About Me

Greetings for pet lover all over the world! We are The A Team, a passionate group from Swinburne University of Technology that cares about animals, especially dogs and cats! We provide this amazing auto-machine for feeding your pet while you are away for work or while you are on holiday! This machine is completed with the timer and it will allow you to set the schedule and the amount of food needed. We are here not just for you and your pet, but we are here for the community as well. Every Feed a Pet sold, we will donate 1 machine to a animal shelter, and you can choose the shelter yourself! So, if you are desperately need holiday and you have two puppies, and you are thinking about your neighbours to take care of them but you don't trust them, it is your time to get Feed a Pet. Help yourself out and support the good cause! Feed A Pet Australia Team
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HOLIDAY WITHOUT YOUR PETS



People nowadays are getting busy and even busier with their work, personal life, and their household. It could be more complicated when you have your own family – wake up, take care of the kids, drop them to school, groceries shopping, pick up the kids from school, cook for dinner, and bed. Can you imagine if you have to work as well and have pet at home? And when you want to have great escape overseas, and you remember that your cute little puppy must stay at home. That could be quite disaster for some people.
You might think that few days in your friend’s house is not a problem. Your friend might don’t mind taking care your cute puppy, but what if your puppy doesn't like your friend and the environment? Here are several solutions that could help you solve this kind of problem.

  • Ask someone to check your pet
You probably want to ask your family, relatives, friends, or neighbour to come over and check your pet. At least they are someone that you trust and they like your pet (your pet must like them too!). You have to prepare everything for your pet, so it will be easier for your helper to take care of your puppy. The easiest is write some notes and make list of the supplies (food, treats, litter box, etc). If you have an extra budget, you can hire professional to come to your house and take care of your beloved puppy

  • Animal boarding facilities
This option might be a bit fancy for your pet. Nowadays there are a lot of animal boarding facilities and hotel for your pet. They will provide several fun activities for your pet such as playtime, beach or park adventure, and photo shoot. They also provide other nice treat for your pet such as grooming. It will cost some money, but if you are willing to give your pet a reward for being a good girl/boy while you are away, that should be fine.



Another issue that will make you re-consider asking for someone to take care of your pet is their food. When you put your pet on special diet, and you are afraid that they will ruin the diet because it is quite confusing to explain the right amount of food, you might decide to purchase auto-machine pet feeder. By using the machine, you can set the timer and the amount of food needed for your pet. This is quite convenient and it will lighten your helper’s job.

So, if you are craving for great escape from your hectic life, and you do not want to abandon your pet for a week, auto pet feeder might help you and your pet sitter can focus on cleaning and play with your pet. 

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ANIMAL VOLUNTEERS & ANIMAL CRUELTY

 ANIMAL VOLUNTEERS & ANIMAL CRUELTY

As a previous dog owner, I have experienced both the joys and sorrows of what it was like to own and take care of an animal. It was a memorable experience that influenced my love and respect for animals in all walks of life. For many pet owners, the unconditional love and affection involved in owning and taking care of a household pet is so powerful, that one truly begins to establish an emotional connection with the animal to the point where it is viewed as a member of the family. It is this connection that many animal lovers across Australia and the world have, which motivates them to

• Engage in volunteer work to help animals;
• Rally in order to take action and stand up against animal cruelty.
• Establish charities and fundraising events to raise money for helpless animals,
• And donate money to support homeless, sick and abandoned animals. 

In today's world it is very easy to become a volunteer and help support a worthy cause, there are now various means and methods in Australia, in which thousands of volunteers are now partaking in, in order to ensure that the animals we know and love are being taken care of. Countless small and large Australian animal shelters such the RSPCA, now give anyone the opportunity to become a volunteer in different regions across Australia, just by registering on their website. By volunteering, people are given the power to learn how to save, capture, feed and preserve animals across certain regions. With over 2,400 volunteers, the RSPCA has become one of the first animal shelters to establish a nationwide network of volunteers, to ensure the welfare of animals across Australia. This initiative essentially helps motivate animal lovers across Australia to volunteer, and as a animal lover myself, I believe its critical that we see more volunteering programs like this take place.

