The idea of creating sensory gardens and spaces for dogs started some years ago when I explored ways to enrich my own dog’s (Eb) everyday experiences in our back garden. This is the first instalment of my personal journey into the creation of sensory spaces for dogs, and it’s a tribute to my dog who
What is your dog thinking at Xmas? Click on the video to find out! May your dog have one happy surprise after another. Merry Xmas from Fiona @ Balancing Act Adelaide, 2016. Video created by Sturt Hill. Thanks for your generosity.
Why visit dog friendly parks in Texas? In 2014, I was awarded the APDT & Black Dog Scholarship which included a trip to Dallas, Texas. It was here, I found dog friendly parks built under and over freeways, part of urban renewal projects and revitalisation of traditional main streets. This trip offered me so much
Dog Parks in Australia Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world with 36% of households owning a dog (Australian Companion Animal Council, 2010). Pets play important roles in our lives. Research shows they can help improve a person’s mental and physical health, reduce the effects of stress, facilitate social interaction
How pet friendly are aged care facilities in Australia? Fiona De Rosa and Dr Fiona Warton collaborate on an article for the Pet Professional Guild’s Magazine, Barks from the Guild. The article is printed in the May 2015 issue. “As the aging population of the western world increases, more people are finding themselves moving from
Pet Friendly Planning. Does it exist in Australia? Companion animals are a part of our lives. Yet, public policy (urban planning) tends to give little consideration to this area. In the publication ‘Unleashed – a guide to successful dog parks’ we start to explore the topic of how to integrate companion animals (dogs) into urban
Fiona is often asked: Can I take my pet with me to an aged care environment? This year, I started to think about the issue of growing old with your pet more from a personal experience as my mother is aging with the debilitating disease of Dementia. over the past year, I noticed something different
At the recent Planning Institute of Australia ‘PIA’ (SA) Awards for Planning Excellence 2014, Fiona De Rosa from Balancing Act Adelaide was presented with the Cutting Edge Research and Teaching Award for the study of Dog Park Design. The study of dog park design resulted in a publication “Unleashed, a guide to successful dog parks”
Fiona wins APDT and Black Dog Scholarship, 2014 “Fiona De Rosa’s application re dog parks was outstanding, professionally put together with a well thought out and realistic time frame. … She was supported by excellent and qualified references …” (Karin Bridge, cited in APDT Annual Conference 2014, Program Brochure). “I cannot look past the importance
Do people walk or drive to a dog park? Research shows that 68% of park users in the Adelaide region drive to a dog park (Hazel and Thomsen, n.d. The University of Adelaide). This indicates that parking is a key planning consideration for local councils thinking about developing a new or upgrading an existing dog
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