Ontario Ban showing the HATE in People

If we thought we got looks and accusations before the ban, it's worse now that the ban is now in effect. While the Pit bull owners and owners of other dogs are shocked at the outrage and ignorance of people, it's becoming quite bizarre.
Today we had our weekly gathering at the Bow Wow Pow Wow, which for those who have never read my blog before, is a weekly gathering of woman (this far anyway) with Pit bulls, that gather at each others yards to keep our dogs socialized in my city of London. We aren't allowed in the leash free parks with them, but this is not the fault of the London Dog Owners Association as many people think. This is the Provincial law stating that Pit bull types are not allowed in these type of parks. If you'd like to view our gatherings, you can see them in Collectively Conners along with all my other photo's. You will also notice why people tell me I am going to the dogs. LOL
During our visit today we were discussing various incidences just since the full ban began on October 29th. A man and woman in a car with their 3 dogs. The man stayed in the car with his 2 Pit bulls while the woman allowed the Jack Russel Terrier out with her. A woman yelled at her saying, 'Your suppose to have that thing muzzled!'
Another incident where someone told a person with a Boxer that his dog was suppose to be muzzled.
Meanwhile, on City TV in the news, the government is asking people to report any Pit bull incidences, such as them running free or unmuzzled. They want the public to tattle on Pit bull owners. Well, if people aren't aware what a Pit bull even is, there are going to be numerous calls coming in about dogs that aren't even Pit bulls. With this fact in mind, it will be up to the owner to prove that their dog is not a Pit bull and unless it has it's papers, how are they going to do that?
Even dogs that the vet has put as a certain breed, doesn't prove that, that in fact is what the breed of dog is. They (the government) believe people tell their vets the dogs are a specific breed so they are not on the 'list'. Considering that the dog may be 6 or 7 years old and this never came into the public eye until last summer, I can't see why people would think to lie about something that never existed at that time.
I for one listed Shasta as a APBT from the beginning. Never did I think she would be what they would call a 'dangerous breed'. Only for the sake of a few ignorant people, did the vet assistant suggest to me to tell people she was a Staffordshire Terrier. Back then, the name wasn't well know to the general public unless you knew your breeds of dogs. Now, they recognize it from the media and all you hear is Pit bull!
So although a Pit bull is not even a breed, here in Ontario anyway, if your dog is any of the breeds, it is a Pit bull. Does that make sence?
The forums are filled with people that are so fretful from the ignorance and hatred of people and their outbursts towards them and their dogs.
How is it this hatred can be so outspoken? Do they forget they are yelling at another person with feeling? Or is it that all they see is what they believe is a Pit bull, so now that owner is as bad as their dog, in their minds?
I take you back to my incident just the night before the ban took full force. Shasta was getting all this positive attention from all these people while at the store, yet when passing by a small group of people, the woman of the group said, "OH! That dog should be shot! What's wrong with the teenagers!" I'm assuming that all she saw was that Shasta had her gentle leader on and figured it for a muzzle, therefore assuming she was vicious. She certainly didn't notice me too well or she would have seen I was far from being a teenager.
As I talk to the people on the forum, I try to put this in the same perspective of when I had my broken neck. Once the surgury was done and successful and providing I didn't catch pneumonia, I was on my way to recovery in approximately 6 months. I had to take one day at a time and although I was in excrutiating pain, I'd remind myself I was one day closer to my recovery date. That each day brought me one step better, even if I didn't feel so at the time.
Well, to me the ban is like that too, with Clayton Ruby winning for our amendments as the recovery date. Although we don't know when that will be, he did start as of August 29th to fight this thing. It's my understanding that from Aug. 29th, it would take approx. 7 months to bring to court. How long that will take after that, I do not know, but what I do know, is that the fight for the amendments are going on right now and by another 6 months we should know something. That might not be the recovery, but we will know by then what we really are up against and perhaps hear from more than only the government. I guess what I'm hoping for by that time is to hear something hopeful and with that, will be a real gain to our recovery.
I may vent and cry just as I did when the pain was so untolerable that my body endorphins had to kick in, and in this same scenerio, it will be the same. Sometimes feeling like we are losing the battle, then kicking ourselves to continue the fight after a few days of tears and fears. The main thing is not to give up hope!
Because Ontario and Denver have been what I call the two model references noted in all the media when speaking of the bans, I'm hopeful, that like a cancer spreading, that if Ontario can stop the spread and instead show that our amendments work. This just could help with a turn around in other states and provinces, looking to see if this ban will work or not.
Rather than more banning, amendmends can be put in play of responsible ownership and education and going after the irresponsible and criminals as they should have in the first place of ANY dog owner. Guilty until proven innocent as it stands right now. That isn't justice, it's discrimination at it's worse.
If I've ever wondered what a manority race felt like that was being discriminated about because of race, colour or creed, I know now the hatred they've received because of the treatment we receive because of our dogs breed...and this is only the very beginning. It's going to get worse before it ever gets better.
I also hear in the forums the odd person who is refusing to go along with the governments rules as they think it is unjust. I too feel it is unjust, but I'm not going to risk Shasta's life over it. The law, just or not, is not something to play around with when you have so much to lose. That's why we are fighting for it properly and lawfully. I'm not going to martyr my loved one just to prove a point and I think it's foolish of anyone who thinks they are above the law and feel deeply sorry for their dogs that will be taken and distroyed.
There is a right way and wrong way to fight. I'm fighting to save not only my own dogs life, but the lives of others. How does having your own dog ripped away from you and distroyed while you get heavily fined, up to $10,000 and/or up to 6 months in jail prove anything other than stupidity? That's why we have an excellent lawyer, Clayton Ruby fighting for us.
We had an offer of having a lawyer for free fighting for us, but his credentials were not close to what we have with Ruby. Dog Associations have found ways to raise money for this fight and we purchase products or give donations, not so much for the product, but for what it represents. I may not have a car, but I have a bumper sticker on my door against the BSL. I sport a purple band on my wrist proudly and wear my t-shirt with my head held high. I've ordered a special dog tag for Shasta and placed an order for a 2006 calender. I've become a member of several organizations in which this money goes to either the fight against the BSL or educating the public about the dogs.
Both my website and my blog is an outlet to let others know what is going on. Hopefully reaching someone who either was unaware of what is happening in the dog world or hopefully changing a mind of someone who was brainwashed by the media or just didn't understand Pit bulls.
Out of all these months blogging, I've only received one negative comment in my guest book. I never deleted it, but instead posted about it. Hopefully that person might have seen the light by now, or maybe he/she is one that speaks hatred to us in the streets.
But we have to be strong and stand up to what we believe. We can't stop fighting and trying and hopefully the hatred doesn't wear us down, but mostly, I hope we don't fall to that level of hatred in return, but somehow I don't think we will, because what we do and what we believe in is for love. And love conquers hate hands down!