"Cruelty defies belief" - QLD Inspector Cameron Buswell

It takes a lot to shock RSPCA Qld Inspector Cameron Buswell. Over the years he’s investigated numerous acts of animal cruelty that have caused community outrage. But even he was stunned at the state of a dog found last Thursday at the Lock and Ross public picnic area. The 18 month old female Staffy cross was found with her muzzle taped shut with electrical wire and her throat slashed.

“The cruelty involved defies belief,” he said. “The poor dog must have been petrified. How she didn’t die is miraculous.”

The RSPCA and the council both received calls about the dog and she was immediately taken to the veterinary surgeon to have her throat stitched. She is recovering well and is currently being cared for by Tina Martin from the Council’s animal management team.

RSPCA Qld is calling on members of the public to come forward if they have any information that may help them establish exactly what happened on the day.

“We don’t know the circumstances behind the attack so any information would be appreciated,” said Inspector Buswell.

Kay Millett – “Glass Under Fire” Exhibition at c1907

Bright, vibrant and unique glass sculptural pieces create an energetic colourful display, contrasting sharply with the stark white exhibition space that is c1907 in the City Place.

Local artist Kay Millett uses bursts of colour to accent the transparent and fluid nature of the glass sculptures, encouraging the transmission of light, thus transfusing them with a life of their own.

“Glass Under Fire” refers to the process of using a kiln to fuse and slump glass to engineer a new creation.  Pieces of glass are fused together in the first firing and once complete, the piece can be left in a flat state, or slumped to give depth and shape.  Faces, busts and bodies in the exhibition have been formed using this slumping technique.

Themes of people, nature and urban landscape are dominant.  “Canefire Across the Barron” refers to an event that once was a regular occurance around Cairns. “Snake Tree” uses a technique that was discovered by Kay and is an innovation in the field of glass art.  Actual snake skin is fired between layers of glass to release the lustre contained within the skin.  This can cause bubbling and explosions – always an impressive result.

A diverse collection comprising one-off creations with large sculptures, smaller pieces and wall art and plates awaits to delight and intrigue the viewer at C1907.  This different and inspiring exhibition will run to 31st July 2010.

Call To Arms - Cancer Council - Help Us Tackle Cancer

One in two men will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85 – it could be you, a colleague, friend or family member.

Every year, there are approximately 12,000 Queensland men diagnosed with cancer and around 4,000 men die from the disease. Call To Arms aims to raise funds and awareness for men’s cancers by encouraging sporting teams to wear a yellow armband for a gold coin donation per player during a match.

The official month for Call To Arms is July, but you can hold a match any time throughout your season. We are asking players from all codes and all levels to take part in Call To Arms. It’s easy, and can help attract even more spectators to your match as well as saves lives.

To register, visit www.calltoarms.com.au or phone 1300 65 65 85

By participating in Call To Arms, you will not only raise vital funds for men’s cancers but you will also help men in your community think about what they can do to prevent cancer. Remember when it comes to cancer we are all on the same team.

Please pass this on to anyone you know who is in a sporting team.

RSPCA Qld - Very disappointing!

 RSPCA Qld has described the sentence handed down to a Kin Kin woman as very disappointing and sending out the wrong message when it comes to animal welfare.

Tina Ramsdell (38) from Kin Kin pleaded guilty in the Gympie Magistrates Court today to failing to provide appropriate treatment for her 10 year old Clydesdale "Pete" and tampering with seized evidence.

The court heard that in December 2007 a vet advised Ms Ramsdell that Pete required surgical intervention in order to avoid losing his eye. In April 2008 Pete first came to the attention of RSPCA Inspector Julia Steley as the eye condition appeared to have remained untreated. However during the investigation Ms Ramsdell and Pete disappeared and were unable to be located by the RSPCA. In July 2009 Pete was finally found after the RSPCA again received a complaint that the horse's eye was infected and untreated.

The Court was told that on that occasion Ms Ramsdell was given an animal welfare direction to seek veterinary attention for Pete whose eye infection  had clearly got worse and he had pus streaming down his head. She was given instructions by the RSPCA based on veterinary advice. However she refused to follow this advice.

The RSPCA decided to seize the horse and it has been in RSPCA care for 8 months. After treatment with antibiotics, a tumor, the mass of which was larger than the vet’s hand, was pulled from behind the eye. Pete was left blind in the affected eye. Veterinary advice received by RSPCA was that had the tumour been treated earlier the horse would most likely have retained his sight. Pete has been in foster care since the operation.

