SPEAKER: So today,
Dr. Chris Brown-- I
think, as you all know, he's
one of Australia's best-known
veterinarians.
You have seen him, possibly,
as a co-host on the project,
or perhaps co-hosting
on "The Living Room,"
or "I'm a Celebrity...
Get Me Out of Here!" as well as
the recent show he was part of,
which is good fun.
And "Bondi Vet," I
think, is the one
that we all know him mostly for.
And today, he's
gonna be chatting
about some work he's been
doing across Australia,
as part of a Keep Australia
Pet Friendly campaign.
It's an important topic
for us here at Google.
Just last week, we had our own
Bring Your Dog to Work Day.
And we had something
about 40 or 50 dogs
in the office,
which was good fun.
And a nice class photo--
bit of a selfie as well,
with one of the dogs,
which was good fun.
But actually, what
people might not know
is that in Google's
code of conduct,
we actually list Google
as a dog company.
It actually says,
Google's affection
for our canine friends
is an integral facet
of our corporate culture.
We like cats, but
we're a dog company.
So as a general rule, we feel
cats visiting our offices
will be fairly stressed out.
So yes.
Unfortunately, no cats
in the office just yet.
Dogs, we're working on.
But Dr. Chris Brown
is here to share
a bit of what he's been doing
to try to make Australia
a place where pets can roam
free and be part of what we're
doing, and the benefits of,
you know, why having pets
is so great, and how the
government, workplaces,
and all of us can help make
Australia more pet-friendly.
There's some Q&A at the end, so
feel free to raise your hand.
We'll bring a microphone around.
There's a [INAUDIBLE]
as well, which people
have submitted questions to.
Without further ado, we'll play
a quick video to introduce him.
And then, please welcome to
the stage Dr. Chris Brown.
[APPLAUSE]
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-All research
suggests that our pets
are good to both our physical
and also our emotional health.
So the news that our pet
populations are declining
is obviously a concern.
The big surprise here is that
despite our human population
in Australia really increasing
over the last few decades,
our pets have done the opposite.
See, it's 2001.
Our cat numbers have
declined by 15.5%,
whereas dog numbers
peaked in 2009,
and since then,
have also dropped.
So I'm here in Bondi
today to release
the result of the pet
positive score, which
is all about getting a
snapshot into our pet society,
seeing exactly how
people perceive
our pet ownership
in the country,
and how friendly our cities are.
So the score as to how
pet-friendly a city is,
is worked out through a
number of different ways.
We've surveyed over 3,000
people to see their attitudes
towards the city they live in.
And we're really looking at how
inclusive the society they live
in is, actually, towards pets--
so how many pet-friendly parks
there are, pet-friendly
beaches, and, I guess,
how easy it is to own a pet
in an apartment, and also,
looking at the
regulations around pets
from the local council.
[LAUGHTER]
-Lulu is everything.
Lulu is my life.
She is the best thing to come
home to, because she's always
happy to see us.
I think everyone
should have a dog.
-So there are, at least,
two to three decades or more
of accumulated
research and evidence
to show us that pets provide
a whole host of benefits,
whether they're physical,
social, mental, or other types.
For example, we know
that physical activity is
one way that pets contribute.
Taking the dog for
a walk each day
is such a great
way to get active.
-And when you're
walking around, you
meet people that you
normally would walk past,
because we all stop and talk
to each other-- of all ages
and walks of life.
-At Mars, we're committed
to making a better world
for pets, because we know they
make our lives so much better.
And that's why we're
here, launching
this pet-positive school,
which looks at the nine
different attributes for
cities that will make them
pet-friendly--
things like access
to outdoor exercise areas,
pet-friendly legislation,
and accommodation availability.
And we've done a
lot of research,
and that research has
identified those attributes,
but it's also ranked
Australian cities in terms
of their pet-friendliness.
-There's some
surprising news in here,
and for a Sydneysider
like me, there's also
some rather confronting news.
Because Sydney
hasn't done so well.
It comes in at 15 out of 16.
So Melbourne scored
top, at number one,
then we have Canberra,
and also the Gold Coast.
So over all, Sydney has a
little bit of thinking to do.
So if there's one wish, it's
that as Australians, we all
work together to
make sure we stay--
and hopefully, become
even more-- pet-friendly.
[END PLAYBACK]
CHRIS BROWN: All
right, well, thank
you very much for
having me in here today.
I should, straight
away, apologize
for missing out last week.
I, like a good Labrador, went
down with an ear infection,
and, like a good
vet, decided to treat
myself, which was mildly
successful for, about,
two or three days, until I
realized that the bugs that
affect people don't actually
affect animals, and vice versa.
So I had to go to
a human doctor,
reluctantly, and
be treated by him.
He was very good, but each time
he put anything near my ear,
I compulsorily kicked my
leg out wherever I could,
just to let him
know how it feels.
But look, I'm here
to talk about how
we keep Australia pet-friendly.
And obviously, in
that video, there
were some interesting
statistics around where
we're at the moment, and
probably a few surprises.
It's something I'm
very passionate about,
and I'm passionate about
it for quite a few reasons,
as you're about to hear now.
But before we go on, I want you
to go back just a few hours,
to when you first
woke up this morning.
And just think about
when you first work up.
Probably, like 60% or
70% of the population,
you probably rolled over
and checked your phone,
and had a look
through social media.
You saw what was
making news, saw
whose birthday it was today.
You, sort of, caught
up on the world.
And when you did
that-- probably,
while you did
that-- you probably
scrolled past updates
around pets' birthdays,
and probably, in the
case of a few of you,
scrolled past social media
profiles for animals.
