All of nature has the ability to reason and the ability to negotiate. It’s innate in us. As natural as rain.

You need only look at the pecking order in a herd of wild horses to see this or the feeding rotation of birds around a birdfeeder.

Society sets rules to govern us, to guide us on acceptable behavior. They provide lines and structure.

If we paint outside those lines, we negotiate the consequences.

Your son breaks your neighbor’s window with an errant baseball. Does your neighbor seize your child? Confiscate his baseball? No, you negotiate with the neighbor to replace his window at your expense. You teach your child a new behavior: don’t play baseball so close to windows.

We negotiate the consequences.

A look through the Halifax Animal By-Law Violation report included by the city each month in the minutes on their website shows that violations are negotiated every month. Fines are routinely negotiated.

There is nothing unusual about Brindi’s incident.

She broke away from Francesca while getting muzzled. She ran to the edge of her property and scuffled with a dog being walked past the house. It was over in seconds. There were no visible wounds nor was the dog vetted for any injuries.

So why has the city of Halifax NOT negotiated this case in all the time that has passed since Brindi was seized in July 2008? The only words we seem to hear from their camp is the long passed cliched response: “We cannot comment because the case is before the court.”

Even the Criminal Code of Canada clearly states in section 718.2 (b) “a sentence should be similar to sentences imposed on similar offenders for similar offences committed in similar circumstances…”

It’s an indifference of sorts to not even attempt to negotiate.

Justice IS blind in Halifax. The same rules applied to other by-law violations are not being applied here.

Please call and/or email the Mayor of Halifax and the head of the city’s Legal Department. Ask them to correct this iniquity and return Brindi to her owner, Francesca Rogier.

It should not be wrong to stand up for what is right.

Mayor – Pete Kelly
kellyp@halifax.ca, mayorhrm@gmail.com
902-490-4010

Head of Legal – Mary Ellen Donovan
donovad@halifax.ca
Phone: 902-490-4232

Ciao, Holly

WHAT IF the city impounded your pet and wouldn’t let you have visitation… what would you do?

“On Monday, I sent another request to Animal Services for permission to see Brindi. Two weeks ago, after sending three letters in a row, I got a written refusal. There is no law or written policy banning [visitation].” October 2008

“Before leaving the [courthouse], we asked the city’s counsel once again if I could be allowed to visit Brindi. Answer: a flat NO.” January 2009

WHAT IF your only alternative to save your pet from euthanasia was to sue the city… would you do it?

In 2008, Francesca Rogier pursued that very alternative. In January, 2009, the Supreme Court declared certain portions of By-law A-300 invalid and quashed the decision to have Brindi euthanized.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Judge Duncan Beveridge quashed Brindi’s original euthanization order because the city failed, he wrote, to accord Rogier “even the most minimal requirements for procedural fairness.” One example? In what the city called its “complete investigation” of the third attack, no one bothered to take a statement from, or even contact, Rogier. [The Coast]

Brindi should have been a free dog that day.

Instead, the city launched their second attempt to KILL BRINDI. They charged Francesca Rogier with three violations of the By-Laws.

The city continues, today, to hold Brindi.

Please call and/or email the Mayor of Halifax and the head of the city’s Legal Department. Ask them to correct this iniquity and return Brindi to her owner, Francesca Rogier.

It should not be wrong to stand up for what is right.

Mayor – Pete Kelly
kellyp@halifax.ca, mayorhrm@gmail.com
902-490-4010

Head of Legal – Mary Ellen Donovan
donovad@halifax.ca
Phone: 902-490-4232

Ciao, Holly

WHAT IF city authorities arrived at your door one night with a warrant to SEIZE AND DESTROY your family pet… what would you do?

“From the minute they drove the big white truck away with Brindi sitting quietly in a locked metal cage, I began looking for help everywhere and anywhere – that is, after I finished screaming long and hard, enough to damage my vocal chords… For me, the excruciating pain of separation is compounded by horror and disbelief that in a case where no serious harm was inflicted, the city will actually kill a dog rather than punish me, her human owner and the responsible party.” [August 2008]

WHAT IF the same by-law that brought them to your door — a by-law designed to safeguard the city — offered you no option for challenging this warrant… what would you do?

“For the last ten days, I have been phoning, emailing, and visiting people, soliciting letters of support, and basically going crazy…. As a single woman, public safety is certainly important to me. I do not want people to worry about walking by my house. I have offered to install a fence right away, and work with a special trainer to correct her behavior. I will pay whatever fines and boarding costs are imposed. Animal Services has not responded to my offer, and the city’s lawyer declined my lawyer’s proposal to send Brindi to stay at an out of town facility until her behavior can be improved. Instead, Halifax appears determined to kill my dog.”[August 2008]

Between January 2007 and March 2010, THIRTY-ONE dogs were seized and destroyed IN HALIFAX by the letter of these very by-laws.

