Yeah Bryant, you're sure keeping our kids safe...

Bites and attacks are still in the news, only now it's other breeds of dogs. Is that not what we told Michael Bryant! People need to be responsible and educated. Banning a specific breed didn't help Cody any did it, Mr. Bryant! Why wouldn't you listen to us when we tried to convince you? Why didn't you stop these incidents from happening? Who is to blame? YOU ARE!
This article is in the Yorkregion.com

Boy, 9, attacked by dog in driveway
Mother tried to distract animal
Apr 26, 2006
John Slykhuis, Staff Writer
Staff Photo/John Slykhuis

Cody Owens missed several days of school while he recovered from a dog attack earlier this month. A neighbourhood lab mix running loose, lunged at the boy's head, ripping open skin near his eye and scalp. His mother, Betty, points to the wound that took 10 stitches to close.

A third violent dog attack in the past month has left a nine-year-old Island Grove boy with lacerations and bruises.
Cody Owens was playing with friends April 15 when a lab mix that had escaped from its pen charged at him.

Cody's mother, Betty, said she had seen the dog running loose and, fearing for the safety of children outside, tried to distract it.

When Cody heard his mother, he came to the end of the driveway and, wondering what was happening, yelled, "What, mom?"

That's when the male dog, described as "muscular", spotted him and attacked.

"He was growling and he knocked me down. Then he started biting me on the head. I kicked him and he ran away," Cody said.

With Cody bleeding and in pain, his parents took him to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, where he was anesthetized before treatment.

"The doctors said they wanted him put out because of what he'd been through," Ms Owens said.
The slightly-built boy needed 10 stitches to close the gash on his forehead and head, three stitches in his torn eyebrow and a bandage over a puncture wound in his arm where the dog's claw raked him. His face was swollen and both his eyes were bruised and puffy.

"It all happened so fast," Ms Owens said. Dog attacks are becoming more frequent and she is worried it is only a matter of time before a child is killed.

The dog was taken to the Georgina animal shelter where it was quarantined.

The dog's owner has apologized and agreed to have the animal destroyed, Ms Owens said.
As for Cody, the attack hasn't left him afraid of dogs. The Owens family has two canines.

"I'm not afraid of dogs, just that one," he said.

In other recent attacks, Barbara Cripps and her dog Rex were injured by two dogs running loose in Keswick and Kevin Sarasin was badly mauled by a large Tibetan mastiff in Pefferlaw two weeks ago.

Neighbours bring up worries about proposed dog park

What excuses will people come up with next? The two local dog parks in London have been a hudge success and nobody is complaining. Prior, residence were taking pictures of doggie doo and trying to say it would be worse if it was a dog park. The thing is, right now it isn't and people don't have rules to abide to without getting caught. Poop and Scoop is a bylaw through out London, so obviously people aren't respecting the bylaw, but with other dog owners around, they would pretty soon learn.

I've been to one of our parks and prior to even getting into the park they are double gated as you enter. They have extra bags and plenty of garbage cans.

Many people come time and time again as regulars, so not only are their dogs having fun, but it's a good place to socialize and as for barking, in that large of a space, it's something I've rarely heard. It's more dogs having the pleasure of running. A place where they can excercise and socialize, unless they are Pit bulls of course. They have to be muzzled and leashed at all times and only watch all the fun, but that's the Ontario Government, not the London Dog Owners Association making that rule.

This man should visit the other parks and I think he would change his view. Would he rather see them running free and perhaps even in the school property? That's the purpose of the Leash Free Parks. Give your dogs the socialization and excersise and you have happy, well behaved dogs. Not everyone is fortunate to have back yards or other dogs to play with. This has gone so well, that a third park is required. That in itself tells you something.

Funny that he is so upset about the menthane gas, yet he still lives there with his kids. I didn't realize that only dog owners were smokers.

Neighbour brings up worries about proposed dog park
By IAN GILLESPIE
London Free Press

Dave Swan says, "I'm really worried about my kids. If that's a crime, so be it."

You can't argue with that. But I'm not so sure about the rest of what he says.

Swan is opposed to an off-leash dog park the city wants to build near his house. The proposed new park would be fenced, with a 50-space parking lot and a double-gate entrance off Colonel Talbot Road. It would sit on an
old garbage dump near Byron Somerset elementary school, which is unfenced.

Swan doesn't like this. Not one bit.

"Frankly, I could not control myself if one of my children got attacked by somebody else's dog," he warns.

He says leash-free parks attract overly aggressive dogs and that one of these canine bullies might maul a child.
Swan says the proposed 1.2-metre fence isn't high enough to restrain aggressive dogs, particularly when the ground is raised by snow. He says many dog owners using off-leash parks don't leash their pets while moving from the parking lot to the park.

Also, Swan says he's worried about the noise ("What is the decibel level going to be with 50 barking dogs?" he asks.) He says he's worried about all that puppy poop, too. ("That feces is going to wash down the hill into the schoolyard," he says.)

Because the site is a former garbage dump, Swan says he's worried about the methane gas that's leaking out. ("If somebody's cigarette butt ignites methane gas coming out of those vents and it blows up my house," he says, "I've got an issue with that.")

Swan also says he's worried the park will attract pedophiles, who often lure children by asking for help to find their lost dog.

"We don't need any more reasons for strangers to be in our neighbourhood," he says, adding he'd rather see a soccer pitch on the site.

He says he's also upset the city notified only residents who live within 110 metres of the proposed park. To rectify that, he's delivered about 700 letters to local residents.

"We're not dog haters," he says, adding he owns a dog. "We just can't have it (a dog park) beside a school that doesn't have a fence around it."

Swan wants answers.

So I ask two local dog trainers, John Wade and Yvette Van Veen, whether off-leash parks attract overly aggressive dogs. They both say no, adding a dog that's leashed or restrained from socializing with other dogs is usually far more aggressive than one that's allowed to run and roam.

"My belief is that we'll get far fewer aggressive dogs if we have more dog parks," says Wade.
I ask Jay Stanford, the city's manager of environmental services, about the methane gas. He says the methane dissipates far too quickly to be dangerous.

