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And Off to Court We Go
This afternoon my husband and I must attend the provincial courts and defend our dogs. Let me explain. We live in a city that thinks pet limit laws make responsible pet owners. Barrie Ontario has limited the number of dogs a person can own to three. I have eight dogs. Eight dogs no one else wanted, eight dogs that are alive because we do not believe they deserve to die . Now five of those dogs are in danger once again. The city wants to remove them from our loving home and place them in the shelter system. In other words they wish to take dogs with loving homes and make them homeless.
The city would do better to concentrate on complaints about pet owners who are not caring for their pets, there are enough of them out there, such as my neighbor across the street who tie their hound mix out in the yard and allow him to howl all day. Or the gentleman (I use the term loosely) three blocks away who beats his dog every time it barks at a passing stranger.
Our dogs are vetted regularily (I have the vet records to prove it) they are well fed well exercised and well trained, after all I am a dog trainer. I have been rescuing and rehoming animals at my OWN expense for years. I have the vet bills to prove that too. No animal leaves my care until it has been spayed or neutered, also at MY expense. Two years ago an eleven year old rescue who had been thrown away by her backyard breeding owners because she could no longer have puppies was fixed and vetted at an expense of over $1600.00. We then placed her in a loving home at no cost to the new owner. Had this dog ended up in the shelter system she would have been euthanized as unadoptable because of her age and temperment before the surgery she required to fix her rotting teeth.
If the city gets their way, I will be unable to help these dogs and give them a second chance. That is why we need YOU Canadians. We need you to tell the city of Barrie that their bylaws KILL good dogs who have done nothing wrong. We need you to tell them that our dogs deserve a second chance at life. We need you to make them understand that dogs are living things and not a commodity to be traded.
Please write to city hall and City Council and tell them the Hamilton dogs have done nothing wrong and should be left alone. You can reach Mayor Aspden and the city council at the following email addresses:
officeofthemayor@barrie.ca >Mayor Aspden
deputations@barrie.ca > City Council
Please help us save the lives of our dogs!
Until Tomorrow Remember,
BE THE CHANGE
Janette
17 Comments to “And Off to Court We Go”
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Adri says:
My email will be sent this morning. You and your animal family are in my thoughts!
Mira says:
I pray for you and I FULLY UNDERSTAND…and I do believe that limiting the number of pets one can have is unconstitutional…there are so many animals in shelters, BECAUSE they have limited to number of pets…Please read this ;
“The US Supreme Court and many State courts have ruled pet limits to be in violation of the United States Constitution for many of the reasons listed above:
%u2022 In Louisiana, a judge ruled that “the ordinance violates residents’ property rights”,
%u2022 The US Supreme Court has issued a series of decisions over the last several years that, taken as a whole, have elevated the rights of property owners to a limited degree versus State or city power.
%u2022 District Court Judge Thomas P. Knapp in Minnesota ruled, “The court finds that ownership of dogs and other pets is a property right which is protected by the Constitution,%u201D He said that the city failed to provide relevant evidence that the laws were needed. The plaintiffs are not required to comply with unconstitutional laws and thus were not obliged to obtain the unanimous approval of neighbors before keeping their dogs. Furthermore, the judge found that the Constitution does protect pet ownership. He declared the laws unconstitutional and enjoined the city from enforcement. (Holt v. City of Sauk Rapids, 1997).
%u2022 In Pennsylvania an ordinance that limited residents to five pets was also ruled against. The judge quoted from Kadash v. City of Williamsport, 1975: “What is not an infringement upon public safety and is not a nuisance cannot be made one by legislative fiat and then prohibited. Even legitimate legislative goals cannot be pursued by means which stifle fundamental personal liberty when the goals can otherwise be more reasonably achieved.” This was later supported by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. the following statute was cited: Municipal Corporations 589 268k589
“In reviewing law enacted pursuant to municipality’s police power, court must determine that goal sought to be achieved is legitimate and that means used to achieve that goal are reasonably necessary and not unduly oppressive.” (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Creighton, 1994)”
Diane Cartwright says:
Please let us know. And may the best luck be with you and an animal loving Court!!!!
Janette Hamilton says:
I will update the situation as it unfolds. Thank you for your support.
Diane Cartwright says:
sent email to council and mayor.
Janette Hamilton says:
Once again thank you!
Deborah says:
Please do let us know what happens, I pray all goes well, in this case that might be a great idea, I don`t know your circumstances, and not sure if you started the application form for a kennel license either.
I live in London Ontario, and we also have that 3 dogs only in a household here as well.
Joanna says:
I am so sorry you are having to go through this. What did the court decide? Is there any chance of an exemption?
My thoughts are with you.
Maureen Hurly says:
Will send off emails now. Good Luck; please let us know what happens.
Monica Tupper says:
I would get a class action suit against every member of the governing board of the town and county and province. You may even take a look at your Federal laws and see how that may support you. If enough citizens raise enough hell and get enough media coverage you may find them backing off. I am from NH and we are a live free or die state. My own rural town is starting to piss me off with ordinances for this and regs for that. My feeling is if you wanted to live in a city, why did you move here??? If we are not infringing on our neighbor’s property, we all mind our own business…unless of course someone is in trouble and needs a helping hand. Funny, how the newcomers from the city haven’t learned that part. If my neighbor’s dog craps in my pasture I don’t fuss because at some point every critter within 5 miles of me will too! Don’t let them push you around!!!
And Off to Court We Go: please help me save the dogs! « Our Compass says:
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Shan says:
I am in the same situation as you are, just haven’t been caught yet. It is a huge fear of mine as I cannot afford to move out of city limits but I will NEVER give up my dogs, all rescues, all taken care of, all safe and happy. I will pray for justice for you.
Janette Hamilton says:
Please do more than just pray please send a letter to the emails on the bottom of the post.
Theresa says:
I wrote to them, I hope they listen to pleading and reason. Hugs….
Shelby says:
Signed and shared on FB. Good luck. What is being done to you should be criminal. Some laws do not make sense. How did they find out that you had 8 dogs? Whoever complained deserves some bad karma.
THOM MILLER says:
sent out and your plea for help has been posted on my face book site. i know where Barrie Ontario is have been there many time to spend time up further north. i asked all my animal activist friend to e mail and email again to tell them we know what the fuck is going down and this must and will not happen. i want this to be a big news item. sick and tired of these people who do not have a fucking clue and will harm animals instead of doing the right thing. this is my personal battle with the city of BARRIE and the unfairness of what they are planning to do on these people who have make a wonderful home for the canines. if we all cannot fix this i will be going underground with animal other animal activists and disappear.
Sue Thomas says:
I am so upset that these kind, caring family are being persecuted for the amont of animals they have. My friend in the United kindom has 18 dogs!!!!! So what. You have horrendous cruelty & dogs unwanted on the streets & in animal homes!!!!!
The person who complained is probably a cruel horrible person!!! I worked for the DHSS years ago & many horrible people wrote in about people woking etc-many of the people who wrote in were jealous evil people & were not blameless either!!!
Tghis is such a cruel horrible thing to do to people who love & look after animals.