Mar
26

The Dog Den: Final Appeal Before Tomorrow’s March

Okay folks, this is it, my last chance to stir some of you into attending tomorrow’s Million Mutt March in Toronto. It is also a chance for you to meet some of my dogs. Check for yourself how the rehabilitation of Phoenix, the dog deemed aggressive and ordered destroyed by Toronto Animal Services is going. I think you will be surprised!

Phoenix will be attending the march, as will my own dog Nakita, and our little senior rescue Chester. For those of you who have been following Chester’s story, this is your last and only chance to meet him and wish him luck in his new home. Chester will be delivered to his new home in Toronto right after the march! It will be a very busy day for the thirteen year old “dog in the box.”

I urge you all to bring out your dogs, big or small, pit or not, mixed breed or purebred, it doesn’t matter, BSL affects us all! Not only does it put good dogs in danger, but it tramples our basic rights and freedoms as citizens.

During the second world war, one group of people was singled out to be annihilated, and the world reacted with horror and outrage. BSL is basically the same thing, mass genocide of a single breed or breed mix of dog based on it’s looks. Should we be any less outraged because the victims of this particular cull are not human? What makes us think that we have a right to wipe out an entire breed of dog for our own self serving purposes? What gives us the right to label all pit bulls as vicious and uncontrollable? Isn’t that a little like saying that ALL Mexicans are illegal immigrants, or ALL black people are criminals? Of course we know neither is true, but you get my point!

We in North America pride ourselves on the fact that we consider an accused innocent until proven guilty. If a human being commits a crime parliament does not convene and ban all of his fellow countrymen because they MIGHT be criminals. How then can we allow the government to do so with our precious family pets? Crimes are taken on a case by case basis, and convictions are based on the evidence found. How is it then that we can condemn ALL pit bulls merely because they ARE pit bulls?

Breed Specific Legislation was intended to put a stop to dog bite incidents in the province, however it has not done so. For this tactic to work we would have to assume that the ONLY dogs that bite are pit bulls and pit bull mixes. We are well aware this is not the case. ANY dog no matter it’s breed or size has the potential to bite. All dogs have the potential to be dangerous dogs.

The only way to ensure that bite incidences are reduced is to hold the dog owner liable for the actions of his/her dog. Having a dog is a privilege and a responsibility, not a right. If you are not willing to be responsible for the actions of your pet, you should not have a pet. I keep and control multiple dogs, and have never had any of them bite a human being, not because they do not have the potential, but because I take responsibility for ensuring that it does not happen. I do so because it is MY responsibility as a pet owner, and I do not own a BSL regulated dog!

BSL does not work, it just turns dogs who should have freedom into animals who must live with unnecessary and cruel restrictions. People still get bitten, just not by pit bulls, so what has BSL really done for the province of Ontario but take the lives of innocent animals? What has it done, but cast fear into the hearts of people unfamiliar with the breed? What has it done save to serve to give pit bulls a bad rap? I’ll tell you what is has done, it has slaughtered thousands of innocent animals. It has cast sweet loving pits into a bad light, but is has not accomplished anything it was intended to. People still get bit by dogs, and as long as there are dogs around and people who refuse to learn how to interact with them properly, there will be people bit by dogs.

Don’t let the Ontario government turn our pit bulls into scapegoats. Support our efforts to abolish BSL. Come out tomorrow, and show your support! See you there!

Here’s the information: