Regional Extra 100523

Mission to save animals

By CHLOE JAENICKE

BARBARA Webster’s house in Wangaratta is like a zoo with all animals from kittens to kookaburras.

You name it and she or her partner Donna Willis have probably rescued it.

Ms Webster is passionate about animals and over the last three years has dedicated herself to making sure animals are de-sexed and find a good home.

She believes that being able to de-sex animals should be cheaper due to the rising cost of living.

“It’s so expensive and now the people, they just can’t afford it with everything, with the rental crisis, food going up and everything else,” she said.

Ms Webster often goes outside the region to help reduce the expense to get her animals desexed.

This includes the 17 kittens Ms Willis was taking care of.

Some of the kittens were found deserted a few weeks ago with no owner or mother to take care of them.

“The mother should be feeding them but she was nowhere to be seen and there were three tiny kittens who were very cold,” Ms Webster said.

Ms Willis is still currently bottle feeding five of the kittens and Ms Webster is bottle feeding the runt of the litter while slowly introducing nine of the kittens to wet foods.

■ Continued page 6

◆ BIRD IN THE HAND: Donna Willis with a kookaburra in her care. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

with DIANA

What to expect when your dog is expecting

PREPARING for your dog’s impending puppies can be an exciting time.

It is helpful to be aware of potential problems and what to expect at each stage.

When breeding your dog, take note of the breeding date so that you know when she is likely to whelp (give birth).

The gestation (pregnancy) period of dogs is on average 63 days (nine weeks), but can range from 58 to 68 days.

After 35 days of pregnancy the mother’s energy requirements will start to increase.

The best diet for her is puppy food.

This is already balanced and doesn’t require any supplementation.

In the final week of pregnancy your dog can be examined by a vet and x-rays taken to determine roughly how many puppies to expect.

Ultrasound can confirm pregnancy earlier than this but it is usually impossible to count puppies this way.

During the first stage of labour, uterine contractions begin and your dog will appear restless and may pace, dig, tremble or pant.

This lasts six to twelve hours

with Tim Craig, Warby Street Veterinary Hospital

and ends when the cervix has fully dilated.

During the second and third stages of labour the puppies are born.

Each puppy is born covered in a membrane which the mother will generally bite or lick away.

If she doesn’t do this quickly, you will need to intervene so that the puppy doesn’t suffocate.

Use a clean towel to rub away the membranes, especially from the puppy’s nose and mouth.

If the umbilical cord is still attached to the placenta it may be cut with clean scissors and tied in a knot about 2cm from the pup.

There is usually one pup born around every 45 to 60 minutes, after 10-30 minutes of hard straining.

Sometimes there may be a break of up to two hours between puppies.

Seek veterinary attention if the mother is straining for over an hour without producing a pup, or takes a break for longer than two hours and you know there are more pups inside, or is in severe pain, or gestation goes for longer than 70 days.

This Day in History, 1853

WILLIAM Turner was one of the early offi cials on the Ovens Goldfi eld. His time on the Ovens, from 1853 when he took over as Commissioner, to his departure on May 10, 1856 for Ballarat, was marked by an excellent relationship with the diggers.

So popular was he as the district’s fi rst Mining Warden, that the diggers had a handsomely engraved and decorated gold cup specially made for him.

Fishing at Winton Wetlands

WHETHER we like it or not Lake Mokoan has gone.

It’s been gone for more than 10 years now.

Should it have been drained?

Well that is a conversation for another day.

What we have now is the Winton Wetlands - a series of wetlands made up of more than 30 separate swamps and lagoons, most of which, but not all, dry up.

There are still some very enjoyable fishing options in the Winton Wetlands, albeit mostly carp fishing.

That is OK though, not everybody fishes for bragging rights.

Many just love to fish for enjoyment.

In fact, a recent carp fishing competition attracted 150

participants, all of which had a wonderful time with more than 200 carp caught.

The best spot to fish in the Winton Wetlands is in the area known as the Canoe Ponds, or more formally as the Mokoan Ponds.

These deep ponds were created when the dirt was taken from the ground to create the Lake Mokoan wall, and are the only permanent water in the Winton Wetlands.

At the moment these deep ponds are absolutely teaming with fish, mostly carp.

To get to these ponds you need to follow the dirt track that runs along the bottom of the old Lake Mokoan Wall to a small car park near the outflow channel which only flows when the swamp is full.

From there you have to walk to

the first pond, a distance of less than 100 metres.