I ask whether the site could be used as a soccer pitch. Stanford says the city concluded that was not feasible because the buried garbage is still settling, which causes the ground to heave and split. He says it would cost between $150,000 and $250,000 to cap the site with clay for a soccer field, but only about $40,000 for a dog park.

I ask Beth Sayler, the off-leash parks chairperson of the London Dog Owners Association, whether there's a problem with people unleashing their dog before they enter such parks (there are two in London) and not cleaning up. Sayler says it rarely happens, and the association regularly posts volunteers at the parks to educate users about park protocol.

I talk to half a dozen dog owners at the Stoney Creek off-leash park on Adelaide Street, just north of Windermere Road. They say they never see dogs fight or jump over the fence; they say their pets are far more interested in what's in the park (namely other dogs) than out.

As for noise, Sayler says when dogs are playing, they're much quieter than when they're tied up in a yard.

As for pedophiles, she says a Saskatchewan study found crime actually decreased in neighbourhoods with dog parks because there's more activity.

There'll be a public information meeting about the proposed park at Byron Somerset school on May 16 at 6:30 p.m.

It should be quite a dogfight.

Have A Ball, Save A Bull

Have A Ball, Save A Bull!

On Saturday, May 13 between 2 and 5pm at Playtime Bowl in Toronto, Banned Aid will host its first Save-A-Bull Bowl-A-Thon to raise money towards the legal challenge against breed specific legislation in Ontario.

Representatives from all affiliated groups that form Banned Aid (Advocates for the Underdog, American Staffordshire Terrier Club of Canada, Dog Legislation Council of Canada, the Golden Horseshoe American Pit Bull Terrier Club of Canada and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of Canada) will be available for questions.

Bowlers are limited to 200 people – the registration deadline has been extended until May 5 so please register now by emailing AFTU. You do not have to be a bowler to participate.

This event takes place only two days before the legal challenge begins on May 15, 2006. Banned Aid needs your support now more than ever.

Bowl-A-Thons will also be held in Barrie, Bradford, Guelph, Ottawa and Dartmouth. Visit brok.ca to download posters and pledge forms for any of these events.

The Bowl-A-Thons will be a great opportunity for all of us to connect, support our cause and get ready for the Ontario challenge.

Are you interested in sponsoring a lane or multiple lanes? Lanes can be sponsored for $100 each. You will receive sign advertising, which will be hung above each lane sponsored, at whichever Bowl-A-Thon you chose. These sponsorships do not have to be business related. Families or individuals may also sponsor lanes. For more information, please contact AFTU.

Do you have an item or service to donate to the silent auction or to be awarded as a prize? Items or services do not have to be doggie related. Please contact AFTU if you can help.

Together we can defeat breed specific legislation. I hope to see you all there!

URGENT! HELP SAVE KNUCKLES

There is little time for knuckles. He needs your help IMMEDIATELY!
Please click on the banner and see how you can help.

Faith, an amazing little dog

Faith Stringfellow is an amazing little dog, with an even more amazing story. Faith suffered from a birth defect, she became a member of our family when she was just a three-week old puppy. My son Reuben (17) picked Faith out of a litter of puppies that his friend's dog had recently given birth to. Several of the puppies were deformed; a few had already died. The mother dog was actually trying to terminate Faith's life when Reuben lifted her weak body out from under the mother dog; he brought her home to me knowing I had a heart like a marshmellow.
Even though Faith has this defect we taught her to stand, hop, and eventually walk on her two back legs, like a human. She's been a great dog and we forget she's handicapped. You'll turn around and she's chasing the geese at the park, running, jumping, skipping, and acting like any other dog...well, any other dog with a nose reach of 40" from the ground! (Watch your plate, she'll clean it for you before you're ready to share.)
Please watch the video of Faith on Montel Williams http://www.faiththedog.net/videos/CoolDog.wmv

Pit bull attacked by a 'Toy'

In the News Sun is this article.

Pit bull attacked by 'Toy'
• Warden not surprised: 'They stand their ground, those little dogs'

Thomas Delany Jr. / Capone, a 2-year-old pit bull owned by Garry Laffredi of Waukegan, is recovering after being attacked by a Pomeranian.
By Dan Moran
Staff Writer

WAUKEGAN — Animal Warden Tina Fragassi said she was not surprised when her office fielded a report Thursday about a 10-pound Pomeranian attacking an 80-pound pit bull.

"They stand their ground, those little dogs," she said, describing how one of her relatives has a small mixed-breed dog that charges her own pit bull and Labrador every time the three dogs cross paths.

That's basically what happened Thursday afternoon at a Sunset Avenue apartment complex, where Garry Laffredi said he was walking his 2-year-old pit bull Capone when a neighbor's Pomeranian came running at them.
"(Capone's) not a bad guy. He's real friendly. He's people friendly," Laffredi said. "He loves other dogs. (But) this little Pomeranian ran out and starts biting him on the foot."

Pomeranians, which are classified as Toy dogs by the American Kennel Club, can be as small as three pounds and resemble a fox in appearance, generally having a bushy orange coat and pointed ears.

Laffredi said the Pomeranian bit Capone's foot hard enough "to draw blood" also managed to nick Capone on the top of the head as he tried to pull the pit bull away on a leash.

Eventually, Laffredi said, Capone "grabbed the dog and more or less set him off to the side" before the two dogs were separated.

Citations issued

Animal control officers called to the scene reported that Laffredi told them the Pomeranian also bit him on the hand two weeks ago, but he chose not to report it at the time. The owner of the Pomeranian was issued four citations for Thursday's incident — failure to prevent a dog bite, owning a dog running at large, not possessing a dog license and not having updated rabies shots.

Each citation comes with a $25 fine if paid within 30 days. Fragassi said in cases of a first-time animal-to-animal bite with no current rabies shots, the animal is not seized but the owner must have the dog checked by a veterinarian for rabies after 10 days.

The owner of the Pomeranian declined to speak about the incident, describing it as an unfortunate episode that she wanted to put behind her.

04/22/06

POTTERSBURG CANINE CONFERENCE

This is a great time for everyone and I hope those in the London area and even far and wide will come and attend the fun.

POTTERSBURG CANINE

CONFERENCE

Sunday May 7th, 2006
12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Pottersburg Off Leash Dog Park (Hamilton Rd. & Gore)

A great chance to meet your neighbours and fellow dog owners

Lots of Canine Games:

Most Kisses

Best Singer

Owner / Dog Look-a-like

Photo Opportunities

Have your pets’ photo taken for only $ 5.00 by our professional.

