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Jetpets and AQIS assist in bushfire relief initiatives
Article by Jo Johnston (AQIS Spotswood)
The staff and clients of the AQIS Spotswood Animal Quarantine Station have teamed up with Jetpets Animal Transport to do their bit for the animals injured in the recent Victorian bushfires.
All the unwanted travel crates from animals previously serving quarantine periods have been donated to Animal Aid located in Coldstream, Victoria.
Staff at Spotswood were initially worried about how to get the crates to Coldstream but Jetpets responded quickly to enable the movement of crates to affected areas.
Jetpets kindly agreed to deliver the crates free of charge. Danny Burkandt, Import Manager with Jetpets was involved in the delivery.
“When Jetpets was told that the team at Spotswood were donating the left over import crates to Animal Aid to support the Bush Fire relief effort we were only too happy to team up and support with the transportation of the crates to Coldstream,” Danny said.
AQIS officer, Joanne Johnston and Jetpets Transport Import Manager, Danny Burkandt, with a shipment of clean and disinfected crates for the bushfire relief
“I thought this was a fantastic initiative by AQIS and as such, Jetpets was proud to assist in this cause”.
AQIS Spotswood Animal Quarantine Station and Jetpets have a long history of working together as many quarantined animals are collected from the station and shipped interstate by the company.
Wayne Gundry, manager of Spotswood, said: “All the staff here at Spotswood have been eager to be able to help with the bushfire relief effort and this was a way that we got to help animals, that we are all passionate about.
“We are proud to have been able to team up with Jetpets to deliver these crates in a time of such need.”
The cleaned and disinfected crates will be used by Animal Aid to house and transport injured wildlife and domestic pets who have been hurt in the bushfires.
'Lead'
Stories
Lionel faxes his own Pet Scheme travel documents
Lionel faxes off his travel documents (left) and, upon his arrival, starts exploring his new surroundings
Four-year-old Lionel was so keen to travel to the London that he took it upon himself to fax off the relevant documents.
Lionel flew with Jetpets from Sydney to the UK in March to join his owner.
As a participant in the UK Pets Scheme, Lionel had an ultra smooth transition through the airport as he wasn’t required to have a stay in quarantine.
The scheme, which Jetpets use for many of its international transfers, involved a Rabies vaccination in Australia, followed a month later with a blood test and then a six-month wait before travel.
While the scheme requires a long lead-time, Jetpets travel consultant Erin McLeish praised it for removing the need for a quarantine stay in London.
“In addition to the Rabies vaccination and blood test, Lionel had to be up to date with his regular vaccinations, be microchipped, have a flea and worm treatment with an AQIS approved vet and have a health check prior to travel but these preparations ensure a much smoother transition at the destination and a much happier cat.”
Lionel flew via Singapore to London. His owner collected him upon arrival at the London-Heathrow Animal Reception Centre and was able to take him straight home where he explored his new surroundings.
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Pets getting Web 2.0 savvy
Cats and dogs might not always get along but thanks to the boom in web 2.0 technology they are becoming ‘friends’ through social networking sites and blogs.
From videos on how to groom long-haired cats through to forming a club for local dog owners, the social networking boom is revolutionising how animal lovers are communicating with each other.
Become a fan of Border Collies on Facebook, create a budgie owner group in your local area, follow your friend’s cat’s Twitters, upload funny photos of your pet or contribute to owners’ groups with educational videos...
The list goes on and as pet owners embrace the new opportunities to share their stories, tips, photos and videos, animal specific sites, such as Dogbook and Catbook, are becoming even more popular.
Jetpets’ employee Erin McLeish joined Dogbook in 2007 when she got her first dog, a Jack Russell Terrier named Buddy.
“A friend of mine who already had dogbook sent me an invite and I thought it would be a cute place to post pictures of our pet,” Erin said.
“Since then, we have also obtained another terrier, Mitch, who also has his own dogbook page.”
“I use my normal facebook application to keep in touch with family and friends, and now, use the dogbook application in much the same way.
“There are listings of dog friendly parks, clubs, groups and much more. It’s a great way to arrange to meet up in a park, or share tips and advice on pet ownership.”
Since using Dogbook, Erin has also signed up one of her horses to Horsebook.
If you’re a Facebook user, become a fan of Jetpets now by following this link.
Follow the lead of other fans and upload your pet’s photo or video.
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Jetpets proud supporters of the Million Paws Walk
Jetpets was proud to be among the more than 18,000 people that attended the RSPCA’s Million Paws Walk on Sunday 17 May at Melbourne’s Albert Park.
The event continues to grow and raise valuable funds for the essential work of the RSPCA, including their role in providing shelter for more than 144,000 animals annually.
“The welfare of animals is a common philosophy that Jetpets share with the RSPCA. While it is an essential business priority for us, the RSPCA undertake their caring and protective role in unique and, sometimes, challenging situations. We are proud to support their work,” Jetpets’ Lenny Thomas said.
“Thank you to all the people who attended the Jetpets’ marquee and thank you for helping to raise money for this worthwhile cause.”
Contributions can still be made to the RSPCA on their website.
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Pet
Peregrinations
Larry and Curley do a double act
The Three Stooges they're not but Otters Larry and Curley provided plenty of entertainment for the Jetpets Queensland team.
Larry gives his fans a wave
before depature.
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Larry, 8 years old, and Curly, 9, were transported by Jetpets from Underwater World Mooloolaba to the Cairns Wildlife Safari Park as part of the park’s established breeding program.
