The aftermath: How could anyone still support HSUS?

I am in tears...

In the few years of fighting this evil battle I have grown a much thicker skin. In my mind that is not a good thing; however one must "toughen" up to be able to function in this business of fighting for the right to own pets. How incredibly sad it has come to this.

There are still many people out there that shake their head when I say "right to own pets". Many have still not popped their head out of the sand long enough to see the real agenda of animal liberation groups.

Yesbiscuit has an excellent post containing John Goodwin's response to the NC dog slaughter.

Lassie Get Help has another excellent post! It is a must read.
It is entitled "Worse Than Vick".

Bad Rap also gives another slant.
The post is called "Numb".

There are links at the bottom of the posts giving other links to information. Please crosspost to every single person you know. HSUS is still being supported, along with all their wicked, evil, twisted step sister organizations that all belong to the animal liberation family. 

Wilkes County NC, dog slaughter

Everyone is talking about the 127 puppies and adult "pitbulls" killed in Wilkes County, NC. In reading the blog Yesbiscuit, the slaughter was carried out today under a court order.

Caveat has a post about this atrocity today. Be sure to follow the links from the caveat article to get the background story.

HSUS must be out'ed. Caveat is dead right! There is NO humane in HSUS.

Once upon a time...

ONCE UPON A TIME…

Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived a cruel Lord who decreed that all short haired, muscular dogs be banished from the fiefdom. All the children were heart-broken and cried when their beloved family pets were either sent away or destroyed. They would never know the comfort in a wet, sloppy kiss, gaze into gentle dark eyes, or experience the unconditional love given by these delightful, goofy creatures and the world became a sad, lonely place.

Does this sound like a nightmare-ish fairy-tale??  The heartbreaking reality of it is that even when you do wake up, this nightmare isn’t going to go away. All AmStaff, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and all substantially similar dog owners are living this nightmare every day that the breed ban is in effect.

As I was growing up and became an adult, I was proud to be an Ontarian. But when the Liberals allowed this law to be pushed so quickly through parliament and didn’t pay any heed to the many, many knowledgeable people who spoke up against the breed ban; people who represented respectable, well known groups and who knew what they were talking about, I was no longer proud to be an Ontarian. I am now giving serious consideration to moving out of this province when I retire and moving to somewhere where I am free to enjoy my breed of choice without the stigma that comes with having to muzzle my dogs in public and the outright fear that an ACO officer could come and take my dogs away.

But, as discouraging as the breed ban is, it is so encouraging that after four long years’ dog owners from all walks of life are joining in the fight to reverse this ludicrous legislation and helping to contribute to the legal challenge! I’ve cried so many tears over the futility of this breed ban, but when the donations started coming in so suddenly my tears were tears of joy and hope.

I don’t know what the outcome of the next step in the legal challenge will be, but I do know that thousands of voices will be much louder than a few hundred. The puppy that I bought to be a therapy dog until McGunity Liberals quashed that plan will turn 5 years old this week.

Hopefully, before another year passes, I will be free to  walk my dogs in public without fear.

Mississauga repeat?

Would you not think Mississauga animal control would have learned a lesson in how to waste tax payers money, undue stress, anxiety and shame from the Rambo case? Well apparently not!

You would think MPP Bob Delaney would have filled them in by now that there is NO SUCH THING as a 'pitbull'; since he chaired the committee hearings and listened so intently >tongue placed firmly in cheek<.

Delaney certainly could have given Mississauga AC a direct quote from their lead counsel in court Robert Charney who announced to the amusement of spectators in a packed courtroom on June 28, "There is no such thing as a 'pit bull'!" He also said that the intent of the ill-conceived law was to "prevent 'pit bull' bites - not dog bites in general" and later added "It is the purebreds we want, we only threw in the substantially similar clause in case someone had a purebred and lied". Possibly he is throwing the Mississauga animal control under the bus along with Ontario dog owners.

