What a joke !!...

This must be the biggest joke (The Straits Times, Friday 26 Oct 2007).

I can't believe that this is happening in a "First World" country. The MC and the Chairman must be "educated" people and yet they can "dream" of such draconian laws and by-laws.

We are talking about a condominium, supposedly owned by the "rich and educated" - well, I guess not. At the end of the day, the dog owners living there have themselves to blame.

Here's a thought : after reading the article, try substituting "dog" with "children" - and you'll know how I feel...

What you gonna do, AVA?

The complaints against us at "our" training ground is getting out of hand.

To cut a long story short, the issue now is that the Town Council did not give their permission for us to train there. Fine. Permission is between us and the CC.

Someone from AVA actually asked us for alternative training ground should the CC "revoked" it's permission for us to train there.

I find this a little amusing : Shoudn't AVA step in and offer some assistance?

With AVA advocating Responsible Pet Ownership, and training your dog IS part of being a responsible pet owner, shouldn't AVA have done something here?

This is what I find so ironic : on the one hand, AVA wants dog owners to train their dogs. On the other when we are kicked out of a place to train, the ball gets thrown back to our court and we're asked what we are going to do.

So I'm asking AVA back : you are not practicing what you preach. So all this advocating about training your dog as part of being a responsible pet owner is merely paying lip service?

We need a voice. AVA can be that voice.

But from the looks of it, I don't think we will ever be getting that voice, or any voice.

Afterthought : Maybe AVA can take the RPO campaign a little further. In addition to going to schools to sell the "snake oil", for a start, work with Singapore Sports Council & SKC and promote agility as a sport, and if I may push the envelope a little, promote obedience as a sport also, like badminton or swimming, etc. A family thing.

While I understand educating the young ones are important (that's why the school visits), educating grown ups are just as important, especially those "averse" to dogs (to quote from AVA) and what better way for them than to see the interaction, team work and joy in agility & obedience training.

Maybe, that's wishful thinking on my part.....

No more Pawtobello for me

That's it. No more Pawtobello for me.

I'M OFFICIALLY BOYCOTTING PAWTOBELLO.

Had dinner there this evening with Shelly & Aliena (with Pheobe & Linus, of course) and I ordered the "Beef Bello".

It's supposed to be sirlion strips in a burger with fries and coleslaw (if I remembered the menu correctly).

When it arrived, it was sirlion strips alright. All 5-6 miserable pieces of it. The largest is no longer or bigger than the length & size of my thumb. The smallest, the tip (about 1-1.5 cm) of my little finger.

The size of the burger? About that of a McDonald fish burger - minus the fillet & stuff. The fries portion was rather generous.

The coleslaw? A little bit of salad and some fried onion on the bun bottom with the sirlion strips on it.

The cost? $13.00

A Whopper meal is a much larger and cheaper meal than this.

The waitress who served the "Rosemary Chicken" (which Stella ordered) doesn't seemed to know what she was serving.

While bringing the chicken to us, she said, "This is the chicken, I think."

I replied "You think !!??"
She just giggled and walked away. What kind of service is this? (sorry been using too many expletives in this post... I'm in a foul mood )

I can understand that part timers are employed and that the turn over may be high. But for whatever reason, I think more professionalism is in order.

We already had a bad experience before and I wrote to the MD about it and was given a 20% discount voucher for providing the feedback.

I don't think I even want to waste my time writing to her again.

I SIMPLY BOYCOTT THIS PLACE.

Live and let live...

A complaint letter to The Straits Times Forum confirmed what I have always believed :

People are less tolerant nowadays .

I mean, think about it : how big can the fuel tank of these models plane be?

Big enough to cause a huge explosion and kill hundreds of people?



I don't think it's a major catastrophe if 2 of these planes collide. No one is going to die - unless the plane debris fall onto some unfortunate person (then again, the probability of walking under a HDB block and be hit on the head by killer litter is higher).

I really don't see what's the issue here. Hey, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. In other words, avoid that place if you think it's dangerous. Then again, I pity this guy. If this is bothering him, I think there are lots of other places that are far more dangerous - like walking under a HDB block, or pumping petrol where if there's an explosion, it's far worst than 2 model aircraft colliding! He should stay at home and not go anywhere. Even then, firing (no pun intended) the gas stove is just as deadly.

I think it's very selfish of this chap to complain and "urge the authorities to take appropriate action to prevent a serious accident". As if Singapore is not a "nanny state" enough, we don't need "good samaritans" like him to make it a more "stifled" place. Cut the crap, please...

