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.