As a society it should be our responsibility to care and nurture the Animals of this country, it fills me with great joy and respect to see the effort being put forth by amazing people, who dedicate their time and effort towards ensuring the well being of Animals. I have personally seen how irresponsible and cruel animals can be treated in different parts of the world. On a visit to the middle east I witnessed birds, rabbits and cats being shot at. I also saw a dog lying dead on the side of a highway whose carcass looked like it had been there for several of days. Seeing and experiencing such little regard for animal wellbeing in a different country, really makes me appreciate and respect how Australia upholds such strong and positive views against animal cruelty, and the successful implementation of certain laws being used to prevent it from happening. It is the animal lovers and volunteers for who we have to thank, that have helped defend the rights of animals by encouraging the creation of such laws that prevent animal cruelty, and it is for this reason we should be thankful and do our bid to volunteer.


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Time invested to feed a pet

Time invested to feed pets?


Many people do not realize that feeding a pet is a very time consuming job, because you have to feed them in multiple times within a day and people oftentimes do not really have time to feed their pet, as the result of that, a lot of times their pets are left with no food or given food in irregular time schedule, which is not really good for the pets. and it is also good for the dogs, if they are being scheduled on when they are fed.


This is the simple scheduled of how the pets are fed:
Most adult dogs should eat twice a day, in order to keep their metabolism stable and aids in digestion, we’ll find that they could quickly catch on to when the feeding time is.




the sample schedule would be:
  • 7:00 a.m. - Breakfast
  • 6:00 p.m. - Dinner
for water: in general, it is really important to leave a fresh bowl of water out for your dog every morning and every night, they should have always clean water after any activity.
this the simple schedule for water:
  • 7:00 a.m. - Clean and fill bowl half-way.
  • Noon - Rinse out and refill half-way.
  • 6:00 p.m. - Rinse and fill half-way.
  • Bedtime - Clean and fill bowl about 1/4 of the way.
But watch your dog carefully and, if he seems to be thirsty, increase the amount.
From the simple table above, we can see that it is not an easy job to feed your pet, you really need to take a great consideration how you should feed your pet, because different type of dogs and different ages of dogs are fed differently, the table above is only for the feeding time. Pet owners also need to invest their time in many other activities for their pet, activities such as play time twice a day, walking time three times a day, morning, noon and night before dinner. so, you can imagine now feeding a pet could be quite a hassle, especially for busy people that works full time.
the good thing is, in the market there will be an automatic pet feeder machine called "Feed A Pet", this machine will function perfectly for pet owners or even for animal shelters, this machine will feed the pets automatically in times that have been set before, it could be twice a day or even four times a day depends on your pet. this such machine should be really helpful, because it is not only able to feed the pet automatically but also able to control the food portion for the dogs.


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EUTHANASIA



Euthanasia (also known as good death) is the act of humanely putting an animal to death or allowing it to die by giving intravenous injection of chemical –which is quick, painless, and dignified. Most veterinarians decided to put them on “sleep” because the animals were in severe disease and it is better to take them from their misery.

In the U.S each year, approximately 6 to 8 million animals are in animal shelter and even some of them reclaimed adopted, almost 4 million unwanted cats and dogs are left homeless. The worst scenario for homeless animals are get hit by cars, die of a disease, starve, freeze, tortured by cruel juveniles or even picked up by dealers and sell them to laboratory. Animal shelters are happy to help those homeless animals, but they do not have the capability to support all of them until their natural death. When all the abandoned pets were put into the shelter, they are forced to stay in a small cage and they probably get stressed and suffer even more. Letting homeless animal on the street was not the shelter’s willingness. That is why, euthanasia is preferable by most shelters and veterinarians chose this method for some animals.

Most people considered put your animal into “sleep” is a cruel act, because it also killing. Apparently, most veterinarians thought that it is a good thing as it would take their misery and they do not have to feel pain anymore – as it is painless and quick. However, there are some people that use violence to get rid of those innocent animals. In the U.S, there are organisations that provide facilities to kill animals which give the animal incredible painful and discomfort feeling. Unfortunately, some animals were killed by using inappropriate and violent way such as gunshot. Some people randomly shot the animal which they might survive and they were shot again and again. Even some people still using electrocution – using electric shock to the animals.