LIVE & LET LIVE, MAN...

Hmm... maybe his real grouse is the illegal parking... hmmm...

Here we go again...

Someone wrote to Today complaining that small dogs should also be leashed and the reply is as follows :

Be a responsible pet owner

I have no problem about the leashing part but again the part about bringing your pet to eating places has irked me. Again their reasons are due to "hygiene".

If you are having a guide dog then things are different - it's allowed at eating places. But they are quick to add that "operators of food establishments can exercise their discretion whether to allow guide dogs on their premises".

Furthermore, NEA & AVA feels that "being well trained, a guide dog is not likely to compromise public hygiene practices in food shops and hawker centres, so long as it is harnessed and kept at the owner's side at all times".

If you want a dog to sit quietly by your side while you have your meal, I can think of at least 2 dogs capable of doing that (provided no crab & "har jion kai"/prawn paste chicken is in the vicinity - but I digress). In fact, if you look around, most dogs brought to eating places are within reasonable control.

Behaviour aside, my dog is as healthy and clean as any other guide dog. So what "hygiene practices" am I "compromising"?

It has been said that Singapore's law are "draconian" and in this case, I can't help but feel that it's true. I'm not a hardcore animal rights activist but in this instance, I strongly feel that my dog do have a right to go to any eating places with me as I do not agree with both the agency's reasoning.

Our days are numbered??...

I cringe whenever I see complain articles about dog owners bringing their pets to eating places. And this one is no exception from Stomp :

Dog drools on table as family eats

Like I always say : there are dog owners and there are dog owners

Why can't these people be more considerate? Don't they know that their action will backfire?

Already there are letters to forums asking the authorities to take action against dog owners who take their dogs to eating places. At the rate at which we are going, it's a matter of time before action IS taken .

On the other hand, the reasons given for why our beloved four-legged family member cannot join us at the "dining table" is always "hygiene" related.

What kinds of diseases have our pets passed to us?
Rabies? We have been rabies free for more than 10 years ! I think it's easier to catch a cold from someone on the next table ! No one has yet to come up with anything concrete to prove that our furry friend has passed anything contagious or deadly to us. The medical profession has always been paraniod over germs. Anything and everything has germs so let's not target our dogs. I think cows & chickens are more deadly : remember "mad cow disease" and the more recent bird flu?

What hygiene and cleanliness are we taking about?
I think my four legged friend is cleaner than some two legged ones. And can you be sure the one who's cooking your wanton mee or chicken rice or roti prata is "hygienic"? He could have dug his nose or "gorek gorek" his backside or went to the toilet and didn't wash his hands after that and you are happily tucking into his food. And not forgetting the A, B & C grading NEA gives out to the stalls. Ever noticed how dirty the C stalls are? And they are still in business.

So the point about hygiene and cleanliness is moot as far as I'm concerned.

But seriously, we dog owners have to get our act together.

Another 2 complaints

My first post proper and it's a lament. :-(

Another 2 complaints from residents of Changkat. What irks me most about these complaints are :

1) they are groundless, and
2) those in "office" merely acted as messenger

Most of the complaints revolve around noise and soiling. Show me prove that our trainees are the ones soiling the place or forever hold your peace. On the same note, even if we get "evicted" from the training ground, can dog poo ever be rid of in that area forever? We are not the only ones with dogs, you know. What then? Start a "constituent campaign" to ban dogs in Tampines. And if that's successful, to extend the ban in the whole of Singapore? :-P

About noise. Show me a dog that doesn't bark (excluding those mute ones, of course) and I'll show you a fish that doesn't swim - a dead one. I have to admit that there are some barkings here and there but I don't think they are excessive. I've heard and come across barkings that are non-stop and excessive. Start a "constituent campaign" to ban dogs in Tampines? And if that's successful, to extend the ban in the whole of Singapore? :-P

I also feel that those who received the complain shouldn't just be a messenger. Find out exactly what the problem is and get prove from the complainant and then work with us. We are not unreasonable. If there are grounds (read proof) we'll be more than happy to do something about it.

By not "challenging" the complainant means that he/she is right even though the complain is groundless. This will make them bolder in future complains and less tolerant about things. They will kick a fuss about the littlest things and know they will get away with it. We should put a stop to this.

Singapore always wants to be first in everything. And if there's a competition or poll in which nation has the most tolerant attitude, I'm sure we wouldn't be anywhere near the first. Why not make this the first?