Some of them have a lot
more followers than I do,
which I'm a little bit
resentful of, and a lot more
followers than, to be honest,
a lot of people in Australia.
So I think there's a-- Jiffpom?
Do you guys know Jiffpom?
Very popular-- a
little Pomeranian,
looks like a teddy bear, 2.9
million Instagram followers.
There's Tuna-- Tuna the
Dog, whose greatest talent--
not that I'm bitter-- is
nothing apart from an overbite.
1.9 million followers
for that underbite.
But it's an interesting
observation.
And then, I'm sure, once you
got up and you got out of bed
and headed off to work on
your bus or on the train,
you're probably bombarded
with ads that featured dogs
selling everything
from toilet paper
to laundry cleaner
and laundry detergent.
And then, you made your
way into work here,
and you come into a
pet-friendly workplace,
where you see dogs
in the office.
And you hope those
dogs are the hairiest
and the smelliest members
of the workforce in Google,
but you're not entirely sure.
And over the course
of those few hours,
you're probably
entitled to think
that perhaps, our world
is dominated by pets,
and pets have a really
important place.
And there's a lot of love for
pets out there in Australia.
But as you're about to
hear, dogs like Jiffpom,
dogs like Tuna, are about to
learn a very important lesson,
that sometimes, the
number of Instagram
followers you have doesn't
relate to the number of friends
you have, in real life.
Because unfortunately,
our policies as a nation
don't really show a lot of
love and a lot of friendship
towards our pets.
And there's a bit
of a disconnect
there, because we simply love
animals, but our policies,
our governments, and the
way we legislate them don't
show a lot of love in return.
So I guess that's the
whole crux of what
I'm keen to talk about today.
The whole idea of
pet-friendliness
is something you
hear about a lot.
What we're referring to is
touched on in the video.
We're talking, about how
inclusive is our world?
And how inclusive are our
communities of animals?
So if you have a
pet, how easy is it
to go down to the local dog
park, take them off the leash,
and let them run around
in an enclosed space
and burn off that extra energy?
How easy is it, if you own a dog
or a cat, to rent an apartment?
How easy is it to take your
dog or cat to the local cafe?
Or if you don't
have a car and need
to go to the vet, how easy is
it to hop onto a bus or a train
or get a taxi and go to bed?
And for a lot of
those questions,
the answer is, not very.
And certainly, in Australia,
when you compare it
to the rest of the world,
especially when you look
at North America
and Europe, there
are some quite
stark differences.
I don't know if many of you
have traveled recently and been
to, say, North America
or to France, to Germany,
or to the UK.
It's amazing how often you
see pets in everyday life.
I was in Italy, three weeks
ago, and sat next to a pug
on a plane.
[LAUGHTER]
And he snored, but
he didn't smell.
And he was actually--
to be honest,
he was quieter than 99% of
the other passengers on board.
So it's only when
you stop and think,
and you go, hang on, why
does that happen over there,
and why don't we have that
here, that you start to think,
what's going on?
And I guess the
consequence of it
being, maybe, not
as easy to give pets
the life that we want them to
lead and that we think they
deserve by being included
in our everyday life--
[LAUGHTER]
I don't know what
that sound was,
but I'll be cleaning
it up later.
I'm sure.
The consequence of us not being
able to give them the love
and, I guess, the life we think
they deserve is the fact that--
or perhaps, our pet populations
are decreasing for that reason.
And they're quite
startling numbers--
the fact that our cat numbers
have decreased by 15%,
and our dog numbers are
starting to fall as well.
So for a nation that prides
itself on being pet lovers--
and we easily refer to our
pets as being our best mates--
it's quite a stunning discovery,
I think, to actually hear that.
So I think I'm very
keen to look at why,
and try to reverse this
trend now, before it
is too late to turn it around.
So probably, you
might have been told
to ask here, why
is it such an issue
if we're not pet-friendly?
Why is it such an
issue if we don't
have as many pets in
our everyday lives
as we have in the past?
Well, I guess, the
way I look at it
is that our pets are, kind
of, like the furry friends
with benefits.
And they do make our lives
better across so many
different areas, whether it's
just our happiness-- they tend
to have this unique ability to
show us how we should approach
life and how we should just let
the worries of the world wash
over us.
If you could live your
days like a dog does,
with the exception of
licking certain parts,
it would be a happy day.
You know, their attitude
and their easygoing style
are something that, I think, we
should all take a leaf out of.
But also, our pets
are continually
proven to make us healthier.
And this isn't just wishy-washy
stuff that, you know,
I feel better when
I'm around a dog.
It's actually hard,
scientific fact
that pets have a
positive influence
in our health at all ages.
So for kids, as young
as one year of age,
having a pet in the house
results in a reduced
risk ear infections, reduced
reliance on antibiotics,
reduced level of asthma, and
also, reduced level of colds
as well.
So that's an amazing
statistic, when you look at it,
and it's backed up by a
number of different studies.
When you go into
adults, our pets
have a very dramatic effect
on our cardiovascular health.
So we're generally fitter and
healthier if we own animals.
They've actually been
proven in some studies
to-- despite not
wearing activewear,
they're actually the most
effective personal trainers
out there.
And I'll get to why
that is, in a second.
But for the
elderly-- personally,
I think the facts
around the elderly
are probably the most dramatic.
Because the elderly-- people,
say, over the age of 65,
visit the doctor less.
They make fewer hospital visits,
they take less medication,
and they experience less
loneliness, if they have a pet.