Here is an excerpt from the article in the Mississauga News:

Danny Truong was charged with owning a prohibited animal just before Christmas last year after he took his 10-month-old puppy Bowser to be neutered at a veterinary clinic on Nov. 25.

The 21-year-old said he was shocked three weeks later when City animal services officers came knocking at his home near Square One, charging him under the Dog Owners' Liability Act. Truong said the officers told him that the veterinary clinic had made a complaint.

Danny feels he is being discriminated against based on his dog's appearance. Could this be a pattern of profiling? Is it possible people are being targeted based on race, neighborhood or other demographic based on the shape of dog they own?

Truong said he received Bowser as a gift from his niece and was told by the lady selling the pup that he was a Rottweiler-Boxer mix.

In a quote from Selma Mulvey, dog owners have no way of knowing whether or not they are breaking the law because the legislation is vague.

Vague? Ya think?

That bit of sarcasm was directed firmly at the incompetent Fiberal government, not the messenger..

Let's recap a sampling of some of the types of dogs that are being snagged by Mississauga AC.

 

 

 

Here is a picture of a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

American Staffordshire Terrier

So, let's break it down folks. Nice and slow so we don't loose anyone in the translation.

All together now, {clearing throat} repeat after me...

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A 'PITBULL'!

Vague doesn't even begin to describe what the poor targeted mutts are. Mutts would be the key word in this whole equation. I don't see any similarities of any of the targeted dogs to any of the purebreds and yes I have had my regular eye exam recently. I strongly encourage you to click on the "mutt" link. That Wikipedia page is littered (no pun intended) with "pitbulls"!

Footnote:

The usage of the word mutt is not used in a derogatory sense. I have utmost respect for all dogs regardless of lineage. In fact, I feel a dog is a dog is a dog is a DOG. Big, small, short, tall, long hair, short hair, long tail, short tail, curly tail, whippy tail.. Regardless of color or breed, all dog owners deserve to be treated equal under the law. Dog owners have rights; or at least we did until McGuinty began his ban-o-thon. We intend to get them back!

Caveat has more info too. Check it out..

Montreal suburb Cote St. Luc contemplating breed ban

I am really starting to look like a Pug with banging my head off my desk and all.

When can we begin to insert logic and science where emotion and hysteria now reside? Why, when faced with a question of what to do; when the heat ramps up over dog 'incidents' (as they refer to them as in the article) the old news, passe, outdated and incorrect method of breed bans are considered an option?

The City of Côte St. Luc will be introducing a new bylaw to "regulate" the ownership of certain dog breeds that have acquired a reputation for aggressive behaviour.

During city council's January public meeting last week, the announcement for an impending new bylaw "concerning dogs" was among a series of notices tabled with measures to control graffiti and air guns.


Ok, now first of all, there is NO SUCH THING as an "aggressive breed" since aggression is a learned behaviour and cannot be bred "in" to a breed.
Will someone plueeeze explain to me why it is different or somehow "ok" if any other so called "friendly" breed/mix rip someone to shreds but I don't see any others than the usual targets added in. What about breed id"s? There is NO SUCH THING as a 'pitbull' folks! It is a short haired mutt that are being targeted and identified as such.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is always added in along with of course the American Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Now, population wise, there are roughly 30  purebred American Staffordshire Terriers in the whole province of Ontario. I have one, the last one brought in before the ban took effect in August 2005. I am a member of the American Staffordshire Terrier Club of Canada, of which we have 16 members across Canada.

From the dog and litter registration numbers for the year 2008 the numbers of dogs registered for Canada by breed (these are CKC numbers) were as follows:
The numbers did not vary much over the 2006, 2007 and 2008 yrs.

Labrador Retriever       6495
Golden Retriever          4102
if you add all the "retrievers" together since clumping breeds together seems to be a popular thing to do the number is 11247 just for the year 2008.

Boxer                        1130
German Shepherd Dog  3254
Shetland Sheepdog      1798
if you were to add all the "shepherds" together the number is 3918 and that does not include other registries beyond the CKC. There are many other breeds listed by other registries.