Doggie Olympics

Nail clipping clinic $ 2.00

Educational Booth

Safety tips, park rules,

Getting your dog ready for the new baby

Lots of surprises for you and your dog!

Sponsored by
London Dog Owners Association


www.londondogownersassociation.ca

Pit bull ban in jeopardy

WOW! This article came from the Toronto Star and the reporter didn't even include their name. Sounds like a panicy reporter to me. The way I see it, this is a BONUS for us!!!

I think Titus and his owner has lead the way to more owners fighting about the legality of the breed of their dogs. After all, if you don't have papers to prove it's a pit bull breed, your chances of fighting that it isn't may have more clout.

Lately, there have been several dogs in the news that the owners have won their cases. Is this the newest trend?

Is the Pit bull ban in jeopardy?

I certainly hope so, especially with Clayton Ruby at the helm come May 16th. to really stir things up.

I think we have a win, win situation here and I personally can't wait to say 'Good bye' to this rediculas law and let our dogs be dogs again!

Pit bull ban in jeopardy
Apr. 22, 2006. 01:00 AM

The province should move quickly to appeal a debatable ruling by a Sarnia justice of the peace that could greatly affect Ontario's pit bull ban.

Jody Kirby was charged with failing to muzzle, leash and sterilize her dog, Tidus, as required under the law. But she was cleared when justice of the peace Helen Gale was not convinced the dog was a pit bull. It is believed to be the first successful challenge to the pit bull restrictions.

That law lists several breeds that are subject to a ban and also covers any dog that looks "substantially similar" to those targeted breeds.

In Kirby's case, the court was given a veterinarian's letter confirming her dog had some pit bull features. An animal control officer was even more specific, testifying that the heavily muscled dog had the same jawline as one of the banned breeds.

There seems ample cause for an appeal in this case. The stakes are high.

Ontario's pit bull ban is a fundamental public safety measure. Having owners of these dogs muzzle, leash and sterilize their animals is not too much to ask to prevent a further mauling of children and other people by these powerful animals.

The ban must not be rendered toothless by quibbling over what a pit bull looks like. As it is written, the law makes sense: If a dog's physical characteristics resemble a banned breed, it is covered by the ban.

If opponents of the ban persist in challenging the law by arguing about a dog's appearance, then the province should sharpen the definition of "pit bull" by amending the law to include detailed physical descriptions, such as jawline measures and ratios.

The ban is worth preserving. Most Ontarians understand the type of dog that it covers. But measurable definitions may be necessary to help some see what is obvious to others.

UPDATE - I received a reply from Jamie, owner of Titus and here is her comment:

Conners, I think you are very right about the journalist. My name is Jamie Kirby, and Tidus is my dog :). All this journalist did was try to make my dog look evil and I thank you for your support. I hope you are right about the pitbull ban being removed in ontario.Thanks everyone for your support- Jamie

ROCK-A-BULLY BASH

ROCK-A-BULLY BASH

Here is the information for the 2006 Pit Bull Co-op Toronto Fundraiser:

Live Band - Silent Auction - Q & A Session - Food & Drinks

When: Saturday, May 6th 2006 - 4pm to 8:30pm

Where: 680 Queens Quay West, Toronto (Performance Space)

Tickets are $25 per person including finger foods and soft drinks

All proceeds will go to the Dog Legislation Council of Canada Legal Challenge Fund to battle breed specific legislation. http://www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org

For tickets and information, contact: Debbie rockapuppy@yahoo.ca (416)-260-5745 OR
Violet info@pitbullproject.ca (416)-621-7919

Tickets are also available at:

The Dog Lounge at 2783 Dundas Street West: Contact Laura at (416)-769-0861
Helmutt's Pet Supply at 865 Queen Street West: (416)-504-1265

FLYER AND POSTER can be downloaded here: http://www.pitbullproject.ca/coop.htm

Roy Green Polls

Roy Green of AM 900 CHMLAM Radio had recently put up a poll of 'should pit bull's be put down as according to Michael Bryant's law if they are not spayed or neutered.' Here's the outcome of that poll.

Trash the pit bull ban
Friday April 21
Roy Green says Attorney General Michael Bryant's ban on pit bulls is a bunch of nonsense
Listen to his comments
We picked up our story of the pit bull dog on "death row" at Hamilton Animal control. It never bit anyone, just doesn't have its reproductive organs removed (owner couldn't afford the procedure) and now Animal Control won't permit the procedure under Ontario's pit bull ban law.We have the money for spaying the dog, courtesy NDP MPP Peter Kormos and you heard how free legal representation has been arranged.More than 80% of listeners who responded to our CHML web poll question yesterday said the dog should "not" die.

Ohio strikes down pit bull ban
Tuesday March 14

Roy Green says Ontario should adopt the state of Ohio's common sense with regards to a pit bull ban.
Listen to his comments

Pooch saved from death row...

Some FANTASTIC news in the Sarnia Sun comes this news.

Pooch saved from death row as judge rules dangerous dog legislation too ‘vague’
Sarnia Sun

Jody Kirby gets a wet welcome from her dog Tidus yesterday after picking him up at the Sarnia Humane Society. Tidus had been incarcerated there since he was seized March 9 and Kirby was charged with several offences. She was found not guilty yesterday.

Freedom from the pound Tidus returned to owner after judge rules on Dog Owner’s Liability Act case
BARRY WRIGHT
Sarnia Sun

A Sarnia dog has been given a new leash on life, but dog owners shouldn’t take his release as the beginning of the end of the Dog Owner’s Liability Act.

Tidus, a four-year-old male described in court as small, short-haired and muscular, is back with his owner today after being released following 42 days in custody at the Sarnia Humane Society.

“I’m just thrilled. I’m relieved it’s over with,” said owner Jody Kirby.

“He’s a good dog, he’s never done anything wrong.”

Tidus was seized March 9 by an animal control officer and Kirby was subsequently charged with four Sarnia bylaw offences relating to the pooch not being licensed or on a leash.

The city also ordered the dog destroyed under the provisions of the Dog Owner’s Liability Act which was passed by the province last August.