And when you consider
our aging population,
and you consider what our
health budgets look like,
and you realize just
how much money has
to be put into supporting
our elderly, you think, wow,
for the price of a bowl
of dog food each day,
you could actually have that
positive health benefit.
I just think, to me,
it's an amazing trade-off
to be able to offer that.
There's a lot of science around
why those benefits exist.
You can probably condense
it down to two things,
in terms of the health benefits.
It's really the
constant exposure
to non-threatening bugs.
So if you're around
a dog, you're
getting bombarded with
non-threatening bugs that
really struggle to infect you.
So your immune system
becomes hard and fast
at recognizing
bacteria and viruses,
and dodging it, weaving
it, working out how
to deal with it, and moving on.
So constant exposure to
non-threatening bugs--
and in terms of the
health benefits,
it's constant exposure to
non-threatening bugging
from them wanting a walk.
It's very hard to
say, no, to a dog that
is sitting in front of you,
begging you to go for a walk.
And as a result, we give in.
But it's a compromise that has
really significant benefits
for each of us.
One of the-- I'm exposed to
hundreds of different studies
every year, and the one I
love-- it actually came out
a couple of years ago.
And it was from Kyoto
University in Japan.
Now, I love the Japanese.
They can come up with some
really interesting research,
but this research
centered around--
they wanted to work
out whether how
we love our pets, whether
it's just us saying it-- is it
just something we talk about?
Do we just love our pets because
they're there, they're cute,
and they give us
extra Instagram likes?
Or is it something
more tangible?
And they actually put
owners into a room,
and they monitored.
They actually took samples
from them-- samples of saliva--
and measured their
hormonal levels.
What they found is, when they
brought their pets in and put
their pets in front of them
and let them pat their pets,
they released a
hormone, consistently.
And that hormone is oxytocin.
And oxytocin, if you
know what that is,
is actually the hormone
that we, as humans,
release when we
see our loved ones
and when we see our children.
So it's a chemical thing.
It's real.
The love for a pet is very real.
The flip side of
that, which I love,
is the fact that they
then did the opposite,
and actually measured the
levels in dogs and in pets.
And guess what?
It goes both ways.
They actually release
the hormone as well--
[LAUGHTER]
--which is, kind of,
reassuring in a way.
They're not cheating on you.
So it's a very special
thing, but it's also
a very tangible thing.
And so you're getting a
picture, I guess, of the fact
that there are benefits
across the line,
in terms of the physical
health benefits.
But I think a really
powerful benefit out there
in the community, which is often
undervalued but is becoming
more researched
and more recognized
is the benefit on mental health.
And you'll see a lot
of dogs out there
that are in the role of being
assistance dogs or therapy
dogs.
And the work they're doing
currently with kids with autism
is quite remarkable.
We're still not exactly clear
why pets and animals-- dogs,
horses, all sorts of
different animals--
have a positive effect
on kids with autism.
But the belief is that
it changes the brain wave
activity and results in a more
controlled brain wave activity.
I've had the pleasure of having
a client at work who suffers
from extreme schizophrenia.
And he has been in therapy,
he's been institutionalized,
and he's been on
multiple medications
over a number of years.
But about seven years ago, he
got two dogs, Oscar and Dudley.
And he comes into the clinic,
about, every three days,
and just loves it.
He always turns up
with these two dogs.
And I had the pleasure of
talking to one of his carers
the other day, and I said,
oh, talk to me about the dogs.
And they said, hands down,
the most positive effect
on his life hasn't
been medication,
has not been our
hospital system.
It's been those two dogs.
Because in his extreme
schizophrenic state,
where he has disordered
thoughts and isn't
really sure about what he's
doing next, what those dogs do
is provide him with a very
clear path and a very clear plan
for his day.
And his day starts by getting
them up, getting them outside,
going to the bathroom,
and feeding them.
And the whole day is
built around these dogs,
and he goes out and
takes them for a walk.
And they say that without fail,
those dogs have saved his life,
but also turned his life around.
And these are just
two dogs who seem
to, like a lot of
animals that I deal with
and a lot of animals that I see
in therapy situations or even
just in your everyday
home, seem to know
what's required of them.
And that's a really, I
think, undervalued thing
with our pets.
Somehow, they know.
Somehow, they seem to
sense when you're happy,
they seem to sense
when you're sad,
and they seem to know
when is the right time
to put that little
nose on your lap,
when's the right time to
just give you some space,
or when's the right time to
try to turn your mood around.
And I think that's a really,
really special thing.
So I would hope that given
the fact that in Australia, we
do pride ourselves
in being a world
leader in a number
of different areas,
I would hope that we
can somehow reverse
this trend, where
we're not a world
leader in pet-friendliness.
We gave you some of
the scores there,
and the fact that
Sydney was 15 out of 16
in the pet-friendly
scores-- well,
Australia ranks right
down, quite low,
overall, as a country.
So it's something we
do need to look at.
And as I said, Europe
and North America
are, kind of, your
gold standard.
And they're not experiencing
this issue with pet population
decline like we are.
I was in Canada towards
the end of last year,
staying in a nice
hotel for work,
and as I was
walking to the lift,
a golden retriever
walked into the lift
with me, with its owner,
and went up to its room.
And you know, I wasn't
deterred by that.
I loved it.
But this hotel was quite
happy to have animal guests.
Anyone that's traveled
to France will
know that when
you go into cafes,
it's not out of the ordinary
to sit up next to a poodle
while you have your croissant.
And I think, far from
detracting from the experience,
it actually adds to it.