The number for American Staffordshire Terriers (remember this is Canada, they are only prohibited in Ontario therefore it is legal to breed them in the rest of Canada)
American Staffordshire Terrier    11
Staffordshire Bull Terrier            64
I do not have the number for the American Pit Bull Terrier since they are not CKC registered. We estimate there are roughly 1500 registered dogs with all three breeds combined in the whole province of Ontario! That is not recent, but dogs that are purebred that are alive born before Nov 29, 2005 that are registered purebreds as the named 3 recognized breeds.

It is not rare at all to see short haired, whippy tailed, muscular, blocky headed dogs on the streets of anywhere Canada. I see them all the time. Nearly every time I go out in my town where I live I am guaranteed to see at least one walking along happily beside its owner. I will also guarantee you, I am the only person in the whole town where I live and surrounding area that owns an American Staffordshire Terrier. The closest person geographically to me that owns one, is over an hour drive away. I know this because I know nearly all the people in Ontario that own a purebred AST.

So where do you think all these "mutts" with short haired, whippy tailed, muscular, blocky headed dogs on the streets of anywhere Canada come from? If you think they originate from any of the 3 named breeds included in the ban in Ontario, you are out to lunch! I guarantee you, the other people who own the purebred AST's are like me, in that they do not whore their dogs out to mate with other breeds or mixes of dogs resulting in crosses of American Staffordshire Terriers.
If you cruise the shelter sites and see the breed id's on the available dogs, you will spot many American Staffordshire Terrier crosses. The dogs are 100% absolutely MISIDENTIFIED! Now I suck at math, but do the math people.

Would it not make sense that Boxers and Labs, for instance, are quite popular dogs. Have you ever seen a Boxer/Lab mix? You likely do not know. If you have, you likely won't know because unless you were present for the breeding and in a controlled experiment where the bitch was kept isolated for the remainder of her estrus cycle and no other gentlemen callers came knockin' you still cannot prove the lineage. With that in mind, both parents would need to be registered with a registry such as the CKC or you could not prove the breed of the parents either. Looks don't cut it when your dogs life is on the line. All is fun and games when you are playing guess the breed at the shelter.

Pause... put thinking cap on.. pull it tight down around your ears.

Why are we banning American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers? Why would one contemplate banning anything really? Is it not a better strategy to educate people and enforce existing laws? There are already licensing and animal control laws in place, that include leash laws.

Let me take a wild guess.. because it is the trendy think to do! Because Ontario did it? Because it appears to "look proactive with the ignorant public"?

An excerpt from the mayor:
In an interview, mayor Anthony Housefather said Côte St. Luc will be referring to certain specific breeds in its bylaw.



"We will be targeting breeds," he said, "because we believe that there have been sufficient incidents in communities surrounding us that we've read about to warrant a concern.

Whoa! Knowing what we now know now with how many of the purebreds exist in Canada... where is the proof? Is it possible that 4 (yes 4) of the rarest breeds in Canada are responsible for "sufficient" incidents in Cote St. Luc?
The number 4 comes from Bull Terriers also being suggested to their list.

excerpt:
The group's definition of a Pit Bull included Pit Bulls, Terriers, Staffordshires, Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, or "a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to any of the aforementioned dogs."



To give you a bit of history, Michael Bryant (former AG of Ontario who so proudly spouts his responsibility for banning "pitbulls" in Ontario) was overheard laughing and spouting he didn't include Bull Terriers cause Don Cherry owns one.
Newsflash, Don owns a purebred American Stafforshire Terrier and has for years. He at one time owned Bull Terriers but switched long before the ban in Ontario was a twinkle in Michael Bryant and Dalton McGuinty's eye.

Ok, back to the numbers..
Bull Terrier registration 2008      155
Still quite rare... my thinking cap is getting really tight now. How about yours?