The main swamp, Winton Swamp, also has carp in it but it is harder to access.

They made their way in during last year’s floods and are growing very quickly in there.

I hiked out to The Lunette recently, which use to be The Island back in the Lake Mokoan days.

I managed to catch quite a few carp, but it was a 3km hike in total.

If you have a sense of adventure you could launch a canoe or kayak at the old Lake Mokoan boat ramp, crash through the reeds and have the enormous open body of water all to yourself.

At the moment the carp fishing in the Winton Wetlands is very good, they’re on the bite.

WANGARATTA RSPCA has many lovable creatures waiting for the perfect family to take them home.

If you want to add a furry friend to your home, call (03) 5722 2874 or visit the shelter at 1 Connell Street Wangaratta.

Wangaratta RSPCA’s animal adoption source code is BR100934

PURRING PIP: Pip is an easy easy-going cat who enjoys snoozing by a sunny window and staying out of trouble. Pip may not always leap paws first into affection, but once she warms up she will shower you with purrs, head-butts and plenty of lap time. Pip would be most comfortable showing her loving personality in a home with only adults and no other pets. Pip’s microchip number is 956000009357800.

◆ PERFECT: Fishing off the ‘Lunette’ at sunset in the Winton Wetlands. The Lunette use to be called The Island back in the Lake Mokoan era.

PHOTO: RSPCA

with Rob Alexander WANGARATTA

Why have a hearing test?

HAVE you ever thought: “If my arms were longer, I would be able to read the small print”?

Maybe a vision check is needed.

Have you ever thought, or even said: “Young people today speak too quickly (or too softly)?” or “It is too noisy in that place to hear”?

Maybe a hearing check is needed.

There are several reasons why someone should consider having a hearing check.

Quite a good reason, even if you feel that you have normal hearing, is to establish a baseline for what your hearing is now, so there is some point of comparison for the future.

For example, occasionally young people involved in a noisy activity or who enjoy really loud music (or learning the drums!) come for a consultation about how to preserve their hearing into the future.

Something which brings many people into the clinic is a need to discover whether they are missing the message due to a hearing loss or are they not always paying attention when spoken to and thus miss a few words – in other words, they might not be listening.

This can be a common problem in the home situation when we might have other thoughts to occupy our attention and not be ready to receive the next sentence.

It can be helpful to check your hearing occasionally if you have a medical condition

with Diana Bienvenu audiologist, Wangaratta Audiology

which could increase your chance of developing a hearing loss, such as diabetes or chemotherapy treatment.

We cannot necessarily avoid having a hearing loss, but we don’t need to have a significant communication problem on top of this, as there are some measures which can assist people to remain engaged in their favourite activities.

Many people might comment that they are worried about the size or look of hearing aids – “Everyone will know I have a hearing problem.”

But look at this another way – when you ask for repeats and answer the wrong questions, everyone already knows you have a problem!

Friends and family are usually very supportive of people who decide to improve their communication with a hearing aid trial. Getting the message in background noise is often the first hearing difficulty most people with early signs of hearing loss describe.

If you are noticing this and it is several years since your last hearing test, it is probably time.

Call Wangaratta Audiology on 03 5722 4433 to make an appointment.

After all, everyone deserves to communicate.

Mother’s Day reads – how to choose?

with Happy reading from Edgars Books and News

WITH Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s been ridiculously hard to select just one book for review!

And of course, every mother has different interests and reading tastes.

So, let’s look at a beautiful selection of books that might also give you some Mother’s Day gift ideas for that special person in your life (including yourself).

One Illumined Thread by Sally Colin-James is a beautiful, enthralling and powerful story of three women separated by centuries yet connected by a thread of longing and creative spirit.

Each woman wants something seemingly unattainable and it will take all their courage and determination to achieve it.

For readers of Geraldine Brooks, Maggie O’Farrell and Pip Williams.

West Side Honey by Claire Christian is a sexy and empowering romantic comedy about a single mum whose new week-on weekoff custody schedule allows her to try a bit of everything.

Did I Ever Tell You This?

A Memoir by Sam Neill is an unmissable memoir; revealing, heart-warming and often hilarious, as he

recounts the unpredictable turns of fortune that have defined his life and career.

How To Age Against the Machine by Melissa Doyle and Naima Brown is a joyous, information-packed ride through ageing as a woman, in all its complexity and diversity.

As co-hosts of the popular Age Against the Machine podcast, Melissa and Naima ask all the right questions on thorny topics such as menopause, relationships, work, money, health and sex – with answers that inspire us to age with meaning and purpose.