That legislation stipulates that pit bull owners must have full control of their dogs at all times, as well as having them muzzled, leashed and sterilized within 60 days of the bill taking effect.

Defence lawyer David Stoesser called the act “very inadequate.”

While Stoesser indicated the case is the first of its kind to be heard in Sarnia, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office did not know if the case was the first of its kind anywhere in the province.

“We don’t track those sorts of things,” said Brendan Crawley. Crawley was quick to point out the case should not been seen as a challenge to the legislation, but an individual court case under the law.

“If I’m acquitted of theft, that doesn’t mean I’ve been successful in challenging the Criminal Code,” explained Crawley.

“The act is alive and well,” he said. At the time she was charged, Kirby told the officers Tidus had infections that needed to be treated before he could be neutered, but she did not have the veterinary paperwork to back up that claim.

The dog has since been neutered and is good health, according to Dr. Sandra Taylor, a local veterinarian who testified on behalf of the defence in the Provincial Offences Court in Sarnia on Wednesday.

Taylor testified she could not identify the exact breed of the dog, because the owner did not have information about the lineage of the animal.

‘Very vague.’

“This legislation is very vague because it doesn’t give direction,” said Justice of the Peace Helen Gale in making her ruling to release the pet following the two-and-a-half hour trial.

She noted that the Canadian Kennel Club does not even recognize pit bulls as being a specific breed.

“There needs to be a clear definition,” said Gale. “There are some real problems with the act.”

Gale said the essence of the act was to restrict the movement of dangerous and aggressive dogs and no testimony was offered about Tidus’s personality.

The dog owner, who broke into tears when the destruction order was dismissed, said the legislation cannot be applied in a cookie-cutter fashion.

“I think that’s a big part of what’s wrong with this legislation,” commented Kirby outside the court room.

“He’s a good loyal friend to have around,” she said. “He’s obedient, never shown any aggressive behaviour and he’s never tried to bite anyone.

He’s a family pet, not a dangerous dog.”

Kirby, who said she needed a court order in order to make her sole visit to see Tidus during his incarceration, said she planned to take her pet for a long walk after retrieving him from the Humane Society.

“Because he’s on death row he doesn’t get walked,” she said. “He’s been in that cage for a month and a half.”

– with files from Gord Bowes

In the Toronto Star comes more news on Tidus

Pit bull law ruled overly vague
Judge backs owner in challenge to banSays clearer definition of the breed needed
Apr. 21, 2006. 01:00 AM

SARNIA—A dog with "some" pit bull similarities has escaped death in what's believed to be the first successful test of Ontario's new pit bull law.

A veterinarian's letter for a Sarnia court had stated that Tidus — a muscular dog with short reddish hair and a pointed tail — had "some" pit bull similarities.

But justice of the peace Helen Gale said that's not enough to hold dog owner Jody Kirby accountable to strict pit bull laws brought in last August.

Kirby was cleared of charges of failing to muzzle, leash, sterilize and provide ownership of her dog.

Her lawyer, David Stoesser, says it was the right verdict for an inadequate law. He says the law, which considers pit bulls to be any dog with a physical appearance that is "substantially similar" to four distinct pit bull breeds, should be clarified.

"In light of these proceedings, I would hope some significant amendments to the legislation are considered," remarked Stoesser, who believes the trial was Ontario's first since the ban.

"It puts a very difficult burden on our animal control officers, on the courts and indeed, on dog owners."

A spokesman for the attorney general's ministry told the Star's Rob Ferguson officials will review the ruling.

"It's our position that the law is sound, constitutional legislation that improves public safety for Ontarians," said Brendan Crawley.

Crawley said government officials don't know if the case is the first to go to court under the law because they don't track that information, since it's up to municipalities to lay any charges.

The Dog Owner's Liability Act says a pit bull includes a pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, an American Staffordshire terrier, an American pit bull terrier, or a dog with a physical appearance that is "substantially similar" to any of those. Violations of the pit bull restraints law require the pit bull to be put down.

Kirby, 35, said she was given the dog and isn't sure of its heritage. She described Tidus, estimated to be 4 years old, as loving and non-aggressive.

"I wouldn't have him out in public if he was a safety hazard, not even slightly," said Kirby, who was convicted Wednesday of separate municipal bylaw offences for not having her dog leashed or licensed.

In her ruling, Gale said the veterinarian's letter did not convince her that the dog could be defined as a pit bull.

"That letter falls short," said Gale. "That does not actually call it a pit bull and I think that's what the legislation entertains."

The Crown said it may appeal.

Canadian Press

Fallen Martyrs of the BSL

These are a few of the ‘Fallen Martyrs of the BSL’.




I'm on a Task Force to stop BSL where ever it may strike and also prevent it from striking elsewhere..

We are on a mission due to all the innocent bullies that have been murdered innocently and their only crime was their breed. We've decided we want to honour Zoey for losing her family to the BSL and to make the deaths of the dogs into martyrs rather than statistics, as their lives should be remembered as fallen soldiers against this war of BSL.

I ask if you have a dog that has been taken from you innocently except by it's breed, I am also doing a homepage of all the fallen soldiers in this fight. I'm asking for pictures, names, where you are from and if you would like to include a brief story of your dog and why it was taken away, please do so. You can send the pictures and stories to me at conners@defend-a-bull.com. Use the header of 'Fallen Soldier' to identify it from the others.

Another thing we are requesting is for everyone from all parts of the world to write Michael Bryant, either by letter or a postcard telling him you are appalled by him murdering innocent dogs. If your dog has been taken by BSL, include your dogs picture and the heart break you and your family has gone through or friends that may have gone through the same. Country doesn't matter. We want letters and postcards from EVERYWHERE to write.

His address is;
Michael Bryant MPP St. Paul's
Constituency Office
803 St. Clair Avenue W,
Toronto, ON, M6C 1B9
416-656-0943
Fax: 416-656-0875

or

Michael Bryant
Ministry of the Attorney General
McMurtry-Scott Building
720 Bay Street, 11th Floor
Toronto, ON, M5G 2K1

Don't let our dogs die in vain. Get MAD! SEND THOSE LETTER AND POSTCARDS! Show him we owners are ANGRY and pushed to the limit. The only name for senseless killings is MURDER.

