Search

Placeholder Content Image

Man fined over $5000 for senseless cruelty against his own dog

<p>An Australian dog owner has been issued fines totalling more than $5000 after leaving his canine companion trapped inside of his car in Perth’s scorching summer temperatures. </p> <p>While it’s unknown exactly how long Tipsy the fox-terrier cross spent within the vehicle until help arrived, bodycam footage has revealed the exact moment she was freed from the 29 degree prison.</p> <p>RSPCA WA were made aware of Tipsy’s dire situation at around 10 in the morning, and an inspector found her in the vehicle shortly after, noting that the dog had no access to water. </p> <p>According to an update on the organisation's official site and social media, the inspector reported witnessing Tipsy “panting excessively, becoming restless, and showing other signs of stress”.</p> <p>It wasn’t long before she chose to seize Tipsy, suspecting offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2002. From there, Tipsy was taken to an emergency vet, and it was confirmed that the dog was suffering from dehydration while displaying signs of heat stress. </p> <p>Footage was uploaded of Tipsy gulping down water for close to 30 seconds, with one of her supervisors even asking “is it okay for her just to keep drinking like that?” </p> <p>Luckily, after an overnight stay for monitoring and some IV therapy to combat her dehydration, Tipsy made a full recovery under the care of RSPCA WA. </p> <p>According to Inspector Manager Kylie Green, “the maximum temperature on the day we seized Tipsy reached over 33C.</p> <p>“In those conditions, a dog can die in just six minutes. I’m so grateful we were alerted to Tipsy in time.</p> <p>“Last summer [in 2021], RSPCA WA received over 200 calls about dogs in hot cars.</p> <p>“It’s heart-wrenching that–despite repeated warnings–people continue to put their pets at risk.</p> <p>“If you love your dog, leave them at home with plenty of shade and water. It's better to leave them at home for a short time, than to risk losing them forever.”</p> <p>For his senseless act, Tipsy’s owner was sentenced, and the court decreed that Tipsy had been confined “in a manner likely to cause harm and was not provided with sufficient water.”</p> <p>The 32-year-old was found guilty in Perth Magistrates Court, and was fined $3000. However, there was more to come, with the man also receiving a ban from having contact with pets for two years, as well as an additional fee of $2246.16 to cover court and care costs. </p> <p><em>Images: RSPCA WA</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

$5000 fine for smelly bins set to cause a huge stink

<p dir="ltr">New rules introduced in a Perth suburb could see them face a fine of up to $5,000 if their rubbish bins get too smelly.</p> <p dir="ltr">A new law could see residents of Victoria Park cop a hefty fine if their green-lidded Garden Organics (GO) bins have a bad odour, which were introduced for the disposal of grass clippings, weeds, leaves and sticks.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mayor Karen Vernon told <em><a href="https://www.6pr.com.au/rumour-confirmed-vic-park-ratepayers-face-5k-fine-for-smelly-organic-bins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6PR</a></em> the fine was introduced in a bid to ensure people sorted their rubbish correctly.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will need some powers, as a local council, to be able to make that behaviour change appropriately,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So what’s really important is that the contents of that third bin is just organic material, so there needs to be no level of contamination in there, that’s what makes an organic collection process to work really well,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While some have shared their support for the move, others have taken to social media to critique the “rubbish” decision.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Fining someone because their rubbish bin smells, should be a council service to disinfect bins when emptied. We pay astronomical rates let‘s see them justified,” Sheldon Baker wrote on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Omg who seriously has clean smelling rubbish after a week in an outside bin? Maybe they can provide deodorant for our bins or perfume!” Christine Stephan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I mean, if your bins smell, it‘s because you are lazy and that’s on you,” Kendall Mulvena-Trinder said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rumours have also emerged that the council would employ “bin smellers” as part of the decision, with Councillor Vernon dismissing them as “exaggerated”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That certainly doesn’t mean we will be employing people to go smell other people’s bins,’’ she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the GO bin is currently restricted to garden waste, the council is hoping to expand this to food organics in the “not too distant future”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3c38e030-7fff-0f36-9a51-abf4ba6ea50d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @townofvicpark (Instagram)</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Iconic home bought for $5000 in 1963, on sale now for millions