Quote from Mayor Housefeather:
"There are municipalities across North America that have pro-actively adopted this bylaw and we feel that there are certain breeds that really need to be regulated. And we also noted that it would be unfair to simply ban those breeds."


If I may respectfully correct you,  targeting breeds, dogs or dog owners period is UNFAIR. Not only is it unfair it is discrimination! How about dealing with the more developed brain (so we think); dog owners? Wow, what an epiphany. Again, Calgary gives a model that has been in place for 2 decades and has high compliance of licensing and low rate of  "incidence".


"Some people already have dogs of that breed or people may really desire to own one," he added. "But we don't feel it's unfair on public property to say that those types of dogs need to be muzzled. And the question is what breeds those will be and council will determine that."


Well, either you have rocket scientists for councilors, or you are dead wrong. Nobody, not a purebred dog judge, animal control officer, scientist or anyone for that matter can identify a cross bred dog period. The purebreds are so rare, you may not even have one in within your city limits! Who are you targeting and what breed of dog again? The picture seems to be getting a little clearer now..

Last summer, a group of dog owners who are regular users of the City of Côte St. Luc's dog run asked council to take measures that would ban Pit Bulls from the run. Raising the issue during a meeting of council in July, Barry Klar said he was speaking on behalf of a delegation of dog owners who frequented the Mackle Road dog run.



"We the undersigned are in favour of creating a ban in which Pit Bulls will be prohibited from frequenting the dog park located on Mackle Road in Côte St. Luc," he said, reading the preamble from a petition gathered by the dog owners.



The group's definition of a Pit Bull included Pit Bulls, Terriers, Staffordshires, Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, or "a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to any of the aforementioned dogs."



Klar said a pit bull ban was necessary at the Côte St. Luc dog run because "we have many small dogs" and "many small children who frequent the dog run and it's a concern for all of us and we're very fearful of a tragedy."


Wait, wait wait.... I think someone has finally hit the nail on its ugly head! FEAR is at the root of this! Oh my dogness, I think I have had an epiphany. Fear is something that has been nurtured for many years, in fact since the beginnings of man. It is a survival instinct hyper developed in some humans. Fear of dog, fear of big dogs, fear of black dogs, fear of young thugs, fear of people who look different, fear of falling, fear of succeeding, fear of dying, fear of terrorists, fear of God, jeepers.. name one thing not feared, of course exaserbated by the pro-fear mongering main stream media ahhhhhhhhh my head is exploding.


>Sigh<, I am sorry for your fear, but for dogs sake can we please try to follow some logical examples which are plainly laid out for you. The road to success is paved with gold. Jurisdictions only need to make a commitment to do the right thing. Implement a plan that works and targets those owners who are irresponsible. It is unnecessary and unfair to target people who are guilty by association. Hmmm sound familiar (Homeland Security)? Dogs are living, breathing, thinking, feeling animals. They are more alike as dogs than they are different by breed. They cannot be compared to some benign object or be lumped together by breed or lack thereof any more than people can be lumped together by race or compared to loose cannons. (my benign object of choice)

The last line of the article is:
Since 1990, the City of Winnipeg, Man. has had a by-law banning Pit Bulls.



Oy, talk about failure. You may as well invest all your money with Merril Lynch or Nortel.

Another heartbreaking story from London, Ontario

Recently, a London woman kindly took in a dog down on its luck. The dog in the picture above (Faith), along with another dog, belonged to neighbors. The dogs were disposable items and left behind when they moved away. The woman, I’ll call her Jane which is not her real name, along with her 13 year old son willingly gave Faith a permanent home.

Here is an excerpt from her letter:

Faith has had her vaccinations, spayed and chipped. When I got her she was starving for attention and pretty thin, she had bonded instantly with my son who is thirteen. I loved her right from the beginning, she is an awesome dog.

I have been laid off since Oct. so in the morning I will be watching the news and she curls right up and sleeps for about two hours. At around 12pm she will wait by the door for my son coming home for lunch and also around 3:30 when he comes homes from school.