Robbed of simple pleasures...

It's been a cold harsh winter and my body has taken every force of it mentally and physically and I've waited what seems forever, for the nice weather to finally come and stay, at least for awhile.

It's spring and I look forward to taking Shasta out so we can once again enjoy ourselves outside. Reality hits me once outside for several minutes. This spring is like no other that we have ever been through before.



This spring, there will be no more simple pleasures for us to enjoy outside. I can't toss a ball for her to catch, nor a frizbee. Her muzzle doesn't allow her the simple playful times we have had together of playing tug or war with a huge stick.



Her playing with a large stone, flipping it into the air and pouncing on it or scraping it with her paws and her mouth.

Sticks that she liked to chew on and make them into a multiude of slivered toothpicks or insects she would attempt to grab with her mouth.



I used to watch her as she did her ritual prance of sniffing the ground with her nose searching for the procise location of the warm spot in the ground to eliminate herself of stool. Wearing the muzzle doesn't give her that same exhuberance, as perhaps her nose isn't close enough to the ground to find that perfect spot.



Simple pleasures that she so enjoyed have all been robbed from her, as if restriction from socialization isn't enough. I see her looking around and know she is hoping a dog with owner will walk by and perhaps stop to talk while she enjoys the company of the other dog. Nobody comes.

As luck would have it, A neighbours dog, Jack escapes from his home and comes running to visit her. I see the happiness inside her as she greets him and her tail wags a mile a minute, but it is short lived as no more than 30 seconds later a bellow calls out to Jack to get home.

She watches in his direction hoping he may return soon, but he doesn't come and I can see the disappointment in her eyes resigned that it's better in the house where at least she has the cats and that awful muzzle can come off.

Not only has the Government restricted her, but now we can see she is also robbed of her simple pleasures.

HAPPY EASTER and a special thank you to Rescue Workers

Happy Easter Everybody from ShastaBunny and Conners!

Here's a poem I'd like to include as a Special thank you to all the Rescue Workers working diligently to save our dogs.

Rescued Dog

Once I was a lonely dog,
Just looking for a home,
I had no place to go.No one to call my own.
I wandered up and down the streets,
In rain and heat and snow.
I ate whatever I could find.,
I was always on the go.
My skin would itch,
my feet were sore,
my body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat
or gently say my name.
I never saw a loving glance;
I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me
was really lots of fun.
And then one day,
U heard a voice
So gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to
took me off my feet."
No one again will hurt you,"
Was whispered in my ear.
"You'll have a home to call your own
where you will know no fear.
You will be dry, you will be warm,
you'll have enough to eat.
And rest assured that when you sleep,
your dreams will all be sweet."
I was afraid, I must admit,
I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let
A human come so near.
And as she tended to my
bathed and brushed my fur
She told me about the rescue group
and what it meant to her.
She said, "We are a circle,
A line that never ends.
And in the center there is you
Protected by new friends"

"And all around you are
the ones that check the pounds,
and those that share their home
After you've been found.
And all the other folk
are searching near and far.
To find the perfect home for you,
where you can be a star."She said,
"There is a family,that's waiting patiently,
and just you wait and see.
then they'll join our circle
They'll help to make it grow,
So there'll be room for more like you,
Who have no place to go.
"I waited very patiently,
the days they came and went.
Today's the day, I thought,
family will be sent.
Then just when I began to think
It wasn't meant to be,
There were people standing there
Just gazing down at me.
I knew them in a heartbeat;
I could tell they felt it too.
They said, "We have been waiting
for a special dog like you."
Now every night I say a prayer
to all the gods that be.
"Thank you for the life I live
and all you've given me.
But most of all protect the dogs
in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person
to lift them off their feet."

~Arlene Pace

Fatality Fallout

Here's telling it like it is in the Toronto's Pulse24 news.

Fatality Fallout

It didn’t take long for the political guns to be drawn over the mass murders near London.

Opposition critics are accusing the Liberals at Queen’s Park of not doing enough to fight organized crime. N.D.P. maverick Peter Kormos charges the McGuinty Grits have been too pre-occupied with battling grow ops and muzzling dogs to properly do their jobs.

"The McGuinty government has focused on pot and pitbulls with a leisured demeanour that would make a stage magician jealous," he rails. "It has failed to focus on the real issue, which is an intense level of highly organized criminal groups -- bikers and others -- that are regrettably so notoriously well known to the general public.

"The Tories aren't silent on the issue, either. They accuse the government of not adequately funding the fight against gang activity.

Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter insists the government won’t comment on the probe until more is known about what really happened and why. But he notes the Liberals have doled out money to hire 1,000 new police officers, with 150 charged with investigating organized crime.

That response doesn’t impress P.C. leader John Tory.

“In the end only five percent of those officers were allocated to an already thinly stretched O.P.P.,” he complains.

He accuses the government of only worrying about vote rich Toronto’s gun crimes situation and not the rest of the province.

Kwinter was incensed by the accusation.

“Where were you last week on this question?” he demands. “It's only because of what happened this weekend you're up there trying to get capital out of it.”

He notes cracking gangs takes time and that the government is making progress. “To suggest other than that,” he rages, “is irresponsible.”

An Apology To Breed Ban Enthusiasts

AN APOLOGY TO BREED BAN ENTHUSIASTS

I'm sorry you are frightened of my dogs and are trying to have them killed because they are pitbulls.

I'm sorry you lack the understanding of this breed's true history, gentleness with people, wonderful temperament, intelligence and behavioral conformation. I'm sorry you won't read the ATTS stats regarding our breed's true temperament, putting it in the top four for temperament, scoring better than breeds like Golden Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels.

I'm sorry that you side with and protect animal abusers by marking the breed of dog and not the irresponsibility of the owner. I'm sorry that by your logic I could steal a car, run some people over with it, and then you can blame the make of car for the accident as I walk free.

I'm sorry you generalize one breed of dog with one group of people. I'm sorry you can't see the love and determination that many often highly educated, non-criminal, and "normal" types of people show towards this breed and the great personal sacrifices that they make to take care of their dog responsibly.