It actually makes it more of
a pleasant, cultural moment
to enjoy.
So I guess we have to
look at, why is that?
Why do those countries decide
to focus on the positives
rather than fear the negatives.
I think, sometimes, in
Australia, we can do that.
A classic example-- I'm not
sure if you followed in the news
the fact that a few months ago,
the newly formed Inner West
Council in Sydney decided
to ban dogs from the pubs.
So after years and
years and years
of dogs being allowed to go
into pubs around Balmain,
all of a sudden, the
council decided, no.
On occupational health
and safety grounds,
the dogs would now
no longer be allowed
around food areas-- so not
allowed in any part of the pub.
The absurdity of
that is something
that grabs me straight away.
When you can see
that on a health--
if a health basis is
what's being used there,
pets have their bugs
and we have ours.
It's actually very hard
for those to cross over.
So to think that there's a
health risk around pets being
in a restaurant or near where
people are eating food--
it's far more dangerous to have
a person being near the food
than it is to have a
dog being near the food.
I'm hesitant to say this when
there's a couple cameras on,
but it would be far
more safe for me
to have a dog lick my face and
lick my mouth than a person I
don't know.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm not going to give a
demonstration right now,
but that is a simple
scientific fact.
And so it's an interesting
mental image, to be honest.
But it does stack up,
time and time again,
on scientific studies.
People are very passionate
about their pets,
so I've been encouraged
by the push-back
on that idea of banning the
pets in pubs in Balmain.
But continually,
I do find, there
are little moments
in our society,
where we have to check it.
And we have to have a look at it
and go, hang on, is that right?
Banning the pets
in the pubs is one,
but we even had an
example last month,
with the census, that
highly successful census.
[LAUGHTER]
So what we had there
was-- in the past,
some census in some
years have actually
included questions about pets.
How many pets do
we have out there?
What pets do people own?
This year-- not a
single question.
So considering that the
pets are such a huge part
of our communities, how
can we possibly plan
for communities involving
pets if we don't even
know how many pets there are
out there and where they live?
So as a result of that, I
launched my own pet census
that night, almost in defiance.
And 100,000 people filled
it out in the space
of 48 hours, which is a
remarkable contribution
of people clearly recognizing
that that's not quite right.
But it also shows how
passionate people are
and how willing people are
to make sure that their pets'
voices are heard.
And amongst all of
the different data
about how many different
pets people owned
and where they lived and where
they exercised their pets,
there were some really
interesting things
which really show how much love
there is for animals out there.
40% of people share their
beds with their pets.
I was just talking before
about sharing saliva.
That's a lot of pillows being
shared and a lot of wet patches
that-- on the pillow--
you can't quite explain.
And you just go back to sleep
and think, well, hopefully,
it's my drool and not his.
So the other thing was, what's
the most affectionate way
that people show their
love for their pets?
I asked the question, do
people pat, do they hug,
or do they kiss?
The most popular was the kiss.
I think it was 40%, then
30% for the other two.
So there is a lot of love.
And so hopefully, if
government, at a federal level,
at a state level,
and at a local level,
can recognize the fact that pets
do make a huge contribution out
there, that they deserve
to be recognized,
that they deserve to be
given their little slice,
and that they deserve to
be given the pat in return
for what they contribute to
our society, to our health,
and to our well-being--
and consistently, I
find that the more we
give them, the more they
give us back in return.
If people are worried about pets
barking during the day, when
you're at work,
well, funnily enough,
access to an exercise
area in the morning
before you go to work may just
be the best cure for that.
So if we actually help them
out, and help them help us,
then often, we're better off.
So I am encouraged
to come in here
and see these four-legged
friends sharing
the office with you.
Obviously, Google's
right on board.
And hopefully, more and
more people out there
will recognize the importance of
keeping Australia pet-friendly.
So thank you for your time.
And I look forward to
talking with you after this,
about your own concerns.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
That was fantastic.
I like the idea of
having a pet census.
Because I know my
girlfriend and I,
we argue about whether or
not the cat and the dog
can go in the bed.
And so I think the 40%
is about representative.
We sort of have an argument
about that each time.
CHRIS BROWN: It
was 40% on the bed.
It was another 25%
in the bedroom.
So you can find, like,
a compromise position,
where they have their
own bed next to the bed.
But we all know how that ends.
[LAUGHTER]
At about midnight,
there's a little, sort of,
slow crawl upwards--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
SPEAKER: Exactly.
And then, they're, like, up by
the pillow in a few seconds.
Yeah.
CHRIS BROWN: I know--
and look, maybe
I'm, sort of, looking
towards the future here,
but I know plenty of
people who have been told--
and I hate to put words in your
mouth-- that it's either you
or the dog in the bed.
So you know, you can choose.
That's just how it goes.
SPEAKER: I know.
I know.
So I don't mind the cat sort of,
roaming, but the dog, for me,
has to be towards the end.
But look, you know,
these are things.
But we did our own
little survey here.
We had the Bring Your Dog
to Work Day last week.
And we, sort of, asked
people at the end of it,
you know, what did
you find useful?
How did it all go?
And 50% of people said, they
found that public transport
was a big challenge for them.
So they like actually found
it hard to get their dogs
even to the office.
So they wanted to bring
them, but they couldn't.
You know, the
conversations you're
having with the government,
and that sort of thing--
how are you finding
their responding
to that sort of challenge, like
trains, the buses, and ferries?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
I guess, the key message
out of any of this push
to open up the avenues for pets
to be more included in society
is that it does go both ways.
