That's fantastic!
The whole thing reminded me a little of
this thread, also about a dog living in Australia. The councils in Australia really do seem ridiculously negative towards dogs.
OMG!! Read that post and was horrified. Unfortunately yes, if a dog as much as looks side ways at any one, or the person thinks the dog looked side ways at them, the council will immediately condemn the dog! It's so harsh it's unbelievable in a country which purports to 'be an animal loving nation'.
I had an incident with Zeus and Tiger Lily. The old lady who lived next door and was, without putting any refinement on it 'barking mad' reported my dogs for (a) barking at 3.a.m. - they were always inside asleep and snoring on my bed at that time and (b) leaping and growling at her at the back fence - they didn't but SHE used to stand the other side and make this funny 'keening' sound (only way I can describe it high pitched wail) which did on one occasion attract the dogs who didn't bark but did stand there looking surprised. After that one occasion I was ALWAYS outside when the dogs where. But the council wrote me a letter saying if my dogs were not quiet they would force me to have them de-barked, which is STILL legal here! Failing that they would confiscate the dogs and anyone here knows where that will end - murder of my dogs! Also the council did not come to speak to me personally or meet my dogs but went to ALL the neighbors in this street AND the next street, asking if my dogs were a nuisance!
I tried to speak politely to the old woman and she attacked me. I'm not kidding, she threw a punch at me - charming! I left, don't go in for fighting especially the elderly. The Police arrived and, fortunately I had the 'last laugh' (she must have rung them) as they arranged for her to be put in a home. Everyone knew she was totally mad, she had attacked other people apparently. But the council did not take that into account at all, even after I both wrote and spoke to them, my dogs were the 'bad guys', condemned as was Hugo for absolutely no crime whatsoever!
You do have to be ultra careful here that your dog doesn't sneeze at the wrong time!
Plus there are so many places, including trains in most States, where you are not allowed to take a dog.