I'm sorry you cannot go into the shelters and see the hundreds of abandoned and abused pitbulls, dying only for the inane "crime" of being born the breed they are. I'm sorry you cannot see the look of disappointment in their eyes as someone walks by their kennel, and refuses to consider adopting them based on an ill-educated fear mongering reporter. I'm sorry that you cannot be there when the animal looks at a human for the last time, and in spite of being betrayed by all humans they have met, their tail still wags as someone approaches with the syringe of Euthinol.

I'm sorry you cannot be there when law enforcement shoots one of your dogs dead inside its own home in front of the children it mutually loves for simply getting off the dog bed and walking over to say hello with its tail wagging. I'm sorry you cannot be there to rescue pitbull puppies from a plastic bag in a dumpster, dumped there by someone switching their illegal and inhumane activities to another, more lucrative breed.

I'm sorry you cannot understand the difference between canine and aggression in the way that this breed can. Yes, I'm saying my pitbull is smarter than you.

I'm sorry that the medieval witchhunting genetics of intolerance, generalization, and racism make you feel the need to vilify a breed of dog. I'm sorry that justice, equality, tolerance, common sense are all things you hold dear as a fellow Canadian and expect from others, but do not yourself offer toward a pitbull or its caregiver. I'm sorry that you don't take the constructive time to petition changes in the Canadian animal cruelty act and in the criminal code that would deal out serious punishment to the real animal abusers.

I'm sorry you cannot see the disappointed look on a puppy's face when the people petting it quickly frown and walk away when you tell them it is a pitbull. I'm sorry you feel the need to terrorize my family and my dogs for crimes we never have and never will commit. I'm sorry you don't have to live in fear of your dog's safety from hysterical and mentally unstable people trying to inflict all manner of evil upon your dogs.

I'm sorry that you cannot see my breed working in some of the best Search and Rescue groups in the world, saving countless lives each year. I'm sorry our media censors and refuses to print the breed name "pitbull' when in connection with a positive act such as saving a person or child from a burning house, drowning, wild attacking animals, etc. I'm sorry you cannot see the many pitbulls registered as therapy dogs and bringing so much joy to another misunderstood, neglected demographic in our society, the senior citizen.

I am sorry you can't see a pitbull kiss a child, step carefully over a kitten, or play in a sunbeam. I'm sorry you cannot wake in the morning to feel a warm pitbull cuddled next to you in bed, and know that you are their total world, and even if the house caught fire and trapped you, they would stay with you to the end. But, now that I really think about it, I'm not at all sorry you don't own a pitbull--you do not deserve one.

Rob MacBean
The Mongrel Hordes
Lake Cowichan BC
(Permission granted by me the author to crosspost as long as it stays intact, and with my name on it.)

Freedom of speech is still freedom of speech

*WHEW* THIS IS GREAT TO KNOW!!! Sometimes I wonder how far I'm pushing my freedom of speech here on my blog and on my web site. Looks like all is GOOD according to this article published in the Toronto Star.

Town can't sue man for defamation
Must accept criticism from citizens: Judge Ruling doesn't affect official's lawsuit
Apr. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
MIKE FUNSTON STAFF REPORTER

Citizens are free to criticize governments without fear of being sued for defamation, a judge has ruled in dismissing an action by the Town of Halton Hills against a resident for comments made on his website.

Justice David Corbett of the Superior Court of Justice ruled that the freedom of expression guarantee in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms prevents governments from pursuing such actions.

It is the second time this year an Ontario judge has dismissed a defamation suit brought by a municipality against a citizen for the same reason.

The previous case involved the Township of Montague suing a resident for $50,000.

Comment about public affairs and government lies at the core of freedom of expression, and any legal restriction would have a chilling effect, Corbett wrote in his 25-page judgment.

"Governments have other, better ways to protect their reputations," he wrote, ordering the town to pay $5,000 in costs to defendant Al Kirouac, owner of TheHaltonHerald.ca.

The town, along with parks and recreation director Terry Alyman, jointly sued Kirouac for $120,000, alleging he wrote derogatory comments about Alyman in connection with his work for the town. Corbett's ruling did not affect Alyman's portion of the lawsuit, which is still before the courts.

Public officials have the right to sue for defamation, but governments do not have private reputations to protect, Corbett wrote. "Litigation is a form of force and the government must not silence its critics by force," he added.
Kirouac said in a recent interview that his lawyer, Ryder Gilliland, offered to settle with the town without costs three weeks ago but was refused. Now the town is on the hook for $5,000.

Gilliland also successfully defended Donald Page in the Township of Montague case. He termed both decisions "an important victory for free speech ... and democratic principles."

Lawyer John Schaljo, who represents both plaintiffs, said Alyman will proceed with his case. The town must decide if it wants to appeal Corbett's decision. Schaljo called Corbett's ruling disappointing, but "I can't say it was unexpected."

Pit bull law *tear*

I received this email today from a fellow named Cory and I used his header as the title of this post. He touched my heart as you can feel the compassion he feels and also the nightmare he is going through because of this ridicules Ontario Pit bull Ban. This is not unusual for the owners of Bullies in Ontario, or should I say, the responsible ones.

He feels his age and clothing style is what people are discriminating about him, but I assured him we are all victims to the racial profiling because of the breeds of dogs we have chosen due to the government and the media hype.

He has given me permission to post his email on my blog along with this precious Amstaff, Peaches.

Hi my name is Cory,

I live in Perth, Ontario (pop. 5500)

I’m the very proud owner of a 8 month old, AmStaff (I now hate the term 'pit bull' with a passion)

I was fortunate enough to get her before the ban in Ontario she is my darling angel and i treat her like my child.

I find myself awake at nights with a burning fire inside of me trying to make sense of all this madness and racial profiling of what i see to be the overall greatest breed of dog ever created.

In my town many dog owners AmStaff’sS, APBT's, Staffordshire Terriers, Bullmastiffs still roam the streets with no muzzles and seem to be so far left alone. Yet because of my age (24), and because of my appearance (baggy clothing), I am frequently warned to keep my dog muzzled and leashed "or else". I do abide strictly to this but still it makes me sick.

I can’t sleep tonight because I’m so upset reading page after page of dog owners that love their Bully’s like I love mine and I feel like we are all being ignored. All I can think about is how many peoples lives have been effected for the better by these amazing breeds of dogs in comparison to the few highly publicized occasions of poorly trained dogs (and probably from bad blood lines, with negligent owners) actually harming someone.