Mother’s Day Special Offer: buy two books and receive a free Mother’s Day card and gift wrapping.

It’s so hard to recommend gift picks – it’s like choosing your favourite child, so we’ll go with some of our readers’ recommendations.

The Bookbinder of Jericho and The Dictionary of Lost Words (both by Pip Williams);

In Belinda’s Kitchen (Belinda Jeffery) and Bush Flowers (Cassandra Hamilton);

The Remarkable Mrs Reibey (Grantlee Kieza) and Viking Women (Lisa Hannett);

A Woman’s Work (Victoria Purman) and Becoming Mrs Mulberry (Jackie French); Running Strong (Candice Warner) and Motherland (Stephanie Trethewey).

All books are in store and there are plenty more amazing titles and genres to choose from.

So, as they say –something for everyone!

As always, please shop local and bring in a copy of this article to receive 20% off any book purchase.

Mission to save animals

■ From page 1

At the time of bottle feeding all 17 of the kittens, Ms Willis was also caring for a kookaburra, who has now been transported to the Peechelba wildlife rescue and some joeys, who she is still caring for.

Ms Willis and Ms Webster take in all kinds of animals, such as the possum, lizards and turtle Ms Willis currently has, as they believe that de-sexing and rehabilitation is important for all of them and not just regular household pets to save them from being euthanised.

“It’s going to be out of control, if we don’t de-sex those animals now,” Ms Webster said.

“Even the farm animals, when I go to people I can see it myself and the farmers say ‘oh well who cares’ but there’s more and more animals.

“Some people can’t catch them, only with a trap and then they’ll be euthanised.”

Ms Webster also does some work with the Wodonga Dog Rescue helping out with cleaning the cages, making sure the animals have their medication and trying to get them adopted out.

Through working at the rescue, she said she’s seen first hand the cruelty some of the dogs go through as well as the large amount that are surrendered.

“We do have a lot of puppies at the moment that have been dumped and sometimes we have to knock people back because it’s getting full,” she said.

Ms Webster attributes the amount of dogs being surrendered to both the new RSPCA surrender costs and backyard breeders.

“The RSPCA now say they want a surrender fee, can you imagine people wanting to surrender an animal and they have to pay $120, that’s not gonna happen,” she said.

FEATURE STORY

“Because of backyard breeders, we have so many crossed mixes between Staffys, Pitbulls and Mastiffs, all cross mixed and nobody wants them now.

“We even have pure bred German Shepherds no one wants to take home.”

According to Ms Webster, the main way people can help out the Wodonga Dog Rescue is through donations of food and other items for the animals.

As well as her work at home and at the dog rescue, Ms Webster also works for wildlife Victoria.

Her main role with them is to transport the any injured animals she fi nds to a nearby animal rescue centre, including kangaroos.

“If I see a roo on the road and it’s got a joey in it I transport it straight to the Peechelba, Benalla or Beechworth wildlife shelter,” she said.

Ms Webster said while people

may think they get money from the government, they don’t and most of the costs are out of pocket.

“What happens with the wildlife people is if their animal is injured,

their wildlife, it’s in their care, they pay for it,” she said.

“Same with my transport money, I don’t get money for it I get nothing; I do it for the love.”

◆ CUTE KITTENS: Donna Willis and Barbara Webster with some of the kittens they rescued.

PHOTO: Kurt Hickling

There are four positions available with an average of 35 hours per week and two positions available for an average of 20 hours per week.

The hourly rate is $36.00.

FACILITIES TRADESPERSON

About us: Brown Family Wine Group, an innovative family-owned multi brand wine business, is one of Australia’s most loved and trusted wine companies. We have evolved from a single brand to a family of brands that now includes Brown Brothers, Devil's Corner, Pirie, Tamar Ridge and Innocent Bystander. We are a proud and passionate business who are strong on values and culture. We have been certified as "A Great Place to Work" and are committed to honouring this recognition throughout all aspects of the business.

About the role: Reporting to the Facilities Supervisor, you will be responsible for customer service improvement requests, programmed and reactive maintenance of the facilities and buildings, small facility and building upgrades to ensure the buildings and facilities are to a high, safe and functional standard for the internal and external customers and stakeholders.

About you: To be successful, you will have previous experience carrying out commercial maintenance in a similar role or be trade qualified in either mechanical, carpentry/building, plumbing or similar disciplines. You will also be able to demonstrate the following skills and aptitudes:

-Excellent interpersonal and communications skills both written and verbal.