People have to be
responsible, and they
have to be good
owners, and they have
to pick up after their pets.
If you have a dog that wants to
jump up and hug and, you know,
tongue pash every
single person it meets,
and it weighs 60 kilos, maybe
it's not the perfect candidate
to be going on public
transport just yet.
So you have to almost
self-regulate a little bit.
And we're very clear
in our messaging--
this will only work if people
are responsible as well.
But we are making progress.
And for the simple
fact that, I think,
government does
recognize that there
are some significant
benefits out there,
and we have been caught behind,
really, the rest of the world.
And if we are looking for people
to use more public transport,
the people in the community--
it's not their fault
that they don't
have a car, where
we're trying to encourage people
to use public transport and not
necessarily need cars.
So that's got to include
the whole family,
and that includes pets.
And look, there are votes in it.
At this simple level, I do
believe there are votes in it.
I think people-- 67% of
people out there own a pet.
So generally, people
aren't offended
if we loosen up the regulations
around where pets can go.
But people are really thrilled
if you do it for their animal.
SPEAKER: You've mentioned
quite a few countries
during your talk of where you've
seen this working really well.
Are there countries that
have the best in class?
Is it France, or is it--
CHRIS BROWN: France
is pretty good.
Yeah, like, northern
Europe is quite good.
Canada is actually very
impressive, I find.
Its across the border.
It's in terms of
legislation, and it's
in terms of how they influence
their registration practices
with pets and micro-chipping
and de-sexing,
and all the rest of it.
But generally, northern Europe
and northern North America
are where it's at.
Further north you go,
the better it seems.
SPEAKER: We had some
fun questions as well
that came through.
So Australia has many
unique animals, locally,
but a lot of them, you
can't have as pets.
This person listed a pet quoll,
a wombat, and a sugar glider,
and asked, how can
we raise awareness
of these beautiful animals, and
how can we change the laws so
that they can also be pets?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
SPEAKER: Where's the
line drawn, basically?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah, I know.
It's a tricky one.
Some of those animals that are
mentioned there-- the quoll
is our native cat.
Yeah.
You want to be pretty
selective about which
quoll you take home.
[LAUGHTER]
The thing we often forget
about with dogs and cats--
and especially in
the case of dogs--
is that they didn't
just turn up.
We haven't just
decided one day that we
want to keep a dog as a pet.
We've been domesticating
dogs for 10,000 years.
So they're such great pets
because we made them that way.
And you wouldn't just grab a
wolf and expect to raise a wolf
puppy, and think that the wolf
puppy-- it'd be awesome, but--
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER: And dingoes
stole my baby stuff.
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
Well, that's the thing.
Like, dingoes are
an example of that.
They, generally, as a rule,
don't make great pets,
because they're
not domesticated.
And so we've chosen,
as the attributes--
we've generally chosen the calm,
responsible, quieter ones that
are affectionate.
So to have quolls
or sugar gliders
as pets-- you can get lucky.
You can get one that's very
tame and very, very quiet,
but as a general
rule, there's always
going to be one in two or
one in three, at least,
that's not going to be suitable
and might ruin it for everyone.
SPEAKER: It's such
a shame, though,
because sugar
gliders are so cute.
CHRIS BROWN: They are.
SPEAKER: At least,
they're around,
and you can go and visit them.
CHRIS BROWN: They're remarkably
popular in the States as well.
SPEAKER: Really?
CHRIS BROWN: People
actually have them
as pets in the States.
SPEAKER: Right.
Yeah.
Well, I think a
controversial question
someone asked was about cats.
So obviously, I,
sort of, prefaced
by saying that
we're a dog company.
But someone did ask, cats, while
being one of Australia's most
favorite pets, are
hugely destructive
to native Australian animals.
And they suggest,
you know, how can we
encourage people to make sure
their cats aren't roaming all
the time, or to be more
responsible about how
they deal with cats.
CHRIS BROWN: I actually
think we give cats
a hard time in this country.
We're one of the few
developed nations--
we might be the
only one or there
might be one other
country-- where
cat ownership is declining.
In every other
country in the world,
as we move into smaller
areas, into apartments,
everyone else has recognized the
suitability of cats for that.
And as a result, cat
numbers have increased,
apart from in Australia.
And I think it's the
wildlife thing that
causes that, which is a shame.
And certainly, cats are to blame
for a huge number of wildlife
fatalities.
When you look at the studies,
though, the vast majority
of those are feral cats.
Your domestic home cat accounts
for a small percentage of that.
It's still too high, obviously.
But that's why we're saying it's
part of being a responsible dog
owner.
You keep a fenced backyard.
With a cat, keep them inside
or keep them in an enclosed cat
area outside.
If you do the responsible
thing, then there's
no reason why cats
can't be as popular
as dogs in this country.
They can be amazing,
amazing pets.
I've got a cat, myself,
who was, to be fair,
was raised with a dog
and thinks she is a dog.
[LAUGHTER]
And she's great.
You know, and YouTube
can't be wrong.
Look at how many cat videos that
are out there that are popular.
I saw one last night of
kittens massaging each other.
And that's adorable.
[LAUGHTER]
How can you not like that?
My cat, Cricket, has an
obsessive compulsive massaging
disorder, where,
if I leave her--
if I don't-- she actually
doesn't sleep in my room,
for one simple fact that at 2:00
AM, 3:00 AM, 4:00 AM, 5:00 AM,
she massages.
She gets into my room
and just sits there.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER: She thinks she's
going to be of service--
CHRIS BROWN: Like,
you're never more relaxed
than you are at two
o'clock in the morning.