In classic movie star behaviour, the otters travelled with their very own entourage, specialist handler Bec Weston, who accompanied them in their air-conditioned Jetpets vehicle for the trip from Mooloolaba to Brisbane airport.
The otters also had their own custom-built International Air Transport Association standard Jetpets crates that had a small waterbowl and funnel to top up the water prior to lodgement.
“We were really proud of this move and Bec commented that the whole transition was very smooth and that Larry and Curly arrived in a cool, calm and collected state,” Jetpets’ Scott Williams said.
“We also really enjoyed it as Deb, Jim and I got to feed the lads meal worms as their pre-flight snack.”
“Jim Dacey (Brisbane operations manager) got a little excited and decided he’d try and pat Larry.
“When Bec advised him that they were actually quite vicious, well, you’ve never seen big Jimbo jump as quick as he did. He was like an Olympic hurdler.”
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‘Fishade’ seals in liquids for flight to Adelaide
Barking from a Jetpets travel container is not unusual but rarely is the noise made by two seals hydrated on ‘electrolyte laced’ fish.
The seals, Eddie a 4 year-old male and Pasco a 10 year-old female, were moved from Perth to Adelaide as part of a new breeding program at the Adelaide zoo.
Jetpets collected the seals from the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA), booked their flights and arranged for Jetpets staff to oversee the seals’ up-lift in Perth and transit in Sydney.
“We also ensured that the AQWA staff member travelling with the seals was with them before takeoff, during their four-hour transit in Sydney and on the same flight as the seals to Adelaide,” Jetpets Perth Manager Angus Matheson said.
“The seals weren’t taken sight seeing but were transferred through Sydney because the larger aircraft required for the move didn’t fly directly to Adelaide from Perth.
“This added to the length of the journey and meant greater care had to be taken to ensure the seals stayed hydrated.”
To maintain hydration, Eddie and Pasco were fed fish laced with electrolytes in the five days prior to their flight. In addition the keeper attending the flight had a water spray backpack that they used leading up to the first flight out of Perth and during the four-hour transit time in Sydney.
“After a safe and happy arrival, it will be about 12 months before they know if the breeding program in Adelaide is successful.””
Eddie and Pasco safely secured and ready for their flight
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Canine Cough - the facts and symptoms
Dr Kate answers a concerned dog owner's question.
Hi Dr Kate
Recently my Kelpie, Myrtle, went into a kennel while I was away on holiday. She went in healthy but came out sick with what the kennel owner's called 'kennel cough'. What is this and can it be prevented?
Thank you for your help.
From Suzie
Adelaide, South Australia.
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Hi Suzie,
Kennel, or Canine Cough (canine infectious tracheobronchitis), is a highly infectious upper respiratory tract disease caused by a number of different viruses and bacteria eg. Canine parainfluenza virus and Bordatella bronchiseptica.
Symptoms
It is characterized by a dry hacking cough, often mistaken for the dog having ‘a bone caught in its throat’. Sometimes the cough is followed by the production of white frothy liquid. Other common symptoms include nasal discharge and sneezing. Symptoms may last from a few days to several weeks.
The disease is thought to be self limiting. Vets will often prescribe antibiotics, to prevent secondary infections, anti-inflammatories or cough syrups depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Transmission
‘Canine Cough’ is transmitted through respiratory secretions so it is most commonly spread through the air, through close contact eg nose to nose greetings, or by objects that affected dogs have been in contact with. This means that Canine cough can be spread at the park, boarding kennels, the grooming parlour or anywhere that dogs congregate.
Generally , there are no visible symptoms for 3 – 10 days after a pet has been exposed, which makes controlling the spread of disease very difficult.
Vaccination
Vaccination against kennel cough is available and is commonly called a ‘C5’. Unfortunately, as the disease can be caused by a variety of bugs, no vaccination is 100% protective. The good news is that vaccinating your pet definitely helps by reducing the severity and duration of the symptoms. It can also help prevent secondary infections.
Vets around Australia have noticed an increase in canine cough cases over the past 12 months. If your pet will be coming into contact with other dogs eg socializing at the park or going into boarding kennels, it is worth checking with your Veterinarian that his/her Canine Cough vaccination is up to date.
Dr Kate.
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You
could be next editions 'tail' and win a mystery prize
For having her question answered in this edition of The Scratching Post Suzie has won a $50 voucher for Ozpetshop Online Pet Shop
To be in the running for a prize, submit your question for Dr Kate to info@jetpets.com.au
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Staff
Profile
Name:
Lyn Young
Position:
Accounts officer
Your
role at Jet Pets (a day in the life of:)
Bank reconciliation, banking, data entry and COD check ups on a daily basis.
You
are the go to person for:
Accounts receivable confirmation and accounts payable enquiries.
Most
memorable moment at Jet Pets:
I don’t have one in particular – but there is never a dull moment.
What
pets do you have at home, what are their names and do they
have any quirky behaviours?
I have two dogs - Tilley a Border Collie, who steals apples, and Mack a Terrier Mix. I also have two cats, Kelly and Casper, and an aviary of finches, cockatiels and one lone budgerigar who is about 17 years old.
If
you came back as an animal or pet, what sort would you be, who would
you want to belong to and why?
I would like to come back as a bear and hibernate for the winter.
Who
is your favourite famous pet or animal and why?
It has to be Lassie because she/he always comes home.
If you could name a sporting team after an animal, what would it be and why?
A swim team called the Dolphins – or is there already one?
If Humphrey B Bear and Fat Cat were wrestlers who’d win and why?
Fat Cat would win because Humphrey B Bear loses everything – even his pants.
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