Bet that got your attention! That’s the headline of a February 26 Toronto Star editorial to which I respond here.
Category: Media
New Brunswick: Provincial housing tenants have ONE WEEK to get rid of pets!
The government of New Brunswick has decided to start enforcing a law that prohibits tenants of provincial housing from owning pets, even though many of these tenants have had their animals for years. They have cracked down on two Moncton housing complexes and have given the tenants one week to get rid of their pets!
How a Private Member’s Bill becomes law
Randy Hillier, one of the sponsors of Bill 16, left a comment on my last blog entry that significantly increases my optimism about this bill’s potential to become law, so much so that I decided to write an updated article about it.
What’s the deal with Bill 16?
What’s the big deal with Bill 16 in Ontario? Why is it important to dog owners and why is it important for you to show up at Queen’s Park on February 23?
Unbelievable misuse of taxpayers’ money
I have to say, I cannot recall ever seeing a city do this before. The City of Brampton has taken out a full-page ad in their local newspaper in order to “defend” their employees’ actions in seizing two family pets and scheduling their destruction. So, not only does Rui Branco (the owner of one of the dogs) have to pay for his own lawyer, but his (and many other irate dog owners’) taxes are being used to help the city try to kill his dog and to try to hoodwink the public with cover-their-butt propaganda!
News articles about Brampton dogs and letters to the editors
Here are all the news stories I can find about the two dogs seized in Brampton. I have also included info for writing letters to the editors of the major Toronto and national newspapers, as well as the Brampton Guardian.
Two boxer-crosses seized as "pit bulls" in Brampton
Brampton, Ontario, has really put their foot in it this time! These are two more cases that really need both media and public attention, ASAP.
Great article on responsible dog ownership
Here is a great article by LeeAnn O’Reilly, president of the Dog Legislation Council of Canada, with whom I have worked for six years.
Journalist with good news story ends on a sour note
Some good news out of Ontario for two condemned young dogs. They’ve been shipped to the SPCA in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It’s a shame that Shawn Berry from the Daily Gleaner felt it necessary to end the story by quoting from the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeals judges. In my opinion, it is probably one of the most inaccurate and inflammatory statements ever put into print by a judge about “pit bulls”.
Ozzy: Musician, reality TV star, and now DOG BEHAVIOUR EXPERT?
Somehow, Ozzy Osbourne has morphed from bat-eating heavy metal rock star (who I thought was great) to reality TV family man to now self-appointed expert on dog breed identification and dog behaviour.