We are delighted to report that the Victorian State Government has announced the introduction of the “strongest laws ever introduced [to State Parliament] to protect animals from abuse and neglect”.

The details of the crackdown on this appalling and inhumane trade were outlined in a letter to Dogs in Peril Publishing from the Hon. Ted Baillieu, Premier of Victoria – reproduced below. To all those individuals who have lobbied tirelessly to bring the grotesque puppy farm trade to the public’s attention – well done!

Dogs in Peril Publishing donation recipient the Save A Dog Scheme have announced that they are to be recognised for their tireless work finding new homes for homeless dogs and cats with a City of Stonnington Mayor’s Charity Dinner on Thursday 13 October, 2011.

This promises to be a very special night for Save A Dog Scheme and an excellent opportunity to dress-up and share this wonderful occasion with the Mayor of Stonnington – Cr Melina Sehr – and as many supporters as possible.

When: Thursday 13 October, 2011

Time: 7pm – 11.30pm

Where: Malvern Town Hall, cnr Glenferrie Road and High Street, Malvern

Tickets: $140

Book online here.

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Phone: 8290 1333

All funds raised go to Save A Dog Scheme.

In a recent news update on their website, the Oscar’s Law campaigners have announced that “Oscar is alive and is back home once again after enduring five years on two puppy factories.”

“For the last 18 months,” their statement continues, “a team of dedicated people have worked tirelessly to gain Oscar’s freedom. Oscar is finally receiving the care and love he deserves and is learning to live life as a dog rather than a breeding machine in a factory.”

In support of the campaign to have Oscar’s Law written in legislation, the RSPCA have issued an invitation to the dog-loving community of Victoria to join them at the next Oscar’s Law Rally on Sunday 18 September, 2011. In attendance at the rally will be speakers including Allie Jalbert, Shelter Manager of RSPCA Victoria, Meg Ryan from Animal Aid, Shatha Hamade from Barristers Animal Welfare Panel, and Adam Bandt from the Australian Greens. Following the rally, campaigners will be able to join over 60 animal welfare organisations in Treasury Gardens.

When: Sunday 18 September

Time: Food and information stalls in Treasury Gardens 10am-4pm. The rally starts at 12 noon.

Where: The steps of Parliament House, Spring Street, Melbourne CBD.

On Monday the 15th of March, our sponsorship plaque was affixed to the Australian Animal Protection Society dog enclosure we are sponsoring. Author, Meredith Williams-Crowe, went along for the occasion and was photographed meeting a little resident of our enclosure. Hopefully, the little puppy won't need to stay for very long!

Max the German Shorthaired Pointer (pictured above with Hymie the Golden Retriever) was one of the inspirations for Meredith Williams-Crowe's 101 reasons why it is better to have dogs than children. Sadly, Max recently passed away and we honour him with this tribute. He will be very sadly missed.

It was a difficult brief for Max. Our first dog, Doc, had only been gone for four months and we still felt his loss keenly. Doc was a kelpie cross and remains the most intelligent, intuitive dog I have ever met. He was fifteen years old and finally succumbed to the slow growing brain tumour that had robbed him of his personality in the last months of his life.

I was not ready to let another dog into my life but our two-year-old daughter was asking for a dog and telling me how much she missed Doc. A chain of events led to my first meeting with Max, a sixteen-week old German Shorthaired Pointer. In his short life he had already endured four home changes; the penultimate being a parrot cage. He was at that gangly ‘adolescent’ phase which accentuated how thin he was. His early experiences left him with two lifelong dislikes – he hated being cold and he hated being hungry. We took him in and thus began our journey with our second dog, Max.

Max did not take long to discover ducted heating vents. He loved lying on them, disbelieving the heavenly flow of warm air around his body. This love of warmth matured into a more comfortable beanbag in front of the slow combustion fire during winter evenings and retiring to his armchair on the deck to sleep, tucked in and under numerous hessian bags. Putting Max to bed was a complex procedure on cold nights.

Dogs in Peril Publishing are delighted to announce our sponsorship of an animal enclosure at the Australian Animal Protection Society's Animal Shelter in Keysborough, Victoria. Our donation today of $350.00 represents a six-month commitment to sponsoring an animal enclosure.

SEE OUR DONATIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

We would like to thank the Oakleigh-Monash Leader, in Melbourne, who have published a story about 101 reasons why it is better to have dogs than children on page 22 of this week's edition. The story is accompanied by a great photo of Meredith Williams-Crowe (the author), David (the illustrator, and her son) with the family's dogs Max and Hymie! This article is the ideal way to celebrate the continued success of 101 reasons … and also gives us the opportunity to again thank everyone who has bought copies of the book and supported our efforts to raise much-needed funds for independent animal welfare organisations.

This weekend, we will be having stalls at Kyneton Market (Saturday 12 December) and Daylesford Market (Sunday 13 December). If you happen to live in these beautiful parts of the world, be sure to drop by and say "Hello"!

We would like to thank the Geraldton Guardian, WA, who have published a great little story about our debut title 101 reasons why it is better to have dogs than children on page 9 of today's edition. It's the perfect way for us to celebrate the sale of over 300 copies of the book … some of which have been sent as far afield as the UK! And remember, 30% of the cover price is donated to independent, grass-roots animal welfare organisations to assist them to care for our canine friends.

Dogs in Peril Publishing are delighted to have made their first donation of $564.01 to the Save A Dog Scheme, in Melbourne. Sokol (pictured above, left) is a 4 year old female British Bulldog who needed her $321.17 vet bill (for pathology for bladder investigation and antibiotics) paid. Harold (right) is a 4 year old male Staffordshire Terrier X who needed his $242.84 dental bill (for surgical removal of teeth, antibiotics and skin scrape) paid.

To find out more, please visit OUR DONATIONS and visit the Save A Dog Scheme website.

On Sunday 18 October, 2009 more than 70 people attended the official launch of Dogs in Peril Publishing’s debut title 101 reasons why it is better to have dogs than children by first-time author Meredith Williams-Crowe, with illustrations by her son, David Crowe (pictured above).