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Subsidised pet desex programme for pensioners/low income earners

If we can help you, or someone you know, with the cost of desexing your pet, get in touch.

Call 4966 4344 or 4964 1823 between 1pm and 4pm, Monday or Tuesday.

During the month of August 2008  we provided financial assistance to desex:

We have now financially assisted spay/neuter of

This gives an overall total since Hunter Animal Watch was established in 1998 of sixteen thousand  one hundred and thirty two animals desexed through our programme in the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales.

funding our programme

Almost all our funding comes from our Op Shop at 139A Beaumont Street, Hamilton, Newcastle, NSW.

Needless to say, our veterinary bills are very high, so we are always grateful for cash donations.  If you would like to help our work, please call in at our shop or send a cheque/money order to the above address.  Leave your details and a receipt will be sent to you.

Annual thanksgiving for creation service

The service will be held in Christ Church Cathedral, Church Street, Newcastle, at 6pm on Sunday, 12th October, 2008.  Animals are very welcome at this service, so bring yourselves and your animals.  You will ALL enjoy it!

animals australia and Voiceless,   have launched a campaign against the factory farming of pigs.   In factory farming the sows are kept in metal stalls so small they can barely move.  Suggest you check out http//www.savebabe.com/advertisements.html for the whole story.  Also go to voiceless.org.au

The piglets can only feed from their mothers through metal bars.  Their tails are snipped off and eye teeth are removed without pain relief.    This is gross cruelty (what would happen to the person who did that to a dog?), so, when/if you buy bacon, ham or pork, make sure it is free range.  And if you are told it is not available, ask why not, especially in the big supermarkets. 

  Supermarkets need constant reinforcement that customers require humanely produced food.

Free-range eggs to be used in food outlets at the university of newcastle

This iinitiative is growing on other campuses and as they come on line, we will report.  Anyone interested in encouraging  their company, educational institution or organisation to switch to free range for catering, please go to AnimalsAustralia.org  They have excellent campaign material in a simple folder which is plainly written and gets the message over very clearly.  GO FREE RANGE for a kinder world!

campaign to ban live export of sheep/cattle

The verdict in a cruelty case taken by the West Australian Government against a live export company was finally handed down this month (February 2008).  Cruelty was proved but because of lack of uniformity between Federal and State laws, the magistrate had no choice but to dismiss the case.   Live export, in all its horror, will therefore continue.

Contact your Federal Member and say this issue is important to you and you want to see  animals being killed in Australia and shipped as frozen /chilled product. There is no other way to save our animals from torture in foreign abattoirs.

Hunter Animal Watch has ongoing petition forms in our op shop at 139A Beaumont Street, Hamilton.  Do come in and sign, if you would like to.  Every signature helps. 

 If you would like to state your views on the cruelty in live exports, to the Minister of Agriculture,   write to

The Hon. Tony Burke

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Parliament House

Canberra, ACT 2600.

and/or

The Prime Minister

The Hon. Kevin Rudd

Parliament House

Canberra, ACT 2600.

Note that during a radio interview in February 2007, Mr. Rudd, then Leader of the Opposition, was asked to comment on  footage of cruelty to exported animals filmed by Animals Australia in the Middle East.  Mr. Rudd said: 

"I cannot abide animal cruelty, and if there was anything which lies within the Commonwealth's powers to make sure that sort of abuse does not occur within the industry, let me assure you, it will happen."

So, Mr. Rudd, we expect action.

Good news is that an international coalition has been formed to work towards a ban on long-distance movement by sea and land of animals destined for slaughter.  This will be led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals.  Many groups will be involved throughout the world, including Compassion in World Farming.   RSPCA Australia and Animals Australia are backing this initiative.  This is the Handle with Care Coalition, and will have a powerful voice.

 lifetime registration costs for dogs and cats   Costs are :

Desexed dogs and cats        $40       

Undesexed dogs and cats    $150       

Pensioners will still be able to lifetime register their desexed pets for $15.

Disk engraving As a tag on the collar of a companion animal, bearing name and phone number of owner, is one of the most useful ways of reuniting the two, Hunter Animal Watch is now engraving disks at our shop. The cost is $2 per disk, and this includes postage. Anyone wishing to take advantage of this service is invited to drop in and arrange disk engraving. (It should be noted that both dogs and cats are required to have a disk on their collars under the terms of the Companion Animals Act.)

lost and found   -   Lost a pet?  Found a stray animal?  

Phone Pet Search on 1300 309 004.  or visit help@petsearch.com.au

This organisation operates throughout New South Wales and further afield to reunite lost pets with their families.  To learn more about them, www.petsearch.com.au or email to help@petsearch.com.au

Free call to report animal cruelty and neglect

Animal Liberation NSW now has a special phone number where people can report animal cruelty/neglect in areas where the RSPCA isn't readily available.  This is especially useful in rural areas. 

The number is  1800 751 770.  Ring this number and report details of your concern.  You do not have to give your name unless you want to.  Animal Liberation will send someone to investigate. 

  Look after the birds We are advised that although there is food for the birds, water is a problem in many areas, so please keep water containers available for them. Clean these out often to minimise the chance of infection.

Battery Farms To learn more about this, go to Animal Liberation website (see our Links section).
There are often new developments in the campaign, and AL is the place to find out about them.

Free range eggs available at the Hunter Animal Watch Op Shop. Come to us and ensure you get the real thing!

And talking about our Op Shop - is there anyone out there who would like to work as a volunteer in our shop in Hamilton on, perhaps, just one day per month, or whatever suits? If you are interested, call 4952 1358, and we can take it from there. You meet great people in our shop, not to mention dogs who come in for their coats in winter, a drink of water in summer, or a little treat all year round.

Companion Animals on Public Transport  Remember that you can take your companion animal on State buses and ferries, at the discretion of the operator. Not, however, on trains (except for assistance animals).

Fireworks The setting off of fireworks, other than with permission, for example at public displays or private functions where a permit from Workcover has been issued, is illegal in NSW. Fireworks cause great distress to animals, who often escape from yards, run away, cause accidents, get killed, get lost and so on. If you hear fireworks and you suspect they are being set off without permission, we are advised that the correct course of action is to inform your nearest police station and ask that your complaint be registered. You do not need to know the precise location of the fireworks, as this is often not possible. Nor, can police personnel be freed up for actual investigation at times when fireworks are used, as these occasions are usually over holiday periods when the police already have their work cut out. However, by requesting that your information be registered, you are helping the police to build up statistics to see what is happening with fireworks. Please do this - it will help animals by controlling a dangerous and illegal situation. ALWAYS confine your animal during firework displays.

Animals in research Many people support health charities, especially if they have lost someone through a particular disease or illness, but it must be said that many health charities support research using animals when their use is unnecessary due to modern developments - e.g. cell culture, computer programmes etc. Worldwide about one million animals a day are used either in direct experimentation or wastage. This cannot be justified ethically or scientifically. Therefore Humane Charities Australia Inc., set up in June 2002, provides information on health charities that do not fund animal experiments. Instead the money is directed towards productive research which is both ethical and scientifically valuable. To learn more about this go to our Links section.

The Church and Animals   Some Christian churches are taking an interest in animal welfare.  For instance, the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle now has an animal welfare section on their website.  Go to www.angdon.com then to Social Justice then to Animal Welfare. 

If you have church connections yourself, encourage your church to take a look at animal issues.  Isn't Christianity the faith of compassion?  When will the churches speak out against cruelty?

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