I do not need a massage at
two o'clock in the morning.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER: No.
Fair.
And on the point of these
social media stars-- like,
I had a quick look.
Jiffpom had a hoodie photo
that had hundreds of thousands
of likes.
And I looked at the
overbite of Tuna the Dog.
How can we, sort of,
use-- if any of us
have really cute pets or
big Instagram followers,
how can help try and push this
forward, this sort of campaign?
I've seen it's got hundreds
of posts on the hashtag,
already on Instagram
and that sort of stuff.
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
I think-- how do you boost the
popularity of your own pets
online?
SPEAKER: Well,
that, too, but also
to get people talking about
this idea of making Australia
more pet-friendly and
that sort of thing.
CHRIS BROWN: Look,
I think there's
a real innocence
around our animals
and I think this is
what they'd want.
You know?
They really would, and they're
clearly right behind it.
And I just think that given
all the love and all benefits
that they give us, I think it's
only fair that we give them
something in return.
And that's what the whole
pet-friendly campaign is about.
It's just giving them something.
And they actually
don't ask for a lot.
And if we actually give the
dogs an off-leash area--
those enclosed
areas-- the amount
of energy they burn off in a
20-minutes run around there--
they'll generally sleep
for the rest of the day.
So it's actually giving us
something back in return,
in the way that
they're more content.
They're less likely
to be stressed
when we're away at work.
So a lot of these
measures are not
just about making Australia
more pet-friendly.
They're actually about
our pets being more
relaxed an better off as well.
SPEAKER: Well, [INAUDIBLE]
questions in the room, too.
So just raise your hand, and
we'll bring over a mic to you.
AUDIENCE: Hi.
I'm Marin, I'm
French, and I've just
moved to Australia last year.
And I happen to live in
a pet-friendly block.
I don't have a pet.
But it's probably the
only block in Coogee
in, about, a kilometer
radius that is pet-friendly.
And the rule to be able to
have a pet in that block
is, the pet has to be less than
half the height of your calf.
So if you have, like, a
pet that goes to your knee,
you can't have the apartment.
CHRIS BROWN: I'm quite
tall, I could [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
You'd be fine.
But yeah, my really good
friend had a Doberman.
Obviously, she couldn't
get the apartment.
So is that something
as well, that-- like,
I only had a cat in France, and
cats are no problem for pets
in France.
But is that something that
you're looking at as well,
to work with the governments
to change the strata
rules and the renting rules?
Because it's pretty much
impossible to have a pet here.
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
So the push at the
moment-- the current rule
is that it's up to the
landlord to decide,
and that's unfortunately
almost the-- that block
is the exception to the rule.
I mean, generally, a
lot of apartment owners
are saying, no.
But what we're
trying to push for
is to actually switch it
around so the landlord has
to give a reason why not,
as opposed to you having
to push your case as to why.
And that's an
ongoing discussion,
and it's a hard one.
But what you're saying with
the height being the issue--
even that is a
little frustrating.
Because anyone that
knows dogs knows
that a small dog like,
say, Jack Russell,
will have more energy than
a big dog like a Great Dane,
for example, and will
be, actually, probably,
more inclined to bark
and more inclined to be
destructive in an apartment.
So it doesn't make sense.
And that's probably
the frustration.
It's that a lot of these
rules aren't based on fact,
and aren't based on
science or research.
And the only way you
can change these things
is by actually having
face-to-face meetings
and informing them in
a non-threatening way,
as to why their policy
probably needs a bit of a look.
SPEAKER: And a Jack
Russell doesn't
know that it's a small dog.
It thinks it's a big dog.
You know?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
Exactly.
Generally, I know
a lot of big dogs
that would be
happier in apartments
than some small dogs, which
is, kind of, counter-intuitive,
but it's true.
AUDIENCE: Thanks, doctor.
What are you--
CHRIS BROWN: Thank you, Joe.
[LAUGHTER]
AUDIENCE: --wanting
the pet lovers to do?
Is it to lobby their member
and get a bit more active?
What are you actually wanting,
in terms of action from people?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
It's a good question.
Thanks, Joe.
I think we're dealing
with politicians,
so it's making them realize that
the votes are involved here.
It's writing letters
to the newspaper.
The Telegraph has
been right behind,
trying to stir up the
issue with the pets
in the pubs in the Inner West.
They love opinion pieces
because they realize
that it's a passionate topic.
And so get involved.
Start lobbying people, yourself.
Use the Keep Australia
Pet-Friendly hashtag
on your social media posts.
And certainly, keep
all the feedback
coming around on what
is important to you
and your local area.
Because we're in a
fortunate position
where we can collate that and
actually make presentations
to government.
But if it's more than just
us that's in their ear,
if it's actually members
of their own electorates,
then it's a lot more powerful.
We met with the heads of local
government a couple of months
ago, so all the mayors
and local councils
from around the country.
And in the one month
since that meeting,
they've put in eight new
off-leash area parks.
They do listen, but
their big feedback
was, they didn't
understand why there
was this buzz around
off-leash area parks.
They didn't really understand
why they are important.
And it just takes people
to sit down with them
and explain the
benefits for them
to go, oh, OK, so that's
why they want the fences,
because we couldn't work out
why they wanted the fences.
We thought that it always
looked strange to have
a fence in there, but that's
actually what you want.
OK, all right.
And a lot of those
parks came about
because people were lobbying
their local government.
They were starting up petitions.
Even just those Change.orgs,
those online petitions--
it's amazing the amount
of support they get.