-Computer literate with excellent organisational and time management skills

-Ability to work well autonomously or within a team.

-Highly motivated with a 'can do' attitude and an eye for detail.

-Well presented and customer service focussed.

-Current driver’s license.

What’s on offer:

-Work within one of Australia's leading wine companies

-Career development

-Be part of a passionate and dedicated team

-Generous employee benefits including discounts on all products.

-All tools and equipment provided.

Interested? Apply now by scanning the QR Code below. Scan to Apply

CASUAL PRUNERS REQUIRED

Above Award wages

Generous product discounts available

Immediate start

Large vineyard 35kms Southeast of Wangaratta looking experienced pruners. You must be fit and healthy, have reliable transport and available for the whole season.

Only experienced pruners will be considered.

Please contact Fran on 0457 882 223 for more information.

GREAT JOBS FOR GREAT PEOPLE

The following opportunities now exist for enthusiastic, safety focused people with suitable experience and qualifications. Please visit our website to find out more about current positions available across Mawsons business divisions.

MEDICAL SECRETARY/ RECEPTIONIST

An established specialist medical practice in Wangaratta requires an experienced and wellpresented medical secretary/receptionist. This role will be part time (0.6 EFT) with capacity to increase hours as required. Your responsibilities will be varied and cover all aspects of a busy orthopaedic surgical practice including front desk reception, answering the telephone, patient appointments, liaising with patients and health funds, organising theatre lists, billing, banking and handling other communications. We offer generous remuneration as well as a pleasant working environment.

www.mawsons.com.au/careers/join-us

Start date is Monday 31st July 2023. Applications close 14th May 2023. The successful applicant must have: Medical reception experience

A good working knowledge of the health industry

A high level of professionalism

Excellent communication, people and organisational skills

Capacity to work in a team

Willingness to use initiative and take responsibility

Ability to prioritise tasks

Computer literacy and the capacity to utilise new computer software

Applications and enquiries to:

Mr. Richard Kjar orthokjar@gmail.com

ALPINE SHIRE COUNCIL – JOIN OUR TEAM!

New novels weave magical spells

TWO intriguing new novels from Melbournebased writers focus on forbidden, dangerous magic and its consequences.

‘Nightbirds’ by Kate J Armstrong, a former high school teacher and book editor originally from Virginia who now calls Melbourne home, takes readers into a dazzling fantasy world.

It is set in the city of Simta, full of whispered secrets and political intrigue.

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Magic is outlawed here, but three girls with unusual gifts have the chance to change the status quo.

With its combination of magic, decadence and simmering female anger, Armstrong’s debut novel is set in a 1920s-tinted world which ponders: what if there was a prohibition against magic, and what if the most powerful magic was something only possessed by women?

While magic is illegal in Simta, the well-guarded treasures known as the Nightbirds have the ability to gift their magic to others with a kiss.

However, they find themselves at the heart of a political scheme which

threatens their secrets and their safety.

When they discover what they are truly capable of, they see the carefully crafted Nightbird system for what it is: a gilded cage.

‘The Nightbirds’ has been described by author Amie Kaufman as being “like Gatsby with magic and skyhigh stakes”.

Meanwhile, awardwinning author Lili Wilkinson has also turned her writing talents to fantasy, with her April release, ‘A Hunger of Thorns’.

It tells the story of Maude, a daughter of witches who spent her childhood running wild with her best friend Odette, weaving stories of girls who slayed dragons and saved princes.

Then she grew up and lost her magic, and her best friend.

Storytelling is the only gift that remains.

Maude is sure she can find Odette inside the ruins of Sicklehurst, an abandoned power plant built over an ancient magical forest; a place nobody else seems to remember is there.

The danger is that nobody remembers what remains inside Sicklehurst either… and every good story is sure to have a monster.

Armstrong describes her Allen & Unwin stablemate’s book as “a beautiful, ferocious vine that will work its way inside you and linger”.

*We have copies of both ‘Nightbirds’ and ‘A Hunger of Thorns’ (Allen & Unwin, both RRP $24.99) to give away to one lucky reader.

If you would like a chance to win, simply email skerwin@nemedia.com.au

◆ ‘LIKE GATSBY WITH MAGIC’: ‘Nightbirds’ is the new novel from Melbourne-based writer Kate J Armstrong.

with Dean Ackerly NORTH EAST FASTENERS