Beyond the Myth available to buy and rent!

It's official! Beyond the Myth is available on Rogers on Demand, Itunes, Blockbuster, Netflix and at the official website and Amazon to purchase. 

I hope you rent/buy this film. It is very well done and I am so proud of Libby Sherrill, the writer/producer/director. 

It was a wonderful experience taking Beyond the Myth to multiple theatres for screening, prior to the public release of the film. 

The response was awesome! It is an emotional, thought provoking film. It is a must see.

Check it out! I highly recommend it..

Haters Gonna Hate

Just when you think you've heard it all, along comes a hater and proves you wrong.. 

From a comment on one of the articles of hyperbole, trying to stir the pot in BC...

• There is no dog that removes as much human flesh as pitbulls.

Once you get past the mental picture and ridiculousness of this statement, feel free to *laugh out loud*, as I did. 

Next question... Wha? 

I had no idea there was some competition to see what kind of mutt can remove as much flesh over another. I would hate to be the test subject of this study. 

Oh here's another comment (actually in the form of a question),

• Why should owners of beagles and collies pay for having the sense to choose a breed that has a long history of adapting to humans without causing harm? 

Now usually I am a person who says there is no such thing as a stupid question, however in this case I must make an exception to my rule. 

•  These dogs are DESIGNED to tear, to maul, to maim.

Yup, that's it.. The family pets we commonly refer to as short haired mutts or "pit bulls" are designed to maim you! I think what people are confused about is wanting a ban on Badgers or Wolverines? 

Let's interject here for a moment and come back to rational reality. 

We all know the common stereotypes, myths, hyperbole, bullshit, lies and urban legend. 

- locking jaws (disproved) see Dr. Lehr Brisbin.

- bullet proof (disproved) duh!

- stronger bite pressure psi (disproved) see Dr. Lehr Brisbin.

Quote from Dr. Lehr Brisbin;"The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of 'locking mechanism' unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."

- chemical in the brain that causes "ticking time bomb" syndrome (disproved)
Turned out that applied to a certain former Attorney General of Ontario.

- skull to small for their brain (disproved) come on.. please!

- can't feel pain (disproved every time I try to trim nails). 

- do the most damage when biting (disproved) Well I guess this would depend on what one is referring to when explaining "most damage". I live in Canada and I will speak to Canada. I consider the "most damage" to be a fatality. For further information here is a link to the DBR fatalities in Canada.

From the committee hearings a statement from Dr. Bonnie Beaver; 

"Pit bull dogs, regardless of how they are defined, are not the dogs reported in Canada for inflicting fatal or even severe bites. According to the most recent study for the years 1990 through 2007, huskies and husky crosses are. Huskies were involved in 32 of 48 fatal attacks. Interestingly, this was also true in 2004 when the original bill was considered. However, huskies were not included on the Ontario list of bad dogs. Neither were German shepherds, cocker spaniels, Rottweilers, or golden retrievers, the top four breeds involved in dog-bite injuries in Canada at that time."

- are aggressive because they hang from tree branches (just plain mental).



Now let's look at some of the common myths from a portion of those fighting for their right to own a short haired mutt...

-  "pit bull" is a breed (Nope) American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier are all breeds. They are also among the rarest of breeds in Canada with less than 500 residing in Ontario and yes this was the case in 2004 when the Liberals enacted the ban. 

-  "pit bulls" need special homes cause they are different (Nope) short haired mutts are no different from any other mutt. They should be judged on energy level, size and temperament like any other mutt and matched accordingly with an appropriate home. All dogs need training and socialization to be a good canine citizen.

-  "pit bulls" are the most abused "breed" (Nope) There is no evidence to support this theory. 

-  "pit bulls" are nanny dogs (Nope) Was a nickname for Staffordshire Bull Terriers but doesn't mean they aren't dogs and capable of biting in the wrong situation like any other dog.

-  Dog fighting is prevalent (Nope) it is rare and has nothing to do with what we are fighting for. Dog fighting has been illegal in Canada since 1892! Are there pockets found in usually low income areas? Yes, but largely punk kids in alleys fighting mutts. (Yes I have talked to members of the Police about this). 

-  Many dogs in the shelter/rescue system that come in with terrible injuries are "bait dogs". (there is no evidence to support this). All dogs are capable of fighting with each other. Dog/Dog aggression happens with all breeds and mix breed dogs. It does not relate directly to human aggression and people with dogs that exhibit dog/dog or dog/human aggression need to seek the help of a professional trainer. Knowing your dog and their body language and paying attention goes a long way to preventing fights from breaking out.  

