines in court that is where you were acting responsibly by allegedly illegally. In over one year, we have a record of winning 100% of matters where we have assisted members. (see website for terms & conditions.)
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