In 2008, one woman dared to stand up to the city and fight to save her dog.

It’s now the end of March, 2010, and she is STILL fighting.

Please call and/or email the Mayor of Halifax and the head of the city’s Legal Department. Ask them to correct this iniquity and return Brindi to her owner, Francesca Rogier.

It should not be wrong to stand up for what is right.

Mayor Pete Kelly -
kellyp@halifax.ca, mayorhrm@gmail.com
902-490-4010

Head of Legal – Mary Ellen Donovan
donovad@halifax.ca>
Phone: 902-490-4232

Ciao, Holly

Dear Friends,

Most of you remember Coco…

She was found paralyzed by the side of the road. We looked for the reason and found out she had a bullet lodged in her spine.

Most people would have either dumped her in a Municipal shelter or put her to sleep. The best case scenario for her would be to live attached to a wheelchair.

Not us….

Please click HERE and see what happened with Coco…Please watch the video till the end. It is in German but this is one of those occasions where images speak for themselves. I can GUARANTEE you will cry with joy.

We thank all of those who were involved in this operation, we couldn’t have done anything without you.

We are currently working on the process of sending some of our rescues to their final homes overseas. If you want to be a part of it we will be thankful for your contribution to the Simba Fund.

Best

Viktor Larkhill

Comme le savent déjà la plupart d’entre vous, le destin de Brindi est entre parenthèses, en attendant l’appréciation comportementale de l’expert.

L’audience a été reportée au 16 Avril.

La Presse Canadienne s’intéresse enfin au sujet et le cas de Brindi est en train d’être énormément couvert par les journaux.

Les Médiaux Sociaux ont prouvé encore une fois que le moyen le plus efficace pour faire passer un message est à travers la voix de la communauté qu’à travers les communiqués de presse traditionnels.

Nous avons reçu des centaines de e-mails, demandant de l’information ainsi que notre point de vue sur ce cas.

A cette étape, il est très improbable, voire même impossible, que Brindi soit tuée. Sauf si la Ville de Halifax, dans un dernier effort pour camper sur sa position, continue à lutter pour obtenir une décision d’euthanasie. Personne en ce moment ne croit que Brindi devrait être euthanasié. Je suis convaincu que nul expert au Canada ne voudrait témoigner que Brindi présente un danger pour la société.

Donc, ce sont des bonnes nouvelles.

Vaughan Black, un professeur à l’Ecole de Droit de Schulich à L’Université Dalhousie a déclaré que ce cas était particulièrement important parce que les propriétaires de chiens s’opposent rarement à ce que leur chien soit euthanasié. “J’imagine qu’il n’y a pas beaucoup de précédents à ce cas, simplement à cause des frais de cas pareils,
i.e. ceux des avocats.. et la plupart des gens ne vont pas au Tribunal comme le fait Mme. Rogier.” dit-il.

C’est justement cela qui a fait que Let’s Adopt a pris ce cas en charge. Ici, nous avons une femme qui se bat, contre toute attente, pour sauver la vie de son chien et le ramener à la maison. Nous avons quelqu’un qui se bat au nom de ce qui est juste, contre une alliance composée de fonctionnaires de la municipalité et d’organisations de “bien-être animal” comme le SPCA Canadien, qui, comme dans plusieurs autres affaires, ont trahi leurs principes fondateurs.

Brindi et Francesca sont devenus des symboles d’une lutte contre l’oppression et la discrimination qui affecte chaque propriétaire de chien au Canada et aux Etats-Unis. Une vaste majorité des gens aurait cédé et laissé Brindi être euthanasié. Pas Francesca. Elle a tenu bon et s’est battue. Ces actions ont fait que La loi soit modifié et que le système soit extrêmement mise en doute.

Elle aurait pu choisir la voix facile et permettre à la ville de tuer son chien. Elle aurait pu faire un compromis et laisser la municipalité trouver un autre foyer pour Brindi; les entraineurs de chien qui voulaient avoir leur quart-d’heure de célébrité en échange de Brindi ne manquaient pas.

La lutte pour les droits des animaux a des similarités surprenantes avec la cause des Droits Civils. Les mêmes thèmes sont en question. Des systèmes oppressifs, les droits d’individus écrasés par les autorités, des héros inattendus qui montrent le courage de tenir debout et dire NON.

C’est dans cet acte de défi que les gens comme Francesca Rogier prennent leur force et changent le monde vers le mieux.

Tout a commencé avec David et Goliath. Et nous savons ce qui s’est passé entre ces deux là à la fin…

We have received hundreds of e-mails requesting information as well as our point of view on this issue.

It all started with David and Goliath… and we know what happened with those two in the end.

Viktor Larkhill

Let’s Adopt!