<p>The last mansion of its kind has hit the market in Sydney's affluent suburb of Potts Point. </p> <p>The Victorian Italianate three-level villa at <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/18-ward-avenue-potts-point-nsw-2011-2018012681?utm_source=nine.com.au&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=editorial-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 Ward Avenue</a> was built in the 1880s and sold to a family in 1963 for a mere $5,000.</p> <p>Now, the property is expected to see bids of a whopping $10 million. </p> <p>The home was extended in the 1920s to add 12 flats to the rear of the property, and is now ready for the next chapter in its history. </p> <p>Despite the hefty asking price, renovations are required, with original fireplaces, jarrah floors, wall friezes, plaster moldings, ornate ceilings and a romantic tower room.</p> <p>The 12 flats include kitchenettes and are also in old-world condition.</p> <p>Known as Oakleigh, the 536-square-metre home on Ward Avenue could become a grand residence once again, suites for medical professionals, a hospitality venture, an investment, an opportunity for heritage property developers or serviced apartments (if given the local council's rubber stamp), according to listing agency Ray White.</p> <p>The property, with two grand magnolia trees in the front garden, has been in the Coucke family for five generations, with previous resident Celeste recalling her fond childhood at Oakleigh. </p> <p>"As a child of the 1960s and 1970s, Oakleigh was an excellent place for my siblings and I to play hide and seek," she said.</p> <p>"Growing up in a multi-generational family, our lives were shaped by family stories of tenacity in the face of hardship. We lived in an extraordinary home, immersed in the most vibrant, celebrated, scorned, historic, diverse, artistic and notorious community in Australia."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Domain</em></p> <div class="advert" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.25px;" data-ad-type="MOBILE" data-ad-loc="BTF" data-ad-maxwidth="767" data-smart-refresh="false"> </div>

Real Estate

Placeholder Content Image

The phone scam that cost this 78-year-old $5000

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A 78-year-old man from Midland was scammed out of $5,000 after a scam phone call convinced him his nephew was in life threatening danger. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Larry told </span><a href="https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Phone-scam-costs-Midland-senior-citizen-5-000-13773567.php"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Midland Daily</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> he was swept up in a massive storm after an elaborate phone call claiming to be his sister said his nephew was in danger. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was told his sibling had received a call saying her son had been in a car accident that had left a woman and her child seriously injured. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She told Larry that “Ryan” was asking for $15,000 to go towards a bond of $150,000 – although any amount of money would suffice. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This phone call however, was a scam that is not all that uncommon, Midland Police Sgt, Chris Wenzell told </span><a href="https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Phone-scam-costs-Midland-senior-citizen-5-000-13773567.php"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Midland Daily.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These “robo calls” can be near impossible to track because most of the time, these fraudulent calls are coming from outside of the country, he said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The worst part is, perpetrators target older adults due them being more “trustworthy,” Wenzell said.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It's very troubling,” the sergeant said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Because I think initially, (phone scams) were specifically geared toward the senior population. And what you see is, kind of a generation of individuals who are very trusting. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And if somebody said something, you took their word for it. So, there's a lot of believability to the person they're talking to on the other end.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The phone call left Larry sceptical at first, he said after he questioned why his sister would ask him first and why Ryan’s wife wasn’t taking care of the money. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In the meantime, you're all shook up, thinking about how to get him out (of jail),” Larry explained. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 78-year-old said he then received a phone call from his “nephew” and his “lawyer” claiming the money would help him. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That should have been a red flag,” Larry said but said the phone caller sounded exactly like Ryan. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To make the elaborate lie sound even more believable, the scammer mentioned Ryan’s trip to China. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We can’t even figure out how they got that information,” Larry said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But that was another nail to convince me that it was him talking.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the conversation, the men on the phone convinced Larry to send $5,000 electronically, however the Midland man explained to the media that he was not familiar with the online technology. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead, the caller offered a simple solution: Go to the nearest Home Depot and purchase five $1,000 gift cards. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While many are aware no legitimate businesses ask for gift cards as a form of payment, scammers make it sound so believable that people trust it, Larry said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After Larry completed the request and re-read the numbers on the gift cards over to the phone callers, they informed him he will call within the next day. The 78-year-old soon found out the whole event was a scheme to steal money. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sgt. Wenzell warns those who may receive calls such as these is to know places like Home Depot, Apple Music and Walmart are easy ways to get money from unsuspecting people as any cash placed on them can quickly be taken off of them. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The moment (the scammers) receive those numbers that are associated with (the cards), that is immediate money,” he said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They are immediately using those and there's not a thing you can do.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SEE MORE: </span><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/how-to-outsmart-the-scammers/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to outsmart the scammers.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To file a report with the FTC, call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or go online at ftc.gov.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To add your phone number to the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry call 1-888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov</span></p>