London animal control got a tip from someone saying there was a “pitbull” at a certain address. When AC showed up, they deemed her a “pitbull” and said Jane had 14 days to get Faith out of province or Faith would be killed. Unfortunately the previous owners had her micro chipped, and chip identified her as a “pitbull” and listed her age at approx 1 1/2 yrs old.

With choices running low, Jane contacted ANML RESQ. The rescue has safely moved Faith out of the province where she has a chance to find a loving forever home and second chance at life.

Here is another excerpt from Jane’s letter:

All I ask and wish for is that someone protects her and loves her.  She did not deserve to be taken away from a home with people who could find no fault with her.  Faith is so deserving of a good wholesome family that will keep her and cherish her forever. 

It is extremely difficult for me to let go however it was this option or she was to be destroyed by those that are enforcing a law with no merit.  Faith did nothing wrong other than being born a ‘type’ of dog.  This law has destroyed many lives I am certain, as my son and I are grieving this loss.  I am uncertain if we will ever completely heal.

Another dog has been ripped from its loving owner for no reason other than how it looks. Thanks McGuinty Liberals for bringing heartbreak to thousands of Ontario dog owners for no reason other than political optics.

Here is an excerpt from a volunteer at Gerdy’s Rescue and Adoptions, who are the receiving rescue for Faith:

 This has been an emotional roller coaster for all involved I am certain.  Even though I have been actively moving animals in and out of both Quebec and Ontario - I never was touched by this on a personal level.  I have a strong feeling that no one really does understand the magnitude of this ban until there is a loved one or acquaintance that has been affected.

I am a personal friend of Faith’s owner. London Animal Control (London Animal Care Centre) arrived at her home.  Faith was not involved in an incident such as free at large, an attack or excessive barking.  Faith was outside on the balcony and someone said she was using this as her bathroom.  Animal control investigated and found no evidence - therefore unfounded.  When he was at the door Faith came to him and was licking his hand and was being her friendly self. That's when he said Faith was a pit bull. The owner said “no she is boxer mix”.  He looked at her teeth and said she was only approx. 1 year old and Faith was to leave the province unless there was proof Faith was 3.5 years of age.

I read the checklist from London Animal Care Centre; which clearly indicates the 'proof dog is not a pit bull' and 'proof dog is a 'restricted' pit bull.  In reading this “checklist” you can clearly see that it is impossible to keep any short haired mutt within London if there is no documents almost from birth dated 2005.

On a side note from the personal friend/rescue worker: The owner who rescued Faith has recently suffered tremendous tragic personal loss.  She only wanted to hold onto what is left and Faith played a huge part. She suffers silently.  She is a strong woman however this is one blow that she could have done without. This is not only about a dog; but it is also about a human being. Hopefully something good can come out of this.  Hopefully there is hope.  I have 'Faith'.

I would like to remind dog owners to please not register your dog with your vet or license her as a “pitbull”, “pitbull terrier” "stafford cross" or any similar term. There is no such breed and you are only giving ammunition to those choosing to enforce this law (which there is no obligation to enforce).

Remember:

Do not let Animal Control officers enter your home or take your dog. Demand to see a warrant.

Know your rights and contact a lawyer if you are in need of legal assistance.

Do not volunteer information. This may be used against you!

For more information about what to do if Animal Control comes to your door click here.

Thoughts and thought control

Happy 2009...


I spent my holidays hunkered down. 2008 was a year that seemed to deal out blow after blow. It felt great to have some days with very little contact with the outside world. I spent several days doing what I wanted, when I wanted. That sort of lifestyle could seriously get addictive.
I had a discussion with a friend the other day about animal welfare vs. animal rights. I wondered aloud how different we really are. I guesstimated likely 80 to 90% of people who support and follow AR or liberationists groups either have no idea what that means or that these groups have liberation as their main goal. I think the vast majority of followers and supports only see the warm and fuzzy side of things. 