This all being said, all I have to say is Haters Gonna Hate! I have no interest in bantering back and forth with those with irrational fears. People who have latched on to the myth, hyperbole and urban legends (and that includes most of the main stream media) and hang on tighter than a dog to a tree branch. 

If you have irrational fears to "pit bulls", sharks, snakes, spiders, the dark, witches or any other thing you may be irrationally fearful of; get some help man! This is considered a mental illness in the form of a phobia and yes you can get help; just not from me. 

I am more than willing to speak with people who are willing to learn about dispelling the lies but if you are preaching the lies like some tin foil hat cult club, I have nothing to say to you other than get some help!

For landshark week Game Dog Guardian had some fab illustrations. With their permission here is one of them. Love it! 

Breed Specific Legislation does not work! It has been proved not to work, one example being a 10 year study in the Netherlands, which resulted in the repeal of BSL. 

Jurisdictions worldwide are repealing in a domino like fashion. Jurisdictions proposed with BSL are dismissing it for programs that are not breed specific but fair, equal and enforceable. An example of this is Calgary's Responsible Pet Ownership program.  The RPOP fits any size town, city or municipality.

If you are still hanging on the the belief that BSL in fact works, as opposed to what it really does (kill innocent family pets and target good dog owners) you may very well be mentally ill! Get some help!

"Pit bull" The family dog is what I am!

BSL Update from Randy Hillier

PC MPP Randy Hillier sent out an update today. The House is now back and the bi-elections are over. McGuinty and his minions are still in a minority therefore we continue to push forward for Bill 16 to be brought up for 3rd and final reading. Bill 16 will repeal BSL in Ontario. 

Here is Randy's update;

BSL update
At the end of last session, we saw that the governing party has no interest in repealing Ontario's breed specific legislation or improving the current Dog Owner's Liability Act. You can catch a full video of that committee here. 
I know I haven't had any good news to report on this front, but after last week, I do have some. The voters denied the Premier a majority. As long as the governing party doesn't have a majority, we can still get rid of BSL in Ontario. Now that the Legislature is coming back, it's time to put the pressure on our elected representatives. If you haven't already, make sure to sign the petition to end breed specific legislation in Ontario. It can be found here. I hope to have some positive news soon for you!

In addition to signing the petition, please contact your MPP and simply ask that they push for Bill 16 to be brought forward for 3rd reading. 

Also please email Dalton McGuinty and demand Bill 16 be brought forward. 

You do not have to go into detail, but simply state what you want. 

If you live in a riding held by either PC or NDP, please don't let your MPP feel left out. Please ask them to encourage the Liberal House leader, John Milloy, to bring Bill 16 for 3rd reading, and ask for their continued support and vote when the Bill comes up.

Please also email Dwight Duncan (Deputy Premier), John Milloy (Liberal House Leader), Jim Wilson (PC House Leader) and Gilles Bisson (NDP House Leader) asking for Bill 16 to be brought forward for 3rd reading.

Please also send an email note to Cheri DiNovo, Randy Hillier and Kim Craitor to let them know we haven't gone anywhere over the summer. We are still waiting with great anticipation, to live in our province without discrimination against our dog/s appearance. 

I would also like to invite you to our twitter campaign to push for Bill 16 to be brought to third reading. You can follow me @Brindlestick 

Hang in BSL Freedom Fighters! We must take our campaign to a higher level,  ramp up and work together to tighten the pressure on the McGuinty Liberals.

We WILL WIN THIS! 

WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN UNTIL BSL IN ONTARIO IS NOTHING BUT A HORRIFIC MEMORY! 

DOGS AGAINST BSL - MOTHERS ON SKYPE

An excellent video hit You Tube this week!

Synopsis;

Dogs talking about their human pets and how "blue eye" humans are banned by the government. This satire reflects the insanity of discrimination based on appearance, instead of focusing on responsible dog ownership & training for all breeds of dogs. Our goal is to repeal "Breed Specific Legislation" world-wide. Please share this video to help us attain a higher awareness to this issue.

New York State prohibits Breed Specific Legislation

More fantastic repeal news, this time from New York State! Last month was the state of Massachusetts, which was hot on the heels of Ohio. 

Kudos to the Long Island Coalition of Dog Fanciers for pushing to have a Bill put through Senate to prohibit BSL in the state. 

On September 3 New York became the 12th state to prohibit passage of breed-specific legislation. 


Get with the program Dalton McGuinty! 



Discriminatory laws against dog owners based 

on appearance as opposed to behaviour is 

passée. 


Dalton McGuinty you are out of date! 



Repeal BSL in Ontario. 