Ms Ramsdell was fined $500, ordered to pay RSPCA costs of $4600 - both amounts have been referred to SPER - and the Magistrate ordered the horse be returned to her.

“We’re very disappointed with the result,” said Assistant Chief Inspector Tracey Jackson. “We have very real concerns for the future well being of the horse." 

Coral Sea Dreaming - Awaken

The Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC), Plankton Productions and End Credits Film Club will be presenting Coral Sea Dreaming - Awaken in Cairns at the Tanks Art Centre in June.

World renowned Reef Expert Professor Charlie Veron will talk about our greatest marine threats and cinematographer David Hannan will introduce his new and stunning film.

Coral Sea Dreaming – Awaken enters into the very heart of life – and death – on a coral reef. It is a story that spans 500 million years and stars some of the most exotic and wondrous marine creatures on earth. Coral is the planets greatest natural architect, and coral reefs boast the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem.

Emmy Award-winning cinematographer David Hannan has filmed for 7 years to create this magnificent testimony to our extraordinary undersea world, set to an original score by Tania Rose. We meet thousands of reef inhabitants, from ancient turtles to feeding sharks, adorably pygmy seahorses and savage sea slugs, witness a manta ray ballet and courting octopus.

Specialised state-of-the-art High Definition technology captures these lives with unprecedented intimacy, illustrating elaborate courtship displays, mating rituals, feeding frenzies, intense nighttime predation, cannibalism and chemical warfare. Many of the sequences have never been filmed before. Some may never be filmed again. Corals have survived 5 mass extinctions. But can they survive us?

Filmed over 2000 dives on three great coral reef ecosystems; The Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef and Papua New Guinea, Coral Sea Dreaming – Awaken is a celebration of reefs now under threat of climate change and ocean acidification. There is much to be done to safeguard these precious ecosystems for future generations. And very little time to do it.

COOKTOWN DISCOVERY FESTIVAL

The Cooktown Discovery Festival is held annually here in Cooktown Far North Queensland. The uniquness of our community is showcased during the Festival where our joint cultures and history are presented to the people of Australia during the Re-enactment of the Landing of Captain Cook here on the banks of the Endeavour River in 1770 after his ship  was holed on the Great Barrier Reef. This is the location of the first European settlement on the east coast of Australia when Cook and his crew spent 48 days here repairing the  HMB Endeavour so they could make the journey back to England and report their finding of this continent to King George the Third, paving  the way for what was to become the First Settlement at Botany Bay,eighteen years later. Cook states in his journal that there was nowhere in their entire journey that would have afforded them the same relief.The Endeavour  would not  have been repaired and wouldn't have returned to England to report their  findings to the British Admiralty.All the people of  our community are  working side by side to present our unique history to the world.There are many activities which will take place during the Festival  but  there are two events which are major highlights.The Re-enactment of the Landing of Captain Cook here on the banks  of the Endeavour River  shows how Joseph Banks and his botanical team spent hours interacting  with the Guugu Yimithirr and Kuku Yalanji Bama. Banks and his men painstakingly recorded the language of the Indigenous  people of this country for the very first time.Cook's men sighted the  kangaroo[ganguru] for the first time. They also recorded for the first time  a dingo, flying fox,  crocodile [alligator]and many more new  animal species. Banks collected almost half of his Australian Botanical Collection here, all of which were new to science up until that time. The second major event is the Malguri [Corroboree]. A story in song and dance told from the Indigenous viewpoint,  depicting a meeting of the  Indigenous people of the region who came together to tell their stories of the visit of the European's to these shores. This is a very unique place in the histoy of Australia and by working together we present  it jointly from both the Indigenous and  European viewpoints so that the people of Australia become more aware for the unique events which took place right here at Wayambur. [The meeting place.]  For event details   http://aroundcairns.com.au/tnq-whats-on/view_detail-151.html

Location: Cooktown Far North Queensland Contact: Loretta Sullivan,

For further information about Sponsoring an event, market stalls and other activities go to our web site  www.cooktowndiscoveryfestival.com.au Email contactinfo@cooktowndiscoveryfestival.com.au  Loretta Sullivan Secretary Cooktown Discovery Festival