Let's face it, who wants to see animals suffer? Well, the small percentage of the population that are sociopath's and/or animal abusers; I guess.. I don't even think some who inflict suffering and pain actually know they are doing a disservice to the animal. People who use improper harsh corrections, tether animals for long and frequent periods without enough stimulation and basic needs met. Those are just a couple examples. I guess I am imposing my view of what is decent and correct in that statement as well; however I believe common sense goes a long way. Most of us have at least a good grasp on common sense, but there is a portion of the pop that haven't a clue and they are the ones who stand out in a crowd. 


While having this discussion and talking about my views on treatment of animals raised for food and hunting etc... my friend reminded me:


But the ultimate AR goal is liberation. 


Wikipedia Liberation definition:


Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings. Animal rights advocates approach the issue from different philosophical positions, but they agree that animals should no longer be regarded as property, or used as food, clothing, research subjects, or entertainment, but should instead be viewed as legal persons and members of the moral community.
AR groups such as Peta go the extra mile to imply animals are better off dead. 


Some quotes by Ingrid herself:


“There is no hidden agenda. If anybody wonders about -- what’s this with all these reforms -- you can hear us clearly. Our goal is total animal liberation. [emphasis added]”
— “Animal Rights 2002” convention, Jun 2002
“I openly hope that it [hoof-and-mouth disease] comes here. It will bring economic harm only for those who profit from giving people heart attacks and giving animals a concentration camp-like existence. It would be good for animals, good for human health and good for the environment.”
— ABC News interview, Apr 2001


“In the end, I think it would be lovely if we stopped this whole notion of pets altogether.”
— Newsday, Feb 1988



I asked the question, but don't you think the general masses would never allow an end to pet ownership? Don't you think people will catch on before it is too late?

Anyone remember the second world war? Rwanda? Armenia? These examples are recent. If people can brainwash or manipulate humans into mass killing of entire races or demographics of people by the millions, what is stopping humans from killing animals by the millions? Aren't humans animals? Ok, now this is where I draw the line.

I want all animals treated with respect and dignity. I don't mind paying more for my food to allow for proper treatment of animals. What is proper? Healthy and safe environment. Healthy as in; clean, dry, well ventilated and no forcible feeding. Proper, appropriate and healthful nutrition. Does it not make sense that if what we raise for food is treated with a healthy environment; we will be healthier for it? It is called the food chain. Do we need meat? No, not really. Many people survive and flourish on vegan or vegetarian diets. Is it something I choose? No. I believe it should be a choice. I won't judge you if you don't judge me. The world balances itself if we let it, however this is where man's meddling comes in. When the world tilts and needs a V-8, you can bet there is a human behind the reason. 


Here is my vision.


I would love to see an across the board, enforceable, common sense set of standards set for at least North America. Ok, Canada for now. Let's worry about home first.

If we can lead by example, hopefully others will notice. We have certainly paid attention to many European countries that have woken up to the smell of Nescafe. I would like to see a participation of as many different sectors as possible put together what is reasonable and enforceable. There are examples in effect that are proven winners. Let's use the model and get it in place across the country. Let's revamp the farming industry similarly to what was done for animal control in Calgary. Simply, concisely and use common sense. Let's join together as consumers, owners, breeders, animal lovers and those who can't be bothered. Let's negotiate what we can live with and what makes sense. Let's move ahead of the radicals and sociopaths and leave them to thrash around in their own bed of nails. Let's prevent another tragedy stemming from complacency and denial.

Let's catch this one before it's too late. Before it becomes something in a history book...

History class 2050. Pet ownership; a thing of the past. Remember when our parents and grandparents used to own dogs, cats, and other animals as pets? Imagine, a dog, cat or any other smallish animal living in your house, sleeping in your bed. Relying on a human for food, shelter and water... wow. What a foreign experience.

Sorry everyone, I can't imagine not having a dog/s in my bed.

An interesting study by Susan Hunter and Richard A. Brisbin Jr.