There are 4 ways to euthanize animal, the first one is injection as mentioned above, then there are 3 more methods which causing painful feeling for the animal such as inhalants – by putting the animal into a sealed chamber and high level of anesthetics gas released. Cervical dislocation – is basically displacement of the neck of small animal such as mice. Shooting – this method usually used for big animal such as horse, traditionally shot in the forehead and usually resulted in instant death.

Overpopulated pet is one of major issue that is happening at the moment. We could prevent more animals to be euthanized by prevent their birth through sterilization efforts. Knowledge about the steps of euthanizing is also important for the owner whether they have to euthanize their pet or not. 

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Guide Dog Training, how they are trained?

do you know that it takes around 2 years to develop a playful pup into a responsible Guide Dog? yes it takes a lot of time and it is not an easy job to do, there are numerous steps to be involved including the process to make sure that we get the right dog for the job and the dogs are usually trained from a very early age.

want to know how the dogs are trained ? here are the steps

Step 1: Puppy Raising
Puppies are usually trained at the age of approximately 8 weeks, the most common type of dogs that trained to be guide dogs are purebred Labadors, Golden Retrievers and Labrador/Golden Retriever crosses, why ? the reason being are those breeds are calm, loyal and intelligent, and have a proven track record as Guide Dogs.

when the puppies arrive at the training centre, the first thing to do is to check their health, confident and their responsive level. those 3 elements are all important factors to become a successful guide dogs. Then the dogs are placed with families that have been selected by Guide Dogs staff, they are called as “puppy raisers”.

Are you interested to become a puppy raisers ? just click this link :)

Over the next 12 months, these families are the one who will provide the puppies with basic social skills, obedience and of course a lot of fun!. the dogs will be visited regularly by the Puppy Raising Officers, they will monitor the dogs’ development and the dogs also will be spending time at the Guide Dogs Centre, in order to help them become familiar with their next home.




Step 2: Guide Dog training

Then, when the dogs are about 14 months old, they will be returned to the guide dogs centre where they will be tested and assessed in many aspects, such on their long walks and the dogs must be eager to work with a good concentration and initiative, they also must be able to not get distracted by other animals. However, not all the puppies are going to be eligible to be the guide dogs due to the high standard and requirement of being guide dogs, those who do not pass to be guide dogs are usually offered to the puppy raisers as a pet.

The dogs will be trained in the specific skills needed in order to be a guide dog, include:
  • Walking in a straight line without sniffing.
  • Walking on the left-hand side slightly ahead of the trainer.
  • Stopping at all kerbs.
  • Waiting for a command before crossing roads.
  • Stopping at the top and bottom of stairs.
  • Avoiding obstacles at head height.
  • Avoiding spaces too narrow for a person and a dog to walk through side by side.
  • Boarding and travelling on all forms of public transport.
  • Taking the trainer to a lift.
  • Laying quietly for some time, particularly at a workplace or in restaurants.
  • Refusing commands that may lead the trainer into danger - for example, if the trainer instructs the Guide Dog to walk them into a hole, the dog should refuse to walk forward when commanded.

Step 3: Training the Guide Dog team
Dogs that successfully complete the rigorous training programs will be matched with a potential client, the dogs will be ensured to be well-suited to the client’s specific needs and lifestyle. For example, Becky Rose does the morning school run with her child and loves to jog in her spare time and she is also blind and therefore she need an active dog that is able to keep up with her busy lifestyle





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THE PET FOOD INDUSTRY



THE PET FOOD INDUSTRY

Within Australia we are raised into a culture that has a tremendous amount of respect, love and nurturing attitude towards animals, particularly the most common of them all being cats and dogs. According to the Australian Companion Animal Council (ACAC) report, 36% of all Australian households own a dog , whilst 23% own a cat. With such a large portion of Australian households owning cats and dogs, it becomes quite evident why and how the Australian pet food industry is enjoying such lucrative sales aiding in its continual growth. 