I’ve written this too you because you seem to be active in the pursuit of fairness, and because I would like some advice on what I can do, I’ve written a letter to the ombudsman of Ontario but I feel like that’s probably not going to accomplish much. If you need any help or have any ideas please let me know I am dedicated to this species and will do everything in my power to ensure that they do not vanish.

Thank you for your time.

Cory


Cory and Peaches

I emailed him in ways how he can help and I’m going to also add this here as perhaps many of you would like to help, but not sure of how.

1. Promote your Bully Breeds out in public by showing a positive image of the breeds.

2. Be responsible at all times and talk to anyone you can, young or old about the positive image of the Bullies. Bystanders often listen to what you are telling others and often you could give them something to think about.

3. Join at least one of the Banned Aid Coalition Groups and if possible, be active in them. If you are unable, the yearly fees also go towards helping with the Legal Fund that we are up against.

4. If you are able to blog or create a web site, there are never enough point of views to reach people all over the world and you just might touch one of them, if not more.

5. Buy the Bully articles that are sold on the net as profits also go towards the Legal Challenge.

6. Educate yourself to the Pit bull Law, no matter how vague it is and ridicules. It’s law right now and we must be abiding citizens. It also helps when others ask you questions that they are not aware of.

7. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! We may not have many, but the couple that we do have is worth knowing about. Our dogs and us do not have to take harassment or physical abuse because we own a breed of dog that some may not agree with.

DEAL...sealed with a kiss

This is Auntie Em of Merlin Munchies and Shasta and they were talking about a new product called Shasta Snacks. Naturally, Auntie Em wants to include Shasta's favorites in this specially designed product, so they both had to discuss what these treats should include.

Auntie Em also tell's Shasta that she is making her the Official Taste Tester of 'Shasta Snacks' and that she will get paid for doing her job...paid in cookies.



After much discussion and with questions answered. The two of them needed to sign the deal. Shasta did that in the only way she knew how and that was sealed with a kiss. A done deal!



Congratulations Auntie Em and Shasta on your new venture.

BSL targets dogs that fit the physical characteristics of a "Pit Bull."

This cute little lab puppy looking at himself in the mirror has a great message:



Is your dog next?

I don't know if they were vicous? They were pit bulls!

Farmer shoots pesky dogs
By MARK BONOKOSKI
Toronto Sun

PORT PERRY -- It is, indeed, a tangled web, spun from a mixture of small town fact and rumour, its storyline replete with the prerequisite twists and turns, and its complicated plot supported by a cast of characters that need no Hollywood scriptwriter to bring them to life.

There is Katie Barker, age 21, who bartends at the local Duke of Durham, a pub owned by her parents, Wayne and Monica Barker. She had three pit bulls, one she owned, and the other two she was about to adopt.

NEIGHBOUR'S DOGS

Those two dogs belonged to her neighbour, Craig Godman, age 31, who lived beside her and her boyfriend, separated by an adjoining wall in an old farmhouse-cum-duplex situated outside of town on Harper Rd.

All three dogs are now dead and buried in a manure pile

Indeed, the plot thickens.

William Cohoon is the landlord who owns the old farmhouse. He is a retired doctor, a surgeon by trade, as well as one of the coroners for the region.

He is also a farmer who raises beef cattle and chickens on a spread that backs on to that old farmhouse.
Longhaired, and with thick sideburns, the 67-year-old physician, respected for his years of medical practice as well as his success in recruiting new doctors to the area, was described by one local as looking like "someone who went to Woodstock back in '69 and never left."

NOT FAR FROM TRUTH

It is a description of Cohoon that is not far from the truth -- he declined to have his picture taken.
Dr. Cohoon is also the landlord who shot those three dogs one day when Katie Barker was away from home, and then buried them in the manure pile behind one of his barns -- all which goes a long way to explaining the posters that once adorned a number of telephone poles here.

"Doctor Cohoon is a pet killer," they read.

This is not to say, however, that Dr. Cohoon makes any bones about what he did.

Because he doesn't.

"The dogs were out running my cattle, and on more than one occasion," he explains.

"I advised the kid that if she didn't keep her dogs locked up or chained that they would have to answer to what they were doing.

"They were shot with good reason."

Sgt. Al Brouwer was the duty officer in charge of Durham Regional Police's Port Perry detachment on the day he was asked about the shooting of three dogs, and whether all was on the up and up, and that's exclusive of the newish legislation that demands all pit bulls in Ontario be leashed and muzzled when outside their domicile.

"Dr. Cohoon is a farmer here, and he has every right to protect his livestock from those dogs or any dog. As far as we're concerned, he did no wrong," says Brouwer, indicating that the gun the doctor used was also properly registered.

He suggests, however, that there is perhaps more to that Harper Rd. farmhouse than meets the eye.

"Check your own newspaper," he says.

There wasn't much in the Sun about the drug bust that went down two weeks before three pit bulls met their end, but the local Scugog Standard had the matter covered like a blanket.

It told of how Durham Regional's drug enforcement unit, supported by heavily armed members of the tactical support unit, as well as uniformed officers, took down the side of the old farmhouse where one Craig Godman lived -- he being the person who resided on the other side of the wall of the duplex where Katie Barker lived with her boyfriend -- and allege they found a marijuana grow-op with an estimated street value of $50,000.

That, and a loaded shotgun.

Pit bulls and grow-ops have all the optics of one plus one equalling two. But, in this case, the three pit bulls in the farmhouse's breezeway appear to have presented no problem to the police, which explains how Katie Barker came home to suddenly become the additional caregiver of her neighbour Craig Godman's two dogs -- he was in custody on drug and weapons charges, and three of his friends who were with him at the time of the bust were also facing an assortment of drug charges.

"I thought something might have been going on next door," she says.

"But it was none of my business."

The old farmhouse is vacant now. Katie Barker says Dr. Cohoon turned off the heat and water, forcing her and her boyfriend to move out.

Dr. Cohoon says not only was the rent in arrears, but that the place had been "trashed."

NOT RENTABLE

She said; he said, yes. But the farmhouse, judging by what could be seen through a window, did not appear imminently rentable on the day it was visited -- and that's includes either side of the duplex's separating wall.

