DOG S GUIDE TO MELBOURNE Is Melbourne really Australia's most pet friendly city? Chris is putting it to the test with Homer, his four-legged mate from the RSPCA. Together they'll try out some of the city's K9 attractions and hopefully find a home for Homer so he can enjoy the city every day.
ABOUT TOM + CAPTAIN DOG WALKING ADVENTURES Tom Lillecrapp and his silver haired Weimaraner, Captain, head up a team of dog loving weirdos that provides an average of 300 walks per week to inner Melbourne s happy pups. Unlike your typical dog walking service, this pair s adventures shun city streets and local parks in favour of off-leash, multi-terrain adventures, in inner-melbourne bushland such as Yarra Bend Parklands, Darebin Parklands and Merri Creek. Each adventure is at least an hour long, with the main focus on giving the dogs the opportunity to act on their natural instincts and run, play in a pack, dig, wrestle and explore, like their wild ancestors might have. Sometimes different T+C walkers will join up for an adventure, forming a pack of up to twenty dogs playing together. The service places a lot of emphasis on the importance of dogs, especially city dogs, getting enough exercise and socialization for their size and breed. Some clients have reported marked improvement in their dog s temperaments as a result of participating; particularly rescue dogs that perhaps didn t find a stable, loving home until they were well past puppyhood.
Tom + Captain Adventures are not suitable for all dogs however. Potential adventurers are first put through their paces in an enclosed area with Tom and Captain to ensure they respond to calls and commands before they are allowed to join in with their other clients. Tom + Captain have a sizable social media following and their branded vans can be seen ferrying local pooches to and from their walks all over Melbourne. Adventures can sometimes can go a bit longer if the walker and the dogs get sidetracked however owners are not charged extra for any additional fun. Owners will often receive videos and photos from their dogs and their furry pals while they re out and about. For more information visit: http://www.tomandcaptain.com Or: https://www.instagram.com/tomandcaptain/
ABOUT CANINE WELLNESS KITCHEN FOOD TRUCK Billed as a dog s answer to the food truck trend, Canine Wellness Kitchen offers gourmet fare to Melbourne s most discerning and health conscious palettes on four legs. The truck, which frequents the same haunts as your regular human-centric food trucks, including the ever-popular Welcome to Thornbury Food Truck-stop, has a small dog-level serving window for Rover, along with a humansized counter. The menu of locally sourced, human-grade ingredients, which describes the health benefits offered by each dish, includes shark cartilage, kangaroo jerky, lamb livers, beef Achilles knot tendons, and green-lipped mussels. But it s the Pooch Pints that have all the tails wagging bone broth beer for your best mate so you can finally enjoy a cold one together. Co-founder Katie Crandon said she and partner, Laura Yeomans, are connoisseurs of the food truck scene but felt sorry for their cocker spaniel Freddie. He s always tied up under the table, or tied to a pole, or he s on a lead at markets, and there s never anything that s just catered for dogs. So we thought, wouldn t it be great to get a food truck for dogs?. For more information on Canine Wellness Kitchen s menu and ethos visit their website: http://www.caninewellnesskitchen.com If you d like to know where the food truck will be popping up next, head to the Canine Wellness Kitchen s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/caninewellnesskitchen/
ABOUT HACHI MELBOURNE Melbourne is known as the fashion capital of Australia, and that doesn t stop with humans. Named after the legend of Hachiko, a Japanese dog celebrated for his loyalty, Hachi is the South Yarra haven that is providing #fashun to Melbourne s four-legged fashionistas, stocking luxury clothing, accessories and homewares for dogs and cats of all sizes. The high-fashion clothing and cute costumes are all imported from Japan; the styles range from the dapper a scarf and tartan jacket, perhaps to the silly, such as the dog and cat costumes that will transform pets into a snake, lion or turtle. There are also toys, luxurious beds, dog carriers and even pet prams, for when your pet is presumably too tired to exercise. Dogs and cats alike are invited to try the clothes on to ensure the latest pet trends are also the correct sizing and comfort-level. Once Fido has selected his new look, he can book in for a private photo session at the Pet Photo Studio to snap some fresh selfies for his Instagram.
Hachi also stock a range of pet care products and regularly host dog training courses and events such as info nights with local vets. For more information visit: https://hachi-melbourne.com.au https://www.facebook.com/hachimelbourne/ ABOUT RSPCA PET ADOPTION The RSPCA receives thousands of animals every year in every state and territory in Australia. In 2014-2015 over 15,000 dogs and over 26,000 cats were rehomed by the RSPCA across all states. All RSPCA animals are health and behaviour checked, desexed, vaccinated, microchipped and up to date with flea and worm treatments, and their adoption fee is a fraction of the price of anywhere else. If you ever have a question, friendly RSPCA staff and volunteers will be happy to help. You'll get a lifetime of information, resources and support from their Adoption Centres. Adoption staff and volunteers will make sure that you are getting the right animal for you and your lifestyle, and that the animal is getting the right owner for their needs and personality. In Victoria alone, more than twothirds of the 3,627 dogs and cats surrendered in 2015/16 came in because of their owner s
circumstances, rather than issues with the animal s health or behaviour. Busting the myth that rescue pets are damaged goods, the data shows that in most cases, animals given up for adoption are healthy, happy pets whose owners were simply unable to keep them. Owning a pet is known to improve your physical and emotional health by reducing stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure and stress levels, and boosting your immunity. By adopting a dog, you are reducing the demand for puppy factories where dogs and puppies live in appalling conditions and are treated inhumanely. By choosing to adopt, you're essentially saving lives. The good news for Homer, the dog that featured in our story is that he has since been adopted into a new home and loves his new life. For more information on pet adoption visit the RSPCA visit: https://www.rspca.org.au/adopt-pet WEBLINKS For further information on these experiences check out the following links: http://www.tomandcaptain.com https://www.rspca.org.au/adopt-pet http://www.caninewellnesskitchen.com http://welcometothornbury.com https://hachi-melbourne.com.au