The Bywong Soapbox

How many of you  Bywong/Wamboin residents have come home after a hard days work to find your dog cowering under the veranda or hiding in it’s dog house? Shaking, afraid to come out?  Does this odd behaviour in your pet seem to occur about every three months?

You’ve probably been visited by Country Energy’s Meter Reader.

Oh, he’s a friendly old sort… Always smiling and happy to chew the fat on what’s happening in the neighbourhood.  But if your pet get too close to him, he’s quick to throw the boot or give your pet a good cuff to the ear.

Yes, this friendly old guy has a real mean streak towards over-exuberant pets.  I’ve watched him.  On each visit to my electric meter he has either cuffed or booted a small puppy, who’s only crime was the joy of having someone new to smell and lick.

Is it this mans place to discipline your pet? How would you feel if he were dispensing this sort of discipline to your child?

This isn’t the first time Country Energy Contractors have taken liberties with pets.

A favorite dog of mine, who has since gone to his great reward, was once disciplined by the Country Energy tree trimmers.  I came home to find the poor animal bleeding from the nose with a crushed eye socket. Evidently, he’d been ‘disciplined’ by the tree trimmers.

I rang the Country Energy people and explained my concerns.  Their answer wasn’t good enough, so I’ve indicated to them that any future visits by their contractors would require a phone call to arrange a time for me to be present while any subsequent work is carried out.

I have told these people, any Country Energy Contractor venturing onto my property, without my permission, will be treated as an intruder and dealt with as such.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to extend this to the Meter Reader as well.

Remember, Country Energy is not above the law, nor are they allowed dominion over your animals.

Rommel 1995-2008

My dog, Rommel had to be put down Friday, the 8th of August.

Looked like he had a stroke. Poor old guy, vomiting, lost the use of his back legs and then got so disoriented, he couldn’t figure out where he was or why he couldn’t get up.  Had the vet out twice. Once at noon to see what was wrong with him. He got a blood test, some steroids & antibiotics. The blood test came back fine and he seemed to be resting peacefully.  Then, around 3 in the afternoon, he tried to get up and and began thrashing around because he couldn’t get his legs to work.

Well, that must have loosened up a brain clot. He was just a pitiful sight, so I called the vet back for the Green Sleep and held  Rommel in my arms till they got here.  He would have had no quality of life without his back legs but his disorientation was the killer, almost like dementia.  He kept spinning his head around like he was watching birds zipping around his head.  The vet injected him and Rommel went peacefully to sleep in my arms. I told him to sleep well.

Liz and I buried him yesterday, next to Chloe with one of his favourite treats next to his muzzle and a few coins to pay the ferryman in his mouth.  I told him not to pay the ferryman until ‘after’ the bastard took him across. Can’t trust the ferryman.

We cut his grave into the cold, hard, unforgiving clay they laughingly call ‘soil’ out here in Bywong. He sleeps quietly… Next to his old friend Chloe.

We’re both coping.