If you can present a couple
of hundred signatures
to your local government or a
couple of thousand signatures
to a state government,
they start to listen.
SPEAKER: A local
council and park
at a time, and then
hopefully, more will join.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Chris.
Thanks for coming in.
With regards to pets
being allowed or trying
to get them to be allowed
to come on public transport
and things, I often see
people taking their dogs
and having to leave
them or their animals--
having to leave them
outside of shopping centers.
Is there any way
that you're going
to be speaking to the
big shopping bugles
and things like that?
Because they are on the
other side of the government.
It's really, again, like
the units in apartments.
It's a matter of
the owner deciding.
So is there any way of, kind
of, communicating and addressing
that issue with
having to not leave
your animal outside, tied
along a no-parking sign?
Or--
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
It's a really good point.
We've tried to,
in the campaign--
we don't want to
go in with a wish
list that is 15 items long.
So we've tried to
condense it to four, which
is the pet-friendly apartments,
it's the dog-friendly parks,
it's the cafes, restaurants,
and it's the transport.
But what you're
saying is actually
a really important
point as well.
So that's one that
should be looked at.
It probably comes down
to zoning and comes
down to just an understanding
of health regulations as well.
And what I said during my
talk about that fear around--
it's not healthy to
have pets around,
and they spread disease.
Even though, as I mentioned,
the risk is extremely small.
So it's part of the
broader discussion as well.
But it always makes me nervous
when I see that sort of thing.
It also gives pets a bad
name, because they're
tied up out the front.
They're barking because
they're left by themselves,
and they're confused
and anxious.
And so it just almost
reinforces the opinion
that those dogs shouldn't
be there in the first place,
because they're
just making noise.
But thank you.
SPEAKER: Do you have
a favorite animal?
Like, I've seen on
Instagram, you've
got giraffes, dogs, and quokkas.
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
My favorite animal
is a strange one.
It's a cow.
SPEAKER: Cow?
[LAUGHTER]
Because they bring milk, or--?
CHRIS BROWN: No, no.
I was quite a nerdy kid, and
we had a farm in the Hunter
Valley, and I used to show
cows at country shows,
like, in the white coat, the
hat, and the little stick.
And I always liked cows.
I used to breed cows
when I was a kid.
And I love the-- I think what
I love is the fact that they're
so big, yet quite placid.
And yeah.
You don't want to see the
photos from that time.
SPEAKER: What's the worst
pet someone could get?
Like, the most problematic
pet that's gonna, you
know-- the most business to see
a vet, and that sort of thing?
CHRIS BROWN: That's
a question that
always gets me into trouble.
Because no matter the
animal I say, there's
always someone in the room--
SPEAKER: Who has got one?
Yeah.
CHRIS BROWN: And I can
see it straight away.
Their facial expression
is like, oh, god.
But look, I'll play along
and name and shame one.
The one I guess I-- oh,
god, why am I doing this?
I like all animals, but
the one I have the most,
sort of, ongoing battles
with is the ferrets.
The thing is that when
you de-sex a ferret,
even though they're under
anaesthetic, subconsciously,
they let their scent glands go.
And so everyone's seen the
cartoons with skunks, right?
And skunks let the
scent glands go.
It's, kind of, like that.
SPEAKER: Right.
CHRIS BROWN: I have to, when
I'm de-sexing a ferret--
SPEAKER: How often do
you de-sex ferrets?
CHRIS BROWN: Oh, frequently.
It's not [INAUDIBLE]
[LAUGHTER]
But I have to, like, make an
incision, run out of the room,
have a breath, come back
in, do another incision,
out of the room, back
in-- it's like a workout.
It's quite amazing.
But apart from that, they
can be quite affectionate.
They've just got
really sharp nails.
And if they're on the loose,
they'll run up your trouser leg
and start scratching.
SPEAKER: I've heard alpacas
also are quite difficult.
CHRIS BROWN: I
like them, though.
SPEAKER: You like them?
CHRIS BROWN: They have
a lot of attitude.
SPEAKER: They are very
cute, aren't they?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
I've seen someone-- the
whole spitting thing?
Everyone talks about
alpacas and llamas spitting.
I always thought it was
a bit of an urban myth
until I saw a kid who was riling
up an alpaca at a country show
cop a spit in the face.
And it was one of the
most remarkable things
I've ever seen.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER: Straight to YouTube.
Yeah.
CHRIS BROWN: It was the
entire, like, stomach contents
of the alpaca-- ended up,
basically, on this guy's face.
SPEAKER: There you go.
So everyone's gonna go out and
get an alpaca after this talk.
Other question?
Wow.
Three.
We'll take one at a time.
That'll be too much fun to
take three at the same time.
AUDIENCE: Hi, Dr. Brown.
I'm an allergy
sufferer, and I was
wondering whether you have
any suggestions on how
allergy sufferers
like myself and pets
can more happily co-exist.
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
Really good question, and
probably a topic where there's
a lot of misinformation.
So a lot of people think that
when you are allergic to pets,
you're allergic to the hair.
And so the focus is always
on non-shedding cats
and non-shedding dogs.
That's actually not true.
Allergy sufferers aren't
allergic to the hair.
It's actually the dried
skin dander and also
the saliva that
sits on the hair.
So when pets groom themselves,
that sits on the fur,
and then once it dries,
it flakes off and ends up
in the air, we breathe
it in, and give off
the signs of being allergic.
So having a dog that
doesn't shed hair
doesn't make too
much of a difference,
but coincidentally, the
dogs that don't shed as much
don't produce as
much of this protein.