Here is a study that's an interesting read, Panic Policy Making: Canine Breed Bans in Canada & the US by Susan Hunter and Richard A. Brisbin Jr.


http://www.polsci.wvu.edu/faculty/BRISBIN/Papers/2007.%20Panic%20Policy%20Making.pdf


I kind of like the title.  That's exactly how it happens:  Hype, panic, bad law to 'protect the public'.  There are several examples in history of this being the method of passing laws, the US Patriot Act, a reactive law made in the heat of the moment, in hindsight is viewed as overly intrusive by many Americans.  I digress.
I found it interesting to read the background to the Ontario law, even though it is information already known to me.  Give it a read.  Then, as always, I ask you to please donate.  Tell people.  Get the message out that this is a bad law that needs to be changed.

Why you should care about the breed ban

If the Ontario law stands, it could very easily spread like wildfire.  Even if you don’t care about “pitbulls” ANYTHING can be banned if the court decision stands, with no evidence of “apprehension of harm”.

Warrantless Search & Seizure – Replace “Pitbull” with any other item or any breed of dog.  Is it okay in Canada for authorities to be able to enter your home and seize it without a warrant?

Reverse Onus – Dogs are being misidentified every day by Animal Control Officers. If your dog is not a registered dog, and especially if it is short haired, it could be misidentified as a “Pitbull” and seized and killed.

In other parts of the world, LONG BACKED BREEDS, SHORT LEGGED BREEDS, SHORT FACED BREEDS, HAIRLESS BREEDS are on their way to being banned because the extreme Animal Rights movement is lobbying, saying it is cruel to continue breeding these dogs.  I expect to see any breed with ANY genetic disease or fault added to that since the goal of this movement is for people to no longer have animals held in “slavery” domestic pets.

Breed Bans do nothing to keep people safe.  In fact, in many areas where bans exist, bites have actually increased.  The Netherlands rescinded their ban after 15 years because it was ineffective.  Governments know that breed bans don’t work.  They have been given the information by the experts, which leads one to believe that the only motive they have for a breed ban is the power to ban. 

Non breed specific laws work.  Calgary has a wonderful law.  It works.  Bites have decreased, licensing has increased.  It is not breed specific and holds animal owners responsible for their pets.  

Goodbye Tess

I saw the subject title come up in my mailbox, “I Lost my Girlie” and I got chills. The AmStaff is one of the breeds included in the breed ban in Ontario; this title could mean one of two things, neither one good. To have your AmStaff wander off or escape the confines of a secure yard makes your blood turn to ice and panic starts to consume your mind. It is an extremely dangerous world out there now in “Onscario” for a missing AmStaff; owners and pets have been subjected to all kinds of atrocities since Bill 132 became law. Who knows what could happen to your pet all alone out there? If your dog is caught, she faces mandatory euthanasia or living out the rest of her life in a dog pound.

But to lose a beloved AmStaff to old age and ill health is heart-breaking and right now has a deeper impact on the owner left behind because of the ban that’s in place. A new Amstaff puppy would be a perfect solution to heal the pain of Tess’s passing; but with the current legislation this can’t legally happen.

Until Bill 132 is defeated, we AmStaff owners and lovers have no choice but to watch our breed of choice reduce in numbers one precious life at a time. 

Tess is the lost girlie who lived a long 14 years and brought joy to her owner every day of her life. To her owner, she was one of the most beautiful souls she ever had the pleasure of knowing because she was extraordinarily gentle and loving. The last 6 months were hard on both Tess and her owner; old age is not for sissies no matter the species. She remained true to her breed to the bitter end, stoic and dignified and she still tried to play. She would grab at her canine sibling’s ankles as he passed by but didn’t get up from lying down. She would roll and do her snapping thing clicking her teeth together as if she were a land shark on crack but never made contact with anything but a pillow or blanket or any other benign object that wouldn’t scream ‘OW’.

So, we’ll say goodbye to Tess knowing that she’s at Rainbow Bridge, free to run and play, muzzle-less and know that there is no breed prejudice there.