Retirement Life

Placeholder Content Image

Aussie couple's shock over extreme $5000 gas bill

<p>A couple have been left shocked after receiving a gas bill from AGL surpassing $5000 for an apartment they only use three weeks out of the year.</p> <p>Wally and Jenny Jacobs explained that the property is vacant with the gas mains switched off except for the three weeks that it is used.</p> <p>The couple told <em>The Ag</em>e that they received two “totally bloody ridiculous” gas bills of $2863 and $1900.</p> <p>After the pair disputed these bills, they were left with a bill of $5440 for a total of 179 days.</p> <p>Wally explained that all they do in the apartment is use the heater and boil water.</p> <p>“What can I say, I thought I had to go and get my eyes checked. From previous bills it's never been like that.”</p> <p>When AGL had been contacted, the company said they had trouble reading the meter at the property and based the bills off an estimate.</p> <p>However, the Jacobs said the gate that leads to the meter remains unlocked and they were confused as to how the company couldn’t access the reading.</p> <p>A spokeswoman from AGL said they would investigate why the distributor had not been able to read their meter.</p> <p>“In this case, it appears the customer has received estimated bills for an extended period of time, and further investigation is required to understand and validate the readings provided," an AGL spokesperson told <em>The Age</em>.</p> <p>The Jacobs are not the only household to encounter this issue with the Victorian Energy and Water Ombudsman receiving 406 complaints in relation to estimated gas bills.</p> <p>“It's fair to say that it is really confusing for customers when they get an estimation because in this day and age they assume their meters will be read and based on actual data,” Cynthia Gebert, Victoria's Energy and Water Ombudsman, said. </p> <p>Cynthia believes this issue is a wider problem that needs to see gas companies communicate with customers when bills are estimated.</p> <p>Wally believes the problem he encountered to be one that is “systematic”.</p> <p>“As a consumer you sign a contract with AGL. The gas usage is determined by reading a meter but where in the contract does it say the consumer is billed by estimate only?” he asked. </p> <p>Have you had any errors with your gas bills? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Money & Banking

Placeholder Content Image

Melbourne artists knit 5000 poppies for Anzac Day to commemorate their fathers

<p>Two Melbourne artists are at the centre of a crafting storm that has landed them in a sea of handcrafted poppies.</p><p>Lynn Berry and Margaret Knight started their project in June of 2013, hoping to make 5,000 poppies to be ready in time for Anzac Day this year. Beginning as a way to commemorate their fathers’ war service, the initial idea was to “yarn bomb” (a kind of graffiti that sees knitters create art to leave in public spaces) around a battalion tree and on the walk to the shrine.</p><p>The two women, who say they’re fans of commemorative art, have had many offers of help since starting out. People started asking if their mothers could knit some poppies, or their aunts, or they themselves. The idea snowballed, and the 5,000 target was soon blown past.<img width="358" height="489" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/4023/poppy-net-display-edit_358x489.jpg" alt="Poppy Net Display Edit" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block;"></p><p>The project has now collected around 170,000 knitted, felted and crafted poppies, with the final total expected to be closer to 200,000. That should be about one square kilometre.</p><p>The plan is to collect the poppies onto nets and place them around Melbourne as fields of poppies. If you want to see them up close, they will go on display at Melbourne’s Federation Square on Anzac Day.</p><p>If you would like to make a poppy to send to the project, you can find the patterns <a href="https://5000poppies.wordpress.com/poppy-patterns/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></strong></a> and a list of collection points around Australia <a href="https://5000poppies.wordpress.com/collection-points/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></strong></a>. But hurry - the poppies must be in by March 15.</p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/03/dawn-tooney-knitted-knockers/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Meet the woman who spent her trip around Australia knitting “knockers” for breast cancer survivors</span></a></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/03/sunbathing-seal/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sydney’s sunbathing seal returned to the Opera House steps</span></a></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/03/100-year-old-dancer/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Meet the world’s longest-living working choreographer and dancer</span></a></strong></em></p>

News

Our Partners

Over 60

© Copyright 2024 OverSixty.All Rights Reserved.