So the best way, if
you're looking for a dog,
is to go and spend some time
in a room or outside-- probably
better off-- with the puppies,
have them all over you,
and see if you respond.
And it's just a bit
of a trial and error.
If you can find one
that doesn't cause
you to be too allergic, then--
if you're having problems,
wiping them down
with a damp cloth
removes that allergen
off their coat.
And so it makes you
less likely to respond.
In terms of cats, Devon
Rex and the Rex breeds--
the quite short-haired cats--
produce less of that protein
as well.
They're working madly to
produce an allergy-free cat,
using genetic engineering,
and they're very close.
And so that might help as well.
But the funny thing
is that often, you
can actually manage allergies
by simple exposure to animals.
I'm actually
allergic to rabbits.
[LAUGHTER]
So if I don't see a
rabbit for six months
or so in the vet clinic, the
next time I see a rabbit,
I'll sneeze and have runny eyes.
If I see, say, four
rabbits in a week,
I'm not allergic to rabbits.
You can almost self-cure
yourself by exposure.
So it's one of those things.
I'm not a human immunologist.
So you can
de-sensitize yourself,
but I don't know your exact form
of allergy to know for sure.
But they're the basic principles
of allergies with pets.
They're manageable.
AUDIENCE: Great.
Thanks.
SPEAKER: OK.
AUDIENCE: Hello, doctor.
Thank you very much
for being here.
And my question is
about the history.
Has it always been
like that in Australia?
Particularly, in
Sydney-- the fact
that it's such an unfriendly
city for dogs in particular.
Has it always been like that?
What was the factor?
Was there an event
or a chain of events
that triggered this sort of
regulations against dogs,
which don't seem to be
based on any actual facts,
as you mentioned?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
There's not really
an exact, sort of,
moment where it all changed.
Generally, through the '60s,
'70s, and probably early '80s,
we were fairly
relaxed, but we didn't
have a lot of
policy around where
we sat around our regulations.
But once we actually became
more, I guess, litigious,
and more keen to regulate,
when we regulated,
we went, I guess,
probably above and beyond,
where a lot of those
other nations have.
So we've never been one of
the most pet-friendly nations
in the world, when it
comes to regulations.
And certainly over the
last 10 or 15 years,
we haven't necessarily
progressed and caught up
with some of the
deregulation that's happening
in some of the other countries.
So we were always behind, but
I think over the last 15 years
or so, we've got further
behind, because we've actually
regulated more heavily, while
a lot of other countries
have become a little
bit more relaxed.
SPEAKER: And what made
Sydney come 15 out of 16?
Are there certain
things-- obviously,
you've mentioned the pub.
What other sort
of things are you
seeing that's
different in Sydney,
compared to the
rest of Australia?
CHRIS BROWN: Yeah.
It's to do with-- accessibility
of rental properties
is quite low.
And I know, just anecdotally
through my friends,
that they really struggle
to find rental properties.
Lack of exercise
areas is a huge one.
So it's very hard
to find a dog beach
to take your dog in Sydney,
whereas in Melbourne,
for example, there is quite
a few that you can go to.
But also, it comes
down to policy
and looking to be
positive with our policy.
We tend to over-regulate,
fine-- we're very
strict with our registration.
So it's almost like
there's a negative tone
to our policy-making, whereas
in some of the other states,
in meeting with the other
states-- Victoria, for example,
is very positive when it
comes to their puppy-farming
legislation.
They're very positive when it
comes to their registration
policies for pets, and reward
you for doing the right thing.
South Australia are
looking at a situation
where you'll get
discounted registration
fees if you can show your
dog's gone to training.
And I think that's a
much better way to be,
if you can actually give a
little bit to actually get
something back in return, as
opposed to, do it this way
or you're going to be fined,
which I think has often been
the case in New South Wales.
And that's probably where a lot
of the fact that we drift down
towards the bottom when it comes
to pet-friendliness comes from.
SPEAKER: We'll take
one last question,
or we're gonna wrap up.
I think we'll have to wrap up.
One last poll for fun.
Raise your hand
if you have a dog.
Raise your hand
if you have a cat.
Raise your hand if you
have a different animal.
What do you have?
AUDIENCE: Rabbits.
SPEAKER: Rabbits.
AUDIENCE: Turtles.
SPEAKER: Turtles.
What type of turtle?
AUDIENCE: An Eastern
long-necked turtle.
SPEAKER: An Eastern
long-necked turtle.
There we go.
Who else had one?
Someone else?
AUDIENCE: Fish.
SPEAKER: Fish.
[LAUGHTER]
CHRIS BROWN: Can someone
say, ferret, just
to really freak
me out right now?
SPEAKER: We can book
an appointment with you
later this week.
Yeah.
Well, thank you very
much for coming.
A big thank you for Dr. Brown.
[APPLAUSE]
So remember, try and
get your favorite pets
trending on Instagram,
use the hashtag,
and complain to
your local council
about why you haven't got parks.
And we can all keep
Australia pet-friendly.
CHRIS BROWN: Yes.
And there is a Keep Australia
Pet-Friendly Facebook page,
where you can send in
your feedback in areas
that you think need to be
looked at-- just Keep Australia
Pet-Friendly.
And also, I have a
Facebook page-- Dr. Chris
Brown-- where you can send in
your feedback, too, as well.
And we do listen, and
we do collate it all,
and we do present
all the information
to the relevant people.
So it does make a different.
SPEAKER: Fantastic.
Thanks so much.
[APPLAUSE]
