MEDIA
From: The Daily Telegraph
Date: 3rd of March 1995
By: Steve Gee
Professional thieves nab pets from homes
Professional thieves are luring dogs and cats from pet ownwers homes to sell the animals in public markets interstate and overseas, it was revealed today.
In Sydney alone the gangs have already stolen at least 165 family pets this year in large scale raids on suburbs across the metropolitan area according to figures released by national animal protection group, Petwatch.
Petwatch spokesman Garry said today the thieves were generally indiscriminate , stealing any breed of dog or cat available.
He said younger pets were being smuggled interstate for sale at public markets , while older animals were being targeted for Asian food markets , the European fur and pelt trade and dog fighting rings.
Garry said some gangs were also targeting expensive pets and holding them for ransom until large rewards were posted.
"It's becoming big business for some people becausce the potential earnings are enormous" Garry said today.
"These people have no scruples whatsoever."
"They know they can sell most of the animals reasonably quickly and those that they can't are simply dumped in bushland and left to die."
Petwatch records for 1995 show at least 84 dogs and 81 cats have been stolen from owners homes and cars.
Canley vale has been the worst hit suburb with 19 thefts followed by Hurstville (16), Sutherland (15), Seven Hills (14) Rockdale (11) and Ryde (10).
The single largest raid occured at Redfern on Feburary 13 when seven dogs were stolen within four hours.
Many of the animals are being are being stolen from owners yards and unlocked cars at shopping centres.
But experts claim the better organised theives are using bitches on heat to lure dogs from yards.
Similar tactics are being used to steal cats in large numbers with thieves dragging kidney scraps along footpaths to entice them into waiting vehicles.
Garry Senior Duty Officer said the majority of thefts occurred late at night or during the early hours of the morning.
Date: 9th of February 1990
Pet fur used in toys
Australians may be buying soft toys and clothes made with the fur of domestic dogs and cats , supporting a cruel global trade involving the slaughter of companion animals.
The Humane Society International has launched an investigation into the sale of these items in Australia and will target Sydneys Chinatown and Melbournes winter fur markets.
It claims more than two million cats and dogs are slaughtered each year as part of the trade, but the industry continues to thrive unchecked.
"Our eventual aim is to ban the importation of these goods" a spokeswoman of the society in Sydney, Vera Simpson said.
From: Sunday Telegraph
Date: 21st of September 1997
Pussies win reprieve
A Last minute appeal from Peruvian animal lovers yesterday persuaded authorities to cancel a festival of cat cookery intended to celebrate a local saints day.
Organisers announced with regret the 'Great Gastronomic Kitty Festival " scheduled for today in the town of Canete had been cancelled at the insistence of animal rights groups.
"We have saved the cats lives. The cat is not an animal for domestic consumption" spokesman Rosario Quinitanilla said. Publicity ahead of the annual celebration showed locals purusing the cats, which are prized as a delicacy. "The street cats are the best" said one resident, "they have more flavour."
From: The Daily Telegraph
Date: 8th of August 1996
By: Jonathan Porter
Dawn raid shatters dreams of family
THIEVES robbed a family of their livelihood and broke a little girls heart when they stole eight year old grey mare Dawn from her stable at Sydney's Showground.
Dawn was the first horse to be stolen in the showgrounds 115 year history. Owner Sam Boglari said without Dawn a carriage trained Anglo - Arabian he was planning to use in his business - he was unemployed and in debt.
Dawn was to have been the driving force behind the Golden Days Carriage Ride Company, which the father of two had moved from Ballarat. The horse and carriage were to have been used for functions, weddings and rides around town.
"it took me five years to train her to cope with traffic and to stand still during photographic sessions," Mr Bogalari said. Dawn was taken from her stable at the showground sometime between 9am and midday on wednesday.
"I hitched her to the carriage the day before and exercised her around the showground, I think someone may have seen her and decided they liked her", Mr Boglari said. "There are no words to describe the kind of people who would do this she was more than my livelihood, she was a member of the family and my daughters friend." Mr Boglari's daughter Naomi, 12, was too upset to speak about the theft.
Mr Boglari called on security to be tightened after Dawns theft saying, the Showground should emnploy at least two extra staff. A spokesman for Showground security said there was no way security could keep track of every horse that was taken from the grounds "There are almost 200 horses stabled there", the spokesman said. The showgrounds general manager of facilities said he was shocked by the theft.
By: Damon Leach
Horse paddocks poisoned
You know you are in the lucky country when you can keep a horse in the middle of suburbia. But not everyone condones such a privilege, as sans souci locals Jann Foster and Jason Hills recently discovered. Ms Foster and Mr Hills have kept horses in Rockdale Municipality for many years, and had not experienced any problems until last week when the grass in their paddocks turned yellow. Someone had killed the grass in the horse enclosures by spraying poison. Mr Hills has reported the matter to police and sent samples of the dead grass away for laboratory tests. The horse lovers have posted a $500 reward for information about the poisoning of their paddocks. "We've never had any trouble with the neigjhbours, they love the horses" . The local kids all come up and feed them in the school holidays. "It worries me that someone has done this. We're concerned that it will happen again. You get that really scared feeling, like you're going to lose them" Mr Hills said he had kept horses in the area for more than 20 years and he had always enjoyed the support of the council and the local rangers. "It's a pretty low act to put the horses at risk" by trying to poison them Mr Hill said.