"You want a story? Then look at landlord-tenant issues," Cohoon says. "There's no story in shooting three dogs."

William Cohoon says, quite matter of factly, that he has no idea whether the three pit bulls were vicious or not.

"They weren't to me," he says. "But they're pit bulls, aren't they? They're subject to change immediately.

"Sweet one minute, not the next."

'CLEANLY SHOT'

He put them down -- "cleanly shot and euthanized," he says -- not because they were vicious, but because they were chasing and endangering his livestock, a herd of 70 beef cattle with a value of about $1,100 per head.

"Like I said, I had warned the kid about those dogs," he says. "When she came home, I told her what I had done.

"But it is not as if they were shot without good reason.

"And, yes, they're in the manure pile," he admits.

"Composting," as he puts it.

"New justice' is a further erosion of rights in Ontario

'New justice' is a further erosion of rights in Ontario

By Selma Mulvey, Burford
The Hamilton Spectator
(Apr 4, 2006)

Re: 'Is this the new justice? Police say Mike Ricca is a crack dealer. But they've never charged him. Instead, they've gone after his wallet with a law critics say threatens civil rights.' (March 31)

The short answer is "yes." Attorney General Michael Bryant has a habit of violating people's civil rights when it is not possible to convict them of a crime.

While it may be true that "an act like this is rare that encompasses so many constitutional issues at once," it is unfortunately not rare in Ontario.

There is another act that strikes at the core values of the Canadian justice system with respect to "search and seizure, the presumption of innocence, the burden of proof and security of person," and more.

It is also so poorly worded and vague that even those responsible for enforcement fail to understand it, let alone those targeted by it.

I'm talking about the amended Dog Owners' Liability Act, commonly referred to as the "pit bull" ban.

It was passed last year with the acquiescence of both the general public and the press.

Read it and weep for the erosion of democracy in this province and for the innocent citizens who have been criminalized and had their lives ruined for no reason at all.

Shasta's Special Message...

I asked Mommy if I could write in her blog today. I want people to see how I feel about all this and people may say doggies are dumb, but we aren't. We have big hearts and all we ask back is to be loved and properly cared for.

Mommy has a web site dedicated to promoting a positive image of the Pit bull breeds, because home here in Ontario is the first of it's kind in North America with the BSL (breed Specific Legislation) banning our kind from Ontario. Only with strict regulations are we allowed to be Grandfathered, or restricted, but we are allowed to live with our mommies and daddies as long as they abide by the laws and bylaws.

Well, it's very sad. Mommy get's emails asking for information, but also sometimes on how to save some of the innocent doggies that have fallen victim to the slightest mistake of this terrible ban..

I have a very good pal on Dogster and her name is Zoey. I love her very much. She lives in Ontario, Canada too. She had her mother and brother that doesn't live with her, but lived with a different mommy and daddy.

One day they had company over and they have neices and nephews and when they were coming in and out of the house, someone must have accidently forgotten to close the door. That's when they noticed that both the doggies were not in the house.

Both of these dogs had never bit or even growled before, but they went out the open door and decided to go for a walk, only they never came back. Animal Control found them and contacted the owners since they were legally registered. But they didn't give them back to the owners. Instead they put a destroy order on them and they ended up going to Rainbow Bridge all because they went outside by themselves. Yes, it is against the law, but the doggies didn't know that. If they had been any other breed, they would have been returned. The owners were always careful in the past, but this was an unfortunate mistake that any doggie could do, only because they are the Pit bull breeds, they had to go to Rainbow Bridge.

Mommy tried very hard to find a right solution to help these dogs, but their aren't any. If you are a Pit bull breed living in Ontario, there is no room for any kind of mistake, even if you have never harmed anyone all your life. Two of my kind had to die due to a stupid law. Two wonderful, innocent dogs that loved people, children and even other amimals and not a mean bone in their body were put on the destroy order. When Mommy received the sad news, she cried as she read the email. I licked her tears, but she was still so sad. They weren't the first ones to die needlessly and there will be more. That's the sad truth of this horrible ban.

For those owners of dogs that don't live in a banned area or aren't on the ban list, please don't take your freedom and your good times forgranted. It not easy being a restricted dog. You don't get to socialize anymore and everyone knows how important that is for all breeds. Our mommies and daddies always have to be on guard at all times as one false move and away we go, even if our mommies and daddies are responsible and we would never think to harm anyone or anything.

Two more doggies passed to Rainbow Bridge and their only crime was their breed.T heir family are distraught as you can imagine and the same for other people that own breeds the same as ours. In other parts of the world, there are even more breeds of doggies on the banned list. Some you would never believe would be banned and who knows what breeds they will pick on next. Maybe yours?

Yes, mommy and others are fighting to change this law and yes there are too many dogs bites, but it's not us that are doing it. Many times the media says it's us or they say, 'could be a Pit bull type.' Could be and is are not the same. Many times in the media it says a Pit bull breed bit someone, but they don't put up the picture of the dog, but another instead. So was it really a Pit bull breed that did it? How do we know? We only know what the media has written.

Mommy and me feel terrible what happened and mommy feels worse because there was nothing she could do to help. We cry for the innocent dogs that lives are snuffed out far before they should be. Not sick or old, but because of their breed. It's a very sorrowful time and they are martyr's lost in this battle.

I wonder when finally we win this battle, will I even remember how to be a 'regular doggie' once again? I just don't know! I really just don't know.

Mommy is making up a Time Capsule of a sort, only it won't be locked up for 50 years. She has newspaper clippings, her journal, pictures of me and my friends both in muzzles and without, calender, buttons and will include her wrist bans and some t-shirts, all the documents required to have me legally registered so I'm grandfathered.

Once we win, she will burn one of my muzzles as a symbolic gesture of the win, but she is going to enclose the other one in the box. She wants this to be remembered generations down so history doesn't repeat itself. She says that hopefully one of her great, great, great grandchildren will use the box in a school project to show how bad and wrong breed banning can be and the devistation it causes.

So to those special innocent doggies that have lost their lives in this battle, we will never forget you. We will keep your memory alive forever. You may not be with us, but you will always be within us.

*puppy love* Shasta