In 2009 it was found that Australian consumer expenditure for both cat and dog food reached a whopping $1.68 billion. With $581.5 Million being spent on cat food alone, and $1.1Billion being spent on dog food. As we all know pet owners want nothing but the best for their household pets by ensuring there well being, therefore it is understandable why many pet owners want to feed their pets food that is both safe and healthy to consume. To ensure this was always the case, in 1972 the Australian pet food industry became self regulated via the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA). The regulation was implemented in association with federal and state governments in order to develop national standards for manufactured pet food. The regulation sought that all pet food being manufactured within Australia and imported from overseas comply with standards to ensure a high standard of excellence of the products made available in the pet food industry. The mission of PFIAA till this day is to continue achieving this standard of excellence in the pet food industry by 
• Consideration of the needs of pets and the community;
• active promotion of the benefits of responsible pet ownership; and
• promotion of prepared pet food as the preferred method of pet nutrition and reinforced through establishment and self regulation of industry standards.

It interesting to know that combined, Australian dogs and cats now consumer over 40 million meals a week, most of which are produced by highly reputable pet food manufacturers who are members of the PFIAA. It is important that the Australian pet food industry became regulated, because it has essentially ensured that cats and dogs are now less prone to sickness from bad quality food products. This in turn has provided pet owners across Australia with a number of benefits which include:

• A healthier and stronger pet dog/cat
• A reduction in veterinary expenses
• And Enjoying the company of a companion who is now likely to live a longer lifespan, leading to happiness and increased quality of non materialistic lifestyle for pet owners. 

With the pet food industry continuing to grow, other industries such as pet products and accessories are likely to experience expenditure. This will help push the demand and sales for products such as the feed 'a' pet, thus enabling our team to deliver our social purpose by assisting Australian pet owners to experience greater freedom and control when feeding their beloved pets.

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Dog with a Job, Guide Dogs




Mans best friend, can also be mans best employee. Todays post is dedicated to the glorious guide dogs out in the world helping the blind everyday not just assisting with sight but also providing a unique friendship. From the age of seven weeks old guide dog puppies are selected by their characteristics and social behaviour and then placed in a temporary home for 12 months to be socialised with humans and other dogs as well as receive intensive strict training to become a successful guide dog. 

The Germans came up with the solution of our furry companion after the First World War to assist the blinded veterans. It was so successful that by the 1920s there were guide dog schools in England, Italy and United States of America. It has been a highly successful for almost 100 years. It provides great benefit to the blind person but is it completely fair on the dog.
“Dogs” came about from cavemen breading wolves. The cave man would select the runt and wolves that were less aggressive and more obedient. Over time our fearful wolf became mans best friend. So the concept of the guide is still an evolutionary tweak on the domestication of animal by human. Farm dogs are also job purpose dogs. The purpose is to herd the sheep and cattle and protecting the herd at night. No this blogger doesn’t believe that relationship is unfair. In fact quite the opposite, this companionship is co-dependent full of mutual respect and love.

So how are guide dogs matched to their owner. The guide dog providers take into account a person’s needs – their length of stride, walking speed, height, lifestyle, personality and whether they have other disabilities in addition to sight loss – the instructor looks for a dog that will be a good match. After visiting the potential owner with the dog to check the dog is suitable, they tailor the final stage of training to meet the specific needs of the future owner – for example, if she’s a mum who uses a pram the dog will be trained to walk to give room for the pram.

Feedapet believes the relationship between the guide dog and the blind person is a dedicated and admirable friendship. Feedapet understands that there are many obstacles that face blind people and have identified a simple solution to the daily chores and commitments to the guide dog. Feedapet is a timed automatic food dispenser. The owner needs to stock the food into the Feedapet once and the Feedapet will provide proportioned food at allocated times per day, serving up to 3 days worth of meals. This assists the blind owner with piece of mind and convenience of monitored feeding schedule allowing the owner more time to pat, play and bond with their best friend, their companion, their guide dog.

If you believe that you could assist in the puppy stage of the guide dog or would like to make a donation please visit the website for more details http://www.guidedogsaustralia.com/

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