Thursday, July 08, 2010

Death-row dog gets a reprieve

Death-row dog gets a reprieve
Barbara Brown
Special to the Hamilton Spectator
(Jul 7, 2010)


Princess, formerly called a prohibited pitbull terrier, has a new lease on life.

The dog was ordered destroyed by Hamilton Animal Control last month after escaping her home and attacking a smaller terrier, causing bruising and puncture marks to the other animal.

The pitbull was seized and brought to the Dartnall Road pound, where a veterinarian estimated the dog was three or four years old. That would put Princess in the category of a prohibited pitbull under Ontario's 2005 Dog Owners' Liability Act and was an effective death sentence.

Princess, it turns out, was a lucky dog.

Fate, in the form of a more mature age, intervened to save her hide and set the dog on a new path to life outside the province, where pitbulls are not outlawed.

Jaime Stephenson, a Hamilton lawyer and animal advocate, stepped in to fight for Princess and was partly responsible for her stay of execution. She offered to pay for the dog to be spayed and shipped to an animal-rescue group in western Canada.

Jim Gillis, supervisor of municipal law enforcement for animal control services, agreed to postpone the animal's destruction pending an investigation into the dog's background and applicable legislation. The probe turned up a record that indicated Princess had been licensed as a pup five years ago.

The Dog Owners' Liability Act, which took effect in October 2005, banned the breeding, sale and ownership of pitbulls after several incidents in which the dogs attacked people. The law stipulated that a pitbull born within 90 days of the legislation being enacted would be grandfathered and could remain in Ontario as a restricted pitbull.

These pitbulls were required to be licensed, spayed or neutered and muzzled in public.

The new information changed Princess's status from a prohibited to a restricted pitbull.

The dog must still be removed from the province, Gillis said, because her owner had not been in compliance with the law.

He said a staff member trained in animal behaviour tested Princess under the SAFER (Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming) criteria and found she was not aggressive toward humans or about food. The dog did behave aggressively toward other animals, however.

Stephenson met Princess for the first time yesterday at a Burlington veterinary clinic where the dog was taken to be spayed. She said the dog was relaxed and friendly and licked her face when she bent down to pet her.

In addition to a sizeable vet's bill, Stephenson has agreed to pay $15 a day for Princess to be boarded at the pound, pending her removal from the province.

The lawyer said she is in touch with several animal-rescue operations, but added Princess is less of a priority now that she is no longer slated for destruction.

"It's unfortunate that we don't hear about these situations more often because these animals are being put down in this province every day," Stephenson said.

6 comments:

Sybil said...

I moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia last November when my daughter turned up with a Staffie cross pup. We haven't looked back and now our pack includes a mini Schnauzer, lab/whippit cross, the Staffie cross, a red-nose pitull and an Am Staff. You can guess who is boss of the pack ... the Schnauzer. He scares the hell out of our almost-adult Staffie .
People here are far more enlightened about pit bulls. Strangers in one of Halifax's huge off leash parks will say to me "It's the owner - not the dog". If you ever want to escape Ontario -- head east.

All the best, Sybil

Unknown said...

Conners,
Have you seen what Maggie Marton is doing to help bring BSL down in Denver?
http://ohmydogblog.com/campaign-to-end-bsl-operation-denver/

Unknown said...

i really liked your blog and your princess as well!
princess is truly a princess
Supplements for Dog

luckydogrescueblog said...

Princess IS a lucky dog! That line really stuck out to me, because I am a rescuer in Mississippi, & I just started my own rescue blog:
luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com

So when you said "lucky dog," it made me smile for Princess! Pit bulls are my primary rescue passion. I pull every one I can from the pound into my rescue & try to liberate them from their chains. My own baby, Riley, is a pit bull. I love what you are doing & if I can ever help you with anything down this way, please let me know! And read my blog if you have time :) I just love your's!
Thanks for all you do!
Ashley Hill
luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com

Pet Sitting Los Angeles said...

nice blog i like these kind of blogs,princess is looking nice..

Jenna said...

Looks great! Thanks for sharing the post.