The dog owners of Ontario demand the 

McGuinty Government bring Bill 16 for vote in

the legislature immediately! 




For more information about the New York state law click here.

Listen up Dalton McGuinty!

Is there media bias against "pit bulls"?

Well isn't that just the $64,000 question of the day?

CBC Radio One in Vancouver tackles this question, which is a breakthrough in itself.

This is definitely worth listening to.

Thank you CBC Radio One Vancouver for beginning to scratch the surface of this issue.

7 year anniversary of Ontario's "pit bull" ban

This day commemorates the 7 year mark of Dalton McGuinty's draconian legislation that is commonly referred to as the "pit bull" ban. 

This ban kills dogs or sends them for research based on appearance as opposed to the behaviour of the dog. The 3 named purebred breeds are so rare in Ontario -less than 500 combined- therefore the targets (which number in the thousands) have been largely mix breed dogs of unknown lineage.

We have helped hundreds of people and witnessed many heartbreaking stories. We have lived this horror show for nearly a decade. We (Dog Legislation Council of Canada) raised 3/4 Million dollars (of which we are still paying) and went to court. We had significant portions of the law struck as unconstitutional only to have it re-instated with an appeal. We applied to appeal to the SCC but they refused to hear our case.

The McGuinty government has fought us tooth and nail by using endless dollars fighting us in court including an appeal. They have used endless taxpayer dollars killing family pets - using MAG (Ministry Attorney General) lawyers in individual cases. They have spurred outright witch hunts in some jurisdictions going door to door seizing family pets since police powers were given to municipal workers and in many cases contract workers for municipalities.  

We currently have a tri-party supported, Bill 16 which is past second reading. The Bill has passed through committee hearings, which appeared to be ignored yet again. Merely a carbon copy in condensed form the committee hearings were 100% against the ban. Experts including DLCC, now retired Bill Bruce from Calgary, AVMA, CKC among many more all presented factual information clearly demonstrating the utter failure of breed banning worldwide plus clearly laying out alternatives.

Most jurisdictions have repealed such as Holland, Switzerland, Ohio, Cincinnati, Toledo (home of Liberal "expert witness" dog catcher Tom Skeldon who was later fired in 2004),  and countless other jurisdictions. 

The state of Massachusetts recently passed a state law making it illegal to target specific breeds with laws in local communities.     

The former AG of Ontario Michael Bryant recently admitted publicly the Ontario  breed ban appealed to his giant ego and he was a drunk during his time as AG until 2006. This explains a lot and confirms a lot of suspicions however what the hell is Dalton McGuinty's excuse? 

What exactly is Dalton McNanny's reason in procrastinating bringing Bill 16 for third reading? Three Liberal MPP's voted in favour of the Bill at second reading and one of them, Kim Craitor, signed on to the Bill. We have had numerous other Liberal MPP's speak with us, indicating they hold cabinet posts so *they must vote with government* but they are in favour of Bill 16. There were few Liberals left in the house during the vote at second reading. There is more than enough support to get this Bill passed. This is his *way out* if he so cowardly wishes to save face.

Dalton McGuinty has a lot to answer for! It is a crime in my eyes what he has done to innocent dog owners and innocent family pets in Ontario. If one wanted to actually improve public safety with regard to dog bites, the law we have had in place since the late 1800's, you know the one the ban is an amendment to, DOLA Dog Owners Liability Act, is waiting to be enforced upon dog owners of any shape/size/type/look or breed of dog. The law has disproportionately been enforced to hunt for so called "pit bulls" in Ontario while it is business as usual regarding public safety. The public is no safer today than it was August 28, 2005!

This whole charade has been a heartbreaking, expensive, futile exercise in discrimination toward dog owners who happen to own a certain "look" of dog. That "look" is as diverse as there are animal control officers in Ontario.

   
Many things need to change.

Main stream media continues to fill space with dog attack stories by so called "pit bulls". This week CTV Toronto's lead story on the 6pm news was a so called "pit bull" attacked another family pet in a park. Not once did the victim say the dog was a "pit bull" and the dog was never found yet CTV lead you to believe they are experts in identifying a "pit bull" even though the dog had disappeared before they were on the scene? 

Governments must stop making decisions perpetuating a myth!

The propaganda campaign must end!

People must understand Dogs Bite: But Balloons And Slippers Are More Dangerous.

One thing this older and wiser Ontario dog owner knows for sure... 

You may as well give up Dalton McGuinty. Stop your nannying ways!

We will never give up and *We won't back down!*

Lyrics | Tom Petty lyrics - I Won't Back Down lyrics

McGuinty's Legacy